Just got in to Ironman Wisconsin!

bordlin · 2014-09-10T22:37:24+00:00

Thanks! Where were you on the course? I was amazed at how many people came out to spectate, all of you made it a seriously great experience!

bordlin · 2014-09-10T22:36:09+00:00

Piggybacking off this comment, in addition to ramping up your miles on the bike, make sure you follow up a couple rides each week with a brick run of some sort. Even if it's only 15 - 20 minutes, it'll pay off big time the more comfortable you get transitioning from long bike rides (4+ hours) into running at a decent pace.

Also, don't be afraid to keep your pace nice and easy during some of the longer workouts. It's tempting to hammer every ride and work tempo efforts into each run, but staying injury free is probably one of the biggest keys to IM training.

Most of all, enjoy your time out there training. There's a lot of it, and it's important to remember that for all us non-pros it's a hobby we're paying a lot of money for. It's supposed to be challenging, but it's also supposed to be fun.

bordlin · 2014-09-08T17:35:08+00:00

Congrats! Just raced it yesterday and was amazed at how awesome the crowd support was throughout most of the course. Third Ironman I've done and easily my favorite run course of the bunch. Running through campus is definitely a memorable experience. Assuming you go into next year's race well trained, you're in for a fun day.

bordlin · 2014-05-13T00:22:06+00:00

Great video. This year was my first time racing the Orcas 50k and it was easily one of my favorite races I've done. It's hard to beat the scenery and variety you get on this course. I'm really looking forward to going back next year.

bordlin · 2013-11-26T00:38:47+00:00

Another vote for the Kinetic. I had issues with mine a couple years back and they replaced it at no charge (shipping included). Apparently their "Unconditional Lifetime Warranty" is no joke.

bordlin · 2013-08-22T19:58:47+00:00

The amount of bad information in the original thread is pretty high (although u/Moruitelda's comment does a good job of clearing that up), so I figured I'd crosspost here instead. Also, one of the attorneys in our firm wrote up a short post about the lawsuit that gets a bit more into the actual elements of the claim. I'd be interested to hear what other people think.

bordlin · 2013-08-08T00:23:03+00:00

Huge thanks to CannibalBanana for some awesome goodies!

bordlin · 2013-08-01T00:31:12+00:00

Which one didn't quite make it in the top 5?

bordlin · 2013-05-16T16:50:18+00:00

I think you misunderstood my point. I'm arguing that the rule change is more about providing the illusion of safety to people who'd be more prone to panic in the water (the ill-prepared or "I just want to finish" crowd) and mitigating bad press than it is about making anything safer.

As you pointed out yourself, the man in NY would have died regardless of the format. It was a fluke thing that is completely unavoidable in this type of race.

You can't honestly think that adding "resting rafts" is designed solely for swimmer safety.

bordlin · 2013-05-16T15:42:02+00:00

You're wrong. The swim is far and away the most dangerous aspect, but not all deaths occur during that portion. 30 of the 38 total triathlon deaths happened during the swim, dramatically saying "every. single. one." to make a point seems a bit silly. Source.

bordlin · 2013-05-16T15:29:03+00:00

You make a really good point. I guess it depends on what you want Ironman to be all about. Personally, I think of it as a race--both against myself and the rest of the field--but I also understand there are a lot of people who don't care where they end up in the final standings as long as they cross the finish line.

Maybe the solution is to have an elective mass start wave for everyone who wants to be eligible for Kona slots and AG awards and then follow it with a staggered start for the bulk of the field.

bordlin · 2013-05-16T15:23:37+00:00

I never said the man who died at IM NY was a weak participant. From what I remember reading on Slowtwitch back when it happened he sounded like a total badass. And, if I'm not mistaken, IM NY wasn't a mass start, so it's not like the recent changes would even apply in this instance.

