Weather has generally been hazy, hot and humid. Easy downhill swim. Get your nutrition dialed in on your training rides. Tri bike for sure. Some big hills on the back half of both run loops. Best of luck! See you there!

Practice your bricks so you are running in the heat. Last year the heat index was in the low 90s and it was well over 100 for 2016. Then get used to hills on tired legs.

Hey there stranger

IM CHoo will be my first full as well. Go us!

So obviously I've never raced it, but I've researched the heck out of it from those who have. In short: The potential for one of the fastest swims in the circuit (downstream, depending on the dam output) and unlikely to be wetsuit legal. A fast-ish bike with lots of rollers. Not too technical, but harder to just zoen out and cruise like on a flat course. Nice run with some back-end hills to wake you up.

The tri-bike vs. road bike debate is a discussion in itself. *Broadly speaking,* I'd probably stick with your road bike at this point and put some aerobars on it with a proper fitting. A road bike with aerobars and a tri-fit is going to be very near to the aero setup of a dedicated tri bike. I don't think I'd purchase a tri bike just for the time gains. That said, there are benefits to a tri bike, and for me, those relate to not 'losing' my road bike to a specific tri fit, the better food storage, steering rake, and tri-gearing. I made a full video talking about the differences that you can check out here if that's your thing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNueF5dovGg


Looking forward to Chatt! Say hey if you see me.

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JustinDoesTriathlon

Owner, FuelRodz Endurance.

I'd disagree with using a road bike on this course. Despite the reported 4800 feet elevation gain, it is really quite a fast bike course without any major climbs or much technical issues. Climbs are gradual so you can easily go too hard without paying attention. Roads were in fair condition last year and got better once you got a bit out of town. Even with the 4 extra miles it was still my best bike split and this was last year when it was really hot.

To be clear, I'm not at all saying that a road bike is the right move for the course due to climbing. Just most that at this point I'd probably just take his road bike, throw aerbars and a forward post on it, and get in a tri fit rather than go out and purchase a dedicated new bike at this point. But to each their own. Just seems like a lot of people are under the impression that a tri bike is always lots faster; compared to a TT setup road bike, it's not a huge deal unless you're competitive, and that doesn't seem like OPs goal.

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JustinDoesTriathlon

Owner, FuelRodz Endurance.

Congrats on lining up for your first full!

A few things:

1. the humidity in the south is real and it's tough to prepare for it without training in it. I'd prob do what a lot of folks do when they're prepping for Kona - hit the sauna immediately after 1 - 2 workouts, per week; I've heard people say they do this for anywhere from 10 - 30 minutes. I'd start on the conservative end of that and try to inch up from there. I did a similar protocol before Worlds 70.3 in Chatt last year and felt like a million bucks.
2. Doing workouts in midday heat - yes, but a lot of people stupidly do this wrong. Please don't do your toughest workouts in midday heat, for about a million reasons. Pick 1 - 2 easy efforts a week and do those in heat, this is enough to acclimate and you don't ruin the purpose for those hard sessions.
3. The bike - for the love, please do NOT ride this course on a roadie. That sounds so. damn. slow. I love riding my road bike, but the thought of racing on it sounds terrible. Especially on a course like this. It's no IMFL or IMAZ, but you'd be hard pressed to find a course where a roadie is faster (for context: I raced IM Lake Tahoe and trained on the course on both roadie and tri...never would it make sense to do even that race on a roadie). You have 2.5 months to get comfortable in aero on your tri bike. Do it. Spend all day outside on it, in aero. I prefer to do long outdoor rides on my roadie, but always do a 6 - 8 hr effort outside on the tri bike before an IM. Do some long indoor effots on your tri bike in aero (I love indoor 2 - 3 hr rides on tri bike).
4. The run - hilly beast. Run as many hills as you can find on your long run days. Do your long runs as slow, easy strength runs with lots of hills. If you can access trails with steep climbs, that's even better. I trained for the Chatt run course by running up a mountain and I had a pretty good run there on race day.

