Bummed about wind in AZ ...

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31 Replies Last post: Apr 14, 2007 4:31 PM by triandstopme044 Go to original post 1 2 3 Previous Next

tri_coach06

662 posts since
Aug 14, 2007

15. Apr 11, 2007 3:56 PM

in response to: kcwoodhead

Re: Bummed about wind in AZ

I'll give some advice about riding in the wind. I always have some type of headwind or crosswind on my rides. Cross are the worst because you get them no matter which direction you ride.

With the wind, stay in your zones. Don't get all crazy and fly and burn out your legs. Keep the cadence in the 90 range and just stay happy. Eat, drink and be merry. If you go crazy, you will pay for it later.

Onto the wind. Stay aero. Keep as little frontage as possible. Keep your cadence up around 95 or higher. If you grind into the wind, your legs will cramp. The noise is the hardest part thing you will deal with. The constant howling plays head games. Sing, talk to yourself, do whatever it takes to get someplace else in your head. Be safe of course.

The hardest thing you will deal with riding against the wind is drinking and eating. You will be so mentally into the ride that you will forget to eat and drink. Set a timer to go off every 15 minutes or so and stick to it. If it beeps, drink, no excuses. (Trust me I know how it is... I'm not thirsty or I'm to out of breath or this or that... No excuses drink and eat.)

So stay low and keep your cadence above 90. You'll be fine otherwise. The wind is just a challenge waiting to be beaten.

danadear

376 posts since
Dec 14, 2007

16. Apr 11, 2007 3:56 PM

in response to: kcwoodhead

Re: Bummed about wind in AZ

quote:<HR>Originally posted by ussoccer:
Listen to Boggs...

That it will be windy truly sucks. It does. Curse Mrs. Mother Nature, then be done with it. Because yes, it does suck. But there's nothing you can do.

Wait! I lied. There is something you can do. Starting right now you can mentally prepare yourself for the battle ahead -- a battle that includes the wind, and the course, and yourself.

As you prepare for these last few days, let me leave you with this:

In the months before I bobbed in the waters at the starting line of Ironman Wisconsin, I crunched all sorts of numbers based on times I thought I was capable of. Many of those numbers included how I was capable of doing on the bike.

Then it hit me. With a race such as Ironman, if I let numbers dictate my performance, there would be a possibility that I would not finish (and grace the earth with my knee in a magical ceremony that forever marked the grand city of Madison in my life forever).

It became clear. I knew I had to pay extreme attention to pace on the bike so that outside of injury there was no way I could not finish. With that thought, I shivered with raw emotion at my ultimate goal.

It meant more to me to cross that finish line than it did to cross that finish line in such and such time. Childhood dreams had me crossing the finish line. There was no clock in that dream. There was only the completed journey marked by breaking that ribbon.

Know that however you cross that line -- whether you pace yourself for a Sunday stroll or hammer all the way -- the sheer act of crossing the finish line will give you memories and confidence and endless stories to talk about for the rest of your life. Do everything in your power to hit that line. Even if it means gearing down on the bike beyond what you thought you had to. Because the pure beauty of this journey starts when you here the words: "You are an Ironman!"

All that is left is for you to... Make it Happen!

Do everything in your power to see that through. And account for the wind. Because it will be along for the ride. That's all. So embrace it.

Just my opinions.<HR>

This post gave me chills. Awesome!

kcwoodhead

355 posts since
Oct 18, 2007

17. Apr 11, 2007 4:15 PM

in response to: kcwoodhead

Re: Bummed about wind in AZ

quote:<HR>Originally posted by jroden:
well, if you don't want to mess w/ your equipment, one decent investment would be the addition of a computer that provides you with pedal cadence. It's helpful to find a gear that allows you to spin maybe 88-92 rpm's into the wind. Since you tend to use the wind noise in your ears to estimate speed, it's easy to bog down and go slow when you are grinding straight into a headwind. On the other hand, with a tail wind you may find it difficult to maintain the same power no matter what your speed, so you need to get your bike in a big gear and not be shy about riding 37 mph when the opportunity presents itself.

