Monterrey 70.3 vs Puerto Rico 70.3 vs Panama 70.3

Sep 28, 14 8:14

Post #1 of 20 (3162 views)

Thinking about adding one of these races to my race sched for next season. Both races are March 15th. I'm also doing NOLA 70.3, Texas 70.3, and Syracuse 70.3. The ultimate goal is to qual (most likely via rolldown) for the 70.3 WC in my new M45-49 AG. Plan to use the earlier races as tune-ups and go guns blazing at Syracuse... but who knows how rolldowns are going to play out for next season.

Travel:
I live in Houston so Monterrey is only a 90 minute flight. Puerto Rico is 4+ hours. No TBT to Monterrey but there is to PR. I worry about bringing a bike case on a small plane (Embraer RJ145 from Houston to Monterrey) in fear it won't be on my plane.

Mexico is international travel while PR is not. All signs point towards the cartel violence settling down in Monterrey but it was the wild west there for awhile. I'd be lying to say it doesn't still concern me. Not that San Juan is Pleasantville but I've been there before and all was well.

Travel concerns aside... is there anyone who has done both (granted Monterrey was new for '14) and can compare S/B/R between the two?

Edit: Added Panama 70.3 to the mix. So thoughts on that one as well.

Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

Last edited by: GMAN19030: Oct 1, 14 13:01

Re: Monterrey 70.3 vs Puerto Rico 70.3 [GMAN19030] [ In reply to ]

Sep 28, 14 8:52

Post #2 of 20 (3141 views)

I haven't done either, but I'm considering both and have been doing some research and am leaning toward PR. The race reports I've read say the race is really well-run. The swim is great, the bike is decent but has a few stretches of rough roads and the run is awesome (although challenging because it's very hot and hilly).

This is a good race report I found on PR: http://www.hillcountrymultisport.org/...onman-san-juan-2013/ It's really long, but has a lot of good details on the race - course, logistics, etc.

Re: Monterrey 70.3 vs Puerto Rico 70.3 [GMAN19030] [ In reply to ]

Sep 28, 14 8:59

Post #3 of 20 (3137 views)

PR ALL THE WAY, but I'm biased since that's where I'm from.

PR is a great race and the location is hard to beat. My take:

Swim: Warm water, no wetsuit almost guaranteed. The last section is under the bridge and against the current.

Bike: Along the coast, with great views and mostly flat except for a few overpasses. It can and probably will get windy on the return since there's little protection from the sea breeze. I didn't find the roads to be that bad, but I live in Chicago now and the road conditions here are atrocious. Your expectations might be different.

Run: HOT HOT HOT and some challenging hills. Two hills which you do twice since its two loops. Crowd support is awesome here and there's nothing like running through Old San Juan, next to the spanish forts and colonial architecture.

I loved this race and its still one of my favorites.

Last edited by: tovi: Sep 28, 14 9:00

Re: Monterrey 70.3 vs Puerto Rico 70.3 [tovi] [ In reply to ]

Sep 28, 14 9:50

Post #4 of 20 (3122 views)

Quote:

I didn't find the roads to be that bad, but I live in Chicago now and the road conditions here are atrocious. Your expectations might be different.

That's good to hear. I live in Madison, WI and I figured the roads couldn't possibly be much worse than what I'm used to.

It sounds like the logistics are really easy if you stay at the Caribe hotel, and every report I read said running through Old San Juan was awesome and worth the trip.

Re: Monterrey 70.3 vs Puerto Rico 70.3 [tovi] [ In reply to ]

Sep 28, 14 12:07

Post #5 of 20 (3093 views)

tovi wrote:

PR ALL THE WAY, but I'm biased since that's where I'm from.

PR is a great race and the location is hard to beat. My take:

Swim: Warm water, no wetsuit almost guaranteed. The last section is under the bridge and against the current.

Bike: Along the coast, with great views and mostly flat except for a few overpasses. It can and probably will get windy on the return since there's little protection from the sea breeze. I didn't find the roads to be that bad, but I live in Chicago now and the road conditions here are atrocious. Your expectations might be different.

