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No three loop course here, no finisher's medals either. Going Long in the Okanagan
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As mentioned in previous Slowtwitch Posts, I'm organizing a self-supported Iron-distance triathlon in the South Okanagan on the last weekend of August this year. So far we have a half-dozen of us crazy ole buzzards who are forgoing the hype and hoopla and keeping it real. Below is a FAQ for the event. More details you can get at kknnheinze@yahoo.com.

IronSoul 2018


Unsponsored, Unsupported, Unspoiled


What it is/What it isn't


The IronSoul 2018 is an unsupported Iron Distance event held in the South Okanagan the last Sunday in August (August 26).


It is not a race. You won't get a finisher's medal, you won't qualify for Kona, and you (probably) won't hear Steve King announce your name along with the results of the last ten Ironmans you have done as you cross our “finish line.”


What you will get is an opportunity to test yourself on the original, legendary, Ironman Canada course. Do it once and brag for the rest of your life!!!


Why we are doing this?


The idea came because Ironman Canada moved to Whistler, Challenge Penticton folded, and most of us old bastards are genetically programmed to do an Iron Distance “something” the last weekend in August in the South Okanagan. We also want to see how we stack up to our former selves on the original course that we did for all those years.


What do I have to do as a participant?


We organized this event for friendship and fitness not profit or promotions. Getting 6 people on the “start-line” would be a success. Getting 25, the original number of Ironman Canada participants in 1983 would be amazing. Kind of like coming full-circle.


As a participant an unsupported event, you'll need to have the fitness, food, and course knowledge to complete it on your own. Think of this as a long-training day with some like minded folks and you'll be in the right head space for this event.


The course (subject to change)


Swim: from the buoy at the Big Peach to the SS Sicamous (twice).


Bike: Big Peach to East Side Road via Government Street. (more details later). Once on Lakeside Road, it follows the “Classic” route to Osoyoos via 97, Richter Pass, Cawston out and back, Yellow Lake, back to 97 into Penticton, stay on 97 and turn onto Lakeshore.


Run: Big Peach, Lakeshore onto Channel Parkway Path, through Skaha Park onto Lakeside, to Ok Falls, t/around at Christie Memorial Park in OK Falls.


FAQ (I'm sure this will grow over the next few months)


Will there be aid stations?


Don't count on it. A few folks on Slowtwitch said they'd be willing to provide support for the run. That would be great, but again, don't count on it.


As well, you are responsible for the logistics such as where your wetsuit is going after you are done the swim. And of course, there is the issue of your bike.


Do I have to do it all?


No, however, since the main idea here is to TEST YOURSELF against your former self on THE LEGENDARY course, it would be cool if you did but we don't want any casualties out there.


How do I sign up?


You don't really “sign anything” as this is NOT a race. But to let me know you are probably going to be there would be swell. Just respond to this thread with your e-mail address and I will start to compile a database.

http://www.fitspeek.com the Fraser Valley's fitness, wellness, and endurance sports podcast
Last edited by: Hydrosloth: Feb 3, 18 10:32
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Re: No three loop course here, no finisher's medals either. Going Long in the Okanagan [Hydrosloth] [ In reply to ]
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Dude, this sounds awesome, love the idea. If your first one is a success and I suspect it will be, I'd consider flying out from the east coast in 2019 for this. Always wanted to do the original IMC.

https://trigeek1969.blogspot.ca
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Re: No three loop course here, no finisher's medals either. Going Long in the Okanagan [novaboy] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks for the support. For me success = six of us. Any > would be a bonus to a point. I figger that letting folks know that there are no Kona slots is a sure way of keeping numbers down.

http://www.fitspeek.com the Fraser Valley's fitness, wellness, and endurance sports podcast
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Re: No three loop course here, no finisher's medals either. Going Long in the Okanagan [Hydrosloth] [ In reply to ]
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I can't commit to this right now...but it would be so fun to do just on a whim. So...I'm a possible maybe!

Brent

DFRU - Detta Family Racing Unit...the kids like it and we all get out and after it...gotta keep the fam involved!
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Re: No three loop course here, no finisher's medals either. Going Long in the Okanagan [Hydrosloth] [ In reply to ]
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I hope rhys is seeing this ,he is the new president of the Penticton triathlon club maybe he can get the word out by news letter. The few people I've talked to about it also sound interested.

