Ironman Chattanooga : Official Thread (Page 2)

The IMCHOO website did have a lot of the hotels that are close to the finish line a few weeks ago.

I actually was able to book the Hampton Inn about a 1/4 mile from the start. I suppose they have all booked up since that time.

Ah well in looking at it (i.e. going through the process) it looks like most of them that are available are outside of town.

gouge I got from someone else racing is that hotels sold out a week before registration even opened...so maybe, some of those will open up with ppl not getting in...

Click on the show all...or maybe deselect the show only avail hotels. This will show all hotels. Then you can add yourself to the waiting list....at least for the Hampton Inn. I am wait listed there. I'm HH Diamond so they better get me in.

For the Chatt Waterfront oly they bussed us to the starting point up river.

There is a walking path along the river so someofheriver is viewable

If you look really close at the swim course map, there is a "shuttle dropoff" right at the swim start. I'm assuming that's for athletes as well as spectators.

Me neither! Still working on Cozumel training (December 1st).

I'm in by the way...LOL. One of the lucky ones as it appears!

Chattanooga will be my 7th IM.

Luck is for rabbits. You beat out the competition and got in!

(This is likely my only IM CHATT victory. :-) )

did everyone notice that the time for this is going to be 16hr 30 max? since the race isn't starting until 7:30

LOL ~ signing up will be the only competition that I beat!

Yep. Not gonna lie, that makes me a little nervous.

AND they said all athletes in by 8:00....So, some could be dealing with a 16 hr time limit.

making me a tad nervous as well...I was aiming for a 16hr time...maybe i'll adjust that down to 15:30...but heck, 16:29 would also be awesome

I am in also. After DNFing IMKY in 2011, I really need to finish this one.

As far as hotels, lots of them are not taking bookings until 9 months out. The Residence Inn for example has a list started and on January 25, they will open up bookings for September giving preference to those on their list first.

Ok, enough of the small talk, it's time we got to know each other.

I am Mike. I've been on BT for several years and think this is the best internet triathlon site available on the entire internet! You can view my log for some of my philosophy and see where I am at training-wise.

My history: I started running in 1997 when I quit smoking. I started walking on a TM in the fitness center at work and saw a flyer for a sprint triathlon. I had never heard of any triathlon other than that thing they did in Hawaii that I saw on TV as a kid. But this was only a 5k run! Cool, I could do that! Biking?? Heck, I did that as a kid. Swimming? Yeah, I can swim as good as the next feller. I was in! So in 1997 I did my first triathlon, the Rocketman sprint triathlon in the Tennessee River. Having an OCD personality, it was not long before did my first marathon in 2002, the Disney Marathon.

In 2006 they announced the inaugural IM Louisville race and I signed up. I finished in right at 16 hrs. I did it again in 2008 and finished in about 14:30. Then life happened. I herniated a disc in my neck, blew out my left knee, blew out my right knee, got a lay-off notice after 24 years with my company and ended up in a job that kept me living in a hotel on the road for a couple of years....with 'free' food and drink. I went from 250 lbs of my last tri to 350 lbs in a couple of years!

In July I went to the doc and he very bluntly said, Mike, you are killing your self! I knew he was right. I said I would see him in a year. I resolved to get off the couch and start living large again! I have since lost 25 lbs and have set some pretty sporty goals - IM Chatt being the sportiest! :-)

I am the most transparent guy you will meet and the best support guy you can ever befriend. I did 2007 IMKY on my own and I did 2008 IMKY with about 30 of my BT friends and we had an absolute ball! We had BT shirts made up and we had so much fun at the race!! On the course, we all cheered each other and it was so much fun looking for my BT friends on the course. So please don't be shy! We've got a year to share and learn together. You can live this year alone or we can all live it together. Our chance of success is much better if we do this as a team!

Introduce yourself and lets have a great year! The IM experience is not about 140.6 miles, it's a about a full year about of learning about yourself and meeting people that are very much like you!

I'll start next:

I'm Jamie, 32/m/Greenville, SC.

I teach high school English. I started running a couple years ago for the Savannah RnR Half Marathon, and then kept running. Starting at the beginning of the next year, I began doing local triathlons. I worked my way up to Raleigh 70.3 this summer, and then just recently completed IMLou. My race didn't go as planned: Short Version-good swim, good bike start, felt bad at the end, passed out on run, finished with bandaged face.
I'm really looking at nailing my nutrition, which is going to be my focus between now and then.

I'm Ryan, from Kansas City.

I swam growing up and in high school, and HATED every minute of it. I threatened to quit my senior year, but made a deal with the coach that I'd swim if I could leave practice everyday an hour before everyone else. Looking back, I can't believe he agreed, and I can't believe I actually did it!

Went to college for 4.5 years and gained around 50 pounds completely fueled by McDonalds and beer (but I did have fun!). After college, I bought a motorcycle and got deep into road racing. In order to be more competitive, I went from 200 pounds back down to my 150. To do that, I got back in the water and ran a lot, which would eventually plant the seed for triathlon. I quit racing motorcycles, because it is the path to financial ruin - if you think triathlon is expensive, you have no idea what an expensive hobby is.

