You've signed up for your first IRONMAN triathon!? Where do you stay!?

There's been a lot of discussion had about where's the best place to stay for an IRONMAN event.

After racing 5 (don't forget the 2014 TX DNF), I have a few tricks up my sleeve I'd recommend.  Next to training, travel and lodging can be the next biggest stressor or relief to your big race.

I've been to CA for IM Lake Tahoe, TX for IM TX, Chattanooga for IM Choo, Boulder for IM Boulder and Panama City Beach for IM FL.  Not to mention several half IM events out of town as well.  Each trip has been unique in who went with me and the requirements of each home base.  Lets just say I have a wide breathe of experience to draw on to recommend ways to find a place to stay, specifically at the races I have been to or guidelines in general.

General Guidelines

Things to consider.

• How many people?
• Going to cram 10 people in a place that says it can fit 10, but using air mattresses and fold out beds?
• Adults vs kids?
• Sometimes adults want their own space.  Aunt or grandparent coming with? Do they want to bunk up with the kiddos or their own room?  Ask everyone what their preference is so they're not making you miserable complaining.
• Kids in separate room?
• Again... tweenies and toddlers are completely different animals.  Can you stand your teenage kid sitting on top of each other while you're stressing over race logistics?
• Age of kids? 
• Toddlers, teenagers, tweenies, infants... that all have their special requirements and you may not want them near you for extended periods of time.  Paying for more space may be worth it in the long run.
• Bathrooms?
• Nothing worse than coming back after the event and YOU NEED TO GO and Grandma is washing her dentures in the 1 bathroom for 10 people.
• Rooms in general
• Consider if you're getting up early for last minute workouts or race day, some consideration for those not getting up at 3:30am would be wise. 
• Distance to race venue / check in / etc
• If it's a 50 minute hike to drop gear, bikes and check in... that time will eat up any free time you thought you had.
•  Consider the race host hotel
• Yes, generally it's more costly, but if you have a group with you, consider their time that can be saved commuting around tracking you down when they can roll out to the start, transition and finish area.
• Also consider if the race has multiple transitions, different start than finish, etc.  Do you want to be near the start or finish line?  Typically events arrange for you to park at the finish and transport you to the start.  If you have people with you, it may be flexible.
•  Consider renting out houses with multiple resources these days.
• Sure, there are options like Choice Hotels for the standard hotel, but you'll have to work out food and the like without a full kitchen to work with.  Plus less flexibility on space if you have multiple people going.
• Consider VRBO.com for a great option.
• Tips - check out renter reviews.  Obviously the more the better.
• Prices shown on initial search may be lower when you click down to each property.
• Consider cleaning fees that may drive the price up.
• Better chance of getting spot on run course for spectators to watch racers run by over and over.  Can't tell you how awesome it was to run by my family at IM FL 4 times for a pick me up.
•  Get on it early.  The choice spots go fast.
• On a budget?  The worst feeling in the world is trying to get ready for a big race and you cheaped out and picked to share a house with randoms and you don't feel relaxed ANYWHERE besides starbucks or McDonalds.  $50 bucks extra for a night in a nice hotel the day before can be a difference maker.  Take my word for it.
• Do some homework.  If there's a convenient route to the race parking, odds are 2500 other athletes have the same idea.  Literally hours could be saved sitting in traffic waiting to park and stressing out if you found a maybe longer, but less traveled route to the race.  Air BNB and VRBO are great for housing options near events that provide a direct route bypassing high traffic routes.  Take that into consideration when picking a location.

IRONMAN FLORIDA RECOMMENDATIONS

Stay close to the host hotel/condo.  There are SEVERAL options from 1 to 10 people at VRBO and several hotels.  We stayed in a house on the run course, which was great, but parking to get to the start and finish was a pain for my family and we'd recommend staying within walking distance to the start and finish avoiding having to cross any routes of the race, bike or run.

I would recommend staying south of Thomas street and depending if you have kids in the group, staying within walking distance is best to allow easy coming and going and letting the kids play at the beach and being able to walk back and forth to home base.

IRONMAN CHATTANOOGA RECOMMENDATIONS

In 2014 I went alone and stayed at a hotel 15 minutes from transition.  It worked out well.  Traffic wasn't much of an issue.  I did have to pay for parking, but there was a lot to choose from.  It worked for a lone traveler.  The route off the highway was direct into IM village and transition.  Easy peasy.

If I end up there with a family, I'd recommend looking at the host hotel or one of many houses along the run route.  Most locations are walkable to transition without the need to drive around.  Plan to stay close with a group or even stay within the downtown area for loners or small groups.

