Beach2Battleship Half Iron Distance Triathlon : Official Thread

Don't be too sure about being overly warm I bet it will be warmer than Maryland, but last year (Nov 13) it was about 40 at race start. It was GREAT the rest of the day (about 65 during the bike...chilly at night). Awesome race though.

I will definitely take that as the high here today is showing 40F with snow expected again tonight, lol

It really depends on you.  I wore a sleeveless last year for the HIM with no problems.  My feet got very cold on the run to T1 but that would have happened with a full sleeved suit too!  The main thing that I noticed is that when I started on the bike, my feel felt like there was balled up sock under it.  I just said to myself, "If this is still bothering me halfway through the ride, I can stop and pee and fix my sock."  Well, it stopped bugging me after about an hour and by the time I got to the run, I realized that it was just that my feet were cold.  Oh, and I stopped to pee at T2.  ;-)

I'm doing the full IM this year and I am considering a full sleeve wetsuit for that.  I just figure 2x longer in the water...  Of course I think that it won't really be 2x longer in the water since 2010 was a slack tide and I think that we'll have some push for this year's event. 

rach_1623 - 2011-06-21 1:33 PM 16.5 weeks out! I cannot wait!! How's everybody's training coming along? I just did a 25 mile bike ride this morning and feel great!

So far so good!  I did the Tour de Cure earlier this month so I've been bike focused.  Now I'm getting more into the all three sports swing of things. 

I'm so glad that I got my run in this morning.  Winds have changed and we are getting smoke from fires that are burning in the Outer Banks (150+ miles away) and Fayetteville (60+ miles away).  I hope that it clears up in the next 24 hours -- group ride tomorrow night.

rach_1623 - 2011-06-21 12:33 PM 16.5 weeks out! I cannot wait!! How's everybody's training coming along? I just did a 25 mile bike ride this morning and feel great!

Haha! Just realized that the 16.5 week mark that I posted here was WAY off!! Woops!! Actually just under 18 weeks now. Still pumped though! Eating super duper clean and following my plan. I've got a couple of races coming up starting the weekend after this - a 5k, a sprint, and an oly. Lovin it!

I'm in!  This will be my first half.  I thought with the salt water, wetsuit, swimming with the current and a flat bike course it would be a good race to be my first 70.3.  And the temps should be cool too.  I don't do well in the heat. 

Any recommendations on where to stay that's most convenient to the transition areas?

Hilton.  There is a bus from the Hilton to T1 for athletes.  There is also a shuttle from T2 to the Hilton (for everyone).  The Hilton is also near the expo.

l signed up as well. Really liked the course last year. Unfortunately l had an ulcer problem and could not take any water or gels or anything in after about 10 miles on the bike. Rode sitting straight up. Lots of wind resistance. Had to stop at port o let. Then walked 11 plus miles.

Stomach woes are mostly worked out. Now hope to take about 2 hours off last year's time.

Also really hope that we have the current that we were promised last year that never materialized.

Alos hope for warmer weather. Feet were numb coming out. Hurt to run to T1.

I agree, hopefully the water temps will be warmer this year.  The run to T1 was the least enjoyable part of the race for me.  A mat would have been nice to run on, at least for part of the way and over the asphalt.  I mean, how hard would it be to put down an old strip of carpet.

+1 on timing your practice swim to suit the tide.  Remember plan B, if you cramp or get exhausted, just swim to a dock, don't fight the tide.

For a "safe way" the best would be rent a kayak and have a friend paddle along.  Also there's less boat traffic on weekdays than weekends, and less in mornings than afternoons.  

You might tow a beach ball, just tie it on a 10 ft string and around your waist, cheap bouy.  Wear a bright yellow or orange or neon green swim cap.  The beach ball will be enough visual attraction for boaters.  Once they see that, they'll then see you.

Oh, and don't think you must swim "in the channel".  There's plenty of water just outside the channel.  Sight on the markers, but stay just outside.  "Red on the right returning" means the right hand side of the channel is marked with red markers as you progress in the direction from the larger body of water (the ocean) to the smaller body of water (the sound), which is also indicated by the numbers on the markers increasing, which is also the direction of the swim from Wrightsville Beach to the causeway island.  The first (or last) channel marker out in the ocean at the entrance to the inlet is #1 or #2 and they count up as you "return" from the sea. 

Bon voyage!

Hi All, Just signed up for the Half. Finished FL 70.3 in May (first HIM) and was planning on Augusta 70.3 but the heat has become an issue and thought B2B would provide a nice climate change to round out the year (and add several weeks of cooler weather here in Atlanta to train).

I read the prior threads -

Cold swim:  Any wetsuit thoughts? I plan to rent one from wetsuitrental.com

Flat bike: Summer bike gloves, yes? 

Gentle run:  ??

Any hints to make the event more comfortable? I will definitely bring a disposable long-sleeve shirt in the morning for pre-swim wait. I will also rethink my nutrition plan as my sweat rate will be a lot less than FL 70.3 and training in Atlanta during the hot summer. Guess I'll pack a long-sleeve in my transition bag for post-race. What else?

As for training, I melted after a 30 mile bike/4 mile run brick yesterday. Really pissed, seeing that I did FL 70.3 just a few months ago. Orlando topped out at 84 degrees or so, but still!

That brick, plus the endless stories about athletic heat exhaustion in in ATL, convinced me to change from Augusta to B2B. I'll now have more time to build and recover, deal with the heat, and mend a nagging glutes that's leftover from FL 70.3. As a 48 year-old age-grouper, I find that injuries don't heal as fast as they used to.  

Managed to get into the Hilton. Happy to see from a prior post that there are shuttles. How is the Ironman Village? Any suggestions for pre-race dinner spots or post-race celebrations?

Jonny

Yes, you'll want a wetsuit for sure.  Water temperature should be in the mid 60s.  Air temperature will be colder.

Yes, I'd want gloves.  It will be cold to start the bike.  Maybe low 40s?  You may also want arm warmers.

Not so much.  The run starts and the battleship, then you go over two bridges, run out to the park (two small hills on the way there), turn around and run back.  That's four bridge crossings for the half.  I wanted my mommy when I hit that fourth bridge last year!

You will have a bag that you take to the swim start.  You can have your LS T for the swim start and get it back at the end of the race.  I'd also bring a gallon size zip lock bag for the bike.  Put it under your tri top and then drop it at the first water station.  The T1 transition run is l-o-n-g and you will be cold.  Wearing a vest on the bike would have been to much for me.  The zip lock bag worked well.

Apparently there may be a change to the bike course for the half.  Someone I know in Wilmington said that this is the new course. 

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/105017150#.TkFkjfQFdQY.facebook

Instead of doing and out and back on Blueberry Road, this version takes Blueberry until it ends at 210.  The half course goes to the right (full goes to the left) and after about 3 miles, hits 421.

Thanks for the heads up on the bike course change. 

Anyone have elevation for the run?