I’m looking to my schedule next year, I’ve got some hesitation on the race I could do.
In therm of experience/level, it’s my 4th year of triathlon,
I have several half IM (tupperlake, timberman, …) (< 5 hours) and IM Florida 2008 (<10h).
I’m doing IM LP (26 July).
I’m thinking on doing 1/2 IM TupperLake (27 June). It is one month before, same kind of profile than LP.
I think it is fine, but do you suggest to do it 100% (I think I will have hard time to reduce my speed…) ?
Of course, I don’t plan to do a taper or any specific training for this race.
Now I’m hesitating between two other half IM: NY Endurasport, 16 May (10 weeks before LP), or MooseMan (7 weeks before LP, 3 weeks before TupperLake).
May is a bit early in the season, preparing MooseMan will give me a nice goal that I could prepare more specifically than NY or TupperLake.
Personally I’d do the May one, and do it properly at the end of a decent training cycle, before prepping for LP in earnest. I’d want to be training big 7 weeks before LP, and a half would inevitably get in the way.
In my Opinion, if you do a half one month before your A race is too close. 6-7 weeks away is probably where you should look to race a hard 70.3. Your primary goal is to kick butt in LP. If you race a month prior, it will be pay that money, make the trip, get hyped, just do not give it your all…if I pay to race, I RACE.
You should look for a half in May. Use www.trifind.com to see what is around. There are always race you can do. It just depends on how much and how far you want to travel.
Last year I did Arizona IM, a month before on Oct. 18th I was signed up for the Pumpkin Man in Bolder City Full, and backed out because my coach told me not to race the 70.3.
Off the top of my head…
New Orleans 70.3 is in April
Hawaii 70.3 is in May
I just don’t understand why people think they have to do a HIM before an IM.
it’s not a ‘have to’, It’s because I want to race, not only as a preparation for the IronMan, but to have fun and perform. And if it is not ‘killing’ my IM, or helping that’s even better !
Of course TupperLake, one month before, I should probably not take it too hard (specially on the run).
The races I plan to do (TupperLake, NY, MooseMan) are ‘close’ to my place (2 to 5 hours driving),
I will definitly not do a race that involve too much logisitic: that’s what get you tired too in my opinion.
So it sounds MooseMan could be a good kick off, but I have to be sure to to burn myself on TupperLake ( I’m doing this race because some good friends are doing their first 1/2IM here, and I love the bike segment ->I could have fun on the bike, and stay ‘calm’ on the run?).
The few times I did LP I did a 1/2 about 8 weeks out.It was not a conflict with my training and I did the race to get a feel on my general condition not a PR.I was able to make sure my equipment (bike/ wheels,wetsuit,shoes etc.) was good to go, and also drink and food.
You will find an abundance of people that do eagleman are doing it as a prep for placid. I did it last year for a test prior to placid. This year I signed up for the rev3 race. It makes a whole lot more sense then eagleman does (at least I got some money back!). I heard somebody else post that one loop at placid has the same amount of climbing as the course for rev3.
Plenty of time…Leslie Sanderson won Tupper Lake overall female last year and then was top age grouper in LP a month later. She had the 4th fastest time at LP too (although I won’t say she was 4th overall cause she did not race pro and was racing a different event from the pros). The second fastest age grouper at LP, Ryan Cain did the Peterborough half ironman 2 weeks out. If you can’t recover from a half 1 month before an Ironman, then you have bigger problems…front what you said as a sub 10 Ironman Florida guy, you should be fine. There are things you learn about yourself in racing that you simply cannot replicate in training…those that just train all the time get good at…you guessed it training.
Craig Alexander won Muskoka 70.3 a month before winning Kona. Do you need any more encouragement. Stop listening to all these guys on ST that will tell you that you are going to kill your race at LP on account of 1 race 4 weeks out. DO IT.
Go Mooseman so you are fresh, healthy, and ready to crush at IMLP
I went Triple T (end of May), Muskoka LC (mid June) the IMLP last year and it was just right for me…I had good training and rest…with enough pent up energy to had a great race for me at IMLP
Last year Harriman was 8 weeks prior to LP, perfect in my mind. 10 weeks may not be ideal, but it’s bike course is more similar to LP (but harder) than your other choices.
And, after you swim at Harriman, LP will feel like a hot tub
I’ve done Mooseman and Tupper before IMLP, would recommend Mooseman where I thought it was a better course/overall race, and also where you have additional time to recover before making the last big training push prior to LP. The time spent at Tupper could be better spent training on the IMLP course if you are going to be in that area anyway IMO. Just my $.02
The time spent at Tupper could be better spent training on the IMLP course if you are going to be in that area anyway IMO. Just my $.02
Good Point. Last year, 4 weeks before, I shared a room at Northwoods (on Main street) cost me $100 for 2 nights. Previewed the entire course and had blast. All for under $300.
The first time I did LP I did Tupper Lake, kind of held back and biked one loop of the Placid course on Sunday. I’d never seen it before, just heard horor stories, so that was really worth it for me.
The second time I did LP I did Mooseman. Nicer race and better timing. If I ever did LP again I would do Mooseman before it.
