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I want Tips for those racing IMMT who have never been there
Anyone who has been at the IMMT camp or done the IM or 70.3 course at MT, what is a thing or two that you learned that would be important to know to race IMMT if I or someone else on the team has never been there? Thanks for the input.
Rob
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I'm heading up there tomorrow for my own personal mini-camp. Should be interesting. I've been told it is turning into an Ironman paradise there. Supposedly Ironman is going to sponsor an Olympic sized pool.. And they even have Ironman information kiosks up there as well..
Run- settle in over the first few hills in miles 1-3 and find a good stride on the downhills then it's flat, although false flattish on once you turn around on the bike path. The last hills hurt more once you get close to transition.
Here are some quick and dirty tips. Some from my experience with the course, some from our camp discussions.
Bike:
Expect wind, from all directions..... Patrick likened it to the winds on the bike at Kona. The wind gets worse as the day goes on.
Loop 1 - Easy for the first 6 miles, use your gears on the hills, they are more significant than they seem, take advantage of the downhills. You'll want to rock it out on the highway, it's so awesome....but don't. You'll pay for it in the climb back to Tremblant and in the hills on Duplessis leading out to Lac Superior. Remember you have to do it twice.
Ride loop 1 to prep for the end of loop two, or you will pay for it riding on in the last 10ish miles of the bike (Duplessis/Lac Superior). I saw MANY people walking up hills during this year's 70.3, and they only did ONE loop.
Run:
The hills are more challenging on the out than the back. After that, the trail is fairly flat, except for a false flat feeling just after the turn around mile 6. Use the hills to break up the monotony. I find the trail part of the run is alot like a death march, I get bored, and end up slowing down, in a race and in various training runs I've done up there. It gets better though, I tend to count the road crossings on the trail to make time pass. This was a HUGE help in my last run there. I recommend counting them on the way out, so you know how many you cross on the way back.... I can't remember how many there were as I write this.
Like Placid, Tremblant brings you almost to the finish chute on the first lap of the run, prepare for this in your visualization (if you are a geek like me and do it), and be ready to make the right hand turn, even when your legs want to keep going straight.
Personal tips: Soak up the spectator energy through the Old VIllage to keep you buoyed through the trail section of the run. Draw on that when it gets tough. Remember your "one thing". Have fun.
Learn how to say "On your left!!!" in French "à gauche!!" - the downhills and the EN style of riding will mean that you are passing TONS of peeps on the bike.
Don't ride on the shoulder during the race - the road is there just for us, and the surface is amazing, service vehicles only on the shoulder.
That'll be $100 ;-) I kid of course, see you all in a month!
@Brenda, just signed up for the webinar, thanks for the link!
First loop went really well, rode the EN way and felt great. Wind wasn't so much of problem on the first loop but it did start spitting rain the higher elevations on 117 and progressively got worse during the day. The final out and back has a few very short but steep climb sections where I had to low gear it and exceed my power ranges just to get up those sections. Definately a wake up call with hills like that at the very end. Each time you think you are done with them there is another hill to climb. The worse one is when you are on your way back down and there is one last hill that just punishes you one final time. A very crewl joke IMO.
By the beginner of the second loop the rain really stated to come and I was soaked to the bone. The second loop was alright going out to the turn around on 117. Coming back wasn't such a problem but as I started to get closer to Montee Ryan the winds really began to pick up and would shut down any speed I could build up. This was around 2pm in ther afternoon. There is one final long climb right after some construction before you can really call the hills on 117 done before reaching Montee Ryan and the off ramp. But the wind really took a toll on my and had me spinning up the last hill at about 8 mph.
For my ride I definately went out too hard on the first loop although I was working my EN zones. The hills on the final out and back toward Lac Superior were just absolutely punishing. As Nicole said "Save yourself for this section on the final loop" I got to this section and was completely toast at this point. When I got back to the village I literally told myself there was no way I could run after the second loop because my quads where toast. Totally glad I came up here this week to learn this lession.
I don't have any comments on the run yet, but I'll probably have something later this week. Tomorrow is one loop of the bike and then easy for the day or maybe a swim if the weather improves.
More info later.
Really there aren't any surprises on the course.. The hills in the first and last three miles are not very long so it wouldn't really contribute to a major suffer fest on those sections if you work then and keep the mental toughness up front.
This will be a great run.
I found during the 70.3 (June summer solstice time) that even though the path was tree lined, there wasn't much shade to be had. It might be different in August when the sun is not at it's highest point---here's hoping!!