2017 was counter clockwise.

Edit: Looks like a new course. Start is further west than normal and the swim exit is further east than normal. Both were typically in the same location just on the west side of N. Mill Ave. Now, swim exit is before you get to the bridge.

This is new. Word is they are doing it to avoid the stairs.

Yes - too many injuries and rumor has it the stairs were maintained by LifeTime Fitness who no longer has an office in the valley.

They used this new entrance/exit for the half last month and I enjoyed it. There is a ramp at both the entrance and exit, which allows you to just walk into the water. The exit is about 200 yards or so from transition and is mainly grass or concrete.

All my left handed buoy turning practice is for naught!

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Of course it hurts. The trick is not minding it hurts.

I did the open water swim yesterday which started at 7:30 am. Swimming east on the north side of lake was not bad at all with the sun. Easy to see buoys and sun was, in my estimate, between one and two o’clock. Announced water temp was 67 degrees but there are overnight lows in high 40s this week so water temp should go down a bit by next Sunday.

Not sure what the norm is at IMAZ or if due to the new course, but it took close to an hour to get all AGers in the water.

Then they needed to run around 1/4 mile on the pavement to T1

I started with the 1h group so did not have to wait but that run to T1 sucked ass. My feet were frozen numb and had to pound the pavement all the way from swim finish. I seriously considered stashing a pair of shoes next to the exit... Had plantar fasciitis for a year so I was super careful.

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What's your CdA?

I did IMAZ in 2015 and 2016. The new course sucked. It wasn't any safer to use the ramps and they could only get 2 rows of people into the water vs 4 rows on the steps. It was a long walk to the swim start and a long run to T1. Please go back to the old course.

After yesterday, I’m okay with the swim direction, start ramp, and exit format. If you could just have the swim be 8 degrees warmer without affecting the weather for the rest of the day though, that would be greeeeeaaaaaatttttt. Umkayyyy.....? lol

Seriously, that was one cold ass swim to not have a chance to acclimate first. IMCDA was way colder but at least we were able to wade in and stick our face in it before we shoved off. Congrats to all the finishers out there yesterday!

Cheers,

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thechromedome
http://www.favoritefinishlines.blogspot.com
http://www.cupcakecartel.org
My 20% off code for 2018 FS Series races: tricred18
"there are no drafters in heaven" - C Bonner

+1 TheChromeDome

I don't know the official water temp but that was cold.
I saw a few athletes slip and fall hard on the swim exit.
My only feedback for race directors is to carpet the run to T1, the run exit on concrete was extremely slippery and by the time i got to T1 i couldn't feel my feet.
Congrats to everyone who finished...!

I saw at least a dozen or so swimmers come back via the rescue boats shaking and shivering like I never saw before.

I went out to IMAZ to do some recon to decide if this is a race that I would like to do next year. In driving the bike course, running much of the run course, and spending the few days in and around Ironman Village.

I am certainly respect that it appeals to several different segments of IM competitors (from 1st timers to possible KQ with a flat course) but I don't see anything there for me.

Well other than ASU co-eds everywhere

I wonder, did anyone notice less drafting on the bike because of this slimmer stream of athletes?

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808 > NYC > PDX > YVR
2024 Races: Taupo

I only saw maybe 2 or 3 "packs" during my ride so it was pretty draft free. I saw a couple dudes in the penalty tents.

The swim was chilly, RD stated 59 degrees in the morning which felt about like that. My feet were cold during the first few hundred yards but after that everything felt much better. If you can get through the first few hundred yards without freaking out you'll be fine the rest of the way. Looks like for some it was just too darn cold. My feet felt fine during the swim exit, yes they were cold but wasn't cold enough to be a show-stopper. The volunteers kept saying watch your step etc. but it didn't feel slipper to me but I was in the 1:00-1:10 group, finished in 1:07 so maybe it got slippery later on.

All in all no major complaints about the swim course. The bike course was great, very safe and run course was fantastic, plenty of volunteers.

I did not notice any drafting that stood out to me. It felt as though there was a headwind heading out, which is normal. Did anyone else's swim show 4500 yards or so? I spoke with a few friends who said their Garmin showed the swim course was longer than usual. Was not thrilled about the wet cement from the swim exit to T1. At the half, they had us going through the grass. Perhaps next year they will lay down some carpet. Overall, beautiful day for an Ironman!

For what it's worth, my 935 showed a tick over 4,500 yds and I swam pretty straight.

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Team Kiwami
Instagram

Mine showed 4235 but I also took a pretty horrible line at the last buoy and I'm pretty sure I lost a half minute just correcting that. Came out in exactly 1h... I swam 58 in Tremblant and normally swim 27-28 in a half so maybe this was a touch too long.

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What's your CdA?

This was my first time competing at IMAZ. Good race. I did the practice swim on Saturday and the water felt very cold on my forehead, hands and feet, but was soon very comfortable.

On race day, Sunday, I had my swim cap lower on my forehead and did not get the cold forehead, so thanks to the swimmer on Saturday who advised that strategy. The swim was actually pretty comfortable, and I wasn’t cold, so I was surprised when I got out of the water that I couldn’t move my feet or hands very well.

The run to T1 was slippery on the uncarpeted portion, so it was more of a frozen walk than a run. And thanks to the volunteer who helped me get the silicone ear plugs out of my ears because my hands were not functioning.

My only criticism of the swim was the lineup beforehand. They needed some crowd control volunteers to keep latecomers from climbing over the barriers. Sure, every race has a few people who can’t salmon through to their preferred start point because they were in a porta-pottie line or something. But this was excessive and it got dangerously crowded in the place where a few dozen people scaled the barriers. I was in the 1:20-1:30 area.

Eventually, some volunteers came over and widened the waiting area, and that helped.

I think that having a wider starting corral, or spreading the swim goal time signs farther apart could help avoid the barrier leaping.

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Sharon McN
@IronCharo
#TeamZoot
Clif Bar Pace Team 2003-2018

 

The run to T1 needed to be carpeted. When putting on my bike shoes I noticed a huge chunk of skin dangling from the bottom of my foot. Running on the pavement tore me up and I couldn't even feel it.

As a local this was my 3rd IMAZ. I swim right at an hour so had no problem getting in water- maybe 15 seconds. That said, if it took an hour to get everyone in water, that is ridiculous. So, the people at the back had to stand in their wetsuits for an hour? Unreal, an hour on your feet before an Ironman and an hour less daylight. Tempe Town Lake is perfect for mass start. OK, got that off my chest, not that Ironman cares what I think.

Yep...one was me :(. And I did IM Lake Tahoe in 2013 when it was 32 degrees outside so I know what cold is. I did the practice swim on Saturday with no problems, but for some reason, I was cold within 10 minutes and got colder and colder till I was shivering trying to swim. Didn't make it 1/2 way. I keep getting hypothermic. In 2015 I went hypothermic on the bike when it started raining half way through my bike...and it was a cold rain too.

I was one of those waited, and waited, and waited to enter the water. Entered at 7:31.

Had trouble finding morning swim bag drop (no banners or signs) and was told by multiple people it was down by the swim start. It wasn't. It was actually back in transition so I had to run all the way back with several others in the same boat. Dropped off the bag and ran back to the start (all in flip flops) and by that time the line was jammed. There was no way to move up, despite many people trying to push their way through. So we just waited.

Overall water was cold and took me a few minutes to calm the breathing and settle in, and then I was fine. Definitely felt awfully long to me, but that could be a reflection of my lack of swim training.