Question:

I have Campy.  And have had veloce.  Veloce is fine.  My experience is that campy ergo levers are better design especially for people that grew up with downtube shifters.  The action of campy is closer to the action of down tube shifters in that you push down with the thumb to shift to a bigger gear and pull up with your index and middle finger to shift to a shorter gear.  That mimics exactly the action of downtube shifters. If that isn’t a factor Shimano is much more economical and has much more third party choices for wheels, hubs, accesories, etc. Because I rode for a long long time with downtube shifters I like campy ergo action better.  If I was just starting out I would recommend Shimano. THere are only two manufacturers of campy compatible hubs, (Campy and Zipp) I have issues with the zipp hub. So I am limited to only the campy hubs.  Many people say that the shimano hubs and cassettes work fine on a campy drive train.  In fact Colorado Cyclist Team runs campy shifters and deraileurs with shimano type hubs and cassettes.  This requires you that a shimano chain is used and the rear deraileurs are adjusted. Some have used the shimano type wheels with campy drive train interchangably.  But it depends on how discriminating you are with index shifting expectations. Bottom line… Campy if your an old fart. Shimano if you are just getting started. Hope this helps.

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If you are new to the sport, I think you should focus on a comfortable bike that is not too expensive.  Some people want to start by buying a very expensive bike, or a bike that is only good in triathlons.  This is dangerous because there is always the chance that a person will want to do other things with the bike.  I rode a standard road bike for 5 years before buying a triathlon bike.  I always thought that I might need a road bike (for regular road racing).  I think that your question about which components to buy is not as important as which bike to buy.  If you buy a comfortable bike with ANY of those components, I think you will be happy. They are all good components, and will work well. Good luck, Rich – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi! I want to became in this sport ( I have run several marathons), and my frist problem is what bike I have to buy for begining. I supose that this question has been answered many times, but i

Question:

Mike,            Go out and run, bike, and swim a little…Come back and ask the group specific  questions. They will have the answers and advice…Check the FAQ on this newsgroup  you will find answers there also.  hope this helps you…  Jhansen882Aaol.com

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Good Boy John, Who said you can’t train a dumb dog new tricks? OOPS I mean who said you  can,t teach a 34 year old dumb dog….    Well you all know what I mean. He learned something. Now try this —- SIT…. GOOD JOHN!!!! Now try this —- LAY DOWN…. GOOD JOHN!!!!  Now try this ROLL OVER and PLAY DEAD…. GOOD JOHN!!!! OOPS, I said DEAD. Now I am in the same boat as Ruth;-(.  What am I going to do? I know I will ask John because he is GREAT at everything on or in the water. John, please help me because I am a poor underweight 14 year old triathlete. I’m SORRY I said DEAD. Please, Please forgive me and help me out of this boat, maybe on your surfboard or your sailboat or your windsurfer or heck because "you can smoke anyone in the swim to the bouy" just come rescue me. You are my hero. D.J.  "do I have to repeat my challenge"  (IRONKID) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Mike,            Go out and run, bike, and swim a little…Come back and ask the group specific  questions. They will have the answers and advice…Check the FAQ on this newsgroup  you will find answers there also.  hope this helps you…  Jhansen882Aaol.com

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hey there…..i’m interested in taking up triathlons…anybody care to give regards thanx mike

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hey there…..i’m interested in taking up triathlons…anybody care to give

Sure Mike, there are many people here who would be glad to help you, but you need to have specific questions.                Steve Fredericks                Oceanside, CA

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hey there…..i’m interested in taking up triathlons…anybody care to give

The current issue of Triathlete magazine has a good article on getting ready for your first triathlon.  There are several good books that will give you an overview of the basics.  _Swim Bike Run_ by Town and Kearney was my favorite beginner reference, although Sally Edwards, Dave Scott and several others have also written excellent books.  I guess what I’m getting around to is that there’s a lot of info out there to absorb — a lot more than you can squeeze into a news group posting. Another good source of info is local triathletes.  If you want to post your general location, somebody on the newsgroup will probably be able to point you in the right direction, but in general masters swim groups and group bicycle training rides are good places to find tri-heads.  Make some enquiries at local pools and bike shops. I hope this helps.  Good luck with your training, Tellus Venture Associates "Certainly the game is rigged. Don’t let that stop you; if you don’t bet, you can’t win."  R.A.H.

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Question:

And this highly intelligent, common sensical, and rational approach is the reason why, ladies and gentlemen, this man is on his way to Kona in 12 days. One of the keys of a solid performance in triathlon is flexibility in the face of unpredictable conditions, especially in a race as long as Ironman.  Those who exhibit this flexibility and are always prepared to formulate and fall back upon a "Plan B" are the ones who will get the most out of the sport, whether their goal is high-performance or simply finishing with a smile.

Amen. But I think I was down to around Plan "G" by the time I finished IMC. I often wonder how folks do an IM in their second year of racing. For me, all the experience I’d gained in 15 years of running and doing tri’s came into play at IMC. I don’t think if I could have finished w/o it. 1) In T2, I felt like dead meat, but my legs were steady. That told me (from experience) that it was more a digestive thing, rather than muscle fatigue. 2) It wasn’t the worst I’d ever felt and finished a race. The stakes were a bit higher and the distance looming longer,  but I’d been in worse shape. 3) Once I got out, I had a good a handle on what I could manage as a pace – when to walk, etc, considering how bad I felt. Again, this was from having done a few "survival shuffles" and enduring. 4) When my knee started going south I didn’t panic, but used experience to figure out what I needed to do to survive it. W/O the previous experiences which gave me something to fall back on for Plans A, B, C, D, E, and F, I would not have finished. Mike "And I did finish with a smile" Tennent "TriBop" ‘98 Ironman Canada, 16:17:03

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Having read all the IMC reports, the most common problem experienced by everyone it would seem was the lack of salt intake. I’m competing in the GFT this year and not coming from a country renouned for its exceptionally good weather (we get horizontal & vertical rain) don’t need or use salt tables during training. My question to all you Ironman vets is. Should I start using them in preparation for GFT or would I be better to wait until the day and see how it goes, I know the don’t use it on race day if you havn’t tried it before thing, but I’ve also been told not to use extra salt if your body doesn’t need it as this can cause just as many problems. Thanks

Iain: Use ‘em now. Never do anything different on race day. Mike Tennent "TriBop" ‘98 Ironman Canada, 16:17:03

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – 1.The dryness of the air in the Okanagan – This contributes significantly to the dehydration problem because people are sweating but it’s so dry and windy that it does not even bead up on their skin. Thus they can be be down a few pints and not even know it. Good point, and the dry air complicates things a bit more.  Lungs require air to be a minimum humidity.  I don’t know what it is exactly, but it’s probably quite high (90-95%, perhaps higher).  Air entering the lungs gets moisturized which removes moisture from the body but, unfortunately, the moisure is not recovered when you exhale. Although dry air feels more comfortable and sweating is more efficient, i.e., it evaporates faster and therefore cools more, humid air might be better for the long term.  When it’s humid and you’re exerting, you sweat profusely and this reminds you to drink (and you don’t lose as much water breathing).  It might not be so obvious in dry, windy conditions (or on a bike) when you might not be conscious how much water you’ve lost by breathing. The human thirst mechanism is a funny thing.  We’ve probably all learned to drink before you feel thirsty during endurance events because if you feel thirsty it may be too late.  Why is that?  Well, according to my sources, the thirst mechanism, a brain stem function, is supressed by larger cortex in the developed human brain.  Other animals respond to thirst sooner since there isn’t so much distraction. See, you knew there was a reason. Doug Fuller As Rick says, "Take what you need and leave the rest."

