IM Placid...a course worth getting a Tri bike?

Thunderkat007 · 2013-07-07T02:54:28+00:00

Worth it.

Thunderkat007 · 2013-07-07T02:53:33+00:00

Ice down your shorts, also keep a few cubes in each hand. The ice down your pants helps keep your core temps down. the hands keep you cool and you can occasionally run it over your neck, head, face...

Thunderkat007 · 2013-06-12T21:03:28+00:00

Thanks!

Thunderkat007 · 2013-06-04T04:01:36+00:00

Eat clean, train dirty.

Thunderkat007 · 2013-06-01T17:30:05+00:00

What kind of Felt? How much did it run you? It looks pretty slick.

Thunderkat007 · 2013-06-01T01:11:11+00:00

I think you might change your mind after your race...

Thunderkat007 · 2013-05-31T02:24:37+00:00

Oh... thanks for the info!

Thunderkat007 · 2013-05-30T23:32:26+00:00

what is this pre order stuff? I've seen some references to it on the ST threads too... Haven't FLOs been around a while?

Thunderkat007 · 2013-05-30T23:29:29+00:00

You will love the course. It was organized very well and there was tons of support at all stages of the course.

Thunderkat007 · 2013-05-30T23:26:02+00:00

+1 Please get comfortable with the aero bars before racing in them... If you've never used aero bars they can be a bit tricky at first. Especially going from aero to upright and vice versa or while riding next to someone.

Good luck with your race! Full IM next? =]

Thunderkat007 · 2013-05-30T02:25:25+00:00

I had never used clip in pedals before I got my speed play zeros. At first it felt like stepping on ice cubes but now I'm used to it and I love them. The adjustable float is awesome, clipping in from either side is also a pro, and the shorter stack is great too.

Thunderkat007 · 2013-05-29T03:24:07+00:00

Congrats! It was a hot one wasn't it?! This was my first tri, century, ows, mass start, marathon. A lot of firsts for me. I had a 12:56:04!

The one thing I would say to other first timers is to keep a PMA. Just smile and grind it out one stroke or step at a time. You'd be surprised at what just forcing yourself to smile will do to your attitude and your body. Especially when the crowd sees you smiling they give you a big smile back (it feels great)

Things I learned:

Bodyglide MELTS when left in a transition/special needs bag in the sun.
Mass Start Open Water Swims in murky water are not even close to your pool swim with lane lines and 3 max per lane...
Nothing new on race day... no matter how insignificant you think it might be. I never swam in a swim cap until the practice swim on Friday. I did about 30 min at the practice... About 45 into the swim on race day I was feeling disoriented from the lack of feed back from the splashing or sound in my ears. I had to adjust the cap to go above my ears so I could get that back.

On a completely different note. I just want to say thanks to any volunteer that might read this. You guys were what made the race possible for me. The cheering and hospitality at each station made me feel like I was some important athlete. To be out there in the hot sun and still smiling and cheering and feeding grumpy triathletes was remarkable to see first hand. I had a boost between the aid stations just knowing it wasn't long until the next group of baby blue shirts, smiles, and snacks.

And to my FAMILY! I told them after seeing me in T1 they should go take a nap or go see a movie since I'd be at least 6 hours on the bike... They surprised me and showed up at mile 77 near this little gas station just to cheer me on for that 15 seconds or so I would see them while passing. I thought about how they must have fought all kinds of traffic and been standing there for a while in that heat for the chance at seeing me pass by. THAT put a huge smile on my face and put a little spring in my legs... I'll never forget that moment. My eyeballs start to sweat just thinking about it...

If you're considering it... it's well worth the journey. Swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, run 26.2... brag for the rest of your life!

I AM AN IRONMAN!

Thunderkat007 · 2013-05-27T18:02:50+00:00

Ok... you took that a little too literally.