In early 2012, I got frustrated by experiencing yet another running injury, and got prompted to buy a TT bike. I set a goal to do an Oly and the Branson 70.3 by the end of the year. I did that, and LOVED it. LOVED IT. This year I've done Kansas 70.3 and IMLOU. The day after Louisville, I wanted more and started hunting for another IM. I saw Chattanooga, and thought it would be cool to do an inaugural IM. I signed up promptly at noon, just because I couldn't wait to be committed to another. I had no idea it would blow up like it did. I'm glad I got in, and absolutely cannot wait to race another IM!

Im Jeff, 40 and I live in Chattanooga.

Did a few tris during college, but gave it up due to time constraints when started having kids. Before I knew it, I had gained 40lbs and developed sleep apnea and felt miserable. Set a year goal for a half (Rev3 Knoxville). Shed the 40 lbs, had a good time and have kept something on my schedule ever since. I do a couple oly's, a couple halfs and an IM about every year. Finished IMFL 2011 in 12:18 as my first marathon / IM and had a good time doing it. IM Lou in 2012 didn't go so well due to injury and had to walk the marathon...14:50. Looking for a bit of redemption and maybe even a sub 12 in near future.
This season has gone well, as Im a stronger runner and cyclist than I have been in the past and my bike fit feels spot on. I have Augusta in a couple weeks then IMFL in NOvember.
As I live here, I look forward to previewing the course multiple times. If anyone needs suggestions about the town now or in months leading up to the race, let me know.

I'm Dee /31 (nearly 32)/ waldorf, MD

I just got out of the military after 8 years active duty and for the most part I was a 3 mile a year runner for my first few years in (aka, do the PFA and don't really think about PT'ing much any other time). Then my friend on my ship challenged me to do the Shamrock Half Marathon in VA Beach in 2007 and we trained at the end of each workday and then headed out for runs while the rest of the ship went home for the day. I did that one in March 2007 with 2:17 as my time (and to date, one of my best ones yet)...then another friend said, hey why not try a sprint triathlon...and here I am 5 years later...

that being said, my training/racing has been interrupted by a reoccuring knee injury (hint - trying to walk down the stairs with no light in the middle of the night, isn't the best idea)...and then plantar faciitis this year...as well as separating from the Navy.

Looking forward to chatting/training (virtually) with everyone this upcoming year and if anyone is in the DC area and wants to do some rides let me know - the W&OD trail is a pretty decent/longish ride and there are a bunch of ppl going to be doing group rides in the lead-up

I'm Lisa 48F in Vicksburg, MS and I'm a recovered couch potato. I was an active athletic kid but, after having my own kids, my life became about them. I struggled to find balance as a divorced mom of toddler twins with a highly stressful job. Fitness was low on my list of priorities although looking back, I sure wish it had been more important to me. My husband and I married 15 yrs ago then relocated here for his job. Our "active" time was spent shuttling the kids to practices and games. Otherwise we were couch potatoes with sedentary jobs. They went to college and suddenly I had a huge hole in my day. Until I saw a photo my mom took at a football game of me with my cheerleader daughter. Holy cow when did I get THAT fat?? So I started walking and cleaned up my diet. That was 2010. In 2011 I was 70# lighter and running until I had a stress fracture- then I was swimming and biking. When I could run again I thought "Hey, I could probably do a triathlon!". I did two on my ancient, heavy mountain bike. Then I bought a road bike because I was hooked in a big way. Last year I did a few sprints and a few Olympics and running races in the off-season. This year: several half marathons, a tri bike, couple of sprints, few Olympics and a HIM. I was so excited when Chattanooga was announced as the new IM. I have done the Waterfront oly twice. My family lives in Chatt and I can't think of a better place for my first full! We will be there several times before the race so I will be looking for people wanting to ride the course.

I'm Chris, a 30 years old engineer from a small town in central IL. I got into cycling 2 1/2 years ago as a way to lose weight. Last September I decided that I wanted to do a triathlon so I signed up for the University of Illinois sprint tri. Did the race and was hooked. Set a goal to do a 1/2 IM in 2013 soon after the 1st tri and signed up for IM 70.3 Steelhead. This year so far I have done 1 1/2IM, 1Oly, and 4 sprints, 2 more sprints on the schedule before the end of the season. Since my first tri nearly a year ago I have dropped close to 30lbs. I knew that I wanted to do a full IM in 2014 and when Chattanooga was announce I couldn't pass on an inaugural event in such an awesome location. My plan this winter is to focus on improving my run as that is where I struggle the most. Looking forward to the journey that we all will be going through over this next year.

There should be some good viewing along the Riverwalk which you can walk from the river front in front of the aquarium to the swim start. Also Walnut street bridge is a pedestrian only bridge. I don't know if they will have it open for spectators, but it would offer a neat viewing angle from above. The swim will go under the Walnut Bridge and then get out at Ross's landing.