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| IM Wisconsin Swim Start |
Ironman distance racing (140.6 miles) is the biggest triathlon commitment you can make, not something to be taken lightly. Here are some pointers to consider before you sign up for your FIRST Ironman and some additional ideas to help with planning once you have made the commitment.
Be Ready! ***Until you have done at least one well executed 70.3 stop reading right now, you are not ready to sign up for an Ironman.***
Ideally you should have done a couple 70.3's before you sign up for the Full. Preferably you have run a stand-alone marathon and gone 100 miles on your bike before beginning your Ironman year as well. The build up for Ironman is hard enough but if you have never done a 100 mile ride and/or a 20 mile training run then you likely aren’t ready, mentally or physically, to try to put it all together.
Pick the right race
I encourage most athletes from the Midwest/Kansas City area who are wanting to do their first Ironman to consider one of the “end of summer” events: Louisville, or Wisconsin and now the new race in Chattanooga. The reasons are:
a. Longer summer days make it easier to get up early or stay out late
b. More options for prep races such as Kansas 70.3
c. More training buddies around in the summer
d. They are close enough you can drive there on race week to save the hassle of shipping or flying with your bike, and for a “Recon Trip” a couple months beforehand (see "Once You've Signed Up" para C below)
e. The terrain is similar to what we have in our area, rolling hills, can be hot, can be windy – ie. Kansas City in the Summer.
As you look at the details of these three events they have a number of things in common:
a. They are in decent sized cities which means more options for hotels, dining etc. when compared to smaller places that also host Ironman events such as Kona or Penticton.
b. All feature the increasing popular double-loop, lollypop style bike course with an "out" leg, then two loops, then back to the start.
c. They also include two-loop run courses which has become the norm for newer Ironman events.
There are a number of features that make these races unique as well:
a. Louisville's swim is a mostly down-river, non-wetsuit and starts as a time-trial, one athlete at a time. This a great feature for anyone wishing to avoid the mass start you see in the photo above. The bike is on a rolling course with a just enough climbing to get your attention, some patches of narrow and rough roads and a net loss in elevation from mile 80 which provides for a fast finish. The run is relatively flat but you must know how to deal with heat and humidity or your day can get very long.
b. Wisconsin currently has a mass swim start though Ironman is exploring other options and may change it to the new "rolling" start in the future (as they did at CdA in 2013), is wetsuit legal, has a hillier bike route and great spectator support during the run. The weather is usually good though it varies - has been 60's with rain as well as in the 90's, so you'll need to be prepared for just about every condition.
c. Chattanooga is a brand new event in 2014 so it will be interesting to see how it goes but it looks to be ideal for first time Ironman athletes. It will feature a "rolling" start and a down-river swim (great for weaker swimmers). The bike course crosses over into northern Georgia and looks to have a couple good climbs (Mapmyride.com); Ironman promises "great road surfaces." Run course is two-and-a-half loops, has athletes crossing back and forth over the Tennessee River four times, includes some ups and downs and will "showcase beautiful downtown Chattanooga." (Mapmyride.com)
In summary, we train in the heat and the rolling hills of the Midwest, so for your IM, especially if it is your first IM, do a race that will provide you terrain and conditions you are accustomed to.
What about some of the other events? (this list has gotten longer over the past few years, awesome to have other options)
There are lots of other Ironman and non-Ironman 140.6 events every year. If you have done a few and are looking for something new then any one of these may be just what you are looking for. But if this is your first attempt at Ironman let me explain why I don't suggest these to my clients.
a. Texas in mid-May - Too early. Unless you have a winter retreat in Key West or really love spending 5 hours on your trainer and doing 18 mile runs on the treadmill, this race isn’t for you. You also have to race in the same heat and humidity that you'll face in Louisville, but you haven't had time to adjust.
