To avenge my lackluster performance in IMNZ I have entered IM Austria. Hopefully 12 more weeks of cycling and running outside and a couple extra aid stations will make a difference. I also noticed in one of the photos of IMAUS they had cheerleaders on the bike course.
What’s the intel on IM Austria? Anything in particular I need to know? Anything to avoid?
As usual, I have booked my transit with Deepak Patel of Premium Plus Sports. He did my travel for Thailand and New Zealand and he and Mara did a fantastic job.
Tom…I gotta ask, your Ironman PR is like 10:45…you live in Michigan, its winter, no way you could have trained to your potential…how can you call NZ lackluster?..i say you gave it a great go…
Yeah, you’re probably right. It was just disappointing to look at my results and not break 1:10 in the swim (honestly, I thought I could go sub 1:05!), average less than 20 mph on the bike (I think NZ was 19.36 mph ) and then run a 9:30 something pace on the first run segement, get my legs back and go 8:30 pace on the second run segment and then just self-destruct and go over ten minutes per mile on the third and fourth segments.
Also, that was the first time I ever wound up in a medical tent at a triathlon. Humiliating.
Tom, the swim is great, the lake is incredibly clear and if you start clear of the pier you will not get beat up. Don’t pull deep in the canal at the end of the swim as it’s not too deep and has quite some weed.
You will need your 11 on the back as there are some great, long, fast descents but you will have to look at the race site profile to decide if you want to use a disc.
The run is flat, the only thing to watch out is the VERY steep temporary bridges that the army erected to take the course over the return to T2 for the bike course. We had a heads up from a guy the day before as we were checking out the route, “walk down them and you will not cramp your hamstrings” he said, walk yeah right we said. Turns out he was right, and his creditentials? Race doctor!!
The run has gravel path around the lake, grass in the bathing area near the Western turn around and cobbles at the Northern turn point in town, so don’t wear racing flats!
Sit rep ends.
& yes you will have a PB, I did 11:29, it was my first IM and is still my distance PB, although I hope to change that in Brazil.
I am from Austria and will do the IM Austria as my first IM this year with a goal time of 12:00.
I rode the course with a triple last year (for training), there is one short steep climb (and a shorter steep one) the rest is VERY fast. Adequate gearing is very important, many good cyclists (especially from the US) struggled uphill because of not being adequately geared. I will have a 39/25 on my tri bike, which is plenty, for stronger cyclists (which you are with your times) 39/21 could be enough, though I would keep a 23 in reserve. 39/19 is only for the very strongest - my trainer did it, but he was a pro and faster than 9:00. If your Name is Zäck or Sabatschuss you might consider to big-ringing the climb though
The pavement is very good, the lake quite cool (about 21 degree), so bring your wetsuit (think you planned on that anyway). The water quality of the lake is perfect, you can start hydrating during the swim if you like, it has drinking water quality.
The atmosphere is fantastic, I was there as a visitor 2003. If you have any questions or if I can help you in any way, dont hesitate to ask. I will also do a 3 day Training end of may/beginning of june to test my tri bike on the course (180km + 10km run). I will ride it with a Caliente 700c, Xentis wheels and 39/53-12/25.
If I discover I need more gears, I am ready to change either to a 27 (I have a long cage from my other bike) or even to a triple (which I have on my road bike - its necessary in a country like Austria for beginning to intermediary riders if you go to the mountains).
I know a nice italian restaurant for the night before the race - I will be there with the people from my club, if you like to join just tell us.
as far as I understand you have both Ksyrium and Xentis wheels, and you will use Xentis for racing in IMA. Please share your experiences with this two wheels. I will race in Klagenfurt this year (my first IM…) and I hesitating to use Xentis or Ksyrium Elite. These are the days when I wanted to buy a racing wheel (as at this moment I have only the 36 spoke training ones). I have quite reasonable quotes for both wheels, and I can not decide. So all the info/experiences with these wheels are very welcome! (is xentis good at climbing, do you use/recommend clicher or tubular etc.)
I have the clincher version of the Xentis, as finishing is my top priority, I want to be prepared for more than 1 or two flats. With tubulars once you flat and you dont have a spare tire you are out. And spare tyres are heavy - equalizing all weight advantage. The rolling resistance is (according to my sources) only 5% of total resistance, so I dont care. I carry 1 spare tupe and 5 patches (park tool) as well as 3 co2 cartridges. I will admit that some friends have even more cartridges on the track (I am not allowed to use them (outside help) but with 4 flats I think I should get an ethical bonus even if I do).
The Ksyrium are not really aerodynamic race wheels. They are solid, light but not very aerodynamic. The rimshape is too squared for that. The Xentis are terrific - I absolutely love them - no doubt that I will use them there. They are slightly more difficult to handle in crosswinds but no problem even in some heavy winds. They are also theroretically less stiff, but definitely stiff enough for me - I didnt feel the difference.
The main thing with Xentis is - they are fast. Not very heavy - exactly the same weight like the Ksyrium (1750g/set for the clincher version), not a lightweight wheel (like Zip or Lightweight) but weight doesnt matter much anyway.
So Xentis without a doubt, though the price should be very different - about 1000 EUR for the Xentis, about 350 for the Ksyrium Elite, about 600 for the Ksyrium SSC SL. Are Xentis worth the money? Propably not if you think that AlexRims 320 are aerodynammicaly similar for much less money, but they look great and that was also important. So If you can spare 1000 EUR go for them - if you really get the same price like for a Ksyrium, I would be VERY doubtful.
One of the reason the course is damn fast is that the bike course is about 5 km short. (3 miles). I calibrate my wheel sensor on the Olympic 2000m rowing basin here in Montreal. Did the race in 2001 and boy it was hot. 24% DNF that year.
The best intel I can give you is that the energy drink used in 2001 had a terrible taste.
Beautiful bike course, very fast despite the big climb to rupertiberg that is easy on the first lap, hard on the second, and extremely hard on the third lap.
Yeah I did the race in 2001 and the only good thing about the heat is that it brought out the topless sunbathers in droves on the part of the run course through the a beach park. Forget about the cheerleaders – the best part about the whole race is the apparent lack of concern by female spectators for bikini tops! And some of the run is on cobblestones so leave the light racing shoes at home.
Tom, you will love the race, and Deepak will take good care of you. Just make sure if you stay in the race hotel downtown (Arcotel or something like that) you get a room away from the noisy cafe street.
According to their website, there are talks with different suppliers of sport-nutrition but it’s not said with whom. it will be posted in a few days (??) who will get job
All of u will be allowed to use wetsuits, no matter how warm the water will be (in fact, last year it was definitely more than 22/23°C). the ironman austria pro team members are all very weak swimmers. The organizers of IM AUT, who support this team, would never forbid using neos, the would cut their own (supporter)flesh!!
thanks for the info. Of course, the prices are not the same, that is one of the reasons I am hesitating…
Coming back to the topic: I will (hopefully) spend this weekend in Klagenfurt in order to train on the race-course. So hopefully I will have personal experiences about the bike course - i am very looking forward to it. I will share them with all of you.
) and then run a 9:30 something pace on the first run segement, get my legs back and go 8:30 pace on the second run segment and then just self-destruct and go over ten minutes per mile on the third and fourth segments.