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IMMoo Swim
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Did anyone else have an abnormally slow swim at IMMoo? I, along with three friends, did the race on Sunday. Two of us typically swim mid-50s and came out in 1:05 and 1:06. The other two of us typically swim 1:00-1:05 and both came out in 1:12.
My first thought was that the course must have been long but looking at the pro's times, they seemed pretty normal (I think Flanagan was sub-45), so that shoots down that theory. I was told by someone after the race that there were 500 more participants in the race this year than in the past. I don't know if this is true or not but the added congestion might explain the slow times.
Just wondering if anybody else had a similar experience and if they have any definitive idea as to what caused the slow times.
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Re: IMMoo Swim [10k Lakes] [ In reply to ]
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One thing I noticed was the number of folks that stopped at the "guide" buoys......not the turn ones.....I mean stopped dead in the water....right on the buoy line....I got caught up at least three times in spots not related to the turns.....
My time was about 5-6 minutes longer that I figured...not sure if it was the stop and go traffic or the sheer number of folks on the course.

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Re: IMMoo Swim [10k Lakes] [ In reply to ]
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I'm consistent at around 58 to 1 hour. I did IM Moo right at 1 hr, so it seemed right. I was lucky to get somewhat out in front at the start, I basically sprinted at the start to avoid a lot of the commotion. Once out of the mêlée, I settled in and had very good luck avoiding any real traffic.
Last edited by: schafjet: Sep 14, 10 7:17
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Re: IMMoo Swim [10k Lakes] [ In reply to ]
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There were more racers, but not 500 more. 2398 started last year and 2550 started this year.

I was 10-15 minutes slow, but I have a broken collar bone to blame.

TCW
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Re: IMMoo Swim [10k Lakes] [ In reply to ]
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My swim time was faster than anticipated, but that wasn't planned... I'm generally a back-of-the-MOP swimmer, and was hoping to straggle out of the water ~1:40 - I came out at 1:25.

How? I was FOP at start, but not intentionally... This was my first IMWI (and first IM), and I was under the impression that it was a beach / shallow water start for everyone, and that we were supposed to swim out to that first/near red buoy as part of the course - I had no idea that the "starting line" was actually the whole line from the shore out to that red buoy... I admit I'm not the brightest light bulb... So, as every was being encouraged to keep going "out" in those 10 minutes prior, I ended up ~10 feet from the red buoy.

When the cannon went off, I just tried like hell to keep up in the washing machine - I was assuming everyone else was somehow behind me and a little to the right, but I had no clues there was a solid wall of folks off to my right that extended all the way to the Terrace shoreline. Trying to hold my own in the pack right along the bouy line itself all race was a good challnge for me, and got me a faster than anticipated time, but had I known what was actually happening, I probably would've completely chickened out and been one of those bubbas on the wayyyy far right at the start.

But I'm happy as hell it worked out like it did! Plenty of constant contact & a few hard hits on the buoy line throughout that first lap, but as they say in NASCAR: "Rubbin's racin'!" The second lap was a bit mellower.

Sort of related question for y'all: I see some folks here said that there were 2550 starters, and that jives with all the pre-race numbers I kept hearing, but how many overall race finishers were there? If you look up just "finishers" on the IM results page, it lists 2550 finishers (but I sure as hell didn't count each one). Anyone know how to get concrete start vs finisher numbers for the race????

Congrats to all the ST finishers out there - it was a fantastic day!!

Cheers, Chris

Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball
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Re: IMMoo Swim [Hydro] [ In reply to ]
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I'm getting 2550 from what Mile Reilly said at the awards (He may have said 2555, I'm not certain). He also gave the number of DNFs, I think it was 158, but not sure about that one. When they upload the results to the actual IM results page, you'll be able to see how many started and how many finished.

TCW
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Re: IMMoo Swim [Thom] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks Thom - I just found MR's blog updates on IMLive - his closing post claims 2556 starters. Am just curious to know how many starters ended up crossing the line by midnight, but I suppose that info will dribble down eventually - thanks again.

Cheers, Chris

Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball
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Re: IMMoo Swim [10k Lakes] [ In reply to ]
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I expected a 1:05-1:08 and came out in 1:12. I needed to go out harder and get in front of that huge 1:10 group. That was crazy. I've never had so much contact on the swim and still can't figure out why we bunched up at every single buoy. It was a very frustrating swim for me. But like I said, it's my fault. I got caught up in a group I should have been in front of.
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Re: IMMoo Swim [10k Lakes] [ In reply to ]
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I had a lot of confidence in a 1:05 swim and I came in 1:10:30, but I also stopped after the last turn for a few minutes for double leg cramps and swam easy for the remainder, so I probably swam a 1:08:xx.

I don't think the course was long, but it was slow. We were fighting at every single turn buoy and it took me half the race to be able to actually swim a normal stroke. 8 turns is too many for that crowded of a course. There were even little skirmishes at the non-turn buoys, perhaps because once people were close enough to see them they tried to crowd in more.

The reason for the leg cramps was that some jackass climbed on my back around the last turn (really? the LAST turn? I even gave him the inside line so that we could all get around the turn fine). I have a strict policy of ejecting these people, so I gave him the double donkey kick spin move and that induced the cramps. Maybe not a smart move in the end, but here's the point: as I sat there bobbing next to the buoy waiting for my cramps to subside I noticed it was way less crowded behind me. I must have been right at the back of some giant group the whole time, because there were just people trickling past me after that. None of them even attacked me.
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Re: IMMoo Swim [10k Lakes] [ In reply to ]
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I don't know if IM MOO is long or IM Lake Placid is short, but this is what I can say.

I did both races this year and finished just in the top quartile of all swimmers in both events.

My IM MOO time was 1:15 and my IM Lake Placid time was 1:08.

