General Discussion Triathlon Talk » How did you pick your first Ironman race location? Rss Feed  
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2016-09-07 7:36 AM
in reply to: GODAWGS

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Subject: RE: How did you pick your first Ironman race location?
Originally posted by GODAWGS


I choose Louisville, KY because I could drive with family and I wanted a IM brand race. I did B2B later in same year.

The Louisville community did not disappoint. They were great and made for a wonderful experience for me and the family.

The race was in August at that time and the heat hit me pretty good. I puked in the trash can after the finish and had two IV cocktails.




Yup Louisville was famous for it's heat. Do you think it will be better now that it's in October? Would you try it again?


2016-09-07 7:38 AM
in reply to: dfquigley

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Subject: RE: How did you pick your first Ironman race location?
Originally posted by dfquigley

I consider myself to be both poor, and cheap.

Because of that, doing one that I could drive to was the best option.

It also helps that Ironman Canada was in my backyard for years as a kid, and I can train on the course in penticton as I only lived an hour away, and it's a nice course anyways.

But at the end of the day, nostalgia, scenery, wouldn't have mattered.

The first one would have been the one I could get to cheaply and easily.

Also I did Challenge Penticton last year, not the branded ironman canada event as that's in whistler now, but it's essentially the same race, but under different branding, and I couldn't have cared less whether it was an ironman event.




Penticton is a legendary race course. I hope to get out there to race it one day. I love that you declare yourself poor and cheap! Thank you for sharing your story.
2016-09-07 8:38 PM
in reply to: miamiamy

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Subject: RE: How did you pick your first Ironman race location?
Yeah. Boulder looked tough this year as the weather on the run was a lot warmer. I was there to support my big brother who successfully finished this year after coming up short in 2015. For the record, I was that guy at the last turnaround point on the run (before heading back towards downtown) cheering everyone as they flipped around back to the West.
2016-09-08 12:20 AM
in reply to: miamiamy

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Subject: RE: How did you pick your first Ironman race location?
Originally posted by miamiamy

Penticton is a legendary race course. I hope to get out there to race it one day. I love that you declare yourself poor and cheap! Thank you for sharing your story.


I hope they get the full iron distance back!!!

Don't care about the brand :p
2016-09-08 8:02 AM
in reply to: miamiamy

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Subject: RE: How did you pick your first Ironman race location?
I decided to do Whistler because it was open entry in October or November of 2012 and previous to that you pretty much had to go to Penticton and stand in a huge line to sign up. I knew it would be a gorgeous venue and had things for the family so I dove in found a nice condo and started training...
2016-09-08 8:09 AM
in reply to: dfquigley

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Subject: RE: How did you pick your first Ironman race location?
I think the ITU festival is part of the plan to rebuild the base there.


2016-09-08 10:24 AM
in reply to: simpsonbo

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Subject: RE: How did you pick your first Ironman race location?
It is, but from some of the local feedback I've gotten, it doesn't seem a whole lot better, if anything I wouldn't be surprised to see just the half distance after these festivities if challenge continues as they've gotten around 200 or less consistently in the full iron distance the last few years, and the itu worlds novelty that you need to qualify for next year, I doubt it would boost full iron distance numbers in the future.

Half distance seems to be much healthier, and I heard they're adding an open half distance next year too?

Seems that's the way forward for them atm.
2016-09-08 10:35 AM
in reply to: dfquigley

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Subject: RE: How did you pick your first Ironman race location?
DW did Mont-Tremblant and I was her sherpa, then she said she wanted to do it again so I decided to do it as well, you know, since I was going to be there anyway.
2016-09-08 10:40 AM
in reply to: miamiamy

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Subject: RE: How did you pick your first Ironman race location?

I did IMCdA as my first IM in 2009. 

I could get registered without being on site. 
I thought the venue would be good (and it was). 
It was on Father's day and about the longest day of the year, so a great chance at a daylight finish. 
It was late enough in the year that most of my long rides would be outside but before Midwest heat & humidity kicked in. 
I did want an M-dot experience for my first (have since done Vineman and B2B). 

