OK—the TTT is just 6 days away!!! Any tips from the veterans on; race strategy (ie. when to go hard), things to bring that you didn’t think of your first TTT, anything at ALL
Yea. What out for your fellow cheeseheads 
Sentania and I thought it was funny to call ourselves “The Cheese Stands Alone.” Sweet we thought until we found out our wives decided to call themselves “The Mighty Mice.” Darn those clever women.
See you at the TTT.
Best tip I was given was to bring to small plastic bags (the kind from the grocery store) to use to get your wetsuit on for the 3rd race. Pretty damn hard to wiggle into one after a hilly 25 mile hilly ride 
Based on a profile posted earlier, it looks like the hills on the bike are no more than about 8% and the run is a 3 mile gradual up followed by a quick down and up and then a gradual downhill. Is that about right?
Not that it matters as its too late to worry about it now!
LOL! Yeah, that is sorta correct … The other piece of advice - take off your speedometer for this race. Looking at it is painful.
Why don’t you post your thoughts back here after?
Bike and run course profiles here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/crackheadfe/sets/72157604997943113/
Plastic bags, as rroof said, to get wetsuit on, after biking in race 2 on Saturday.
Pace like 1/2 IM mostly is about all most people can do.
Liquid nutrition between races on Saturday will work for most people.
Eat A LOT for dinner.
Have fun, knowing that we are all suffering the same amount.
Watch out for the people wearing streamers on their race belts
Also watch out for people wearing hula skirts on Sunday. They are really FAST.
When you see signs saying SLOW DOWN on the bike course, they MEAN IT.
Don’t crash.
Have fun.
Be grateful that you are healthy enough to do this!
Best packing list here (login required). Although, add matches, charcoal and lighter fluid if you are staying in a cabin and will be grilling out.
See you there!
when you are told to go SLOW on certain corners, serously take that advice. you will encounter downhills that have pin turns with gravel. additionally, there will be spotty shade on the roads, at those pin turns, which makes things deceiving. unless you want your body covered in painful road rash, SLOW DOWN where you are told to slow down.
also, put out 3 bottles on the aid table for the half to pick up in between your first and second loop. maybe you don’t need all calories in those bottles, but you will definitely need the fluid. it is not uncommon to have high humidity in Portsmouth during that weekend. many times it will rain, which makes for even more humidity. Going down in the valleys, it can get very steamy. so you will need the fluid, especially in consideration of the 2 days prior events.
my last tip is to possibly lube up your feet prior to the run, especially on Sunday’s race. the run will be over dirt and gravel and it is tough terrain. your feet will get beat up, so if you can lube up before hand, this will help your feet, especially if you are prone to blisters (like me!).
I’m interested in this too. Someone mentioned that there is a table for leaving your bottles near transition. When does that come into play? What can we expect to be handed out at aid stations? Do I need an extra pair of running shoes or anything like that?
The table comes into play at the half. You do one loop on the bike and bike past the table where you grab your own distinctively marked bottles and head back out for lap 2…this should answer your other question…there are no aid stations on the bike. On the run, I think there are 2 aid stations of people handing out whatever sports drink that is the sponsor this year. That’s it. I would bring an extra pair of shoes because you run on a fire road that is in very poor shape. It it rains as well your shoes could get trashed easily and it would be nice to have a nice, dry pair for the 3rd or 4th race.
Thanks for the info about the bottles and fire roads. Now I gotta repack everything! Hope i still have room for some Brats, cheese curds and 6 pk of Schlitz! BadgerNation is invading Ohio!
So naive…
I would say the start of Thompson Hill road is about 15% and a lot of FR1 is 10%. The 3 stage hill on Route 125 is over 10% too.
The run is more than a gradual up followed by a quick down.
jaretj
The run is more than a gradual up followed by a quick down.
heh. no kidding. to repeat what i’ve said before on this forum: in my estimation the run course at TTT is probably one of toughest in any triathlon race anywhere. there is very little flat, some of the climbs are actually quite hard, the surface is rough, and it can be hot (though to its credit, it is in the shade for a good part of the distance). it doesn’t compare with american zofingen or with crazy trail races like the half wit 1/2M, but if you imagine this is just some typical triathlon-style run, you’re going in for a rude awakening.
oh, and don’t think that friday’s super-sprint will give you much of a preview either. that just happens to cover the only easy section of the entire course
another data point for mental preparation: i’ve done a lot of running, both as bricks and standalone workouts, on the rough and hilly trails of the wissahickon valley, philadelphia’s hidden forested gem, as part of my crash course buildup for TTT. i’ve been wondering why none of them have forced me to walk them, when i had to walk so many of the hills at TTT. i don’t remember them being that steep. 2 weeks ago, i did my pseudo-TTT workout (2xOly one day, then 1/2IM with more bike and less run) and finally managed to reconnect with that “oh my god, its about 0.5% uphill, i have to stop and walk” sensation. takehome: its not the course, its your physical condition on the last loop of the 1/2IM run that determines how the run actually feels.
PFFFFFFFTTTTT!!!
All you people who actually PREPARED for TTT!
I’m showing up for the beer.
For the Madison, WI folks doing the TTT, how would you compare the Bike profile to some of the hills on; Horribly HIlly, Quadrupedal, IM course
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Any thoughts on running in road shoes vs. trail shoes? I plan on bringing both.
Thanks for the info about the bottles and fire roads. Now I gotta repack everything! Hope i still have room for some Brats, cheese curds and 6 pk of Schlitz! BadgerNation is invading Ohio!
make sure you have a way to differentiate your bottles for the half on Sun, the table will be full of bottles. if it is hot, they will obviously be out in the sun. last year i had my bottles laced with some ice and they turned out nice for the 2nd loop.
it is not uncommon to have rain in portsmouth over this weekend. it is important to be prepared for a variety of weather conditions. last year i think it was steamy all weekend, but i know a couple of years there has been cooler wet weather, then followed by steamy humidity with high heats.
lastly, there is not really a gas or market type of place for about 6-8 miles, and you have to go towards West Side. i will be there on Saturday if anybody needs a ride to get supplies.
Road shoes are fine, even lightweight trainers. A trail shoe is not necessary. Just bring a new set a quads if possible
ok, but your feet are made of steel, let’s not look over that fact.
Okay…what about CO2? Obviously can’t fly with it, so will there be some for sale at the race site? Or, should I find a bike shop in Portsmouth (staying at the Ramada there)?
Bike shop in Portsmouth - now THAT is funny!
Wheelie fun will probably be there for support and they should have some.