What can I expect on the bike and run? How about transition bags too…what do you usually put in there? Figure I better start thinking bout this cause IMLP is on the horizon.
If it looks like rain, put everying in a garbage bag, tie it tight, then put it in your transition bag. The transition bags are hanging outside and will fill with rain. People tied them shut with the strings, but, it made it hard to get them open.
I divided things into “packets” and put them in zip-lock bags. Also kept them dry.
I said in another thread - keep your bike shoes on after the bike if it is wet. It gets very, very muddy. Better to have muddy cycling shoes than muddy feet trying to get into running shoes.
Aid stations are great at LP. Not sure what you want to know.
Be highly organized. Don’t fill the special needs bags full of crap because you won’t get it back.Extra tube if you are riding clincers. C02 cartridge, whatever snacks you think might sound good. I usually put a few different things in because I don’t know how my stomach will feel. You can pack your t-bags full of stuff because you will most likely get it back.
For bike to run I put in a pair of shorts just in case I want to change for whatever reason. Also, fresh socks! They feel really good and the pee soaked ones from the bike are nasty. I carry a baggie with some essentials: eyedrops because I have contacts, glucose tabs in case I get really stupid, immodium, tums, a small tube of Aquaphor in case things start to chafe. This all fits in my top’s pocket leaving one other pocket for gels. I’ve been darn glad I had that supply of stuff. I also have a fresh baggie in special needs in case it is necessary.
Aid stations? Not sure what you want to know. Careful going through the bike. There are a lot of people stopping or wobbling thru there. Be very clear and loud with what you want when you approach. Let other riders know you are coming up on them if they are slowing down alot. I usually go to the far end so I get around the clogged up area. Then, hustle out of there so you don’t get run over. Look over your left shoulder before getting back on the road. It can be really chaotic.
Be sure to have a good time regardless of how things go. I know you have ambitious goals for the race but you honestly never know what the day will bring. Roll with the punches and if you aren’t having a good day, enjoy it anyway.
What can I expect on the bike and run? How about transition bags too…what do you usually put in there? Figure I better start thinking bout this cause IMLP is on the horizon.
See signature below:
Transition bags should have as little as possible, in my opinion. Swim to bike = shoes, helmet, sunglasses, nutrition (assuming it isn’t already on your bike), race belt/number, arm warmers if it’s cold. Bike to run = socks, shoes, visor, nutrition (salt tabs?).
Special needs bike = spare tube and co2. Special needs run = maybe socks, maybe a long sleeve shirt if it may get cold.
That’s it.
I would consider putting different colored duct tape on the edges of your transition bags in some sort of pattern. Much easier for you (or volunteer) to locate among 100s of identical bags.
At IMoo, I had green and orange tape on mine, shouted out green and orange as I approached all of the bags, and volunteer located my bag in about a second.
I would consider putting different colored duct tape on the edges of your transition bags in some sort of pattern. Much easier for you (or volunteer) to locate among 100s of identical bags.
At IMoo, I had green and orange tape on mine, shouted out green and orange as I approached all of the bags, and volunteer located my bag in about a second.
X2 on colored tape. Hot pink duct tape works great. At IMCdA I changed clothes in T1 and T2. 4 minutes were not going to change my day.
T1
A 1 water bottle for rinsing feet
b 2 small towels, 1 to stand on 1 to dry off a little
c 1 single serve chamois butter/ applied
d **full zip **Louis Garneau Lemmon Short sleeve jersey that saved me enough time to pass my friend who was fighting his pull over top that spilled everything out of his pockets (funny shit, can you say yard sale)
e road shorts, shoes
f glasses, arm warmers and thin cotton gloves in shirt pocket that did not fall out ha ha
BSN small soft cooler $3 at Wallgreens
a frozen bottle with 900 cal Infinite
b Red Bull
c single serve Chamois butter/ applied
d Inner tube and CO2
T2
a run shorts
b PI sleeveless shirt
c Comp socks (fashion failure, time consuming but who was laughing in the 50 degree rain)
d Hat
e UA compression shorts
f Running shorts with pockets across back that I placed my unused arm warmers and thin cotton gloves (fashion failure but who was laughing in the 50 degree rain)
g extra set of Tagederm bandages in case the originals fell off my tender little nipples. I ended up giving them to a very raw nippled runner on course.
h single serve Chamois butter/ applied
RSN $3 Wallgreens soft cooler
a Frozen Propel to keep my more important drinks cold
b Bud Light in cuzy (race like you train)
c Red Bull
They were not the lightest bags at the race but they had every thing I needed and not much else.
And yes that beer was my carrot through most of the day. My final carrot was the Growler filled with Coeur d’ Alene brewing Company’s best IPA waiting at the finish.
I wholeheartedly think that is the very best post race picture I have ever seen!!!
+1 to what IAMike said, little as possible.
For IMWI I had the following:
Swim to Bike: Helmet, shoes, glasses and some sports beans/gels. Dumped them all out, threw on helmet and glasses and put nutrition in my pocket and ran with my shoes in my hand to my bike.