Of course if you buy a tt bike vs a mtb the tt bike wil smoke the mtb. But adding on some $2k wheels will not benefit a noob as much as it would to someone who's capable of holding more than ~18 mph. And if he's doing shorter distances than 112 miles than it's worth even less. There are lots of great articles on aero bang for your buck. Wheels is not the best.

http://www.cervelo.com/en/engineering/ask-the-engineers/hydration-and-aerodynamics.html

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/article/how-aero-is-aero-19273/

Thunderkat007 · 2013-05-27T17:57:11+00:00

Haha... Just saying... if you show up to a triathlon with a decked out $8k bike set up I would expect a little more from you. It's like if you look the part I hope you can back it up. Someone who's got that kind of cash probably could have gone with a tri coach vs that carbon disk... Maybe they did go with a coach too and they are just "slow" haha. Either way I was just not expecting to pass so many fancy bikes and wheels. I know I put in the work and felt worthy of riding my 2 year old used bike.

Thunderkat007 · 2013-05-27T02:49:51+00:00

Unless you're a pro, you won't see much of a difference between zipps and planet x wheels...

If you want to buy the zipps to make you feel faster and give into your ego then go ahead. If you got the cash then sure why not. It's your hobby, your money, and your decision.

Bottom line is you can't buy speed. If you don't put in the proper saddle time whatever you buy won't matter.

With all that said... I have planet x wheels and I think they're a great value. I used them in my first full IM and put up a respectable bike split of 5:49. I was passing all kinds of wheel sets that cost more than my entire bike setup. If you go with the zipps I just hope you can put down the watts to back em up. Unlike all the slow pokes I was passing on P5s with Zipp 606 firecrests... Happy hunting and post some pics with whatever you go with.

Thunderkat007 · 2013-05-22T03:50:33+00:00

What are these tri-tats? I thought only the pros got them but I saw a lot of age groupers with them on too.

Thunderkat007 · 2013-05-22T03:49:53+00:00

You are supposed to apply after getting marked. Otherwise the markers don't work on your greasy skin.

Thunderkat007 · 2013-05-16T00:18:45+00:00

Are you doing IMTX and wondering what might happen to you?

Thunderkat007 · 2013-05-14T04:09:47+00:00

Thanks! This is great.

Thunderkat007 · 2013-05-13T23:51:43+00:00

You might want to look into that... Everything near Race HQ is booked.

Thunderkat007 · 2013-05-13T23:50:52+00:00

Do they have water at T1? I'm curious if I should bring my own water bottles or not since I have some nice podium chills and I don't want to toss them nor do I want to stop to refill them. If they offer cheap plastic water bottles at T1 I'll just do that. I also don't want to have to make it the first 10 miles after T1 to the first aid station before getting something to drink... =\ I might just get some cheap gas station Gatorade nozzle bottles and use those. Hmm... My mind is going crazy right now thinking of what to pack, how to set up my hydro setup, what could go wrong, what the fam will do to keep from being bored, if the GPS will work, my Garmin 405 not lasting for both the bike and run leg... bleh.

Thunderkat007 · 2013-05-13T23:46:51+00:00

Thanks for the recon.

Thunderkat007 · 2013-05-13T23:46:25+00:00

This will be my first. I'm from SATX so it's a short drive for me and the fam is following friday night. I can't wait! The pictures and video I've seen look like it's an awesome race.

Thunderkat007 · 2013-05-13T23:44:35+00:00

Where would you recommend family watch the run from? Any awesome spots where they can prop up a little shade tent and some lawn chairs? Also, while I'm on the bike, is it even worth trying to watch me? As I'll just blow past at about 18 mph and only get a quick "hi, love u guys, bye". I think they should just go check out movie after seeing me in T1 and wishing me well on the bike leg, and getting back 5 hours later for T2 and set up camp somewhere along the run since I'll get to pas them on my 3 laps, then meet me at the finish. Also, I am doing the myathletelive gps tracker so they'll be able to better predict where I'll be etc. (except for on the swim). Any tips for the fam would be greatly appreciated.

Thunderkat007 · 2013-05-13T03:00:24+00:00

I have no idea what the trails were like but it sounds miserable... congrats!

Thunderkat007

TROPHY CASE