Tim, thanks so much for the woodlands report. The video flattens the course. Did you recently get a Garmin 910XT? I ask because I'm concerned about battery life on race day. I'm going to be on the course in the 13 plus hour range. I have not tested its charge lifespan and I'm wondering if I should not use it in the swim to conserve it. What do you think? Thanks!
Yes I did just get a 910xt. I'm pretty sure the battery life will last the length of your IM. Is it the only headset your using on your bike? Are you using the quick connect so you can take it off your wrist and put it on the bike? If you are at all concerned or do not have a back up for your bike and run , skipping the swim could give you just the extra time you may need and lets face it ,what purpose does it serve on the swim anyway ,other than data for later.
I used to wear my 310xt on my wrist on the bike. Until I crashed when looking at it. Big proponent of your bike headset between your aerobars. I do not want to deal with the quick connect of removal ... My plan is to wear 910xt for the entire day , use garmin 500 on the bike , 910xt will provide back up for the bike. I'll even leave my 310xt in T2 bag for back up for the run.. That way the 910xt is on my wrist the whole race and dont have to deal with it in transitions.
FWIW my 310xt battery would last all day so again I fully expect the 910xt to as well. Try it in your RR........and when your done leave it on and see how long it lasts!
The course is mostly flat, sort of like mostly harmless. Just gentle rollers for a good portion of the ride. there are maybe 5 or 6 "climbs" where you will run out of gears and have to take it easy to keep your power down. When people go out to test ride the course, I would suggest that they ride the section in the park (northern most section". You can start around Montgomery and do a loop. If I can get time I will try to post a map of the section. This will take you through the choppiest hills and then transition to the types of rollers that you will see on most of the course. Also, the park tends to be the fastest part of the course with the most turns so you can get a feel for how fast you can comfortably go given the roads and visibility. The course is definitely not technical so no worries like LP.
Glad to hear that everyone's training is coming along. I am definitely fatigued and work is taking its toll. By Wednesday I had already put in 40 hours, so squeezing in training sessions has been a bear. A couple of days I had to take sleep over early morning swim. Hopefully I am still faster in the water than Tom G, otherwise I will miss having him rocket by me on the bike
After much deliberation this past week I've decided to forgo racing in IMTX this year. My pride has become a difficult pill to swallow, but given all that has happened and is still happening I've made the decision not to race. I will be moving down to Austin, TX around the time of the race and will try to be there either pre-race day or on race day to give support.
That being said, I am looking forward and planning how to tackle future races and any input or advice would be much appreciated.
@Ryan.... Bummer were gonna miss you! Good luck with your move.
@JP... your course suggestion is about what I did yesterday.... only draw back is driving out there before you start but a lot less traffic... I forgot to mention that way out in the middle of nowhere there is a sign on a tree that says "No Shoulder No Cyclist's" Obviously some locals not very happy... also had some big truck red necks come really close to me for what appeared to be no reason from my point of view.... Anyway I parked at the Montgomery Highschool on 105 and did the North loop skipping Oswald road and the other short loop up top....
Did my IM swim this am.... 4250yds in 1:08:57 .... couple minutes slower than my last one... the last one I had my tri-suit and cap on.... that must be it... yeah thats it!!!
You will want to ride the Osbourne Road section at least once to get a feel for the road. These are park roads and the quality is a little shakey. Not bad, just some potholes. cracks and patches. Also one of the only sections with shade.
@JP .... Yeah definitely gonna ride that section a few times ... skipped it yesterday cause I was so cold... meant to stay on fm149 right to fm1486 but missed it and did the 3rd little section up top... The plan for tomorrow is to park at Magnolia High School after it warms up a bit and do the 85-90mile loop from there.....
I was on the waitlist for the CB and I Tri sprint for tomorrow , they resell any packets that dont get picked up tonight on a first come first serve basis.... But the forecast for my wave start tomorrow am is in the 40's and will only be hitting low to mid 50's by the time I finish... So gonna say no thank you to that!!!
