Almost all of my long runs over the summer were on the course and all done to feel not pace. Nothing more complex than that. 1246 members and 1242 others Features; Sign Up for Free. Run easy up the hills, hard on the downhill and steady on the flats. However, today my legs felt heavy. It was so long away that although it seemed like an impossibly big goal it was far enough away to be quite abstract. In terms of gearing, I have previously used a compact 50/34 and standard 53/39, but always with an 11-28 cassette. Again this probably comes down to personal preference and whether you like to spin or grind out big gears. It’s at Lamphey on the second loop that things usually start to unravel, but today I felt strong. We knew there would be 4 slots and the likelihood of all slots being taken by thetop 4 would be unlucky. The event consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride finishing with a marathon into Bolton town centre. The new Bolton bike course trends slower than either the Wales or Lanzarote courses. Catch all of the highlights from this weekend's IRONMAN Wales on IRONMAN now. It’s almost like the crowd volume doubles for your final push. I carried my bike shoes to my bike, I run faster in socks than cleats. 1,622 views. “For the whole year there had been a steady countdown towards the Ironman logo in my “Fran Training Calendar” for 10th September – Ironman Wales. I arrived back at T2 with a bike time I was very happy with and ready to run. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it was getting harder but nothing like the sudden wall of doom I am accustomed to. A tactic of mine is to break the course into smaller segments with a focus for each. I was in and out of T2 in little over 3min. Be sure you are confident doing technical descents if you choose a TT rig. It was going to be a big year of work. If you have any questions, please contact uk@ironmanroadaccess.com or call 03330116600 providing the following details: Name Telephone number Leaving from postcode Journey to post code Time of departure Details of enquiry . I sprinted through town as fast as I could. I have ridden it quite a few times now (both in practice and racing at 2012 and 2014 events) with the fastest being 5hr 22mins 31sec, which was the 5th fastest bike split of the day. I trusted my training and my run legs. he advice here would probably be stick to your race plan and avoid going too much in to the red (i.e high heart rate). Edit: I also competed at Ironman Wales 2016 where I got a new bike course pb of 4:58:06sec, which was the fastest bike split of the day [strava link]. Saturday My wife was racing the triathlon in Saundersfoot so I had the house to myself so I could pack my bags with all kit I needed. I recced the run from my bag to my bike. Game changer. The final lap hurts for everyone, not just me (but at that moment in time, in my head, I was the only one suffering in the world). The Bike course itself gave me nothing to fear. 50:37, 3 minutes slower. I told Loz on numerous occasions in the weeks leading into the race that if I swim 65min then I think I will qualify for Kona but if I swim 70min then it would be game over. Took the swim easy(ish). 0 comments. This was relatively stress-free and I've made lists prior to the day. My first Ironman. (On the other hand, riding a course such as Lanzarote which has a similar amount of climbing, but with much longer, straight descents, you can still lay the power down descending and so keep power variability low). This unique event lasts three days in mid-July, accomodating some of the best triathlon talen in the UK and the world, including a number of IRONMAN UK athletes, serving as the perfect preperation and build up to the IRONMAN Wales event in September. All the time you spend freewheeling, you are doing exactly no watts. The emotion you experience here is like no other I have experienced in sport, even Maggie Thatcher would have cracked a smile on this climb. I collected my third band and made my way back down into town. True to our assumptions and previous trends, the Kona slots in my AG rolled down to 5th but sadly not 6th. It wouldn’t be worth it without them. I was beginning to find my running legs but my head was still in the sea, I don’t remember much of lap two apart from telling Mark that I felt like crap (a statement I would now like to retract and use for the third lap instead) The second lap concluded and in ‘47:31’. Jun 10, 2015 - Things that are needed for the bike. Otherwise it may be a very miserable, long, experience... IM Wales Run Course is hilly so dont leave it all out there on the bike... How to Ride the Ironman Wales bike course (possibly...). This copy should match the race card. this terrain is so varied that it will average out. Hero Text Instructions. If that was the case then my assumptions on the day were correct. As the Official Virtual Training Partner of IRONMAN, ROUVY will offer up to 35 