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Thank you Keith Jordan
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 2008-10-06 8:32 PM |
Expert  1024 |  Subject: Thank you Keith JordanYesterday I accomplished something that 2 years ago I could not even imagine. I've done a couple of sprint triathlons before yesterday, but somehow I never really felt like I was a triathlete. After completing Longhorn, I AM A TRIATHLETE. And, I will be back next year to better my time. Thank you Keith for a great race! It was simply awesome. You have allowed me (and many others) to achieve dreams we never thought possible. This race was super well orchestrated. The volunteers were great, the bands were great. Thanks also for being part of this site and open to the ideas of others and other races (cold towels). I don't know how you will top it next year, but I know you will and I know we will do all we can to help.
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| 2008-10-06 8:40 PM in reply to: #1722496 |
Member 66 | Subject: RE: Thank you Keith Jordan |
| 2008-10-06 10:20 PM in reply to: #1722496 |
Pro 4311   Texas | Subject: RE: Thank you Keith Jordan Thanks Keith, the race was pretty well-organized. I have 3 suggestions for areas of improvement: 1) The shuttle/bike situation. There needs to be a better way to get athletes and their bikes back to the cars than what was provided. I say that for 2 reasons: A) being one of the last people on the course, I was having to dodge the exodus of athletes/fans that kept straying onto the course while I was running(ok, walking) and B) there was no way in hell I was making it back to my car by walking my bike or pedaling up *any* hills. Fortunately for me, I had been dragging my butt around the med tent long enough that they were letting people bring their cars closer to the park so my gf made the trek to the shuttle and back with the car. 2) More wet towels. There were plenty of aid stations and they were pretty well-stocked even late into the event, but I only saw 2 that were handing out the cold towels. I enjoyed those far more than the sponges, so I'd like to see more of the towels next time around. 3) Make sure the swim is actually 1.2 miles. There's no way I hit that time on a regulation course. OK, one more: could one 'band' be a DJ? I know Austin's the live music capital of the world, but getting a great local DJ like DJ Mel or similar out there would have revved me up way more than hearing somebody cover 'Comfortably Numb'(as much as I love the song, it was the antithesis of my feelings at the time). The vast majority of the race was well-organized and given the explosion of entrants from last year to this, you and your organization did a great job. With these improvements, I think it will add another level to the Longhorn experience. Edited by JBrashear 2008-10-06 10:22 PM |
| 2008-10-07 6:46 AM in reply to: #1722496 |
Expert 630 Frisco TX (DFW area) | Subject: RE: Thank you Keith Jordan Ditto - Great race and thank you all the volunteers Only issues One the walk to the bike after the race - yes it sucked Bike route - whew now that had some holes - I only lost the aero bottle once. |
| 2008-10-07 8:10 AM in reply to: #1723264 |
| Regular 1025 | Subject: RE: Thank you Keith Jordan Here's what I posted in another thread  Thanks everyone!!!!! I was mortified by the bus/parking situation. Basically, the guys who put the cones out barricaded/closed Gate 1, which was supposed to be open, in addition to gate 2. Finally, the parking attendants manning that area called me to ask why NO one was coming in their gate. I called the Sheriff's Dept, and he went and checked, and opened it up. Things sped up then, but it was too late. Of course, the buses then had to run much more slowly, as athletes who were late were walking to the park, but walking along the bus route. So, bus turnover was much slower as well. The Travis County Sheriff's Dept parks cars at the Expo Center ALL the time. They supplied the plan, and it works really well....unless there is a glitch like closing one of the gates accidentally... Don't worry, I can assure everyone that it won't happen again. We're going to open ALL gates, and have 3 times the number of buses next year. It'll be more than smooth... Trust me, I was incredibly upset about this, especially given that there has been a plan in place for parking cars there for quite some time, and it's tried and true... as for the dust/cracked roads/cracked trails. It just hasn't rained in months here. The roads that were cracked were beautiful just 2 months ago. The ground has just contracted due to no moisture. The park, which was grass last year, has just become dirt due to lack of rain. Not much we can do about it. We got 2 truckloads of coldpatch and spent 1.5 days filling in cracks and potholes, and did the best we could. Next year, if it rains at all, it'll be fine... Same goes for the trails. We got a couple of truckloads of dirt and I personally went and filled in the crevices as best I could. It's amazing what happens with no rain. Of course, it rained last night here All the problems are easily fixable. We want a PERFECT event, but know that there are always some glitches. I wish there weren't.... |
| 2008-10-07 8:43 AM in reply to: #1722496 |