@John P and Tim, thanks for the insider's info. Keep it coming.
@Ryan, sad to see you back out, but good on you for making the right decision for your life. See you next time!
Big plans for cleaning, movie and swim turned into big nap and swim. Got 4,250 yard in 1:15:50, 1 minute faster than last RR. Feeling pretty good about where I am (for me). Big nutrition and rest tonight in prep for RR tomorrow.
@Tim - Forgot to warn you that Texas is not a safe passing or share the road state. In the state of Texas the driver is not required to provide safe distance in passing a cyclist. The only time that a driver will be ticketed is if they actually hit the cyclist.
RR2 done. Successful but without data. Only have time and distance for bike because just happened to have GPS on phone running for particular course I was using. Bike: 100 miles in 5:05 which included stopping time for bottle refill x2, peeing and stop lights. Run: 6 miles in 45:06. Felt better than thought.
Looks like everybody got there RR's done and early too!
Still no Texas heat but I got some Texas wind for my RR light today. 92 miles on the course , followed up with a 5 mile brick. Had to turn around on Fishcreek/Sendera Ranch Rd due to a large overturned truck they were not letting thru traffic. Other than that little detour and an extra few miles at the end I pretty much rode the course except the Woodlands Pkwy section to the South.... Very happy with performance but it was not a good indicator of what to expect on race day with no heat and humidity... I was really hoping for that long ride to have the heat and humidity to adjust power/pace/RPE but at this point just gonna have to adapt on Race Day.....I had no problem holding my targeted power thru out so I was a bit surprised when I got off my bike and that I felt like shit.... Then I was even further surprised that I felt so good on the run and it was effortless.... Very strange indeed...
RR#2 is in the books and I am back home. Tough day on the ride with a strong wind out of the WSW. When you turned back to the east you were flying. Heading back due south still wasn't bad. Got off the bike and had a little trouble keeping the run speed down, but finally got into the rhythm. All ion all a good day. Nutrition was spot on, bike was a little lower than I was looking for, but good given the conditions and the fact that I had a deep massage yesterday that I could still feel.
RR#2 done also....Tim the Texas heat moved to Portland,OR and Vancouver,WA area. I only made it 109.5 mile on a ride that took way too long7.5 hours but I ave. the watts I was shooting for by the end with max watts of 781. By the time I was done it was 93° and had wind that blew this 200+ pounder around...like ride to Hawi, HI. I knew there would be some elevation but I think 6700 ft of climbing is a bit much for a RR. The event was Ride Around Clark County and I got off course so back tracked and that added some elevation. I didn't have the legs to do a brick and almost fell asleep driving on the freeway home. I did learn a few things and what I forgot to do to prepare...Magnesium and sun screen for starters.
RR#2 completed yesterday....and despite some unplanned "interruptions" ..I was pretty dang (Texan lingo) satisfied....
I rode my standard RR route....(an out and back)...100miles/5:21/18.7mph then hopped off and did 10k/51min/8:11 pace...(9:00, 8:13,8:09,8:11,7:57,7:52,7:41)...
The "moving" bike time was a 15min. improvement on RR#1 and a PR for me on that course....it was fairly windy (through RR#1 was windier on the way but good tail wind on the way back...today was lighter wind but all around)....Power was NP158 and my target was 155-160 and the VI was 1.07...(RR#1 my power was NP151 -target was 145-150 - with a VI of 1.05)....I ran about the same off of RR#1 bike but I felt even better today...
So I think I'm okay with the higher range power target..thoughts? (I'm gonna post in the forums for feedback too)
I drank 1x22oz bottle of perform/cytomax per hour + 1 power gel every 30min....I lost 2.5lbs.over the bike ride so probably can still drink more...but without the benefit of on-course support I didn't want to stop more than once for bottle refills ( I had 3 bottle with me - front A2+2rear...in race I will keep on bottle in rear and refill A2 with Perform on the go.)...I still peed 2x before transition to run.