b. Coeur d'Alene in late June. I have changed my tune on this event over the years. I now recommended it to athletes that find it difficult to commit to focused training over the summer because of family or kids' commitments. Its still early and you have to be prepared to do 80-100 mile rides in March but its not as extreme as Texas. It is a beautiful location and the race conditions are often good (with a cold swim).
c. Lake Placid and Canada (Whistler) in late July. Time of year is better and both are in absolutely beautiful locations. But for your first one the bike routes are hillier than what we have around here and you are going to have to fly; so not ideal.
d. Colorado in early August. Let me first say, I love traveling to Boulder to train! It is a great town and every triathlete should make a trip to "Triathlon Mecca" to swim, bike and run on the roads that have generated so many Ironman World Champions (In KC finding three Kona-qualifiers is a big deal; in Boulder you can show up for a swim practice and find three KONA WINNERS, and a couple other Ironman champs thrown in...) But for now I am not encouraging first time Ironman athletes sign up for this race because dealing with the altitude provides an additional, unnecessary stress. The bike and run routes look great so I may add Boulder to my list of recommended events but for now I still like the other three more.
e. Challenge Penticton in late August. This is the former IM Canada course and I am a bit bias having raced there 5 times. This is simply the most spectacular course you will ever see. The water is crystal clear and always wetsuit legal. The bike course is one loop through the vineyards and mountains of south-central British Columbia (think about a mix between Napa Valley and the Colorado foothills). Finally the single out-and-back run course goes through town then follows a road right along another beautiful lake. The people are very friendly and understand the event since its been in town for over 25 years. BUT, the biggest drawback is getting to Penticton; there is no easy/inexpensive way to get there from Kansas City. It also has some long/strong climbs that are tough to simulate in our area. So for those reasons, although I would love to race that course again and highly recommend it to people who have already done a few M-dot races, I (reluctantly) don't recommend it for 1st timers.
e. Florida in early November. Too late in the year to "peak" because the days are short and the weather gets cool/cold.
f. Arizona or Cozumel – Same as Florida, only worse because once you get there you suddenly have to deal with hot and/or humid conditions. I have had conversations with athletes wanting to do Cozumel because it is a “nice vacation spot.” I agree, Cozumel is a wonderful place and I would encourage you to go there, but not as part of your Ironman. When you are racing an Ironman, especially your first, pick one that makes life easy. No need dealing with foreign languages, different food options, strange customs etc. You want to drink margaritas? Take a trip after your IM.
Couple other notes
a. If you are an experienced Ironman athlete who is interested in “collecting T shirts” from all the races then go for it, these are all fine events. But, if you are a "virgin" or want to do well then pick a race that plays to your strengths and stick with it. I strongly believe part of what helped me qualify for Kona the first time was I had raced the course 4 times previously so I knew the route very well and understood how I was supposed to feel a the different points along the way. That knowledge only comes with experience.
b. You don’t have to do Ironman every year, in fact your probably shouldn’t. Taking a year away from Ironman training will allow you to increase motivation so you are ready when it’s time to go again. You can make great improvements by doing a 70.3 or two, running a marathon, participating in a few Century rides or focusing on Olympic distance for a season. All these things that will make you a better Ironman athlete when you come back to it.
Things to do once you have signed up.
Hopefully you have made the right decisions based on your needs and requirements. Once you have signed up, here are some other things to consider:
a. Have an “off-season”. For most of the races you are signing up a full 364 days before the event so it is tempting to start “training” right away. You must give yourself an opportunity to relax and be away from the sport mentally and physically for at least a few weeks before your training season begins. The training will be hard enough come June, July and August, no need to hammer yourself in November and December.
b. Don’t wait on booking your hotel; they fill up as fast as the races do.
c. Plan on doing a Recon Trip, preferably about 7-9 weeks before your race. There are organized groups you can join at every IM or you can go there on your own or with some training buddies. You want to plan the trip late enough that you are ready to ride the whole route but early enough that you can still impact your training significantly.
d. For a Sunday race plan on being at the race site no later than Thursday afternoon. This is a huge event; don’t start the weekend by feeling rushed.
e. Avoid adding other big non-triathlon events during your Ironman summer such as trips. Travel is for later, the summer is for training.
