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NOLA 70.3 2012
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Has this been posted yet?

http://www.nola.com/...o_be_held_on_th.html



Personally, I don't like it. One of the cool things about this event was finishing down in the FQ on Decatur. Sure, probably not the easiest place to access for spectators but it was one of the most unique finishes in my experience.
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Re: NOLA 70.3 2012 [ladnday] [ In reply to ]
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Gives me even less reason to want to do NOLA.
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Re: NOLA 70.3 2012 [ladnday] [ In reply to ]
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Not a fan of this change at NOLA and not a fan of them combining 70.3 and 5150 events. What if I want to qualify in both distances.

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Re: NOLA 70.3 2012 [ladnday] [ In reply to ]
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The final few miles of the run were definitely the highlight of the race for me, and I'm sure for many others - so cool running down Esplanade then Decatur with them closed to traffic and the big crowds lining both. No way that experience will be duplicated by keeping the run inside the park. At least they admitted it was due to financial considerations of trying to lower the cost of the 5150 race. Glad I did this last year.
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Re: NOLA 70.3 2012 [sniper100] [ In reply to ]
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it will be awesome! both races this year (70.3 and 5150) cancelled the swims! 2 du's on the same day! sweet!!
as a person who relies on the swim-i wont be doing any races at venues that cancel swims--"due to unsafe WIND conditions-we cant set the buoys"
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Re: NOLA 70.3 2012 [sniper100] [ In reply to ]
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5150 was a bomb last year, the only way it was going to make it was to piggyback 70.3. The option of keeping them on seperate days wasn't an option. It was either same day, or not at all for 5150.

As far as the finish line, I like the location. Same finish spot as the Crescent City Classic, Rock N Roll Marathon & Half etc. and it definitely offers more in the way of a true post race party. One of the HUGE benefits about New Orleans is after you finish, if you want to enjoy the after party, you're still only about 4 miles from Bourbon Street. Parking will more attainable in the quarter (because less spectators will be occupying spots).

The biggest draback is the final .5 miles of the run. It was really cool to run down Decatur Street from Esplanade.

BUT, until Bill Burke does something to guarantee me that he is investing into proper/experienced water safety personel that can handle .5 ft seas, I'll never register for one of his NOLA races again.

If the winds come anywhere near to out of the north, there's a chance this swim might get cancelled until he has a water crew here who can laungh jet skis, kayaks etc. and has more exerience than Kayaking down Bayou St. John.
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Re: NOLA 70.3 2012 [ladnday] [ In reply to ]
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Darn. I signed up because I liked the old run course and finishing in the FQ. :(

Anyone have links to course maps now?
Is it a two loop run?

what will happen to logistics of getting to/from race start vs. finish vs. hotel? It was going to be convenient to shuttle to race start, finish by the hotel, get the car and go get the bikes. Now...?????

:/
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Re: NOLA 70.3 2012 [ladnday] [ In reply to ]
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So they're going to reduce the entry fees too, right? I mean, since they're doing it partially to reduce costs, that means the cost they anticipated, and thus passed along to participants, will be less with the combined event. I look forward to my partial reimbursement!!

.

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Re: NOLA 70.3 2012 [chitide1] [ In reply to ]
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Yeah, hold your breath ;-)

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Re: NOLA 70.3 2012 [ladnday] [ In reply to ]
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I was trying to decide between NOLA and Galveston this year as my early season race. Galveston it is.

This is terrible, there is now absolutely nothing interesting about NOLA. You swim in the wildly unpredictable Pontchatrain (I say that with some sarcasm) you go on a pretty boring bike that was full of construction zones last year and then you run in a park. All for about $300.


The ONLY reason to do NOLA was the final 2 or 3 miles down Esplanade and into the Quarter. The finish in the Quarter makes it nice for family too because they can spend all day downtown and then just walk over for the finish.


I'll pass.
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Re: NOLA 70.3 2012 [ladnday] [ In reply to ]
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so where is the finish now (I'm not very familiar with NOLA). Closer to the start? Not in the downtown area?


I'm trying to decide between NOLA and St Croix (well, I'm not deciding, other factors will decide for me). I don't really care about the scenery races, just logistics for the parents who like to come cheer.
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Re: NOLA 70.3 2012 [GhiaGirl] [ In reply to ]
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GhiaGirl wrote:
so where is the finish now (I'm not very familiar with NOLA). Closer to the start? Not in the downtown area?


I'm trying to decide between NOLA and St Croix (well, I'm not deciding, other factors will decide for me). I don't really care about the scenery races, just logistics for the parents who like to come cheer.

Finish now will be in the park (not far from where mile 9 of the run used to be).

