Ironman Barcelona

Diego Murphy · 21-07-2018 3:19pm #1

So are any of you doing it? Only 11 weeks to go.

rodneyr1981 · 22-07-2018 2:44pm

Diego Murphy wrote: »

So are any of you doing it? Only 11 weeks to go.

Yup. Weeks won't be long tipping along now

TheBazman · 22-07-2018 5:11pm

Yep - first IM - the training is picking up now

Diego Murphy · 22-07-2018 8:09pm

TheBazman wrote: »

Yep - first IM - the training is picking up now

First time for me too. I've noticed a big increase in training load in the last two weeks alright. I'm enjoying it though and finding that the cross training means the body doesn't suffer as much as it does for pure marathon training

rodriquez · 23-07-2018 8:42am

I'm doing it as my first full distance too - training volume is definitely increasing now alright

Milk_Tray · 23-07-2018 7:40pm

Diego Murphy wrote: »

First time for me too. I've noticed a big increase in training load in the last two weeks alright. I'm enjoying it though and finding that the cross training means the body doesn't suffer as much as it does for pure marathon training

what distances would you be covering at this stage per week? how many sessions for each discipline etc?

Diego Murphy · 23-07-2018 9:55pm

Milk_Tray wrote: »

what distances would you be covering at this stage per week? how many sessions for each discipline etc?

Last week would have been 17 hours in total... 2 swims, 3 runs, 2 cycles. One of the runs was a long one, as was the sunday cycle of about 160k. I bought one of the 16 week training plans on training peaks so it's in blocks of 2 hard weeks followed by 1 easy. 17 hours is about the max. I'll be doing a half marathon in Killarney this weekend and the half iron in dun laoighaire as preparation.

Milk_Tray · 24-07-2018 11:04am

Jayney with that far out thats a serious load! fair play to you keep it up

Diego Murphy · 24-07-2018 11:08am

Milk_Tray wrote: »

Jayney with that far out thats a serious load! fair play to you keep it up

Tbh it's not so bad that the difficult weeks are in two week blocks. This week nearly feels like it's a week off because it'll only be 8 hours of training and it's all low intensity. Next week it'll build again for two weeks and then another easy week. I think once the countdown gets past the 10 week mark, it'll start to fly

Diego Murphy · 25-08-2018 3:24pm

Diego Murphy wrote: »

Tbh it's not so bad that the difficult weeks are in two week blocks. This week nearly feels like it's a week off because it'll only be 8 hours of training and it's all low intensity. Next week it'll build again for two weeks and then another easy week. I think once the countdown gets past the 10 week mark, it'll start to fly

6 weeks tomorrow. Just after a long spin and brick. 17 mile run some time tomorrow. The weekends really do get taken over by training at this stage.

Marty Bird · 25-08-2018 8:41pm

Diego Murphy wrote: »

6 weeks tomorrow. Just after a long spin and brick. 17 mile run some time tomorrow. The weekends really do get taken over by training at this stage.

How did you find the first long brick session?

Diego Murphy · 25-08-2018 8:48pm

Marty Bird wrote: »

How did you find the first long brick session?

I'm finding them fine tbh but the run on the bricks that I'm doing aren't that long. I bought a training peaks plan for my training and most of the brick runs are 30mins.the longest will be 40 mins. I've researched it quite a bit online and the consensus is that the brick doesn't need to be long.

Did dun Laoghaire at the weekend and felt very strong on the run so it must be working. Having said that, whatever plan you are on, stick to it at this stage.

Marty Bird · 25-08-2018 8:53pm

Diego Murphy wrote: »

I'm finding them fine tbh but the run on the bricks that I'm doing aren't that long. I bought a training peaks plan for my training and most of the brick runs are 30mins.the longest will be 40 mins. I've researched it quite a bit online and the consensus is that the brick doesn't need to be long.

Did dun Laoghaire at the weekend and felt very strong on the run so it must be working. Having said that, whatever plan you are on, stick to it at this stage.

Yeah I found the first long one after 150km then a 11km run I was hanging. The next week I done a further distance and I was fine,It’s all about just building the muscle memory.

Diego Murphy · 25-08-2018 8:54pm

Marty Bird wrote: »

Yeah I found the first long one after 150km then a 11km run I was hanging. The next week I done a further distance and I was fine,It’s all about just building the muscle memory.

