A buddy and I are also doing it. What distance are you doing? We are both doing the 100. I am starting to get a little anxious about info, this is my first race this long and with training starting to taper off I would like some info too! All I know that is the water up here is still pretty cold so it will be wetsuit legal!

We are both doing the half. Are you camping out at the site or staying in town/elsewhere?

I live in KC so we are driving over sometime. I camped there when it was the 70.3 and it is really convenient for the race. Parking can be a bitch in the morning, they say they have over a 1000 people registered for all the distances. We might sleep in the back of the minivan in the parking lot! Good luck and hopefully we get a little more info soon!

We are camping out Friday though Monday. I did it several years ago and didn't want to mess with race day parking. Feel free to send me a message and stop on by.

Awesome thanks!

Received an email today with the Athlete Guide. Can anyone clarify that it appears there is only one transition compared to the two transitions in previous years with IM 70.3

There will only be one transition. In water start like in past. No bike check on Saturday. Only athlete check on Saturday.

Two questions for those racing this weekend:
1) Where to get in a practice swim? I went to the "beach" behind one of the parking lots, and it was nasty.....
2) Since there is only one transition, will the run climb up the hill twice? The run map is very confusing to me....seems like you climb up it twice but in the description of the run, it states once per loop.

Thoughts!?!

Not many options for the swim. The beach is it and with the recent rains might not be in top condition. The Legends Endurance facebook site has a ton of info. I had the same concerns about the run for the 70 distance. The agreed the map and description was incorrect and would have maps tomorrow during check in. They have made a few changes from the old Ironman course, but kept some of the old directions. Caused some confusion. If this is your first time to this venue, it will be worth it. Great setting and course. If you camp at the run site, it is even better.

---

____________________
Rock Chalk!

Thanks....I did the race last year and liked it. Looking forward to seeing the new run map.....Glad others were confused as well.

Not surewhatdistance you are doing, but the map/directions for the 70.3 run would be waaaaay long if we ran down to the water twice (or more) with the run starting for down there.

---

____________________
Rock Chalk!

Yes...70.3.... I agree the run would be too long if it was done the way the map looks..... I have a feeling that you will just enter the inner campground after running to the furthest point...

What it just me or were the conditions very hard this year? The wind on the bike was tough on my both physically and mentally. Run was "HOT"

i thought conditions were hard too, but not sure if it's just like this every year.

Did it last year and I was a ton faster and felt stronger. I don't recall the weather last year but nothing like this year for sure.

That's the truth! I raced it yesterday too and conditions were pretty challenging but I had a great time racing. Also, whomever said the run was shaded was completely wrong.

It was like this 3 years ago, although even windier and a bit hotter. The last 2 years were about 15 degrees cooler and the winds relatively calm for the bike. This year was brutal. I was 32 minutes slower than last year and still took 2nd in my age group.

---

____________________
Rock Chalk!

My 3rd time on this course and it was the windiest and hottest I've seen so far. Swim was choppy also.

I felt the conditions were awful this year too. First leg of the swim was into a steady 20 mph breeze and choppy water --temp was fine though thankfully in a sleeveless suit. The bike course was extremely difficult with the wind and hills and then the heat at for the last hour of it. The run was exhausting and hot with a 97 degree heat index. Walk-runned that again dammit. My legs felt strong but my heart rate wouldn't slow down even while at the slowest run pace. The run was demoralizing but I was completely in survival mode and just made it,. I felt really bad for the folks still out on the course at 3 pm finishing their run in the brutal heat and the park was clearing out with cars all over the course. Overall a fun race though just really challenging.

I looked up historic temps and the high yesterday was 92 degrees...one degree below the record high. That run was absolutely brutal and I agree with the person above who mentioned the lack of shade on the course. There was almost zero shade and that stretch of the run out towards the park entrance and back was super hot and lonely. Those waves on the first part of the swim were pretty tough, but coming back with the wind was great!

When I was running, there was a guy who wrecked on his bike about halfway down the hill towards the boat ramp (his T2)...I hope he's okay because it sounded horrible and his bike was in about 10 pieces.

Thanks for saying that, I feel a bit better....I also added 29 minutes from last year and still did well in my AG. Did you stay around for the awards? How were they? I had a long drive and just couldn't be in the sun any longer...

Yep, I thought it was brutal hot too but was kind of wondering if it was just me not being well heat acclimated yet since we've had it so mild here in the KC area lately. Guess I wasn't alone. It was my first time on that course so I can't compare but I was noticeably slower on the bike and run than I would normally be. Then again, I was the 1:45 Pacer for Hospital Hill the day before too so that had to have some impact. But, hey, made the podium in my AG so I'll take it.

I enjoyed the race though. I may have to do it again next year. I do kind of hope they reduce the number of races going on simultaneously and help the spectators NOT walk/drive on the course. I saw way too many folks getting in the way of cyclists going down the hill to T2.

The awards ceremonies were scrapped which, in my opinion, was fine. With the heat and everything else going on with 4 race distances, I don't fault them for not having a ceremony. They did offer photo ops for those podium finishers who wanted it in a nice setting. If you check out the facebook page, they have a sample photo of the awards plaques and they will be awesome and unique.

---

____________________
Rock Chalk!

Nobody has been able to train for those conditions. Simply hasn't been hot or humid like that yet this year. And don't fool yourself, the Kansas Ironman 70.3 course is really tough. Strong winds out of the southwest is the most difficult of all possible wind conditions for the bike. I have done enough 70.3s now in various places (Vegas Worlds, Mont Tremblant Worlds, Galveston in high wind conditions, etc.) and the Kansas course ranks right up there with them but with the added bonus of an always difficult swim. Clinton Lake is always choppy to downright ocean-like wavy if the wind is even barely blowing.

Yesterday was in my top 5 toughest race conditions so any respectable finish should be elevated higher to a STRONG finish result.

---

____________________
Rock Chalk!