I told a friend of mine that I was planning to eat pretzels throughout the race at IMC.  He asked if it was hard to eat and if it dried out my mouth, and before I could answer he said that it would probably make me drink more during the event.  I planned to eat the pretzels mainly for the sodium, but it definitely made me thirsty, so I drank.  In fact, I had to pit stop (I have not mastered, nor do I want to, the art of peeing off the bike) 3 times on the bike. Just a thought to trick your mind into thinking that you are thirsty. – Andy Tumpowsky

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Iain, St Pete Mad Dogs tri club have an aid station at the end of each loop around the lake. They have chicken soup ! Yes, I know it sounds gross, but I reckon it has plenty of salt in it and in fact tastes great at the time. That may be enough to maintain what you’ve lost throughout the day. I would think the RaceDay drink has some sodium in it too. There is no question you lose it – just check out your bike shorts as you take them off, they’ll have dried salt all around the waist ! Cheers Barry t… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Having read all the IMC reports, the most common problem experienced by everyone it would seem was the lack of salt intake. I’m competing in the GFT this year and not coming from a country renouned for its exceptionally good weather (we get horizontal & vertical rain) don’t need or use salt tables during training. My question to all you Ironman vets is. Should I start using them in preparation for GFT or would I be better to wait until the day and see how it goes, I know the don’t use it on race day if you havn’t tried it before thing, but I’ve also been told not to use extra salt if your body doesn’t need it as this can cause just as many problems. Thanks Iain: Use ‘em now. Never do anything different on race day. Mike Tennent "TriBop" ‘98 Ironman Canada, 16:17:03

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I would agree that the best race plans are set in a solid foundation of data (gathered and robbed <g), married to real experience and tested under anticipated conditions "at pace" on similar geography. However, in the fluid environment of the race you must allow yourself *absolute* permission to modify that plan *immediatley* based upon reliable, field tested experience. This requires experience in varied environmental conditions and states of nutrition/hydration (or lack thereof) for the given distance and geography.

And this highly intelligent, common sensical, and rational approach is the reason why, ladies and gentlemen, this man is on his way to Kona in 12 days. One of the keys of a solid performance in triathlon is flexibility in the face of unpredictable conditions, especially in a race as long as Ironman.  Those who exhibit this flexibility and are always prepared to formulate and fall back upon a "Plan B" are the ones who will get the most out of the sport, whether their goal is high-performance or simply finishing with a smile. Hey, ya can’t argue with success.  Now let’s see how Studmuffin tears up the lava!  Meanwhile, Slugmuffin here will be bringing up the rear with an idiotic grin plastered all over her silly pan. WOOHOOO!!  See ya at the United terminal at SFO in 12 days, Joe! Tri-Baby                                      _                                   –    o      ’             –  __o       –    </_  `     ‘         –    <         – __/    /o_         – (()) (())        -  / "REAL Triathletes don’t draft." *** Ironman Canada 1997 – 13:04:09 *** http://www.stanford.edu/~brooksie        

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1.The dryness of the air in the Okanagan –  <snip

Good point, and the dry air complicates things a bit more. <snip

And I add… Excellent points from both Steve and Doug and I agree with every one. The only twist in this is that, according to some locals, the air was "unusually humid" in Penticton and the area on race day this year. Of course, "unusually humid" in Okanagan terms probably means 25% relative humidity instead of 10%. Both are still low by east coast standards, but being very sensitive to dry air (a.k.a. I get nose bleeds in dry air) I found the air easier to breathe than previous "dry" years. -Rolf — I am Iron Mac…       …a student of Ironman, ever learning…                                       …about having faith.         IMC’94/14:07    IMC’95/11:59    IMC’97/12:12    IMC’98/14:02

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1.The dryness of the air in the Okanagan – This contributes significantly to the dehydration problem because people are sweating but it’s so dry and windy that it does not even bead up on their skin. Thus they can be be down a few pints and not even know it.

Good point, and the dry air complicates things a bit more.  Lungs require air to be a minimum humidity.  I don’t know what it is exactly, but it’s probably quite high (90-95%, perhaps higher).  Air entering the lungs gets moisturized which removes moisture from the body but, unfortunately, the moisure is not recovered when you exhale. Although dry air feels more comfortable and sweating is more efficient, i.e., it evaporates faster and therefore cools more, humid air might be better for the long term.  When it’s humid and you’re exerting, you sweat profusely and this reminds you to drink (and you don’t lose as much water breathing).  It might not be so obvious in dry, windy conditions (or on a bike) when you might not be conscious how much water you’ve lost by breathing. The human thirst mechanism is a funny thing.  We’ve probably all learned to drink before you feel thirsty during endurance events because if you feel thirsty it may be too late.  Why is that?  Well, according to my sources, the thirst mechanism, a brain stem function, is supressed by larger cortex in the developed human brain.  Other animals respond to thirst sooner since there isn’t so much distraction. See, you knew there was a reason. Doug Fuller As Rick says, "Take what you need and leave the rest."

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Having read all the IMC reports, the most common problem experienced by everyone it would seem was the lack of salt intake. I’m competing in the GFT this year and not coming from a country renouned for its exceptionally good weather (we get horizontal & vertical rain) don’t need or use salt tables during training. My question to all you Ironman vets is. Should I start using them in preparation for GFT or would I be better to wait until the day and see how it goes, I know the don’t use it on race day if you havn’t tried it before thing, but I’ve also been told not to use extra salt if your body doesn’t need it as this can cause just as many problems. Thanks Iain Sim. Ayrodynamics, Scotland. There is no limit out there

Several IM vets recommend Succeed! caplets rather than plain salt. I was one of those who experienced problems at IMC and probably would have benefited from taking them. I train in heat all the time and know it’s dangers. However, I had never raced in it for more than 8 hours. I started having real problems around the 9 hour mark. Not a co-incidence. Mike "But I learned a lesson" Tennent "TriBop" ‘98 Ironman Canada, 16:17:03

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The conditions were not worse than descriptions I’ve heard of Kona. But they were much worse than people were assuming they would be. In Hawaii, everyone expects the conditions to be brutal, and they build their race plan around that fact. In Canada, everyone was assuming great weather and thinking PR until about halfway through the bike leg, and they seemed genuinely surprised to be facing meltdown. The best performances seemed to come from those people who stayed with their race plan and didn’t let themselves get sucked in by the good conditions in the first part of the day.

Hi Rick, Forgot to send this . . . I would agree that the best race plans are set in a solid foundation of data (gathered and robbed <g), married to real experience and tested under anticipated conditions "at pace" on similar geography. However, in the fluid environment of the race you must allow yourself *absolute* permission to modify that plan *immediatley* based upon reliable, field tested experience. This requires experience in varied environmental conditions and states of nutrition/hydration (or lack thereof) for the given distance and geography. I feel this is where many went wrong. Being fairly new to Triathlon I dedicate portions of my training to this pursuit. FWIW: In my IMC ‘98 race plan I had programed a 3:25 Marathon. I had tested this many times and knew it to be obtainable if the weather was mild and I came off the bike in good shape. Though my bike split was in the minimum acceptable range (due to the winds) I did feel very good. On course, I stayed on 3:25 pace until I determined that conditions were much hotter than I had anticipated and to continue at 3:25 pace would spell "meltdown." At mile 10 I performed major surgery on plan "1" and invented plan "2." Plan 2 was based on my experience running 22 miles sessions, on similar terrain, in 100+ heat, several times in the build phase for IMC. This meant adding huge amounts of time to my p/m/m splits to hydrate *and* cool at each aid station. My 2nd "Tom Price Cocktail" for the run, a foundation in my prerace nutrition plan (collected at special needs), was tossed to focus on Coke and H20 with occasional Allsport only stops – my stomach being the guide. I was drinking 3-4 cups at each station after mile 14 and reduced to 2 cups after mile 22. "3:25" was also tossed without a second thought or care. Running as fast as I could between aid stations and a "just as serious as running" focus on fluids and cooling became the plan 2. Net: 3:40 marathon – of which I am most proud despite it being slower than ‘97. Likewise, if it had been cool or cold I had similar base-line experience that would have caused me to reduce my fluid intake and chase a negative Marathon split. Good Training, Good Racing, Joe Joseph C. Foster .. . . and of course I train hard, very hard. – T. Hellreigel

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I have used Thermotabs (buffered salt tablets) for every moderately hot to hot race for the last 3 yrs. I have never had any stomach or other problems. My wife uses them. We have recommended them to friends that have never had any problems, at least a dozen people. I only use them if I will be racing or training for over about 3 hrs. I don’t ‘load’ them. I start taking them a couple of hours into the event. I usually take one tablet every 1-2 hrs depending on the heat. I have had the opportunity to train w/ them on hot days, unsure what your best bet is if you are from a cooler clime such as Scotland. Good Luck to all, andy