At this stage the training is just about getting through it. Volume is pretty big and there isn't much time for anything else outside of training at the moment.

Marty Bird · 25-08-2018 9:21pm

Diego Murphy wrote: »

At this stage the training is just about getting through it. Volume is pretty big and there isn't much time for anything else outside of training at the moment.

It’s why we tri.. it will stand to you massively it won’t stop the pain but makes it much more bearable.

Diego Murphy · 25-08-2018 9:22pm

Marty Bird wrote: »

It’s why we tri.. it will stand to you massively it won’t stop the pain but makes it much more bearable.

That's the plan!

Diego Murphy · 03-09-2018 8:13am

Not long to go now lads! just finished a 17 hour week....wouldn't like to be facing into those all the time.....easy week ahead which I have to admit I'm looking forward to.

Diego Murphy · 30-09-2018 7:47am

Best of luck to everyone taking part next Sunday!

TheBazman · 30-09-2018 2:17pm

The amount of random people I've bumped into that are doing it is unreal.

pgibbo · 01-10-2018 3:58pm

TheBazman wrote: »

The amount of random people I've bumped into that are doing it is unreal.

I think it was 340 bikes going from ireland via SMTB. That's some amount of Irish at one race. I know of at least one club that has transported their own bikes so could be closer to 400 Irish taking part.

Diego Murphy · 01-10-2018 4:00pm

pgibbo wrote: »

I think it was 340 bikes going from ireland via SMTB. That's some amount of Irish at one race. I know of at least one club that has transported their own bikes so could be closer to 400 Irish taking part.

That's a huge number. Throw in supporters who will travel also and id expect there to be well over 1000 people from Ireland there.

Marty Bird · 05-10-2018 1:02pm

Best of luck Diego on Sunday have a safe race and enjoy it and best of luck to all the other Boardsies that are doing it race safe.

hf4z6sqo7vjngi · 07-10-2018 4:06pm

Looks like our very own PGibbo is on his way to a 9:5x, last 3k to go if he can hold on.

joey100 · 07-10-2018 4:16pm

Rodney went 9.32, and has had a run injury the last month or two, great times from the 2 lads.

EC1000 · 07-10-2018 4:49pm

Over spectating, conditions good for running, cool and drizzling.

rodneyr1981 · 07-10-2018 10:23pm

Swim was very rough and a lot of the first timers would have struggled.
Bike was a complete draft fest.
Run conditions perfect dry and overcast.

Only done this and cph and cph wins hands down as a better race

peter kern · 08-10-2018 2:28pm

unless it was really windy the results seem to suggest less drafting this year ?

rodneyr1981 · 08-10-2018 2:37pm

peter kern wrote: »

unless it was really windy the results seem to suggest less drafting this year ?

I can't comment on previous years however another factor was they did add on 5k to bike course. Think previously was 176.5km and was over 181km yesterday

EC1000 · 08-10-2018 3:04pm

There was a hill on each lap this year that wasn't part of the course last year.

tunney · 08-10-2018 3:06pm

peter kern wrote: »

unless it was really windy the results seem to suggest less drafting this year ?

Various facebooks rants suggest otherwise.............

iwillhtfu · 08-10-2018 8:59pm

tunney wrote: »

Various facebooks rants suggest otherwise.............

One that stood out was BMC pulling out as a result of the drafting.

mloc123 · 08-10-2018 9:04pm

Almost every race is a draft fest now? Organisers do not care.... cycle laps with that volume of people, it is not possible to not draft.

iwillhtfu · 08-10-2018 9:06pm

mloc123 wrote: »

it is not possible to not draft.

Even at the pointy end?

mloc123 · 08-10-2018 9:10pm

iwillhtfu wrote: »

Even at the pointy end?

What do the pointy end do when they catch up with the blunt end after a lap?

peter kern · 08-10-2018 10:03pm

iwillhtfu wrote: »

One that stood out was BMC pulling out as a result of the drafting.

60 pros started 20 finished ...

peter kern · 08-10-2018 10:06pm

tunney wrote: »

Various facebooks rants suggest otherwise.............

big news ... but at least times are a bit more realistic this year

peter kern · 08-10-2018 10:10pm

EC1000 wrote: »

There was a hill on each lap this year that wasn't part of the course last year.

i guess same course as 2016 ?

rodneyr1981 · 09-10-2018 1:36am

peter kern wrote: »

i guess same course as 2016 ?