The only other issue today was that I flatted at mile 4...so I had 5min. tire change...and because I flatted so early I stopped at around the 1hr. mark at the only shop on my route to purchase another CO2 & tube ..so another 5min wasted...this time was not accounted for in my total time...ie. not moving time...
@Joe... Bummer about your flat ... those just suck... Nice RR... sounds like everything went perfect.... I dont see any reason why you wouldnt up your target NP.... Heck make your window 151-158..... If you held a steady 158 and ran well after there really is nothing to think about... The only thing is to keep an open mind and use RPE on race day should it be a Houston Texas hazy hot and humid day... But then were all in the same boat on that one...
Speaking of weather it was another cool , dry , and windy day. I waited till late afternoon and hit a track for my 90 minute run... At least the track was black so I did get hot but the temps only hit the low 70's ... Ran a little harder to generate the heat and ended up with 11.68 miles @ 7:42 pace...
Comments
Did you recently get a Garmin 910XT? I ask because I'm concerned about battery life on race day. I'm going to be on the course in the 13 plus hour range. I have not tested its charge lifespan and I'm wondering if I should not use it in the swim to conserve it. What do you think?
Thanks!
Yes I did just get a 910xt. I'm pretty sure the battery life will last the length of your IM. Is it the only headset your using on your bike? Are you using the quick connect so you can take it off your wrist and put it on the bike? If you are at all concerned or do not have a back up for your bike and run , skipping the swim could give you just the extra time you may need and lets face it ,what purpose does it serve on the swim anyway ,other than data for later.
I used to wear my 310xt on my wrist on the bike. Until I crashed when looking at it. Big proponent of your bike headset between your aerobars. I do not want to deal with the quick connect of removal ... My plan is to wear 910xt for the entire day , use garmin 500 on the bike , 910xt will provide back up for the bike. I'll even leave my 310xt in T2 bag for back up for the run.. That way the 910xt is on my wrist the whole race and dont have to deal with it in transitions.
FWIW my 310xt battery would last all day so again I fully expect the 910xt to as well. Try it in your RR........and when your done leave it on and see how long it lasts!
Tim...great to hear you got into TX ok...(despite the issues)...
Curious...how would you/Roy/Anyone compare/contrast TX with Louisville?(bike course)
Rest Day for me...RR tommorrow...long Swim on Sunday.
Wind?...bah...I spit in the wind! (unfortunately always comes back to hit me in the face...LOL
)...
Hey Guys,
After much deliberation this past week I've decided to forgo racing in IMTX this year. My pride has become a difficult pill to swallow, but given all that has happened and is still happening I've made the decision not to race. I will be moving down to Austin, TX around the time of the race and will try to be there either pre-race day or on race day to give support.
That being said, I am looking forward and planning how to tackle future races and any input or advice would be much appreciated.
@JP... your course suggestion is about what I did yesterday.... only draw back is driving out there before you start but a lot less traffic... I forgot to mention that way out in the middle of nowhere there is a sign on a tree that says "No Shoulder No Cyclist's" Obviously some locals not very happy... also had some big truck red necks come really close to me for what appeared to be no reason from my point of view.... Anyway I parked at the Montgomery Highschool on 105 and did the North loop skipping Oswald road and the other short loop up top....
Here is my ride and map.....
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/306862191
Did my IM swim this am.... 4250yds in 1:08:57 .... couple minutes slower than my last one... the last one I had my tri-suit and cap on.... that must be it... yeah thats it!!!
Tim- Just curious what IF do you plan to ride at?
I was on the waitlist for the CB and I Tri sprint for tomorrow , they resell any packets that dont get picked up tonight on a first come first serve basis.... But the forecast for my wave start tomorrow am is in the 40's and will only be hitting low to mid 50's by the time I finish... So gonna say no thank you to that!!!
