Tons of hotels downtown where you can easily walk to transition and to restaurants. I stayed at DoubleTee and had like 5 minute walk to transition. When I finished the race walked back to hotel, showered, and came back to wait for friends finishing.

Staying close to transition is your best bet. Several hotels within a few blocks. Also look into AirBnB. Multiple homes on the site just across the river.

Humility - early Sept- YES. Often near 100%.

Fly into Nashville and save $100 or more on flight cost and visit the city before you drive to Chatt.

Good luck and congrats.

I'm planning on volunteering so at some point you may swim, bike , or run by me.!

I just looked on Hilton's website and all the hotels downtown are sold out already. Holy smokes.....

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Chattanooga is a great place. Like suggested above, there are lots of nice hotels along Chestnut Street within a five minute walk of the finish line. However, if you go that route, expect to pay a premium -- about $300/night or more. There are also lots of restaurants, bars and attractions within easy walking distance in this area. I booked a house across the river (about 2 miles from the finish line) through VRBO.com. It will be less convenient, but I got a 4 bedroom house for the price of one hotel room.

Flying in to Atlanta or Nashville will certainly be cheaper and neither is a bad drive (other than rush hour traffic in either place) from Chattanooga. Chattanooga is a small airport with a limited number of flights each day. There is plenty to see and do in Chattanooga and within a 30 minute drive from downtown. If you are making an extended trip out of it, Nashville is a fun city and the area to the east/northeast of Chattanooga (Tennessee/North Carolina border) is a beautiful part of the country.

As for the weather, typical would be 25-32 C. But in early September it could also be 15 C or 35 C.

Happy planning.

I checked with the Residence Inn and Courtyard (the two closest hotels) last weekend and they hadn't opened up for reservations yet.

Came from Los Angeles for the 70.3 his year, flew into Atlanta and drove up. Pretty easy but have to deal with rude Atlant...eans (?), seriously, worse than New York. And some downtown Atlanta traffic. Friends from LA flew into Nashville and seemed to have about the same drive.

Stayed at the Residence Inn and it was awesome, they really welcomed with open arms and made us feel at home. Almost couldn't be closer to transition.

Chattanooga is a really cool town and the people are fantastic.

After the race we took the train to the top of Lookout Mountain, I'd recommend that.

Eats
We ate at
-Lupis- very good pizza, funky local place
-Big river grill- meh, typical food nothing to write home about
-Public House - best meal of the trip, pot roast was delicious.
-Aretha Frankensteins- we went for breakfast, small place be prepared to wait. Not sure it lived up to the hype, but might be cool to go later and watch movies on the outdoor wall (not sure when/if they show them)

Local here!

Agree with others; try to fly to Nashville or Atlanta for cheaper rates. And if you can swing it, both cities are great for exploring.

Keep looking downtown for hotels, but also look in the Hixson area for hotels. It's a very easy 10-15 minute drive to downtown. Or check AirBnb. You could wind up with a great local host/"tour guide."

Right now it's 88F and 50% humidity. Be prepared for heat.

The Incline Railway, Aquarium, and Point Park are my favorite attractions; next would be Rock City and Ruby Falls (a little pricey and touristy, but still beautiful and fascinating). The Chickamauga Battlefield is a great historical attraction.

Try visiting a local brewery: Chattanooga Brewing Company, Moccasin Bend Brewing, Hutton & Smith.

Eat at Lupi's, Bluegrass Grill, Daily Ration, Public House, Main Street Meats, The FEED. There are more that I'll think of later.

Holler (that's a Southernism) if you want more information! Congrats on earning the trip.

Does anyone that did the 70.3 have a power file they are willing to share? I'd love to see how the course rides.

Not sure how helpful it will be for Worlds. Brian Myrick (WTC RD for other events) has said the bike course will be different. Not sure if he's laying it out or just has "knowledge of the situation".

IM Chatt 70.3 Bike. We did face a headwind on the last 10 miles coming back into town this year #excuses

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Proud Member of Chris McDonald's 2018 Big Sexy Race Team "That which doesn't kill me, will only make me stronger"
Blog-Twitter-Instagram-Race Reports - 2018 Races: IM Florida 70.3, IM Raleigh 70.3, IM 70.3 World Championships - South Africa, IM North Carolina 70.3

There is a strava segment for the course. Plenty of power files but lots of the data is not super clean. Lots of coasting in several of the stronger files and unless the guys weigh 100 pounds, several had interesting power numbers too.

With the crazy easy swim and more dudes on the course, it will be packed. I'm expecting Mont Tremblant v2.0 next September. I'm doing it regardless for the swag. LOL.

It's 70.3 Worlds. It will be a draft fest. Is 51 weeks from race weekend too early to start back up the "70.3 WC Drafting" thread?

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Proud Member of Chris McDonald's 2018 Big Sexy Race Team "That which doesn't kill me, will only make me stronger"
Blog-Twitter-Instagram-Race Reports - 2018 Races: IM Florida 70.3, IM Raleigh 70.3, IM 70.3 World Championships - South Africa, IM North Carolina 70.3

I'm assuming this will be a non-wetsuit swim?

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

It looks like the Ironman website hasn't fully switched over from this year. There are ghosts from Mooloolaba and one of them is the accommodations page. I would expect that they'll have options for local hotel stays through the group at some point.

I too flew into ATL as it was the easiest coming from westcoast. East 2 hr drive to Chattanooga.

Have to second the train up Lookout Mtn. I saw it from across the street and was wondering what the hell the train tracks were going up a hill! Very cool ride up and amazing views.

Oh yeah, post races burger and beers at Urban Stack

Chat has a nice free bus that goes around downtown making transport easy

I'd bet WTC blocked them off. They've done the same thing for IM Chatt. When they update the the race page with accommodations those hotels will all show up.

Someone post up when they go live for the rest of us.

Yes, I am pretty sure it will be non wetsuit. The Full that takes place 2 weeks later has been non wetsuit (although borderline).

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Proud Member of Chris McDonald's 2018 Big Sexy Race Team "That which doesn't kill me, will only make me stronger"
Blog-Twitter-Instagram-Race Reports - 2018 Races: IM Florida 70.3, IM Raleigh 70.3, IM 70.3 World Championships - South Africa, IM North Carolina 70.3

Good or bad, you get me as RD for this race as well. We have a pretty good idea of the new swim, bike and run courses but wont really get them confirmed until the first of the year. We have IM Choo next weekend and then Kona. After that we will really start dialing in the courses for next years WC race. Should be a fun one, Chatt has really embraced the events here and shows no sign of slowing down.

Brian

I think we can handle that. I've done a few of your races (Chatt 70.3 and Full, Muncie, Raleigh). I am anxiously awaiting the release of the (tentative) WC course maps, though!

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Proud Member of Chris McDonald's 2018 Big Sexy Race Team "That which doesn't kill me, will only make me stronger"
Blog-Twitter-Instagram-Race Reports - 2018 Races: IM Florida 70.3, IM Raleigh 70.3, IM 70.3 World Championships - South Africa, IM North Carolina 70.3

To the contrary, I expect the humility level at 70.3 worlds to be close to 0%.