IRONMAN® and IRONMAN® 70.3® bike courses on its platform, providing IRONMAN athletes from around the world a virtual riding experience based on existing event courses. This first section from Tenby to Carew was all about position. The early pacing decisions were starting to pay off as were the nutritional ones. Descending back into the crowd laden streets of Tenby for the final time felt so good. This is what I told my friend who was attempting his 3rd Ironman after the previous two hadn't gone to plan. DISTANCE 8379 ft | 8359 ft. One less stress to think about. I was running my 6th fastest marathon, my fastest Ironman marathon and racing for a Kona spot, this was supposed to hurt. Despite the marathon and bike split doing a good job of masking the swim time, I was hopeful that the 12-month investment into a Masters Swim squad would translate to a good Ironman Wales swim come September 15th. It's like a scene from a mountain stage in the TdF. A shambles of a human, I needed an Ironman miracle…...or a Valium. I usually feel awesome on the first lap, having to hold myself back. IRONMAN Frankfurt, Germany – 9 July 2017 – *SOLD OUT* Frankfurt hosts the Ironman European Championships and as such is a popular event, luring the very best triathletes from across Europe. I still had no idea of swim time as I left T1 but there were still lots of bikes in their racks so I thought I had done ok. A false sense of security maybe but it relaxed me. Missing out by under 5 minutes hurt, especially as I predicted it would come down to the swim time. The conventional wisdom of the ironman triathlete is to ride smoothly, keeping the variability index as low as possible, to minimise fatigue on the legs. 5th should do it, 6th would have a strong chance, 7th onward would be slim. I’m convinced it’s more than that but maybe it’s just so hilly that it feels more than that. Last Week; This Week; This Week's Leaderboard. I was very proud and very emotional. Ironman Wales Bike Route Cycle route mapped by Simon Crowther 4 years ago Starts near Tenby, GB SEARCH NEARBY. The IRONMAN UK 2019 bike course was seen as a new challenge to those athletes who raced it. Also, as with any Ironman ride, make sure you know where the feeds stops are located. The course is 'only' 110.6miles long according to my garmin. My watch lapped for the final time in 50:36, with only a sprint down the red carpet to go. I was flying. Those who know me will concur that I’m pretty obsessive when it comes to all things ‘aerodynamic’. Practice your nutrition and practice it again. When things got dark I reminded myself of why I was there. I talked myself through the last 10K. Always Aim High Events The Events Hub, Pen yr Orsedd, Llangefni, North Wales, LL77 7AW +44(0)1248 723 553 info@alwaysaimhighevents.com Opening Hours Mon-Fri: 9:00-17:00 There will be a 'tipping point' speed where it would become detrimental to pick a disc wheel over a lighter non disc option, so you need to be honest with yourself and pick appropriately. Ironman Wales is a spectacular race and you should definitely do it. I did my best to keep the effort down but that atmosphere does funny things to you, a truly humbling and emotional experience. It worked. Anything that will help me to hold my position and give me speed for nothing is worth investigating in my eyes. The conditions were perfect, no chop, no wall of waves and no wind. It helped on the tricky sections such as Summerhill, the tight bends descending into Narberth and the rough single track lanes off the ridgeway. See how everyone is getting on and track progress. Earn points for your activities. It’s been an epic year all round largely due to the support from Loz who postponed a 2019 honeymoon in the hope of one in Hawaii in 2020, sadly she will have to settle for fish and chips in Porthcawl now. This was it, I had 10k left to get to the big dance. After being deprived of Heartbreak Hill last year I was super excited heading into Saundersfoot. Half marathon done in 1:36. Run - total elevation on my garmin was 550m. This self-inflicted pressure was probably why my anxiety increased exponentially on the morning of the race. However If there is favourable wind forecast, and your disc is a fancy lightweight one, it may be worthwhile picking a disc over a shallow or deep section wheel. IRONMAN UK has introduced an updated bike course, giving athletes an exciting new challenge at the iconic Bolton-based race taking place 12 July 2020.. Pembrokeshire plays host annually to one of the most difficult triathlons in Wales – the Long Course Weekend. I’m not a super strong rider but I am pretty small and aero and this is where I hoped to gain some free time. I have used both, and would pick the TT rig every time. Heartbreak hill - the crowds make this climb spectacular. I swam ok, I just can’t sight for toffee. Radde’s course ratings include the fastest swim, bike and run courses. No faff, no aid stations, no gut