Ironman Kansas 70.3 : Official Thread

By "outside your window" do you mean outside of your tent? Or is there just no rain fly for it? Either way, I'm in and looking forward to it.

I am IN! I am EXCITED!
I am also doing a winter marathon - Feb. 28. Will probably start a HIM training plan the first week in February and try to mesh the two for a month.

I heard they are changing the bike course: taking the third leg out. Ryan said it will make the course a little flatter (ha!) and I imagine it will aid to more spectators having access to the bike course.

New rule! No more joking about weather
We all know what happened last year, and actually two weeks before last year's race (or maybe it was in '07), a local Sprint/HIM got called off because of a tornado in the vicinity. Racers had to take shelter in a BARN and wait for hours to be picked up. Search race reports for "Big O" triathlon in Kansas if you're interested in the story.

And I'm camping! Woohoo!

Im in.  Gonna reg in the next couple days...

i'm in for my first HIM, cant beat having the race only 3 hours away....even if it is in KU's hometown

Im ready to rock it this year!!!!! last year did it after training for the HYVEE Olympic and was not near trained enough... this year will be a different story!!!!

I am in.  I did IMCDA in 08 (the week after Ironman KS 70.3), otherwise I would have done it last year.  See you all at Clinton Lake! 

I'm bummed I won't be there this year. With IMAZ, I'm working on getting late season 70.3's in the mix and June is just too early for me.

Ryan really does put on a top notch race. And I'd put money on the fact that this year's shirt doesn't say "finisher" on the back

I'm really interested to see how the course changes for this year's event. And everyone PLEASE remember to be careful going down the hill on the "first" out and back. Anyone know how that guy is doing these days?

Here's his BT Log if you want to see!

Looks like he will be back this year.


Edited by lisac957 2009-01-09 4:22 PM

Ah ha! I'm glad to see he's doing so well. That was so scary last year.

My rain fly blew away in last year's storm

Sorry Lisa!! Muwahaha

I'm in for my first half-iron. Started training this week after a several month lay off (ok, the better part of six months). We went to watch last year and ended up volunteering at an aid station. Had a blast and hope to have even more fun competing in it this year.

You...are so correct on the FINISHER!! Karma always has the last laugh FYI: Shirts were not supposed to be handed out prior to the race. An ambitious volunteer made an "executive" decision...oh well...that will teach me to go grab lunch!

Course maps will be up on the website withing the next week. Yes, the bike course will flatten out by a third...meaning we have eliminated one of the hilly legs. The bike course will go across the dam which will be nice...and we have taken out the first leg/first big hill.

Don't get me wrong the course will still be tough/fair but it will be faster then last year's bike course...for sure. Still the toughest 70.3 bike course...IMO.

One other change huge change will be that the race will be held on the "town" side of the lake...meaning that it will take 20 seconds to get to the race site instead of 20 minutes! We will also be holding the expo at the race site...so it will be much more convenient for the athlete...pickup packet/check out expo/drop off bike...all in one location. We will also hold a charity 5k/10k on the IMKS run course the day before for any friends/family traveling with athletes. www.rockchalkrun.com

Our numbers are really up this year...so I wouldn't be surprised if we sold out this Spring. We are double the participants we were this time last year....but we will still cap the race at 1500. Kansas will never be a draft fest!

Edited by rrobinson 2009-01-10 10:47 PM

Thanks for all the info! That helps a lot! I'm glad the race site will be closer to the town, there was a lot of driving last year.

I LOVED the hills! I'm sad to see them go

Lisa, (thanks for all you do on here
Yes, the run will be changed as well. I hate to sound like a bad informercial...but the run is going to AWESOME! At least from a spectator/support point of view...which I think is very important...it is no fun being stuck out on a run course all alone! This course will have spectators along the entire course!

The run will still go through campgrounds but it will be pancake flat...except for one 1/4 mile incline. What is so nice about the run course is that a spectator can literally stand at the finish line and watch the athlete along the entire course. The course is shaded but is has a wide open view. I can't really think of another race venue I could compare it to...it will definately be unique. The run course won't be as "dizzy" as last year's...which last years was affected by the 10 inches of rain we got in the prior two weeks. Funny story...my run course coordinator called me the morning before the race and told me that a guy was fishing on our run course!!:0

We have reserved all of the campsites along the run course. Our plan is to open these up to clubs first for pre race camping/post-race tailgating (such as a BT site) and then we will open them up to the rest of the athletes. The campsites will go fast but we will send out an eblast before we open them up.

Take care,
Ryan

..on the driving...your telling me...no more driving with no sleep for me....yikes. Last year took years off of my life. I'll be RV'n out at the race site!!

..don't worry there will still be plenty of hills! Some have been eliminated but being able to go across the dam is worth it.

Take care...

Yep, I'm doing great! However, it's going to take some heavy lobbying on the wife to do IMKS this year. She's pregnant and due on June 3. Perhaps since Ryan has changed the bike course to my needs, a more accommodating "first leg" to get things thinned out a bit, she'll let me do it. But if I were a betting man, I would say that weekend will be spent at home with a new son/daughter (we find out on Jan 26). If I don't go this year, I will definitely be back in 2010. I loved that course!

vegan.... glad to see that your doing good and sounds like the rest of your life is going good too... Congrats on the new addition to your family!!!

If not this year..... see you next

I'm in, signed up tonight. Watched and volunteered at the race last year, looking forward to competing this year.

Registered last night. Getting pumped for my first Half Iron. Now just to get the miles in.