Time is near, less than a week until the big day. Needless to say, I am getting pumped!
I have been preparing, making lists packing, getting gear ready printing maps (both race and travel). Every race has it's own unique logistical setup. You would think that all WTC events would have the same requirements (WTC World Triathlon Council). They do not. For example in New Orleans there was a single transition area. Everything you did and prepared for centered around this one area. All of your equipment was contained in one area. This made preparation a little easier. All you had to do is make sure that all of your stuff was in your bag.
Austin on the other hand had multiple transition areas and you were given "gear bags". One bag for swim to bike transition. When you came out of the water and got to your bike all of your swim gear had to be placed in the bag. So before you left on the bike your wet suit, goggles, swim cap, etc. had to be secured in the bag. After the bike you rode into a second transition area that had a second bag with your run gear. So the day before you left this bag in transition area 2 with your shoes, hat etc. After the race you only returned to transition area 2 to retrieve your bike/helmet etc. Your swim gear was picked up by volunteers and delivered to a holding area near the finish line.
There are pros and cons of both. Having a single transition area is probably a little easier because all you have to do is make sure that you have everything in your bag. On the down side it can be a little hectic in transition as everyone flies through and grabs only the appropriate gear for a particular leg of the race. As for multiple transition areas they are easier to navigate during the race as long as you have the right stuff in the right bag.
Louisville seems to be a mix of both Austin and New Orleans. It has one basic transition area but it seems to be split into 2 areas. One area called gear bags and the other called bike racks. The transition flow map is a little hard to follow. It looks like you exit the water and head to the gear bag area and pick up your bike gear bag. This should have your bike helmet shoes etc. You then proceed thru a changing tent (never been in one of those before. In the change tent you get bike gear on and then proceed to the bike rack area. You pick up your bike and away you go.
When you return from the run you then drop your bike and then proceed to the gear bag are and pick up your run gear. Back to the change tent and get your run clothes on. Gee I hope I get it right! I can just see myself changing out of one set of clothes and not have a set to change into. I am sure that I will get it all figured out.
I will leave you all with the visual of me running out of transition in my underwear!!!!
"The Run"
"The Run"
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Two weeks today I will be?
Two weeks today I will be?
No one can quite answer that question. I can tell you that I hope to be well into the marathon portion of my Ironman. this hope is based on the fact that it is 4:30 in the afternoon and the race starts at 07:00 in the AM. So if I plan on 1.5 hour swim and a 7 hour bike I should start the run at 3:30 in the afternoon.
Plans great plans. The hosts on the sports radio here in Dallas have a great saying; "everyone has a plan until you get hit on the chin". I think this saying has its origins in the Buster Douglas/ Mike Tyson heavyweight title fight. Mike Tyson was expected to beat Buster into the mat. Unfortunately for Tyson, Douglas tagged him hard early in the fight and it was all down hill from there. You can have the greatest plan in the world but your legs are wobbly and your head is spinning you may have to come up with "plan B".
In a race as long as an Ironman you are guaranteed to take one on the chin. It could happen in the water, on the bike or run. It could happen in transition or even getting into or out of transition. You better be prepared to:
have your goggles knocked off
have someone swim over you
cramps
losing your bearings
tripping or slipping coming out of the water
not finding a piece of equipment right away
flat tires
weather differences
sore feet
sore arms
sore everything
you get the idea.
Generally it is no different than risk management. You address risk in two ways, Mitigation and contingency. Mitigation is addressed by reducing the possibility of a risk being realized. New tires and tubes will reduce the possibility of a flat. Proper positioning on the swim will reduce the possibility of having your googles knocked off. Contingency is a set of responses that you would take if a risk does occur. Carrying tubes and CO2 canisters on the bike in case a flat does occur.
But do you address contingency and mitigation for an unknown risk? You can only plan and reduce the possibility of something that you foresee happening. You can only have a "Plan B" when your "plan A" fails for a known reason. How do you get back into the race when your wheels entirely fall off?
This is like any other risk, you mitigate and have contingency plans. You mitigate the unknown by doing your homework. I have competed in over 50 triathlons. I have learned a few things along the way. I have coaches that offer advice. I can reach out to others who have raced this course before. I do not race in a vacuum. As for contingency you need a mentality that allows you to analyze a situation and think on the fly. To keep your head while those about you are losing theirs.
A couple of things to keep in the back of your mind:
1.) Stuff will happen get over it
2.) It will happen to everyone not just you
3.) Since it will happen to everyone it will be the person who deals with it most effectively that will be most successful.
No one can quite answer that question. I can tell you that I hope to be well into the marathon portion of my Ironman. this hope is based on the fact that it is 4:30 in the afternoon and the race starts at 07:00 in the AM. So if I plan on 1.5 hour swim and a 7 hour bike I should start the run at 3:30 in the afternoon.
Plans great plans. The hosts on the sports radio here in Dallas have a great saying; "everyone has a plan until you get hit on the chin". I think this saying has its origins in the Buster Douglas/ Mike Tyson heavyweight title fight. Mike Tyson was expected to beat Buster into the mat. Unfortunately for Tyson, Douglas tagged him hard early in the fight and it was all down hill from there. You can have the greatest plan in the world but your legs are wobbly and your head is spinning you may have to come up with "plan B".