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Iain: I’m an ironvirgin myself but… I would try them out in training. Sure, your body won’t *use* them like in Florida, but you can at least get a feeling for how your body reacts… Kevin Mitchell – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Having read all the IMC reports, the most common problem experienced by everyone it would seem was the lack of salt intake. I’m competing in the GFT this year and not coming from a country renouned for its exceptionally good weather (we get horizontal & vertical rain) don’t need or use salt tables during training. My question to all you Ironman vets is. Should I start using them in preparation for GFT or would I be better to wait until the day and see how it goes, I know the don’t use it on race day if you havn’t tried it before thing, but I’ve also been told not to use extra salt if your body doesn’t need it as this can cause just as many problems. Thanks Iain Sim. Ayrodynamics, Scotland. There is no limit out there

Response:

Rick, You made some good points here. As a six time finisher and  first time observer of the race this year I thought that I would add the following: 1.The dryness of the air in the Okanagan – This contributes significantly to the dehydration problem because people are sweating but it’s so dry and windy that it does not even bead up on their skin. Thus they can be be down a few pints and not even know it. 2. The good year followed by the bad year scenerio. It happens at IMC and at IMH. After a relativly "easy" year like 1997 at IMC( cool, wet not too windy. ideal conditions actually) 1998 comes along. People who did the race the previous year come back with some expectations of a certain(perhaps, faster) time. However, on a day like IMC this year time goels go out the window. Bustos went almost an hour slower than his fastest time ever over an Ironman race. The people that did "well" were experienced vets who made the mental adjustment early on in the day to just grind it out and not worry about time and first timers who tend to race conservetivley right from the start. Steve Fleck – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My outside observor’s read of the problems at IMC were a little different. That morning, and most of the previous day, everyone was talking about how great the weather was. So, they took the great weather for granted. The morning was cool but not cold, and everyone would have felt wonderful in the cool air coming out of the water. Those who thought they’d be cold weren’t, and nobody was expecting monster heat. They hopped on the bike and took off, extrapolating the current conditions to the rest of the day. They went fast, spent a lot of energy, and then WHAMMO! the heat and wind came all at once. Because the sun was intense but the air fairly cool (until about noon), people did not realize how much they were sweating, and how hot they were becoming. In Penticton, the air was very comfortable in the shade, but the heat was intense in the sun. The difference was profound. So, many had already spent much of their reserves when the heat and wind became a visible factor, and they were already starting to shut down. The conditions were not worse than descriptions I’ve heard of Kona. But they were much worse than people were assuming they would be. In Hawaii, everyone expects the conditions to be brutal, and they build their race plan around that fact. In Canada, everyone was assuming great weather and thinking PR until about halfway through the bike leg, and they seemed genuinely surprised to be facing meltdown. The best performances seemed to come from those people who stayed with their race plan and didn’t let themselves get sucked in by the good conditions in the first part of the day. For example, Mike Tennant’s description of the race was very similar to how he had described his intentions before the race. His target time was 16 hours, and he finished very close to that target. When it’s my turn, I hope I have that kind of good sense. But if my major bonk the following weekend on a fairly short bike ride is any evidence, I’ll probably do the same thing. Armchair analysis sure is easy, isn’t it? Remember this is just one man’s opinion with but only one IM under his belt, but I think this is where the trouble may begin.  As I read many of the race reports, it seems as though the people who have competed at IMC before, come back for more than just the great views, and the great volunteers (don’t get me wrong, this is the only excuse anyone needs), but they come back to try to better their time from year’s past.  I know that after I finished, I thought I could have gone a little faster on the run.  When you bring the "time factor" into play, the vital signs

Response:

Rick, I think your arm chair analysis of what went wrong for alot of folks was probably right on the money. You know, I did the race in the year before, when it was so cold and wet, and being the cynic that I am, I figured that Pentiction was due for high heat this year. Also, had hear horror stories of how hot IMC was in ‘96, so with that in mind….. So, I paid close attention to good ‘ol Weather Channel and noted in July that B.C. was experiencing record heat. That got me more than enough motivated to train at noon in our steamy heat and humidity in Illinois throughout the summer.  My buddies and I did our long rides followed by runs at 2:00 p.m. in the afternoon on the weekends. We would start our bikes early, at 6:00 a.m., in the cool of the morning, but by the time we finished around 12:30 -1:00, it was very hot. So we ran in the heat and our bodies were used to that experience of running in the warmest part of the day. Yes, I was also hot on the bike, but the marathon didn’t seem all that bad. Laura – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My outside observor’s read of the problems at IMC were a little different. That morning, and most of the previous day, everyone was talking about how great the weather was. So, they took the great weather for granted. The morning was cool but not cold, and everyone would have felt wonderful in the cool air coming out of the water. Those who thought they’d be cold weren’t, and nobody was expecting monster heat. They hopped on the bike and took off, extrapolating the current conditions to the rest of the day. They went fast, spent a lot of energy, and then WHAMMO! the heat and wind came all at once. Because the sun was intense but the air fairly cool (until about noon), people did not realize how much they were sweating, and how hot they were becoming. In Penticton, the air was very comfortable in the shade, but the heat was intense in the sun. The difference was profound. So, many had already spent much of their reserves when the heat and wind became a visible factor, and they were already starting to shut down. The conditions were not worse than descriptions I’ve heard of Kona. But they were much worse than people were assuming they would be. In Hawaii, everyone expects the conditions to be brutal, and they build their race plan around that fact. In Canada, everyone was assuming great weather and thinking PR until about halfway through the bike leg, and they seemed genuinely surprised to be facing meltdown. The best performances seemed to come from those people who stayed with their race plan and didn’t let themselves get sucked in by the good conditions in the first part of the day. For example, Mike Tennant’s description of the race was very similar to how he had described his intentions before the race. His target time was 16 hours, and he finished very close to that target. When it’s my turn, I hope I have that kind of good sense. But if my major bonk the following weekend on a fairly short bike ride is any evidence, I’ll probably do the same thing. Armchair analysis sure is easy, isn’t it? Remember this is just one man’s opinion with but only one IM under his belt, but I think this is where the trouble may begin.  As I read many of the race reports, it seems as though the people who have competed at IMC before, come back for more than just the great views, and the great volunteers (don’t get me wrong, this is the only excuse anyone needs), but they come back to try to better their time from year’s past.  I know that after I finished, I thought I could have gone a little faster on the run.  When you bring the "time factor" into play, the vital signs take a back seat.  And why not, you have competed in and completed this race before and exceeded your expectations, why should this be any different?  Its different because its a new day, with new conditions.  I do not recall who said this, but I heard it for the first time on this news group, so I will echo it now.  Never underestimate the Ironman! Rick Denney Take what you want and leave the rest.

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Iain, You must absolutely try salt tablets before the race because they are known to give a good percentage of people intestinal problems.  I am one of them and would take cramping in my leg for 22 miles over cramping in my intestines *and* other related problems (ahem) any day. What I’m going to do for GFT (yes, IMC has turned me into an Ironaddict) is to have a water bottle on the bike filled with a strong saltwater solution. Every time I fill my Jetstream with sport drink, I will top it off with some of the saltwater solution.  This will allow me to modulate the amount of sodium in relation to the conditions. I will also have a small water bottle with saltwater and chicken broth (for palatability) in my bike-to-run transition bag and  three in my run special needs bag (you have access to it each of your three laps around the lake). This way, I can continue to keep my sodium intake up throughout the race without needing salt tablets. I hope this helps. Cameron — The search to find our limits leads us to our strengths.