Pro 4174 Keller, Texas | Subject: RE: Thank you Keith Jordan Sunday was awesome!! I can't thank you and your staff enough for putting on a great race...again! Sure, there were a few glitches ut when you get 98% right..and the things that were not perfect were for the most part out of your control, pat yourself on the back. My one suggestion for next year is finishers shirts. Personally I would prefer to get a 70.3 finisher shirt than one before the race (BTW - I did love the ls tech shirts and hats) |
| 2008-10-07 9:12 AM in reply to: #1723431 |
Extreme Veteran 556 TX | Subject: RE: Thank you Keith Jordan You plan and you plan and you plan... and then somebody forgets to do their piece... sigh Thanks Keith for another great race, and we know you'll be reviewing things and working to make it even better next year. |
| 2008-10-07 9:28 AM in reply to: #1722496 |
Champion 10471 Dallas, TX | Subject: RE: Thank you Keith Jordan Overall the race was put on wonderfully! I didn't race this year, but I saw how nicely the venue was laid out and how the racers were being supported. I loved all the bands on the race course and people in costumes. The King/Queen of Quadzilla was just too much fun! Austin really knows how to bring out the locals to support something like this. I liked the tailgating part, because I got to tailgate, but that was great right on the run course! It was obvious that a lot of hard work and organization when into the race and that you did your absolute best to make it a top-notch event! THANK YOU!!!! As for the feedback, I have to agree with all of the above. If you can find some way to get bikes/gear back to the cars for the racers, after the race, that would make it perfect. It was so dangerous at the end with all the people walking back on the road, traffic going both ways, buses dodging people... WOW! Scary stuff. Not to mention, I felt so bad for all those racers having to walk back to their cars with all their stuff. My racer couldn't make it back himself and his bike was too large for me to ride. So I had to get the car close enough so he could walk to the car. Luckily I was able to do that. AND... I love the idea of DJ being on the course providing music as well. Jbrashear knows local DJ's in Austin who would be able to come out to the race even! Otherwise, as long as I know the "return to car" situation is worked out for next year, I will be doing the race myself (I did it in 2007). |
| 2008-10-07 9:57 AM in reply to: #1722496 |
Veteran 149 Quebec city | Subject: RE: Thank you Keith Jordan It was my biggest race ever and the longest distance I ever did. It's also the one I'll keep the best memories. I personnally want to thank you Keith for that AWESOME event. We were a team of 6 athletes coming from Canada to race and we have only good comments about how cool our experience was! It was a mix of great sceneries and challenges that made it difficult but enjoyable! The weather and the course were tough on the body (remember I'm from Quebec, Canada Thanks again and I hope you can get some time to relax after that A1 race! |
| 2008-10-07 10:21 AM in reply to: #1722496 |
Extreme Veteran 333 | Subject: RE: Thank you Keith Jordan I also want to pipe in my appreciation for how well run the event was. Keith did a great job growing this race from last year with very few problems! I agree that it would be nice to have a better way to get athletes back to their cars without dragging their stuff by the racers still out there. I was one of the earlier ones to leave (I did the aquabike) and I just felt bad leaving while so many people were out on the course. I cheered them on, but I've been there and it's demoralizing seeing racers leaving while you still have another loop to go. Plus, I had to stay on the road with my bike to protect the wheels but tried to stay as far left as possible. That being said, I felt like I was possibly crowding some runners, which I know they didn't need at that point in the race. Finally, I also want to say that Jack & Adam's is AWESOME! I took my bike in on Saturday afternoon to have them adjust the derailleur, and they did this quickly for me for free, which was totally unexpected. That's great support (in addition to the Mavic guys who are always awesome--especially on their cool motorcycle wheel carriers). I can't wait for next year and can't wait until Keith gets Texas an official Ironman race! |
| 2008-10-07 10:32 AM in reply to: #1722496 |
Master 2381 Dallas, Texas | Subject: RE: Thank you Keith Jordan Did anyone notice how long people stayed at the race site? My wife even commented on this. At most races, 1) there aren't nearly as many spectators and racers and 2) they don't stay around for very long after the athlete finishes his race. At Longhorn, everyone stayed well after their athletes had finished. I think this is a testament to the quality of the event. |
| 2008-10-07 12:39 PM in reply to: #1722496 |
