Login required to started new threads

Login required to post replies

2014 race to aim for?
Quote | Reply
Hi All,

I know it's barely 2013 but I am hoping that in 2014 if i save wisely and consider entry times and cut-offs, i can afford to do one overseas event (given that i live in Australia and travel is $$$) .. either a half or full IM.
So that said, I was hoping to get some opinions on which races you, the selected audience, might recommend for a one-off experience (yes yes, of course Kona would be great but unless there's some miracle of qualification, let's be realistic for the moment) and somewhere that would be a good spot for a week or so holiday as well. I'm well travelled generally but haven't been to the US other than airport transfers, or South America at all so i'm leaning that way but i'd love some feedback on events you might have done and would recommend, or not, and why. (Somewhere safe for a SWF to travel would be a high priority, not too pricy if that's at all possible :P)

Cheers :)
Quote Reply
Re: 2014 race to aim for? [noodlecat77] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
IM Pucon 70.3 in Chile. Travel with Glah's Endurance Sports if you like since they handle everything.
Quote Reply
Re: 2014 race to aim for? [noodlecat77] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I haven't done it, but I think IM Cozumel would be an awesome spot for a race and a week of vacation.
Let us know what you decide.
Quote Reply
Re: 2014 race to aim for? [noodlecat77] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I would think IM Cozumel or the new Cabo. I hear great things about IM Brazil too.

If you want to go shorter, then I've been eyeing the 70.3 Ireland. That looks like fun.

kelly dunleavy o'mara
@kellydomara
Quote Reply
Re: 2014 race to aim for? [noodlecat77] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Are you looking for an Ironman branded race?


_____________________________________
DISH is how we do it.
Quote Reply
Re: 2014 race to aim for? [travelmama] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
No necessarily but i haven't done a non-IM long distance race before ... have only done 3 IMs in total. I am more looking for the well organised, safe race, with good atmosphere in the lead up and a safe spot for a holiday. The branding doesn't matter so much really :)
Quote Reply
Re: 2014 race to aim for? [noodlecat77] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
noodlecat77 wrote:
No necessarily but i haven't done a non-IM long distance race before ... have only done 3 IMs in total. I am more looking for the well organised, safe race, with good atmosphere in the lead up and a safe spot for a holiday. The branding doesn't matter so much really :)
Why not give Vineman here in California in the summertime. The course is pretty and worth riding and the entry fee is very low.


_____________________________________
DISH is how we do it.
Quote Reply
Re: 2014 race to aim for? [noodlecat77] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
IM Brazil is supposed to be awesome as is the pre & post race environment. Hope to do that race someday.
Quote Reply
Re: 2014 race to aim for? [noodlecat77] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I went to IM Brasil twice and loved it so much. I'd like to go back. Also, closer to you is IM NZ which I've been to 4 times and really want to get back there too.

clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com
Quote Reply
Re: 2014 race to aim for? [trackie clm] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
So far it's a coin toss between Brazil and Mexico. NZ is too similar to home only with higher chances of poor weather! (sorry to all the Kiwi's :P).
Quote Reply
Re: 2014 race to aim for? [noodlecat77] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Been to both Cozumel and Brazil....Coz is amazing!

Kat Donatello
2015 Betty Designs Team
RD, The Pumpkinman Triathlon Festival
http://www.pumpkinmantriathlon.com/
Quote Reply
Re: 2014 race to aim for? [noodlecat77] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Hawaii 70.3 is a wonderful race. Great location, very well put on and challenging course. not to mention perfect excuse for a vacation on the big island
Quote Reply
Re: 2014 race to aim for? [noodlecat77] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
By 2014, I'd like to be doing Olympic length and MAYBE work up to a half Ironman.


-----------------------------------------------------------------
You. You make me stronger.
Quote Reply
Re: 2014 race to aim for? [Agilecipher] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
It took me almost a year to decide, and based on my holiday leave allowance and finances, I've just signed up for IM New Zealand...so any hints and tips for that race will be most appreciated :))
Quote Reply
Re: 2014 race to aim for? [noodlecat77] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
noodlecat77 wrote:
It took me almost a year to decide, and based on my holiday leave allowance and finances, I've just signed up for IM New Zealand...so any hints and tips for that race will be most appreciated :))

Best race ever!!