Be Ready! ***Until you have done at least one well executed 70.3 stop reading right now, you are not ready to sign up for an Ironman.***
Ideally you should have done a couple 70.3's before you sign up for the Full. Preferably you have run a stand-alone marathon and gone 100 miles on your bike before beginning your Ironman year as well. The build up for Ironman is hard enough but if you have never done a 100 mile ride and/or a 20 mile training run then you likely aren’t ready, mentally or physically, to try to put it all together.
Pick the right race
I encourage most athletes from the Midwest/Kansas City area who are wanting to do their first Ironman to consider one of the “end of summer” events: Louisville, or Wisconsin and now the new race in Chattanooga. The reasons are:
a. Longer summer days make it easier to get up early or stay out late
b. More options for prep races such as Kansas 70.3
c. More training buddies around in the summer
d. They are close enough you can drive there on race week to save the hassle of shipping or flying with your bike, and for a “Recon Trip” a couple months beforehand (see "Once You've Signed Up" para C below)
e. The terrain is similar to what we have in our area, rolling hills, can be hot, can be windy – ie. Kansas City in the Summer.
As you look at the details of these three events they have a number of things in common:
a. They are in decent sized cities which means more options for hotels, dining etc. when compared to smaller places that also host Ironman events such as Kona or Penticton.
b. All feature the increasing popular double-loop, lollypop style bike course with an "out" leg, then two loops, then back to the start.
c. They also include two-loop run courses which has become the norm for newer Ironman events.
There are a number of features that make these races unique as well:
a. Louisville's swim is a mostly down-river, non-wetsuit and starts as a time-trial, one athlete at a time. This a great feature for anyone wishing to avoid the mass start you see in the photo above. The bike is on a rolling course with a just enough climbing to get your attention, some patches of narrow and rough roads and a net loss in elevation from mile 80 which provides for a fast finish. The run is relatively flat but you must know how to deal with heat and humidity or your day can get very long.
b. Wisconsin currently has a mass swim start though Ironman is exploring other options and may change it to the new "rolling" start in the future (as they did at CdA in 2013), is wetsuit legal, has a hillier bike route and great spectator support during the run. The weather is usually good though it varies - has been 60's with rain as well as in the 90's, so you'll need to be prepared for just about every condition.
c. Chattanooga is a brand new event in 2014 so it will be interesting to see how it goes but it looks to be ideal for first time Ironman athletes. It will feature a "rolling" start and a down-river swim (great for weaker swimmers). The bike course crosses over into northern Georgia and looks to have a couple good climbs (Mapmyride.com); Ironman promises "great road surfaces." Run course is two-and-a-half loops, has athletes crossing back and forth over the Tennessee River four times, includes some ups and downs and will "showcase beautiful downtown Chattanooga." (Mapmyride.com)
In summary, we train in the heat and the rolling hills of the Midwest, so for your IM, especially if it is your first IM, do a race that will provide you terrain and conditions you are accustomed to.
What about some of the other events? (this list has gotten longer over the past few years, awesome to have other options)
There are lots of other Ironman and non-Ironman 140.6 events every year. If you have done a few and are looking for something new then any one of these may be just what you are looking for. But if this is your first attempt at Ironman let me explain why I don't suggest these to my clients.
a. Texas in mid-May - Too early. Unless you have a winter retreat in Key West or really love spending 5 hours on your trainer and doing 18 mile runs on the treadmill, this race isn’t for you. You also have to race in the same heat and humidity that you'll face in Louisville, but you haven't had time to adjust.
b. Coeur d'Alene in late June. I have changed my tune on this event over the years. I now recommended it to athletes that find it difficult to commit to focused training over the summer because of family or kids' commitments. Its still early and you have to be prepared to do 80-100 mile rides in March but its not as extreme as Texas. It is a beautiful location and the race conditions are often good (with a cold swim).
