I just realized something. You are dripping sweat on to these bricks all day long. When you eat them, you're replenishing some of your lost electrolytes - Brilliant!

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Erik
Strava

If I was a betting man, I would think that many of the people that pick up their packet and then DNS are those that signed up for the race months ago, planned and paid for the trip (non-refundable of course) and then got injured, sick, etc.

So you are stuck being unable to race, but also stuck with a vacation to (insert race). I would think many want the "freebies" in the packet/bag since they paid for the race and are on location anyways. Remember, races aren't transferable so they aren't really stealing anyone's spot.

Ian - congrats on the race! You went much faster than you made me think you were going to. ha!

Drew

I did just that for an oly early this season ... a race i've done 4 of the previous 5 years ... I was looking forward to it and 2 weeks out i got the flu which lasted for 10 days. I had no symptoms the day of the race, but I was feeling weak and just out of it ... so I went and met some of my friends who were racing, checked out the expo and bought a pair of running shoes, picked up my swag and took off. I suppose I could have completed the race ... but I wouldn't have enjoyed it and who knows if it would have made me sick again. while it sucked completely I decided that in this case discretion was the better part of valor. I'm certain everyone has their reasons.

I got my number from the unofficial results. I'm not sure what the difference is with Mike's number, but the point is they certainly aren't trying to deceive anyone...

Being that I am the guy with 12 gels on my bike, I can say that I am honored that I have made the bigtime here on ST. I also can say that I completed the ride with 2 gels remaining on my bike, and if I passed you at mile 80, you would have seen 4 or 5 on my top tube. I do a gel every 30 minutes and usually don't take them at aid stations, but sunday I did, so I didn't go through all of the gels on the bike. BTW, I am short, so my legs never touch the gel packets. This has worked for me in the past, so I didn't think there was any reason to change things. As it was, I did not have a good day sunday, and had difficulty with the heat, which got oppressive for me by about mile 18 on the run. After stopping in the shade and resting and drinking for a while, I was able to continue, albeit walking most of the way back. Now if this was directly related to my consumption of all those calories on the bike (which came out to approx. 325Kcal/hr with drinks and solid food, I am 5'7" and weigh about 165#, so my BMI is what you would call "labor intensive"), then I am open to suggestions as to how to properly deal with this.

Oh, the seatpost is just a cheaper carbon fiber post, nothing fancy. The number must make it look funky. I like my K-Mart bike with the Neiman-Marcus wheels.

Also, to back up what Paul with the bricks said, I don't like to leave things to chance w/ special needs, and carry everything on my bike. A little extra weight doesn't bother me as much as a lost bag or getting t-boned at the special needs.

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"Maybe you should just run faster..." TM

John,

Sorry to hear things went south at mile 18. I rode with two gels on my top tube (taped up so they wouldn't scrape my knees - I'm a bit taller than you and ride a p2 so the top tube doesn't slope like yours so I've had some knee contact in the past) and finished the ride without touching them. I'm with ya on the not leaving anything to chance and PowerGel is an immediate source of energy.

Ian

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Ian Murray
http://www.TriathlonTrainingSeries.com
I like the pursuit of mastery
Twitter - @TriCoachIan

Well - there's been two out of three. can we make the trifecta with the owner of the powermeter taped to the reflector responding?

Another thing I noticed - the run splits that were/are on the tracker are misleading. The 3rd segment shows pace at mile 21.7 but the timing mat was really at mile 20.7 so it looks like were were super fast through that section and super slow through the last segment. That's really deceiving if you're not aware of it.

Ian

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Ian Murray
http://www.TriathlonTrainingSeries.com
I like the pursuit of mastery
Twitter - @TriCoachIan

Agreed. It may also be people that think they're going to race at packet pick-up and then get sick overnight or have something else happen (a family emergency) that keeps them from starting. When you're talking about 2,300 registrants, that could easily be 50-100 people.

But its funny how on ST the quickest explanation people always jump on for anything is that other people are crazy, stupid, cowards or unprepared idiots. Even this thread started off with an air of "look at these idiots." Then, low and behold, 2 of the people with the "funny" bikes show up and, it turns out, they each had reasonable explanations for their approach.

This is a consistent problem as I had the same type of results last year at CdA.

I was think WTF, but I checked the winner and his splits and balanced out my run.

It was also confusing to my family who was relaying updates to my sisters who were spectating.

Looking through the bike setups give you ideas of what might work for the future. I have a franken-setups with a kestrel airfoil with ramshorns and clamp-on aerobars, dual bento boxes - one attached to the headset and the other to the seatpost, and a 58-50 front chainring.

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Swim - Bike - Run the rest is just clothing changes.

Sluglas,

It wasn't my intention to write an "idiots" thread - in fact I commented on being passed by the guy with lots of gels, blurred numbers and the bricks on the top tube were more about the comment that went with it ("tear down that wall"). I'll be certain to put less stink on such a post in the future to be sure and avoid that feeling.

I think you are right about the DNSs - with ~2200 starting there are bound to be a few last minute family emergencies and illnesses. What worries me more are the folks who just panic and think they can't do it so won't go to the start. That makes me sad, I hope there aren't to many of those.