Yes same course as 2016 with the addition of a shorter out and back part to bring it up to the 180km.

Diego Murphy · 09-10-2018 7:34am

Well that's my first ironman done and dusted. 12:20 finish time. Will post a full report when I get home!

hf4z6sqo7vjngi · 09-10-2018 8:54am

mloc123 wrote: »

Almost every race is a draft fest now? Organisers do not care.... cycle laps with that volume of people, it is not possible to not draft.

I disagree it is possible if you want to, and on that course.

BTH · 09-10-2018 9:03am

Brynlee Thousands Sibilant wrote: »

I disagree it is possible if you want to, and on that course.

Is it possible to not draft and compete??

mloc123 · 09-10-2018 9:17am

Brynlee Thousands Sibilant wrote: »

I disagree it is possible if you want to, and on that course.

So what do you do? Drop back... and then the person behind you fills that gap... so you drop back again... and again. The course is too crowded.

TriFirst · 09-10-2018 10:01am

mloc123 wrote: »

Almost every race is a draft fest now? Organisers do not care.... cycle laps with that volume of people, it is not possible to not draft.

I would be sympathetic towards this. When you have in excess of 2000 people cycling laps it is virtually impossible to not find yourself in a pack or constantly on someones wheel whether intentional or not.

TriFirst · 09-10-2018 10:04am

Well done to the three Irish women who bagged 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the 60-64 age group in Barcelona.

TheBazman · 09-10-2018 4:28pm

Did it as my first aswell. Finished in 10:38 which I was delighted with. Lost my goggles with around 1500m to go in the swim which made the rest of it interesting. Spent over 7 or 8 mins in T1 trying to sort my eyes out. The surface for the cycle was excellent - no climbs of note just one drag. Being honest I saw very little obvious, deliberate drafting or trains, however it was impossible with that amount of people on 2 loops not to cycle in groups a lot of the time. There was a couple of occasions when I was passed, slowed down a little, which means someone else would pass...and so on and so on. There was a lot of penalties handed out but it was fairly random. The run was tough going but saying that it wasnt particularly hot which helped. Such a buzz running up the red carpet - I walked the last 200 - 300m just before the finish to ensure I had enough energy to run down to the finish like a lunatic!

I think 2000 - 2500 would be more than enough on a course like that.

rodriquez · 10-10-2018 9:35am

Sunday was my first full distance too. Finished in 11:33 which was much better than I was expecting. I pressed the wrong button on my watch as I was trying to pick the right moment to get into the fairly lively looking sea at the start. The swim was an experience in itself

I did see some groups of bikes but it didn't appear to be the draft fest some people have described it as. I saw lots of motos patrolling the roads, they were even still out there on the last 10k of the bike.
I have to say it really is some buzz going up the red carpet for the first time, definitely a memory i'll have for a very long time

pgibbo · 10-10-2018 10:25am

mloc123 wrote: »

So what do you do? Drop back... and then the person behind you fills that gap... so you drop back again... and again. The course is too crowded.

Yes, that is what you do. I rode solo with no-one around me for very long periods at the weekend. I would say I had no-one within 50m of me for over 75% of the race. As Fran says it is possible.

Diego Murphy · 13-10-2018 7:07pm

pgibbo wrote: »

Yes, that is what you do. I rode solo with no-one around me for very long periods at the weekend. I would say I had no-one within 50m of me for over 75% of the race. As Fran says it is possible.

I agree. It can be a draft fest if you want it to be. I did have one peleton of about 25 that passed me at one stage, but other than that, from what I could see, ppl stayed pretty well spread.

I wanted to challenge myself in the spirit of the event, riding solo without drafting and it's very possible to do that. Unless you're looking to challenge for prizes,the ironman is very much a personal battle against yourself, so I don't really see the point in not going about it the right way. I really really enjoyed the event, as did many others that I met at it.

If I had one complaint, it would be the lack of lighting on the road out by the train track on the run. Running in complete darkness shouldn't happen. I can't imagine what it was like for ppl at the tail end of the event, running down there on their own.

TheBazman · 13-10-2018 8:48pm

Yeah quite a few people said it was very dark and quite lonely out there late on in the run.

Ironman Barcelona

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