Response:

My outside observor’s read of the problems at IMC were a little different. That morning, and most of the previous day, everyone was talking about how great the weather was. So, they took the great weather for granted. The morning was cool but not cold, and everyone would have felt wonderful in the cool air coming out of the water. Those who thought they’d be cold weren’t, and nobody was expecting monster heat. They hopped on the bike and took off, extrapolating the current conditions to the rest of the day. They went fast, spent a lot of energy, and then WHAMMO! the heat and wind came all at once. Because the sun was intense but the air fairly cool (until about noon), people did not realize how much they were sweating, and how hot they were becoming. In Penticton, the air was very comfortable in the shade, but the heat was intense in the sun. The difference was profound. So, many had already spent much of their reserves when the heat and wind became a visible factor, and they were already starting to shut down. The conditions were not worse than descriptions I’ve heard of Kona. But they were much worse than people were assuming they would be. In Hawaii, everyone expects the conditions to be brutal, and they build their race plan around that fact. In Canada, everyone was assuming great weather and thinking PR until about halfway through the bike leg, and they seemed genuinely surprised to be facing meltdown. The best performances seemed to come from those people who stayed with their race plan and didn’t let themselves get sucked in by the good conditions in the first part of the day. For example, Mike Tennant’s description of the race was very similar to how he had described his intentions before the race. His target time was 16 hours, and he finished very close to that target. When it’s my turn, I hope I have that kind of good sense. But if my major bonk the following weekend on a fairly short bike ride is any evidence, I’ll probably do the same thing. Armchair analysis sure is easy, isn’t it? Remember this is just one man’s opinion with but only one IM under his belt, but I think this is where the trouble may begin.  As I read many of the race reports, it seems as though the people who have competed at IMC before, come back for more than just the great views, and the great volunteers (don’t get me wrong, this is the only excuse anyone needs), but they come back to try to better their time from year’s past.  I know that after I finished, I thought I could have gone a little faster on the run.  When you bring the "time factor" into play, the vital signs take a back seat.  And why not, you have competed in and completed this race before and exceeded your expectations, why should this be any different?  Its different because its a new day, with new conditions.  I do not recall who said this, but I heard it for the first time on this news group, so I will echo it now.  Never underestimate the Ironman!

Rick Denney Take what you want and leave the rest.

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Having read all the IMC reports, the most common problem experienced by everyone it would seem was the lack of salt intake. I’m competing in the GFT this year and not coming from a country renouned for its exceptionally good weather (we get horizontal & vertical rain) don’t need or use salt tables during training. My question to all you Ironman vets is. Should I start using them in preparation for GFT or would I be better to wait until the day and see how it goes, I know the don’t use it on race day if you havn’t tried it before thing, but I’ve also been told not to use extra salt if your body doesn’t need it as this can cause just as many problems.  Thanks Iain Sim. Ayrodynamics, Scotland. There is no limit out there

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Conditions were tough this year at IMC, but I wanted to touch BRIEFLY in a few positives I had this year.

Conditions were bad I guess according to all the reports, it was my first time at IMC and my first Ironman so it is hard to tell.  Frankly, I had a great race and great experience.  Did not have any problems with the heat, in fact, it’s a lot hotter here in middle Georgia and when I started the run at 3:30 I thought to my self that it felt pretty good, kind of cool even.  My time was 13:08 and I’m proud of it.  If conditions were so bad, I guess next year I can whack off an hour or two.  No offense to all that had bad experiences but it’s time to take stock of what went wrong and plan to apply it next year so it will not happen again.  For me, the conditions were fine. I did not know what to expect and accepted what I got and dealt with it.  Did I like the wind? No.  In fact, hell no.  Did I struggle up the Yellow Lake climb?  Sure I did and the rest of the way on the bike too.  I hated my bike by the time I pulled into transition.  Was the run fun? It sure was!   I was prepared for heat, had my Succeed! caps and trained during the day in Georgia when he temps were 90 to 95 and the humidity was 70+ percent (its like that all summer where I live)  I was prepared with nutrition that I had trained with all summer, Succeed! Clip, passed up all the Allsport, and did not have any stomach problems. Might I have problems in the future, who knows?  But what I know from triathlon is that you get what you put into it.  You have to deal with what you are given and make conscious decisions all the time to account for it.  We knew it was going to be hot.  We knew the swim was 2.4 miles, the bike 112 miles, the run 26.2 miles.  We knew that the wind could really blow.  In the back of each of our minds, in the deep subconsious of that thing we call a brain, we knew if we were prepared or not.  Personnally, I felt prepared for 12 to 13 hours but really had no idea.  I know after this race that I have to work on my bike riding strength.  I ran out of gas at 75 miles.  It wasn’t the heat, it wasn’t the food, it wasn’t my stomach…it was because I did not spend enough time riding my bike.   I look forward to next year, hot, cold, windy, sheep, bears, hills, flats, whatever.  bring ‘em on. Rolf, these comments are not directed at you at all, just at the subject line. gil gilliland milledgeville, ga

Response:

Gil, My experiences were very similar to yours.  IMC was my first IM and I finished in 12:44.  I knew the heat was going to be a factor and I think I took the proper precautions.  For me that meant take it S – L – O – W.  I also had a good nutritional plan.  On the bike I had PR Bars, pretzels, and MET-RX ORS.  After I finished my water bottles filled with ORS, I would grab water from the aid stations and drop in the ORS mix, which I carried in containers that were a bit bigger than a camera case.  I steered clear of All Sport all day because it made me cramp in training.  On the run, I had pretzels, MET-RX ORS (I carried an ultimate pack with a water bottle holder), fruit (watermelon and cantelope, even though I did not train with it), cookies, and lots of water (both on my head and in my mouth).  Although I trained with GU most of the summer, I only had two packets nearing the end of the bike over the course of the day.  By sticking to my plan, I accomplished my goal of completing my first Ironman, and I felt great afterwards.  I never felt the heat and could not believe that it was 100 degrees out there (although I live in Michigan now, maybe its because I grew up in Houston, TX).  At no point during the race did I ever feel in jeopardy of not crossing the finish line.  This was very important to me because I wanted my first IM experience to be a positive one.  Now, instead of never wanting to do another IM again, I can not wait to do my next IM.  Well, its only been 2 weeks since IMC, so that may not be exactly true, but I know that I would like to do another one some time soon (No, I did not sign up for IMC ‘99). Remember this is just one man’s opinion with but only one IM under his belt, but I think this is where the trouble may begin.  As I read many of the race reports, it seems as though the people who have competed at IMC before, come back for more than just the great views, and the great volunteers (don’t get me wrong, this is the only excuse anyone needs), but they come back to try to better their time from year’s past.  I know that after I finished, I thought I could have gone a little faster on the run.  When you bring the "time factor" into play, the vital signs take a back seat.  And why not, you have competed in and completed this race before and exceeded your expectations, why should this be any different?  Its different because its a new day, with new conditions.  I do not recall who said this, but I heard it for the first time on this news group, so I will echo it now.  Never underestimate the Ironman! Just my $0.02. -Andy Tumpowsky – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Conditions were tough this year at IMC, but I wanted to touch BRIEFLY in a few positives I had this year. Conditions were bad I guess according to all the reports, it was my first time at IMC and my first Ironman so it is hard to tell.  Frankly, I had a great race and great experience.  Did not have any problems with the heat, in fact, it’s a lot hotter here in middle Georgia and when I started the run at 3:30 I thought to my self that it felt pretty good, kind of cool even.  My time was 13:08 and I’m proud of it.  If conditions were so bad, I guess next year I can whack off an hour or two.  No offense to all that had bad experiences but it’s time to take stock of what went wrong and plan to apply it next year so it will not happen again.  For me, the conditions were fine. I did not know what to expect and accepted what I got and dealt with it.  Did I like the wind? No.  In fact, hell no.  Did I struggle up the Yellow Lake climb?  Sure I did and the rest of the way on the bike too.  I hated my bike by the time I pulled into transition.  Was the run fun? It sure was! I was prepared for heat, had my Succeed! caps and trained during the day in Georgia when he temps were 90 to 95 and the humidity was 70+ percent (its like that all summer where I live)  I was prepared with nutrition that I had trained with all summer, Succeed! Clip, passed up all the Allsport, and did not have any stomach problems. Might I have problems in the future, who knows?  But what I know from triathlon is that you get what you put into it.  You have to deal with what you are given and make conscious decisions all the time to account for it.  We knew it was going to be hot.  We knew the swim was 2.4 miles, the bike 112 miles, the run 26.2 miles.  We knew that the wind could really blow.  In the back of each of our minds, in the deep subconsious of that thing we call a brain, we knew if we were prepared or not.  Personnally, I felt prepared for 12 to 13 hours but really had no idea.  I know after this race that I have to work on my bike riding strength.  I ran out of gas at 75 miles.  It wasn’t the heat, it wasn’t the food, it wasn’t my stomach…it was because I did not spend enough time riding my bike. I look forward to next year, hot, cold, windy, sheep, bears, hills, flats, whatever.  bring ‘em on. Rolf, these comments are not directed at you at all, just at the subject line. gil gilliland milledgeville, ga