Be ready for any kind of weather, hot, cold, rain, sun, wind, maybe all on the same day.

clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com
Quote Reply
Re: 2014 race to aim for? [noodlecat77] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I just watched this race on Universal sports. It's now on my bucket list. Let us know how it goes.
Quote Reply
Re: 2014 race to aim for? [nad] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Hi, this is the race report I did for my swimming club's newsletter for the IMNZ this year:
Nothing in New Zealand is flat. Nothing. Not even the esplanade around Lake Taupo. Zilch.
While the North Island is not as pointy as South Island, it’s still hilly enough and that’s where I did Ironman New Zealand on the first of March.
The town of Taupo is lovely and small, bordering Lake Taupo which is the crystal clear freshwater lake remnants of a volcano that has sculpted most of the region. Mt Ruapehu can be seen across the lake and when the weather is nice, it’s an idyllic little town. Fortunately for IMNZ the weather was nice, as in the past few years it’s varied from gale force winds that caused the race to be cancelled in 2012 and a half IM run the next day, to sunny and lovely. This year brought a cool morning, mostly sunny with some clouds and a south-westerly around 20km/hr. This is great riding out of town heading north east-ish to the turn around... Not so great riding back into down into the headwind.
The swim: one word. MAYHEM. With this being the year of the biggest field yet, 1700 athletes lined up along an approximately 100m start line to go all at once at the cannon’s fire. If you start too close to the inside of the course it’s deep enough but everyone crowds in. if you start too far to the outside, you’re in knee deep water on a rocky lake bottom. I scored a spot front and centre. Front because, for a triathlete, I’m a good (ish) swimmer, centre, because I tried to be not too far inwards but still deep enough to swim off the start.
It was brutal – the roughest (lake was smooth as glass) swim I have ever been in. usually the first 400m or so is a fist fight washing machine until the crowd spreads out along the course, but this time, it was shoving, pushing, kicking and elbows for the entire 3.8km. At times it was panic-inducing as there was water when there was meant to be air, feet in the face (kick to the eye socket – thank goodness for well fitting goggles), and some bloke even grabbed my ankle to pull me back. Whoever that was, they received a sharp size 6 feminine heel to the chest for their troubles...!
After just over an hour (1:03), amazingly one of my best IM swim times in that carnage, the swim was done and then next challenge is a 400m run/walk UP the sharp hillside to the transition area. The volunteers at Taupo are some of the best (up there with Busselton) I’ve encountered at helping get you sorted for the next leg of the race. Before I knew it my wetty was off and my bike shoes were on as I trotted out to my bike to don my helmet and scoot out onto the bike course.
The bike course is, as previously mentioned, not flat. The first shock to the system was the hill climb straight out of town, the bike then takes 2 laps around 45km out of town to the edge of Reporoa and back. The whole way is undulating with some respectable but short climbs and of course, the headwind back into town which strengthened as the morning went on. The country side is not unlike country Victoria around the Australian Alps region like Bright- Myrtleford area, minus the eucalypts. The ride took me about 15 minutes longer than I would have liked and the last 10km seemed to take forever, but since I went into the race with a sore hip flexor, I decided to not break myself busting the ride open and leaving nothing for the run so I was happy in the end with a 5:40 bike split.
The next transition was smooth and the fabulous volunteers had me set to go and out onto the run in 2 minutes, including standing still for a full coating of sunscreen. While the day wasn’t hot, NZ is known for it’s lack of ozone layer and brutally sharp sun.
The run is a 3 lap course along the lake front and up into suburbia at the top end of the loop. Yes, up. It’s not flat. Have I mentioned that. I can say that the crowd support is brilliant, the volunteers on the aid stations were excellent but the course is not so scenic in the suburbs and winds in and around in a seemingly endless trek through small streets and housing for a good portion of the loop. Running uphill (especially carrying a sore hip) just wasn’t my thing, so I made an effort to use gravity’s advantage as much as possible and hit the descents as hard as I could. Naturally, this eccentric quads effort (controlling your body weight downhill) makes for extra sore muscles and micro-tears in the muscles so I knew it was going to hurt. It hurt.
42.2km later and hitting my goal time of a 4 hour marathon (ok, I did 4:02), I wearily finished IMNZ with a PB of 10hours, 54minutes and 44seconds. Pretty happy with that. 7th in my age group (Female 35-39), 33rd female overall, but no Kona qualifying slot unfortunately. Having a slower bike was a big difference in that but it did let me smash 20 minutes of my best IM run time so far so I really can’t complain...my hip flexor however, is still complaining!
So yes...My legs complained though. A lot. I was sore for days. I felt unwell and had some seriously puffy legs for 3 days – hmm... perhaps that down-hill running at top speed might have been a bit silly, but now that I’m feeling well again... nah... I’d do it all over again! And now I’m relaxing and enjoying some time off (read: copious amounts of ice cream) to recoup and heal. I’ll be back into the gentle swing of things in a few weeks and have time to mull over which race I want to enrol in next! If anyone wants to sponsor me to train full time as a half baked amateur triathlete – let me know!!! Being back at work this week is just as brutal as that swim leg!!!
Quote Reply
Re: 2014 race to aim for? [noodlecat77] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
You rocked it!!!! I'm seriously impressed. Great swim time, esp given the washing machine effect. And way to tough it out through the run.

Your report makes me want to do IMNZ, but unlike you, I think I'll start toward the back of the swim start.

Enjoy your well deserved recovery. Thanks for the great RR.
Quote Reply
Re: 2014 race to aim for? [noodlecat77] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
great report.. race well competed..
Quote Reply
Re: 2014 race to aim for? [jimruns] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Thanks :))
And I just signed up for Busso...again... Such a sucker for that race!
Quote Reply