THE IRONMAN BIKE COURSE...leaving transition, what to eat, how to avoid potential problemsThe Ironman bike course follows right on the heels of a 2.4 mile swim. Are you ready? Make sure you are in complete control of your bike when you leave the swim/bike transition area.
Visit my Ironstruck book store
When it's time to tackle the Ironman bike course, be sure to spin away from transition in a nice easy, relaxing gear. I like to call it...
"The leaving transition gear". which means you should have your bike set in this very easy gear before the swim star so you are prepared when it's time to leave transition and head out on the Ironman bike course. This will give you more control as your body makes the switch from swimming to biking and also as you make your way through all the bikes that will be leaving the transition area the same time as you are. Watch out for other cyclists who will come flying by like they're in the last 500 meters of the bike course. Stay over to the right. More than likely you will pass most of the early "speed-balls" in the later stages of the bike. It can be pretty cool in the early stages of some Ironman bike courses. If you think this might be the case(and often is in Canada)wear arm-warmers. If you want you can make your own inexpensive arm-warmers by cutting off a pair of long sports socks at about the heel. This will leave you a sleeve that's perfect for your arms and you can discard them at any aid station later on. Don't use expensive arm-warmers. Either you have to keep them with you or toss them and never see them again. THE BEST TIME TO START EATING AND DRINKING Give yourself about 15 or 20 minutes and then take a good drink to replace fluid lost during the swim. Make this drink your fluid replacement drink(sports drink) as opposed to water or have some of each. Also eat something 15 or 20 minutes into the bike leg. By waiting for 15 minutes after you get out of the swim/bike transition, you are giving your body time to recover from being horizontal during the swim to vertical on the bike. It's not always best to start eating and drinking the moment you get out of your wetsuit. It's best to take on a "complex" carbohydrate early in on as it will be assimilated into your system much slower and do you more good at the you progress into the bike course. A simple carb like a bar or a gel is simply not the best choice at this point for most people, and it might be better to make use of them for a quick boost of energy late in the bike. Pictures by art.com USE YOUR WATCH TIMER Before the race you should set the timer on your watch to beep every 25-30 minutes. This works very well to keep you properly hydrated. Drink every 30 minutes and eat every 60 minutes. Start your timer after the first time you take on food and drink as you start out on the bike course. Having a system set up before the race takes all the guesswork out of when you will eat and drink during your Ironman-bike. THINGS TO REMEMBER NEVER pass on the right. VERY dangerous! NEVER draft.
The Ironcops on motorcycles will definitely penalize you(a time penalty)and you just may need those extra minutes at the end of the day to make the 17 hour time limit. Be really aware of drafting out on the Ironman bike course. WATCH OUT ...for water-bottles on the road. Sometimes they will fall out of someones cage or they will drop it by accident. Hitting one of those the wrong way can end your day!! STAY AWAY ...from the center line. Its dangerous out there and the Ironcops could get you for a center line infraction. They are trying to make the Ironman-bike safe. ALWAYS stay as far right as possible. HAVE A PLAN FOR THE HEADWIND Whenever you encounter significant headwind make full use of your aero-bars. This isn't just so you can finish faster. Its so you can save your energy. By going into the aero position in a headwind you can travel 2-4 kph faster without working any harder! That's exactly what you want. Everything you do on race day should be centered around saving as much energy as possible. Your goal is to finish the Ironman-bike as economically as you can. ABOUT THE UPHILLS A question you commonly hear is "should I sit or stand on the uphills?" My answer is to do both. Alternating standing and sitting gives you the opportunity to stretch out your legs. As a matter of fact, in my later Ironman races I would stand every 30 minutes or so.(even on the flats). All you need is 25 or 30 seconds of standing to keep your legs from tightening up too much. It will pay dividends when you start your run. I used to do it in training all the time to make it more natural come race day.
ABOUT THE DOWNHILLS If you're really new to cycling, some downhills can be very scary. Ironman Canada for instance has a huge fast downhill at Yellow Lake. You can easily hit speeds of 80-85 kph. Its just a huge opportunity to get free kilometers. If at all possible go into the aero position for the whole downhill ride. Don't forget, highways like that are built for cars to handle 80 kph easily, so it is safe. Just relax on your bike, stay to the right side of the road and let it go. If its too scary for you, simply sit up. This will scrub off some speed and you will feel more in control. Try and avoid using your brakes if you can. You work hard on the uphills, and deserve the fast, free downhill kilometers that appear in every Ironman bike course. Be aware however of courses like coeur d'Alene that have plenty of fast, sweeping downhill curves. Just watch for caution signs. If there's a sign, use your brakes. PREPARING FOR THE RUN When you reach the final 10 kilometers of your Ironman bike course, its time to start thinking about the upcoming marathon. Do whatever you can to work out some of the stiffness in your arms and legs. Also try and get the tenseness out of your shoulders. Do shoulder shrugs over and over as you bike toward transition. Stand up on your pedals and stretch out your legs. First one, then the other. Try and loosen your neck muscles. You want to be able to stay as relaxed as possible in the marathon. Now as you approach transition, slow down. As you coast in toward the bike catchers, snap your shoes out of the pedals. Rest them on the pedals so you can just hop(well,,,,stagger)off the bike once they catch you. Leave your helmet done up until you're off the bike.
Ironman Bike Course Back To Ironman Race Day Page
|
