Raleigh half? (Page 18)

First HIM ever. Need to think more about nutrition as cramps reduced me to walking most of the run. Started to have a slight cramp during the swim in my hamstring, which has never happened ever in training. Sometime might get a cramp in my foot, but never in my hammy. Felt better on the bike until around mile 40 or so, when they started acting up again. I ate and drank really well I thought and had plenty of energy. Was drinking fluids throughout, and at T2 my was fairly clear. Any suggestions? Do I need more salt?

Also, any idea on how to get a finisher's shirt? Didn't buy one at the expo. Do they go on sale online?

Loved the race and would do it again, but may have to hold out on HIM and/or any IM aspirations until the kids get older.

Did anybody notice the church signs out there?

1st one: You can't walk with the Lord if you run with devil
2nd one: Look neither forward nor back, but within

Wasn't sure if they were aimed at us or not.

Thought it was a great race!

Swim and bikes were almost equal to a previous 70.3 and my run was 8 minutes faster - and the previous course was totally flat for the bike and run and same heat.

The volunteers, cheering sections and signs were all great!

I made the mistake of really getting soaked with the fire house the first time around the loop at the art museum not thinking about how wet my right shoe would get - but that's my own fault.

But no sunburn, chaffing or blisters - and a solid middle of the pack finish - All in all a good day of racing!

Hope everyone else had fun!

I admire each and every one of your guys and I wish I was there. I had to pull out due to a hip injury a couple months ago and I want to do next years race. Any idea when it is and when registration will come open? I can't see anything on the website yet.
Congratulations to all who participated!
C

X3 on the wetsuit info. Since this was a point to point it really would have been nice if they had let us know prior to getting on the shuttles about the legality of wetsuits. I left mine in the car, but luckily got to wear someone else's who decided they didn't want to wear one because of the heat. So I got lucky there and probably saved a few minutes...that I gave back with a flat tire at mile 18. Other than that, very well run race!

No offense but when you consider the amount of time and money you spend on this sport not to bring your wetsuit to the start of a race because it LOOKS like it might not be wetsuit legal, yeesh.

Carrying a pound of foam rubber on an air conditioned tour bus to the swim start is not much of a hardship.

Sorry for the rant....but you must prepared for ALL possibilities during a race. You must have a plan A and a plan B & C.

Ron W.

I saw you posted the same thing on ST. The difference here is that two different race officials told me definitively the night before the race that it was NOT going to be wetsuit legal. No maybe about it. Not that it LOOKED like it was not going to be wetsuit legal.

Did I and others bear the responsibility for not bring a wetsuit? Sure, but we certainly had good reason not to do so.

I've been a part of races in the past where it was going to be a close call or even probably too high and I brought my suit to each of those events just in case. If I hadn't spoken to the two race officials in question I would have done the same here.

Edited by Patrick E 2013-06-03 10:30 AM

Ron-
The whole wetsuit issue was just a mess. The communication about the wetsuit wave that would be added was poorly communicated. I resolved to myself that it would not be legal based on the 79F reported in the last afternoon briefing on Saturday. With high daytime temps, direct sunlight, and warm low temps, there is no WAY it could've dropped off that much overnight. Yes, shame on me for not taking it, but it was just damn confusing who to listen to and the threats of the wetsuiters being added at 8:22am, there was no way I was going to risk being out there another hour later in the day.

There was discussion early on in the 70.3 Facebook page that there would be notification posted via Facebook the morning of; I'll have to go back and see the note from the RD about that, but that's the information I was looking for for my final decision.

Yes, hindsight 20/20 I'll carry the damn thing every where I go from now on, but it was a complicated decision.

Certainly hearing what the "official" said puts a different light on it but I can't see how anyone can guarantee what the water temp will be the night before. And trust me WTC or any race production company wants a wetsuit legal race for safety reasons and will do anything (short of out an out cheating) to get the right temperature reading to make sure of it.

I'm sure that same "official" if asked, would have guaranteed that all the bouy's where in place (which they where) but you have to be prepared and understand the course in case they weren't, same with guaranteeing the correct run course directions on race day, I have been in some races where the course markers where placed wrong, if you failed to study the course map beforehand you were screwed.

Bottom line it's the athletes responsibility come race morning to be prepared.

And this is from someone who has been racing tri's since 1979 and finished first in his age group by over 20 minutes Sunday.



Ron W.

Congrats on your stunning victory Ron.

Any update on Carol's race? I don't recall her last name so I can't look her up. Carol, if you finished that swim one-armed and finished the race, you are my hero!