I have done both races the last three years, and IM MOO -- for whatever reason -- has always been slower.
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Re: IMMoo Swim [10k Lakes] [ In reply to ]
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Mine was minutes slower. I had tons of traffic, people full stopped, people stopping to sight, people stopped in the corners, stopping to "moo" in the first corner. I chalk it up to not being a fast enough swimmer to be in front of the masses. I should be 1:07 or so and I came up 1:14.
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Re: IMMoo Swim [tiptopshop] [ In reply to ]
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I'm actually not sure how much of a factor it is (and don't know what the temp at IMLP is) but isn't IMoo a pretty warm swim? Warm water is slower than cold water and over 2.4 it might make a significant difference.

Of course I could also not have a clue.

This is your life, and it's ending one minute at a time. - Fight Club
Industry Brat.
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Re: IMMoo Swim [Ti T'war] [ In reply to ]
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The water temp was about 67 on Sunday - great temp.

I intentionally swam slower than normal - and my 54:27 seemed pretty much in line with my effort.
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Re: IMMoo Swim [10k Lakes] [ In reply to ]
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Chances are you slowed down in the corner congestion (without realizing it), unless you swam right over everyone.

I've noticed in the past a good portion of Ironman participants can only safely ride a bike on a level, smooth, wide road. After Wisconsin i've come to the conclusion that most are crappy swimmers and like the cycling portion a) can't swim in a straight line b) can't swim around corners and c) will somehow hit the only thing around for 50 yards of open space.


Bobby Jones

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Re: IMMoo Swim [10k Lakes] [ In reply to ]
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Everybody from my group had slower swim than expect. It was overcrowded and brutal. It's a big lake so why squeeze us on a tight two loops course? IMC swim is much more fun and less crowded.
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Re: IMMoo Swim [10k Lakes] [ In reply to ]
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Typically mid-50s, then 1:05-1:06? That doesn't sound right. Anyone who swims mid 50s (say, :54-:56) generally knows what he is doing and is not subject to overcrowding at buoys. That means either (i) the course was too long, (ii) the two swimmers trained or raced much different than normal, or (iii) those two aren't really mid 50s swimmers.
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Re: IMMoo Swim [BobbyJones] [ In reply to ]
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i watched the swim from atop the terrace. i saw several pros hit the bouys also!

who's smarter than you're? i'm!
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Re: IMMoo Swim [10k Lakes] [ In reply to ]
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I should have had a 1:05-8 but came out with 1:14. Couple of reasons come to mind:
-- More people in the water than years previous;
-- Course was more trapizoidal than rectangular. After the first buoy, most folks took a 90-degree left turn, when the second corner buoy was at more of a 60 - degree left turn. You couldn't fight the masses if you were on the inside of the turn for a bit.
-- There was a huge pack of 1:10-1:15 swimmers, and I couldn't ever break free of them for 7 of the 8 legs. Always, always had people in the pods around me fighting for space.
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Re: IMMoo Swim [veganerd] [ In reply to ]
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In Reply To:
i watched the swim from atop the terrace. i saw several pros hit the bouys also!

Of course they do - and go right under them. That is after all the most direct - thus shortest route...all these "go wide" cry babies just confuse me....

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?
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Re: IMMoo Swim [10k Lakes] [ In reply to ]
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Personally I didn't have a problem with the course, first IM and I swam a 1:14, learned how to swim (as in actual strokes) last year so I wasn't complaining. I swam a 1:18 at MOWS a few weeks before so I gained 4 minutes in 3 weeks with a lot more people.

Near constant contact for the first lap, big pileups at the turn buoys on both laps, but towards the end of the second lap it was actually not as mobbed as I expected. Came out of the water and figured I'd be in the heart of meh-hour at 1:15 but the helix was pretty empty, plenty of room in transition, no complaints from me.

Honestly, I don't know what the big fuss about the swim is anyway. I'm not *against* swimming faster by any means, but it seems like Ironman after Ironman people put up these fantastic swim times then just blow it so hard on the bike and most of all the run. Seems like I can find more prudent investments of my training time.
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Re: IMMoo Swim [tgarson] [ In reply to ]
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You can not make your day in the swim at IM...you sure as shit can ruin your day there.

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?
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Re: IMMoo Swim [R10C] [ In reply to ]
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My buddy who was a lifeguard said some people only swam one lap. Think about it, take your time and get out around 1:15. I noticed within the first 10m on the bike that theory was true by some of the people i passed. Hope they had a great race!
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Re: IMMoo Swim [derosa] [ In reply to ]
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In Reply To:
My buddy who was a lifeguard said some people only swam one lap. Think about it, take your time and get out around 1:15. I noticed within the first 10m on the bike that theory was true by some of the people i passed. Hope they had a great race!

I heard a story that a guy had gone under the ski jumped...held on for a while and about an hour swam to shore....

Those games dont play at IMLP and other places where you have to get out and chip in.

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?
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Re: IMMoo Swim [R10C] [ In reply to ]
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The same waypoints have been used for the last few years and the swim is accurate, sorry finman is the only person I know of that has intentionally cheated in this time. You're a RD so stop spreading this kind of rumour unless you have something more concrete to report.
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Re: IMMoo Swim [TimJ] [ In reply to ]
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"Heard a story"

I also know in person someone who cut the run course and went to Kona. Oh, TONS of people draft too...yes, there are cheaters out there. That is not the fault of the RD - it is however pathetic.

Oh, my new favorite person...the one who tries to justify THEIR breaking of the rules - be it iPods (but only in one ear...uh huh), to outside support and personal aid stations.

IM has far too many pathetic people who justify their own inability to play by the rules...oh, but they are just there to have a good time and make friends...right? (insert roll eyes here)

If we really want to trade stories, shall we talk about clergy?

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?
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