You have more than two months, which when training for an IM - with a base of years of centruy rides and long runs - is adequate. I did an IM this year and didn't even feel like I was training for an IM (vs 70.3) until the last 2 - 2.5 mos of training. You're just in time to get after it. Good luck!


PS - find a coach...it'll be worth 2 - 3 mos of fees

With 2.5 months to go, good luck in finding a good/great coach. The good/great coaches won't take anyone on for just 2-3 months. If they do, they are desperate and should be avoided.

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My marathon PR is "under three, high twos. I had a two hour and fifty-something."

Thank you!

Thank you!

Weather that time of year is unpredictable. The first year, I considered it perfect (i.e., overcast on the bike and raining on the run). The second year, the heat index got up there in the 3 digits, with exposed sun and humidity. I wouldn't worry about the hills. Any that you have to climb will be preceded by a decent. I had my 2nd fastest bike split there of the 11 that I've done. You can probably ride aero through 95-100% of them.

The run is tough. It's just not about the hills. If it's a clear day, the sun will wreck havoc on you. Wear a cap and put ice in it at every aid station if the sun is out.

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My marathon PR is "under three, high twos. I had a two hour and fifty-something."

I think I will end up using my tri bike which is a shiv on zipp 404’s. Do you know if it’s typically windy? I’m a light guy at 127 pounds and during training, even 5 mph winds will twitch or jerk the handlebars around and anything more means I’m riding at a slight slant.

Thank you. This was invaluable.

You never know what you'll get on race day, but generally speaking the wind there has been mild, < 10mph. I agree, tri bike all the way. Just practice on the 404s in aero and you'll be fine for race day.

Not much to add. It's a deceptive ~4500 ft of elevation, doesn't seem that much with all the gentle rollers, course rides fast. Run is a beast. Cool city, great place to have a race. Going back for #2, although that probably just means I'll jinx the weather again (2016).

Typically not very windy though you could get anything on race day. I had some headwinds when I raced there and they were manageable. If it helps, I'm 120 lbs and ride 404/808. I know ladies my same size who ride discs when they race in Chatt. You'll do great!

When I first started working w my coach, he took on someone at the same time who was 2.5-3 mos out from Ironman. I've been working w that coach for 5 years, he's sent many of his athletes to 70.3 Worlds and Kona. To be fair, he was kick-starting coach biz at the time. Optimistically, if you get a good personal reference, it could work out well enough.

gotcha. I just assumed most have the terrible affliction (or paradox) that I have of having/wanting too many (yet still not have enough) bikes ;)

Great advice! One last piece of advice that a friend of mine told me which was super helpful. If it's going to be humid, turn off your air conditioning except to sleep for the drive down as well as tooling around town. It takes about 48 hours of doing so but it will help you acclimatize to the humidity much faster. Felt terrible the first day but by race day the humidity was at least tolerable.

Haha, oh, I feel you there. I'm the only biker in my household, and I'm an impulse buy away from 4 bikes!

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JustinDoesTriathlon

Owner, FuelRodz Endurance.

swim is typically not wetsuit legal but is downstream so pretty easy even for poor swimmers

Bike is mostly rollers with a few decent climbs but nothing I recall being killers. Use your tri-bike as long as you're comfortable on. Some railroad tracks on early on the bike getting out of town that tend to be a bottle graveyard.

last couple of years it's been hot and humid. get your fluids in on the bike. you don't want to be dehydrated going into the run for sure.

run is no joke. Barton ave (starting at mile 8 or 9 I believe) is significant and it's a two loop course so DO NOT go out too fast because you will certainly pay for it on that hill if you do.

enjoy the day. I did the race last year as my first IM and loved it. It's a great venue. Very nice course. I had all of my electronic gadgets fail me on race day and I still loved it. If I do another ironman it will probably be there.

He didn't say he doesn't have a tri bike . . . in fact he does and this is CLEARLY a tri bike course. One little climb and a short technical piece at the end of each loop of the lollipop - the rest is really just rolling and perfect for a tri bike. Lastly, aero bars on a road bike don't make a tri bike.

You can go fast on the bike course but don't over bike it or it will bite you on the back half of each lap on the run.