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Re: NOLA 70.3 2012 [bufit323] [ In reply to ]
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so not really closer to the start, but probably a better location for finding parking etc...?
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Re: NOLA 70.3 2012 [Lou3000] [ In reply to ]
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Agreed. I had penciled NOLA in for next year having raced in 2009 and was looking forward to going back despite the various reasons not to do this race, but I am definitely out now.
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Re: NOLA 70.3 2012 [ladnday] [ In reply to ]
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If I had known this I wouldn't have registered for this race.
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Re: NOLA 70.3 2012 [GhiaGirl] [ In reply to ]
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GhiaGirl wrote:
so not really closer to the start, but probably a better location for finding parking etc...?

Actually, parking is worse at the park, as hard as that is to believe.

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Currently accepting limited number of new athletes
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Re: NOLA 70.3 2012 [bufit323] [ In reply to ]
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Agreed, parking in the park is a headache. And, with knowing the roads around the park will be closed off for the run I bet it will be worse than expected. At least the FQ has many different entry and exit points as well as a variety of places to park.

With the prospect of a cancelled swim, the less than smooth 56 mile ride (small amount of redemption when you get to ride on 510, which is completely shut down on one half for the race), and the relocated finish I am so glad I hadn't signed up for this event yet.


Logistics will still be a headache:

- expo down at the Hilton Riverside
- bike drop up at UNO
- back downtown to stay the night -- I imagine most athletes from out of town will still stay somewhere near the FQ/downtown/Garden District
- drive up to UNO for race start
- finish in the park
- hop a shuttle back to UNO
- back to hotel/hit the road for home



For athletes, there is no logisitical improvement with this plan compared to what has gone on the previous 3 years for this event. And, the best part of the race has disappeared (i.e. running down Esplanade/Decatur and into the Quarter).
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Re: NOLA 70.3 2012 [Lou3000] [ In reply to ]
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x2 - This completely knocks this race off of my planned 2012 schedule. I've been there and done the races that have two distances going at the same time and while yes this might make things smoother for the suits. It will most likely cause the traffic on course to become more easily congested. And running through the quarter was awesome! I had beignets waiting at the finish last year. Plus the track record shows no swim. IMO this race has gone the way of the birds and I'll just change to Galveston a couple weeks earlier now. Pissed me off but hey what can one lonely person do about it.


So scared of breaking it that you won't let it bend.
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Re: NOLA 70.3 2012 [ladnday] [ In reply to ]
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ladnday wrote:
Agreed, parking in the park is a headache. And, with knowing the roads around the park will be closed off for the run I bet it will be worse than expected. At least the FQ has many different entry and exit points as well as a variety of places to park.

With the prospect of a cancelled swim, the less than smooth 56 mile ride (small amount of redemption when you get to ride on 510, which is completely shut down on one half for the race), and the relocated finish I am so glad I hadn't signed up for this event yet.


Logistics will still be a headache:

- expo down at the Hilton Riverside
- bike drop up at UNO
- back downtown to stay the night -- I imagine most athletes from out of town will still stay somewhere near the FQ/downtown/Garden District
- drive up to UNO for race start
- finish in the park
- hop a shuttle back to UNO
- back to hotel/hit the road for home



For athletes, there is no logisitical improvement with this plan compared to what has gone on the previous 3 years for this event. And, the best part of the race has disappeared (i.e. running down Esplanade/Decatur and into the Quarter).

Since I'm already signed up....is it hard to find parking at race start area? And I do assume they will be re-doing the shuttle from the finish to UNO instead of from the FQ to UNO.
I *was* thinking....stay at Hilton; drive bike to UNO; shuttle to start in morning; after finish get car at the Hilton and go fetch bike from UNO.

Now, I guess: stay in FQ; drive bike to UNO; DRIVE to race start; shuttle from finish to UNO; drive back to hotel.
So maybe not too bad.
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Re: NOLA 70.3 2012 [ladnday] [ In reply to ]
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So are the roads worse than what the course used to be, or the same level of 'suckiness' just different roads? I didn't think the roads were bad in previous years (I guess I used to bad roads in Hawaii), but I guess others did.
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Re: NOLA 70.3 2012 [ladnday] [ In reply to ]
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oh my, sounds like another cluster in the making. Since it takes over 1 hour to get the 1/2 waves going, when the heck are the 5150's going to get started by? noon?
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Re: NOLA 70.3 2012 [bt] [ In reply to ]
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Parking at the start is ample.

My only suggestion would be to stay somewhere other than the host hotel if you are driving to the start. It's a huge hotel and it is chaos checking in, parking, unloading, etc. There are plenty of places to stay that won't be overloaded with athletes.
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Re: NOLA 70.3 2012 [Lou3000] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks...there were good rates at the Doubletree and another on the race website, as well as the Hilton.
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Re: NOLA 70.3 2012 [bt] [ In reply to ]
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I guess I can count on first in my age since no one is planning on doing this race!
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Re: NOLA 70.3 2012 [bt] [ In reply to ]
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I don't know what the issues are with the roads. There was a bad out and back on a service road that was a couple of miles, but other than that it's pretty smooth.
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