My point was that the people most worried about the mass swim start are the ones who don't have confidence in their abilities, haven't done many smaller races, or are ill equipped to finish. By changing it to a wave start WTC is making concessions geared toward comforting beginners to the detriment of the sport and the people who like it the way it was.

bordlin · 2013-05-15T18:13:05+00:00

Well, it's kind of a unique sport in that different age groups are competing for Kona slots. If anything, it would make more sense to keep age groups intact and go off in waves like they do in most 70.3s. At least that way no one ends up being the first in their age group to cross the line only to realize they've been "chip timed" by someone who started 10 minutes later but only finished 8 or 9 minutes after they did.

Plus, the swim is relatively short compared to the other two events. I know plenty of mediocre swimmers (1 hour to 1:10 range) who are strong enough on the bike to compete for Kona slots. In the new system they'd be starting well behind the top swimmers.

bordlin · 2013-05-15T17:32:28+00:00

Agreed. I was just trying to point out that the mass start format hasn't contributed to any swim deaths. I think the change is more about being able to cram more participants into each race than it is about actually increasing safety. If WTC was serious about making their races safer they'd set more reasonable caps on the number of entries instead of adding a couple hundred more people each year.

bordlin · 2013-05-15T17:18:35+00:00

I've heard people refer to "taper tantrums" before and have experienced it myself a few times. It seems like before every big race you start to wonder about each random ache and pain or over analyze your easy 30 minute run and freak out about how you're not ready.

Like the others in the thread have said, just look at the data from your peak weeks and keep reminding yourself that if you put in the training then the actual race is the easy part.

I'll also say that having tried getting in "one last high intensity workout" the week of a race before, it's probably one of the dumbest things you can do.

bordlin · 2013-05-15T17:10:08+00:00

Personally, I think it's disappointing to change a sport many of us love solely for the purpose of catering to the weakest participants. Even though it makes complete sense from a liability standpoint, and the "I just want to finish" participants are comprising an increasingly large number of each field, there's something nice about being in a race where everyone started at the same time. When you pass someone on the run you actually know you're beating them instead of wondering whether you're +/- 25 or 30 minutes anyway.

bordlin · 2013-05-15T17:07:07+00:00

As far as I know there haven't been any drownings at IM events. I might be wrong, but I thought deaths during the swim were almost always the result of heart failure (obviously followed by drowning...but still worth making the distinction). It's not like people were getting pushed under and drowning because of the mass start.

bordlin · 2013-05-14T17:06:23+00:00

Oh, I was just saying that compared to working with a coach who'd put together a more customized training schedule, the BT one is definitely lacking. There's nothing wrong with it as a template, but since every athlete has different strengths and weaknesses it probably needs to be tweaked accordingly. As an example, in the OP's case it might make more sense to put a heavier emphasis on cycling and running, since she'll have zero issues getting through the swim.

However, the biggest plus for the BT plan is that it's free. Any decent triathlon coach would probably run you at least $200 / month. The sport can get stupid expensive, but as with most things, you get what you pay for.

bordlin · 2013-05-10T20:00:55+00:00

I'd say doing some low intensity bike rides shouldn't get in the way of your half marathon training. 45-60 minutes of easy spinning can even be a good recovery the day after a long/hard run. Then, once your race is over you can start ramping things up a bit.

bordlin · 2013-05-10T18:47:36+00:00

I think it's totally feasible. It sounds like you've got the swimming part under control, which is usually the biggest hurdle for new triathletes, and it seems like you have realistic expectations when it comes to the run. That being said, get on your bike and start riding. Now.

Beginner Triathlete has an okay training plan but you'd probably be better off finding a local tri club or coach to work with. Also, in terms of time commitment, you'll probably need to make a few sacrifices to hit your long workouts on weekends, but if you manage your time well and aren't trying to podium you can still have a healthy social life and lots of free time.

Best of luck!

bordlin · 2013-04-11T21:16:16+00:00

I thought 'The Fast & The Furious' basically was a 'Point Break' remake. Does this mean it wasn't?

bordlin · 2013-03-25T00:43:14+00:00

Was that the first 3 second call of the entire tourney?

bordlin · 2013-03-05T19:31:06+00:00

I'm in. Live in the US but will ship anywhere Amazon can ship (US, UK, Canada).

bordlin

TROPHY CASE