Honestly it might be worth the cash to stay on the south side of the river near downtown to stay within walking distance to transition.  You'll see athletes at each transition and very close by for run turn arounds and the finish.  It makes for a great home base.  Next best option is north of the river on the run course to be able to walk the bridge back to the finish line and transition area.

IRONMAN BOULDER RECOMMENDATIONS

Unless you want to fork out some dough to stay in a house near the Rez, you'll be staying somewhere where you have to drive to the start.  The half IM is a one transition race while the full starts at the Rez and T2 is at the high school near downtown.  Staying downtown at least gives you access to more options to stay.  Near the Rez you will have a drive to get back after the race and looking at crossing at least the bike route.

The perk with Boulder full IM is that run is contained within the paved trail system with minimal impact to traffic.  On the flip side the half is all on the roads around the Rez and access to parking is open due to allowing bikes to leave through a back door trail system.  Coming and going is pretty easy minus crossing traffic to get to the access road to the Rez.  Really, don't plan on leaving the Rez for the half.  Driving to and from downtown for parking and spectating is not hugely impacted.  That being said, it's always nice to walk, but you'll be driving to park and ride to the Rez to watch the start and T1.  Athletes and spectators are encouraged to park by the high school and ride buses to the Rez for the start for the full.

For the half I'd suggest looking to the east and immediately south to make a quick entry and exit to race site.

For the full, I'd recommend looking near T2 and the finish line.  You are encouraged to ride the shuttle that leaves from the high school, so proximity to the Rez is not really as important.

Always, if you have places to stay for free, you can't beat that.  I stayed in south Denver with in-laws and drove to Boulder when I raced IM Boulder in 2015.  It was an hour drive each way and coming back was brutal, but I saved bank having somewhere to stay for free and with people I knew and trusted.  It worked, but was a little bit of a stress to drive around so much.

Thanks for reading!  As always if you found this post helpful, please share on social media, email the link, etc.

I also have groups for separate events where I post specific tips for each race since I have raced them and have a decent amount of experience with each venue.

IM CHATTANOOGA 70.3 and 144.6 --> https://www.facebook.com/groups/154018848532000/
IM BOULDER 70.3 and 140.6 --> https://www.facebook.com/groups/1533666713416165/
IM FLORIDA --> https://www.facebook.com/groups/1975094579431071/

2017 IRONMAN FLORIDA RACE REPORT // 11/4/17 // #IMFL #IMFL2017

Well, hello there! Welcome to my latest long awaited post, 2017 IRONMAN Florida race recap!

It was a long time in the making.  Sign up started with a conversation of combining a race and my wife and I's 10 year anniversary trip.  We came up with Florida as she loves beaches and warm weather and Florida is a very flat course.

On the family side it made good sense.  We brought the kids, my mom and aunt and uncle to help with the 3 kiddos during race week and we were sending them all back home while the wife and I headed to Key West for some kid-less R&R.

Basically for a year my training focus was IM Florida.  I had Boulder 70.3 in there and some other races, but it was all organized around the race on my schedule (and around the normal work and family life).

My original goals were lofty.  I averaged the past 10 years of age group winners for the race to come up with a 9:09:18 finish time if I wanted to sniff Kona.  Lofty indeed.  I knew the swim was getting there, my stand alone run was very good, but the bike still needed work.

After going through the year, training, working and doing life, I realized it was going to be a tall order to get to those splits without major sacrifice like losing my job or getting divorced.  I dialed it back looking for a sub 10 time, since after all I reached 5:01 for Boulder 70.3 and my IM PR was 11:48 at Choo which in theory is a tougher course.  I figured my run form was much improved, swim was much improved and the bike was coming along, especially with the new QR PR SIX in August.

Flash forward to some extensive traveling for work and a family trip the weekend before the race, and it's easy to see that the best laid plans have to be modified.

ARRIVAL

It's hot in Panama City Beach.  KC was hitting lows in the 30's and highs in the 50's and we arrived to 80's and higher humidity.  I expected that, but it's still eye opening to experience it.

I was ecstatic that everything fell into order as far as getting everyone there and all of my gear making it.  The only issue I had was the zippers on my QR bike bag broke under normal use since they were not exactly heavy duty.  Small potatoes.

Small travelers took it in stride!

This was all after an Austin road trip the weekend before the race and jamming in trick-or-treating around the hood.  It was exhausting, but you can't bail on life events!

There was nothing too extreme in the days leading up to the race.  A couple workouts, gear and bike check ins and trips to the beaches.  Obviously it was warmer and more humid, but nothing that really sticks out.

Speaking of gear transport, special shout out to TriBikeTransport for another no issue bike and gear bag delivery.  I've heard the horror stories, but I dropped my bike and bag off the weekend before and got my bike back 3 days after the race.  No issues.  No damage.  No hassles!  So far I have used them for 2014 IRONMAN Lake Tahoe and 2017 IRONMAN Florida.  They keep earning my business for sure.

