I'm scheduled to swim/bike/run/walk/crawl Ironman USA in Lake Placid this month. If everything goes well, I hope to just barely beat the midnight cut off.

Some how, until last night I thought I was going to be doing my marathon under a full moon. However, I just looked it up, and July 27th is a NEW MOON! Any faint sliver of moon will set before the sun does, and not rise again until after 3am.

Can anyone share any experience or advice on running an Ironman in that extreme darkness? I know they give out glow sticks, can you actually see well enough to run by them? Should I consider putting a flashlight in my special needs bag?

Also, I see in the athlete's guide they want us to put reflective tape on our shirts. At home I usually wear a safety vest when running at dusk. Would a vest be acceptable, or are there advantages to putting the tape directly on your shirt?

--Bill -- Nervous Iron Virgin :-)