I wasn't able to qualify at Timberman due to a DNF, but am hoping to get there via Syracuse in 2017. I'm thinking it may make sense to make a hotel reservation that's refundable. Can someone clue me in to what area of Chattanooga would be best for a hotel. I'll probably be on my own, have a rental car, and probably use Tri Bike Transport, so I guess location could be somewhat flexible if it's easy to get to the transition/race start.

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Ha! Auto correct has made a bad speller look even more stupider! But funny none the less.

What was the going rate for downtown hotels during the IM or 70.3 in Chattanooga? I'm curious whether they get outrageous closer to race day.

Brian I did IM Choo last year and know you put on a great race so I am really looking forward to it.

Ps, killing some of those hills on the run would be appreciated!

I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn (311 Chestnut) for $230 a night. It's 2 blocks to the IM Village and Transition, and tons of restaurants.

I have a res there next year for the 70.3 in May and the WC.

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Proud Member of Chris McDonald's 2018 Big Sexy Race Team "That which doesn't kill me, will only make me stronger"
Blog-Twitter-Instagram-Race Reports - 2018 Races: IM Florida 70.3, IM Raleigh 70.3, IM 70.3 World Championships - South Africa, IM North Carolina 70.3

$229 at Residence Inn 215 chestnut for the 70.3 this year. Like above, excellent race location

Not a hotel question, but any idea on whether bike check-in would be day before the race or two days out? Most 70.3 races are day before, but I think the 70.3 WC at Tremblant was 2 days.

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It has to be the day before since the men and women race on different days. Unless they have two separate transition areas, it will have to be a late check in for the men since we will have to wait for the women's bikes to be removed.

With the women's race the day before I'd say 2 days is out. Maybe the day before but later in the day.

I'm local, so I can give you more information than those that have only raced. First and foremost, checkout https://rootsrated.com/ironman-chattanooga. It has lots of great information. Second, I think people are nuts to drive from Atlanta or Nashville to only save a few dollars on flights. Both Nashville and Atlanta can get very congested plus you will need to arrive 2 hours or more early for your flight. In Chattanooga you can get there 30 minutes before the flight and be fine. It's not worth the hassle for a few dollars. Third, almost every hotel in downtown Chattanooga will be fine. I would recommend any hotel north of MLK Boulevard. Fourth, the temperature and humidity can be high. I believe the race is the second weekend in September. That is usually when the summer heat starts to break. This year was hot. For instance, September 10th was 95F for a high with the humidity at 81 percent. Other years it has been lower. Finally, the course will be different the IM Chattanooga or IM Chattanooga 70.3. I've been told it will be going over Lookout Mountain which I think is awesome! But who knows (other than Brian).

Congratulations and enjoy our awesome city!

P.S. Make sure to follow Brian. He knows what he is talking about. :)

I know a lot of people are saying to fly into Nash or ATL. In my experience with Delta, it is cheaper to fly into CHA than ATL. I fly back home a couple times a year from SLC and it is always cheaper to fly into CHA than ATL even though it is the same flight.

Food check out Taco Mamacitas as well.

All I can say is it was way cheaper and direct flights to ATL vs. more $$$ and connections to Chatt, travel time was less to fly + drive for less than fly direct to Chatt. Just my experience. Folks obviously just need to check airfare and connections from their homes for the right time of year

Any idea if the swim is more than likely to be non wetsuit?, may well start looking for a swim skin in the off season.

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It's only impossible if you stop to think about it.

Definitely more likely to be NON wetsuit. The full that is at the end of September is usually non wetsuit.

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Proud Member of Chris McDonald's 2018 Big Sexy Race Team "That which doesn't kill me, will only make me stronger"
Blog-Twitter-Instagram-Race Reports - 2018 Races: IM Florida 70.3, IM Raleigh 70.3, IM 70.3 World Championships - South Africa, IM North Carolina 70.3

So does anyone have any idea what the schedule is going to look like with a 2 day event now? Can men check into the race on Saturday or do we have to be there on Friday to check in?

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Only RD Brian knows for sure, but at Vegas Worlds there was no athlete check the day before the race. In Australia there was. With a 2 day event, I would doubt they would offer Male athlete checkin the day before as that is when the Women's race is.

I would anticipate that Friday would be the last day for any Athlete check in. I'll be there Thursday anyways.

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Proud Member of Chris McDonald's 2018 Big Sexy Race Team "That which doesn't kill me, will only make me stronger"
Blog-Twitter-Instagram-Race Reports - 2018 Races: IM Florida 70.3, IM Raleigh 70.3, IM 70.3 World Championships - South Africa, IM North Carolina 70.3

Yeah I would be surprised if they let us check in on Saturday with the women's race the same day. Just trying to figure out travel schedule and vacation time.

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I agree with this. Check the flights into CHA and avoid all the major hassles associated with the major airports (long security lines, etc.) in Nashville and Atlanta and then fighting traffic for 100+ miles. CHA is a small airport and so easy to get into and out of. Your sanity is worth the cost.

In Zell last year they raced the 70.3 on the Saturday and then racked the W.C 70.3 later the same day. Same transition but the bike racking was split in two.

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It's only impossible if you stop to think about it.

Not sure if folks noticed but IM posted accommodations on the event website. I was able to snag a room downtown at the doubletree.

http://www.ironman.com/...p/accomodations.aspx

https://mmxreservations.com/...2017IRONMAN70.3WORLD

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Yep, the official travel partners and now offering a selection of different hotels and packages.

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It's only impossible if you stop to think about it.

At IMChoo 2014 I booked the Doubletree for 3 nights for $600 total.

At Choo 70.3 in 2015 I know the hotels downtown wanted a 2-3 night minimum stay.

For Choo 70.3 in 2016 & 2017 I've stayed at the Courtyard right next to transition for 2 nights for $500.

For IMChoo 2016 I had 3 nights at the Marriot Convention center for ~$600. The closer hotels wanted 3 nights for over $300 a night. I just used the rental bikes to get around pre-race and after the race rode my bike back to the hotel.

For the WC 70.3 I booked a room a the Chattanooga Choo Choo for 3 nights for $600 total. I'm from Atlanta and haven't attempted to qualify for it yet, but I figure even if I don't I want to go up there and watch it.

From what I gather, there's an ample amount of parking available on race day, so the need to stay within walking distance of the race isn't that crucial. I also have yet to qualify, but am thinking of reserving a room outside of the downtown area and just driving in on race morning.

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There is plenty of parking. That being said, downtown Chattanooga is pretty fun. If it's your first time to the city I'd suggest the Choo Choo, Covention Center, Staybridge Suites. It's still downtown but usually not as expensive.

I'm staying downtown for both 70.3s but for the full this year I'm going to stay around hamilton

That's true, but it is really nice to stay downtown. You literally don't have to drive all weekend if you don't want to. Transition, IM Village, tons of restaurants are right there, like 2 blocks.

I can only think of a couple of venues that I have raced that are like that. Kona is and Challenge Knoxville was a 3/4 mile walk to swim start, so maybe just one.

