2012 Race Schedule (Page 2)

I've actually been working on this recently: 

1/15- Houston Marathon

2/19- Austin HM

4/1- Galveston 70.3 ?

4/21- MS 150

4/29- Kemah

5/5- CB&I

5/28- CapTexTri

6/?- Lake Pflugerville

7/15- TriAggieland

8/5- Bridgeland

8/?- Jack's Generic

9/?- AVIA Austin Tri

9/30- Houston

10/28- Austin 70.3 ?

I can't decide if I want to do Galveston 70.3 or Austin 70.3 as my first HIM. Any thoughts on these two races?

So far...

Cowtown Marathon

Potentially Galveston 70.3

Various Dallas Athletes Triathlons (Olympic, Sprint, and hopefully an X50)

Dallas Turkey Trot

White Rock Half/Full Marathon

Very concrete, I know.

Thoughts, so far

Jan- Fit Usa Sugarland Marathon

Apr- Kemah (Oly)

May- IMTX

Jun- Sugarland Tri

Jul- ?

Aug- Bridgeland

Sep- Houston

Oct- various sprints depending on budget

IMTX is the only one paid for.

Lots of discussion on this exact topic in the Tri Forum.  I think most people leaned towards Galveston and I was the lone dissenter who said Austin.

awesome pics!  That makes me want to run this race even more.  I need to go find some good trails close to home to prepare.

I hope this works out as my list is tentative:

01/15 - Houston Half-marathon

03/03 - The Woodlands Marathon

04/29 - Kemah Tri - Olympic distance

05/05 - CB&I tri (Maybe)

08/05 - Bridgeland Oly

09/30 - Houston Oly

10/28 - Austin 70.3

I hope that my can cash the check my ambition plans to write.

Galveston:

Always wetsuit legal salt water swim.  The water can be choppy.

Very windy bike course.  Flat as a board but the wind keeps it from being a real fast or easy ride.

Four loop run course which can become tedious.

Good transition area and very well organized.  Temperature was in the mid-80's the last two years but the April 1st date should hopefully allow for a little cooler weather.

Packet pickup and all that was flawless.  The host hotel is literally on the race course and about a two minute walk to transition.

Austin:

Mostly wetsuit legal fresh water swim.  The lake is actually pretty clear and clean for a Texas lake.

Hilly bike course that has the potential to be a real nice course but... the road conditions are terrible. Really terrible.  It's a shame.

The run course seems to change every year but you can count on a hilly run.  They had to do a last minute change to the run course this year that changed it from a two looper to a three looper.  On paper that looked great because it took out the Quadzilla hill but in reality it made for a tougher run course because the course change also took out the flat section.  The three loop course was either up or down the whole time.

Weather can be hit or miss in late October as you know.  It was 90 this year which made the run (with the hills) quite challenging.

Transition is jacked up because T1 and T2 are in two different areas.  Packet pickup was unorganized and very long.

You're local to Austin so there's no worries about hotel issues but there really aren't any hotels near the race area.  Most people stay near the airport.  Traffic getting into the race area kind of sucks.  Plus you have to take a shuttle bus from expo/finish/T2/parking area to the lake/T1.  It's not a logistically easy race.

Galveston is a better race.  Austin would have promise if they moved the race to another location that was logistically easier and had decent roads to ride.

Do you know something I don't?  Last year there was just a Sprint at Bridgeland. 

It really is a shame they don't use what Austin has to offer to its full potential.  The race should be at Lake Travis and use the great riding on that side of Austin.  Much more scenic than zipping around on horrible roads around Manor and Elgin.

Why they don't do that is beyond me.  I'm sure it's more expensive and involves more bureaucratic red tape but it should be over there.

The race does nothing to showcase Austin and the great tri scene there.

A lot of cyclists & triathletes ride around Bee Caves road and over by Mansfield dam.  It seems like they could set up a full course in that area.  That would be some scenic stuff.

yes, this is the area of austin i live in. i'm not sure it would be more bureaucratic or have more red tape. those areas are actually in suburban towns of Lakeway and Bee Caves. If the course trekked westward, the race wouldn't even have to go through the city of Austin. Do they ever change the course of a 70.3 once its been established? Seems like the logical thing after the bad reviews this past year.  

This is what I have so far though I would like to find something in February.

March 25 - Dirty Girl

April 29 - Kemah Oly

May - Silverlake Sprint - did this last year and REALLY enjoyed it.

August 5 - Bridgeland

September 2 - Hyvee Oly in Des Moines

October - If they do the 5150 in Galveston again I will do it but I am not holding my breath.

November - IMFL-Cheerleader - my husbands first full

Keri,

They may do what they did with the NOLA 5150, which was about as poorly attended as the Galveston 5150, and combine it with the 70.3.  It was announced the other day the NOLA 5150 was going to take place at the same time as the NOLA 70.3.  At least they were honest about and stated the reason was because it was more cost effective to do so.  Those of us doing the 70.3 aren't real pleased about it since they're changing the run course to accommodate both races.  The run and finish in the French Quarter (which is the best part of the race from what I heard) is gone and now finishes in some park to the NW.  I think they said the 5150 was going to start 90 minutes after the last 70.3 wave.  Hopefully things don't get too congested and confusing.  I was looking forward to running through the French Quarter.  I'm not happy that's gone.

I'm not sure they could do both Galveston races at the same time because of the out and back nature of the bike course.  I could see them moving the 5150 race back to the Saturday before the 70.3, like it was before this year when they came up with that brilliant 5150 concept (sarcasm alert).

They have to do something though.  Putting on a supposed "national" level event and having only 300 people show up was certainly not profitable and it was definitely embarrassing.

oly (actually 1/4 iron back then) and the half were on the same day prior to 2010.  in 2009 half went off after the 1/4.  imagine the uproar of happening today...  

nola....  the news sucks.  definitely would not have registered for it if i knew of the course changed to city park.  i've run plenty of races in city park and its cool, but can't compare to the quarter.  can't wait to see this cluster of a course. 

John, you're right about that.  2010 was the first year it was a WTC race and that's why they separated the races into different days.  I guess it's possible as long as they don't do something asinine like do the Oly before the 70.3. :-)

The longer race should ALWAYS go first.  Aaron P., if you're reading this??? ;-)

It does suck about the NOLA 70.3.  I was so looking forward to the run down the FQ.  Leave it up to WTC to take the character out of a race.  Kind of like having a 70.3 in Austin and not using Lake Travis and the west side of Austin where the good roads and good cycling exists.  They would never do that, right?

Registered for just two so far.

Jan 30 = Arrowhead 135 in Minnesota

Apr 21 = Zane Grey 50 in Arizona

Will do some more adventure races and other trail runs, still working on the details.

I'd like to know what adventure races (not the mud fun run variety) you find.

Any of the races these folks put on:

http://toocoolracing.com/

http://www.terrafirmaracing.com/

The Big Chill and Spread Your Wings with Too Cool are big-time events with plenty of challenge for every level.

So far pending approval from the wife.

April-Kemah Oly

June-Buffalo Springs Sprint

July-Amarillo Town Club Sprint

Sept-Tri to Make a Difference Sprint

Oct-Toyota US Open Oly

1/29 3M half marathon

2/26 Cowtown marathon

3/25 Tall Texan 70.3

5/5 Ironman St. George

5/19 Beach to Bay marathon relay

5/28 Cap Tex Olympic

6/23 Gator Bait Spint Tri

9/3 Avia Austin Olympic

10/28 Austin 70.3

11/11 San Antonio Rock n Roll Marathon or half depending how beat up I get from the HIM