Ironman Arizona vs. Ironman Lake Placid - A Comparison
I was recently asked by email what I thought of Ironman Arizona and specifically how it compares to Ironman Lake Placid. I spent a fair amount of time writing my thoughts on the matter so I figured I may as well share them here. If not for the email, I probably would never have given it much thought. I figure I may as well put them here for posterity. Who knows, maybe someone will come across them and find it helpful. So without further ado, here is my email response:
Dear Stacy -
IMAZ and IMLP have nothing in comparison other than the total distances of the swim, bike and run legs are the same. I will give you my recollections of the course, but keep in mind that the 2005 IMAZ was unusually windy; very windy in fact. IMAZ has little humidity; IMLP can have lots of it.
For IMAZ the morning in transition area will be completely dark. Bring a flashlight or you won't see anything by your bike or bags. IMLP will be bright enough for you to see without the aid of a flashlight.
The Swim -
The IMLP swim is much easier and faster. As you know Mirror Lake is crystal clear, calm and has a very convenient underwater buoy line for you to follow the entire distance.
IMAZ has the Tempe Town Lake, which the locals affectionately call the Tempe Town Ditch. It is murky brown from stirred up sediment and visibility is less than the length of your arm. If it is windy, the water can have a fair amount of chop. Sighting was more difficult. It is a single loop swim and the turn around can cost you time if you are not careful to swim towards the buoys accurately. The water didn't have a foul taste or bad odor. I really didn’t mind it. You do swim directly into the rising sun so sighting forward could be difficult.
The Bike -
I haven't been following the news on the plans for the IMAZ race course for 2006, but I understand it is to be significantly different from 2005. This year it was a 3 loop course, with a final shorter 4th loop to T2. For some reason, many people screwed up on the 4th loop (especially pros) and they were DQ'ed or had to head back from the run to complete the bike. No good scenery to speak of and almost completely flat. The city loop made you go through narrow sections where it was impossible to pass and you could easily find yourself drafting.
Because the course was stretched out into the desert, spectators were sparse once you left the city. The wind pushed you for half the bike and slowed you for the other half.
IMLP is hilly. It has many more spectators. You only have 1 chance for Bike special needs. If the IMAZ course remains the same, you will have several chances to get it.
I had a very fast bike split for IMAZ and beat my IMLP time by 20 minutes
The Run –
Both feature a two loop course. This is where the comparison ends. IMAZ was windy, dry and very dusty. You crossed a bridge over the Salt River and the wind wanted to knock you down and blow away your hat. Other sections the wind would want to fill your lungs with dirt and sand. The course had one respite through a nature preserve, which was sort of scenic and pleasant. Truth be told, I just wanted to survive and couldn’t have cared less about the scenery. There were a few short climbs along dusty trails that sucked.
IMLP is much hillier. It had many more spectators lined throughout. I probably would have done better at IMAZ if it weren’t for the wind and dust – again it was uncharacteristically windy according to the locals. The run was tough. My lungs hurt from the dust. My run at IMAZ was about 16 minutes slower.
Other General Comments –
IMAZ lacked the energy that surrounds Lake Placid. That could have been due to a combination of several factors:
It was in the middle of the spring instead of summer
It was warmer with little outdoor shade so maybe people stayed indoors.
It was the first time the race was held.
Training for IMAZ saw me spend a lot of time riding and running indoors. You are competing against all the local Southerners and Californians who have great year round weather. It will be tough to acclimate to IMAZ conditions training in NY.
I am not doing IMAZ again. That is mainly because I am trying to qualify for Kona and I am better off taking the shot for it at a race where I can prepare outdoors. It is too early in the year being on the East Coast to be competitive for me.
I had no trouble recovering after IMAZ and trained very well for Eagleman and IMLP. However, I am still not fully recovered from IMLP. I think that is more a result of having put out a much better race than I did at IMAZ. All I can say is that right now, I am glad I am not doing another Ironman. No way I felt like training for another such as Florida. This feeling may keep me from signing up for IMFL for next year. I’ve already signed up for IMLP 2006. Maybe its just that 2 IMs is enough for one year.
IMAZ wasn’t the greatest race around, but I didn’t hate it. The conditions made it unique and I am glad I did it. It wouldn’t be my first choice for my next Ironman though.
