Full Vineman Triathlon : Official Thread (Page 8)

I learned this the hard way a number of years ago. I'd booked through hotels.com and chosen the hotel solely for its proximity to the finish line of my first marathon. They called to tell me they'd over-booked and I was being bumped to a hotel 7 miles away. It was a ridiculous mess that involved speaking to a non-English speaker oversees, being hung up on multiple times, and ultimately being booked into a hotel 2 miles away with no other compensation or apologies.

Since then, I have signed up with a rewards account through my favorite chain, and ONLY book directly through their sites or agents. If you do this, you are GUARANTEED your room and preferences. All other sites, like you said, are merely requests. Even your reservation is merely a request as the travel sites routinely overbook.

There is a very tiny changing tent in T1 and a larger one (not convenient) in T2 at the high school.  Some people brought large towels to T1 and did a change boogie there. 

T1 also had limited port-o-pots.  I think there were two near the change tent.  The change tent is is at the swim exit.  You set up T1 on race morning and leave your gear at your bike.  To use the change tent, it is swim exit, bike, change tent, bike, bike start.

This is confusing. So you grab your bike BEFORE you change, and the tent is on the way out of T1? Then what, does a volunteer or someone hold it for you while you're in the tent?

• exit the swim
• run to your bike to get your stuff
• run back to the swim exit to use the changing tent there
• run back to your bike to pack your gear up and grab your bike
• run to the opposite end of T1 to the bike start
• run up the little hill there and mount your bike
• head toward Korbel...

They will give you all of your bags at race checkin...morning clothes, T1, T2, Special needs bike and special needs run.  It's labeled with your race number and as you go through special needs area, yell out your number and a volunteer will give you your bag.  

As for what to include; depends on you.  Right now I don't do SN bike, but here's what some people include; Spare tube, extra nutrition, have seen a can of Coke, Red Bull, peanut M&Ms, even a turkey sandwich!

SN Run; bandaids, more nutrition, extra pair of socks, long-sleeve shirt if you are going be on the course after sundown...it can be cold in the evening.

Aaaah thank you. 

I'm likely going to stick with not having to undress after the swim. Just throw on my bike jersey over what I'm swimming in. Sounds like it's a pain to change in T1.

Bike special needs is shortly after you pass the high school to end the first loop while you are still in town.

Run special needs you pass after exiting T2 and after the first lap and after the second lap.  You can access run special needs at any of these times.

I did not get my bike sn bag back last year.  I did go back and grab my run sn bag with no problem though.

There were volunteers at SN when I raced here in 2010 who handed you your bag  Family is not allowed, unless they are volunteers.  SN bags are numbered and placed in order.  Even if there were no volunteers, this is a small race, not thousands of bags as in a branded Mdot race

I think that would fall under the unauthorized assistance rule.

Shoot.  That probably means that they would frown on me having my kids just push me on my bike up some of the hills and carry me on parts of the run too.  Darn 

Yes you can give your swim stuff to someone