Great Floridian "good to know's"

I'm registered for this race this year. Would love to hear some tidbits.

Full Disclosure: I did the half the last three years, never tempted to tackle the full there..

There seemed to be a number of things that made this race tough; everyone knows about Sugarloaf and the bike course in general, so at least that'll be no surprise..The temperature and humidity are factors, and eventhough the run is basically flat, there's a nasty camber on a good bit of the road while you're going around the lake which can make life miserable the second and third loops.

The aid stations can be iffy towards the end of the day..It's a good race to be self sufficient in terms of GU/endurolytes/snacks..Pack your SN bag with lots of stuff.

Glow stick or reflective tape is essential for the run if you're not planning on finishing inside 12hours or so.

My observation was that it can get kind of lonesome on that run course..If you can find someone to keep pace with, by all means do so.

All the other usual 'words to the wise' for Ironman racing apply..Good luck to all racing. I always really admired the folks I saw crossing the finish line at GF..You just could tell they'd been through a lot.

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I second everything that has been said so far. The final course map has not yet been posted, but supposedly will be similar to last years'. Lake Minneola is perfectly healthy, but the water is more like a dark, turbid cola color to me. You can't see an inch in front of your goggles so practice lifting your head out to navigate or you may get to swim a lot more than 2.4 miles. It is a 2-loop swim. Nights are already cooling down here, so almost certainly wetsuit legal.
The first loop on the bike has a lot of rolling hills - The Wall is a little harder because they have built a traffic circle at the bottom so there's not much chance to maintain your momentum from the downhill right before. The comes Sugarloaf short but quite steep at around mile 24. On Buckhill is a series of 4 rollers just big enough that it's hard to power from the last through the next. Once you get back on SR19, the worst is behind you. There are some rolling hills but nothing too strenuous. However, this is usually when the wind picks up. Prevailing is usually from the east/northeast, less often from the south and west. Although the second loop is pancake flat, if the wind blows hard from the east, it can be demoralizing for the last 20 miles fighting upwind. Make sure to be flexible in your plan for the bike. Also, take as much fluid as you can carry - in previous years some of the bike aid station volunteers got a little bored and checked out early.
Run is out and back on the bike trail - little elevation change, then 3 laps around the lake which is flat. As noted watch out for the tilt of the roadbed-in many places the edges drop off and you can easily turn an ankle. There are ferocious huge mosquitoes as well, so don't forget bug spray if you finish like I do in the dark. If you use a glowstick, keep it at away from yer face so it doesn't attract bugs to your face. I haven't had a problem with supplies on the run course aid stations, but I have heard stories. Wave to the MadDogs aid station as you make the last turn, and finish with a smile. Good Luck.
Hope that helps!

yup! something to do with the oaks, and redwoods roots bleeding into it or something. It is red tinted.

Lake Minneola is the color of "iced tea" to be more specific!!! It definitely has a red tint to and it is due to the cypress trees that grow around the end of the lake and their bark gives this strange hue to the water. Don't worry...it isn't toxic....*shutter shutter*...it just looks funny!!!