Expert 619 Wylie, TX | Subject: RE: Thank you Keith Jordan I too had an awesome time in Austin. This was my first HIM distance event, and it was well worth the trip. I was really motivated by all the people out on the run course. The themed aid stations were also fun. I loved when I saw Batman fighting The Joker at the bottom of Quadzilla!! It made me laugh when The Joker got thrown against the fence. The guy offering to hand out "the GOOD stuff" (ie, electrolyte pills) was also really funny. I am glad to see that the parking fiasco in the morning was a mistake. Having two lanes being forced to merge into one before turning into the lot was a mess. I don't know where the other gate was, but having the left lane go straight and the right lane forced to turn on the street before the lot, I think people could have gotten in way faster. (that's the engineer in me coming out  ) I barely made it to transition because the bus lines were long and we decided to walk to the site (as did many others). I was lucky that the race was delayed and I had time to set up my spot. The only thing I was disappointed in was that there was no beer left when I finished. (6:20) I saw plenty of athletes drinking it, but also plenty of spectators too. When I got the beer tent, some spectators even made a smart comment to me that "Someone drank all the beer man!" as they sipped from their can. Maybe for next year, have the beer in the athlete only tent so that the spectators don't drink it all. I eventually got my beer later that night on 6th street. The hike back to the parking lot was rough since I was really sore and could barely walk. Hopefully something can be worked out for that, but it is doubtful given the layout of the park and such. Overall, it was an amazing experience and I look forward to going back next year!!!! |
| 2008-10-07 12:52 PM in reply to: #1722496 |
Master 1831 Keller Tx | Subject: RE: Thank you Keith Jordan Keith, as one of the last few finishers, I have to thank your volunteers, staff, and likely your directions to them for making the strugglers as important as the FOP racers. There may have been fewer volunteers at the aid stations, but they were totally ready for whatever we wanted, and the aid stations were still stocked with everything, including ice at the bottom of quadzilla! Since I know that carpeting the whole transition are is really out of the question, I would have found T1 lots faster if we had carpet up the side of the transition, to the edges of the racks. That was the dirtiest I think my feet have ever been after a swim, and really in need of being cleaned off. Like you said in your previous post, if we had some grass, it may not have be an issue, so next year we'll probably mention the grass being too high in transition......Other than the trip back to the cars, thats the only thing I could come up with. |
 2008-10-07 1:03 PM in reply to: #1722496 |
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| 2008-10-07 4:59 PM in reply to: #1722496 |
| Expert 683 Fort Worth, Texas | Subject: RE: Thank you Keith Jordan Thanks Keith. Once again, a stellar race/event. Everyone else has commented on the hiccups and offered suggestions. I had an even better time this year than last, which I didn't think was possible. Thanks again for all your hard work. |
| 2008-10-07 5:21 PM in reply to: #1722496 |
| Expert 708 work, road, bike, pool | Subject: RE: Thank you Keith Jordan thanks keith. I wanted to get a chance to meet you but I know how busy everything is.... THanks for a great race and everything in our bags..... Any one know when the pictures are going to be up? |
| 2008-10-07 7:03 PM in reply to: #1722496 |
| Veteran 217 United States Military Academy | Subject: RE: Thank you Keith Jordan Much Thanks Keith!!!!! I traveled from Colorado to this race for my first HIM, and it will be hard to top. The volunteers made the painful experience FUN!!! Incredible Event.....will return in the future. |
| 2008-10-08 9:13 AM in reply to: #1722496 |
| Expert 1083 The Woodlands, TX | Subject: RE: Thank you Keith Jordan Thank you Keith - this was a great race! My only suggestion is more XS sizes - on the shirts and jerseys. They were all gone by the time I got there and I was there pretty early. |
| 2008-10-08 9:21 AM in reply to: #1725323 |
| Expert 1083 The Woodlands, TX | Subject: RE: Thank you Keith Jordan tri-dg - 2008-10-07 5:21 PM Any one know when the pictures are going to be up? No idea - I can't even figure out who the photographer was to check out the website. Anyone know? |
| 2008-10-08 9:27 AM in reply to: #1722496 |
| Elite 2998 Fishers, Indiana | Subject: RE: Thank you Keith Jordan YES! Thank you Keith--I posted in the "Longhorn 70.3 was Awesome" thread in the Iron forum, so I'll keep this short--but y'all did great!! It was ASI Photos...if you go to their site you can sign up to be notified when pictures are up, but usually Keith sends something out too....with ASI it typically isn't too long before they are up. Edited by TexasMPGal 2008-10-08 9:28 AM |
| 2008-10-10 6:44 AM in reply to: #1726727 |
| Regular 1025 | Subject: RE: Thank you Keith Jordan thanks |
| 2008-10-10 8:30 AM in reply to: #1722496 |
| Pro 3894 Austin, Tejas | Subject: RE: Thank you Keith Jordan Keith & the rest of the folks at Endorfun: Thank you for such a great race!! I didnt race but had a blast volunteering at the swim course with T3 and watching the race. I know there isn't a "perfect" race out there but this was pretty darn close. Endorfun rocks and we're so happy to have the 70.3 here in Austin!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for your hard work! |
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