New Triathlon-RAM racing

I was over at the RAM store in Deerfield about a month ago and they mentioned that they were adding a race.  They also said something about putting on a women's race too.  Not sure what they are doing about Bangs lake this year. 

I agree we need more late season races in Illinois.  I have done Lake Geneva's fall tri the last 2 years and they are very disorganized and the race director has a bad rep.  But I do the race because we really have no other options.

RAM used to do the Bangs Lake - maybe they nixed that one in favor of the new Lake Geneva race? It says there is a women's only sprint division for the new Lake Geneva. They did have a women's race at the Bangs Lake festival - called She Bangs.

I like having more races, but I sure wish RAM would lower its prices!

I saw something---maybe it was in the Competitor "Keeper" edition???--an ad, actually, that seemed to indicate there would be a tri at Bangs Lake, but seems like it will be put on by Wacaunda park district maybe?  No other information though.

RAM produced that race for maybe 4 or 5 years.  Not sure who produced it before.  Maybe their contract was up or something.  

They are very good at marketing their races.  They are very good at signing up many many people for their races.  I wont do their running races anymore---too crowded.  Am on the fence about their tris this summer.

I just moved here recently from Colorado, so I've got no history whatsoever.  I did the Hot Chocolate 15K which was put on by RAM and thought it was good.  My personal thought- any competition makes the world better.  It forces slackers to step it up, so if you get another race, plus the other guy cleans up his act- I'd say it's a win-win for everyone.

I hope to see RAM step it up this year.  Last year they had some well run races and some not so well run.  The South Shore has potential but lots of room for improvement.

I agree! I gave RAM another chance and SS was OK...I was hoping they had changed their ways, but then I heard about the hot chocolate debacle in DC and wonder what they are thinking...

I may try Bigfoot again this year...I like Lake Geneva and enjoyed doing it as a destination race...

But their running races are a mess.

Aha, I see...I didn't realize there were two different bangs lake tri's...the wauconda parks one has a new Oly distance this year too...

But you have to admit they do give good SWAG!

Usually I think RAM does a great job!    In 2011  took part in their North Shore 1/2 mary  as well as Bigfoot (swag was a track jacket-I like it!).   

They did an excellent job with both of those events.   Not sure how they could have ran them any better.        I did hear about the DC Hot Chocolate debacle....

They put some money into it yes, but I'd rather have less of that and lower cost. Put it all into a having a sound race every time. Don't think I've used any of it yet. In fairness, I am particular about my stuff.  Although I did use the rebate from an age-group placing in one. The couple little plaques are nice too, and I'm sure others enjoy them more. But then for the awards ceremonies (for example), no one really knows where they are or that they're actually happening. There's a real lack of feeling there. At Bangs Lake it was down behind the building, where no one went to after getting their food. Winners were quickly lined up on the block, congratulations, snap the picture (which was very crooked) and everyone go get on your way. People at the nearby picnic benches have no idea what's going on. Don't get me wrong in thinking they're awful, I think they do a decent enough job. The courses are marked and manned well (other than the duathlon start), and I know my gear is safe in transition. If they look at a few more things they could really be very good.

This is interesting as I have heard all the horror stories about the whole LG series and the race director.  I've done LG sprint twice, and yes, it was disorganized, but it's still a challenging course and always fun to head up to LG so that's why I've done it.  Last year I know he (the RD) moved it from Fontana (the "killer" hill) to Williams Bay...I didn't do it, so I am curious as to how the "new" venue was???

As far as RAM, I, like many of you, have my gripes so I generally don't race any of their races anymore, although, they DO give good swag.  But all their issues started to outweigh the good swag and it was such a turn off, that I stopped racing their events.

I am dying to know...I must have missed something...what is the whole DC Hot Chocolate debacle? Someone please fill me in!

I hear you with the RAM gripes.  I'm just saying that I do believe that they respond and adjust.   For the most part I have really enjoyed their events.     

  I'm happy that they are around and put on these races so we have a choice to make!       I'm not going to boycott their events over a mistake made.    I will boycott them over repeated mistakes made.    

  Heck we could not run the Chicago Marathon because of their mistakes,  they ran out of WATER on a hot day in 2007    and now sold out in 6 days.      Had they run out of twice, I would stop running Chicago.      Come to think of it,  why o why do they hand out bananas  (with peels)  at like mile 18 or whatever,  the street from side to side every inch covered with banana peels.    Having to doge those suckers out, among thousands of my running brethren is a recipe for disaster.   Have they not watched cartoons before?

DC Hot Chocolate Debacle:

Check out the thread comments on "the other site"

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=3663737

Right in here is what I'm getting at. There are things they can do better and everyone goofs from now and then (IM Canada ran out of water last year). They're doing enough right to keep participating in (I've done at least 4 of them), I don't think it would be too difficult to do better either.

I've known where to go on every course (save part of one). I've felt safe out on every course.  I feel my stuff is safe when I'm not around it.

As for the Lake Geneva race (from the other guys), new people seemed to enjoy it, but they don't know any better. I wasn't there as I had a major ride planned that day, but my brother did the sprint. He thought it was so poorly organized that he's sworn off their races. Swim organization and everything to do with the transition was a mess. I know last year (2010) they were not checking bikes after the event, and don't think one of the gates was even manned after awhile. Someone easily could have walked off with my bike. I would love to see someone else come in and take up that spot again. It's a great location for an event. That's why it was still so popular in spite of being run so badly.

I did the LG sprint in 2010 and the oly in 2011 at the new venue.  See my race report.  The turnaround for the oly run was at the top of "killer" hill.  Overall, I liked the course.

Yes, the RD takes a lot a grief and most of it is deserved.  I ask this question again and again.  Where, in Northern Illinois, is there a fall triathlon?  There is LG and I think Mt Carroll (quite a trip from the city and not without their own issues) and IMWI.  In October, you need need to head downstate to Rend Lake.  At least LG, I can drive there that morning.  This is not an endorsement.

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=267935

I did not start tris until 2010 and wanted to do a late summer race.  Lake Carroll was an option but there was a thread here about the 2009 race and there were some not so great reviews so I opted for LG sprint (which also had bad reviews).  2011 Lake Carroll was cancelled for some reason.  I would consider it if it's on for 2012.

I plan on doing the 6/24 Bigfoot oly race this year.

I hope they put it back on, though don't think I can do it this year with a Sept Half already in there. Otherwise it would be a yes.  The swim is a swim. It's a lake, so not much to say. The bike is very hilly. I didn't know this and thought I could break 65, but ended up with 80 min. The run was more long sustained hills than anything steep. It was all on road and was a decent route. They're kind of limited in what they can do there, but I thought they did a decent job of it. I really wish I had a Garmin profile of the bike & run to see just how much there was. My run was fine, but that was by far the slowest bike pace I've ever had for any distance tri. I haven't done Galena, so can't compare there.

They're still working on the transition, but I don't know what they can do with it. The parking lot is all gravel, so no go there. They had it up on a small flat part of a hill. Getting out to and back in from the bike was tricky because it was so steep and slick (paved and raining that day). It was kind of cold and raining that day, but that's weather not course design.

And if anyone is wondering, I do tend to remember a detail or two about any (or every) course I've done.

HA!  yes courses do have a way of getting burned into my memory as well.