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Proud Member of Chris McDonald's 2018 Big Sexy Race Team "That which doesn't kill me, will only make me stronger"
Blog-Twitter-Instagram-Race Reports - 2018 Races: IM Florida 70.3, IM Raleigh 70.3, IM 70.3 World Championships - South Africa, IM North Carolina 70.3

Not knowing when they'll let us check in and coming from the west coast, I booked 5 nights at the Hilton Garden Inn and it was like $1,600. Cancelable. Looks like they're gouging for the weekend (no surprise). The first two nights are at $200 and then the price jumps to $300 for Fri, Sat & Sun. Will check out some other options.

Gouging is an understatement...

Most of the hotels I've checked in the downtown area (mostly IHG brand) are "unavailable for that weekend". I never saw them become "available", though. I'm booking for 4 nights, but will cancel that extra night if we don't need to check in until Friday.

Yeah, I booked the Hilton Garden Inn back in September before WTC/Visitors Bureau scooped up all the rooms. I booked 4 nights: Thur/Sun was $219, but Fri/Sat was only $229.

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Proud Member of Chris McDonald's 2018 Big Sexy Race Team "That which doesn't kill me, will only make me stronger"
Blog-Twitter-Instagram-Race Reports - 2018 Races: IM Florida 70.3, IM Raleigh 70.3, IM 70.3 World Championships - South Africa, IM North Carolina 70.3

So you don't think we need Wednesday night? I was just worried that they might make us check in on Saturday, like they have in the past. But that was for a Saturday event. I would bet that men will be able to check in on Friday since we're not racing until Sunday.

I got uber-lucky and somehow managed to snag a room at the Marriott downtown using points a few months ago....a brief window of opportunity before Marriott / WTC blocked everything.....now I just gotta earn enough points.

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

Was hoping to volunteer for this race, and to only stay one night.... But I can't find anyway to make that happen, and the idea of driving 2 hours there and then 2 hours back home in one day isn't all that appealing.

The hotel info and booking site is now open on the 70.3 WC site. The rates on our site are better than dealing with hotels directly.

Brian

I'm going to guess that we will have to check in by Thursday.... women AND men. Just my guess......

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We may have to check in on Thursday, but I only have a 5 hour drive. So I figured I'd either drive up that morning, or drive close and stay an hour away the night before.

If I was flying, I would plan to be there the day before the last day for check (just in case something happens).

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Proud Member of Chris McDonald's 2018 Big Sexy Race Team "That which doesn't kill me, will only make me stronger"
Blog-Twitter-Instagram-Race Reports - 2018 Races: IM Florida 70.3, IM Raleigh 70.3, IM 70.3 World Championships - South Africa, IM North Carolina 70.3

There are thousands of hotel rooms in Hamilton County, over half of which won't raise their rates for this event. Of course the downtown ones have! You can stay near raccoon mtn, hixson, Hamilton place, ooltewah for normal rates, all of which ar within 20 minutes. Parking isn't an issue downtown or near the venue. The deck attached to the expo area has never filled up for our events here. The second largest deck a block away has never filled up. The parking decks haven't even raised their rates for event weekends. This is about as perfect of a venue/city as far as accommodations go as it gets...

Brian

Agreed. Soooo does this mean you are not going to go to a split transition?

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Proud Member of Chris McDonald's 2018 Big Sexy Race Team "That which doesn't kill me, will only make me stronger"
Blog-Twitter-Instagram-Race Reports - 2018 Races: IM Florida 70.3, IM Raleigh 70.3, IM 70.3 World Championships - South Africa, IM North Carolina 70.3

No, one transition, same as I use for the other events. Still plan on swim starting and finishing at Ross's Landing, a lil ride up and over a mountain, then the run will take all the "fun" parts of the full and do it twice. Im shooting for 5000 feet of gain on the bike and around 1200 feet on the run. And it could be hot...

Hope to have the schedule pretty well worked out in the coming weeks as the World Champs crew gets together in Tampa and then in Chattanooga. I know there are a lot of questions about check in. Be patient, its coming!

Brian

It will be interesting to see how far (mileage-wise) this elevation is spread out over bothe courses (bike & run).

Wondering how many disks we'll see out there.

So we're looking at a loop, swimming up river a considerable amount at some point - as opposed to the usual down-river swim.

That is correct.

I don't understand why people think its bad to run a disc on a "hilly" course. I see no reason to not run a disc even if elevation ends up being 5k.

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x2

I'll be on a disc...

Don't some of the recent WT tests indicate that a disc is only a marginal gain over a deeper rim rear wheel? I thought FLO's testing showed only a few seconds difference over a 40k? Given the amount of climbing proposed for this race, couldn't a decent case be made for running something lighter?

I'm likely gonna use a disc, but am not ruling out a deep rim rear at this point.

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

Marginal is relative though.

http://flocycling.blogspot.com/...-aero-vs-weight.html

Look at the Savageman course towards the bottom (6k ft of climbing). Aero wins by over a minute. I know some may say its only a minute but to ME, 1 min is worth it to run a disc.

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The Savageman sample isn't really applicable to the Discussion though because it only looks at the light training (non-aero) wheels vs a FLO 90 / disc.

Look at the LP example...somewhere around 4K feet of climbing (total number is cutoff, but let's call it even @ 5k for comparison purposes to Chattanooga). Time savings of 90 / disc vs. 60/90 is ~50". But that is over 112 miles, not 56. So with the same amount of climbing over half the distance, there is much less flat road for aero to provide benefit.

And my wheels will be much lighter than FLO wheels, so the ~50" noted in their models anyway.

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

Ahh... I missed that. Thanks.

Still though, even with the IMLP scenario, the disc is still faster. Not by much though. With some wheels that are lighter than the flo 60/90 combo, could that difference be made even smaller? Definitely. But I could also run a zipp nsw 808 with a super 9 and be 250g lighter than the flo 90/disc. Whats the time savings between those two?

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Until we see the course profile, i don't think there is any way to know "for sure"...but based on the idea of 5k of climbing in a HIM bike leg (roughly the same as the harder full IM courses), I'm not ruling out using deep rims vs a disc in the rear just yet.

Maybe once the course is announced we can model it better in BBS.

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

Agree with your assessment. I would normally use a disc, but after modeling it out in BBS, and doing a few hilly rides with a disc, I'll make that determination.

5K of climbing is crazy for a HIM. It's going to be funny to hear all the complaints from the "flat landers" (ie: Floridians) after the race.

The Muskoka 70.3 course has nearly 5k of climbing and I raced a disc there, netting the 2nd fastest bike split in my AG. If I qualify for Chattanooga I plan on racing a disc.

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Coaching: https://bybtricoaching.com/ - accepting athletes for 2023

natethomas wrote:

The Muskoka 70.3 course has nearly 5k of climbing and I raced a disc there, netting the 2nd fastest bike split in my AG. If I qualify for Chattanooga I plan on racing a disc.

Not that it is the height of reliability, but the Muskoka 70.3 site says 832m / 2700ft of climbing.

http://www.ironman.com/...0elevation%20map.pdf

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

A quick search puts Muskoka at 1000m, or so. I'll probably race a disc at Worlds, but will plan to do a few very hilly rides first.

