below is part of the discussion yesterday w/ an Outlaw vendor. From my understanding, its race sponsors, not IM branded products that are the issue. Not sure if they differ, and I certainly could be wrong on this assumption.

The IMFL Rebel Expo is in the Alvin's Island parking lot

InsideOut is the only vendor on the race site/hotel. In addition, the official vendor will not be allowed to bring merchandise from companies who compete with companies who have purchased exclusive rights from Ironman USA. For example, Clif Shot would not be sold there if GU had purchased rights to be the only gel.

It's not the way most vendors would choose to serve their customers. Some of us are in or near Panama City Beach and have been going to the non-exclusive Gulf Coast Half expo for years. So, we still go, but not to the official site, and we bring all the brands we sell.

Hope you have a great race!

I think that is the first actual answer to a question on the forum since I have been visiting!

Will you be there? We are trying to have Slowtwitch Meet and Greet, post pictures on the forum, etc.

Damn, I broke forum rules by providing Monk an answer. I forget the rules for one moment and look what happens. Looks like I'll be band from the board.

Yeah, I'll be there. Coming in Wed. Staying at the Gulf Crest, which is on the begining/end of the run route.

As for the meet and greet, yeah that sounds good, but I'm not in for food. If you want to know my thoughts on food in PC, below is a excerpt of my 2004 GulfCoast Triathlon race report:

First of all, I have to address the setting. Panama City has more poor/power white trash than any other city in the world. It is the Mecca for PWT, and the race obviously coincided w/ some annual pilgrimage. Maybe something to do with Mother's Day weekend.

To give you an idea, it appears the employment opportunities of PC residents are limited to shops that engage in tattooing, belly piercing, cigarette and cheap beer selling, mullet hair cutting, or Iroc -Z bondo repairs. If the cream of the crop rises to the top, PC pulls from the residue that sinks to the bottom.

I pity the person that mistakenly travels to PC for a vacation. I'm truly surprised that this God forsaken place hasn't already been selected for Survivor.

All right, to be kind, there are signs of life, though. There are no less than 20 high-rises under construction in the PC area. I presume the intent is to go more upscale, as it would have to violate some human rights law and/or health code violations to allow any additional PWT to migrate to PC (the annual PWT hadj the weekend of Mother's day is obviously excepted).

The problem for these new high rises is that there are no restaurants to feed the new sought tourist clientele. Short of corn dog stands, there is simply no where to eat in this town. Chicken fingers, Hamburger Helper w/ a side of tater tots, and a twinkie for desert dinner is a prized three course meal in this town.

I spent an hour driving around Friday night looking for a place to eat. My only criteria being that the restaurant not be painted bright day glow colors on the outside. My thoughts: the amount of day glow colors is inversely proportional to health code violations. Certainly sound logic in anyone's book. I challenge you to argue otherwise.

And no wacky names e.g, Bamboo Willies Mexican Food, Jimmy Jams' Jamaican. Yes, a tough task I know.

After an hour of fruitless driving, I began a search for the unthinkable. Something familiar; Something that presumably has a standard operating procedure on how to wash dishes and prepare food. Yes, you guessed it: a chain restaurant. I'll take bland lifeless food, I just didn't want to come down with food poisoning.

I back tracked to the only chain restaurant that I had seen, an Applebee's that I drove past an hour earlier. I had never eaten in an Applebee's, a string which I wish I had kept in tact. Bamboo Willies' might have been the way to go. Moral to the story (and the prized fruit for your reading this far): If you are ever in PC, cook your own food.

Christ you are a fussy M-F! You put even JoeMWiley to shame! Well, bring a brown bag, and PM me so I can sort of keep track. We will present Dan with the bill.

all in good humor, Monk.

And I grew up 2 hours down the road on Pensacola Beach. I know from whence I speak on the PWT.

If you think he is just a fussy M-F on an email or slowtwitch post try training with him. All he does is fuss.

Pot, meet kettle. Kettle, meet pot.

"To give you an idea, it appears the employment opportunities of PC residents are limited to shops that engage in tattooing, belly piercing, cigarette and cheap beer selling, mullet hair cutting, or Iroc -Z bondo repairs."

What the hell is wrong with you man? Talkin' shit about tattoos, mullets and IROC's!!?!?

PCB is my second favorite place in the world!! If I knew your true identity, I'd have you banished from every Waffle House on the Planet.

YOU SUCK!!

But you reminded me of my favorite Mullet Haiku;

"Short like your education

Long like your prison sentence

The penal haircut"

Anyway, Panama City Beach isn't even a part of Florida, it's actually called "Lower Alabama"

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**All of these words finding themselves together were greatly astonished and delighted for assuredly, they had never met before**

Are you saying he is more fun than a family vacation?

Anyway, we have a suggestion of Schooner's. They have entertainment, and they have been asked to learn "Born to Run". We'll put up a "No PWT" sign. That should endear us to everyone.

If we start a Slowtwitch band, that's what we'll call it: Band from the Board

Its the jewel of the Redneck Riviera.

Here's a little more flavor for those of you that haven't been to PCB (another excerpt from the race report; and the bitching is in good humor after having my ass kicked on the course).

This is by far the most miserable run course known to man. Its more than 90 degrees and there is zero shade on the course. Zero. You could walk through the friggin Sahara Desert and catch more shade.

Just in case I'm not clear here, picture a human trying to run on the surface of the sun, now back off the temperature a couple of degrees, but add in some humidity and a few trailer parks and you have the Gulf Coast Tri run course. Oh, and add in two rednecks sitting in lawn chairs in their driveway, drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon tallboys and blasting "Jamie's Crying." (I think it was a Lynard Skynard song on the way out, but definitely "Jamie's Crying" on the return route).

It was Aerosmith.

I live here. You are trashing the place I live! Eat at Uncle Ernies in Panama City out on the back deck by the water. Good atmosphere and decent food. During the week, it will be uncrowded and you can pull a lot of tables together. There are no good restaurants at the beach.

Oh -- and the redneck riviera thing -- you are SO right! I need to leave this place in the next couple of years. No way can my kids grow up around here.

I remember at GCT in '00 watching everyone up ahead swerving back and forth across the road so as not to miss running through the shade of any mailboxes or phone poles, and then following their line so that I wouldn't miss them either. :)

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Happy trails,
Chris

I didn't mean to. I was trying to make a joke and get off the subject. I will help you attack and beat those other guys though. I am arranging to have them all show up at the same time and place. We can jump them in the parking lot and then go inside and laugh like hell!

Someone has suggested Schooners--opinion? Live band. Too many drunks?

Don't worry Monk, one more won't hurt, you'll be OK.

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The Saltwater Grill is an excellent restaurant. Right up the street from Walmart in PCB. Ditto on Uncle Ernie's.

In Reply To

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Too many drunks?[/reply] Oh, for the good old days. Unfortunately, booze gives me a headache and interferes with training.

Although I agree with your assessment of the area, I would certainly hope that you keep it check during race week. It's a sure fire way to piss off the natives and push IM out of PCB.....

As for the Rebel expo...it's a joke as well. Can't anybody put on a decent race expo with competitive prices?