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2011 Race Selection! (I know, nuts!)

David FlintDavid Flint
in General Training Discussions

 Wondered what you guys thought?

I'll be doing my first IM in Cozumel this November so I'll be having to select 2011 IM schedule/entry before I race my first one in order to secure entry . As we're getting into May, it seems I'll be forced to make some decisions if I want to do the IM's of my choice next year - plus the London Marathon ballot opens next week so it would be nice to decide on that as well.

Cozumel is late November - for some reason IM-Lanzarote appeals (warm, cheap, relatively easy to get too, 'bikers course' ) but thats late May (it sells out within 2 weeks of last event) - considering the training load / stress of Cozumel am I nuts considering another IM so close?  Realistically, December 2010 is probably going to be transition period leaving 5 months for OS & RP.

I guess the benefit will be that I'm maintaining fitness levels and hopefully improving from the 'base' & experience of this year (my rookie year) - it would also leave the schedule open for another late Ironman perhaps (if I don't get my Kona slot that is! )

Must admit - an early season event would provide a good focus thru' a usually dismal period of the year. IMCoz does throw things out a tad in many respects.

Any suggestions welcome, thanks.

Dave

 

Comments

  • Gordon CherwoniakGordon Cherwoniak

    David,

    There's no reason to not do Lanzarote.  I'm not sure of the exact date but by my count from Jan 3-May 29th 2011 is 21 weeks.  If you take 12 weeks for the IM training 1 week transition that only leave 8 weeks for the OS. 

    I see the 2010 London Marathon is April 25.  That's way to close to an IM for a good race at both.  Now if you want to race the marathon and finish Lanzarote that's a different story but the marathon will take 2 good weeks out of your trainng around the race rehersals time period in the IM program.

    For me I saw such such good gains in my first OS that I would not want to cut it that short, maybe 12-16 weeks as a minimum. 

    If you want to do the London Marathon a late season IM would be a better choice.  I'd also skip Lanzarote this year and pick a mid season race so that you can get the OS in.  Then look at the 2012 race Lanzarote with a Oct/Nov OS start.

    Gordon

     

  • Nemo BrauchNemo Brauch
    If you get into London- then do London and schedule yourself for a fall IM. What Gordon said- it's just too close together.

    If you don't do London and you choose to do Lannzarote, then do yourself a HUGE favor and take a serious break from all things Triathlon (like maybe a full month). Otherwise your head is gonna want to explode when you get half way through that second 12 week training plan.

    Your in England, right? Spring races sound just horrible from a training perspective to me. Even here in NC I can't imagine for example training for IMSG. Forgive my ignorance, but what other IM (WSC or Roth or other) options would you have for something in the early fall timeframe? That would seem to be much better from a schedule point of view.
  • David FlintDavid Flint
    @Gordon, Nemo - thanks for your input. The london mary thing is just an example of scheduling issues, if I decided to do Lanza I wouldn't enter the London at all.
    Yep, the training weather is an issue but there again an early season IM would make it tolerable perhaps & Lanza would be a good excuse to get some early sun! With IM's selling out a year in advance I just need to decide - there again, the 'family favourite' would be IMUSA in 2011 but they seem to be making that even harder for overseas athletes to get in (no dedicated overseas slots now, just online entry).

  • Nemo BrauchNemo Brauch
    Don't give up on IMUSA. IIRC the online registration didn't quite fill up nearly as fast last year as it has done in the past. Although the race did fill quickly, the economy seems to have put a bit of cold water on the "sold out in 15 min" phenomenon we used to see.
  • Al TruscottAl Truscott

    I'll just offer my own experience with my first two IMs. In 2000, I did Florida in early November, walked about 8 miles of the run, rested for 2 weeks, and then got right into training for IM California, which was a full IM about May 9th. Training starting early Dec was not a problem here in the Pac NW, where the weather is just about the same as yours, year round. I was able to successfully run the whole way, and got a PR which I couldn't break for another 5 years. So, yes, Lanzarote after Cozumel seems like a perfectly reasonable option. Of course, assuming you don't do the 2011 London marathon. If it were me (and I were in the UK), I'd much rather jet south to the Canary Isles in May then fly multiple time zones to the iffy weather of the Adirondack Mtns.

    BTW, there's no such thing as a "biker's course". Taking a single sport focus (i.e., assuming your strength is an advantage) into an Ironman is a fool's errand. 

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