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IronAbe: Beth Signs Up for a Morale Oly and Needs Intel

Beth_SBeth_S
in Racing Forum 🏎

Hello All,

I've signed up for the IronAbe Oly this weekend for morale after my High Cliff 1/2 disaster. Cool thing? This will be my first oly. A few questions.

1) Has anyone ever done this race? Any course intelligence?

2) The water is currently 85 degrees. Will I fry in my wetsuit?

3)Oly execution. How do I do that? I'm not tapering, but I'm thinking

swim As always, swim happily and calmly, perhaps even enjoying the swim.

bike - Zone four or bust.

run - First mile, mary pace; Next four half mary pace, then kick it in hard.

 

 

Comments

  • manconamancona
    Posted By Beth Schwindt on 20 Jul 2010 10:09 AM

    Hello All,

    I've signed up for the IronAbe Oly this weekend for morale after my High Cliff 1/2 disaster. Cool thing? This will be my first oly. A few questions.

    1) Has anyone ever done this race? Any course intelligence? Hayes???

    2) The water is currently 85 degrees. Will I fry in my wetsuit? I wouldn't even think about the wetsuit

    3)Oly execution. How do I do that? I'm not tapering, but I'm thinking

    swim As always, swim happily and calmly, perhaps even enjoying the swim. I would go hard for the first minute to get away from any mess and get on someones feet, then calmly most of the rest of the way.  It's short though so go hard to stay with the faster swimmers.

    bike - Zone four or bust. Yep ... 90-95% is probably a good target

    run - First mile, mary pace; Next four half mary pace, then kick it in hard. for me it is more like first 3 at MP and then next 3 try for HMP.

     

     





     

  • david waredavid ware
    I did this race a couple of years ago. Water was warm, no wetsuit. It seemed long and most times were slower than we would have thought. Transition is not bad and youg get right out on the biker course. Very flat, can be windy as it is in the fields. As I recall there were not a lot of turns and you can pretty much get aero and go. The run has quite a bit of shade which helped as it got pretty darn hot. Flat run course, too. Generally this is a well run race, not too many people and was fun to do. Dave
  • Dave BarrDave Barr

    I've done the Olympic and sprint both.  Bill Winberg is the race director and always does a very good job.  The swim is a basic triangle where you start and end on a boat ramp with carpet on it.  Transition is very smooth with a short hill up to the bike course.  Very flat and straight course, out and back, so you should be able to get aero and hammer it.  The run course is very shaded and flat but if it gets hot it will be hot.  The finish is pretty neat as they have a local DJ do the announcing and awards presentation, usually.  The Olympic usually has a small field for most of the age groups.

    My wife and I may do the sprint, haven't been swimming at all and need to get going with Branson only 2 months away.

    Dave

  • Al TruscottAl Truscott

    You'll be too warm WITHOUT a wetsuit - most pools are 81-83F.

    Race pace - I always think to myself, can I hold this pace from now until the end of this leg? There is little to no percentage in thinking about "saving" anything for the run. Just maintain an effort level that will allow you to finish your current leg, and then start over again on the next one, ramping up as you go. HIM training has given you sufficient endurance for an Oly.

    Nutrition - take calories (gels) in transitions, otherwise, focus on fluid during the bike and grab a cup at each aid station on the run. You might try running thru each aid station just for the thrill of it, dumping water (not gatorade) on your head as you go.

  • rah2774rah2774

    sweet.. have fun.  I'd say consider it a training day and go for it.  I've often wondered what the EN way is for oly's so I've enjoyed reading this...

    as far as the swim, you may not even be allowed to think about wearing a wetsuit - sounds like it'll be too warm and it won't be an option... besides, you would certainly fry in those temps wearing one.  don't even pack it.  honest, I've done at least a race or two in the upper 70's (when it's option but you can't place) and once you get going it's absolutely fine...

    Al is certainly an expert at all things tri, and I've raced that philosophy in sprints and oly's - just do what you can do on each leg, no holding back.

    as far as nutrition, this is how I've done OLYs without any problems: I might have a gel when they close transition (depending on when my start time is) and definitely an S!Cap.  I don't drink right away on the bike - zippo for maybe 5 miles or so and when I start I'll take another S!Cap... then drink water and electrolyte drink as needed and able throughout the ride (I ride with one bottle of each).  I typically take a gel or something about an hour into the bike, washed down with water.  I will also carry a gel with me on the run as a safety measure if I need it... and usually I eat it about the halfway point of the run.

    Good luck and have fun.  OLYs are a different beast (being new to the EN system) - it's more of the all hard all the time sort of thing... and based on your level of fitness you should have zippo problem with that bc of the shorter distances!

  • Beth_SBeth_S
    Thanks all! I feel much wiser now and am excited to race.

    Just maintain an effort level that will allow you to finish your current leg, and then start over again on the next one, ramping up as you go. HIM training has given you sufficient endurance for an Oly.

    I think this was the part I really needed to now.

    And Matt, I'll work on being brave and fast in the swim. It would be novel for a swim to seem short -- which may happens after all the long sets Rich wrote for the plans this year.

    Dave -- it would be cool to see you there. I'll be in my EN kit.
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