No I have not directed any races. But over a month before there is no way to get permits from so smaller river or lake to the original course? I am asking. The city seems very supportive from their comments.

Look I was just trying to make a point because there have been several of these races cancelled or modified as of recently. It just seems like with all the money on the line they would move or adjust it but I guess not.

IMLOU, there is no where else they could move the swim, without redoing the whole entire course.

A month is not near enough time to redo an entire IRONMAN course, for something they can't predict, nor plan for.

You can try to make your point all you want, but you're wrong. I suggest you talk with a race director for a triathlon in your area, and ask them how hard it would be to move an entire course, and if it can be done in 30 days.

Thank you for you input. Have a great race. I was just trying to get WTC to think and yes anything is possible as they say. But seriously have a great race and I hope for you and anyone else racing that these outside factors do not effect our personal races whatever distance they may be.

Time to tight up and get ready for 7 days from now.

Lastly only thing we can Pray the testers find good clear water areas with no green junk.

It looks like it all depends where they test. We had some rain and cold Friday and Saturday but forecasted warmer and sunny till race day. People see to forget about this thing called the eastern continental divide. Rain east of the Appalachians is not going to flush anything out of the Ohio. And btw. This really isn't a freak thing as someone else posted. It has been a growing problem in this area of the country the past two or three years this time of year. But didn't really reach the Ohio last year. Was confined to more of the lakes around here. I hope we swim. But it seems like it all depends where in the river they want to take the sample

Yes, I think WTC could afford to get alternate permits for all Ironman events.

Wishing the best for all IM Louisville and IM Maryland entrants.

Permits don't cost a lot. In fact, I'd wager that permits don't cost WTC a penny. The cost of the permit is getting the buy-in of the entire town to effectively shut down and give up their police and medical personnel for the day. I don't think it's reasonable for WTC to get host cities to agree to this twice, and for their planning purposes, the cities would have to plan to be ready on either day not knowing which one will come to fruition. Not to mention volunteers, hotels, everything involved in putting on an event of the scale of WTC races.

Honestly, I'm stunned WTC is trying IMMD again on 10/17. I don't think that can be expected anytime there is a cancelation. What I do think WTC should do is come up with a standard event cancelation policy in which athletes are given free entry to the same event following year or 50% entry to a different event the following year. Or something along those lines. With all the events WTC has these days, cancelations will occur and they should have a standard response.

Not permits for two different race dates, just permits for an alternative swim course and variations in the bike and run related to that.

Off topic, but nothing we can really do about Ohio River anyway. Just curious for those who are racing IMLOU on your wheel set-ups. Have winds been picking up lately? I've got some 90 mm wheels, but will probably bring at least another front just in case.

CLEARLY you have never been to Cambridge. Clearly. The swim course is the only viable swim course where transition is close. The bike course is the bike course and would ever be an issue except for winds and rain. The run is the run.

Before shooting off your mouth make sure you know what you're talking about.

RV

I've been thinking about a possible lack of a swim next week. I'm thinking its worth adding about 10 extra watts to the power target on the bike. Thoughts?

Don't overestimate the swim, it's still a long day. I consider the swim my strength, but if the swim is cancelled I won't change my bike/run plan at all. Maybe not the right decision, but a 9 hr race seems pretty close to a 10 hr race

I wish it was only a 10hr race for me;) But seriously; maybe an extra hour sleep, not having to stand in the swim line for over an hour freezing your ass off, not having to burn around 1000 calories swimming, not having to run through and do the change in T1, not being wet and cold for the first hour on the bike; there's got to be some energy savings from not doing the swim that can be applied elsewhere.

Just saying...hammer the 112 mile bike before running a marathon, maybe better to just run a faster marathon w no swim

Not a chance. If you get off the bike feeling you've ridden too slowly you now have a marathon to make up for it. I did the no-swim FL last year and holding the same watts I did in Chattanooga 5 weeks prior wasn't any easier.

Well, I wouldn't call 10 extra watts "hammering" the bike but I can't argue with a strategy of transferring the savings to the run instead of the bike.

Well said, I may have exaggerated but you made my point

the winds the last 3 weekends have been 10-15

Thank you! Anything is possible and double permits in cities where millions of dollars are coming in has to be easier than say a local race trying the same thing.

Oh well the world of WTC and triathlon won't change by Sunday. Time to throw down the best bike run or swim bike run we can.

I have been to Cambridge. Did Eagleman there in 1997 to qualify for Kona. Returned there several more years. I was a contributing editor to Inside Triathlon for 20 years so I think I know a little about the sport and its history. I have no problem with the Maryland postponement. I was thinking more about the IM Louisville race where there are other options for the swim in the area. That is true for most IM events.

There are not alot of alternatives here though, unless you involve another state (Indiana) and the closing of a bridge. Taylorsville Lake is an option but is 25 miles from downtown and no hotels. Ohio River is really the only option if you keep the epicenter in town.

Yeah, I personally grew less confident of the swim happening when I saw the forecast for this week get warmer, particularly the nightly lows. I hear some say the current is moving, but I'm also told a lot of the algae is still upriver of Louisville. Anyway, I'll hold out hope. IMFL last year was my 1st attempt at 140.6, IMLou is my 2nd. I'm feeling a bit cursed.

I did IMFL last year also. It would truly suck if they have to cancel. Meanwhile, I'm waiting to hear if the Great Ohio River Swim in Cincinnati will still happen. It was postponed from 24 Sep to 10 Oct due to the algae. That race will be sort of a leading indicator on what is going to happen with the swim in Louisville.

Agree that an alternative swim location at an IM would not be in a favorable location at nearly every race. That's where WTC makes a business decision. Do you upset more customers by not having the swim compared to moving the courses to a less favorable location so they can complete the entire distance? Or do you change your refund policy? Or maintain the status quo because the majority of your customers understand? I've never said that WTC should move the race, just that they have the money to consider optional swim locations and get permits.

Agreed, and I think we both know the answer to that. They run the race where it is, without a swim, knowing that the percentage of people upset probably won't offset the vast number of people who will sign up for another race to get the full IM experience. IM Lou has the largest number of first-timers of any US IM. Or at least that is what we are told.

Just out of curiosity...if they take samples from multiple locations do they take the average of the results? What is the methodology to make a fair decision? One of the reports said that the level of toxins ranged from 0 to 2-3x the safe amount. If there is any chance that an athlete could swim through the 2-3x the safe amount do you cancel if every other sample came back as zero?

From a legal perspective I am curious what the risk tolerance is.