Response:

Conditions were tough this year at IMC, but I wanted to touch BRIEFLY in a few positives I had this year. Swim – Masters swimming is a must for the IM swim;        I did NO long swims this year, and if it        and my worry over my ankle, I would have        PRed by about 2 minutes at 67 and change! Bike – I switched to one of those two-bolt stems        so that I can remove the handlebars easily        without removing tape, levers, etc. It was        much easier without the stem to pack the        bike. Plus, it is an ovalized oversize stem,        and looks pretty cool! Bike – On a hilly course like IMC and in the tough        conditions this year, I was thankful to have        my pizza-platter 28-tooth cog on the back!        Everyone is different, but an extra low gear        helps, IMHO. Bike/Run – Hill training is so critical no matter            what the course is like. I really think            that hill work (or something like weights            if you live in a flat area) is critical            for an Ironman. Run – New Balance’s 851 shoe is really great. It is       a big, heavy, stable, and SUPERBLY well cushioned       shoe. I suffered no shoe related foot/leg problems       this year. I developed toe blisters on the bike       ride, oddly enough, and the 851 helped me to       avoid aggravating them during the run leg. Run – Run with John Welch if/when you can! -Rolf — I am Iron Mac…       …a student of Ironman, ever learning…                                       …about having faith.         IMC’94/14:07    IMC’95/11:59    IMC’97/12:12    IMC’98/14:02

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Question:

I did my first tri last month.  The distances were the same as the tri your doing.  I set a goal time of 1:15 before I started based on split times when working out.  A little while into the race I realised I wasn’t going to make my goal. I kept on pressing to do the best I could.  My final time was a 1:26 which was right on the middle of the field.  I learned so much about myself and my training durring this race.  I took what I learned and a month later in a full time trial I cut over 6 min.  I’m just writing this to say Its ok to set goal times but, dont beat youself up if you don’t meet them.  Your first tri is a learning experience. Do the best you can, soak it all in, reflect on what you can do beter next time, and most of all have a good time. good luck

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First of all, Earl – Good luck I’m a ‘veteran’ of one season.. My first one was a pool-based sprint triathlon of 400m/15miles/4miles. I crossed the finishing line dead last….. but I finished AND it didn’t put me off. .. the reason I finished dead last was because the only bike training I’d done was riding my MTB around the bike shop car park after getting it serviced, AND I’m a pretty good swimmer and so (as pool tri’s go around here) started towards the back of the field. Don’t worry about times or where you finish.. it just gives you a target to aim for next time… Go for it… Paul P.S.Starting at the front was a 80+ y.o guy called Patrick Barnes who I think finished in about 3hrs. If he can do it you can!    I have not seen much posted on times.  I am going for my first tri this Aug.  I would love to know what kind of times I need for this?  It is a 1/4mS-13.8mB-4.1mR.    I have seen times in mags. but they are for 1/2 or full iron man. That does not help me out much.    Any info would help me fine tune my training.  Thanks in advance    Lots O Luck    Earl

                          o ___o  = —  __o    =  <_ =       — _`<,_      _/       __0 /   `    - (*)/ (*)       /    ,_/  ,    ~~~

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    I have not seen much posted on times.  I am going for my first tri this Aug.  I would love to know what kind of times I need for this?  It is a 1/4mS-13.8mB-4.1mR.     I have seen times in mags. but they are for 1/2 or full iron man. That does not help me out much.     Any info would help me fine tune my training.  Thanks in advance     Lots O Luck     Earl

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Earl, first – good luck, but enjoy your first race, don’t worry too much about how you’ll do. However, curious as you are, if you go to http://www.lmsports.com/coors98.htm you’ll find results for a race that was pretty close in distance to the one you’re doing. It was in May, the temp was comfortable, and the swim, the bike, and the run were all flat as a pancake. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –    I have not seen much posted on times.  I am going for my first tri this Aug.  I would love to know what kind of times I need for this?  It is a 1/4mS-13.8mB-4.1mR.    I have seen times in mags. but they are for 1/2 or full iron man. That does not help me out much.    Any info would help me fine tune my training.  Thanks in advance    Lots O Luck    Earl

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says…    I have not seen much posted on times.  I am going for my first tri this Aug.  I would love to know what kind of times I need for this?  It is a 1/4mS-13.8mB-4.1mR.

I suppose it depends a lot on your goals.  I am a one year ‘veteran’ who has done mainly sprints with one classic distance tri thrown in at the end of the season.  The tri you are proposing to do would be classed as a sprint.  If you plan on winning the thing, then I imagine you’ll have to do about 6mins for the swim, 30mins for the bike and 23-25mins for the run = about an hour.  If I were doing that distance I’d have to set far easier goals, and I’d probably end up finishing in about 1:15 or so.  If your goal is to finish, then time is irrelevant. Shuffla

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Question:

The Bay Area is a great place to live and train.  Congrats on the move. I live and train in San Francisco now, and I’m about to move to the south bay (Palo Alto).   I’m a member of the Golden Gate Triathlon Club in the city, which has been a great source of people to train with and a good entre into the triathlon world out here.  Training in the city has been great:  several swim programs (I swam for USF), lots of groups to run with, biking pretty accessible.  This is also one of the few parts of the Bay Area where you can simply jump into the bay and swim all you like, and there are swimming clubs that do so year-round (even some without wetsuits!)  Negatives are that good biking requires a trip across the bridge, and the weather is not as good as the rest of the bay area.   As for the penninsula and south bay (San Mateo down to San Jose), it is quite a training paradise.  I swim for the Stanford master’s team (20 workouts/week, 50 meter pool, great coaches), and there are several other master’s teams very close by.  The mountains are just a mile or two away and provide some of the best cycling in the country, and many professional cyclists use them as their training ground.  Many of the best triathletes in the bay area come from the south bay.  There are also several serious cycling clubs.  No formal triathlon clubs, but lots of athletes to train with.  Weather is hotter with less rain.  No outlets for open-water swimming, however.  Good triathletes here include Lauren Alexander, Holly Nybo, Andy Kelsey, Kevin Joyce, and many many others.  When I was at Ironman Canada a year ago, the announcer was baffled by that fact that the one town in the world that had more people on the podium than any other was Los Gatos.  He was scratching his head and wondering where in the *#$) this place was. Berkeley is great for weather and wide open spaces for biking.  I believe there are fewer athletes out there, and swimming programs are limited. Walnut Creek seems to have the best swim program.  This is where Wendy Ingraham does her mileage. Mill Valley is awesome for cycling (but not as good as the south bay, IMO) and running.  This is the home to many serious trail runners and ultra-distance runners who spend hours up and down Mt. Tamalpais, as well as many of the good triathletes I know.  Swimming opportunities are limited (I know of only one swim club, and believe it is not very developed:  the people I know work and swim in the city). Half Moon Bay is very remote and foggy.  It is great for running and cycling, but you are kind of on your own.  There are some good athletes out there (Pete Kain, most notably, who was amateur world champ a couple of years ago, and his wife Shari, who both host a hardcore training weekend at their house every year, where the bay area triathletes go to hammer each other). You’ll get lots of differing opinions on this.  Best of luck! Mike Wolfe

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Hi Group, <<snip <<Berkeley is great for weather and wide open spaces for biking.  I believe <<there are fewer athletes out there, and swimming programs are limited. <<Walnut Creek seems to have the best swim program. Mike should have spent a little more time in Berkeley!  I hope you get to know your South Bay neighbors a little better Mike.  Berkeley and the Oakland Hills have a number of fine Masters swim programs, UC Berkeley hosts the Strawberry Canyon Masters (200 members approx 21 workout a week) and our team is just 5 miles down Highway 13 at Holy Names College ( 150 members 22 workouts a week). Berkeley also boasts one of the best cycling clubs anywhere.  The east Bay is as senic and less crowded than Marin County.  And we’ve got more swim hours too! Brian Stack Coach Manatee Masters Oakland CA USA

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Just don’t move to the Valley. Nothing hear but flat roads.  No masters swimming or even a store to purchase any quality bike supplies.  Anywhere in the Bay area is a nice place to live.  I work and train in Modesto, CA. I race and have fun in the S.F. area. Good luck. — Jay "TriJay" Japka Jay’s World Web Page http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Field/2336/index.htm

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Hey, Steve !  Didn’t you know Monterey is OUR secret?  Sssshhhh, don’t TELL !  Why do you think every census shows Monterey’s population the same? <Lynne seals Steve’s mouth with duct tape

, but my current home, the Monterey Peninsula — about an hour’s drive from Silicon Valley, traffic permitting — is even better.  Two good masters programs with a third starting up, very active cycling and triathlon clubs, great bike trails and routes, including a mostly closed-to-traffic former army base, Fort Ord, and of course Monterey Bay.  Our weather is a tad better than the San Francisco Bay Area’s — Southern California heat sometimes sneaks up this far in the winter, and we ride year round.  Summer is cool and frequently foggy, but not as cold as The really can’t imagine any place better than the Monterey Bay Area.