The river front is great, the people are great, and the whole venue is amongst the best. Enjoy and have a great day!!

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David
* Ironman for Life! (Blog) * IM Everyday Hero Video * Daggett Shuler Law *
Disclaimer: I have personal and professional relationships with many athletes, vendors, and organizations in the triathlon world.

Gotcha. Thanks!

No jinx please we do not need to revisit 2016!

So... Tell us about 2016.

BTW, gas the race ever been modified due to weather? I've been gun shy ever since my 1st attempt to do an IM branded race ended up being a cancelled NOLA 70.3 last year.

Not likely. September is typically not that wet of a month so there shouldn't be a swim modification. If they had flooding rains, there could be some dam releases but I think that possibility is remote. They didn't time it (the dam release) correctly the first year and there were some super fast swims. I had a friend swim 1 hour flat that year and she's, at best, a 1:25 swimmer.

Just crazy hot heat with index well over 100 and many DNF's!

IM Chattanooga is an awesome race. As others have stated, the town is very cool as well, especially if you are someone who enjoys the outdoors (trail running galore, rock climbing, kayaking, mountain biking, etc....).

I've done the race all four years. The first two years, perfect weather. The last two years, very hot. I live in east TN and the first two years weather is more typical for this area for the end of September. The last two years were sort of a fluke. But, I'd still prepare for heat/humidity just in case.

Even with a lot of rain, the week of the race, the water never got wetsuit legal....but close (like 77 degrees). The first year, great water current (I think 14,000cfs). The second and third year it was cut back to 6,000 - 7,000cfs). Last year, the current was back to 13,000 - 14,000cfs (at least that's what it felt like because my swim time was a little faster than 2014). Its an awesome swim with very little contact. Time trial start but it works well

Bike course is awesome but it is 116 miles. Lots of rollers, especially on the first half of the lollipop.

As others have stated, the run course is TOUGH.....especially if its hot. Barton is no joke and will toast your legs, both sides.

2016 had lots of DNFs on the bike course which was a bit weird , but it was super hot. Practically every shady spot had one or two people sitting or laying next to their bikes on the second loop. I heard IM had to rent a Hertz truck to gather up all the bikes.

Last year was hot just not as hot as 2016. But I was extra cautious and drinking and dumping water on myself on bike and run. I only got a little toasty on one spot for a bit on the bike. I live in the SE so at least an used to heat and humidity but 2016 must have been awful for everybody as being out in the heat that long is rough

Could you explain a little more about the run, please? I'm seeing a lot of people talk about how hilly it is, yet the official map only lists it as 673 total feel of elevation gain. That really doesn't seem like that much over 26 miles. Is the map wrong? Or is it mostly flat with just a couple beastly hills accounting for all the gain? Or is it moderate hills coupled with heat and humidity?

Thanks

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Any run that doesn't include pooping in someone's front yard is a win.

There's a good little hill in the first 0.5 miles that you do only once (you come down it right before finishing). Then most of the run on the south side of the river is relatively flat (gentle rollers). There's a short steep kicker right before you cross the river on Veteran's bridge. Then the north side of the river is where the hurt comes. Barton Ave is a big climb, and there are 3 more hills over there. So for 6-7 miles you're going up or down and it wears on the legs. Then come back across the river on the pedestrian bridge and repeat, so the last 5 miles of the race includes those 4 good climbs. I'm not sure how 673 ft compares to other courses, but this is a tough run course, especially the last 5 miles.

The last 2 years have been hot there, especially 2016. But the 2 years before that the weather was fairly mild. For the 70.3 WC last year on Sept 10, we also had nice weather (and it was even wetsuit legal). I don't think the humidity there is horrible, but I live in the south. I think it's just a tough run, following a bike with 4 extra miles.

agree on all of that. And also even rollers on a run even though they give you a bit of an aerobic break they still beat up your legs. That run is pretty challenging. Lots of people walking Barton Ave. I ran, albeit slowly, all but the aid stations. If I race it again I may consider a walk run strategy on some of the hills.