Ironman Wales 2013

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  • Just thought I would say hi.  I am signed up for IM Wales after transferring from IM Switzerland.  I am from/live in UK and done the LCW last year and watched my other half complete IMW this year so it's given me the bug!

  • Wales bike course makes top 5.... cos it's nails  image

    LINK

  • Hell yeah image

    I'm quite surprised the swim course doesn't in their previous list.......

  • The swims not so bad when there isn't the tail end of a huricane approaching!

  • IMCH is on the list and that nowhere near as tough as IMWimage

  • Room for one more in here....entered and accommodation booked.

  • good news flatfooted...i haven't thought about accomodation...................the first one mbroke my tent poles.so not sure about going back to campimage

  • Hi all - getting rather nervous reading this!  I've entered Wales 2013 (my first Ironman) and basically starting from scratch! Did a couple of sprints last year including the Sandman (awful condions but enjoyed) but only really starting serious training now.

    I chose Wales as logistically it is the most feasable (finance and family support etc) as well as being one of the few with places left. Just wondering if it would be possible to transfer to say Switzerland???? Or am I checkening out!!!

    Anyway I'm pretty much committed but am wondering if I have bitten off more than I can chew - my bike skills are pretty basic. As for accommadation I'm looking at Kiln Park (not many left) and wondering whether to go on the monday before for the week and the family can follow down at the weekend - give me time to settle in and check out the courses. The training camp also sounds interesting. 

    Any advice would be greatfully received (very worried)image

  • Can't see that you can swap events. I've not heard of anyone doing that so you're stuck with Wales. At least you have plenty of time to train.

    I'd not bother going too early - youd just tire yourself out going round the course when you should be resting up. Most athletes arrive on the thursday and go back home Tuesday.



    The training camp does sound good - you should book for that and as you're in Wales anyway - get down for a ride on the course in the spring so you can see the course. In the meantime - get training ! How far do you ride at the weekend now ?
  • you can cancel wales and enetre switzerland the following yewar if thereis spaces....but you don't want to do that..Wales is going to be awesome.....image

     

    not sure about going down early.kiln park in a caravan on your own is going to be pretty miserable

  • So says the Welsh Tourist Board rep...



    ;-)
  • Thanks all - only joking about swapping - I'm Welsh so don't worry I've committed to IM Wales in my heart and am determined to give it my all. Just had a couple of  people put me down about it telling me I had no chance and that they'd never do IMW even though they had done another Ironman! I'm out to prove them wrong, I may not have the endurance yet but I've got the basic skills to build on and I AM stubborn AND mad so there is no backing out whatever!

    My goal when I was 18 was to do Ironman and life got in the way -I'm 45 now and I think my experiences have given me the mentality to achieve it now.  If I don't finish (I will) then I will be in Lanzarote 2014 and back to Wales!

    I like the idea of going down early just to get my bearings, have a look around and chill without the stress at home (kids, dogs, horses, work etc). I don't get lonely - always a book to read, computer, sightseeing and off course I'll have my bike. 

    Realistically even with the challenging bike course, is 9 months long enough to be able to get in condition to finish it (I have the facilities - Tri Club, Road Racing Club, Gym and Turbo, Treadmill at home) and if needed could fit in 3 -  4 hours a day training. (I said fit in time wise - I didn't mean I'd not collapse in a heap!)image

    P.S. If anyone wants to come down early you are welcome to join me.

  • 9 months is enough if you can train wisely.



    Have you done a marathon before ?



    What standard of cyclist are you ?



    How's your swimming ?
  • Not done a marathon - 10 K though and fell running with Tri club up to 2 hrs non stop.

    Cycling - not fast at all but done 2 technical courses (Oswestry and Sandman - in hale and wind). Speed and strength needed in legs (rare skinny long legs for a horse rider!)

    Swimming - can go on forever at BS but mastered (learnt) the crawl in last few months - did 750 Bala Lake and Very Rough Sandman sea swim happily. Technique and speed needed now - legs are redundant in my swim!!

    I do track training once a week with Tri Club, Run with Another Club (off road), Swim sessions withTri club and weekly Club Ride. Also just joined gym for strength, weights, spin and Pilates/Yoga class as well as free unlimited use of pool. 

