Ironman Lanzarote 2013 (3rd weekend in May?)

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  • Latest duathlon update, been suggested we use off road shoes or maybe spikes, not sure where mine are but could be entertaining image

  • DId they not suggest staying in bed as an alternative?

  • Well, I wouldnt enter that one again then !

  • Fair point, well made!

  • Well this white stuff everywhere outside seems to have put pay to my planned 70 miler! I feel a morning of the turbo and Star Wars coming on! image

  • Get out on a mountain bike Rafi?

  • I'd have to go and buy one first! image

  • or nick one ... thats what most people in your neighbourhood seem to do  image

  • Spikes back where they came from, event cancelled, wimps

  • M...eldy wrote (see)

    or nick one ... thats what most people in your neighbourhood seem to do  image

    "at the subsequent board of inquiry..."

    Cupcake. wrote (see)

    Spikes back where they came from, event cancelled, wimps

    12 stage Cupcake?

  • Sadly not a club member anymore so that's ruled out too

  • Long turbo session for me today ... I blame Barley for all of this you know!

  • san dom is cance;lled for tomorrow Pingu.......

  • Its my fault .. I washed the car    image

  • Ah, cheers for letting me know Seren.

     

    .. and Meldy, what were you thinking !!

  • I know, I know ..... i'm going away for easter and it was the only opportunity I had   image

  • M..o.useM..o.use ✭✭✭

    I'm back.  Did you miss me?  No, I thought not.

    Fuertaventura was hot, windy and a bit hilly so it was good practice for Lanza. I'm not sure how we practice for descending in cross winds but that was certainly a feature.  Also, the wind accompanying the heat really ensures you find the bits that you miss with your sunscreen.

    I think electrolytes are going to be an important feature for our race too.  It really was very hot.  Don't forget to drink on the bike, or you will be caught out.

    Now I have sunburn and frostbite all at the same time.  Groovy.

  • Only four weeks until we can start tapering......... image

  • nowhere near where I was last year, (I'll start the sand bagging now....) but managed to crank out a 6 hr ride today..... 
    starting to get some endurance back slowly - its better late than never.

    I think the 3 degree weather today is ideal preparation for 25 degree heat

     

    oh yeah, mouse - I forgot to mention the x-winds on the decents.  If the wind is in the usual direction you only get them in a few places in lanza....
    however if the wind is from another unexpected direction... uh oh

    I had 1 really awful x wind incident a couple of weeks ago on lanxa - femes to playa blanka - 40 kph and a massive speed wobble - so bad I could not take my hands of the handlebars to change up gears....
    Made me seriously think about which wheels to take.......

  • M..o.useM..o.use ✭✭✭
    OC can you do me a favour and just answer a question so that I don't have to do the research please? You're the quickest source of data and I'm shocking at reading profiles or blogs etc.



    Regarding the climbs - I want it put into a language I understand. So, when I go to Pyrenees I know that the Tourmalet is xx km at y percent. Would you be able to roughly tell me that there are xx climbs which are yy km long? I'd be ever so grateful. image
  • I'll do it tomorrow.... Its all in strava image
  • F.oggyF.oggy ✭✭✭

    Returning after injury, Ive built bike up to 40 miles and run to 5 miles. i thinkLlanza might sting a bit!!! Hopefully its not a tough course!!!!

     

  • Hows it all going everyone?  less than 7 weeks to go now image

    Did a 60 mile ride yesterday was feeling really strong and impressed how well my base endurance had held up from last year.  That was until I turned into the wind at 30 miles, suffered all the way home, most of which was quite exposed. 

    Thats the cycling into the wind training sorted..   Next image

  • M..o.use wrote (see)
    OC can you do me a favour and just answer a question so that I don't have to do the research please? You're the quickest source of data and I'm shocking at reading profiles or blogs etc.

    Regarding the climbs - I want it put into a language I understand. So, when I go to Pyrenees I know that the Tourmalet is xx km at y percent. Would you be able to roughly tell me that there are xx climbs which are yy km long? I'd be ever so grateful. image

    Mouse, while OC gets round to do that you can have my report:

    Average grades are not a big deal. You have 3 major named climbs, Fire Mountain, Los Nieves and Mirador del Rio.

    Fire Mountain is really easy with a step style climb that makes it very confortable, it finishes with a slight steeper ramp and a couple of long bends and is not long at 6-7km in total. Wind here however is usually a headwind and depending on intensity can make this climb much tougher as it is mostly an infinite road (straight climb for 5k)

    Los Nieves is not difficult either if you consider the climb only after the little descent from Teguise. However the climb for me starts at Famara, many many kilometres before image. It has some 8% ramps that make it tough.