.

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Hey, Steve !  Didn’t you know Monterey is OUR secret?  Sssshhhh, don’t TELL! Why do you think every census shows Monterey’s population the same? <Lynne seals Steve’s mouth with duct tape

Mmmmmmmph.  Mrffff. Tellus Venture Associates "Certainly the game is rigged. Don’t let that stop you; if you don’t bet, you can’t win."  R.A.H.

Response:

We’re thinking of moving to the S.F. Bay Area and are hoping r.s.t. might have some insight. As far as training goes, if you could pick your ideal place to live in the Bay Area where would it be? We are thinking either Mill Valley area,

So are we, when we win the Lotto! Berkeley Hills

Although I love Tilden Park and the moderate weather, I am relieved to have finally sold my house that was located on the Hayward Fault! or Half Moon Bay.

Totally cool, attitude and temps. Overcast a lot. If you want more info, email me. First, think of your commute-if you have one. Mine is long, but at least in the opposite direction of the heavy traffic flows, and allows me to train in the East Bay and Peninsula. Both have great training opportunities, and different weather temperatures. However, I must warn you that I am biased, for IMHO, this is the greatest place on Earth! Regards, Lee

  vcard.vcf

< 1K Download

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I have to say the Walnut Creek area is very good for a variety of workout reasons already stated.  I enjo the "fog" across Heather Farms pool in the morning, the runs along the dirt trails on Mt Diablo are epic and the road riding up and around Diablo are gut-busters.   I have enjoyed everything the area has offered in the way of recreation,  I also have every juice bar and World Wraps mapped out for twenty miles!  I am fortunate enough however to only have a seven mile commute.  You really need to take into account how long you will be on the road in your car around here… you may take hours to go 35 miles! Lynne Mac

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Mill Valley is really a great place to live and train–there are numerous pools and open water is always close by.  Miles and Miles of trails for running and Mountain biking–and lots of places to road bike in relatively safe conditions  (you can find times to ride when traffic is light). Just my $.02. Melanie Mociun

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And then of course there are those of us that don’t live in upscale areas such as Mill Valley. I live and train in Salinas, CA. Many of you have probably never heard of it even though it has a population of almost 130,000. Our main claim to fame is lettuce. We also grow a fair amount of other veggies. This means that they have to be harvested and that means trucks, lots of trucks. I have to ride on roads that are potted, muddy and worn out. There are also a total of 5 puplic pools (this includes 2 that belong to health clubs and 1 at the ymca. Running is not much of a problem as this can be done anywhere. My point? You can train anywhere. Some people just have to be that much more motivated to go slug it out with the trucks. Butch  /  Salinas, CA

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – And then of course there are those of us that don’t live in upscale areas such as Mill Valley. I live and train in Salinas, CA. Many of you have probably never heard of it even though it has a population of almost 130,000. Our main claim to fame is lettuce. We also grow a fair amount of other veggies. This means that they have to be harvested and that means trucks, lots of trucks. I have to ride on roads that are potted, muddy and worn out. There are also a total of 5 puplic pools (this includes 2 that belong to health clubs and 1 at the ymca. Running is not much of a problem as this can be done anywhere. My point? You can train anywhere. Some people just have to be that much more motivated to go slug it out with the trucks. Butch  /  Salinas, CA

Salinas?  Since triathletes are usually pretty well read, why not mention Steinbeck?  Not as famous as lettuce, but pretty important nonetheless.

Response:

I didn’t mention Steinbeck because he is not really a factor in my tri training. Unless of course someone throws a copy of Cannery Row at me. Or perhaps Of Mice and Men. Butch…….Training hard to look good on a stretcher

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We’re thinking of moving to the S.F. Bay Area and are hoping r.s.t. might have some insight. As far as training goes, if you could pick your ideal place to live in the Bay Area where would it be? We are thinking either Mill Valley area, Berkeley Hills or Half Moon Bay. Plus and minuses on any of these locations or any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Scott

Response:

We’re thinking of moving to the S.F. Bay Area and are hoping r.s.t. might have some insight. As far as training goes, if you could pick your ideal place to live in the Bay Area where would it be? We are thinking either Mill Valley area, Berkeley Hills or Half Moon Bay. Plus and minuses on any of these locations or any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Check out Lee Rudin’s kick butt site – <http://www.slip.net/~leeway/index.html – it’s the best single resource on San Francisco Bay Area triathlon resources and locations, on or off the Web. There’s a lot to be said for Walnut Creek, where I mispent much of my youth. Outstanding masters swim program at Heather Farms pool, great network of trails along the Contra Costa canal and various railroad right of ways, plus Mt. Diablo and points south and east.  You can sum up the effectiveness of training in Walnut Creek in two words: Wendy Ingraham. I don’t know how far from The City you want to be, but my current home, the Monterey Peninsula — about an hour’s drive from Silicon Valley, traffic permitting — is even better.  Two good masters programs with a third starting up, very active cycling and triathlon clubs, great bike trails and routes, including a mostly closed-to-traffic former army base, Fort Ord, and of course Monterey Bay.  Our weather is a tad better than the San Francisco Bay Area’s — Southern California heat sometimes sneaks up this far in the winter, and we ride year round.  Summer is cool and frequently foggy, but not as cold as The City (per Mark Twain – the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco). Santa Cruz, also along Monterey Bay, is closer to Silicon Valley and the Bay Area (although not necessarily in terms of time — State Route 17 is a nightmare) and has equally good tri-credentials.  Between Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties, we have some excellent races — Monterey Bay Challenge, Sandman, Pacific Grove, Sentinel and, of course, the Wildflower triathlon festival.  I know San Diego and Boulder are supposed to be tri-Meccas, but I really can’t imagine any place better than the Monterey Bay Area. Good luck with your relocation, and I hope to see you at some of the races around here! Tellus Venture Associates "Certainly the game is rigged. Don’t let that stop you; if you don’t bet, you can’t win."  R.A.H.

