The Nation's Triathlon : Official Thread (Page 2)

Was watching the course video, and it looked like most people were wearing a wetsuit.  Anyone that's done it recall seeing the same?   I was thinking it was going to be pretty warm, and go without, but now reconsidering.

If it is legal wear it.  ALways always always.  You are putting yourself at an instant disadvantage if you do not and everyone else is and unless you are at the pointy end of the FOP you will see an advantage wearing it.

Why not?

Anyone heard anything about swim waves yet? Looks like maybe they have switched to a single swim course (that's what's posted on the web-site now) vs. the two mirror image swim courses that were described earlier. Could take a loooooonnnnngggg time to get 6,000 athletes started....

I'm with ya. I have been training only sporadically.  I am going to finish, but the time will be pitiful, especially my run.

Last year they were slow posting the swim waves too. They show the waves going from 7-9am which is what they did last year. I am really concerned that the course will be extremely crowded.

Let's see..... single swim course, 6000 athletes, 2 hours to get everybody off - that means they have to start an average of 50 swimmers per minute. Assuming 5 minutes between waves, that's 250 per wave. If they could get it down to 3 minutes between waves, that would mean 150 per wave. It's going to be interesting to see how they pull this off! And, yes - I think a crowded course is inevitible in this race. I'm like Rick, and have done little swimming or biking lately (focusing on running for a fall half-marathon) - so I don't really have any time goals for this one anyway.

Swim waves are up!

One day, it would be nice if the women got to go before the men...we end up racing during the hotter hours...1 hr. makes a total difference...
/rant off

8:00 or 8:03 is my wave...wave 21 or 22...

Where are they on the site?

right on the main page...under Nation's tri updates...

Found it...and here is the link for those who need it.  I'm 8:00 or 8:03 too.  Blah.

http://www.nationstri.com/assets/files/2009-Swim-Waves.pdf

I agree blah...

now, the course clsoes at 1 pm...so if you are 50+ yr old man, and maybe it takes you a bit over 3:30 hrs, you will end up with a DNF...wouldn't it have made more sense to put the younger crowd earlier? 

I'm 8:09 or 8:12.  Next year I'd be going at 8:30 in my new age group.  Hey, at least it's not 9.... 

Long range forecast says it will be 78 and humid, with a low of 56, and a few showers the day before.

It would actually be 4 1/2 hours from an 8:30 AM start time. RDs really can't win with wave starts; somebody always gets the shaft and has a reason to complain. The truth is there are going to be some pretty fast folks in ALL age groups at this race that will have to weave through slower folks in earlier waves. Truth is those 30-45 men probably contain the largest percentage of the "fast" folks out there. M35-39 or M30-34 are often the first waves after pros. The only bone to pick I can see is having the relays smack dab in the middle. I would have them go off right after the pros, but I guess the concern is that they way some of those teams are stacked you'd have a relay team crossing the line first! Many races I've been in will have Pros -> oldest M/F wave(s) -> short gap (10-15 minutes) -> first AG wave. I think that is a good compromise.

lol..maybe I should learn to do basic math beforeI post. 
I agree that the RD can not make everynoe happy and the waves in a big race are difficult to plan.  But, after St. anthony's this year and starting at 9 am, I jus hate that the women always seem to get shafed...

7:18, 7:21, 7:24 here.

Since last name starts with a C I'm betting in the first wave of that group.

As to why no swimming or cycling?  Time constraints and run focus for the relay and two marathons I'm doing.  But I should still be able to put up a decent bike split ......... just not my usual 24+ mph average for shorter courses.  But we'll see what I can do.  Not really expecting much and will be happy over 21 or 22.

Swim?  Just survive and make it out of the water before the 5 waves behind me pass me.

I hear ya, sister!! I'm in the F 45-49 wave -- 8:24 start. Double bleh!!!! (but I agree that when you have a race where roads will open back up at 1:00, it's unfortunate having the statistically slowest groups at the very end, where a higher percentage of them might have to be pulled off the course before finishing).

With 30-ish waves, I assume there will be somewhere around 200 per wave. It'll be interesting to see how they manage getting that many people into the water and ready to go with 3 minutes between waves!

I agree that someone is always going to get the shaft...but 90+ percent of the time, that someone is the women...which is total CRAP.  It's one of the reasons I really want to stop doing races like this.  I've already vowed never to do St. Anthony's again since that RD refuses to ever let the women go first.  I seriously almost started a "Women against the St. A's RD" facebook group....

In this case I think I got lucky...I believe I will be in the first woman's wave...F30-34 goes off right after the dudes.  And with a last name starting with "d" I am guessing I am in the first of the two waves.  So that's a 0748 start which isn't bad.

As another poster said...based on the number of people and waves and short spacing (3' is pretty short...5' is more typical) it's going to be CROWDED out there.  Might as well just enjoy the day....

Edited to add:  SHAME on the RD for having a 1pm course shutdown which is only 4.5 hours after the last wave.  Personally I think that sub 4 for an only is reasonable for most of the population, but with a race this size there are additional factors that are going to affect that...

1. Big city + big race = lots of new people...not that all new people are slow, but I would bet some $$$ that you will have a fair amount of slower new people in this race!
2. Delays!!!!!  Seriously, what are the chances of this shindig going off on time?  If his permit makes him close the course at 1pm and the starts get delayed at all, you are shrinking the window for the folks who were going to come up against that cutoff.
3. And he did put the statistically slowest AG last...women 50+...

Edited by jldicarlo 2009-09-03 1:17 PM

id like to complain as well about the waves, im going off at 8:06, male 24 and under, this happened last year as well when my AG went off after about 3-4 waves of older females and all i can say is it was crowded out there.  im a FOP swimming and ive been spoiled in the last 3 races ive done because i was in the first wave, but now ill have to deal with all the people in front of me.

now that the complaining is out of my system (for now), im pretty concerned about the bike.  last year it was pretty crowded and i had some trouble staying away from groups of people, i cant imagine what it will be like with twice as many people out there.

Heh, I'm a FOP swimmer too and it's usually the FOP swimmers that whine the most...I think because no matter what wave we're in we get ticked off that we have to swim over slower people.  Which begs the question...why don't we just have waves based off swim times!  It's all chip timed anyway!!!!!

I noticed this on the site as well:

A Couple of Notes About Race Day

Proceed directly to the chip distribution and body marking area. Please pick up your race chip and make sure your body is marked. There is NO chip distribution prior to race morning.

Is that unusual to wait to give out chips on the morning of the race?  Seems to make things even more complicated.