Iron Girl ATL 2013

Wife did once--ONCE

Parking-a joke-both days. Arrive early with the intent to be irritated.

Shes not done the race since the addition of the DOCKS, but the Lake Lanier sprint in october was "different". after the swim you run ACROSS the lake on the dock up the BACK hill which is worse than the front hill. Depending on mat placement T1 will be long or your swim will be LONG. Be CAREFUL on the dock.

The ride is awesome, aside from the new bethany hill (barn at the top) Bike pushers GALORE here, heads up.

The run is awesome as well an out and back roller course with a great view of the lake throuhgout.

Oh wow..I have tried to watch some videos of the Lake Lanier triathlons to see how the T1 situation is. I know Iron Girl added a "shoe transition" area for right when you get out of the swim so you have shoes on to get to T1. I'm not sure if I'm going to do that though, I'll check it out on Saturday and decide what I want to do. I'll be wearing a wetsuit so I feel like it's going to be weird to put shoes on, run to transition, take shoes off, then wetsuit, then put shoes back on.  This will be very interesting.

Hmmm...a shoe transition is only advantageous if you don't use bike shoes.  If you use cages/platforms, then go for it just make sure you move that much quicker in T1.  Otherwise....suck it up.  

I haven't done the race in a few years but I second the following comments:

1) Come early and be prepared to hike from the parking area.  I have missed the cutoff time to get into transition because I didn't leave myself enough time and ended up parking in Nepal.

2) The hill to T1 from the swim SUCKS but at least it will suck for everyone

3) The bike course is not really beginner friendly.  It's hilly and "long", it's not too difficult but it definitely requires you to fully understand how to use the gears on your bike.  The sad part is that you need to be prepared for those ahead of you to not fully grasp this concept and be prepared to take evasive action.

4) Shift ahead of the last turn into T2 as it is a short but steep hill that catches people every year.

I used to love this event because the concept is cool and the swag is nice but have become jaded over the years.  It's a race that draws a lot of newbie triathletes which is great, but having so many at one event makes things a little chaotic.  Also, the wave set up (at least in the past) had some of the most competitive age groups going last.  This means you are CONSTANTLY passing people.  The passing situation is an issue in the beginning when people are still bunched together and on the single road into/out of the gate when it may not be safe to pass.  Also, make sure you position yourself within your wave according to your swim ability (i.e. faster in the front, slower in the back).  It makes it less stressful.  This is the only race where I've seen people drop out within 50 yds of the start.

Oh, and there is no reason why you have to wait to get into T1 to remove your wetsuit.  You unzip while you're running out of the water, pull your arms and upper body out, and then you stop for a second and strip the rest of the way (I use one foot to step on my wetsuit while I pull my other foot out and then repeat the process).

Thanks for all the advice! I'm staying at the resort but by the looks at the map we might have to drive to the race area. This will be my first race in my wetsuit, I know to get my top half off as I'm running..but I feel like my feet are the hardest to get out! I will have to definitely spray a lot more trislide on my legs than I have been in my practice swims!

I did IronGirl as my first triathlon last year and will echo what you've already heard here...

Parking does indeed suck!

The swim can be daunting if you've never done a lake swim before ... let faster swimmers go first and then file in at the end of your age group wave if you're slower or scared. Remember...just keep swimming and breathing. If you get panicked...get on your back or side and just calm yourself down. I made this mistake and my time paid for it.

The hill to transition out of the water bites but know it sucks for everyone ... I jogged a little of it but then took the time to catch my breath and locate where my bike was (more so remember where it was based on markers). 

Be cautious to the fact that this race is a lot of people's first. They don't know USAT rules...esp about NO passing on the right (had many an issue with this). Be careful!!! The hill with the barn at the top ..the first one..will have MANY off their bikes...be careful here as people just stop in the middle of the road and dismount to push up the hill. If you're going to get off you bike...get to the far right and then get off to avoid crashes and ticking off other riders. The hill at mile 9 (I think it's mile 9) is BRUTAL and long. Be prepared. I suggest you drive the course to know where the beast hills are so you can prepare yourself. As you come back into Lake Lanier to hit T2, it's a bit hilly and deceiving....prepare for that. 

The run is pretty short and sweet...no big issues here. 

Overall, a good race and decent for spectating! I started with this one last year and just last weekend did my first 70.3 and will do IRONMAN Florida this year. Crazy to think what can happen in a year! 

That's awesome! Congrats!