I can't wait for the actual details on the site.

If cost is a factor, but still want a quality hotel I would recommend the Embassy Suites near Hamilton Place. It's maybe 15 minute drive to downtown. It's rated the #1 Embassy Suites in America. You could also look into staying at the Crash Pad. It's a hostle that's just a few miles away. I've been there a few times for parties, but I have never stayed there.

Heck yea.

Lookout or Signal Mountain?

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Race Reports, etc -- Bob's Bikes

I highly doubt it will be Signal Mountain, but if anyone could pull it off it is Brian. My guess would be a combination of two mountains to get 5000 feet of gain. I'm guessing a Sand Mountain and Lookout Mountain climb. I’m not even going to guess on the run. That’s a lot of elevation gain for the immediate area.

I guess I was a bit off - just looked back and around 4,200 ft per my Garmin: https://connect.garmin.com/...n/activity/373223165

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Coaching: https://bybtricoaching.com/ - accepting athletes for 2023

Based on this you are almost certainly doing two loops through North Shore. My guess is the run will head immediately across the bridge and then loop around the Frasier/Riverview area which is beyond hilly. That loop section for the full is around 6 miles so would work out perfect for the 70.3.

Evening Brian, I know it's hard to predict the future! However, what are the chances that it'll be a non-wetsuit swim in September??

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It's only impossible if you stop to think about it.

99.99% chance it will be NON wetsuit. The Full there at the end of September has historically been non wetsuit.

It's a Championship race, it should be non wetsuit.

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Proud Member of Chris McDonald's 2018 Big Sexy Race Team "That which doesn't kill me, will only make me stronger"
Blog-Twitter-Instagram-Race Reports - 2018 Races: IM Florida 70.3, IM Raleigh 70.3, IM 70.3 World Championships - South Africa, IM North Carolina 70.3

Brian, just wondering if you have any news regarding athlete check-in? Would like to get flights booked but need to know this info first.

We just landed in Chattanooga and have a few days of meetings and site visits so I hope to dial that schedule in a bit. Tentatively athlete check in will be Wed, Thur and Fri, but a lot of folks have to look at that schedule before its finalized!

Great. Thanks Brian. So hopefully have that all confirmed by next week then you're thinking?

Brian, any updates on scheduling for the weekend? Thanks!

bumping this thread.

anyone else waiting for the event schedule to book flights? ....still waiting on our end

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website/blog | Instagram

What specific event schedule item would require you to hold off on scheduling this trip? Women's race is Saturday and Men's race is Sunday.

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What I do: http://app.strava.com/athletes/345699

The packet pickup dates for both men and women is holding me back. Girlfriend is racing Saturday so we are tentatively planning Thursday through Monday.

Any info helps

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website/blog | Instagram

Tenatively we have packet pickup hours as Wednesday afternoon through Friday morning, open to all. Men and Woman will have same amount of hours to check in, so women only on Wed morning and men only Friday afternoon. All awards on Monday mid day.

Damn.... I bet not many women will be sticking around that long.

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Thank you Brian!

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Just keep pedaling!

Probably only those that podium...that's a SHITTY time to do awards. Why not give them out later on Sunday?

Guarantee more revenue for the city

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USAT Level II- Ironman U Certified Coach

I can't believe your post is more than a half hour old and no one has asked you about course maps yet.

Sad!

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Proud Member of Chris McDonald's 2018 Big Sexy Race Team "That which doesn't kill me, will only make me stronger"
Blog-Twitter-Instagram-Race Reports - 2018 Races: IM Florida 70.3, IM Raleigh 70.3, IM 70.3 World Championships - South Africa, IM North Carolina 70.3

Mid-day, like.. "Expect to stay the night Monday, because you won't be able to make it to the airport in time to leave Monday"?

Trying to figure out flight, hotel, and work vacation days as soon as possible.

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Alex Arman

Strava

When is bike check in going to be for age group men? After the racing on Saturday?

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So friday would be a day exclusively male packet pickup? The usual 9-5 pm hours? Trying to figure out travel in. Thanks.

All tentative! Could change. Published schedule should be up before Chatt 70.3 next month.

Women's bike/gear check in on Friday afternoon. Men's bike/gear check in during the women's race on Saturday afternoon. Separate transition for male, female, and pros.

Female only packet pickup Wednesday morning, male only packet pickup Friday afternoon. Wednesday afternoon, all day Thursday, and Friday morning, open to both male and female. Men and women will have the same number of hours to pick up packets.

Award banquet 11-1 on Monday.

Thank you, much appteciated!

Very excited to see the brutal course in store.

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Alex Arman

Strava

http://www.ironman.com/...ace-info/course.aspx

Course posted

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First half of swim - up current .... ouch

Bike climb early on should split things up nicely.

Run course is going to be impossible to find rhythm.


Initial verdict... Proper World Championship course!

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Alex Arman

Strava

The swim has a 400m upstream swim. I'm not sure how much resistance we'll get, as it is closer to the shore, but it could be tough if there's any rain in the days leading up to the race.
The bike doesn't look bad, with all the climbing in the first third. I bet it's going to be a FAST ride once you start descending! Overall, ~ 3500 of climbing. Glad it's not the ~5000+ that I kept hearing!
The run...ouch. That is going to be tough. It looks like a whole bunch of short to medium length climbs.

If anyone has an advantage here, I'd say it's a good runner.

Bike profile and stats:



Run profile and stats:

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Genetics load the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger.

For those of us not from the area, is the bike course able to be ridden pre race?

I'm wondering if it's worthwhile to come in for a weekend of training on the course

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"Good genes are not a requirement, just the obsession to beat ones brains out daily"...the Griz

Yeah, impossible to know. I did a race in 2014 there with almost that same configuration. It actually was not bad at all. If they did this tomorrow, it would be ug-ly.
After that first climb, it's gonna be fast. Also only 3,400 means I'll be fine with my disc.

A bunch of short punchy hills, and a bigger one coming up Young Ave on the North Shore. Although I prefer this run course to the U-Turn-a-palooza we'll race next weekend.

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It's hard to put a lot of merit into the elevation gain. I've seen courses (more run courses than any) where the elevation gain is really half or a bit more than half of what it posted/stated.

I like the course though. Tough and challenging. Just the way it should be.

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Better late than never... I think it will be provide for a good race. The second lap of the run will hurt...

Brian

Slight correction... the swim is 860m upstream. For the full, they bussed us way to the right on the map and we swam/floated downstream.

I'd say that's a pretty big difference to point out- double the distance against the current ..............

A lot of this bike course could be ridden but I don't think I'd chance climbing up Ochs, especially on weekends. It's a narrow two lane road that is a bit twisty at the beginning of the climb. Despite the curvy road, cars are flying through there. It's gonna be a hell of a climb to get started (after only five miles of riding).

Brian, I'm wondering on the run course where exactly we cut over from Riverfront Parkway to the Riverwalk just past miles 2 and 8. Are we cutting through the far side of the VFW parking lot? From the way the map is drawn, it doesn't look like we're cutting through the Health Services parking lot like for the May 70.3. Thanks.

