What watch do you have? A 910xt can run from start to finish in an Ironman race, and will give you a track for your swim.

I have a 310xt and debating if I should go with the 910. I also heard the 910 only can get the SAT when your arm is out of the water and it is dependent on the firmware to smooth out the mapping. I am just nervous that the SAT connecting and disconnecting will run the battery dry before the end. Maybe I am just worrying to much.

The 910 is designed to do just what you are describing, and it does it well. The 17 hours is probably assuming somewhere around a 2 hours swim.

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"...the street finds its own uses for things"

Yup, true
Yup, it does
Nope, it won't
Yup, you are.

The 310xt should last an entire Ironman. Wore mine at IMWI 2011 the entire race with GPS on and had juice to spare.

I wear a cheapy ironman watch on my right arm. That gives me my swim time.
I use Garmin 500 for the bike. I need to see my power data on the bike and like having it easy to see as I look down rather than having to look at my wrist constantly which can be dangerous at speed.
In T2 my Garmin 310 is in my shoe and I run with it out the shoot while powering it up and putting it on. You wont lose anytime running while doing this.

I have a regular old Timex watch on my right wrist for the swim. I end up leaving it on all day. In T1, I put on my old Garmin 305. I have it totally charged and in the "off" position. With about 1 hour left on the bike, I turn it on so it has plenty of time to link up with the satellites. While on the bike, I rely on my PT Joule for power/HR/time, etc. I start the 305 as I run out of T2 and use it for pace/HR/time. Works pretty well for me, except I am one of those people with two watches during the bike and the run.

I don't have much to offer on the drafting question, except don't worry about what people are doing behind you and stay 10m behind the rider(s) in front of you and you will be fine.

I used an Edge 500 on the bike and a Forerunner 305 on the run for my IM. I knew exactly what my time was in the race because both computers had a field on one of the screens that had the time of day. Of course now that the mass start is disappearing, this won't work so well any more....

I have a 910 on my wrist the whole race. I have a 510 on my bike set to autopause @ 5mph so I have it turned on and it starts to record almost as soon as I'm on the bike. Once I'm on the bike, I only monitor the 510. Once I'm on the run, I monitor the 910. The 910 isn't on autopause for the bike or run so it records the whole race including the transitions.

the best race I ever had was when I forgot to bring my Garmin with me, I fretted and was trying to borrow a basic Timex or similar but to no avail.
I swam the swim a looked at the race clock when I got out of the water.
Rode the first lap of the bike then the second, again looked at the race clock.... damn, I was 20 min ahead of my expectations.
ran the run, as fast as I dared to, allowing the possibility that I may fail to keep it up, but prepared to back off a tad if necessary.
Finished with a 70 min PB.

since then, I'll sometimes race with a hrm, but leave the timer off or nothing at all.

btw, I have a 305 & 500 and in the one adventure race that I wore the 305 in, the battery died at 13 hrs.

but that my friend, is not an answer to your question.

this is my approach as well

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Brian
“Eat and Drink, spin the legs and you’re going to effin push (today).” A Howe

There will always be cheaters, do your own race.

Your 310 will work just fine for the whole race. It was designed to do that.

Have a great race

I appreciate all of the pieces of advice. I will stick with the 310 and try to not worry myself about the others. Thanks!

I'd have to imagine drafting will be far less of an issue at IMWI. The elevation changes are too frequent. But have to be alert about getting "bunched up" as speeds change.

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