    Work from home so training can be done while kids in school and also have my bike on Turbo and Treadmill in house.  Plus we have some mega hills where we live, horsehoe pass, Garth, Snowden not far etc.

    And I'm still faffing over my shoes lol image

  • Riodog wrote (see)

    Just had a couple of  people put me down about it telling me I had no chance and that they'd never do IMW even though they had done another Ironman! I'm out to prove them wrong,

    Jut do what someone on here did the first year of IM Wales.

    He had lots of people saying he wouldn't do it, he printed it all out and stuck it to his handlebars and kept reading it thinking "I'll show them" and he did

  • Hi Riodog and everyone else.

    This is my first IM as well, I did Antwerp 70.3 last year but that is very flat.  Other than that I have done a couple of sprints and olympic distances (will be getting more in this year and toying with 70.3 UK at the moment).  I was all signed up to do IM Switzerland but after watching my other half at IM Wales this year I wanted to be part of it so transferred - so yes you can transfer from one IM to another!

    My other half started training in Feb 2012 for this years event with no base training, so you have time to train.

    I would say if you can, to do the Long Course Weekend as this is a great event in it's own right and is the IM Wales bike course.  I really enjoyed the event this year, but as previously mentioned the run it a different course, but still a good bit of hill training for the marathon run.

    I have only ever run a half marathon and have not intention of running more than 20 miles in training - I will leave the marathon till the day, never wanted to run one before and I have got a feeling I will never want to run one again!

    As a spectator last year and watching loads of people not make the bike cut off - this is where my concentration will be.  If you can get back in off the bike within the 10.5 hours cut off (inc swim) then you will have 6.5 hours for the marathon which is totally doable!

    Good luck with the training!  Are you following a plan?

  • The Silent Assassin wrote (see)
    Riodog wrote (see)

    Just had a couple of  people put me down about it telling me I had no chance and that they'd never do IMW even though they had done another Ironman! I'm out to prove them wrong,

    Jut do what someone on here did the first year of IM Wales.

    He had lots of people saying he wouldn't do it, he printed it all out and stuck it to his handlebars and kept reading it thinking "I'll show them" and he did

     

    The Silent Assassin wrote (see)
    Riodog wrote (see)

    Just had a couple of  people put me down about it telling me I had no chance and that they'd never do IMW even though they had done another Ironman! I'm out to prove them wrong,

    Jut do what someone on here did the first year of IM Wales.

    He had lots of people saying he wouldn't do it, he printed it all out and stuck it to his handlebars and kept reading it thinking "I'll show them" and he did

    Thanks that is very good advice as the main person who upset me is really bugginng me at the moment and my determination is getting even stronger!

     

  • Miss Mc wrote (see)

    Hi Riodog and everyone else.

    This is my first IM as well, I did Antwerp 70.3 last year but that is very flat.  Other than that I have done a couple of sprints and olympic distances (will be getting more in this year and toying with 70.3 UK at the moment).  I was all signed up to do IM Switzerland but after watching my other half at IM Wales this year I wanted to be part of it so transferred - so yes you can transfer from one IM to another!

    My other half started training in Feb 2012 for this years event with no base training, so you have time to train.

    I would say if you can, to do the Long Course Weekend as this is a great event in it's own right and is the IM Wales bike course.  I really enjoyed the event this year, but as previously mentioned the run it a different course, but still a good bit of hill training for the marathon run.

    I have only ever run a half marathon and have not intention of running more than 20 miles in training - I will leave the marathon till the day, never wanted to run one before and I have got a feeling I will never want to run one again!

    As a spectator last year and watching loads of people not make the bike cut off - this is where my concentration will be.  If you can get back in off the bike within the 10.5 hours cut off (inc swim) then you will have 6.5 hours for the marathon which is totally doable!

    Good luck with the training!  Are you following a plan?

    Ah yes I agree with you about the bike - that is where I think the problem will be so I am going to really workon that. I can always crawl the marathon in the remaining hours on just determination (I think) but the bike is my biggest worry.  I think I will go down in the spring and ride the course to get an idea and see how I fare.

