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2011-01-26 8:45 AM

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Subject: DC Tri 2011
Anyone have any info (pro/con) about the DC Tri coming up this June?  Better still, anyone have a promo discount code? Laughing


2011-01-26 11:50 AM
in reply to: #3322165

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Subject: RE: DC Tri 2011
I did it last year.  Overall it was a very well run race, and its always fun to race in downtown DC.  Having the streets to yourself is a blast, especially on the bike.

I only had two beefs:
1) The cost.  Its a LOT of money for an olympic race. 
2) Last year they had trouble getting the course cleared off in time for the advertised start.  They insisted that both sprint and olympic competitors clear out of the transition area together at some rediculously early hour (like 5:30), despite the fact that the olympic folks went after the sprint folks.  To make matters worse, the 45 minute delay in the course closing meant that the olympic folks had to wait around for over an hour after clearning out of transition before the race began.  I got up that day at 3:00am and didn't start the race until 7:30, and by the time I finished it was 85 blistering degrees outside.

The post-race amenities were first-rate.  Lots of food, music, massages, free stuff, etc.  Also, the timing system just spat out a little receipt with your time, splits and AG placements - that was very cool.

I'm not going to do this one again this year mostly due to the price.  Also, I did the Dextro ITU race in 2009 as well, so I've not been able to sleep in on Fathers Day in 3 years now, so this time around I'm going to stay home and let the kids pamper Daddy with a nice breakfast :-)

2011-01-26 6:54 PM
in reply to: #3322165

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Subject: RE: DC Tri 2011
I wish I knew a promo code!  There was a $25 discount for registering before December 1, I think, but I missed that cutoff.  I will be doing this race for the first time this year--I figure I am just paying a surcharge for the cool surroundings of racing through DC.
2011-01-28 3:48 PM
in reply to: #3322165

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Subject: RE: DC Tri 2011
Probably the only reason I'd do it it is if someone paid my entry fee... the cost and logistics of getting all of my race stuff to the mall area in DC sour it for me.  Would be a cool race given the setting, but for now I'll be doing other more accessible less expensive races.  
2011-01-28 5:18 PM
in reply to: #3322165

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Subject: RE: DC Tri 2011
OK - I gotta ask for people who have done this race before...

how nasty is swimming in the potomac?  I'm singed up for the race (sprint), but the actuality of getting into the Potomac is what worries me the most :-p 
2011-01-31 9:03 AM
in reply to: #3327719

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Subject: RE: DC Tri 2011
rbtrumpet - 2011-01-28 6:18 PM OK - I gotta ask for people who have done this race before...

how nasty is swimming in the potomac?  I'm singed up for the race (sprint), but the actuality of getting into the Potomac is what worries me the most :-p 


It wasn't all that bad.   Think about it this way - a river is a moving body of water, so it gets flushed out all the time.  Ponds and lakes - not so much.  I did the Reston Triathlon (near-olympic, September, swim is in a large, man-made pond) last year for the first time and you wouldn't believe the amount of crud which showed up on the q-tip I used to clean my ears afterwards!  I didn't experience anything like that after swimming in the potomac.

The only gross thing you might run into is gas in the water from nearby boats.  During the practice swim there was more of this than on race day because on race day the only boats around were kayaks.

All in all, though, it really isn't that bad - don't worry!


2011-01-31 9:07 AM
in reply to: #3330490

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Subject: RE: DC Tri 2011
oh - and one more piece of advice:

Last year the water was too warm for wetsuits.  It was below the absolute wetsuit cutoff temp (84 degrees), but above 78 degrees.  What they did was if people wanted to use wetsuits, they were asked to go in the VERY LAST wave and were not eligible for AG awards.

Given how hot DC is in late June, I would strongly advise you to be prepared mentally for the possibility of not using a wetsuit.  I opted to not use a wetsuit, but even so, by the time I finished the race at 9:45am or so it was already 85 degrees with stifling humidity, which made for a very, very tough run.  If this situation comes up, unless you are a superhuman runner it is FAR better to just swim it without a wetsuit.
2011-01-31 9:26 AM
in reply to: #3322165

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Subject: RE: DC Tri 2011
haha - thanks.  Yeah, I did IronGirl in Columbia in 2009, we swam in a lake - the practice swim was OK - more plant life than I would like, but overall not bad - the actual race day, the water smelled like poop.  I swam faster than any of my practice times, but I honetly think it was just wanting to get out of the nasty poop water as fast as I could.


I don't have a wetsuit, so no problem there.   As far as the heat goes, I know how bad DC gets in the summer!  My second ever race (in my life) was the Army 10-miler either 2007 or 2008 (I forget ) - which ever it was the year that it was 90o+ with 90% humidity, where they RAN OUT OF WATER starting around mile 6 for us slower runners.  I really don't think anything can be worse than that!  If it says it's gonna be really hot, I'll bring my fuel belt for the run... (all 4 miles of it :-p)
2011-02-17 1:27 PM
in reply to: #3327719

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Subject: RE: DC Tri 2011
rbtrumpet - 2011-01-28 5:18 PM OK - I gotta ask for people who have done this race before...

how nasty is swimming in the potomac?  I'm singed up for the race (sprint), but the actuality of getting into the Potomac is what worries me the most :-p 



The water's actually not that bad.  Especially that far up.   But I jet ski in that river all the time and I have yet to grow an extra limb or anything weird like that.
2011-02-17 1:46 PM
in reply to: #3327719

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Subject: RE: DC Tri 2011
rbtrumpet - 2011-01-28 6:18 PM OK - I gotta ask for people who have done this race before...

how nasty is swimming in the potomac?  I'm singed up for the race (sprint), but the actuality of getting into the Potomac is what worries me the most :-p 


I did it a few years ago and I didn't think it was too bad. A little brackish, but nothing terrible.  For me, the worst part was the gas fumes from all the boats patrolling the river.
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