I am not sure if you saw my blog posting about IMAZ, but if you are interested, here is the link: http://runnyc.blogspot.com/2005/04/ironman-arizona.html
Well, thats all I have to say about that. I hope I answered your question. Let me know if you sign up.
Best regards,
Charles
Dear Stacy -
IMAZ and IMLP have nothing in comparison other than the total distances of the swim, bike and run legs are the same. I will give you my recollections of the course, but keep in mind that the 2005 IMAZ was unusually windy; very windy in fact. IMAZ has little humidity; IMLP can have lots of it.
For IMAZ the morning in transition area will be completely dark. Bring a flashlight or you won't see anything by your bike or bags. IMLP will be bright enough for you to see without the aid of a flashlight.
The Swim -
The IMLP swim is much easier and faster. As you know Mirror Lake is crystal clear, calm and has a very convenient underwater buoy line for you to follow the entire distance.
IMAZ has the Tempe Town Lake, which the locals affectionately call the Tempe Town Ditch. It is murky brown from stirred up sediment and visibility is less than the length of your arm. If it is windy, the water can have a fair amount of chop. Sighting was more difficult. It is a single loop swim and the turn around can cost you time if you are not careful to swim towards the buoys accurately. The water didn't have a foul taste or bad odor. I really didn’t mind it. You do swim directly into the rising sun so sighting forward could be difficult.
The Bike -
I haven't been following the news on the plans for the IMAZ race course for 2006, but I understand it is to be significantly different from 2005. This year it was a 3 loop course, with a final shorter 4th loop to T2. For some reason, many people screwed up on the 4th loop (especially pros) and they were DQ'ed or had to head back from the run to complete the bike. No good scenery to speak of and almost completely flat. The city loop made you go through narrow sections where it was impossible to pass and you could easily find yourself drafting.
Because the course was stretched out into the desert, spectators were sparse once you left the city. The wind pushed you for half the bike and slowed you for the other half.
IMLP is hilly. It has many more spectators. You only have 1 chance for Bike special needs. If the IMAZ course remains the same, you will have several chances to get it.
I had a very fast bike split for IMAZ and beat my IMLP time by 20 minutes
The Run –
Both feature a two loop course. This is where the comparison ends. IMAZ was windy, dry and very dusty. You crossed a bridge over the Salt River and the wind wanted to knock you down and blow away your hat. Other sections the wind would want to fill your lungs with dirt and sand. The course had one respite through a nature preserve, which was sort of scenic and pleasant. Truth be told, I just wanted to survive and couldn’t have cared less about the scenery. There were a few short climbs along dusty trails that sucked.
IMLP is much hillier. It had many more spectators lined throughout. I probably would have done better at IMAZ if it weren’t for the wind and dust – again it was uncharacteristically windy according to the locals. The run was tough. My lungs hurt from the dust. My run at IMAZ was about 16 minutes slower.
Other General Comments –
IMAZ lacked the energy that surrounds Lake Placid. That could have been due to a combination of several factors:
It was in the middle of the spring instead of summer
It was warmer with little outdoor shade so maybe people stayed indoors.
It was the first time the race was held.
Training for IMAZ saw me spend a lot of time riding and running indoors. You are competing against all the local Southerners and Californians who have great year round weather. It will be tough to acclimate to IMAZ conditions training in NY.
I am not doing IMAZ again. That is mainly because I am trying to qualify for Kona and I am better off taking the shot for it at a race where I can prepare outdoors. It is too early in the year being on the East Coast to be competitive for me.
I had no trouble recovering after IMAZ and trained very well for Eagleman and IMLP. However, I am still not fully recovered from IMLP. I think that is more a result of having put out a much better race than I did at IMAZ. All I can say is that right now, I am glad I am not doing another Ironman. No way I felt like training for another such as Florida. This feeling may keep me from signing up for IMFL for next year. I’ve already signed up for IMLP 2006. Maybe its just that 2 IMs is enough for one year.
IMAZ wasn’t the greatest race around, but I didn’t hate it. The conditions made it unique and I am glad I did it. It wouldn’t be my first choice for my next Ironman though.
I am not sure if you saw my blog posting about IMAZ, but if you are interested, here is the link: http://runnyc.blogspot.com/2005/04/ironman-arizona.html
Well, thats all I have to say about that. I hope I answered your question. Let me know if you sign up.
Best regards,
Charles
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