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TBT should be up tomorrow but the run will cut in before the Boathouse Restaurant and then run down the access road to get on the trail near the Rowing Center.

Thanks. I looked at the swim profile (not the description) and guessed that the 400 meter section was upstream.

Given what we've heard about the fast swim at Chattanooga over the years, I wonder how much current is in that area...

This course is beautiful!
Thanks Brian :)

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Any thoughts on timeline for Event Calendar and / or Athlete Guide?
Thanks!

x2. The course was announced. But...any info about the timeline will be great.

Thanks

What do you want to know?

A brief timeline (though not official) was mentioned in this thread earlier or one of the others?

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Basically the 2017 version of this: https://goo.gl/fYKVvt and this: https://goo.gl/O0KFpL

I get the basic stuff already mentioned but I was just looking for official guidance (there have been some discrepancies in previous info. so I’d rather wait for the official word). No big deal / more curious if it was known.

Thanks!

Has anyone ridden or ran the new WC published bike/run course yet that can share a Garmin file?

Good News.


Oficial Schedule released.

Does anyone know if IM has blocked off rooms downtown? I can't find a room anywhere!

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I would think so. You need to book through the official travel agent to get one of those hotels. And you need to book the "minimum" nights.

So is the banquet an "add on" type deal (i.e.- pay additional to get to go to this)? Is that well attended?
Also- "parade of nations" ............. likewise- well attended? How does that all work? Can family be in "parade" or is it strictly for athletes? Is this just an age grouper thing?
Thanks.

last time in Vegas 2013 the banquet was free, part of the experience. I remember some good food, delicious chocolate chip cookies.

The parade of nations was related to a a video/ slide presentation about World's and the breakdown of athletes from different countries. I think they had the different county participants stand. I recall a lot of South Americans.

If it fits into your schedule it is worth it in my opinion. I'm coming in Friday so I'll miss it.

Thanks for the info.
Much appreciated.

Very excited about this race, course included. I do not recommend training on Och's unless it's before the locals wake up. They can be quite cranky. Better to ride up scenic for training purposes. Just some local 411.

I haven't done this course before and I'm not familiar with the area, so those that are please corret me if I'm wrong.

But by tracking the elevation profile along with the actual satellite imagery of the run course itself, it appears that the elevations drops/climbs shown just before mile 4, and at mile 6, 10, and 12 are associated with bridge crossings over the river. These elevation maps are generated using ground topography, not road elevation. So the elevation losses/gains at those points are likely coming down off the floodplain/bluff to the actual river water elevation, then back up the bluff. The actual road elevation is probably relatively consistent at these points connecting the higher elevations on either side of the river. So that makes the elevation gain for the run significantly less than it appears on the elevation profile (~300 ft less).

We are working on new elevation profiles now along with the course videos. I have about 10 garmin files for each and we will be working on the most accurate profiles we can. Stay tuned for those...

Brian

Excellent! It's much appreciated.

Minor edit. I recommend some Chamois Butt'r to assist with the process.

There has been some talk on a seperate thread about lack of coverage (aside from Kona) at Ironman branded / WTC events (specifically mentions 2017 Worlds). I'm guessing they are assuming based on history that there will be minimal coverage at Worlds this year. I guess probably a good assumption but was wondering if anyone had some inside scoop on what if any type coverage there will be?

Will there be qualification slots for 2018 70.3 WC's in South Africa at Chattanooga?

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bump.

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wovebike.com | Wove on instagram

I think you only get slots if you win your age group, but i could be wrong...

Brent

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DFRU - Detta Family Racing Unit...the kids like it and we all get out and after it...gotta keep the fam involved!

https://www.strava.com/segments/1800666


is this the climb? looks tough if so.

From the course map, we ride the first 1.5 or so miles then carry on South rather than back up the rest of the climb in the Strava segment.

Will be a decent climb at about 7% for a fair distance...glad I am 63kilos!

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Ouch that climb looks brutal. But it does look like the rest of the course profile isn't that bad.

Maybe it will be worth knocking off a couple lbs...

This is the climb...https://www.strava.com/routes/8783038

ah, not quite as bad. disc probably still worth it. might only be 15 minutes or thereabouts.

anyone think it will be wet-suit legal?

Chris

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No unless hell freezes over.

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Genetics load the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger.

Yeah, extremely unlikely. The full IM, at the end of September, has not been wetsuit legal ever.

Athlete Guide?

Guessing we will need to wait until August for the guide. While I get that for most races the previous year's athlete guide can be helpful, this is a case where it is certainly not in any way useful.

I just qualified at Eagleman and I'm trying to figure out flights - a later 'window' would make it much easier for not only myself but lots of folks flying in on that Friday.

Is there anyone considering flying into Atlanta? Looking at flights, it looks like I can save over $200 by flying into ATL, and then driving to Chattanooga. Jet Blue flies into ATL and their bike fees aren't bad.

Also, any chance of having the swim access open on Saturday afternoon after the women finish? If not, any local pools that are recommended?

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I looked at all the options and came to the conclusion that Atlanta is the best as I can fly nonstop on SW (and the round trip was less than $200!)

Seems all options either have connections or involve a long drive to Chat. Not the easiest place to get to for sure!

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Has anyone needed to contact them with regards to registration issues? My last name was misspelled in the registration link email and Active won't allow me to register. Their system kicks me out because my USAT member name doesn't match the name they auto-populated. Active says they can't fix it. I sent an email to worldchampionship70.3@ironman.com about it last week but have yet to hear anything back. Does anyone know what the typical response time is?

Usually, flying into Atlanta is not a big deal but the traffic leaving Atl (heading north to Chattanooga) can be horrendous. Did you check flying into Nashville Or Knoxville? May be too expensive but figured its worth checking


As far as pools are concerned, there are two in downtown Chattanooga. One is at the local Y and the other is a 25 yd pool at a Gold's Gym. If you are staying at any of the hotels, in downtown Chattanooga, these are both very easy to walk to. Another option is to drive out to Chickamaugua (?spelling) Dam. There is a nice protected area you can swim. A lot of families go there on weekends to swim so it is safe

CPT Chaos, I know SW flies in/out of Nashville. Have you also checked there? It is not a bad drive to Chatt from Nashville

The fact that SW doesn't fly to Chatt hurts our options for sure.

I decided to fly into Chatt (connect via ATL) and not rent a car (will just uber from the airport). It was barely anymore money for the extra flight from ATL to CHATT.

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Yes, but no direct flight so the trip was actually longer than the Atlanta one.

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"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." T.S. Elliot | Cycle2Tri.com
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Time zone question - I'm looking at flying into Atlanta, but it looks like part of Tennessee is not on East Coast time. Is Chattanooga on East Coast time or Central time? I've found mixed info on this.

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Atlanta and Chattanooga are in the EST. I live in Atlanta and travel to Chattanooga to race multiple times a year. There has never been a time change.

Chattanooga is EST. The time zone change is west of Chattanooga. Nashville is CST.

