The Rhode Island Department of Health has it listed as reopening on 7/8 (tomorrow). So theoretically yes, the pond will be reopening.

I'm on my way to Providence this afternoon and just saw that they were having severe thunderstorms. That can't be good for the water quality, good grief!

Yeah I heard from some friends in Providence that they skipped their open water swim this morning in another pond due to heavy downpours and thunderstorms. I had the same thought. Oh well.... All we can do is hope.

If you look at the boh website there is no re open date...I am bummed this race looks bad...bad bike...bad swim...lots of turns in run...why didn't they leave it alone? so are we supposed to swim in this bacteria frappe?
http://www.ribeaches.org/...07062011_034517.html

They should just decide on going with Plan B and dump a few truck loads of Chlorine in this $%#& pit!

Anyone go to expo yet? They say anything?

I'm heading down there in a bit. My guess is they're going to wait till the last minute to say anything or make any decisions, but I'll let you know if I hear anything.

Just got back...so far nothing. The first briefing starts in a few minutes so I am sure that it will be brought up.

Good luck to all this weekend.

VM

Just saw here that they re-opened the beach.
http://www.ribeaches.org/closures.cfm

Is there any sense of water temp, or did they give any indications at the competitor meetings?

Curious to know if this is going to be wetsuit legal or not.

Excited to race, dirty water or not!

I was in the race off all morning, got to speak with the course director about why the new course. Long story short is it was all they could do. The swim was changed due to too many people crying about having an "ocean" swim and being scared. The bike route could have been better but on the route they wanted to use, 3 separate churches signed petitions NOT to have the race come through their area. The police backed this petition after an incident last year when a cop was punched by a guy who was so sick of waiting due to passing cyclists that he lost it. The run course needed to be changed because the Prov Police and the City of Prov did not like that the old course essentially cut the city in half and did not allow for north to south traffic. With no convenient streets to redirect traffic it was all they could do to keep a "similar" run course. Also, when they measured the course yesterday they found it short so be prepared for a little loop into the Hope High School parking lot that is not on the map to make up for the distance. After listening to all this and what they went through just to get a course down so they could have a race, I kinda have to give them a pat on the back. Rhode Island is not exactly the most friendly state for holding an event like this and kudos for them for having to re-think the whole thing and still hopefully put on a solid event.

---

_________________________
I got nothing.

I went to the race briefing today at 2pm. No word on water temps, and they say the pond will be open tomorrow and they are keeping a close eye on it. They do hope to get a water temp on Saturday and will have that info at the race briefings. So if anyone goes let me know what it is... I'm curious.

They did mention that the Ironman staff spent a great deal of time filling potholes on Central ave to try and make that area as safe and passable as possible. I am definitely appreciative of that effort and tip my hat to them for putting in the work.

Looks like were going to have a great race with a swim. I'm looking forward to it!

Nick G... thanks for the update on things from the race director's perspective. Thats quite a lot of hoops they had to jump through.

No word on Temps. But it should cool down with todays heavy rain. Hope it kills the germs or does it make it worst?
Fellow slowtwitchers if anybody has thermotabs and is staying at the hilton please sell me ten tabs.

Call Rhode Runner, they may have some and it's right down the street, easy walk.

http://www.rhoderunner.net/

---

_________________________
I got nothing.

Thank you need4speed

Sounds like I'm glad I did last year and not this year. Doesn't sound good at all...for this year or long term. Of course I bet no one complains about the economic impact...they just dont want all the other stuff that comes with it...

84 degrees...no wetsuit....wonder how many people are saying oh sh!t!

Nick - For the record, i don't pay attention to what others actually post so I erased this sentence and typed in this witty one instead. We are bad in Rhode Island but not that bad!!

Thanks for the inside info. The course was so much better last year. The church apparently still wields a lot of power in our little state,

I said oh shit at first. Then I went for a quick swim. I could swim in that pond all day.

---

“Read the transcript.”

Never said he got locked up, just that he took a swing at the cop. No worries, I just pictured the movie Falling Down when I heard the story. And yes, in RI the church does still have a say...so does the mob...the unions...the corrupt local politics and half of Federal Hill (the good half with the good food).

---

_________________________
I got nothing.

Sorry man. I don't actually read the posts I reply to...carry on!

Good luck in LP. If you are volunteering tomorrow, thank you very much.

VM

.

Ha ha ha, no worries! Looks like it will be a good day to race tomorrow, kill it!

---

_________________________
I got nothing.

Wow. If that's true about the Churches that is just lame. I wonder what the original course would have been like. I don't mean to disrespect the organizers, but those was the worst bike conditions I have ever encountered. That no-pass zone was a nightmare. I wonder how many people wiped out on that section. If the course stays the same, I definitely will not do this race again. Also, what about the spectator buses? Apparently spectators were told the absolute latest the buses would leave the start was 8:45, but buses were nowhere to be seen until after 9:30. Some of the transportation coordinators were telling spectators to write to the main organizers and complain about the whole spectator transportation system. Some spectators barely made it back to downtown to see their athletes finish the race. Surely there has to be a better way.

Unless the timing is off...sure was a lot of people with 0:00:00 for a time...did these folks not start?

Does anyone think the timing chips were off? They must have moved the timing mats in the run because the timing for the second and fourth sections of the runs were wayyy off. Also, there were some "fishy" swim times. What's up with the sub twelve minute swim split? Do they eventually correct this stuff?