Marquee Triathlon - Sprint Course : Official Thread

Yes

Describe "warm enough."  HA HA

Prior to Marquee, the surrounding lakes will be cold (57-62 degrees).  Bartlett has a really good swimming cove (Rattlesnake cove), and I hear Saguaro has a good place to swim also.  Pleasant can be a bit more tricky, but you can find a place (I have swam there but do not know exactly where it was called we were at).

Just plan on wearing your wetsuit before Marquee, unless you are a penguin and can bear the cold temps.  TTL is one of the easier lakes to swim in (straight lines, lack of current, etc), and with a sprint distance you will not be in the water too long, so I would not panic if you cannot get out and OWS before the race (just to note, TTL CANNOT be swam in except at races).  Just be calm and have fun.  If you wear a wetsuit, you are 100% buoyant so sinking is not an option and you can get that out of your mind.

Sighting is always the biggest difference (at least, for me) in OWS, as no one has bothered to paint big black lines along the lake floor for me to follow.  Practice in your pool swims lifting your head before breathing every few strokes and sighting.  it will help you when you get to OWS.

Thanks for the suggestions 101 - renting a wetsuit and going out for an OWS in a place like Rattlesnake Cove sounds like the way to go. The swim actually has me on the fence about the Marquee distance I'd sign up for. I am physically prepared for the OLY distance (or at least I think I am based on my pool training), but the Sprint seems less intimidating, esp. for a first OWS. A "practice" swim in open water would help me to make that decision. 

Not so worried about panicking or freaking out in the water - I grew up swimming in bayous, lakes, and ponds with snakes and alligators. Just don't want to dive into something like an OLY distance OWS with no experience. 

realistically, how soon can one do an ows in Bartlett Lake, is there a noticeable temperation varation between January and February?  Reason I ask is I am doing my first Oly (SuperSeal) in San Diego in March 18th, I have done all my swims in a lap pool settings in preparation for this race and would like to do a few OWS before the race.  I do have a full sleeved wetsuit but just curious if I can just go out there this weekend opposed to a weekend in mid february.

thanks

As long as you can brave the cold temps, you can swim in Bartlett anytime I believe.  I have never heard of a "closed" time of year, especially for Rattlesnake Cove.

Yeah, check out the 4 Peaks Racing Splash and Dash events in Tempe Town Lake throughout the year for OW swimming (and running) events: http://www.4peaksracing.com/

The first 2011 event is at 6 pm on 12th April (750m or 1500m swim and 5k run), just a few days before Marque.  These events are always well organised, very relaxed, and incredible fun.  I did the first April event last year and I can't remember it being horribly cold - I'm still here anyway!  However, swimming in the ocean off San Diego in September gave me a real case of brain freeze, but I will never forget the sea lion swimming underneath me!

Oh, I am SO ready for some cold water OWS starting as soon as possible...Got a neoprene cap that I haven't even used yet. I'm doing the Boise Half in June and that water is gonna be COLD!! I know wannatri.com is doing an OWS clinic on March 26th (?) that I will be attending, but if anyone wants to go out prior I will be there with my dancing shoes on...

   (<---Me with my dancing shoes on.)

Still no public mention of the bike course for the HIM distance race at MaRquee.  Last year was cool with the partial IM AZ course (to AZ Canal), and I hope they can secure that again, rather than having to mirror the SOMA course (which is still cool, but it is nice to do something a bit different and with longer stretches to it).

C'mon Red Rock - get last year's course re-approved!

Number of loops will depend on the course.  If it mirrors last year's Marquee HIM course, it will be 2 loops of a part of IM AZ (up to AZ canal and back), which is pretty flat throughout (slight uphill grade on Beeline).

Aerobars always help, but you do not have to have them.  If we ride the SOMA course, there is far more turns so you will not be in aero as long without having to come up out of it to turn around.

Nutrition is always important, so carry what you need, but Red Rock always does a great job with aid stations, too.