Thanks for the confirmation on the EST of Chattanooga! I'm looking at a flight that leaves Atlanta around 8 pm on Sunday, and think there would be enough time. However, I'm trying to decide whether I'd have time to box up my bike, then drive and get to the airport, or just use TBT for shipping my bike. TBT would end up being around $200 more, but much easier for leaving right after the race.

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i have a question about the decent off of lookout mtn on hwy 136. google maps show some curves. Are they sweep curves or more technical. Is it decent that we can just "let'er rip"? 50 mph+?

Thanks,

So is this going to be a wave start or a self seed rolling start for the AGers?

More and more 70.3's are starting to do rolling starts this year (I have yet to do one). I wonder if a rolling start would help with the drafting issues that have plagued 70.3 worlds. Thoughts?

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Since it is a "Championship" I would think it will be waves by age group, so everyone is actually racing one another. At least that's how they did it in Vegas. Even the larger AG's that are 2 or 3 waves in a regular 70.3 were all in one wave.

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Proud Member of Chris McDonald's 2018 Big Sexy Race Team "That which doesn't kill me, will only make me stronger"
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I hope they don't do a self-seeded rolling start only because I am not sure how I would self-seed given that big up-stream portion of the swim. I am not a weak swimmer by any means, but there is no way I could reliably predict my time with that large uphill swim, then downhill.

Got a slot at Madson 70.3 2 weeks ago. Have a mini motorhome and driving that down from WI. How is downtown for driving with a small rv? Planning on coming in Thursday nite/Friday am. Staying at campground 10 miles away so rent a car for fri-sun am but can I find a spot to park the rv anywhere near race?
Thanks for any assistance and good luck to all who are going.

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"There are no problems in life, just many leadership and learning opportunities." SED

When I was there in May, I did not see much room for an RV to be parked anywhere downtown. Lots of car parking and all of the main stuff is within a mile radius. Defenitly drive the car into town!

My friend parked his RV in the aquarium parking lot for the 70.3 in 2015. He said the location was perfect but the people stumbling out of the bars at all hours of the night didn't make for great sleep.

So is this going to be a wave start or a self seed rolling start for the AGers?[/quote]

Since it is a "Championship" I would think it will be waves by age group, so everyone is actually racing one another. At least that's how they did it in Vegas. Even the larger AG's that are 2 or 3 waves in a regular 70.3 were all in one wave.[/quote]
Hi. All 70.3 races everyone is racing one another. The rolling start didn't change it. But...I never saw a Worldchampionship with rolling start.


Let's see... Rolling start's is a growing trend in IM events. Australia last year: waves (without breaking the biggest age groups).

Trying to decide two things in regards to my bike setup:

1. I currently run a 1x setup with a 52 up front and an 11-32 in the back. Should I buy an 11-36? The grades look significant enough where it might help me stay in my seat a bit more.

2. I run 90mm deep wheels and usually race with a wheelbuilder cover. I'm leaning towards racing with it but it is a decent amount of extra weight. Thoughts for wheelcovers?

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By gear ratio you might want to consider the bigger cogs. I run a 2x with a 53/39 and would run an 11-28 here and looking at gear ratios it seems a 52/36 combination would put you right around my 39/27. Just judging by my experience climbing Brockway at IMLT in 2013, I was glad I had that ratio available and would have hated having only a 39/24-equivalent which is what you would get with a 52/32

As for the wheelcover, absolutely run it. That climb is only going to be like, what, 15-20 minutes long? The rest of this course is going to be gently rolling and very fast.

Question for the guys / male athletes.

Who is flying in on Friday vs Thursday?

As for myself, I am prevaricating between the two dates. I could fly in on Friday early monring (into Atlanta), but I am slightly concerned that such a plan would leave very little buffer in case of unforseen circumstances (e.g. significant flight delay, crazy traffic, etc). Thursday would obviously have more slack in the system, but it feels like overkills.

What are other folks doing?

Thanks.

PS: First time traveling to a triathlon in North America... and a relative newbie to WTC events (and a total newbie to the WC)

I'm flying into Atlanta on Friday from Boston and flight arrives around 11 am. It looks to be around a ~2-2.5 hr drive, which should be ok with check in till 5 pm on Friday. This doesn't allow for a ton of wiggle room, but I'm not flying with my bike or checking bags, so I hope to be in my rental car an hour after landing.

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Traffic heading out of Atlanta on Friday can be horrific. There has been more than once where I've been stuck on I-75 for a couple of hours, and only covering a few miles, because of a bad wreck. just get the hell out of the airport as quick as possible

What gearing are people planning on running? I'm in between a 11-25 or 11-28 with 53/39.

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I would say if you have the option, go for traveling on Thursday. Of course that depends on if you are just going for the experience or if you want to do the best you can. It would add a lot of physical and mental stress to be checking your watch being frantic making sure that you make it before the deadline. Lines at check in can be long, parking might be scarce at that time, and of course there can always be travel delays. Go early if you have the option. It is the WC after all.

For my first IM I made the mistake of choosing a flight that was subject to delays and almost missed the cutoff time for check-in. I personally wouldn't risk it again (I didn't know at the time that was a risky thing to do). I am getting into town on Thursday so I have no stress about getting checked in on Friday.

Thanks, everybody.

Have decided to go on Thursday. As other people have said, it is not worth the stress... it is the WC (and my first time)!

I had another thread asking 1x folks about their gearing. There are some 15 and 17% sections of that climb and the first 1.6 miles avg's 8%. I'm thinking a gain ratio of 2.9 is the minimum I need

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wovebike.com | Wove on instagram

I'm coming in on Thursday. Not taking any chances on the things I can't control, with traffic, flight delays, the X factor, etc. Plus it reduces any anxiety related to getting there, getting settled in the hotel, getting checked in, exploring, doing a practice swim, etc.

I like proceeding at my own pace prior to a race-really helps with putting my head on straight for the actual competition....just my strong personal preference....

17% !!!???

I'm assuming you are taking crank length into considering with those gear ratio's (using sheldon brown's calculator).

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Yep, definitely.

So, on a 172.5, a 39/28 may be a tad bit easy if hitting that climb hard, using the climb to put a gap on the field before the 40 miles of descent and flat section (with one hill thrown in there). 39/28 would be 2.8. So, maybe a 39x27 (gain ratio of 2.9) would be a tad better. (DA 9100 11-30 has a 27, and 10sp has 11-27). For myself, using a 162.5 crank, 2.9 is a 50x36.

I'll be thinking about this as I mix some of the local climbs of similar length and grade into my training.

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wovebike.com | Wove on instagram

Since it is a "Championship" I would think it will be waves by age group, so everyone is actually racing one another. At least that's how they did it in Vegas. Even the larger AG's that are 2 or 3 waves in a regular 70.3 were all in one wave.[/quote]
Hi. All 70.3 races everyone is racing one another. The rolling start didn't change it. But...I never saw a Worldchampionship with rolling start.


Let's see... Rolling start's is a growing trend in IM events. Australia last year: waves (without breaking the biggest age groups).[/quote]
They just announced a "rolling wave start within each age group" and cited bike congestion and drafting as reasons for this format.