Run: HOT HOT HOT and some challenging hills. Two hills which you do twice since its two loops. Crowd support is awesome here and there's nothing like running through Old San Juan, next to the spanish forts and colonial architecture.

I loved this race and its still one of my favorites.

oh man. I live in Mexico and you've got me drooling over PR.... :)

http://harvestmoon6.blogspot.com
https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/katasmit

Re: Monterrey 70.3 vs Puerto Rico 70.3 [GMAN19030] [ In reply to ]

Sep 28, 14 12:40

Post #6 of 20 (3072 views)

GMAN19030 wrote:

All signs point towards the cartel violence settling down in Monterrey ...

Interesting, where did you hear that?

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Re: Monterrey 70.3 vs Puerto Rico 70.3 [DarkSpeedWorks] [ In reply to ]

Sep 28, 14 12:46

Post #7 of 20 (3068 views)

DarkSpeedWorks wrote:

GMAN19030 wrote:

All signs point towards the cartel violence settling down in Monterrey ...

Interesting, where did you hear that?

I've heard the same thing. Kathy Carribe posted her insider knowledge about Monterrey in some other ST thread. But a diminished threat is still a threat. Although I've done Cozumel twice, I would still hesitate to take my family to Monterrey. By contrast, Puerto Rico is fantastic. I'm looking forward to racing there again.

Re: Monterrey 70.3 vs Puerto Rico 70.3 [DarkSpeedWorks] [ In reply to ]

Sep 28, 14 15:44

Post #8 of 20 (3018 views)

DarkSpeedWorks wrote:

GMAN19030 wrote:

All signs point towards the cartel violence settling down in Monterrey ...

Interesting, where did you hear that?

Nuevo Leon: Monterrey is a major city/travel destination in Nuevo Leon - Defer non-essential travel to the state of Nuevo Leon except the metropolitan area of Monterrey, where you should exercise caution. Although the level of organized crime-related violence and general insecurity in Monterrey has decreased dramatically within the last 18 months, sporadic incidents of violence have occurred in the greater Monterrey area. Security services in and around Monterrey are robust and have proven responsive and effective in combating violent crimes; however, instances of violence remain a concern in the more remote regions of the state. Criminal organizations have kidnapped, and in some cases murdered, U.S. citizens, even when ransom demands are met. As a result of a Department of State assessment of the overall security situation, U.S. government personnel and their dependents may not travel outside the San Pedro Garza Garcia municipal boundaries between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m., except for travel to the airport after 5 a.m.

Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

Re: Monterrey 70.3 vs Puerto Rico 70.3 [GMAN19030] [ In reply to ]

Sep 28, 14 15:45

Post #9 of 20 (3017 views)

In addition to many news articles on the subject.

Regardless, Puerto Rico, while a much longer flight, is the logistically easier destination. I also have a freebie with TBT.

Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

Last edited by: GMAN19030: Sep 28, 14 15:46

Re: Monterrey 70.3 vs Puerto Rico 70.3 [HuffNPuff] [ In reply to ]

Sep 28, 14 16:04

Post #10 of 20 (3003 views)

no, monterrey has come under control in the last couple years. i am pretty sure Sergio's son races out of there also. i would have no qualms racing there.

http://harvestmoon6.blogspot.com
https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/katasmit

Re: Monterrey 70.3 vs Puerto Rico 70.3 [GMAN19030] [ In reply to ]

Sep 28, 14 17:41

Post #11 of 20 (2976 views)

Better double check that freebie. They told me its only good for the continental US when I tried to cash in for Cozumel.

Re: Monterrey 70.3 vs Puerto Rico 70.3 [HuffNPuff] [ In reply to ]

Sep 28, 14 18:14

Post #12 of 20 (2962 views)

HuffNPuff wrote:

Better double check that freebie. They told me its only good for the continental US when I tried to cash in for Cozumel.

It's my deferred transport from IMMT.

Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

Re: Monterrey 70.3 vs Puerto Rico 70.3 [GMAN19030] [ In reply to ]

Oct 1, 14 11:41

Post #13 of 20 (2837 views)

FWIW, just got an email that the cycle route has changed to only 2 laps all over good pavement (I'm guessing the cuota) out towards the airport and back for Monterrey.

http://harvestmoon6.blogspot.com
https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/katasmit

Re: Monterrey 70.3 vs Puerto Rico 70.3 [kathy_caribe] [ In reply to ]

Oct 1, 14 12:29

Post #14 of 20 (2822 views)

My initial reaction for the bioke change was: "Great! The less cobblestone the better! But there was a pretty cool vibe going through Macroplaza each time."

BTW for the original poster, I live in Monterrey and think from a security standpoint the city is OK. That said, it's a definite come-race-and-leave as there's not a whole lot for tourists to do. Good race last year, though, interesting swim course, decent bike course and run course, especially for an all urban race.

Never done or been to PR so I can't comment on that.

Re: Monterrey 70.3 vs Puerto Rico 70.3 [GMAN19030] [ In reply to ]

Oct 1, 14 13:01

Post #15 of 20 (2805 views)

I added Panama 70.3 to the list.

Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

Re: Monterrey 70.3 vs Puerto Rico 70.3 [GMAN19030] [ In reply to ]

Oct 1, 14 18:58

Post #16 of 20 (2753 views)

Isn't Panama a no go for 2015?

Re: Monterrey 70.3 vs Puerto Rico 70.3 [sinkinswimmer] [ In reply to ]

Oct 1, 14 20:02

Post #17 of 20 (2729 views)

According to their website it has been postponed for 2015.

http://ironmanpanama.com/welcome/

Re: Monterrey 70.3 vs Puerto Rico 70.3 [sinkinswimmer] [ In reply to ]

Oct 2, 14 5:40

Post #18 of 20 (2674 views)

When I added Panama yesterday it was TBD. Now it's gone.

Back to Monterrey or Puerto Rico.

Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

Re: Monterrey 70.3 vs Puerto Rico 70.3 vs Panama 70.3 [GMAN19030] [ In reply to ]

Oct 2, 14 9:14

Post #19 of 20 (2627 views)

I was in Monterrey last year with a few pros. No doubt there are certain sections of the city that you wouldn't want to be alone in but I think that's true for most major cities. That being said, I didn't leave the hotel and race/transition areas and felt very comfortable. The race itself was top class in my opinion. The sport of triathlon is growing in Mexico and they really get behind the event, plus it's a very unique venue with the man made river swim and run along that river. Changing the bike course is smart as they had to hit cobbles 3 times last year. If you're going solo (no family) then Monterrey is fine, I wouldn't bring family. PR, I think you can get away with bringing family. It's beautiful there and you get more of that destination race feeling as opposed to Monterrey, which is nestled in the mountains. Different feel for both races in my opinion.

Re: Monterrey 70.3 vs Puerto Rico 70.3 vs Panama 70.3 [trimdc] [ In reply to ]

Oct 2, 14 12:51

Post #20 of 20 (2595 views)

trimdc wrote:

I was in Monterrey last year with a few pros. No doubt there are certain sections of the city that you wouldn't want to be alone in but I think that's true for most major cities. That being said, I didn't leave the hotel and race/transition areas and felt very comfortable. The race itself was top class in my opinion. The sport of triathlon is growing in Mexico and they really get behind the event, plus it's a very unique venue with the man made river swim and run along that river. Changing the bike course is smart as they had to hit cobbles 3 times last year. If you're going solo (no family) then Monterrey is fine, I wouldn't bring family. PR, I think you can get away with bringing family. It's beautiful there and you get more of that destination race feeling as opposed to Monterrey, which is nestled in the mountains. Different feel for both races in my opinion.

Ha, ha, ha. The correct thing to say about Puerto Rico is that you had better take your family if you don't want to be in the dog house!

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