Ironman anyone?

[sulgrifjewls]

Hello,
I don't know what I was thinking but I signed up for Lake Placid Ironman July 22, 2012.
Here lies the problem.
I am a not particularly athletic middle aged woman. Yes I have run a marathon, biked a century ride and like to swim, I also have completed 1/2 ironman and many shorter distances.... but that was before....
Does anyone know of an ironman who would be willing to talk to me about their journey?
I called Shared Solution about peer recourses, and I spoke with a very nice woman who had completed an Olympic distance but walked the entire run. ( but I would never make 17 hour cut off time walking 26.2 miles)
Also she registered as a pc athlete. Ok have this recurring dream/nightmare I get a flat at like mile 100 and my left hand to too weak to change my tire and someone helps me and I am disqualified.
Before I commit to really training I guess I have to believe that it is possible. Yeah I am already $$$ commited, registration, new tri bike and a rental house in Lake Placid for my family.
Sorry about the long post. It is my first!
Thanks
Jill

[ActiveMSers]

Good timing, Jill—I have just the mentor, although she doesn't have MS. She's pretty fast (9:29 in Kona) and excited to help ActiveMSers. And if that time looks shocking, yeah she's a full-on pro and one of the fastest Americans. Look for an announcement in our next newsletter and here on the forums soon.

In the meantime, I know there are folks here who compete in elite races, but they may not read this right away because they are probably out training. Stay tuned!

[AMFADVENTURES]

Wow, that is really cool Jill, I hope you go for it and I hope you chronicle your training here or somewhere, I'd love to follow it.

I don't know any MSers who've done an Ironman but I do know a paraplegic who does it. She's a professional cyclist who got hit by a car and now she uses an assortment of wheel chairs and hand cycles. I see her out on the trails now and then. If you're interested, you can read about her latest endeavor and the rest of her story here:
http://www.trishdowning.com/win-lose/

Good Luck, I really admire you for even thinking about that,

[Stella]

Hi Jill,

I have to agree with Larry that I would like to follow your progress. That is very admirable and it shows a lot of determination and positivity. You know what they say, the mind is very powerful. If you set your mind to it. You can't go wrong. Please keep us updated on your progress and how things go.

All the best,

Stella

[banshee]

Hi Jill,

I am going to do my first IM in about 2 weeks - IM Cozumel. Getting the pre-race jitters! I'd be happy to talk with you about my experience so far. Just PM me.

Jim

[banshee]

Jill - forgot to mention something that may help with your "nightmare" on the bike. You may want to think about running tubulars and carry something like fast*air.

That way you don't have to take the tube off of the rim if you flat.

Jim

[sulgrifjewls]

Thanks Jim, I already carry fast air. I wasn't sure what a tubular tire was so I just watched a youtube video and it didn't look any easier! (Did you know you can watch just about anything on youtube)
9 days left for you.
Good Luck
Jill

[khwilliamson]

Ironman anyone?

Hi Jill,
Congrats on taking on an Ironman! It will be an awesome journey for you. As Dave mentioned, I have been racing triathlons since 2002 but just doing Ironman since 2010. That said, I have done 4 and I will do my 5th one this Sunday. I am more than happy to answer any questions that you may have. The one thing I would recommend if this is entirely new to you is thinking about getting some guidance of some sort, a coach, etc; that way, you can get a 'plan of action' into place, see a logical progression of what your training will entail, and more easily wrap your head around what you'll have ahead of you the next 6-9 months. There are many coaches out there who have guided many people through these races; let someone else do all the thinking about getting you ready, and you just implement! I am new to these forums, but I am happy to answer any questions you have. Free free to PM me. (I think that is 'personal message'?) If that does not work then I'll get you my email address. I will say, it sounds extremely daunting, but with adequate and carefully planned preparation, you can tackle the distance; it is just a long swim, bike & run, with a lot of aid stations along the way.
Best,
Kelly

[sulgrifjewls]

Thanks Kelly,
I think I have a coach lined up. The Tri club I belong to had a " speed coaching" night. All the local coaches were invited to say a few words about themselves and then I got to spend a few minutes with whichever coach I thought would be a good fit for me. Interestingly enough the one coach I liked, who just did Kona, sister has MS.
Thanks and Good Luck Sunday.
Jill

[khwilliamson]

Hi Jill,
Good to hear! Good luck with your training program. It sounds like a good match with your coach. If you have any questions specifically on Ironman racing (or triathlon in general), feel free to shoot me a line [contact info moved to Member's Only forum to prevent spammers--Dave]... and I am happy to help you out in any way that I can. I think you'll love Lake Placid. It's one I would love to do one year... beautiful, hilly and challenging but also really great spectator support from what I hear.
Take care and happy holidays,
Kelly