Obsessive compulsive analysis? Picking apart the Syracuse race course -the swim

My eyes are set on the Syracuse 70.3 Ironman event on June 22nd

This race favors an athlete such as my self because of the bike profile.  

From Ironman.com: 

The race begins in Jamesville Reservoir, where athletes will complete a 1.2-mile, single-loop swim. The 56-mile bike course winds through the Highland Forest recreational area, taking athletes through the picturesque, rolling countryside of Onondaga, Madison, and Cortland counties. Athletes will finish their race with a 13.1-mile run in and out of Jamesville Beach County Park, offering plenty of shade to accompany the challenging rolling hills. 

THE SWIM:

The swim course takes place in the Jamesville Reservoir just south of Syracuse. It is in a reservoir -that's a good thing.  Water should be calm and flat.  

Satellite image of the reservoir

According to the Fueled by Iron blog,  there is a 150-200m uphill run from the swim out to transition.  I've also read there can be vegetation around the coastline, which can slow the swim.  

The race packet from last year has the swim direction and buoy location laid out like below.  My only question is, it looks like the compass rose on the bottom right of the reservoir diagram doesn't match the satellite /maps image of the reservoir layout, which has the length of the water going south to north rather than east to west.  Not a big deal, I don't think.  

I also gathered from the Tri Banter Blog that the swimmers are released in waves and the bumping, kicking and punching is minimal.  

So, all in all, as far as swims go, this one doesn't look too bad. 

Next time: The Bike...

It's a numbers game

Like most athletes, I am obsessed with numbers.

Power, heart rate, speed, calories...it all adds up to a faster overall time.

In my opinion, cycling power can have the largest influence on overall time in a triathlon.  Power is the numeric value assigned to the amount of watts generated by the rider over a given amount of time.

You can be a slow swimmer, a mediocre runner and a killer cyclist and still place well overall because when compared to the swim and the run, the bike section of a triathlon is the longest.  It is therefore easier to 'take back' time with a faster bike (or by improving your average speed on the bike) than it is by improving your swim or run time.  This is because as a percentage of the entirety of the race, the bike is the largest so to improve you bike speed, you're improving the longest of the three times.

To be ultra-competitive, you want to be strong in all three disciplines...and trust me, I give equal attention to all three (just ask my coach).   BUT, to whittle down the most time, one need look no further than the bike.

Yep, that's me.

I did an FTP test about two weeks ago  (Functional Threshold Power -the maximum amount of power one can maintain over a given time.) to see where I am compared to where I need to be.  -the video of that painful session is below.

At the end of the torture, you're left with two numbers of importance.  Your watt output (power) and your watts per kilogram.  Being able to produce big wattage numbers is great -even better on a flat bike course.  Syracuse is not flat. It's hilly, which suits me because I enjoy climbing.  That's where the second number comes in.

If you can put out more power than I can, yet you weigh more, there is a good chance I will pass you on the hills because my watts/kilogram number is higher.  In preparation for Syracuse, I need to focus on getting this number up.  How?  There are two ways.  Increase my power or decrease my weight.

I plan on a little of both.

Bike course elevation profile at Syracuse

Weight lost (I'm about 15 lbs over my race weight)
Power -training to increase my threshold power (I'd like to increase my FTP by 10-20 watts.)

The combination will increase my watts/kilogram and therefore my overall speed during the bike section of the race.

My next FTP test (six weeks from the first) should indicate whether I'm headed in the right direction.  Only time will tell.

YTD training summary

Quick catch-up...

Tasty first breakfast. Yum!

Been busy so far this year. A quick overview of the training preparing for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship...

Jan 1: 9 mile trail run -areo base building pace, stretch, core
Jan 2: Swim 3400 yards in the pool, stretch, core
Jan 3: off -woohoo!, stretch
Jan 4: Bike -lactate threshold intervals...ouch (on the indoor trainer) one hour, stretch, core
Jan 5: Run ~ 6 miles, stretch, core
Jan 6: Off (not scheduled)
Jan 7: Swim: 2275, Bike (at my coach's facility -KET) 1:06, resistance training
Jan 8: Run 8 miles, stretch, core
Jan 9: Resistance training
Jan 10: Swim: 2475 yards, Bike 1:00, stretch, core
Jan 11: Bike 2:00 -Threshold intervals + aero base, stretch, core
Jan 12: Run 45:00 intervals, Bike 1:00 aero base (on the indoor trainer), stretch, core

Current!

If you didn't notice, stretching and core work are a staple in virtually all my workouts.  There is a good reason for this...to be explained later.

Videos to watch.

Me taking a FTP test (30 minutes of pure pain to see where I am when it comes to power on the bike)

Hill Repeats...with a tire

There are some other entertaining ones on my channel as well.

More soon.

So it begins...

I'm a few days late -9 if you're one of those OCD folks- with my first post of 2014 (ever on this blog, actually) but as they say, better late than never.

My goal -the point of it all -this blog, the videos, the races, everything, is to show my daughters that with a little perseverance, a lot of hard work and the support of those you care about, great things can happen.

I am a triathlete.  Don't believe me?  Ask my coach! It's true.

I have one goal for next year as a triathlete; to compete in the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Mont-Tremblant,Quebec, Canada.  That is THE goal.  

To get there, I must qualify.  To qualify, I must compete in other events and train like it's going out of style.  I must also come up with sponsors to help pay for these events.   If you don't know, being a triathlete can get expensive...fast! Unfortunately, I am not an heir to Lord Grantham of Dowton Abbey fame.  I work a full-time job -plus I'm a writer ...a busy guy to say the least.






Here I shall chronicle my journey.  Training, hunt for sponsors, race prep, post race reports, videos, photos...the works.

Stay tuned....here I go!

Can anyone guess where I first heard the phrase, Delusions of Grandeur?  

(Interesting article)

Mont-Tremblant to Host IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship