General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Tahoe v. Chattanooga IM Rss Feed  
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2013-08-22 9:36 AM

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Subject: Tahoe v. Chattanooga IM
So I plan to either do Chat or Tahoe next year. I was dead set on Tahoe since it opened, but I am having second thoughts. I live at 800' and I am thinking that doing an IM at 7000' is going to be even more painful than a usual IM. I have done IMWI twice. Chattanooga looks like a nice race.

Any thoughts on one vs. the other??

Thanks.


2013-08-22 9:50 AM
in reply to: 0

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Subject: RE: Tahoe v. Chattanooga IM
My $.02 is that anyone doing Tahoe that doesn't live at elevation is a fool. Just watch what happens next month. The swim is where it's going to absolutely wreck people. I predict one of the highest DNF rates and probably the slowest average finish time of any IM in North America.I hope I'm wrong but I don't think I will.

Edited by GMAN 19030 2013-08-22 9:51 AM
2013-08-22 10:09 AM
in reply to: GMAN 19030

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Subject: RE: Tahoe v. Chattanooga IM
Can you drive to both venues? Personally I'd chose the one I could drive to. If I had to fly, then I might as well fly to a really cool IM.....like IM Austria or something.
2013-08-22 11:01 AM
in reply to: GMAN 19030

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Subject: RE: Tahoe v. Chattanooga IM
Originally posted by GMAN 19030

My $.02 is that anyone doing Tahoe that doesn't live at elevation is a fool. Just watch what happens next month. The swim is where it's going to absolutely wreck people. I predict one of the highest DNF rates and probably the slowest average finish time of any IM in North America.I hope I'm wrong but I don't think I will.


^^^ This, I think people are drastically underestimating the course at Tahoe and are misguided by the beauty in the area. Then again I did Leadman Bend last year, swam 5k (course was really about 4k) at elevation of 4,0000 feet and didn't notice anything from sea level. Then again when I went on a snowboarding trip a couple winters ago I was winded just binding into my board at the top of the mountains.

Air temp was about 35-40 when we started at Leadman at water temp was about 62-64 and again I was completely fine, but most were freezing (I come from Wisconsin), but I have heard that it should be about the same conditions to start at Tahoe this year, guess we will find out soon.

But I think that bike course is going to shred the legs of many and have several walking some hills. You often see lots of cyclists walk the hills at IMWI and that is at sea level, and about 2k less in climbing.

I have also heard about tons of people doing 1-2 week training camps at Tahoe so maybe many are getting acclimated to what they will face.

Should be interesting.
2013-08-22 11:35 AM
in reply to: GMAN 19030

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Subject: RE: Tahoe v. Chattanooga IM
Originally posted by GMAN 19030

My $.02 is that anyone doing Tahoe that doesn't live at elevation is a fool. Just watch what happens next month. The swim is where it's going to absolutely wreck people. I predict one of the highest DNF rates and probably the slowest average finish time of any IM in North America.I hope I'm wrong but I don't think I will.



Call me a fool will you???????

I have seen this said/repeated over and over but I don't believe it is going to be quite as bad as many thnk.

If you have trained well and race wisely, this should be a slightly harder than your average Ironman. Maybe I am wrong but I don't think I am.

I train at 900 feet above sea level (Michigan). I was pretty worried with all of this altitude talk so I signed up for Boulder 70.3 for a trial run at racing at elevation. It wasn't so bad. I knew I wasn't at sea level but by racing wisely, it was very doable. I know Tahoe has more climbing but if you race according to plan, and have a good plan, it should be ok.

Of course, the karmic gods may now rise up and bite me in the rear so I am posting my DNF race report a month from now.

To the original poster: you don't have to decide for a month. Tahoe isn't until September 22 and almost certainly won't fill instantly like flat-land IM races do. Read the reports and listen to how it went. If it was truly carnage, sign up for Chattanooga when it opens (on September 28, I think----that one is going to fill quickly).
2013-08-22 11:40 AM
in reply to: Six13

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Subject: RE: Tahoe v. Chattanooga IM
Registration for Chattanooga opens on Sept 4, 2013. Race date is Sept 28, 2014. If you have any desire to do Chattanooga in 2014, I would not take the risk of waiting to sign up. All indications are that this race will fill very quickly.


2013-08-22 12:36 PM
in reply to: japarker24

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Subject: RE: Tahoe v. Chattanooga IM
Yeah, unfortunately, I can't wait to sign up for Chattanooga. I am sure it will be closed by the time Tahoe sign up is.

I have been to Tahoe many times and biked/ran/swam the exact course. It is not that bad. I think the IMWI course is tougher (aside from the elevation). I don't mind the longer, 6-7% climbs and 2 of them in Tahoe is adding up to about 3500' of the 5200' of gain, so the rest is relatively flat. The gain is about the same as WI. I have done a 2.5 mile swim in Lake Tahoe too. The first 10 minutes were misery, but it got better and by the end, I felt the same as at sea level. That was with 100 people though, not 2500. I personally don't think the swim and bike will be that bad. The run is another story.

Kona is a longshot for me, but I am thinking that I am putting myself at a disadvantage right from the start by going up that much in elevation.

I am pretty set on Chattanooga.

Do you think it will sell out the first few hours? Didn't Tahoe and Canada take a few days to sell out?
2013-08-22 2:16 PM
in reply to: japarker24

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Subject: RE: Tahoe v. Chattanooga IM
Originally posted by japarker24

Registration for Chattanooga opens on Sept 4, 2013. Race date is Sept 28, 2014. If you have any desire to do Chattanooga in 2014, I would not take the risk of waiting to sign up. All indications are that this race will fill very quickly.


What 'indications' are there?

I plan to be at the ready on Sept....but I doubt it will sell out the first day....but I may be wrong.
2013-08-22 3:01 PM
in reply to: GMAN 19030

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Subject: RE: Tahoe v. Chattanooga IM

Originally posted by GMAN 19030 My $.02 is that anyone doing Tahoe that doesn't live at elevation is a fool. Just watch what happens next month. The swim is where it's going to absolutely wreck people. I predict one of the highest DNF rates and probably the slowest average finish time of any IM in North America.I hope I'm wrong but I don't think I will.

Heck, no need to wait, just watch the USA Pro Challenge and hear Jens complain about having to come to the US early to prep for the altitude.

2013-08-22 3:37 PM
in reply to: jmkizer

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Subject: RE: Tahoe v. Chattanooga IM

I'm out for Tahoe because of knee injury, but the reason I signed up is because my sister-in-law has a home there.  I have swam, biked, and ran all over that area and I can say without a doubt, all of the scary talk about that course is a lot of baloney. Without the elevation I can say from experience that the bike at Branson 70.3 was tougher than the Tahoe course.  The run course is as great a place to run 26 miles as anywhere on earth.

As was stated, swimming at altitude can be a mess for a few minutes....but you get settled in.  If I was arriving 3 or 4 days early I'd swim every day for a mile or so.....and then you'll be fine.

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