First attempt at Ironman distance - Nervous!

BT.ROB

270 posts since
May 12, 2009

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1. Apr 10, 2012 1:56 PM (in response to jamesperez)

Re: First attempt at Ironman distance - Nervous!

James:

Congrats on losing the weight and training for an IM! That is quite an accomplishment right there; you should be proud. I understand the nervousness as well. I can't help with the TX IM as I don't know the course. Here's some tips that can get you through the race;

In advance, write out what you need and when you need it. Have a packing list for the night before, morning of, transition, special needs, finish.Go over this list regularly so you don't forget anything.
A second list is to know what you will eat and drink when. Every 15 minutes? Set your watch for 15 minute intervals. Race as you have trained; know what works for your body. You will never replace all the calories you burn during the race. On a hot race particularly, make sure you have electrolytes (drink, tablets) and take regularly. Stay hydrated but don't over-hydrate (know how much you can take in without bloating/sloshing; maybe about 30 oz per hour)
Special needs bag can be nutrition, water bottles, some special goodies that you can look forward to, change/extra clothes that you may need if the weather may change. Freeze your water bottles so they may still be cold by the time you get to them. I used thermal ones so they were great on the second half.
On my IM race, I swam in regular bike shorts and was fine with a wet chamois for awhile. I used the changing tent in T2 to switch to running shorts. A 112 bike ride is a long way with tri shorts and a thin chamois.
On my run, I used a 4-bottle Fuel belt with powdered nutrition (Hammer products) and just filled with water from the aid stations as needed.
Depending on what your anticipated finish time is, you may want to bring an LED headlight if you are going to be in the dark.
Don't forget to savoir the experience, especially crossing the finish line!

Good luck and have fun.

BT

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Julie Ann Hackett

191 posts since
Nov 20, 2007

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2. Apr 11, 2012 9:46 AM (in response to jamesperez)

Re: First attempt at Ironman distance - Nervous!

Congrats on the weight loss and setting your sights on a full IM! I did my first last November in Phoenix. The best advice I got was to not worry about time and just enjoy the experience because you'll only do your first one once. I had lots of family and friends out on the course to cheer me on which was the best motivation ever. I didn't worry about my watch and had no idea how long it had taken me or even what time it was when I finished - I truly just enjoyed the experience.

Like you I was very nervous about all of the gear bags and special need bags and changing tents since I had never experienced that. Here's a great article that I read multiple times before the big day. http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=420

I had packed my gear bags for all kinds of weather and even though I didn't need most of the stuff I packed it felt good to know it was there if needed. I didn't change cloths (even though I could have as I had lots of options in my bags!). The volunteers are AMAZING and will help you with everything during your transitions.

Search online for TXIM race recaps and I'm sure you'll find plenty of insights. I have heard that the TX races are hot and humid which can cause issues. You might want to start experimenting with some Enduralytes (electrolyte pills) during your training. I live in Phoenix and use the Enduralytes alot while training in the summer.

Happy training and good luck with your race!!

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Billy137

11 posts since
Feb 8, 2012

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3. Apr 18, 2012 8:43 AM (in response to jamesperez)

Re: First attempt at Ironman distance - Nervous!

A great forum website that I have found very useful is iamtri.com. There are different forums for different races and I'm sure there will be one on there for IM Texas. IM St. George will be my first and that is where I have found all the information I've needed to prepare for race day. There are tons of newbies seeking advice and also a lot of veterans giving advice. It's honestly a great place to visit for quick answers a to your questions. Also, most of your questions will probably already have been asked and answered by others, so you would just need to read the responses! Good luck on your race!

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Julie Ann Hackett

191 posts since
Nov 20, 2007

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4. Apr 18, 2012 10:56 AM (in response to Billy137)

Re: First attempt at Ironman distance - Nervous!

I agree with the last post. I actually joined iamtri.com right before my first IM race to ask a few last minute questions. The users were very helpful and I got answers back that same day.