In a race as long as an Ironman you are guaranteed to take one on the chin. It could happen in the water, on the bike or run. It could happen in transition or even getting into or out of transition. You better be prepared to:
have your goggles knocked off
have someone swim over you
cramps
losing your bearings
tripping or slipping coming out of the water
not finding a piece of equipment right away
flat tires
weather differences
sore feet
sore arms
sore everything
you get the idea.
Generally it is no different than risk management. You address risk in two ways, Mitigation and contingency. Mitigation is addressed by reducing the possibility of a risk being realized. New tires and tubes will reduce the possibility of a flat. Proper positioning on the swim will reduce the possibility of having your googles knocked off. Contingency is a set of responses that you would take if a risk does occur. Carrying tubes and CO2 canisters on the bike in case a flat does occur.
But do you address contingency and mitigation for an unknown risk? You can only plan and reduce the possibility of something that you foresee happening. You can only have a "Plan B" when your "plan A" fails for a known reason. How do you get back into the race when your wheels entirely fall off?
This is like any other risk, you mitigate and have contingency plans. You mitigate the unknown by doing your homework. I have competed in over 50 triathlons. I have learned a few things along the way. I have coaches that offer advice. I can reach out to others who have raced this course before. I do not race in a vacuum. As for contingency you need a mentality that allows you to analyze a situation and think on the fly. To keep your head while those about you are losing theirs.
A couple of things to keep in the back of your mind:
1.) Stuff will happen get over it
2.) It will happen to everyone not just you
3.) Since it will happen to everyone it will be the person who deals with it most effectively that will be most successful.
Clearer and more frightening
Last post was about the clarity I get from writing and analyzing. Well I continue to analyze and things become clearer and I get more anxious about my race. The enormity of it all. 2.4 mile swim, 112 miles on the bike and a marathon, no problem. Just a walk in the park.
NOT!
I am going to have to write a novel the size of War and Peace to fully understand what I am doing.
But seriously it is getting close only 38 sleeps until Ironman Louisville.
It is not all doom and gloom. In fact I am very excited about this opportunity. I feel prepared and ready to hit the course. I have the course maps pinned to the wall in my office. They are on the wall behind me. I think that it would be too distracting to look at them all day. So I see them as I enter and leave the office. It is a reminder of the task ahead. I do not want to dwell on it, I want to be focused.
It is a progression. You start with ideas, concepts and even feelings. You then make the leap to your goal setting. As for triathlons; I have enjoyed them, I want to continue doing them, I want them to challenge me. These are feelings. To be challenged I need to do harder races, I have enjoyed progressing to harder and longer races, more feelings. So given what I have done I looked for longer races. A simple concept. You want bigger you look for bigger. You want longer races you look for longer races. You find a longer race and you sign up!
It seems like there is a whole bunch missing here. All the stuff that gets you from your feelings/ideas/concepts to your goal. Oh yeah, the planning preparing training etc.. It seems a little out of sync. This jumping to the end (your goal) and then planning how to get there. Well really it is not that strange. If you did your planning and preparing before you set your goal you would not be able to focus your energies in the right direction. It would be very difficult to plan for and train for a race if you did not know when it was. How would you train if you did not know what to expect as far as the distance and intensity. It might be comforting to set a goal only after you are fully prepared, but it is not realistic. Why plan a trip to California if you are sitting on the beach already. Did you drive there to see if your car could make it? Now that you have proven that your car could make it, is it time to now go on vacation?
NOT!
I am going to have to write a novel the size of War and Peace to fully understand what I am doing.
But seriously it is getting close only 38 sleeps until Ironman Louisville.
It is not all doom and gloom. In fact I am very excited about this opportunity. I feel prepared and ready to hit the course. I have the course maps pinned to the wall in my office. They are on the wall behind me. I think that it would be too distracting to look at them all day. So I see them as I enter and leave the office. It is a reminder of the task ahead. I do not want to dwell on it, I want to be focused.
It is a progression. You start with ideas, concepts and even feelings. You then make the leap to your goal setting. As for triathlons; I have enjoyed them, I want to continue doing them, I want them to challenge me. These are feelings. To be challenged I need to do harder races, I have enjoyed progressing to harder and longer races, more feelings. So given what I have done I looked for longer races. A simple concept. You want bigger you look for bigger. You want longer races you look for longer races. You find a longer race and you sign up!
It seems like there is a whole bunch missing here. All the stuff that gets you from your feelings/ideas/concepts to your goal. Oh yeah, the planning preparing training etc.. It seems a little out of sync. This jumping to the end (your goal) and then planning how to get there. Well really it is not that strange. If you did your planning and preparing before you set your goal you would not be able to focus your energies in the right direction. It would be very difficult to plan for and train for a race if you did not know when it was. How would you train if you did not know what to expect as far as the distance and intensity. It might be comforting to set a goal only after you are fully prepared, but it is not realistic. Why plan a trip to California if you are sitting on the beach already. Did you drive there to see if your car could make it? Now that you have proven that your car could make it, is it time to now go on vacation?
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