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Advice for Powerman AL

whineyass

Mar 24, 04 8:58

Post #1 of 9 (145 views)

Advice for Powerman AL	Can't Post

so i'm headin' to Powerman AL this weekend and have a few questions for you guys and gals. i'm a relative tri-newbie (several sprints and gulf coast) and have completed one duathlon. i'm treating this as a glorified brick workout.

1. any advice on the course? have heard to expect hills on both run and bike, along with some wind. weather should be nice, so....

2. clothing? it will probably be pretty chilly and i am planning on wearing LG tri shorts--the top clothing is still undecided. this is due to the fact that i can't run comfortably in a cycling jersey b/c the waist starts riding up my torso. i don't own a trisuit or tri-tank, although a tri-tank and long sleeves under it might be good. i do own an under armour long sleeve jersey that i wear under bib shorts on chilly rides. any ideas/suggestions.?

3. any good places to eat? i was in birmingham for the olympic trial weekend and saw the usual array of restaurants.

AR

Mar 24, 04 9:13

Post #2 of 9 (141 views)

Re: Advice for Powerman AL [whineyass] [In reply to]	Can't Post

1. I've heard about the hills as well, but apparently not as bad as Powerman TN (whew)

2. Chilly? Last time I checked the lows were to be in the high 50's and highs in the upper 70's....that's just about perfect.

3. No help there, as I don't know B'ham that well.

Good luck, see you there.

Andy

whineyass

Mar 24, 04 9:19

Post #3 of 9 (134 views)

Re: Advice for Powerman AL [Andrew_R] [In reply to]	Can't Post

2. Chilly? Last time I checked the lows were to be in the high 50's and highs in the upper 70's....that's just about perfect.

hey, i didn't get my nickname just for my looks. actually, you're right--the weather will be great. i'm just looking for something that won't force me to take too many layers off (being a triathlete, i'm looking for efficiency here--at least that's what my IM friends tell me). there will probably be quite a difference in temps btwn first and 2nd runs. i was just checking to see if any of the vets had any tricks.

AR

Mar 24, 04 9:24

Post #4 of 9 (130 views)

Re: Advice for Powerman AL [whineyass] [In reply to]	Can't Post

Definitely will be pretty warm come the second run. I would rather be a little cool than too hot though; 50's is perfect shorts/tank weather (to me at least). You could always wear under armour over your top, and then peel it at T1 or even T2. Just a thought. Good luck.

Andy

Dudaddy

Mar 24, 04 9:27

Post #5 of 9 (128 views)

Re: Advice for Powerman AL [whineyass] [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi there,

I envy your going to PM Al. I just couldnt swing it this year.

A good tip is to wear arm warmers during the race, they are easy to take off if you heat up. Another thing I do if the temps are questionable is to wear a short sleeve cycling jersey instead of a singlet to race in. Id rather be a tad warm than cold on the bike. You can always zip or unzip it depending on the weather.

Good luck!

efernand

Mar 24, 04 9:36

Post #6 of 9 (116 views)

Re: Advice for Powerman AL [whineyass] [In reply to]	Can't Post

Check out my comments in this thread.

Basically, both run and bike courses are hilly, relatively speaking. About 320 ft of climbing each run, and 2200 ft on the bike. It was pretty windy and cold last year.

Bring everything you have, and decide race morning. Arm and knee/leg warmers work well, as does a vest for the bike.

There are a number of food choices right near the race site. Lots of BBQ. ;-) I have been going to the Italian Villa the last few years. Top flight Italian. It's a little on the spendy side though.

DB

Mar 24, 04 10:13

Post #7 of 9 (102 views)

Re: Advice for Powerman AL [whineyass] [In reply to]	Can't Post

It's a good race.

From the other postings, it sounds like the weather will be nice this weekend but bring some warmer clothes just in case. I raced there in 2001 and just about froze prior to the start. Definitely have arm warmers just in case.

Also, the wind was gusty enough to force me to ride my bullhorns almost the whole time (I am light and was riding rev-x's -- I can't imagine what a disc would have been like that day). The windiest spots are when you ride over overpasses and the wind whips through the tree "tunnels."

As mentioned, the course is hilly, partciuarly on that one climb that goes by the cemetary. I didn't really notice the hills as much on the run, but others have.

-Dave

scox43

Mar 24, 04 11:31

Post #8 of 9 (79 views)

Re: Advice for Powerman AL [DB] [In reply to]	Can't Post

It has been very very windy here for the last two weeks and I would expect it to continue this weekend. Last year's race winds hindered your ability to generate high speeds on the downhills, which made the climbs seem even harder. If you can tolerate the mild temperatures, avoid extra clothing like cycling jackets. They act like parachutes in the high winds.

Weather today is in the 70's. You'll be plenty warm coming off the run even if its in the low 60's Saturday w/ just a race jersey and shorts. But, just like everyone else has commented, come prepared w/ arm warmers or lightweight windbreaker and make the call race morning.

There are no flat sections on the bike route. You're either climbing or going downhill. There is a significant climb after the 1st bike turnaround and a bottle exchange after the 2nd bike turnaround. There are two bike turnarounds on each of the two loops of the bike route.

The run is also a two lapper, with two significant hills. There are aid stations at the crest of each hill. Numerous non-elite athletes walked those aid stations to catch their breath from the hill they just traversed and then picked up running again.

I can not stress enough how heavily marshalled this event is. After last year's race, a big list was posted on the wall and due to its lenght, everyone though it was the race results. It wasn't, it was a penalty list. Pay very close attention to the cycling rules. Apparently, some of the volunteers were empowered to record rule infractions, not just the motorcycle marshal. So, pay attention to your the cycling rules and you'll enjoy the race.

The event is at the dog track on the outskirts of town. There is hot food available after the race for athletes provided by the race director. Nice race packet and shirt last year. Good Luck.

j p o

Mar 24, 04 13:25

Post #9 of 9 (45 views)

Re: Advice for Powerman AL [whineyass] [In reply to]	Can't Post

"1. any advice on the course? have heard to expect hills on both run and bike, along with some wind. weather should be nice, so.... "

There are definitely hills on the course. As a relative newbie, if you have the option you'll probably appreciate having a 25 ( or possibly even a 27 but 25 worked well for my climbing challenged wife lsat year) tooth cog on the back.

I knocked 15 minutes off my ride in 2003 from 2002 by concentrating on going faster when I was going slow. Meaning, I put more effort into keeping my pace up while climbing and less effort in seeing how fast I could go on the downhills. If you can keep your slowest speed at 12 mph instead of 8 mph you'll gain a lot more time than having your top speed at 52 mph instead of 44 mph.