IM Lanzarote 2023

She’ll be riding shotgun, something something hot sun…

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Well this is frustrating! Since retiring from Ironman last May I have continued my interest by stalking you lot but either I have been rumbled and you’ve all gone elsewhere or you’ve all joined me in retirement. I tend to take the view that if I know something everyone else must know it so rarely bother to offer anything but if no one is reading this I can say something obvious without embarrassment. So here goes! Have any of you guys (gals) invested in a sweat test? I only ask because I did one last year and it turned out that for years I had significantly underestimated the amount of electrolytes I needed to consume throughout the day. Bottom line is that I increased the amounts almost 4 fold and its the first time I got around the course without cramping. Its a fairly simple one-off test (£120 though), and the results last a lifetime so you young ones can benefit time and time again without subsequent testing. Well that’s my contribution. Thanks for the journey so far - please may it continue.

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IM Lanzarote is certainly designed to make you sweat! One of the hotels on the run course does a lovely salty chicken soup that they hand out to the stragglers.

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Always considered it but never got round to it. But I don’t really suffer from cramp so maybe less to gain.

My last 2 times were 17;32 and 16:38 which puts me well into ‘straggler’ territory - never saw any salty chicken soup though :frowning:

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Those 14 and 15 hour guys probably wolfed it all

Any beer? :thinking::yum:

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I managed to take the top of a pint about 12:30 but the thought of my bed overcame any thoughts about enjoying the night further. I’d only missed my PB by 3 hours so I decided to celebrate later.:slight_smile:

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Never saw the soup at Lanza but did at Switzerland that was lush. Made the big mistake of trying Red Bull at about mile 20 …….awful stuff …….never doing that again

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I remember my first in 2009 and being slow enough to experience the soup :slight_smile: Its was outside San Antonio and well appreciated. I was staying there and the folllowing day I got a free beer for finishing the race. I too have also made the red bull mistake and will not be making it again…

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I did. But. Outside assistance innit.

:sweat_smile:

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I think the ring with red bull is that you have to get it in early on

I tried it this year late on in Bolton and it was awful. I then tried to flip that in Tenby and actually chugged down a 500ml bottle of flat Monster. After that I then went for one cup of red bull each lap, didn’t help mind, I was still shit :rofl:

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Yup and worth any penalty :slight_smile:

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25 years ago, in 1997, Peter Reid won IM Lanzarote in a time of 08:55:25, this year, Kenneth Vandendriessche was just 16 minutes faster in 8hrs 39 mins. Considering all the advances in equipment, nutrition and training over those 25 years, 16 minutes does not seem much of a gain, and when you compare this to Hawaii; it becomes clearer. In 1997 Thomas Hellriegel finished Kona in a time of 08:33:01, and last week Gustav Iden, took Gold in a time of 7:40:24 – over 52 minutes faster than 1997! The changes to the course in Lanzarote over the years have made it much safer, particularly the move to all closed roads, but this has also increased the amount of climbing required and the increased exposure to the prevailing winds, and I really think that the prevailing winds are consistently stronger than they were 25 years ago as well.
It just makes me feel proud to have taken on this challenge. It was dubbed the toughest 25 years ago and is not giving up that title without a fight. I suppose it’s why we love the Island and keep coming back.

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don,t think you can compare times as the course has changed ( lanzarote) a great deal over the last few years

as for the challenge the actual course @ lanza old or new is tougher than kona (IMO)

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Just had a email saying there is no finisher jersey this year and instead there will be a cycling jersey. You can still by a name jersey but it’s another €25 slightly disappointed :cry:

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Thats different ,thought you also had the option to have a tree planted instead of finisher T shirt also

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I’ve never been a big fan of the polyester polo shirts that they usually give finishers. They always remind me of something you would play darts in :roll_eyes:.

I would prefer either a technical t-shirt that you could train in or a nice cotton t-shirt.

I wouldn’t be opposed to a finisher’s bike jersey, as long as it’s not a badly fitted piece of cheap tat

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Planting a tree is all well and good, but everyone got on a plane to get to Lanza.

I’m not sure Greta’s buying it :grinning:

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Lol
How our words come back to haunt us !

Cymru am byth !

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Whenever I wear my 2019 Lanza finisher shirt I always say it’s my darts player top. It’s horrific and never leaves the house.

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