We drove from Illinois to Idaho, enjoying the sights along the way, with my two youngest boys (who helped drive on their learner's permits).  About 4200 miles round trip, which is about the sum of my training the year prior to the race.  In fact, I tracked my monthly "progress" using a map and route to CdA and back.  

2016-09-09 7:25 AM
in reply to: miamiamy

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Subject: RE: How did you pick your first Ironman race location?
Originally posted by miamiamy

Originally posted by GODAWGS


I choose Louisville, KY because I could drive with family and I wanted a IM brand race. I did B2B later in same year.

The Louisville community did not disappoint. They were great and made for a wonderful experience for me and the family.

The race was in August at that time and the heat hit me pretty good. I puked in the trash can after the finish and had two IV cocktails.




Yup Louisville was famous for it's heat. Do you think it will be better now that it's in October? Would you try it again?


I am sure it is better in October compared to August. Louisville was known to have one of the highest DNF of all the IM races when it was in August.

I am retired from the IM races. The training felt like a part time job instead of enjoyment. Back to short distance races. I may do Augusta HIM again but done with IM races.
2016-09-09 9:13 AM
in reply to: miamiamy

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Subject: RE: How did you pick your first Ironman race location?

I haven't done any full Ironman, but I think the same process for picking my other big races applies here.

My first big triathlon was done in my home town.  It was a 70.3 and the starting line was 10 minute from my front door.  Big races for me usually mean traveling half way across the country for me.  I choose my first one to be close to home for several reasons

1) I was getting a lot of new gear for this race since it was my first race and so by not having any travel expenses I was able to upgrade gear with out spending more that I would on other races.

2) I want to have family and friends to be a part of my first race and if I traveled halfway across the country that would exclude most of them.  As it was, I was able to have many of the people that help get me to the starting line be involved in the event as spectators or volunteers.  Being able to stick your tongue out at one of your best friends who is wait to take your picture as surge up a hill makes the race a lot more memorable than just telling them about it a few days later.

3) I have been guilty of making wrong turns on big races more than once.  By doing a race close to home I was able to get familiar with the course before race day rather than getting in town the night before the race, checking-in, going to bed early, then trying to figure out where the course goes the next morning in the dark while I am also trying to get my gear set out and do warm ups, and not seeing most of the course it until you are in the race.

4) No climate acclimation required for race day.  I live at 300 feet above sea level in a hot humid climate.  I have done races at elevation over 8,000 feet as well as other significant changes from the climate that I train it.  You can race well in other climes but it is one more thing that you have to adjust and prepare for and for my first race I knew I was already going to be overwhelmed with all the little adjustments that you just don't know you are going to have to make until you do a race, so the simpler I could make it the better.

 

Other things that would have factored into my first race choice if I didn't have the option of a race in my hope town would be the location.  I have family in four different time zones.  It is hard to get to visit all of them as often as I would like so I try to choose races near my siblings so I can visit them on the trip. also there are places that close friends and family have visited of spend time in that I have either not visited or spent time in. For example one of my grandmothers grew up in Garden City, Utah on Bear Lake.  There is a 140.2 event there called the Bear Lake Brawl.  Even though I don't have any family in the area and it is a 20 hour drive from me that race is on my bucket list because I want to spend time in the area that my grandmother grew up.  She died in 1986 so it has been a while since I have done anything to build that bond with her but is something I would like to do.  Finally I would look at the size of the event.  I have done races with 2000 people and races with 200 people.  Both are just as good events, but different events.  I wasn't afraid of a mass swim start for my first race, but some people are and prefer to do a smaller race for their first one.  Others want their first race to be a big event because it motivates them to work harder.  Either way event size would be in the selection.  Hmm? the course...I really prefer races in the city with lots of people around than county races.  Others prefer to be out in the country.  Some people prefer challenging courses to really put their preparation to the test.  Other prefer the easiest course possible to make their time look a little better than what it really may have be for their first race.  If you worried about the distance I would say go for the easy course for the first one. My first race was personally a very difficult course. My second race was actually a very difficult course too.  I don't judge my performance based on time though and just as happy with a solid effort on a difficult course with a slower time as I am faster times on easier courses.  

 



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