Hey there OldFart! I'm 5'6" and about 135 -- even smaller than you!

Both of my dive suits are small.

Are you still planning this practice swim? I would be interested.

Gloves are legal as long as they do not have webbing per the race director Jeremy Davis: "Any gloves that don't have webbing will be allowed". Since my feet and hands easily get cold I am wearing them even it is 72. I will be in the water for more than 2 hours, just hoping to make the cutoff!

Here are the gloves I am wearing: http://www.afterschool.com/...=pla&cagpspn=pla

Here are my socks: http://www.swimoutlet.com/...confirmation%2Bemail

- Leon
- Full, goal is to finish - making the swim cutoff is my biggest challenge. Aiming for under 16 and possible 15 if the weather is good.
- Sterling Heights, MI
- First full
- No

I will send you a PM with the details

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When all is said and done. More is usually said than done
Ba Ba Booey

Me too. Each week I have to get cleared by PT to continue with training, and it's been pretty limited. Haven't been in the water in weeks, only 2 bikes a week,and 4-5 runs, and it takes a run/walk for me to finish anything longer than 4 miles.

Good think I'm in the last HIM wave--we'll get the best push from the current and I'm sure going to need it!

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No coasting in running and no crying in baseball

I should be able to get down to the practice swim if you want to try it on and see if it works for you. It is nothing special, just a Xterra Vortex. Just let me know on here or via PM.

Looking forward to my second B2B
Signed up late for the half last year and had to grab a community slot. So well worth it. My wife and I had a blast enjoying WB and Willmington in 2012.
After a "less than perfect race" at IMLOU this year, I grabbed another community slot [ the Willmington YMCA has gotta love me..but it goes for a GREAT cause] for the full this year to make ammends. Looks like the tide is not in our favor, but then again, if I can garner a PR, it will be a bit more legit
So with that being said, and to answer the original post:

I AM IN
-Full I hate putting goals out there but what the heck. My goal is to break 10hrs [lofty given my ability] but regardless, have fun. I am closer to 50 than 40 so this might be a big stretch, but hey, why not dream?!? I am done with this distance [140.6] after this go around for at least 5 years, maybe forever. Kids gettting older and so am I, so I guess I leave it all out there!
-From NE Ohio where we love our summers and dread our winters
-My 5th full. 4th was 9 weeks ago and I've never done two so close together. I have probably done 15 halfs since I started in this sport
-Anything I missed? My wife is amazing and always hooks us up with all travel arrangements etc plus tons of support. We are looking forward to our visit to WB and seeing lots of STers at the swim on Friday. Lord knows I can use all the help I can on the swim!!!!

Best of luck and well wishes to all of you
Look fwd to meeting many you over coffee and doughnuts....and hopefully a well deserved frosty after!

Kindest Regards,
Mark Gorris

I don't know much about neoprene swim caps. At what temperature do most people use them?

Good luck. I hope you make the cutoff and have a good race.

Neither are legal at these temperatures I believe. When the water is in the 70's both of the above are completely unnecessary unless you have some kind of major circulatory system problems.

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I tweet!

Have you done any Half Irons? If so, what was swim time and which race?

I did b2b in 2011 and was nearly dead last out of the water and did it in 1:28(fast on paper, slow overall though). Now this year the tide doesn't look as favorable but its still going to help some. I have improved a lot since then, did Ironman Flordia in 1:32 last year, fast for me.

My biggest suggestion would be to stay in the middle of the channel or where the current is. In 2011 I was a very poor swimmer and actually swam most of it on my back, not even a backstroke, more like flailing(seriously). Now I can actually backstroke if I get into trouble. But I'm pretty concerned about the swim as well as I have missed a lot of swim base building due to illness.

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"Keep those feet moving!" Me

Neoprene caps, socks, gloves....where do you people live? I think low 70s is about the perfect water temp. It's warm enough to be comfortable, yet cool enough you don't really need to worry about over-heating.

I usually wear my neoprene cap if the water temp is below 60. Sometimes I'll wear it if it's in the low 60s, but never if it's 65 or warmer.

Can you say what rule makes them illegal at those temps?

Necessary or unnecessary is a judgement call, but to say they are illegal, should have a rule behind it.

I guess gloves could be called a 'propulsion device' under rule 4.9 but not sure if they are a propulsion device if they are not webbed.

I can not find anyplace in the rules that prohibits socks. Where are you finding it?

