Subject: RE: Novice category I did most of my first season in the novice wave of the NCTS. Probably should have moved to the AG after 2 or 3.
If you start in the novice wave you won't be scored as an Age grouper for the series or for USAT. You also start last, which means by the time you finish many people will be already packed up and leaving the park.
The main benefit of starting novice is that you're a little less likely to get pummeled in the swim. The other benefit is that you spend most of your race passing slower people from previous waves. Makes you feel better about your race even if you're actually mid-pack or something like that. Compare that to my last race, where I started in the first wave and spent most of the race being passed by later waves. |