Make sure to minimize any flappy clothes or accessories on your bike, get everything battened down. If you have not replaced your tires recently, check them carefully for cuts prior to packing and replace as needed, all that sand and **** can cause problems.

Also, note the warm, dry air will really pull the water out of you, so drink up.

As far as your legs are concerned, the wind is just like a climb, only you have to maintain a less comfortable position. So, have a fun race and good luck.<HR>

Oooh something I can realte to! I can do this...I have cadence on my computer and will definitely try to use the info you have given me here! My tires are in good condition, according to the bike shop, so hopefully I am good to go. I will also use my "big girl" gear as much as possible.

kcwoodhead

355 posts since
Oct 18, 2007

18. Apr 11, 2007 4:17 PM

in response to: kcwoodhead

Re: Bummed about wind in AZ

quote:<HR>Originally posted by imfl03:
I'll give some advice about riding in the wind. I always have some type of headwind or crosswind on my rides. Cross are the worst because you get them no matter which direction you ride.

With the wind, stay in your zones. Don't get all crazy and fly and burn out your legs. Keep the cadence in the 90 range and just stay happy. Eat, drink and be merry. If you go crazy, you will pay for it later.

Onto the wind. Stay aero. Keep as little frontage as possible. Keep your cadence up around 95 or higher. If you grind into the wind, your legs will cramp. The noise is the hardest part thing you will deal with. The constant howling plays head games. Sing, talk to yourself, do whatever it takes to get someplace else in your head. Be safe of course.

The hardest thing you will deal with riding against the wind is drinking and eating. You will be so mentally into the ride that you will forget to eat and drink. Set a timer to go off every 15 minutes or so and stick to it. If it beeps, drink, no excuses. (Trust me I know how it is... I'm not thirsty or I'm to out of breath or this or that... No excuses drink and eat.)

So stay low and keep your cadence above 90. You'll be fine otherwise. The wind is just a challenge waiting to be beaten.<HR>

Eating/Drinking...I'm super paranoid of the heat and will have water in both a small camelback and my aerobottle, so hopefully no excuses there. I'm using infinit as my nutrition, and I have my bottle marked in hour increments, so hopefully I will never get too behind.

The good news is it can hopefully only be bad for 19 miles at a time!

runnerbee

120 posts since
Dec 14, 2007

19. Apr 11, 2007 4:18 PM

in response to: kcwoodhead

Re: Bummed about wind in AZ

First off the wind you are awaiting is here in So Cal now and it ain't much yet, well below the forecast..so far so don't get your hopes up for a big blow to keep you cool.

I love being out in a howling wind day its so invigorating. You want to take that vigor and translate it into your energy. Those who are often with me swimming will tell everyone I swim faster in heavy wind chop, so here are windy swimming tips: If you are going to stand out in the wind much you want to be covered, as a regulation ow swimmer I'm out in a cap goggles & swim suit so I'll rub some vaseline on my shoudlers& arms, I'll wear a garbage bag until just before I step in (making sure i have someone to hand it to or a place to dispose of it).
If the wind is gusting sand around I want my goggles on and sealed early. Now where is that wind coming from and how can I use it? WIll it push me out or in, can I turn on my side mroe as I swim and let it push me like a sailboat? I love that. Since you'll get a lot of chop your arms are going to punch through air sometimes and water sometimes and when you breathe the same problem will occur. Put enough punch in your arm to get through the water but keep it light if you miss this stroke there is the next one you don't want to jar your arm pushing too hard into air. The same is true for breathing, as you turn to breathe be sure your mouth is clear and inhale carefully, if you're getting water, spit it out and grab the next breath don't push so hard you are desperate for each breath. So now you're out in the malestrom of legs and arms and chop, relax, can you feel a pattern to the chop? Maybe one side or the other is easier to breathe, maybe an up or down movement of the water signals when to start breath or stroke. Let the wind push you along and fill you with energy. If the top of the water is too tubulent you may find better purchase with long deeper pulls, if the chop is really big and you face into it you may want to dive under it as you do with waves. Lucky for you , no big surf to go with wind (that's something we're not sending east on the wind).

kcwoodhead

355 posts since
Oct 18, 2007

20. Apr 11, 2007 4:27 PM

in response to: kcwoodhead

Re: Bummed about wind in AZ

quote:<HR>Originally posted by ussoccer:
Listen to Boggs...

