I'm in for the 1/2 as well. Glad the race isnt today as the weather looks rough for those people racing today in the northeast. Still need to book one of those fine AC hotels.

For those who have done the race, how is it running on the boardwalk?

The boardwalk run is awesome. It is a very forgiving surface to run on (probably more important for the full-distance guys, but still), and there are crowds everywhere. Great vibe.

Hey CMD.

there's a 1.7 mile section on the south end (this is after you first come onto the boardwalk by making a right. after a .7 mile run you will hit the first aid station. after that the turnaround is 1.7 miles away and there's an aid station at the turnaround. you then need to run back another 1.7 before you hit the same aid station.

so yes, i would carry something to get you through that section even though it's very early in the run. i believe you only do this once whereas the full does it twice

Got ya. Should be a fun race though. If "spectators" (aka beach traffic) isn't awful it will hopefully be a pretty quick run too. Boardwalk is always comfy and it's looking like, although waaaaaay to early, weather will be low-mid 70's and cloudy with some showers. Stay cold for the swim, dry for the bike and then showers for the run. Works for me!

That forecast might as well be just for show. Wait until Thursday or so before taking any stock in it.

I know I know. I'm so fired up though, I have to visualize something. Friday to start the weekend can't come fast enough.

That forecast might as well be just for show. Wait until Thursday or so before taking any stock in it.[/quote]
And even then take with a grain of salt. Last Thursday, Syracuse had a 90% chance of thunderstorms for all day yesterday. Storm didn't roll in until 2PM and lasted for 15 minutes. I felt bad for anyone still out on the course as they cancelled the race at that point though

Right. I don't even really care if it rains - hey it helps keep the body cooler. Standard potential rain race protocol applies. T2 bag gets an extra inner bag, fresh socks, small towel and a stick of body glide. If I get off the bike soaked, it takes an extra 15 seconds to dry the feet, get some glide on there, fresh socks, and dry running shoes.

I'm in for the full! Second one for me (did Vineman last year). Signed up for this one because the bike course goes right through my BIL's neighborhood. So the whole fam will be there, kids & hubbie will play on the boardwalk and beach during the run (between showing up at preordained points, yelling preordained things at me). Really looking forward to it. Have had a hilarious taper, with all sorts of weird phantom pains and such -- plus I pulled a muscle in the arch of my foot on a roller coaster ride at Kings Island last week -- don't ask me how that happened! In my overzealous icing, I freezer-burned my heel (felt like I poured acid on it). But now that's all resolved. I'm not leaving myself unattended between now and Sunday though.

I intend to have a freakin epic day!! Hope you all do too. See you out there.

I'm in for Half. Temp is expected the low 70s and a chance of a cooling shower. I'll take it. I watched the race last year and it was in the high 80s and was a tough unshaded run, so this will mean a fast race unless the boardwalk is slippery.

Question for those of you who raced last year. How did you manage bike during check in? I'm guessing most stayed in town for the race so you checked in then went back and got your bike. I stay a few towns away so my intial thought was I will have to make two trips. One to check in at Bally's and then back home to grab bike before heading to Bader field. Or is there a secure area to leave bike at Bally's while checking in?

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"I think I've cracked the code. double letters are cheaters except for perfect squares (a, d, i, p and y). So Leddy isn't a cheater... "

Last year many people felt safe enough leaving their bikes leaning up against the back wall of the expo area while they checked in and wandered the expo. Only race-affiliated people were in that part of Bally's at the time so I figure it is *likely* safe-enough, although obviously not at all secured. I certainly wouldn't leave the bikes even locked to a car bike rack outside.

I'm in for the half too. Really looking forward to it. I'm traveling all the way from Alaska.
The swim is salt water, correct? It seems like awfully warm water temps for any type of salt water, so I just wanted to check.

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http://www.tri-ingtokeepwarm.com

Yeah, it is salt water. It's in the back bay, so I don't think it is terribly deep.

Although I am surprised it gets as warm as it does as well.

Right? Especially for Atlantic Ocean, but sounds good to me.

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http://www.tri-ingtokeepwarm.com

Yup, salt water in a shallow back bay.

There were times last year where I actually stood up during the swim and ran a few yards because it was faster than swimming with my hands scraping the bottom.

Water temps look like they are hovering around 74 right now but be warned: last year at the Saturday practice swim the water read only 70, but on race morning the tide was going the other way and the temps read 79-80.

Good to know. I'll be prepared for wetsuit or no wetsuit.
I haven't received any emails or communication from race organizers. Has anyone else?

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http://www.tri-ingtokeepwarm.com

No, nothing yet. It also would be nice to know if the swim start is time trail or wave, and to have a map of the transition area. As much as I love Delmo's events I always have issues with the transition areas as I don't feel like they properly map them out to us prior to the race, or mark them well during the race. This may be my n=1 idiot experience but never had an issue anywhere else.

FWIW the ocean temp was 69 degrees last weekend.

I would check the facebook page as the week progresses - it usually has the most up to date information.

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Strava

Ocean temp is not the same as the back bay temp - here's data from a USGS station located at the bridge where the first turn of the swim happens:
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?01410560

It doesn't seem to want to embed, but if you change the trailing number at the end of this URL (i.e. number of days) you can change the timeframe for the graph:
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/...d=00010&period=7

The swim start is mass start for the full. Not sure about the half.

Half starts in waves beginning at 6am. Full is mass start at 7:00

Great link. It is definitely toasty back there.

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http://www.tri-ingtokeepwarm.com

Thanks.. where did you get that info? I'd be interested in knowing wave order, etc as well if that info is available somewhere on the website. Can't find anything in the athlete guide.

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Strava

Pretty sure that was in the athlete guide. I know I have seen it either on the website or the guide.

Athlete guide is online. Has the swim start info

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"I think I've cracked the code. double letters are cheaters except for perfect squares (a, d, i, p and y). So Leddy isn't a cheater... "

I was under the impression the half is a mass start as well.

Male @ 6am, then female at 6:05am.

There are 850+ in the half, so I would think at least half are male.