Subject: RE: Ironman 70.3 New Orleans : Official ThreadOriginally posted by Dunn Right
I'm thinking about making the trip down for this since I have a ton of family in that area.
Would this be a good first HIM for somebody with a reasonable amount of time in triathlons?
It was my first HIM (check my race report for the scoop ) and I thought it was a very good race to do.
We stayed in the Business district and just drove over to the Marina for the swim start. They have a lot of parking and it was easy to get in/out.
Just be aware that the finish is about 13-14 miles away and you need to account for that on how to get back to get your bike from Transition.. LIke any other WTC type event, you have to check your bike the day before. Registration was at the host hotel, and they paid the parking for the 3 hours in the hotel garage. No real reason to stay at the host hotel other than it being in the French Quarter.
As far as the race, even in the marina, the swim was a little slower than I expected and several others I talked to, but not anything to worry about. The water was 63 degrees which was perfect using a full wetsuit. The bike was flat, except as noted going over the bridges. Windy to the turn around and a tailwind coming most of the way back. Run was flat after the first couple of mile over a few bridges and overpasses. Very nice run through the park and well supported.
Hope this helps. |