c. Lake Placid and Canada (Whistler) in late July. Time of year is better and both are in absolutely beautiful locations. But for your first one the bike routes are hillier than what we have around here and you are going to have to fly; so not ideal.
d. Colorado in early August. Let me first say, I love traveling to Boulder to train! It is a great town and every triathlete should make a trip to "Triathlon Mecca" to swim, bike and run on the roads that have generated so many Ironman World Champions (In KC finding three Kona-qualifiers is a big deal; in Boulder you can show up for a swim practice and find three KONA WINNERS, and a couple other Ironman champs thrown in...) But for now I am not encouraging first time Ironman athletes sign up for this race because dealing with the altitude provides an additional, unnecessary stress. The bike and run routes look great so I may add Boulder to my list of recommended events but for now I still like the other three more.
e. Challenge Penticton in late August. This is the former IM Canada course and I am a bit bias having raced there 5 times. This is simply the most spectacular course you will ever see. The water is crystal clear and always wetsuit legal. The bike course is one loop through the vineyards and mountains of south-central British Columbia (think about a mix between Napa Valley and the Colorado foothills). Finally the single out-and-back run course goes through town then follows a road right along another beautiful lake. The people are very friendly and understand the event since its been in town for over 25 years. BUT, the biggest drawback is getting to Penticton; there is no easy/inexpensive way to get there from Kansas City. It also has some long/strong climbs that are tough to simulate in our area. So for those reasons, although I would love to race that course again and highly recommend it to people who have already done a few M-dot races, I (reluctantly) don't recommend it for 1st timers.
e. Florida in early November. Too late in the year to "peak" because the days are short and the weather gets cool/cold.
f. Arizona or Cozumel – Same as Florida, only worse because once you get there you suddenly have to deal with hot and/or humid conditions. I have had conversations with athletes wanting to do Cozumel because it is a “nice vacation spot.” I agree, Cozumel is a wonderful place and I would encourage you to go there, but not as part of your Ironman. When you are racing an Ironman, especially your first, pick one that makes life easy. No need dealing with foreign languages, different food options, strange customs etc. You want to drink margaritas? Take a trip after your IM.
Couple other notes
a. If you are an experienced Ironman athlete who is interested in “collecting T shirts” from all the races then go for it, these are all fine events. But, if you are a "virgin" or want to do well then pick a race that plays to your strengths and stick with it. I strongly believe part of what helped me qualify for Kona the first time was I had raced the course 4 times previously so I knew the route very well and understood how I was supposed to feel a the different points along the way. That knowledge only comes with experience.
b. You don’t have to do Ironman every year, in fact your probably shouldn’t. Taking a year away from Ironman training will allow you to increase motivation so you are ready when it’s time to go again. You can make great improvements by doing a 70.3 or two, running a marathon, participating in a few Century rides or focusing on Olympic distance for a season. All these things that will make you a better Ironman athlete when you come back to it.
Things to do once you have signed up.
Hopefully you have made the right decisions based on your needs and requirements. Once you have signed up, here are some other things to consider:
a. Have an “off-season”. For most of the races you are signing up a full 364 days before the event so it is tempting to start “training” right away. You must give yourself an opportunity to relax and be away from the sport mentally and physically for at least a few weeks before your training season begins. The training will be hard enough come June, July and August, no need to hammer yourself in November and December.
b. Don’t wait on booking your hotel; they fill up as fast as the races do.
c. Plan on doing a Recon Trip, preferably about 7-9 weeks before your race. There are organized groups you can join at every IM or you can go there on your own or with some training buddies. You want to plan the trip late enough that you are ready to ride the whole route but early enough that you can still impact your training significantly.
d. For a Sunday race plan on being at the race site no later than Thursday afternoon. This is a huge event; don’t start the weekend by feeling rushed.
e. Avoid adding other big non-triathlon events during your Ironman summer such as trips. Travel is for later, the summer is for training.