She signed an autograph for Chuck Norris yesterday afternoon. And Greg and Laura Bennett.

I think I need to break a collarbone, might make me swim better.

CAROL SCHEIBLE

Rank: 34
Overall Rank: 1675
BIB: 1111

Swim: 1:03:01
Bike: 3:09:05
Run: 3:35:51
Overall: 8:00:32

Fgump, I too remember the RD saying there would be a post early on Facebook...he also stated they didn't want to have to haul a bunch of wetsuits to T2 when they weren't even necessary.

Yes, my fault for not bringing it to T1, but I also heard the 79 temp on Saturday. Overall, a great race, just would have been nice to have an earlier notice concerning the wetsuits considering it would be at the very least a close call.

Wow! That's an amazing feat!

I won't wade into the communication debate but I have been wondering about the wetsuit "go" decision. Given how warm the temperatures were trending, it seemed highly unlikely that race morning was going to be 76. I have to wonder if they didn't squint at the thermometer and, knowing how much folks wanted to wear wetsuits and how much safety has been an issue in races, declare it 76.

Patrick, thanks for the compliment....

One good thing will come of this, I'm sure WTC and their officials will be more careful on what they say prior to race day, too many athletes have complained about this for it to go unnoticed.

Race safe.

Ron W.

From the RD in this thread on May 2:

Race week we will take our own temp readings and post them on the Facebook page and announce them at the pre-race meetings.

I never saw a word about water temp on the FB page unless I'm just not looking at the correct page.

Again, I was lucky enough to borrow one from a friend who actually didn't want to wear his but did bring it, but it was frustrating to have zero clue until it was too late (I think they announced around 5:30 - when the last shuttle was supposed to leave from T2).

The other good thing to come of this is that everyone will carry wetsuits, just in case. I brought mine just in case Mr. Magoo happened to be the one reading the thermometer.

Did anyone else feel the swim was a bit long? I felt like I had a pretty solid swim. I swam with a wetsuit but my time was closer to what I would've expected to swim without the suit.

I did notice a significant drop in water temp around turn buoy 2. If the temp was taken out there or even close to that area, I could see a legitimate 76 degree reading.

I'm slow, but I'm not 2:53/100m slow. I mean, I've been in the 2:25-2:35/1930m for months now...

I had a slower swim. Wasn't there a current going right to left? Pretty much 200-300m out, I started feeling movement to the left that only got stronger after the t2 buoy.

I had a slower swim. Wasn't there a current going right to left? Pretty much 200-300m out, I started feeling movement to the left that only got stronger after the t1 buoy

Edited by ajminn 2013-06-03 1:37 PM

I agree, it did seem cooler there.

Check out the Corps of Engineers readings for the last 2 weeks, including today:
21-May-13 72
22-May-13 72
23-May-13 73
24-May-13 74
25-May-13 75
26-May-13 74
27-May-13 74
28-May-13 74
29-May-13 74
30-May-13 74
31-May-13 75
1-Jun-13 76
2-Jun-13 77
3-Jun-13 77

My Garmin had the swim at 1.39, but I'll admit, after the 1st turn buoy, I started swimming "out to sea" and had to correct my line. And, I did feel the significant drop in water temp at the 2nd turn buoy.

Bike course was much faster than expected and I was amazed at all the spectators. Traffic control was unbelievable, as well!!

On the run, I was beat down by those hills at the double loop miles 5, 6 & 7.

Overall, awesome race and amazing finish!!!

I'm not sure where you guys got your info on the wetsuits, but I went to one of the athlete's meeting and the guy there (who is the race announcer I think) said that the water temp was 77 that morning. And with Saturday's high temps, it's unlikely that it would be wetsuit legal. he did say that it was possible and anything could happen and it could be wetsuit legal. He also said that if HE was going to do it, he'd definitely take his wetsuit just in case as swimming is his weak area. Worse case is that you just have to leave it in your blue bag. So, that's the advice I went on and was pleasantly surprised when I got off the shuttle and was told it was wetsuit legal. OK, maybe pleasantly surprised isn't the right term... more like F'ing ecstatic!
I found the 2nd leg of the swim to be rolly, and got knocked around a good bit by the 2 waves of swimmers that followed us. But I was amazed when I stepped on the boat ramp and saw the clock showing the time.... it was, in my my mind, the best time I could have realistically hoped for! So, for me, the swim was great, just wish I could say that about the rest of the race (but I did finish in less time than the 73yo woman who did it).

I don't think it was a current as much as the wind picked up. When we crossed the bridge over the lake at the start of the bike I noticed how choppy the water looked compared to how smooth it was pretty race.