That it will be windy truly sucks. It does. Curse Mrs. Mother Nature, then be done with it. Because yes, it does suck. But there's nothing you can do.

Wait! I lied. There is something you can do. Starting right now you can mentally prepare yourself for the battle ahead -- a battle that includes the wind, and the course, and yourself.

As you prepare for these last few days, let me leave you with this:

In the months before I bobbed in the waters at the starting line of Ironman Wisconsin, I crunched all sorts of numbers based on times I thought I was capable of. Many of those numbers included how I was capable of doing on the bike.

Then it hit me. With a race such as Ironman, if I let numbers dictate my performance, there would be a possibility that I would not finish (and grace the earth with my knee in a magical ceremony that forever marked the grand city of Madison in my life forever).

It became clear. I knew I had to pay extreme attention to pace on the bike so that outside of injury there was no way I could not finish. With that thought, I shivered with raw emotion at my ultimate goal.

It meant more to me to cross that finish line than it did to cross that finish line in such and such time. Childhood dreams had me crossing the finish line. There was no clock in that dream. There was only the completed journey marked by breaking that ribbon.

Know that however you cross that line -- whether you pace yourself for a Sunday stroll or hammer all the way -- the sheer act of crossing the finish line will give you memories and confidence and endless stories to talk about for the rest of your life. Do everything in your power to hit that line. Even if it means gearing down on the bike beyond what you thought you had to. Because the pure beauty of this journey starts when you here the words: "You are an Ironman!"

All that is left is for you to... Make it Happen!

Do everything in your power to see that through. And account for the wind. Because it will be along for the ride. That's all. So embrace it.

Just my opinions.<HR>

Can you come to Arizona on Sunday?

jroden

1,683 posts since
Dec 11, 2007

21. Apr 11, 2007 4:34 PM

in response to: kcwoodhead

Re: Bummed about wind in AZ

There is no substitute for going over your bike prior to packing it for travel, even if you are not all the familiar with bikes in general. Look at the tires slowly working your way around and running your fingers over the tread. Any cut you can fit a fingernail in can cause a flat in the rain. Spin each wheel and see if it wobbles side to side in the brakes. If they do, you may have a loose spoke that can fail and make the wheel start rubbing against the brakes during the race.

At least lay your hands upon your bike and check for parts coming loose, the vibration of riding will loosen bolts over time and the bike shop generally wont take the time to make sure all the bols are snug.

If you are going to spend $1000 contesting one race, you don't want to drop out because your crank arm fell off during the bike. If you lived down the street, I'd have you up for a beer and a little quality time in the garage. Try to spend 20 minutes with your hands on the bike just looking and touching, even better if you can enlist a helper with a little mechanical skills to ensure nothing has worked loose of is in danger of failing.

kcwoodhead

355 posts since
Oct 18, 2007

22. Apr 11, 2007 4:44 PM

in response to: kcwoodhead

Re: Bummed about wind in AZ

quote:<HR>Originally posted by jroden:
There is no substitute for going over your bike prior to packing it for travel, even if you are not all the familiar with bikes in general. Look at the tires slowly working your way around and running your fingers over the tread. Any cut you can fit a fingernail in can cause a flat in the rain. Spin each wheel and see if it wobbles side to side in the brakes. If they do, you may have a loose spoke that can fail and make the wheel start rubbing against the brakes during the race.

At least lay your hands upon your bike and check for parts coming loose, the vibration of riding will loosen bolts over time and the bike shop generally wont take the time to make sure all the bols are snug.

If you are going to spend [b]000 contesting one race, you don't want to drop out because your crank arm fell off during the bike. If you lived down the street, I'd have you up for a beer and a little quality time in the garage. Try to spend 20 minutes with your hands on the bike just looking and touching, even better if you can enlist a helper with a little mechanical skills to ensure nothing has worked loose of is in danger of failing.<HR>

I had it checked out at my LBS last Tuesday, rode it Friday, and put it on the TriBike truck Friday afternoon, so hopefully not much has changed between when I got it worked on/looked over and now!

