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Ironman Lake Placid

5 Days and the taper continues

Did a 2 hour ride on saturday and a 1 hour run on sunday.

We were back in NY visiting family again this weekend so that means I was back up to the Ashokan Reservoir to ride again. It’s really nice riding along 28A up there, not many cars and the views of the mountains and water are great. The course is mostly rolling hills, I think only 2 where you would switch to the small chainring though. Kind of like riding around MA.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/99520404

The run on sunday was  a pretty flat run along the Dam. Easy pace with negative splits.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/99848346

Followed up the weekend with a nice easy crossing at Stiles this morning.

Part of me wants to push harder because I feel pretty good but in the back of my mind I keep telling myself to save it for Sunday. I also keep thinking to myself to take easy, don’t get hurt in the last week!

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Ironman Lake Placid

9 Days to go

Easy ride today from the pond with Jan, Julie, Mike and Karen. We left Stiles pretty much in the dark. I think I will need to get a light for my bike if we are going to keep these thursday morning rides going. The roads were wet but it had stopped raining and the sun was trying to break through some of the clouds on the horizon. I actually spent almost two hours out riding today, that is what the long ride on the weekend is supposed to be!! Just relaxed on the bike and stayed areo, the weather was really perfect today.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/99072453

Weight: 162

Categories
Ironman Lake Placid

10 Days to go

Single crossing this morning at the pond and a pretty easy pace. Then a short and quick 5 mile run. The run wasn’t that much fun, horse flies are out and I didn’t have my hat! Funny thing, seemed like they were worse on the way out than they were on the way back, maybe I just ran faster and they couldn’t keep up. Yeah, THAT’S what it was! I was so fast they couldn’t keep up. That’s my story and I’m sticking with it.

I have my spare tubular stretching now so if there is a flat I will be able to get the new tire on. After seeing the gigantic hole in Julie’s tire on Sunday I really need to have a spare, maybe two!

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/98846320

Weight: 161.2

 

Categories
Ironman Lake Placid

Lots of lasts before Ironman

Today was the last of the Tuesday Time trial rides. From here on out the rides will be easy. Well, maybe not easy, but they will be at a more reasonable pace. I’m sure I will push harder once and a while during the last few rides but it won’t be for very long. Now it’s all about staying loose and getting to Ironman with no injuries.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/98626531

Weight: 162

 

Categories
Ironman Lake Placid

Easy swim

Water temp was 79 this morning. The sunrise was pretty nice as usual and it seemed like a good morning for a slow single. Now if only Smolak Farm would open before 7am like the used to!

Putting the race wheels on tonight to get some more time in the saddle and get more of a feeel for them since I’ve only used them once so far.

Categories
Ironman Lake Placid

Last 4 hour ride!

Today was the last of the really long rides. If you consider 4 hours a really long ride. I actually haven’t minded the 4 hour rides. It was when it started to get into the 5 and 6 hour time zone that it felt like work. Today was a great day to be out there, maybe a little warm toward the end of the ride but it was very comfortable for most of it.

I think my nutrition plan is coming together. Today I used Ironman Perform with two Salt tabs in each bottle. During the ride I drank all 4 bottles and had 3 Honey Stinger Waffles. I practiced pulling them out of my back pocket and eating them rather than waiting until we stopped. Hopefully during the Ironman I will be able to do that and not have to stop. I also had 3 shots of EFS Gel during the ride, alternating the Waffle and the Gel every half hour. That should give me plenty of calories during the bike and a few extra for the start of the run. If the weather is bad on race day I may have to stop and get my stuff to eat, but I guess you deal with the conditions you get.

The Ride: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/98283417

Saturday Run: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/97891949

Categories
Ironman Lake Placid

IMLP #1675

It’s getting closer and closer. Today I was e-mailed the Athlete guide and found my race number in the participant list. Only 16 days away! I’m looking forward to finally doing this race and getting it done! Hope I remember to enjoy it on the day of the race.

Forgot the entry from yesterday. I did a 2.5 mile swim at Stiles with no wetsuit. Water temp is 79 degrees now, going to be warmer tomorrow probably. Followed that with a quick 5 mile run. This morning I went for a ride with Julie, Jan and Karen. It was a fun ride, a little over 30 miles. Didn’t work too hard most of the ride, only on the hills would I push harder.

Categories
Ironman Lake Placid

Slow TT this morning

Went out for the usual tuesday morning time trial and didn’t have much today. Legs are still feeling a little beat up from the long ride and run from the weekend. I only managed to get to 19.2 on the way out to the turn around. I was able to pick it up some on the way back and get to 19.6 for the entire ride. My power was down about 15 watts from my previous tuesday morning ride. After the ride I went for a 10 mile cool down ride. Just taking it easy through town and my legs felt pretty good by the end of the ride.

Categories
Ironman Lake Placid

Longest Run Ever

I had never run more than 13.1 miles until today. Training program called for a 3 hour run. I didn’t make it 3 hours and really didn’t have any intention of running that long. I don’t have a fuel belt so I had to run out and back on 1 Gel. I ran out 1 hour and back so that I could stop at the car and get something to drink and another Gel. Having 14 miles done I went back out and ran to the other side of the Dam and back for 19.5 total.

The weather for the run was kind of lousy, started out very warm and humid and then at about mile 6 turned into a thunderstorm and just a down pour for the next 6 miles. After that it was just a steady rain. Glad it is over. Maybe it will be severe thunderstorms on race day, I’ll be ready!

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/96603199

Categories
Ironman Lake Placid

Last Really Long Ride

Today was the last of the 6 hour rides. Now the taper begins, not that next week will be a short ride, still 4 hours. It was good to get another century ride in today. This ride was a solo ride because I’m visiting my family in NY. That was probably a good thing because there is no drafting on race day and you are pretty much on your own for pacing and riding how you feel. I mapped out a out and back course that would take me out 18 miles for 36 mile round trips. That way I could stop at my car for additional fluids because you just can’t carry enough with you for that long of a ride.

The ride itself went pretty well I thought. Bad news was that one of the roads I wanted to use was closed and under construction, the good news was it was the one with the big hill :).  As you can imagine I was pretty upset about not being able to climb hills. The course still had 4400 feet of elevation, while no serious climbs it is more like ride uphill for 3 miles, then down for 3 miles. The great thing about riding on 28A is there is not much traffic so it was a nice quiet day and I actually got to see plenty of deer right by the side of the road. They are so close it actually makes you a little nervous because you don’t if they will bolt and accidentally just come right at you. Also saw the Eagle today that nests up there. Overall a good ride, Lake Placid will not be at that pace, but it was a good workout.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/96358611