"Be your best cheerleader , not your worst critic.”
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Re: No three loop course here, no finisher's medals either. Going Long in the Okanagan [Kirch] [ In reply to ]
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I'm pretty sure that Rhys responded to one of my previous posts on this. The interest in this is also building here in the Fraser Valley. Our first female participant!

http://www.fitspeek.com the Fraser Valley's fitness, wellness, and endurance sports podcast
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Re: No three loop course here, no finisher's medals either. Going Long in the Okanagan [Hydrosloth] [ In reply to ]
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This sounds so super cool. Too bad I can't make it but hopefully will in few years when kids are bigger.
My prediction is that the event will grow in popularity, kinda like grand fondo, the city will start to require you to have permit and insurance which means entry fees, then the tri industry will notice and offer to sponsor, you will accept because of expenses to organize it all and WTC will approach you...oh wait....
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Re: No three loop course here, no finisher's medals either. Going Long in the Okanagan [Hydrosloth] [ In reply to ]
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I'll go down as maybe. It's definitely appealing, I've done IMC in Penticton three times (I think I even beat dfru once, before he got blazingly fast and I quit tri (no correlation)). I'm not one of those who thinks it's god's will to have a race in Penticton, but it's definitely fun. Only issue for me is I was planning on ending my tri season in the middle of July to get ready for CX season (which starts ridiculously early, we can all agree).

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Any run that doesn't include pooping in someone's front yard is a win.
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Re: No three loop course here, no finisher's medals either. Going Long in the Okanagan [Hydrosloth] [ In reply to ]
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Glad to see my favorite course "revived." Good luck with this endeavor.
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Re: No three loop course here, no finisher's medals either. Going Long in the Okanagan [Hydrosloth] [ In reply to ]
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As someone who did the original IMC course four times and took on the Kona course unsupported three times I love your idea and wish you well. What is the longest runners will have to go between places where they can get cold liquid from a store or a park? I think that will be the key. Keeping fueled, hydrated and cool was definitely the key for me in my unsupported attempts. The first time I did the Kona course unsupported I had a buddy follow me the entire marathon in a car giving me water and ice which was a huge benefit compared to later attempts when I didn't have any help.

I think I bought a t-shirt in Penticton one year (not an official IM shirt) that may have had Iron Soul on the shirt. I'll see if I can dig it out.
Last edited by: Mark Lemmon: Feb 4, 18 7:44
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Re: No three loop course here, no finisher's medals either. Going Long in the Okanagan [Hydrosloth] [ In reply to ]
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I did IMC 10 times and to this day I still miss it dearly and can't believe there isn't an iron-distance race on that course. I'm hoping to to the line at Tremblant the week before but maybe I'll come out and do the bike or volunteer at an aid station on the run :) !!
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Re: No three loop course here, no finisher's medals either. Going Long in the Okanagan [Mark Lemmon] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks for your interest & questions!
Seems like there is a fair bit of interest here for this to go ahead.
I've received a note off-line saying that we can probably get some on course support that day, however, for now, let's assume it's non-supported.
To answer your question, it will be the run that will present the biggest challenge. Places to fill your bottle or Camelback on the run would be:


  • Big Peach at the start has a water fountain.
  • Skaha Beach Marina washroom has a water fountain.
  • As of right now the problem area is from Skaha Beach to Christie Memorial Park in OK Falls. That park has a washroom with water taps. I can't remember if it has a fountain. Google Maps says it is 14 K. Hoping we can get some support at the turn-off for Blasted Church Winery.
  • Same stops on the way back.


http://www.fitspeek.com the Fraser Valley's fitness, wellness, and endurance sports podcast
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Re: No three loop course here, no finisher's medals either. Going Long in the Okanagan [Hydrosloth] [ In reply to ]
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Hydrosloth wrote:
Thanks for your interest & questions!