Boggsmsg

425 posts since
Dec 12, 2007

23. Apr 11, 2007 4:45 PM

in response to: kcwoodhead

Re: Bummed about wind in AZ

I'm not doing an Ironman, but I would take you up on your offer in a heartbeat!

Where are you located and what kind of beer shall I bring?

jroden

1,683 posts since
Dec 11, 2007

24. Apr 11, 2007 5:02 PM

in response to: kcwoodhead

Re: Bummed about wind in AZ

You have to love the smell of Engine Brite and the din of the air compressor. Any type of beer in 16 ounce cans is suitable for working on your bike, local brews like Naraganset or Old Vienna are regarded as the best choices, especially when tools like vice grip pliers and 2 foot cresent wrenches are involved.

CCRaces

898 posts since
Aug 16, 2007

25. Apr 11, 2007 9:06 PM

in response to: kcwoodhead

Re: Bummed about wind in AZ

quote:<HR>Originally posted by kcwoodhead:
Can you come to Arizona on Sunday?<HR>

Hmmm...this might work, with AZ being in a different time zone from Ohio, since he has to be there cheering me on for Glass City. So first OH, then he catches a jet to AZ, then deadheads back to MA in time for the start of Boston. No problem, right Thor??

Seriously, you'll be fine out there, you can handle some wind. You are well trained, you've got your fueling down, and you'll have lots of company on that course sharing in the glory and the misery. You can do this, and you will.

tsiltman

124 posts since
Jun 2, 2004

26. Apr 11, 2007 10:19 PM

in response to: kcwoodhead

Re: Bummed about wind in AZ

I don't have any advice because I have not done an Ironman. I suck in wind so I can understand how you feel! I will tell you that I can not wait to read your finishers race report and I am sure I will cry! This weather will make for an even greater finish! Good luck, we will all be with you this weekend!

ussoccer

1,748 posts since
Dec 11, 2007

27. Apr 12, 2007 9:21 AM

in response to: kcwoodhead

Re: Bummed about wind in AZ

One final tip, Queen Woodhead, soon to be Iron Woodhead:

As you undoubtly know, right now and in the next few days, all things will be Ironman, and Ironman will be all things. Do yourself a favor and try to stay away from conversations with those certain people who tend to freak you out. Because truth is, that's all they are doing is causing you to second guess yourself. There is no second guessing. I know this because I know you've done the work. No more second guessing. And if any conversation heads that way, take it by the horns and steer it to a happy place of confidence and strength. Resync by visualizing yourself being strong as you work your way into the wind on bike course; visualize a healthy leg turnover on the run; and keep in your mind the finish line (just save the actual crossing of the line for the real thing). At this point you have all the tools necessary to live out your dreams. Don't let anybody take them away from you or make you forget you have them. They don't go away. But they will hide if you allow them to. Don't do that. Stay focused. But also stay relaxed. And drive any conversation that causes you anxiety. And for the people who cause you angst, drive the conversation from the very beginning.

kcwoodhead

355 posts since
Oct 18, 2007

28. Apr 12, 2007 10:20 AM

in response to: kcwoodhead

Re: Bummed about wind in AZ

I am ready. It is official. I frolicked around in the lake during my "open water swim" last night and decided I can side stroke and carry on an entire conversation the whole time and still come in under 2:20 if it comes to that!

I forget how good open water makes me feel, especially when it is such a refreshing temp.

So, on Sunday I will be happy for the awesome water, happy my family and friends are there, happy the temps are going to be very pleasant, happy the humidity isn't my usual 90%, and most of all happy to be doing something 99.99999% of the population can never even dream of doing!

Boggsmsg

425 posts since
Dec 12, 2007

29. Apr 12, 2007 1:03 PM

in response to: kcwoodhead

Re: Bummed about wind in AZ

WooHoo! Go Get 'Em!

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