I did both this year. Florida is faster and easier in my opinion. It is flat. Although there are a few considerations in this statement:
- I am a Floridian, so am more used to the heat and the flat
- Florida is a lake swim without a wetsuit

Thanks. I'm thinking about signing for both in 2008, with NYC Oly in between. Do you think it's too much?

Another question I have for everyone is that, for the Timberman 70.3, given that it is supposed to be a hilly bike course, are you better off racing with a road bike than a tri bike?

Thanks.


[reply]I did both this year. Florida is faster and easier in my opinion. It is flat. Although there are a few considerations in this statement:
- I am a Floridian, so am more used to the heat and the flat
- Florida is a lake swim without a wetsuit[/reply]

Timberman has a hell of a lot less Brain eating Amoebas.

No - Disney is in May and Timberman is mid August. I thik that is okay - at least for me it was. I enjoyed them both - it was my 2nd time doing each one - and would do them again.

You just have to swim faster than the amoebas ;-)

You will want your tri bike. I did Timberman this year. I don't know what your experience on hills is, but I didn't find it all that hilly. It has some hills at the begining and the end and a long flat section in the middle where you will want the tri bike. I found that with the wind this year, the flat section was more challenging for me than the hills. But I train on hills a lot and don't train on flat roads very often...I think Timberman will seem very hilly to someone who is used to only flat roads.

I did Timberman this year on a Cervelo P3C and I found that the first 10 miles and the last 10 miles (same road) were hilly with a bunch of tight turns and a road bike might have been better for the climbing, but the middle 36 miles are great to be on a tri bike as they are on open roads with up and down grades that favor a aero position. Tim

Thanks for all the comments around Timberman, it really helps. Just one more question if someone can help me: How tough are the climbs? I'm from the NY area, the best climb we have around here is a 1 mile climb with 9% at the steepest sections. Are there anything more challenging than that at the Timberman bike course?

Thanks again.

The run is FL 70.3 is terrible....more than 65% in a trail (grass w/ holes).......I didn't like it at all.....

I would say that the run course is very challenging with some cross country grass sections. It is also hot and humid. Z

Ironman 70.3 Florida will have no problems with Amoebas in the lake. The Amoebas do not thrive in water temps lower then 80 degrees. The water if Florida lakes get down to the 60's during the winter and does not warm up to the 80's until July or August.

The Disney International Triathlon took place two weeks ago and 1,800 athletes swam in the same lake as we use for Ironman 70.3.

Z

I hear they are going to revisit the run course layout. Hopefully more pavement will be added since I am planning on being there next year.

The question was "to much?" Na, I'm an old guy (M50-54) and this year I did the New Jersey Devil Man Sprint, Delaware's Escape From Fort Delaware Oly, New York's Tinman (Tupper Lake) 70.3, New York City's Oly, New Hampshire's Timberman 70.3, and some little Oly in Lebanon N.J.. I have also done a bunch of stand alone foot races from 5K to full marathon inbetween the Tri's. So how did I do it? Once the season got under way I did very little training and just went from race to race. Now that this years Tris are over for me I am going back to training as my next stop will be Pucon 70.3 in Chilli, January 2008 (and then I will be in the old farts division M55-59). Do as much as you can, while you can, there may not be another day. Tim

If they change the run course w/ more pavement...I will do it again in 2008....but aparentely, TOM did not confirm yet this change.
TOM - is the run course be with more pavement in 2008 ???

I don't think it would be too much if you start planning for it now. I will be doing both the Mooseman and Timberman HIMs this year, and I have done this in the past with no ill effects. In fact, the time between these races is less than that between the two you are considering. If you plan and train accordingly, it won't be an issue.

As others have said, the Timberman course is best on a tri bike. The bigger hills are few in number and bunched together, so you will want to be aero for the middle of the course. Even the longer, less-steep hills toward the end are best done in aero position.

Working on it! Has not changed yet, but I do have a proposed route that has lots more pavement. Gotta get Mickey to look at it and then work out the details. (After Mickey looks at it we then set up a big meeting with all the players - Goofy, Donald, Daisy, Pluto and the 7 Dwarfs) Z

Timberman bike course is hilly but its not "epic hilly" like HIM monaco, HIM St croix, or IM France- its just hilly (not mountainous). Almost none of the hills are that steep, and the few that are steep arent the long ones- most of the bigger hills are really long, but nut that steep. The big hill on the northwest side of central park is probably steeper than 90% of the stuff on the timberman course.

Dont worry too much abotu the hills- they are there, so expect your time to be slowed down by ~10 mins, but they are not soul eating leg defying hills at all (a la st croix).

See you there!

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Proud member of the Guru Cartel, EH!

   
Thanks. This is really helpful information. See you there indeed!

THAT doesn't sound like a barrel of fun!! I don't suppose we can put in a request for lovely shaded pavement trails with all the singing characters at each mile and fans with water and such? LOL!! (just kidding!)

I think we have enought "characters" on the staff/course all ready - Huddle and Roch can hold thier own with Goofy and Dumbo. Z

Disney has two sole eating things... The always present Heat and Humidity..

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Imagination is more important than knowledge. Albert Einstein

I raced FL 70.3 in 2005 & echo MTRIB, the run in the trail grass with all the holes SUCKED (3 loops really dorks it up!) ! Unless you are banking on qualifyin for 70.3 Clearwater Championships, go to Gulf Coast 1/2 IM instead. It is a great consistent race year to year.

I've done the Gulf Coast for 6 years and the Disney 70.3 for 3 years and I am not going back to Disney next year for a number of reasons. Most of which have to do with horrible support for all three years on the run course (running out of cups, water, ice, etc), but also with massive draft packs on the bike, bizarre transition area layout (mostly fixed now, finally), and a lot of bad pavement on the bike course (this years was a dramatic improvement). But the Gulf Coast Tri has always been great, no support problems ever, great course, lots of friendly volunteers, big party atmosphere, etc. I'll be doing that one again this spring for the 7th time. Sorry Tom, until you get the problems with run support fixed I won't be coming back.

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Is Timberman a reasonable choice for a first HIM? I have been doing sprint and OLY distance up to now and have read that Timberman is a lot of fun. Other option closer to home is the Montauk HIM. Any thoughts??