    Mirador del Rio is not a difficult climb either but has some nasty 12% little ramps but overall not a terrible climb as it has some flats while you get up.

    Both of the climbs however are know to experience headwind on most occasions and on race day would greatly impact the difficulty. Los Nieves is a little bit more sheltered however. Mirador del Rio gets very exposed at the end and the view can distract you from the pain but also leave you at the mercy of the wind.

    [More on next post]

     

  • [cont...]

    These climbs however you are prepared to face and they are not that tough actually, however, you spend long distances climbing at a little incline at moderately low speed. These include small extra humps that put you into deep breath mode.

    Let me provide you a walkthrough of the course:

    Start from PC with "suave" rolling until you get to the bypass roundabout, that is actually a bit steep there but is just a minute. After that you follow the main road for a bit with more "suave" rolling until the roundabout to Puerto Calero where you turn 90 degrees left for the grind to Yaiza, pretty consistent gradient here until Yaiza where you ought to keep your effort in check, it has an average of 3.8% for 3km which is not a big deal but can make you go too hard, specially in the wind again.

    From Yaiza you leave Fire Mountain to your right and descend into El Golfo at the 23k mark up to 35k. The wind can impact you a lot as this is a long descent and Xwinds where hard for me here on the day I did half the course. It is beautiful though!

    Once you get to the coast and you marvel with the water colours and the contrast of black rock and amazing blue-green, you get a short grind up back to Yaiza, with ramps through town making you breath deep again.

    Finally shortly after the 42km mark you set your eyes again up the infinite road. I love this climb and even in tough wind I enjoyed it. It goes in steps as I said before and averages almost a 3%. It winds up until around the 52k mark and.

    Now you can relax your legs a bit as the descent to La Santa is fast and long and you will be there in no time! Xwinds were hell for me here and I did not relax and decided to probably avoid Jet 4 fronts in May. You have a couple of ramps uphill but otherwise you carry your speed here really well.

    You get to La Santa around the 69k mark and you start a mini climb up to 73k and you turn left to descend to Famara. This is a great area as the waters here are always rough and you have a long glance at the beach, Isla Graciosa and the mountain range looming ahead. This is my third favourite place at the course with El Golfo second.

    [to be cont...]

  • [cont...]

    From Famara at the 79km mark you start a long winding ascent to Teguise, this is one of the toughest moments in the race. Starting to get tired and the land is barren, you have 3km at 2.7% here and a little flat for 1k before you get a tough 5km at 2.74% up to Teguise and the halfway point, followed by a nasty 4km through town that make you sink in to deep breath again at 2.93% average.

    Lovely little descent from Teguise before the proper ascent to Los Nieves that gives around 9km at slightly below 4% (max steep 8-9% I reckon). You reach the summit around the 103km mark and also the highest point in the race.

    [to be cont...]

     

  • Thanks Hokori , how was your week in the sun preparing ?

  • [cont...]

    The descent from Los Nieves is a bit scary with some sharp bends before it becomes easier to handle but be careful of the speed and the wind as it does get steep downhill at times.

    While you start thinking most of the bitching climbing is done you arrive at the town of Haria and it greats you with some turns that kill your speed and a nasty 10% onwards little ramp to leave the area onto another little downhill before you start the climb to Mirador del Rio.

    Mirador has 4 main ramps separated by little meandering false flats for the first 3 and a clear downhill before the last push up the last ramp. The first 3 ramps average more than 5% for 3km including the flat links and have 10-11% ramps thrown in there. The last ramp after the little descent is easier in average at 3.5% for another 3km but it felt really hard at that point, even with the incredible sights, definitely best views of the course. You peak around the 117km mark.

    [to be cont...]

  • [cont...]

    Like OC said before the descent from Mirador is a big "wow" factor. Fast fast fast fun 11km. Hope your legs recover a bit here because you have the worst of your climbing behind but there are almost another 400m to go before plummeting down to PC.

    You have a long 11km up the bypass before you take the short ascent to Nazaret for 3 painful km at 2.3%. At Nazaret you leave the road to go down the Donkey track (3-5km) that will test your tooth fillings (again OC dixit).Welcome to the 160km mark.

    Once this painful bit is done with you get the gift of the small uphill grind through St Bartolome and past the Monumento del Campesino before turning to Conil and Tias and drop like a hawk to PC to drop your steed. The last 20k are roughly divided into false uphill flat for 10k and a 10km scalated drop to transition.

    Enjoy!

    [The End]

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