Bike special needs: Spare co2, spare tube, some more sports beans and clif blocks. (I never stopped though to get them as I did not need anything, although I did flat about 10 miles later).
Bike to run: Running shoes, socks, small container of advil just in case, more sports beans/clif blocks.
Run special needs: Spare socks, more sports beans and clif blocks. In 2007 my feet were soaked so I stopped to switch socks. In 2008 never stopped at run special needs.
I don’t know if anyone has said anything, but don’t put in your special needs bags anything that you might not be prepared to lose/never see again. In 2007 I dug through all the bags the next morning to get my crap back. In 2008 I said to hell with it and didn’t bother.
As other have said, depending on where you are, you need to be cautious and careful around the aid stations on the bike. I will apologize ahead of time, but many triathletes are poor bike handlers at the best of times - an aid staion in an IM is the worst of times, so draw your own conclusions. You have people going all kinds of different speeds. People swerving all over the road. The DIY-carry-everything-on-the-bike types blowing right through fully aero - yikes. Bottles flying and rolling all over the place. and so on. Ride heads up, and leave yourself an out at all times in and near aid stations on the bike.
I’m a transition minimalist.
For T1, everthing that can be put on the bike is on the bike, everything that can be worn under the wetsuit is worn under. I’ve had two T1s where the only thing in my T1 bag was socks, which some go without but not me. Otherwise, I’ll have helmet, socks, and glasses in a hard case in my T1 bag. Race belt is on already, as well as whatever I’m going to wear for the day. I don’t ever change clothes. Only exception for you at LP is the cold, so maybe armwarmers, cheap gloves you can throw away on the bike, and maybe even a vest if it’s cold. I don’t stop to pee, drink, eat, etc. I enter the change tent and run all the way to the far end before stopping. I don’t sit down. I don’t usually have to pack my swim stuff away, someone has helped me on most of the IMs I’ve done. I don’t care about running in mud in my socks, who cares you’ll just piss them clean later, or rain, or water, etc. Packets are good for T1 bag to keep things dry.
For T2, I’m a “packet” guy also. Running shoes, socks, compression sleeves, visor, fresh sunglasses in hard case, and my packet. Into T2, far end again, sit down this time, sleeves on, shoes on, throw the glasses in the bag and get the new ones and off. While running out of the tent I eventually put on my visor and glasses and start digging through my packet. In the packet I have my gels for the first half of the run, some sunscreen, and my salt tabs. I apply sunscreen, very messy, and then throw it out. By now I’m on the run course and am getting situated with getting my gels and salt tabs put away and getting comfortable. usually skip the first aid station, allowing the stomach to settle, and then start hitting it from there.
Good comments from Fleck on the bike aid stations. Be careful. Don’t lug 164 ounces of fluids and a hundred gels… two bottles, three tops is all you’ll need and you can live off the course. Special needs is good for you if you have a specific drink formula not on the course that you need. Freeze it and put it in a cooler or something and it will be chilled at the half way point. A second batch of gels or whatever you need will also help save weight.
Good comments from whoever said to be loud with what you want. Don’t be afraid, they know you’re not rude, it just helps in getting the bag/bottle/gel/coke that you want.
On the run you should be getting something right away, don’t wait until the end, because you might drop or spill your cup as you drink while running. Do NOT stop and socialize at the aid stations. See cup, grab cup, drink cup, throw cup, see next cup, repeat. I’d recommend not overdoing it on fluids or calories on the run… it can slow you down. Aim to get most of your calories in on the bike, especially early. By the time you hit the run you’ll be way off script and just throwing down whatever seems good. Peeing? Less water, more coke. Cramping? More gatorade, more salt, less coke. Bloating? Less coke, less gels, more water, more salt. You get the idea. Helps to have a rhythym in the aid stations though. Passes the time.
good luck! You’re going to get crushed, but I hope you don’t. Like others have said, enjoy the day. Say that to yourself and think about what it means while waiting for the swim start. If you can understand it, you’ll realize great results are a process not an end point. Stay in the moment, control what you can control, and the times will take care of themselves.
And oh yeah, DON’T OVERBIKE!!!
Special needs bags – they are great help if you use your drink. I usually put there 2 bottles of First Endurance EFS (that’s what I train on); and one flask of their FE liquid shot. When you get there (on the bike) throw away all your bottles, empty your pockets. Stop (it’s really faster than you think) put your new bottles on your bike; new gels; and/or your food. And go. It take about 10-15 seconds.
On the run – I’ve been using Ultragen – it’s FE’s recovery drink, but at that point I usually need the quick sugar. So just put plain powder in an empty bottle, gels (if you want to) run to the next water station, fill your bottle with fresh cold water, drink it, and keep running.
If you’re OK with whatever they have on the course – you probably do not need to bring any of your special nutrition.
I was wondering the same thing about aid stations, especially on the run. I’m doing IM Louisville next month and would like to train with what we will have at the aid stations. I tried to carry a bottle of perpeteum with me at IMFL, but that got really old after a while. About the only thing I remember about the aid stations is grapes and gatorade, but I’m pretty sure I was hallucinating by that point…