Where do you see this announced?

All I see are wave starts here: http://www.ironman.com/...ves%20online%201.pdf

What time is sunrise in Chatt that time of year? 7:30 seems late. Edit: (sunrise is around 7:20). And the spacing of waves is going to be rough for those later on. M45-49 don't start until almost 9:30!!!! Bring your sun screen folks.

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http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/news/articles/2017/07/chattanooga-start-times-and-format-announced.aspx#axzz4lxneFO00

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808 > NYC > PDX > YVR
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Thanks for the info!

Ugh, I'm with you in that wave, Steve. And will likely be out on the course a tad longer then you as well to make matters worse. :)

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It looks like it will be rolling starts within each AG wave, which look to be spaced about every ten minutes. Honestly, I don't quite get it - safety? reduce drafting? I think that initial hill will do a job spacing folks out to reduce drafting. Personally, I'll be nowhere near the podium, but this format sucks for anyone looking to podium. I guess those folks should self seed themselves near the front anyway, but it still seems a bit foolish for a WC event.

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I was sortof figuring that the difficulty of the swim with the first half going uphill would sort things out pretty quickly, and then that early climb on the bike.

And what's with putting 70+ people right ahead of 35-39? (this is the case with both men and women). This seems like a disaster waiting to happen

I agree. I'd be pretty scared if I were anything less than a stellar 70 yr old swimmer, with the fastest 35-39s coming right up my ass.

The question still remains if the rolling start is a self seed or first come first serve for each AG. Unless I missed that part in the article. I sure hope its not first come first serve. That's a long time to be sitting in line.

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I have not read any info on this and have not read the thread, but would it not be like WTC IM events that you can line up at the front however you like? First come first serve at the front.

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2024: Bevoman, Galveston, Alcatraz, Marble Falls, Santa Cruz

I wonder what the thought process behind that was. It does seem like a horrible idea.

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Matt

I'm guessing it's to keep AGers in one category (ie: 35-39) from drafting in other age groups (ie: 40-44).

Gearing: I'm starting to toss in rides that will mimic the race course. Did a ride today with a climb a tad longer, but not quite as steep as the Chatt course.... I bring it up because I rode it with that 2.9 gain ratio at a possible race-day effort for the climb followed by hilly tempo work and it seems to be a good call. https://www.strava.com/activities/1072640107


AG Waves: I had kind of hoped that the 30-34 guys would be leaving at the same time as the 35-39 guys to go head to head. I like head to head racing. I get the congestion issue, but I also kind of thought that the 3.6 mile 8% climb would prevent a lot of that, as well as the upstream swim. With 40-44, 35-39, 30-34 starting 22min apart, it'll truly be a race strictly within each of our agegroups while swimming and biking through, over and around the older AG's they're squeezing in between. I get it, and I understand that if a head to head race is wanted, race pro.... but a WC race would be pretty awesome to have the chance to race head to head with other age groups.

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wovebike.com | Wove on instagram

Huge climb at the beginning of the bike.
Rolling swim starts.
Age Group starts spaced way out.

I guess WTC has just plain given up on trying to enforce the drafting rules, and now hopes that the course and the swim start will reduce drafting. But I'll still see more drafting at this race than any other I do.

I can't say I'm looking forward to starting a 70.3 at 9:f'ing23 am when the projected high temp is 85-90 deg. There are gonna be some slow times.

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is there a strava file of the bike course yet? or just the climb?

https://www.strava.com/...s/997648234/overview

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wovebike.com | Wove on instagram

Is the ride pretty safe to do on your own?

I guess they're giving away slots to this race now. I heard of a woman getting an invite via email.

Plugging things into BBS, it looks like this year's bike course is about two minutes slower than the ride at Tremblant in 2014. Any idea what the road conditions are like?

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Unfortunately, I don't have any hills nearby to simulate any of the climbs. I run a 53/39 with 165mm cranks. I'm not willing to change those so a 28t puts me at 2.9 and a 25t puts me at 3.2. I really really don't like the spacing on the 28t. Leaning towards the 25t right now and just grind up the steep ascents if need be.

I think those ag's were spaced out like that on purpose to limit the packs. The races are going to be completely different between the different AG's with that spacing and the weather. I feel for the later waves..... It's going to be brutal.

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That's a long time to be grinding. 15 and 17% climbs are no joke, and 1.6 miles at 8% is pretty intense. I guess you could always plug the course into a smart trainer to test gearing. 2.9 gain ratio at 4.43 w/kg was a bit of a grind, already.

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wovebike.com | Wove on instagram

you will want that 28. even with it, at 250w your cadence would be south of 70 at 10%.

at 7% for 1.6 miles yesterday at 310w, was at 86rpm. I'll bet SteveJ is above that

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wovebike.com | Wove on instagram

A superfit person might do 4w/kg for a 70.3, I have won my AG on 3.4. Maybe you can go 5-8% above that on the climb but 310w is too much to push for 20min. Will hurt the run. Just my opinion.

thanks for the strava file btw,

At 70kg, 310w is 10% above 4w/kg. I agree that could be too much, but then you have to factor in a 2.5 mile descent that will require no pedaling and then 37.5 flat miles. So, that's what I'll continue to test in training, but 10% isn't nuts, not with an ftp over 5w/kg, which the top AG guys have.

But, not saying I can do that. But that's the goal. Did Raleigh 2 weeks after a semester of top-in-classes phd work with a training load (fitness) of 58; at 82 now and getting bike fit/position better which is allowing for the discrepancy between road and TT ftp to resolve some and hopefully more. Was at 5.3w/kg in '15 at 75% of the cycling training load I'll be at for Chattanooga, currently able to cruise at 1:11 pace open water and in the pool and working on cutting that down by 3sec, and getting my running in order which was a meager training load of 17 at Raleigh and will be over 40 for Chattanooga, a load that's put me sub 5:30 ftp pace and sub 4:20 mile ability in the past. So there's my trash talk and call me out on it post race, but will be showing up ready to race with the goal to, for the first time in my racing, put all three together at full ability on race day - too bad we won't all be going head to head.

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wovebike.com | Wove on instagram

So i took my slot for Worlds at Muncie. Hope it will be a good race, hot and humid. Excited to ride up Lookout mountain. 2nd wave of in the morning will be cool.

Depends on crank length.

Looking at the strava file, you really only need that extra gear for 1.5 miles (12-13 minutes) which is less than 7 miles into the bike. The rest of the ascents are easily doable in a 25t.

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I agree, but here's today's play time on a climb using my tri bike to get a feel for gearing. The power is obviously higher than I'll race at, but at that power (currently 70kg), check out the cadence at the grade. You're right that you can just stand, get it over with, and then have better jumps between gears for the majority of the ride. But note, today was on a 172.5 crank with a 50 x 11-36, so that's a gain ratio of 2.8. Just some food for thought.

link: https://www.strava.com/...4/analysis/3697/4292

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wovebike.com | Wove on instagram

Thanks for another data point.