@Tim...you were supposed to leave that NH weather in NH.
@Ryan, sad to see you back out, but good on you for making the right decision for your life. See you next time!
Big plans for cleaning, movie and swim turned into big nap and swim. Got 4,250 yard in 1:15:50, 1 minute faster than last RR. Feeling pretty good about where I am (for me). Big nutrition and rest tonight in prep for RR tomorrow.
Good luck everyone!
@Tim - Forgot to warn you that Texas is not a safe passing or share the road state. In the state of Texas the driver is not required to provide safe distance in passing a cyclist. The only time that a driver will be ticketed is if they actually hit the cyclist.
Bike: 100 miles in 5:05 which included stopping time for bottle refill x2, peeing and stop lights.
Run: 6 miles in 45:06. Felt better than thought.
Whoa, awesome work JK! Looks like you are on target for a good race.
@Roy/Tim, good lucky with your races, hopefully I'll be around to meet everyone Friday or Saturday.
RR2 done. 112 in 5:49, 6 miles in 50. Happy. Deets later. Dinner and family time now!
Still no Texas heat but I got some Texas wind for my RR light today. 92 miles on the course , followed up with a 5 mile brick. Had to turn around on Fishcreek/Sendera Ranch Rd due to a large overturned truck they were not letting thru traffic. Other than that little detour and an extra few miles at the end I pretty much rode the course except the Woodlands Pkwy section to the South.... Very happy with performance but it was not a good indicator of what to expect on race day with no heat and humidity... I was really hoping for that long ride to have the heat and humidity to adjust power/pace/RPE but at this point just gonna have to adapt on Race Day.....I had no problem holding my targeted power thru out so I was a bit surprised when I got off my bike and that I felt like shit.... Then I was even further surprised that I felt so good on the run and it was effortless.... Very strange indeed...
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/307689340# The Bike
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/307690614# The Run
If they haven't moved it, bike SN will be just after you turn onto 2562, just past mile marker 55.
RR#2 completed yesterday....and despite some unplanned "interruptions" ..I was pretty dang (Texan lingo) satisfied....
I rode my standard RR route....(an out and back)...100miles/5:21/18.7mph then hopped off and did 10k/51min/8:11 pace...(9:00, 8:13,8:09,8:11,7:57,7:52,7:41)...
The "moving" bike time was a 15min. improvement on RR#1 and a PR for me on that course....it was fairly windy (through RR#1 was windier on the way but good tail wind on the way back...today was lighter wind but all around)....Power was NP158 and my target was 155-160 and the VI was 1.07...(RR#1 my power was NP151 -target was 145-150 - with a VI of 1.05)....I ran about the same off of RR#1 bike but I felt even better today...
So I think I'm okay with the higher range power target..thoughts? (I'm gonna post in the forums for feedback too)
I drank 1x22oz bottle of perform/cytomax per hour + 1 power gel every 30min....I lost 2.5lbs.over the bike ride so probably can still drink more...but without the benefit of on-course support I didn't want to stop more than once for bottle refills ( I had 3 bottle with me - front A2+2rear...in race I will keep on bottle in rear and refill A2 with Perform on the go.)...I still peed 2x before transition to run.
The only other issue today was that I flatted at mile 4...so I had 5min. tire change...and because I flatted so early I stopped at around the 1hr. mark at the only shop on my route to purchase another CO2 & tube ..so another 5min wasted...this time was not accounted for in my total time...ie. not moving time...
Speaking of weather it was another cool , dry , and windy day. I waited till late afternoon and hit a track for my 90 minute run... At least the track was black so I did get hot but the temps only hit the low 70's ... Ran a little harder to generate the heat and ended up with 11.68 miles @ 7:42 pace...
Hey Tim...Thanks...and yes I think that is where my mind is at....
3400 straight today...a tad faster than plan Race Pace...but really just swam...thats the way I want my swim to go...just a swim
Tapering