hi all, i’ve got a buddy trying to persuade me into IMFL for 2008. (he is a luker here, i always call him out–Barry!!!)
anyway, so far i feel game–that is plenty of time to road race in winter/spring and then IM stuff for summer. plus it could be fun event to do with this buddy 'ole pal o’mine.
my only concern for IMFL is that by the time the dang thing rolls around everybody is content to hang out and watch football and eat chips, etc. it seems training for it could be lonely and difficult during Oct and early Nov, but i’m not sure. guess it all depends on the weather…
Where do you live? I am in Minnesota and the training for Florida is indeed lonely and usually quite miserable come October. Cold and rain with the fronts moving through. Lot’s of strong winds that time of year. It just sucks. Trying to get anyone to do a 100 mile ride on Saturday is a bit of a choir. Plus you loose daylight at the end of the day when the clocks roll back. Still, I am planning on IMFL in 2008 as well. If you can make it though the last 2 months the weather and beach are a very nice reward for us cold northern athletes.
Personally, I think riding alone for long distances is a good thing. You learn your own pace, coping with the boredom, fueling, etc., and you don’t draft. Also, training in tough conditions prepares you for the worst. When you do all that, you become a member of Team HTFU.
hey jo, I say let’s get thru IM wisconsin first and see how you feel about that and he you feel up for training for another one then! You can think about how october will be, once you go thru “this” october, and see if you think you would have the support you want:-)
Not that great a race anyway - I sure didn’t like it much (well, compared to others that is)
Also, you tend to train better with others/groups and there won’t be many except our core roadie groups to hammer you around and that won’t really be helpful for IMFL anyway.
Just concentrate on road racing next spring if that is your desire - if you get really strong on the bike (you have made a huge jump this year), sign up for the Great Floridian or maybe even Silverman if you want. A more challenging course, cheaper, and just as rewarding.
IMFL is the first week of Nov. that means (could mean) that you will begin your taper in mid-October. depending on where you live late Aug -Sept - early Oct can be a great time of year for long rides. focus on the long rides in Aug and Sept, especially if you know someone doing HI and then run your butt off in Oct!!
Lonely long rides are great! Yes they are tough but they will prepare you mentally and will make you tougher! Most of my century+rides were done solo and the ride in LP was a “piece of cake” from a mental perspective.
Ugly weather is again great! Yes it is tough but it will make you tougher which will significantly help during the IM.
I am not encouraging you to sign up for IMFL, but I do not believe those are the correct reasons to maybe skip it!
my only concern for IMFL is that by the time the dang thing rolls around everybody is content to hang out and watch football and eat chips, etc. it seems training for it could be lonely and difficult during Oct and early Nov, but i’m not sure. guess it all depends on the weather…
You nailed it here… I’ve done IMF 5 times and I’m from northeast Indiana and it gets tough starting early October. Daylight saving’s time helps a bit now, but weather always seems to play a factor as well. There were several days during october and into november where I wouldn’t get done training until it was pitch black outside, so be prepared. It always helps to have someone else to train with who is also commited to the same race. I don’t understand why people think IMF is an easy course. Talking with Joe Boness (someone who know’s a thing or two about hard courses) after the 03’ race, he says that IMF is deceivingly hard, and I agreed. It’s never easy to go 112 miles, whether it’s LP or IMF, I’ve done both and they both administer pain. And yah, you’ll need to HTFU…
yeah, i hear you, and thanks for this. you know me pretty well by now and the group thing is a big factor–it just spurs me on in a necessary (and also positive) way. if i’m alone to much, i’ll sink (being the extrovert that i am; community in training is pretty important for these kinds of distances).
i appreciate the feedback and will mention these races to Barry as well. he seems pretty motivated to do something big; but already said it doesn’t have to be an IM brand…
and Soph, i agree–i’ll get through IMWI and will see what i think thereafter (if i want to do it again), but to this point i’ve been enjoying myself. so we’ll see.
