I couldn't find much information when I decided to do this race, so I thought I would post a report for anyone who might be considering it.
Let me preface this by saying that this was my worst IM performance ever, so I hope that doesn't color my overall impressions of the race.
The race venue at Jungmun beach is a sort of tourist enclave with several very nice hotels. The Shilla, Hyatt, Lotte, and others are all part of this resort. Unfortunately, the Resort, and the swim start, were quite a distance from the World Cup Stadium where the pre-race briefing, T-2 and the Finish were. Transportation was a problem, as was communication, as no-one knew where at the (quite large) Stadium the pre-race briefing would be.
Bike and equipment check in were on Saturday. Everything went smoothly, racks were numbered, and the transition area was well secured.
Sunday morning started out well. I got the wetsuit on, and down to the beach for the start in plenty of time. The cannon went off right on time, and total mayhem was unleashed. This was my first mass start, and it was prety brutal. The swim consisted of two loops, with a short beach run between the two. I thought I would hang back and to the sides to avoid the worst of the thrashing, but it was not to be. I was clocked twice on the chin in exactly the same spot on each lap of the course. The second time I actually saw stars. I was out of the water in a decent time for me.
T-1 is at the top of a cliff overlooking the beach, the run up was quite steep, and about 300 meters of pebbly pavement. Not kind to bare feet.
The bike course has the potential to be a great one. Parts of the course were very scenic, for the most part the volunteers were great. My big problem is that the course is open to traffic for all but a short section. I was passed very closely by a few trucks going REALLY fast. The other problem may be kind of minor, but it shows a lack of attention to detail that I expect from an organization that charges these kinds of entry fees. Gatorade and water were served on the bike course. But the bottles had screw off tops, and neither water nor Gatorade fit in a water bottle cage. The more serious of the problems was the vehicular traffic on the course. For the most part, the drivers were very courteous, but, as the day wore on, I guess patience wore thin. This has the potential to be a dangerous combination. The course itself was quite hilly. The biggest hill on the course wasn't that bad, but the series of climbs after that were pretty challenging.
The run was three loops of a closed, paved course. There were a few rolling hills, but nothing that bad. It was just really boring. I hate multiple loop runs, and this one was just a mind killer. The support was pretty good, with Gatorade, Coke, water, Powerbars and bananas.
For a destination race, I wasn't too impressed.
_________________________________
A life lived in fear is a life half lived.
Let me preface this by saying that this was my worst IM performance ever, so I hope that doesn't color my overall impressions of the race.
The race venue at Jungmun beach is a sort of tourist enclave with several very nice hotels. The Shilla, Hyatt, Lotte, and others are all part of this resort. Unfortunately, the Resort, and the swim start, were quite a distance from the World Cup Stadium where the pre-race briefing, T-2 and the Finish were. Transportation was a problem, as was communication, as no-one knew where at the (quite large) Stadium the pre-race briefing would be.
Bike and equipment check in were on Saturday. Everything went smoothly, racks were numbered, and the transition area was well secured.
Sunday morning started out well. I got the wetsuit on, and down to the beach for the start in plenty of time. The cannon went off right on time, and total mayhem was unleashed. This was my first mass start, and it was prety brutal. The swim consisted of two loops, with a short beach run between the two. I thought I would hang back and to the sides to avoid the worst of the thrashing, but it was not to be. I was clocked twice on the chin in exactly the same spot on each lap of the course. The second time I actually saw stars. I was out of the water in a decent time for me.
T-1 is at the top of a cliff overlooking the beach, the run up was quite steep, and about 300 meters of pebbly pavement. Not kind to bare feet.
The bike course has the potential to be a great one. Parts of the course were very scenic, for the most part the volunteers were great. My big problem is that the course is open to traffic for all but a short section. I was passed very closely by a few trucks going REALLY fast. The other problem may be kind of minor, but it shows a lack of attention to detail that I expect from an organization that charges these kinds of entry fees. Gatorade and water were served on the bike course. But the bottles had screw off tops, and neither water nor Gatorade fit in a water bottle cage. The more serious of the problems was the vehicular traffic on the course. For the most part, the drivers were very courteous, but, as the day wore on, I guess patience wore thin. This has the potential to be a dangerous combination. The course itself was quite hilly. The biggest hill on the course wasn't that bad, but the series of climbs after that were pretty challenging.
The run was three loops of a closed, paved course. There were a few rolling hills, but nothing that bad. It was just really boring. I hate multiple loop runs, and this one was just a mind killer. The support was pretty good, with Gatorade, Coke, water, Powerbars and bananas.
For a destination race, I wasn't too impressed.
_________________________________
A life lived in fear is a life half lived.