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Question:

Outside magazine, October 1996 Sport: From Wurst to First Propelled by Eastern Bloc training methods and a zest for junk food, a trio of Germans looks to sweep the Ironman By Lolly Merrell

Although Lolly’s review is a fresh look at Ironman compared to Outside’s Marty DuGard, she unfortunately does not make any predictions about the women’s race.  How about Karen Smyers-Isabelle Mouthon-Gina Derks! Tucker Newberry

Response:

Outside magazine, October 1996 Sport: From Wurst to First Propelled by Eastern Bloc training methods and a zest for junk food, a trio of Germans looks to sweep the Ironman By Lolly Merrell It’s midnight in Worms, Germany, and European Ironman champion Lothar Leder is in the midst of his rest-and-recovery regimen: channel surfing in his two-bedroom apartment. "We’ve got Oprah now," he says flatly. "I’m not too crazy about her." He reaches for a pint of ice cream, which he spoons out in big dollops. "In fact, I think German television is much better." But then, the 25-year-old Leder and the rest of his government-sponsored Deutsch Tri Union squad feel much the same about their approach to the sport: The German way is superior. Indeed, with its focus on camaraderie, patriotic fervor, and, surprisingly, a junk-food-laden training table, the German take on triathlon stands in stark contrast to the monasticism of the American variety, as established by Dave Scott and Mark Allen during the 1980s. And like it or not, on the 26th of this month there may be no avoiding the Germans, with Leder and compatriots Thomas Hellriegel and Rainer M

Question:

I’ve mostly done sprint tri’s where I don’t worry about flats… but what are RST thoughts on carrying spares or patches during a longer 20+ mile race? Should I be hauling along a frame pump and spare tube? Should I consider using tubulars (and carry a spare) since they’re easier to change? (I have a set I got recently with a bike — already mounted and inflated.  Frankly, I’m not quite sure how one goes about attaching or detaching them… I understand glue is involved but for a quick race replacement not essential…?) Or should I just throw caution aside and think positive? Much obliged. -David Niskayuna, NY 12309                     (518) 387-5494

Response:

Should I be hauling along a frame pump and spare tube? Or should I just throw caution aside and think positive? Much obliged. -David

    Personally I’ve always carried a pump and a spare tube with me on every race.  You have to decide how anal you are going to be.  :)  Is the teeny bit of extra weight on your bike is going to slow you down significantly?  I seriously doubt it, and I would much rather have the fun of finishing the race even if a flat has caused me to drop out of medal contention.  I have to admit though I seem to be in the minority of  triathletes.  You’d actually be surprised how fast you can change a clincher tire with a little practice.  I was real slow until I started working at a bike shop, now no sweat with a good swim and run I might still have a shot!  Remember why you are doing the race: are you looking to shave the miniscule weight of a pump and tube and save a few seconds or are you competing for the fun of the race?  (BTW the answer is the latter unless you are up for a sponsorship deal!:) ) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Niskayuna, NY 12309                     (518) 387-5494

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’ve mostly done sprint tri’s where I don’t worry about flats… but what are RST thoughts on carrying spares or patches during a longer 20+ mile race? Should I be hauling along a frame pump and spare tube? Should I consider using tubulars (and carry a spare) since they’re easier to change? (I have a set I got recently with a bike — already mounted and inflated.  Frankly, I’m not quite sure how one goes about attaching or detaching them… I understand glue is involved but for a quick race replacement not essential…?) Or should I just throw caution aside and think positive? Much obliged. -David

There’s only one way to handle flats during a race:  cry profusely, then sulk at the awards ceremony.  Make sure to tell all your friends you where miles off the front before that giant beer bottle leap at your wheel… The best cure for flats is a healthy dose of prevention.  First, you must pay homage to the flat gods.  My suggestion is buying a new set of clinchers the week before your first race, especially if you haven’t changed them in a year or so.  That way you’ll have a nice, thin layer of rubber to protect you from glass and debris.  Second, inflate to the max pressure and watch out for big rocks and potholes.     As for races, if you’re racing to place in your age group, I’d suggest not bringing a spare unless it’s a half-ironman or longer.  Fixing a flat takes about 5-10 minutes (shorter if you actually practice) which will put you out of the money.  Tubulars can get really messy with the glue, and you really should "prep" a spare tubular by placing it on a rim with some glue beforehand.  Then again, if you race with really skinny clinchers (18-20mm thick), they can be very difficult to get off or on when you’re pressed for time.  And you must find and remove glass if its imbedded in a clincher, otherwise you’ll just flat again. The best solution for racing is to stick with whatever you’re used to.   If you train (and eventually get flats) on clinchers, stick with clinchers.  If you have some roadie background and have a nice set of light tubulars, use them for racing.  And if you plan on doing a half-ironman or ironman, practice changing you tire.  And never, NEVER say out load "I never flat during races."  I did that a couple of weeks ago at a road race in Massachusetts.  I was so sure I wouldn’t   flat I left my spares at home.  Sure enough, at mile 42 of a 67 mile race I hit a real big rock and rode home in the wheel truck. The flat gods are a ruthless lot. Joe Jankovsky

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You guys (and gals) must have beautiful roads to even consider racing without puncture repair gear.  In NZ (almost) everyone carries spares. I’ve only had a couple of flats during races – but it doesn’t cost much time to fix them – so – just keep racing.  I can’t think of anything worse than having to push a bike 5,10 or 15km back to transition in bike shoes or bare feet!!!   A little story from a NZ Half Ironman a few years ago.  One chap was carrying two tubular spares, had three punctures!!!  He was pushing the bike home when he passed a bike shop (closed on a Sunday morning), banged on the window when he saw someone inside and "borrowed" another tyre.  Finished the race and won a spot prize + a special "hard luck" prize.  (And probably beat me by an hour!) Regards Jeff Should I be hauling along a frame pump and spare tube? Or should I just throw caution aside and think positive? Much obliged. -David

– |At work:        Phone: +64-9-424 5388      Fax:    +64-21-785 097 | |   Program Development/Client Support      Mobile: +64-21-635 185 | |   Aspect Systems Ltd                                             | |   Specialists in software for Real Estate and Human Resources    | |At home:                                   Phone:  +64-9-424 0336 | |   Husband, Dad, Grandad                                          | |   Enthusiastic but slow triathlete                               | |   Justice of the Peace                                           | | This information is probably worth more than you paid for it     |

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Question:

For those of you who are wondering how many years down the road it will be before we finally get current on our product pages, all the wetsuit pages, triathlon bike pages, and parts packages pages are finished. This includes prices, gifs of the bikes, so on and so forth.   I felt I needed to do this soon, as all the Special Editions and Kilos, and parts packages, get sent out to our dealers this week and next. If you’ve been to our website at all recently, realize that you’ll have to reload the pages, depending on which version of Netscape you’re using (my 2.0 beta 4, or whatever it is, caches everything, and I have to constantly reload or I miss new pages).  You still might have trouble, it seems to me Netscape 2.0 is bug city.  So "reload" if you think you’re not getting the current page. OBTW, one of my retailers said that somewhere on this newsgroup someone had written that the new Kilo was considerably heavier than the more expensive Kilo Private Reserve.  I didn’t read that myself, but in case I or anyone else wrote something like that, I weighed them today, and the Kilo is 2 ounces heavier than the Kilo PR, so they are awfully close in weight.  I think the difference is in the seat tube, the Kilo has a slightly thicker seat tube to support its front derailleur braze-on (the Kilo PR has a braze-on which goes on more laboriously, but allows us to use a slightly lighter tube). Wow, I think that’s it.  Oh yeah, the Hutchinson 23mm 26" clincher tires are in stock, so your dealer has no excuse for not having them. http://www.webcom.com/rooworld/index.html One more thing.  You used to need a ~ before the rooworld.  Now you don’t.  And, having the ~ can sometimes screw up your viewing of our website, i.e., you get the source document coming up instead of the page the way its supposed to be viewed.  So I’d be obliged if you’d change your bookmark. QRman

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Hi!  My name is Janet Gates and I work at WVU in Morgantown, WV.  I am very interested in the Special Edition QR.  I hade my locat bike shop call the main factory and the person said that they were sold out, could go on a waiting list but gave no estimate of time it would take, and was very "smart" with the bike shop as far as answering questions about the bike.  Could you please help me locate a QR special edition.  I have tried calling different dealers that are advertised in all the magazines, but no has been able to help.  I really wanted to go to a QR bike, I really like your products.  I have used a QR weatsuit for years and love it.  I really appreciate all your help. Thanks,                 Janet – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -For those of you who are wondering how many years down the road it will be before we finally get current on our product pages, all the wetsuit pages, triathlon bike pages, and parts packages pages are finished. This includes prices, gifs of the bikes, so on and so forth.   I felt I needed to do this soon, as all the Special Editions and Kilos, and parts packages, get sent out to our dealers this week and next. If you’ve been to our website at all recently, realize that you’ll have to reload the pages, depending on which version of Netscape you’re using (my 2.0 beta 4, or whatever it is, caches everything, and I have to constantly reload or I miss new pages).  You still might have trouble, it seems to me Netscape 2.0 is bug city.  So "reload" if you think you’re not getting the current page. OBTW, one of my retailers said that somewhere on this newsgroup someone had written that the new Kilo was considerably heavier than the more expensive Kilo Private Reserve.  I didn’t read that myself, but in case I or anyone else wrote something like that, I weighed them today, and the Kilo is 2 ounces heavier than the Kilo PR, so they are awfully close in weight.  I think the difference is in the seat tube, the Kilo has a slightly thicker seat tube to support its front derailleur braze-on (the Kilo PR has a braze-on which goes on more laboriously, but allows us to use a slightly lighter tube). Wow, I think that’s it.  Oh yeah, the Hutchinson 23mm 26" clincher tires are in stock, so your dealer has no excuse for not having them. http://www.webcom.com/rooworld/index.html One more thing.  You used to need a ~ before the rooworld.  Now you don’t.  And, having the ~ can sometimes screw up your viewing of our website, i.e., you get the source document coming up instead of the page the way its supposed to be viewed.  So I’d be obliged if you’d change your bookmark. QRman