Interested from afar (Ohio). My IM days are done. :)

I found the shirt - it said Ironspirit not Ironsoul. Didn't post a photo of the shirt because I don't think providing a t-shirt is one of your goals. Have fun planning this!
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Re: No three loop course here, no finisher's medals either. Going Long in the Okanagan [spudone] [ In reply to ]
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spudone wrote:
Fix that bike course so you get rid of the out & back overlap section :)

Ha, it's been 5.5 years now and my nuts still feel that section.
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Re: No three loop course here, no finisher's medals either. Going Long in the Okanagan [logella] [ In reply to ]
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They fixed a lot of the out and back. I did as part of Ultraman last year. Not too bad.

http://www.fitspeek.com the Fraser Valley's fitness, wellness, and endurance sports podcast
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Re: No three loop course here, no finisher's medals either. Going Long in the Okanagan [Hydrosloth] [ In reply to ]
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I did IMC Penticton 91/92/94/95/97/08 before doing Whistler 14/15

I would love to join you guys, but I am waiting for a disc surgery (or not, you know how our communist system works) and for now, I just swim a ton and do some random shuffling on the treadmill and no real riding other than messing around my my spin bike and trying to ride for 10 min at a time without leg spasms, but no luck lately. I will be there with you guys in spirit!
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Re: No three loop course here, no finisher's medals either. Going Long in the Okanagan [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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Do you remember Craig Birk from the Gordo Forum days? I'm TRYing to coax him out. I see a tag team!

http://www.fitspeek.com the Fraser Valley's fitness, wellness, and endurance sports podcast
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Re: No three loop course here, no finisher's medals either. Going Long in the Okanagan [Hydrosloth] [ In reply to ]
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 it will be the run that will present the biggest challenge.
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this seems to be a convenient place for ultrarunners to tell how they manage being out in the wilderness and take food and liquids to see them through. i'm sure it's a highly specific deal (art form?), but they seem to go about it so that it works for them.
peggy
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Re: No three loop course here, no finisher's medals either. Going Long in the Okanagan [pmcdc] [ In reply to ]
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pmcdc wrote:
it will be the run that will present the biggest challenge.
==================================================
this seems to be a convenient place for ultrarunners to tell how they manage being out in the wilderness and take food and liquids to see them through. i'm sure it's a highly specific deal (art form?), but they seem to go about it so that it works for them.
peggy

When we had our annual epicman lake placid event (3K swim, 180K bike, 21K run) all unsupported, the way we did it, was pre position aid stations in the bushes beside the run course. Everyone knew where the "stashes" were, and it was community contribution in the sense that we would all go to the grocery store the nite before and drive out onto the course and stash the goodies in the bushes. There were a few years when some people could not find the "aid stations" as they were too "well stashed" (so that locals did not think it was garbage and throw all the goodies out). In any case, the way to support the run is to pre establish some aid station locations and put coke, gatorade, pretezels, chocolate, gummy bears etc etc at the locations. With an out and back course, this makes it pretty easy. But everyone has work it together.
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Re: No three loop course here, no finisher's medals either. Going Long in the Okanagan [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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I know my wife said she would man a aid station on the run so it will just take some pre planning. It's going to be a blast preface drinks at my house.

"Be your best cheerleader , not your worst critic.”
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Re: No three loop course here, no finisher's medals either. Going Long in the Okanagan [Kirch] [ In reply to ]
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That would be great if we could get an aid station on the run. We've also had some other voices chime in off-line from the Pentic. area, so it does not seem like we will necessarily have to drink from Skaha!

http://www.fitspeek.com the Fraser Valley's fitness, wellness, and endurance sports podcast
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Re: No three loop course here, no finisher's medals either. Going Long in the Okanagan [Hydrosloth] [ In reply to ]
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I'm a very tempted.

If there are aid stations, I'd like to suggest some ice cold beer on the way back from Skaha.
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Re: No three loop course here, no finisher's medals either. Going Long in the Okanagan [Kirch] [ In reply to ]
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I hear you! I hear you!

I will bring forward to club how we can help.

If this grows beyond a handful lets be cognizant of road rules and neighbours. Sounds fun. I can foresee my doing swim/bike

@rhyspencer
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Re: No three loop course here, no finisher's medals either. Going Long in the Okanagan [rhys] [ In reply to ]
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One of the advantages of folks not "having" to do the whole thing is that, maybe, they could volunteer for a different segment of the course. For sure we will NOT wanna be arrogant and disrespectful out there. Just because there will be no draft marshals doesn't mean we ride side by side and block traffic.

And thanks for your support Rhys.

http://www.fitspeek.com the Fraser Valley's fitness, wellness, and endurance sports podcast
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