I need 31 minutes to break 13 hrs. Swim is the same. My bike is the most improved from last year. My run will be pretty much the same , I hope.
Would you go harder on the bike to get to 6:25- 6:35 ( last year was 6:51 ) and then try to survive the run? Or would you pace the bike and try to make up time on the run? I like option #1. I would rather not leave it up to running a 4:30 to get under 13hrs.
What would you do?
What are your transition times like?
Do you stop to pee?
Probably a combination, n’est ce pas? A couple of swim minutes here, a few T-minutes there, a little itty-bitty bit faster on the bike, and then some less walking on the run = 31 minutes… just make sure you can do it - I’d rather miss 13hrs by 15 minutes than by 1:15…lol…
Good luck!
Do the one loop swim option (in Pink)
Last IMLP I tried to gain handfuls of time on the bike and suffered huge. be very careful of the first loop and try to take what you can on the second. If you try to take too much too early you are likely to pay the second loop monkey huge dividends.
I did 6:25 on the bike last year and felt strong, but because of MAJOR chaffing issues from being soaking wet all day I had a crappy marathon, walked a lot and manged to finish in 12:58.
Don’t kill yourself on the bike and save energy for the 2nd loop. Without all day rain and another year of cycling under your belt you should be able to drop several minutes from your bike and still leave some for the run.
Good luck!
I would pose this question in December.
I wish I could do the one loop swim…lol
My T1 and T2 were both 4mins and change, not sure if i could go much faster without panic setting in. Rain actually helped me stay cool last year.
I’ll let you know how I make out.
Thanks!
wise guy heh? I was too busy doing the 100/100 in December!
Yea,yea,yea, I’ll quit my job next year and do a sub 11.
I see your dancing for rain too!
I pee in my pants and then I get sent to the time out chair.
I would like some rain, yes. If you want to cut 31 minutes I would take it easy on the hills but go hard as you crest the hills and then cruise down them. A lot of people go too hard on the first 2/3 of the hills then when it’s time to get back up to speed they have to recover.
On the run I’d try to run as much as I could then not walk unless I was walking through the aid stations. Turn the run into 25 mini-races.
Do those two things, and you’ll get your 31 minutes.
my $.02 - use fins to kick ass in the swim (if you get caught just say another person thought they were a shark), draft like hell on the bike (use you rear view mirror so you don’t get caught), then run really fast!
Focus on race execution: effort, cadence, nutrition, etc. and don’t worry about the time since it will likely just distract you from racing your best.
I pee in my pants and then I get sent to the time out chair.
Ha ha…
In 2006 I went 6:39 on the bike in LP; I fell when I was cut off by a woman turning across my line at Hazelton and lost alot time, but I also stopped 4 times to pee - I estimate I lost 15 min, min. The volys were very nice, holding my bike and replenishing my bottles, but between the slowing down, the waiting in line, peeing, and getting going, it’s minutes lost… total time 13:29.
In 2007, I went 5:34 on the bike at FL, on way less training, battling fatigue and depression. (search here, if you like, people were telling me not to do the race…) Argue the difficulty of the course, etc, as much as you want, but one of the things I did - aside from NOT falling this time and buying an aero helmet - was not stop to pee… I peed off the bike… total time 11:59.
Did not stopping to pee help? Sure. How much? Who knows? Would I do it again? Absolutely!
What’s the 31 minutes worth to you? 
I’d have done several key sessions where I tested my ability to ride and run in race situations, or in key marker workouts that give me a good idea of what sort of times I can do on the bike and run.
Go back through your logs and take a close look to see what kind of times you did on the long rides, long runs and most importantly the huge bricks.
Pee on the bike
Never stop on the run
Pace the first bike loop better, use HR or average speed, best if you use a powertap to keep you under control.
Nail down your nutrition race day and the 3 days before.
Sleep well Friday night
Don’t walk around Thursday, Friday Saturday too much.
Wear compression socks to keep your legs fresh
Treat it like a business trip…you have a goal in mind and a purpose.
Thank every volunteer…being grateful makes you faster 
Visualize yourself every hour until the race crossing the finish line in
12:XX:XX and having ‘You are an Ironman’ screaming through your head.
Sat night about 8pm let it go and just believe you can do it.
Have an awesome 12hr and change race!
Andrew
I broke my arm 5 weeks out from last year’s race, but, still had a great time competing. My recommendation would be to hold back a bit on the bike. I have yet to put together a sub 4 hour run in any of my IM’s, but, the run course at LP for me was especially tough (mentally/physically) because I really did push too hard on the bike. Also, if you have an ideal pace for the run, stick to it from the start – I realized by mile 6 that holding 7:30 minute miles was way too much for this poser!
Slammer is wise. Good counsel.
I need 31 minutes to break 13 hrs. Swim is the same. My bike is the most improved from last year. My run will be pretty much the same , I hope.
Would you go harder on the bike to get to 6:25- 6:35 ( last year was 6:51 ) and then try to survive the run? Or would you pace the bike and try to make up time on the run? I like option #1. I would rather not leave it up to running a 4:30 to get under 13hrs.
What would you do?
skip Hasselton road on one of your bike loops. That ought to do it. I think they employ similar methods at IM Florida.
“Look into my eyes…Don’t stop on the run, don’t stop on the run, don’t stop on the run…your getting sleepy…don’t stop on the run, don’t stop on the run, don’t stop on the run, don’t stop on the run…your getting very sleepy…don’t stop on the run, don’t stop on the run…”
It’s 50% physical and 90% mental. I’m pretty mental so I should be OK.
Thanks for the advice, I think…
Good luck to everybody and Go Lance!!!
12:59:59 or I’ll bust a gut trying.
See you all in Mirror Lake!
Hate to sound like one of “those” guys on ST, but have you optimised your equipment?
Too late for positioning changes but fractions of time saved by sound placement of bottles, nutrition & spares, quality of tubes & tyres, etc etc do add up and can make a significant difference…
If your day is going downhill find some caffeine! You would be amazed how well that works at mile 18!