Ian

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Ian Murray
http://www.TriathlonTrainingSeries.com
I like the pursuit of mastery
Twitter - @TriCoachIan

Have you considered just using 2 gel flasks which each hold 6 gels in your pockets? It's a lot easier to suck on those than fussing with all those packets.

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-Of course it's 'effing hard, it's IRONMAN!
Team ZOOT
ZOOT, QR, Garmin, HED Wheels, Zealios, FormSwim, Precision Hydration, Rudy Project

The other option is to just use on course nutrition. Then instead of taping on and ripping off gels (and the associated aero penalty, whatever that is) you can have someone actually hand them to you.

Yet you chose to use wheels (for perceived aero or weight benefit) that, if you broke a spoke, would result in a DNF.

Sorry that you had a mechanical that ended your race.

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"Go yell at an M&M"

I actually consider that much more problematic. Getting bottles at aid stations is one thing, having to slow down and be hended gel's is another.

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-Of course it's 'effing hard, it's IRONMAN!
Team ZOOT
ZOOT, QR, Garmin, HED Wheels, Zealios, FormSwim, Precision Hydration, Rudy Project

it looks like bricks of hash...not that I would... er.. know what that...ah.. looks like....

I've posted this photo a billion times on this board, and it ain't even my bike:



Seeing as it belongs to a Kona AG winner, I suspect that he wouldn't have blown by you at mile 80, since he'd have been way ahead a long time before that.

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"Go yell at an M&M"

actually they are not, this has been discussed many times before. IM, with its years of experience, is able to estimate the number of no-shows pretty accurately. The race was probably set up for 2200 and as he said about that many started. I don't know if they sell 2700, 2500 or 3000 spots but they are very good at predicting how many will tow the line on race day. so, nobody's slot is being taken away. in fact by doing it this way they are able to have more spots available (and make more money).

who's gonna be the judge of someone's 'REALLY, REALLY good reason? slowtwitch?

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"Competetive sport begins where healthy sport ends"

Worked for me. I found that the kids that were handing out gels would actually run alongside so I didn't even have to slow down much. Much better than dealing with a whole bunch of crap on your bike.

You found kids who can run at 22mph?! Nice! ;)

Surely 2 gel flasks hardly constitute a "a whole bunch of crap"?

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-Of course it's 'effing hard, it's IRONMAN!
Team ZOOT
ZOOT, QR, Garmin, HED Wheels, Zealios, FormSwim, Precision Hydration, Rudy Project

l
Yes, that is true. For years I rode a steel Ritchey Breakway Cross. Part of my rational was that I knew the bike was very hard to damage in transit. I also train on that bike, which is ridden mostly on trails, and sometimes very demanding/rough trails. So the bike is well tested in conditions much more demanding than a triathlon. I also trained and raced with Spinergy Rev-X wheels, which are bomb proof. I only decided to purchase a dedicated TT bike after placing 6th overall at Silverman last year. I figured that I had a reasonable chance to qualify for Kona, but I didn't want to give up what I calculated to be about 5-8 minutes worth of time due to my bike choice, as that amount of time is about one third the total time between the first and last qualifier in my AG.

So I knew I was taking a risk, but it was a risk that I felt I had to take.

I'm really not to down about the DNF, and IMCDA convinced me I will never race a WTC race again; unless they change to TT or wave starts. The swim was a miserable experience (lots of body contact), and I am surprised they don't have more serious injuries or deaths as I think it is dangerous. The bike course was crowded to the point that it really slowed me down just trying to get through traffic, not to mention all the extra energy spent accelerating only to then slow. The bike is also dangerous with that many people, all riding aero, while only being a few feet apart.

But, I can't wait for Silverman (November); that is a really great race.

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2015 USAT Long Course National Champion (M50-54)

Ian, you have got to be the nicest poster on ST.

And why not try to be. I'm it's right there in the name....peace!

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Ian Murray
http://www.TriathlonTrainingSeries.com
I like the pursuit of mastery
Twitter - @TriCoachIan

Hi Ian. You probably didn't intend to come across that way and I apologize if that's how I read it. I just get irritated because it seems that many people primarily view ST as an outlet for showing off the size of their member and trying to demonstrate how superior they are to everybody else out there. There's a fair amount of macho posturing and high school style bullying and berating that goes on here and I find it tiring.

Yeah, there's a lot of dick measuring that goes on - and...anonymous dick measuring, which could be seen as suspect but I just assume that everything written here and anywhere on the internet is the absolutely the truth!

When you boil it down - we all value athletes, we're into triathlon, we have this place to share thoughts and vent. There is soooo much more that we have in common than in ways in which we differ.

Ian

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Ian Murray
http://www.TriathlonTrainingSeries.com
I like the pursuit of mastery
Twitter - @TriCoachIan

Ian, I also think split #2 and #3 are off as well, or at least one of them. The return leg from the top of the hill back to the ~14 mile timing mat turn-around was actually a bit longer than the outward leg, as you did that little right turn to go around the finish line area that you didn't have to do on the way out.

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Eric Reid AeroFit | Instagram Portfolio
Aerodynamic Retul Bike Fitting

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