Vineman Full Ironman : Official Thread (Page 15)

That seems like an excessive amount of time to me, but I haven't done this race before so perhaps veterans can chime in. I'm staying at the Sandman in Santa Rosa and yahoo maps shows it to be 30 minutes driving. Can't imagine too much traffic on a Saturday morning, but I don't know for sure.

Hmm...BT ate my post about the morning and parking and all...hopefully this won't end up a double post...anyhow...

Parking can be an issue--there's no real central lot like there is at a lot of races.  If you arrive in Guerneville early enough, you can find parking on Main St. just west of Mill (on the street, by the supermarket)...that's only a 2 1/2 block walk to transition.  Arrive later and you'll have a longish walk.

Then there's a line to get admitted to transition...that gets longer by the minute (both times I raced, there was a single entry gate that gets unbelievably congested, esp. with everyone bringing in a bike, since there's no advance bike dropoff).

So the choice is:  Arrive early and hang around or arrive later and hunt for parking, have a longer walk, and potentially stand in a long line.  I opted for the former option...YMMV...

As far as the VM/Barb's Race question:  When I did the Full, my wife did Barb's the same day.  I never saw her on the course until I was going out on the run and she was coming in on her last (half) run loop.  The Barb's athletes go out on the bike far enough behind the VM peeps that they really don't ever interact on the bike course...they will be finishing their one loop while the VM riders are on mostly on their second.

Hmm...BT ate my post about the morning and parking and all...hopefully this won't end up a double post...anyhow...

Parking can be an issue--there's no real central lot like there is at a lot of races.  If you arrive in Guerneville early enough, you can find parking on Main St. just west of Mill (on the street, by the supermarket)...that's only a 2 1/2 block walk to transition.  Arrive later and you'll have a longish walk.

Then there's a line to get admitted to transition...that gets longer by the minute (both times I raced, there was a single entry gate that gets unbelievably congested, esp. with everyone bringing in a bike, since there's no advance bike dropoff).

So the choice is:  Arrive early and hang around or arrive later and hunt for parking, have a longer walk, and potentially stand in a long line.  I opted for the former option...YMMV...

As far as the VM/Barb's Race question:  When I did the Full, my wife did Barb's the same day.  I never saw her on the course until I was going out on the run and she was coming in on her last (half) run loop.  The Barb's athletes go out on the bike far enough behind the VM peeps that they really don't ever interact on the bike course...they will be finishing their one loop while the VM riders are on mostly on their second.

We had a family connection, he works the course on a motorcycle, and he advised the following:

FYI, each year, they ask us to be out in Guerneville by 6:15 a.m. The first time I tried it, I took 101 north to River Road, and then west to Guerneville. Unfortunately, so did a lot of other people. It was a slow ride. In succeeding years I've had more success taking hwy 116 through Sebastopol and up to Guerneville. 

So, last weekend for the 70.3, we left our Marriott Courtyard in SR at 5:30, (Fulton, then Guerneville Rd to 116) and arrived to park at 5:55.  Saw almost no other cars.   Parked in the park-ride lot near Safeway, and made it into transition with bikes by 6:15.

We had a family connection, he works the course on a motorcycle, and he advised the following:

FYI, each year, they ask us to be out in Guerneville by 6:15 a.m. The first time I tried it, I took 101 north to River Road, and then west to Guerneville. Unfortunately, so did a lot of other people. It was a slow ride. In succeeding years I've had more success taking hwy 116 through Sebastopol and up to Guerneville. 

So, last weekend for the 70.3, we left our Marriott Courtyard in SR at 5:30, (Fulton, then Guerneville Rd to 116) and arrived to park at 5:55.  Saw almost no other cars.   Parked in the park-ride lot near Safeway, and made it into transition with bikes by 6:15.

Cool, so now there will be 500 cars on that route this year??

I'll offer those staying at/near the Sandman in Santa Rosa some carpooling options.  I figure us athletes can carpool early and our sherpas/families can carpool a bit later. 

Awesome, I'm 192. Any other BTers in sequence?

Hmm... looks like race numbers were assigned by age, except the first few men. Weird.

Runrgrlshubby -- you just became the competition. Watch your back during those "friendly" BT gatherings....

runrgrlshubby - 2011-07-25 11:28 AM

neweyes - 2011-07-25 10:23 AM

runrgrlshubby - 2011-07-25 8:02 AM Race numbers have been assigned and are posted on the website!.....193

 

Awesome, I'm 192. Any other BTers in sequence?

Hmm... looks like race numbers were assigned by age, except the first few men. Weird.

Runrgrlshubby -- you just became the competition. Watch your back during those "friendly" BT gatherings....

Looks like someone isn't going to get sprayed by the super soaker

Or get vasoline for chaffed nipples