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"Some folks plan for the optimum race, others like to get upset when others out plan them. "

They are legal at B2B

[/url]Swim Course1) Is this swim in the ocean?
No. The swim is held in a channel connected to the Atlantic Intercoastal Waterway. So, it's a saltwater swim but not in the ocean.
2) What is the expected water temperature?
Water temperature for this time of year in Wilmington ranges from 62-68 degrees. So, the swim will be wetsuit mandatory.
3) Is it true that this swim will be WITH the current?
Yes. The swim is set so that the tide will be incoming. Thus, we expect some extraordinarily fast swim times.
4) What time will each event begin?
The Full Iron distance event will begin at 7:30AM. The Half Iron distance event will begin at 8:30AM. The staggered swim start times will allow all the Full Iron distance athletes a chance to pass the Half Iron swim start line.
5) Will the event be a mass start?
Yes. The Full will start with a mass start at 7:30AM. The Half will start with a wave start at 8:30AM. Swim waves may be found in the Athlete Information Booklet..
6) Will athletes start on the beach or in the water?
The Full will feature a beach start. The Half will feature an in water start.
7) Will there be a fresh water shower for use as athletes exit the swim?
Yes. There will be facilities in place for athletes to shower off with fresh water before entering T1 after the swim.
8) Are swim booties and neoprene swim caps allowed during the swim?
Yes. Swim booties are allowed but fins are not allowed. Neoprene caps are allowed but the PPD B2B issued swim cap must be worn over these caps.
9) What is the rule on wetsuits?
PPD Beach2Battleship organizers will REQUIRE that you wear a wetsuit during the swim. There will be no exception to this rule.

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"Keep those feet moving!" Me

Yes agree on the swim caps, its gotta be pretty cold to use. I didn't wear one at B2B 2011, maybe I should've. I did get cold, especially hands and feet. The air temp was really cold that year though

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"Keep those feet moving!" Me

Another option to neoprene caps is to wear two swim caps.

If by some chance the water temp drops a lot and it's downright cold, I've found making sure my neoprene cap covers a good part of my forehead helps a lot. If I'm wearing it and most of my forehead is exposed I'll still get pretty cold.

#8 calls out the booties. Nothing mentions gloves that I have read.

Then it gets into whether gloves are 'Propulsion devices" under Competitive Rule 4.9
4.9[/url] Illegal Equipment. Any swimmer wearing any artificial propulsion device, including but not limited to fins, gloves, paddles, or floating devices of any kind shall be disqualified.

or if the Race Director has a written exemption for gloves under 1.4

1.4 Rules Exceptions and Additions.[/url] For any particular event, a race director may request from USA Triathlon a specific exception or addition to these Rules. Any such request should be made with the consideration of the participant’s safety as the highest priority. All requests for Rule changes must be made in writing. All exceptions or additions to these Rules must be expressly approved in writing by the Executive Director of USA Triathlon and must be announced to all participants prior to the event.

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"Some folks plan for the optimum race, others like to get upset when others out plan them. "

I guess B2B makes its own rules because it says both in the Athlete Guide and website botties are Ok and so are gloves as long as no fins and wetsuits are manditory

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"Keep those feet moving!" Me

There is nothing in the rules that says they can't mandate wetsuits, like there is for other equipment such as goggles, so that is not an exception to the rules. As far as the gloves, the rule is no propulsion devices and as I said above, you can argue that gloves with no webbing are not propulsion devices, so it is a grey area, but not necessarily an un-documented exception. It is their event, they can decide and enforce what they want, they just can't modify the explicit rules from their sanctioning body without jeopardizing their sanction / insurance.

I don't have the 2013 guide in front of me, but the 2012 one that is still online (the 2013 is giving a 404 error right now) does not mention gloves.

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"Some folks plan for the optimum race, others like to get upset when others out plan them. "

Slow your roll man. I was mistaken on the booties. It looks like the B2B athlete guide and USAT 2013 rules allow them. In the past I believe races (if not USAT itself) instituted some sort of temperature cutoff for wearing booties/socks. I want to say it was somewhere around 65F.

I've never seen gloves allowed. Regardless of whether or not there's webbing, they make your hands bigger and fill in gaps between fingers.

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I tweet!

Sorry, Just one of my pet peeves in general when people ask or answer rules questions and don't make an effort to know what the rules are or which rule sets (governing body) are relevant. Seems half the rule discussion on Slowtwitch are people saying what they think are the rules, not what they actually are and then they pass it off as 'the rules'

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"Some folks plan for the optimum race, others like to get upset when others out plan them. "

1. Swim goes on as planned. At 8am the friday before the race, meeting in front of the Blockade Runner hotel to swim across the channel and see roughly the last mile or so of the course.
vs
- This swim is a point to point. I will try and have a few peoples cars in the parking lot behind T1 to act as a shuttle to get you back to your car in front of the Blockade Runner if needed. Another option is to have your family drop you off at the swim start and meet you in the parking lot behind T1.

Obviously the latter is the more recent post however I wanted to be sure. We ARE swimming the entire half course?.

Not the entire half course. Just from the Blockade to the swim exit. Works out to be about 1 mile or so in length. If I recall correctly you can see the half start from where we will start

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When all is said and done. More is usually said than done
Ba Ba Booey