Drop off in KC.

Pick up at Panama City Beach.

THE SWIM // 1:10:24 // 1:49 per 100m pace

First open water swim in the ocean for a race.  I was anxious to see if my training would get me through the swim since I do not have much access to open water, let alone salt water.  Pretty much all swimming was done in the pool with focused workouts and swim gear to build strength, and it paid off.

The water was pretty calm, but there were waves to swim past to get to the turn around and I drank a lot of salt water.  The rolling start aided in spreading swimmers out, but I still got kicked in the head and grabbed by the feet... a lot.  Comes with the territory.

One trick I'd recommend is a pepto tab before the swim.  It coats the stomach and kept me from feeling like yakking from salt water ingestion.

THE BIKE // 5:51:08 // 19.1 mph

The good, the bad and the ugly.

This is where I knew I was going to face up to the fact I was lacking in the training to get me to anywhere near a 10 hour IM.  I utilized the time I could, but there's just not enough hours in the week.  Yes, I did miss some days opting for sleep instead of getting up and burning the candle at both ends.  You could argue better to be healthy than tired and weak immune system.

Lets also recognize that averaging 19 mph on any IM bike course isn't shabby compared to what time I had to work with for training.  Highest mileage day was 40 miles indoors before family got up and 40 more outside after activities for the kids.  It's not ideal, but it gets the job done and I'm still married and my kids don't hate me for never being home on the weekends.

THE RUN // 5:12:08 // 11:54 min/mile

This is where the wheels fell off.  As much as I could, I tried to jam water in, but it really caught me at mile 8.  Hot, humid and after 2.4 miles in the water and 112 on the bike, my stomach, head and muscles were not having it.

I walked miles 11 through 19.  There was some hustling here and there, but at any onset of nausea, cramps or light headedness, back to walking.  I was not interested in a DNF like Texas after I drug the family to this race.

So much of me wanted to quit, hang up the IM mantle, drop coaching and just go back to being a non-triathlete.  So many people with good intentions trying to motivate me only got the drop dead stare and not much of my appreciation.

It does put it into perspective when you complain about being 7 miles out and someone was on loop 1 with 15 miles to go.  I also felt very selfish for being upset with the train wreck my ideal race had become considering the family that came with me and the excitement they had to watch.  I figured they didn't really want to hear me bitching at the finish lines about having a sucky race.

Somehow when the sun went down at mile 19, I found some shuffling techniques to get me done faster.  It was not pretty.  It was not fun.  But, it got me there.

I can do this.

I'm done.

Rally caps

AAAAAANNNNDDD I'M DONE // 12:30:13

Not an IM PR for me.

It is a PR for having 3 kids and both my wife and I work demanding full time jobs.  You have to look at the end game through two lenses.  No, I didn't sniff a 10 hr IM, but looking at everything going on, 12:30 isn't a joke or a fluke.

DON'T FORGET RECOVERY

What's better than escaping Kansas in November for Florida beaches?  10 year anniversary with the wife in Key West for a few days.

If you can, I highly recommend some R and R days built into the end if you can send the family home early.  Key West worked well since you walk or ride a bike everywhere.  Mix in some jet ski fun and jelly fish stings on a snorkel trip and you have a great recovery trip.

And, you can't have an IRONMAN without a gluttoness moment...

TIPS FOR FUTURE RACERS

Don't mess with hassling with a cramped car.  Even if you don't bring a van full, rent a minivan.  They aren't sexy, but they make life a lot easier.

If you bring the family, consider the host hotel or something close.  We had good parking, but it was around 3 miles away from where we stayed and it was a challenge for my Sherpa crew to get back and forth from start and finish lines.

Get there first day for check in to avoid the lines.  It was hot and sunny and in no way would I have wanted to stand in line for athlete check in.

Don't buy into the whole "IM Florida is flat and a PR dream".  It is flat, but from start to finish I had to pedal with little coasting with a 5 to 10 mph breeze that changes direction.  After 112 miles it gets old.  Power power power.  Develop your power and prepare to hold it for 112 miles for your best bike split.

It's hot and humid.  I tried to cram as much water as I could on the bike, but after a while it just sits there.  In retrospect I should have traded some runs for bike rides and walked aid stations at the start of the run to get water and digest it.  Mile 10 I could tell I wasn't getting it in and it was just sloshing in the stomach.  Mile 11 to 19ish it was a crap show of walking, light headedness and near cramps.  Best laid plans were derailed and I opted to not run myself into the ground and salvage a decent finish.

IRONMAN Florida 2017 - you have to have goals!