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Hi Janet! We have a large assortment of frames sizes in the new Special Edition that have just come into stock.  We would love to talk to you if you will call us at 800 FLY BIKE. Our prices are probably the best out there right now. We have the parts to build you a QR SE complete from $1195 up to whatever you’ d like to spend. Call us soon as there are’t many shops that have these SEs and they are going fast. Ask for Bill (the owner) or Rich and tell them you put up a post on the newsgroup! Val (aka QRTOO)

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Question:

I have finally managed to get the Quebec race schedule from the Federation quebecoise de triathlon. I do not represent the federation, so please direct any inquiries to them,       La federation quebecoise de traithlon et duathlon       620 St-Jacques O, suite 205       Montreal, Quebec  H3C 1C7       (514) 875-2710 (phone and fax) S = Sprint  O = Olympic  J = Junior CQ = Quebec Cup  CC = Canada Cup   IM = Ironman distance JULY 2      Chateauguay Triathlon                          S J 2      Triathlon-duathlon Mont-Orford                   O 8      Roberval Triathlon                               S 16     Brome Lake Triathlon                          O CQ 23     La Baie Triathlon                             O CQ 29-30  Duathlon international        Banque Laurentienne – Grand Prix Joliette        Grand Prix Mondial de Duathlon 30     Hull Triathlon                              S J CQ AUGUST 5-6    Cascades Triathlon Drummondville            O CQ S        (4th stage Triathlon World Cup) 12-13  Mont-Tremblant Triathlon                  O J S CQ 19-20  Sainte-Agathe Triathlon & Duathlon          IM J S 20     Magog Triathlon                                O S 25     Esprit Montreal Triathlon                       LD 27     Triathlon de Montreal                      O CQ CC SEPTEMBER 1      Hemmingford Duathlon               8      Triathlon Montreal (Corporate Relay)             S 10     Hull Duathlon 10     Mont Orford Duathlon 16     Duathlon Saint-Sauveur OCTOBER 1      VTT Hemmingford (I have no idea) — Ray Taylor                     |  "Where’s the kaboom! There was       Systeme Gestion Visuel         |   supposed to be an Earth-shattering 53 Duke St. Suite 165          |   kaboom!" Montreal Quebec H3C 2L8 CANADA |   -Marvin the Martian

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a litttle change has occured… The Mont-Orford DO is held the 9…

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Question:

Newsgroups: rec.sport.triathlon Organization: University of Chicago Cc: Bcc: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I have been following the r.s.t. newsgroup for a few weeks now. I’m interested in writing an article about the newsgroup for a U.S. triathlon magazine so that other triathletes can find out about this useful resources. Input regarding the following questions would be very helpful and appreciated. Please send you’re responses to my e-mail address. Also, please state if you do not want me to directly quote your responses or use your name. The questions are: 1) When was the r.s.t. newsgroup first started and who    was involved in establishing it? 2) How do you think this newsgroup benefits and enhances    the sport of triathlon? 3) How do you think this newsgroup will influence or not    influence triathlons in the future? 4) What do you personally like best about this newsgroup    (and/or Internet for that matter)? 5) Do you foresee this newsgroup breaking into more    specialized groups (eg-like rec.bicycles)? 6) What do those of you in other countries think about    this newgroup? 7) What do you feel is the most important thing a new    user of the r.s.t. newsgroup and/or Internet should    know? Any personal antedotes about using this newsgroup are also welcomed. Thanks for your help. Scott Schumaker

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1) When was the r.s.t. newsgroup first started and who    was involved in establishing it? Others can check me on this, but I *believe* it started in ‘90, possibly ‘91, after there was too much Tri/Bi/Du talk for the retrogrouches in rec.running and rec.bicycles to withstand any longer. I remember the Great Name Debate, arguing first between rec.<insert_sport_name and rec.sport.<insert_sport_name. Then the discussion went to whether it should be .multisport or .triathlon. I think it worked out well…

The newsgroup was created ~Aug 15/91 (at least that’s the date of my first saved posting and, of course, it was Larry Chapman). My first tri was the Aug 18th Northern Tri in Orillia, ON, CAN. I found the new group a couple of days later. arthur — Choices don’t scare me. However, a lack of choices does.

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1) When was the r.s.t. newsgroup first started and who    was involved in establishing it?

Others can check me on this, but I *believe* it started in ‘90, possibly ‘91, after there was too much Tri/Bi/Du talk for the retrogrouches in rec.running and rec.bicycles to withstand any longer. I remember the Great Name Debate, arguing first between rec.<insert_sport_name and rec.sport.<insert_sport_name. Then the discussion went to whether it should be .multisport or .triathlon. I think it worked out well… 2) How do you think this newsgroup benefits and enhances    the sport of triathlon? 3) How do you think this newsgroup will influence or not    influence triathlons in the future? 4) What do you personally like best about this newsgroup    (and/or Internet for that matter)?

I enjoy the immediacy of the discussion. I have to laugh when I see topics come up in TriGeek that were our roadkill LONG ago. I’m certain that this group and company-internal groups (like the triathlon NOTES conference I enjoyed while at Digital) help the sport by helping to spread the word about training methods and technology quickly. 5) Do you foresee this newsgroup breaking into more    specialized groups (eg-like rec.bicycles)?

No way, although I would like to see a Web server with FAQ content and the race directory, plus cool pictures. 6) What do those of you in other countries think about    this newgroup? 7) What do you feel is the most important thing a new    user of the r.s.t. newsgroup and/or Internet should    know?

That everybody is entitled to their opinion! But seriously, there is a tremendous base of knowledge to draw from on the ‘Net; I have rarely, if never come across a problem that I did not in some way share with someone. And here’s a singular strength: the posting of RACE REPORTS! While hearing about how Karen and Mark and Paula blew everyone away is interesting, *I* really enjoy hearing about how people Just Like Me ™ experienced a race. We have a higher percentage of race reports per posting (RRPP) than any other discussion, I bet. I think it’s GREAT! Later! John — * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Dartmouth Medical School                603-650-1821

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I have been following the r.s.t. newsgroup for a few weeks now. I’m interested in writing an article about the newsgroup for a U.S. triathlon magazine so that other triathletes can find out about this useful resources. Input regarding the following questions would be very helpful and appreciated. Please send you’re responses to my e-mail address. Also, please state if you do not want me to directly quote your responses or use your name. The questions are: 1) When was the r.s.t. newsgroup first started and who     was involved in establishing it? 2) How do you think this newsgroup benefits and enhances     the sport of triathlon? 3) How do you think this newsgroup will influence or not     influence triathlons in the future? 4) What do you personally like best about this newsgroup     (and/or Internet for that matter)? 5) Do you foresee this newsgroup breaking into more     specialized groups (eg-like rec.bicycles)? 6) What do those of you in other countries think about     this newgroup? 7) What do you feel is the most important thing a new     user of the r.s.t. newsgroup and/or Internet should     know? Any personal antedotes about using this newsgroup are also welcomed. Thanks for your help. Scott Schumaker

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(SCHUMAKER SCOTT DAVID) writes:

The r.s.t. newsgroup provides instant access to unbiased tech and training info, 100s of opinions, race results and is a forum for debate on key issues. You don’t have to wait for the magazines to arrive and, most important, your views can be heard by others.   A triathlete can help another triathlete. You don’t have to hope your letter will be accepted by the editors. The r.s.t. newsgroup is like a international daily tri newspaper. —Jeffrey Justice

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