Description

Last week Bill and I were getting geared up for El Tour de Tucson and Ironman Arizona. Today we are going to give a first-hand report on the pro races at Ironman Arizona and do a recap of El Tour de Tucson.

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In Today's Show

• Feature Discussion
• • IM Race Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
• Endurance News
• • Ironman Arizona Race Report
  • El Tour de Tucson Recap
• What's new in the 303
• • How to Prepare Your Bike to Travel

Feature Discussion: IM Race Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

Swim DNF:

At IMAZ Sunday, approximately 150 athletes DNFd during the swim. The most common cause seemed to be hypothermia or simply being too uncomfortable in cold water to push through. The water temperature was a cool 60.8 degrees (mandatory wetsuit) and I admit that's approaching my limit for comfort.

Tips to Avoid Swim DNF:

1. Be a good swimmer. If you are swimming the Ironman distance you should be swimming at least 10K per week and preferably 15-20K. Your longest swim should be around 5K (longer than the 4.2K of IM).
2. Cold water exposure in the two weeks leading up to the race. This can be ice baths at home or properly supported cold open water with or without wetsuit as appropriate to be exposed to very cold water.
3. Have a good fitting long-sleeve wetsuit with a 5mm or thermal jersey
4. Neoprene cap that fits snugly but doesn't constrict airway (optional double cap)
5. Booties allowed at 65 degrees or colder
6. Vaseline for your face

Bike:

The two issues I observed this weekend were mounting and mechanical. Since this was Ironman and most people have their shoes on coming out of the changing tent, not to mention the soft grass surface of the transition area, most do not have the flying mount problem where you can't get your feet in the already clipped in shoes. Most of the near collisions were due to athletes still feeling wobbles from the swim.

One guy had his chain get caught I his rear derailer and he nearly made it worse by trying to ride on it.

Another had a flat the moment he rode out of T1. He had replaced his perfectly fine tubes with brand new ones the day before the race and apparently pinch flatted them. Billy and I helped him fix his flat. Shame.

Tips to Avoid a Bike Mount Disaster:

1. Practice mounts and dismounts
2. Practice change tubes
3. Shake out the bike setup at bike check in
4. If when an issue arises, take a deep breath and slow down

Run:

Chaffing - avoidable by using anti chaffing products, testing what you will be wearing on race day during race rehearsals and changing into clean and dry run gear in T2.

Dehydration - having practiced your nutrition several times before showing up on race day

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