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So thought it would be good to get some discussion going on rolling swim start this year.
Last year from peoples feedback seemed to be a cluster you know what -where crowding down the stairs trying to get in the water created some dangerous moments. So are they doing anything different from an operational standpoint this year? What are peoples strategies for IMAZ 2016 swim start? Last year timing started once the person passed over the timing mat before getting in the water. However the bike cutoff and 17 hour midnight cutoff remained the same. This caused slower swimmers to want and maybe need to enter the water earlier than they should have based on expected time because even if it didn't effect total time and swim cutoff time- it did start them at a deficit towards making bike cutoff and potentially midnight run cutoff.
Thoughts?
My philosophy is relax,... breathe,..... repeat. The stairs can be dangerous both getting in and out. There will probably be slower people parked in front of you in the water. Unless you swim sub 60 you will have swimmers swimming over you at times. Relax,.... breathe,.... repeat.
I wish they would move the swim start to the north side of the lake where there is a perfectly good boat ramp used for other OWS events. The same out and back could be used, except it would be clockwise instead of counterclockwise.
Or better yet, bring back the mass start which was perfectly fine and the most exciting part of the race.
Mass start! Crazy that at a perfect mass start venue we now have a rolling start. I'm disappointed by Ironman with the start change. Bring back the MASS START! Iconic being part of those swim starts.
I am unaware of any changes this year to the swim.
Best strategy is to seed yourself accurately, let the person in front of you jump in and 'surface' before jumping in.
Last year there were people jumping in on each other, it's only about 8 ft deep at the stairs.
Once in, swim out of the jump zone and have fun!
At the exit, there are amazing volunteers that will haul you out! - swim up to the stairs, reach up to grab a rail, put your foot on the bottom stair and you'll be hauled out.
I've only done this race with mass start. Which actually seemed fined as we could seed ourselves both left to right and then front to back. Granted people were all mixed together with varied expected swim times and that caused a lot of contact early but the jumping into the water one after another seems a bit awkward.
Seems like it sets up the weird incentive for people worried about meeting midnight cutoff to actually get in earliest as possible.
I think I'm fine just hanging back and getting in after the crush.
My strategy was to start near the front but two weeks ago I believe I tore something in my shoulder and haven't been able to swim since. Now my strategy is to be near the back of the pack and hope I can make it through the swim.
Really I don't think it makes much difference unless you are a sub one hour swimmer or have a really good chance for a Kona slot. I did find myself at IMLOU having to put in some decent surges to make passes but that course is narrow in places and rolling hills where IMAZ is relatively flat and more room to make steady passes. If you are a good biker and don't mind yelling "on your left" then you can start anywhere.