    I have the Don Fink book and 2 others which I plan on following at the appropriate weeks start but I am just building my endurance up and swim skills at moment. I am a member of my local Tri club which do swim and track sessions and also a Road Racing club but I've been advised to train on my own on the bike rather than with a group as find you have to follow their pace which might not correspond to the   appropriate phase of the Ironman training?

    Thanks for the advice and good luck in your training  will see you at the start!image

  • I would love to do some of the long course weekend but its the weekend after outlaw so i think that should be a no for me......i think the bike part and probably the swim or half swim would be really worth going for.not so sure about the run........

    My first week of training for Outlaw started today and the frost and ice means i am swapping sessions to try and wait for the freeze for the bike....giving up and going to a spin class today instead

  • Yes maybe a bit close to outlaw, I probably won;t be able to walk for at least a week after walesimage!!

    The LCW I am doing the full swim, full bike and half run.  The marathon run in July is far to close to IMW so too much risk of injury.

    Riodog - I also have the Don Fink book and Ironman Start to Finish in 24 weeks so will be following a combination of the 2!  There are other 3 of people in my tri club doing IMW (plus a couple more maybe sigining up) so I have a few training partners but we are all at different levels, but they are all good on the bike.  I am also doing the Nova Colli (stands for 9 hills) in Italy in May which is 209k so should stand me in good stead training wise - hills, hills, hills, thats all I am going to be training on!

    Let me know how you training goes throughout the year!

  • Riodog, you know, the scarier it seems to start with, the better it feels to finish I reckon.  You'll be buzzing for weeks, enjoy the journey image

  • it is a great journey to Ironman.....but it cant be underestimated......its not on for people to tell you that you'll fail....people said that to me....and i did!!!....but seriously not finishing isnt a failure.....however...all the back slapping wont get you there either....on the day its a lonely place....and you have 12-17 hours to think about nothing else but how much pain you are in!

    as M.Triumphant (from here) said to me a couple of years ago.....consistancy is the key....and its ALL ABOUT THE BIKE! make sure you're consistant....make sure you dont ditch your long bike sessions...and if your running is going great....ditch one of thse sessions and ride your bike.hopefully this thread will pick up a bit now as more people join and training gets going!!

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    Andy......its definitely a course that will find any weaknesses you have on the bike course ..... and yes you have to bike , bike and bike some more

  • Ok, time for a deep breath, stop lurking and commit publicly here that I'm signed up too (and very very worried!).
    Am getting used to turboing in my garage in the dark (no electricity supply) but still not used to trying to do early morning training of any sort!

    I'm interested in what people are planning for LCW - my plan does not have me up to near that distance at that time, but seems others are planning on doing the whole cycle then - would you expect to be doing 100 mile rides at that point - 8 weeks out.  It is my first IM if htat makes a difference?

    I'm heading down there over the New Year break.  Possibly won't get out on the bike with the weather but at least will get a feel for what the hills look like.

  • Why not?...I would do the whole bike distance, will be a massive boost to you when you complete it.

    Before my first i knew i could run a mara distance having done some before, so in the training i swam the distance and cycled several 100m plus rides....knew i could do them individually just had to put the together...on one day...one after the other......image

  • And as for the LCW...would like to do the swim and bike bits...not fussed about the run part.

  • i would definitely do the fuill swim and the full bike........if i was free...and then either no run or half the run........the run isn't the ironman course and you will have more chance of getting injured on that than on the others

  • I was wearing my ironman wales cycling jersey on the turbo this morning..........have left in the draw for over a year as it reminds me of my failure.........

    but today i wore it as i am convinced that it was not beat me next yearimage

  • Not been on for a while so catching up on news ... Flat footed , so you are doing Wales . Awesome .. Need to get out on some training rides with you in the new year fella



    Riodog , Wales is an amazing course , a combination of race day atmosphere (which is just incredible)and determination will see you through (oh and some training), especially if you have some doubters to shut upimage . Best thing I did though was to "go pirate" and borrow some yellow and black .. Can't explain just how much the pirate support factor helps.. Has to be experienced to be believed.
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