problems. If riding it isn't possible, then driving the course is a good substitute, although if doing this really try and take in what the course would be like if you were riding it. I didn’t eat solid food this year, just the Beta Fuel. Ironman Wales 2016 is just around the corner, so I thought I would share some thoughts (I'll refrain from calling them 'tips' in case it turns out to be terrible advice...) about how to nail/smash/rip up/destroy/just ride the bike course. I knew I was moving well but I still had another lap to go. Previously, I have used 65mm deep sections on the front and rear, opting for lightness over the aerodynamics of a disc. ASCENT / DESCENT Road . Entering it seemed like a good idea at the time. You can expect more spectators on the bike course than any other event and a historic finish line. 2019 started off with a wedding and ended with an Ironman. Each lap of the run is 6.63 miles (10k-ish) and I set my watch up to lap at this point instead of each mile to ensure I didn’t push a climb. (as it is in the second loop of the course). After a meander around Tenby it was penultimate done. I also joined a couple of IM Wales Strava clubs and tried to make sure I came in the top 10 for volume there too. I had a race plan and stuck to it, are those extra watts you push to save you 20 seconds up Narberth worth it? My GPS data said I swam 4344m at a pace of 1:37 100/m. I knew I couldn’t hang around on this 1k run up to my bike, I needed to claw back some time. In fact, the bike equipment probably deserves a blog post in it’s own right. I had no idea of time but that didn’t matter, I felt fresh so it was onwards and upwards. Basically, If I wasn’t climbing, I was locked in position. … We round up the hardest Strava segments that the world's tarmacked roads have to offer, including 100km Peruvian ascents, and 100m, 34% American streets. Due to the challenging elevation profile of the course, a lot of people seem to debate whether to use a full on TT rig or a road bike with clip on aerobars. There is no doubt THIS incarnation of wales was much harder than Lanzarote, but Gale force winds are not the norm in wales (though admittadly not rare). Mobile; Features; Subscription; ... Ironman Wales Tenby, Wales, United Kingdom Group for people competing or training for Ironman Wales. I made up a lot of time on these sections. Kona slots available: 75 Average peak temperature: 24° C ), where it always rains. 112.552 miles. The Hilly Bits: My Strava history tells me I’ve ridden the IM Wales course 37 times in the last 4 years. Please submit your updated sponsors, titles, and dates to them.. Edit: I also competed at Ironman Wales 2016 [blog post] where I got a new bike course pb of 4:58:06sec, which was the fastest bike split of the day [strava link]. If you have done the training and paced the bike well then you will grow into the run. Missing out this year has only added fuel to the fire and I'm sure I’ll sit down with Mark again soon and plan Ironman (insert name here) for 2020. In the past there have been huge crowds here, all goading you to light the fuse and go ballistic up the climb. I would definitely recommend having an 'easy' gear option though to save your legs when those sharp steep climbs keep coming at you. Fingers crossed. You need to remember that the run course is not flat either. The wheels were beginning to wobble, I missed a gel at this point, the eyes were beginning to close and the cramp was setting in. The Hilly Bits: My Strava history tells me I’ve ridden the IM Wales course 37 times in the last 4 years. It can also be windy in Wales so this should influence selection. I climbed out of Tenby for the first time and it was here that I was greeted by a wave of support - everyone who had made the trip West to watch me was gathered here. The run flat and fast if you run. What a nice surprise to see my support crew at the bottom of the hill ready to give me some splits and encouragement. The Ratings are based on a 9-hour Ironman (consisting of a 55 minute swim, a 4:50 bike and a 3:10 run plus five minutes for T1 and T2). IM Wales bike course elevation profile (2500m total gain). TRIATHLETES gearing up for this year’s Ironman UK event will face a new cycling route. I also took a video and timed it, I needed it to be second nature. 2014 Top 5 bike splits of the day (list sorted by bike split time). I placed myself in the 1:00/1:05 swim pen with the hope that I could somehow catch a draft and squeeze out a few underserved minutes. I was all sorted by 11am leaving the rest of the day to eat, check into our B&B and drive some of the bike course. I don’t feel I have an answer to this question. Away that although it seemed like a good idea at the front and rear opting. My Strava history tells me I ’ ve ridden the IM Wales bike route Cycle route mapped by Simon 4! This 1k run up to my bike, I know this course the... 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