IM Lake PLacid

[KEvin]

Anyone doing Lake Placid 08? I am doing it, and am looking for people to ride/train with. I live in Middleburg Heights (SW side).

[Aussie Rob]

I know Ryan is, but i think most of the club is split between Louisville and Wisconsin this year. You should still come train with us, even if we have different peaks, im sure there will be plenty of crossover.

[ryanchittester]

Hey Kevin,

Yes I'll be going this year. RIght now I only train on the west side, but when spring hits I'd be up for some weekend training elsewhere...hopefully somewhere with more hills. I know there a few other going (I think east-siders), but I only know of them from this forum. Send me a PM or give me a call (216-965-6432), it would be good to meet other that are going.

[Kevin]

Awesome. It's always easier to know people going to the race. Would love to meet up and train. Good hills down in Hinckley. I looked at the elevation map for the race again, and we'll definitely need hill training. I'll give you call in early spring to ride. are you doing any other races in cleveland area before the race?

[JMcAbier]

I'll be doing LP this year. I am an eastsider (Chagrin Falls area) and do most of my hill work in the Gates Mills area off of Chagrin River Road. Lots of big long climbs.

Once the weather breaks, it would be great to get together for some rides.

[jodi]

One of my very good friends and TTT teammate is doing IMLP this year. We train on the east side in the valley as well. I'm sure we'll see you guys out this spring!



Jodi

[Matt Luck]

One item I can attest to regarding hill riding, is that it is very difficult to simulate the climbing that occurs in LP. The climb into placid is long 10 miles. We do not have a hills like that here. The best thing I can tell you is to put in as many hill into a ride a possible, the later in the ride the better. Old Mill is a great hill to ride and then practice descending. Also Kirtland Chardon road from 615 to Booth is 2.5 miles long and is the best hill that simulates a type of LP climb.

If, when, I do LP again, the one training change I would make is the first 8 miles of my long rides will be hilly and then the next 30 will be downhill to flat. I would then spend the 60 miles trying to climb any and every hill.

[MattCollister]

Try this ride for a decent simulation.
www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1563401

It's not quite the overall elevation gain, but it'll give you a good idea what you're in for with the last 10-12 miles into LP.

[Joe Joseph]

my wife, samantha, and I are doing LP this year. haven't done any rides on the road yet, just on the trainer, but soon as weather is okay we'd love to do some rides with others doing LP
Joe

[Matt Luck]

www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=396059

This was an east side ride that I did fairly regularly, does not quite fit my statement but does meet the needs of learning to ride hills.

[timritt]

having done LP in 07 one piece of advice I would give is to make sure you do some hill training for the run. I did not think the bike course was to bad but do some training rides with G. Vale and you will be a climbing machine. The marathon course has a pretty big hill that you do twice at mile 12 and 24. Put some hills in your run training at the end of yur run you will be thankful you did at mile 24.

tr

[gvale]

Thanks Tim, But I suck at climbing....This course is alot more intimidating on paper. Any of the climbs out of the Valley are more than enough to train for this bike course. You will hear alot about being conservative on your first lap. If I was to race this course again, I would go harder on the first lap. The winds picked up the second lap and I had to stop twice to fix my rear derailer.

RUN HILLS in the Heat of the Day and you will be fine.

[benmiralia]

I'm also doing Placid this summer. I am training with Angela Forster so my workouts will be a little more structured, but I would be happy to do some group workouts whenever I can fit them in.

[robreddy]

thought LP was a bit deceptive in terms of the hills

none are out of your seat down to 9 MPH type things, but......

1. go far slower on the first loop than you plan. i rode conservatively (i thought) through loop one and it was still way too hard. i paid the price big time onthe run

2. learn to spin your legs - long middle grade hills will kill you if you mash your gears - learning how to sit up on the bike and spin your legs at 100+ cadence up hill will be a god send - and you learn to do that on the trainer during the winter - guys who have ridden with me for years will tell you i used to be a masher - totally changed that and my IM legs LOVE it. being able to hold 110 - 120 cadence is a great skill to have

3. the long asscent back into LP will knock the pea out of you - wish I would have done more epic fridays where i rode the final 15 miles up hill and then went for my run - figure a way out to do this

r

[timritt]

almost forgot the most important thing i did was switch to a 12/27 cassette when i had been training on my 12/25 up until the race. Bought it the day before i left so my first time using it was in LP. that would b e my #1 piece of advice. i thanked those who told me to do it many times during the bike. Made it very easy to spin up the long inclines. It was a huge difference.

TR

[Kevin]

Anyone know of any half-ironman triathlons near May/June around Ohio?

[ryanchittester]

Yeah, I was planning on doing Little SMokies Half which was perfect timing and alot of hills, but they canceled that as an individual race (only the TTT now). Jen Collister recommended one in MIchigan on June 8th (racing for recovery HIM)

www.racingforrecoveryhalf.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=31

Not sure if I'm going ahead with that one yet. But it's supposed to be a flat coarse that won't kill your training...as the TTT might (so I've heard).