gadget

Drafting is always an issue as with the 10m rule it is the front guy's front wheel to the back guy's back wheel - so +/- 7m or 4 bike lengths between them. There has been many studies on the "drafting" advantage you get from staying within the rules and the consensus is that it it between 10W-15W. Thus the pace lines in the pro fields. Now anyone with a powermeter will know riding 10-15W higher at an Ironman takes quite a bit more effort. The best real time case study of this is Kyle Buckingham vs the Pros at Kona 2013. Similar Watts and similar VI equalled 20 minutes slower for Kyle, or similar bike time equalled 20W more for Kyle. Advantage of the pace line...

+1 one on on the Vendetta from Xterra. Best (read ONLY) after sale service you'll get.

An idea is to go for a retul fit. What they can do is recommend bikes that will fit your body. It is (I'm guessing) R1000 for a fit, but at least the bike you buy is the correct one.

I never wear the T-shirts, but gave mine to a supporter who was freezing in the rain while I was making my way to a hot shower. Not a fan of finisher T shirts in principle, but quite like some of the Mountain Biking finishe jackets (sani etc). The golden rule here is the simpler the better. A small reference to the race and "finisher" is enough. Not screaming "look what I did!!!" Having said that, I quite enjoyed stopping next to a bakkie in Riviersonderend and 3 old balies got out all proudly wearing their T shirts on Monday.

Did anyone get sick after the race? I know of at least 5 people who were man-down after the event (includes 2 Pros and 2 podium AGers).

I have them too. I am quite a bit faster than Garfield on the run, so I guess they work. In all seriousness. They are not a company with big budgets, so won't pay athletes to use their stuff. The current Tour de France and Ironman Kona champ uses them. They work for me as well. I have them on TT and road bike. Edit: Just to make sure everyone understands: I'm MUCH faster than Garfield...

Google the telephone number. Makes for interesting reading But none of my business. Glad he made the sale. *Troll off*

At full ironman you have an additional 2 bags for the special needs tables. One for the bike and one for the run. Here you can store extra nutrition, or a top if you are planning to run late. However, you lose what you don't use - you can't go after the race to pick it up. ITO transition. Everything that can be attached to your bike stays with the bike. Helmet, sunnies etc stays in the transition bag which is hung on a hook in numerical order. DO NOT try and make you bag visible by putting on ribbons or stickers etc. They will take it off and you will not find your bag. In the past they had people decorating their bags in a similar way, person nr 1 grabbed the wrong bag and did not have the decency to go re-hang it. Person nr2 ran 21km barefoot. When you are on the run, your bags will be hung together with you wetsuit, cycling stuff etc in it.

It was very windy and hot. Organisers banned disk wheels which put a spanner in the works for many riders (funnily enough they allowed 808s on the front wheel?!?). Swim was choppy, bike was windy, run was HOT - and it was awesome! Mens short race won by Matt Trautmann Mens Long race by Dean Hopf Ladies short by Claire Horner Ladies Long by Tracy Markham (and 6th overall) Great race, organisers will get some stick due to the disks, but great event

I'm not a fan of doing the Argus in a year that I've entered Ironman. Many miles of training (for 1 event) and a small crash at the Argus will bring that to an end. The batches at the Argus are too big and because everyone is going for sub-3, the group is usually very twitchy. ito your legs, you will be fine. Argus is 110km in a pack. By then you will be doing 160km rides solo. My suggestion is to do the Argus twice if you are there already. First lap to race and get a time, the second you can bail at red or black hill if it gets too crowded.

There will still be around 2000 people on the startline. The drop-out rate is higher than other races as there is no Forrest Gumping through this race!

Remember that one of the biggest advantages of a TT bike is what it give you on the RUN. I agree with the top comments that you will probably get more minutes for rands by practising transitions, but if you are a 90 minute half marathoner a TT bike will help rest the right muscles for a optimal bike/run split. If you go maximal bike split, you will be walking (and probably digging your hands into your hip-flexors because they hurt from going hard on the road bike).

The Adamo split is slightly different as it is not fixed between the splits (their patent). Point is, I love the Adamo TT on my TT bike. Would not look back. Does need specific setup though. I think it is a slightly higher saddle from rails to the top end where you sit

Hammer recoverite and the Self massage and foam rolling. I don't have the bucks to go for a massage every week, but try to get a trained professional to hurt me at least once a month

1. Llanos 2. Kienle 3. Jacobs 4. Realert 5. Crowie

Tough for a first timer to podium (Luc van Lierde and Chrissie the obvious outliers). My podium for girls: Caroline Steffen, Rachel Joyce, Mirinda Carfrae

Top 5. Eneko Llanos, Kienle, Crowie, Andreas Realert, Pete Jacobs. Outside chance for James for top 10. Too many old heads there . Ideal plot: Llanos, Crowie, Realert, Jacobs and James coming off the bike 6 minutes behind Kienle...then I'll stay up until it is done!

There, fixed it. Doable,but do not be surprised if you get injured during or in the weeks after

You are biking too hard. 1:40 to 2:15 is too much. I run a sub 90 half and about 1:35-1:38 off the bike. 1. Get a coach (dinamic is the way to go) 2. Consider a power meter. Will help you get the optimal (not maximal) bike split.

Heard rumours of chaos out there. Can anyone confirm?

I also ride X-lab wing with two bottles in the back and one between the tt bars (torpedo mount). I also utilize the X nut for my bombs. For 70.3 I will probably lose the wing and only ride with the torpedo mount. Bought all my goodies through www.buycycle.co.za

My advice is to e-mail Gert to ensure he has a Orange Cap for you on the day. I think the canal swim is at 16:00. Be there! I'll be lazy on the couch sipping on a Heineken btw In a pool you have lines to follow. In this you need learn to to sight - a big skill to ensure you swim the shortest line

To join the ATC swim you have to be a member of ATC (either Multisport, swimming), swim with their orange cap and start and finish in the planned time (i.e. you can't go and splash about yourself as there's boats using these canals. Its not monitored by life guards but the canal is about as deep as a pool's deep end and the side is always at most 20m away. So I guess you're as safe as in an open pool. Steve always keeps an eye out while swimming with us and everyone keeps an eye on everyone as the orage caps makes it easy to see each other. The canal is great for sighting, can be cold, can stink some times of the year. But it is clean and awesome. I don't use it anymore as I'm lazy, but I would gearing up towards Ironman again.

Broccoli bread - DUDES - this is the **** we've been waiting for!! http://www.tracymarkham.co.za/broccoli-bread/

Good race report... http://www.dinamic-coaching.com/bela-bela-5150-justin-erdis/