I'm going to have to make a trip up to clermont to get any real hills nearby to test things out. I can download the course file to my computrainer but I don't think its the same.

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nice. I prefer the hills to the west side of the Green Swamp, in the Spring Lake, FL area.

sample bike route: http://www.mapmyride.com/...0-2009-route-6288828
sample run route (lots of limestone roads and shade): https://www.strava.com/activities/104018168

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wovebike.com | Wove on instagram

Yep.
11-28 and 11-25 are the same up to 21. Then it either goes 24,28 or 23,25. Seems like a no-brainer to me. Not going to use those gears again anyway. Get what you need to not grind.

froome rode a 38x32 yesterday. Back in the day it was so frowned upon to have Granny gears. Not so anymore.

yeah...there's going to be plenty of "legal" drafting, leapfrogging from one wind shadow to another. That's the rules, and although not a pure non-drafting race, I'll likely be doing it, trying to observe my legal spacing as well as I can....

They are the same up to 15 not 21.

25t : 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25
28t : 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 28

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Ugh, you re right. the old 27 went 21,24,27.

I love the 16, so the question would be is trading the 16 for a 28 is worth it. Hmm. WPP

And now you understand my dilemma. The 16 is my most heavily used gear.

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I agree and have often found myself contemplating this. I always end up arriving at the conclusion that the difficulty (and penalty) not having the 16 is much less than the difficulty (and penalty) of not having the 28....or higher, especially in a triathlon.

A cool tool I use to help inform this decision is di2stats.com. If you have the d-fly and di2, your ride file records what gear you are in. di2stats gives you reports of what cadence, wattage, amount of time etc you spent in each gear. Even maps that show you where on the course you used each gear. Really cool data there. That way, you can actually quantify how much time you should have been in the 16 vs how much time you spent in the easiest gears. When I ran an analysis of a few different times I raced IM 70.3 St. George with different gearing, you can really see that NOT having the easier gears going up Snow Canyon amounts to a lot of low cadence, high power grind which kills the running legs. Additionally, the actual amount of time I was in the 16 when I had it was not all that much. The compromise gears still provided a suitable alternative.

I'm assuming it's the most heavily used when you're in your 53.

I'd run a 36. With DA Di2, I had no issues at all running a 52/34 on a road bike used for climbing. Ui2 had some trouble; have not tried with mechanical. I had Praxis rings.

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with 165mm crankarms, 36x25 is a 2.9 gain ratio, which is what I'm finding is the as high a gain ratio as I can go for a climb of this nature

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The SRAM 1190 cassettes are far better in this regard:
11-25: 11,12,13,14,15,16,17,19,21,23,25
11-26: 11,12,13,14,15,16,17,19,21,23,26
11-28: 11,12,13,14,15,16,17,19,22,25,28
11-30: 11,12,13,14,15,17,19,21,24,27,30

You don't lose the 16 until the 11-30 group

Drop the 12t and add a 16t to the mix. Mix and match.

What do you think about 172.5mm crankarms and a 34x27 for a gain ratio of 2.5 for 68 Kg with an FTP a little north of 4.1 W/Kg.

Good question. I mean, a 34x28 can get me up 25+% grades seated and talking the whole way even when in subpar fitness, so it seems very reasonable for a 34x27 to get you up about any climb, especially if racing. Other than 10sp, are there any 11sp groups with a 27max?

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I know I could definitely get up the climb with the 34x27, just hoping to not go too much over my target power of 225-230.


I have SRAM etap (regular version) with a listed max rear cog of 28 but have seen that people have run up to a 32 (on the none WiFLi version) on some but not all frames.

So what is the average grade going up that first climb?
How does it go? Same grade the entire way up or ??
I am struggling to get any climbing training in and will just need to live with the consequences.
Work and home life prevent me from traveling from pancake flat where I train .....................

With you being 68kg, I'm pretty sure anything over 28t paired with that 34 front chainring is overkill for that climb. I could probably find a more representative effort, but here's a 3.2 mile steep climb that avg's 3.3% steeper than the 3.2 mile climb at World's on a 34x28 @ 70kg where you can see my cadence - though that last two miles I'm sure I was in something slightly harder than the 28 for anything under 10% grade, but can't remember for sure: https://www.strava.com/...7/analysis/6174/7827 not sure if that's helpful.

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Here you go: https://www.strava.com/segments/1897299

oh, and for getting the hill simulation in, a smart trainer really does do the trick. I mean, erg mode on a smart trainer will make any climb a piece of cake! And setting slope on the smart trainer lets you play with gearing. They challenge race day is holding back, but I am confident that a smart trainer can provide that feedback, too. (btw, I'm selling my Kickr over in the classifieds)

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I'm planning on 53/39 w/an 11/26 cassette and 170mm cranks. That's my Red race cassette - I have a few other lower tier cassettes on training wheels, but don't figure I'll need more gearing. Should be riding somewhere around 3.6-3.7 w/kg for the bike leg. As long as I don't ride over FTP for sustained efforts I should be ok on the run.

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for comparison, that's a 2.9 gain ratio

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Thanks for both of those links. The first link is definitely harder. Looks like the Lookout Mountain climb only has a few spots with double digit grades. Probably will stick with my 27, rather not but a new cassette for one more tooth.

I have a smart trainer that I haven't take out of the box yet. That is a great point and now have the motivation to set it up.

For folks looking to ride the course on their smart trainer:

I haven't ridden the course, so that's someone else's activity on Strava that I previously linked to. I did have a comment on the user's activity for a week or so with some questions, but he never got back to me, so I deleted my comment. Anyone have this already figured out?

best bet? would have to get someone who has ridden the course to turn the entire course into a Strava segment, I think. But, the Methodist church/Lookout Mtn full climb is already a segment:

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/...itness-segments.html

some threads on how to use bestbikesplit and trainerroad to accomplish this:

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/...ne_done_it_P4943210/

http://triroost.com/...t-course-on-my-kickr

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Hello. The ironman.com just posted the oficial bike course. In the Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91-ElxZ9Zw4&t=258s

That course looks like a lot of fun!

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Is it August for the athletes guide / banquet info. ?

I am assuming I will be ok with a 52-36 and 11-28. Should be 57kg on race day. Planning on riding 3.2-3.3 w/kg. In Mississippi, so don't have anywhere to test this.

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Let food be thy medicine...

At that weight, you'll be good with a 21. Ha! Kidding

Mt Cheaha may be close enough and provides good climbing; near Talledega, has enough elevation that even gets snow as late as April

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will guess that will be a cadence of 70-75 for about 10 minutes of the climb. won't hurt you too much.

Based on the video & the Strava recording of Jack M. - https://www.strava.com/.../1086460370/overview,
I draw a true-course track in MapMyRide: http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/1705759928
Using this, Best Bike Split gives faster times than one would expect - so it's a fun 2.5-2.75h ride.

As someone who squeaked into the race with a generous roll down, I'm pretty intimidated by how fast folks in this race are and will be bringing enough humility to compensate for a few folks who leave it at home. :)

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2018 Races: IM Santa Rosa, Vineman Monte Rio, Lake Tahoe 70.3