huh?

The buoys lining the inside of the swim course are rarely in a straight line, so swimming from buoy to buoy isn't the shortest path. At any given point, you should determine the furthest buoy you can see that is to the outside of your next turn: if the next turn is a left, then look for the rightmost buoy and head for that.

Thank you for your post.

One year during the swim of IM Augusta, the 25-29 males started two waves behind the 35-39 females. Nothing like having a younger man swim over me. Seriously, I could tell that the chilly water did not bother him much....

If you are going to participate in triathlon, please learn USAT regs and a little course courtesy. Tri responsibly!!!

Did Vineman yesterday. I like how they have it setup to where all the AG waves are scrambled every year to make it a little more fair to everyone, especially when it's hot later in the day.

That unfortunately put my usual first to third wave start (25 male) almost two hours after the first wave of the morning. Definitely a new experience for me. Holy hell they're some down sides to starting so much later...

As a person who is rarely see's the course when it is at it's highest capacity I learn some things yesterday. Here's a few things to rant about...mostly about less experiences AG'rs....

1) If you are a less experiences swimmer learn how to swim in a straight line. I know it's not an easy thing to master, but it's not that hard to learn that a straight line is a shorter swimming distance than making a continuous "Z" pattern. Which leads me to #2...

2) If you know you are a slower swimmer...please stay to the right of the swim course. It's better for everyone. Leads me to #3....

3) If you are swimming at a decent tempo DO NOT IMMEDIATELY GO TO BREAST STROKE! All of a sudden I'm drafting off of someone at a good clip and then my face goes into your ass.....C'mon people let's go!

Onto the bike....

4) When in doubt stay on the right side of the road! If I had a quarter for every time I had more room to pass on the right than on the left of someone I could've paid for my sure to be medical fees for crashing from one of these loons.

5) Know how to bike BEFORE the race. There was this one girl in front of me who not took a terrible left turn (took up the whole road and braking way more than needed). Not only did she take up the whole lane when doing this, but she made a bad shift and dropped her chain. She then just stopped on the road! Right in the middle! This was a part of the road where the left lane was full of cars that were stopped waiting to pass when there was lack of riders. So I had to pass on the right of her (while almost riding into the dirt embankment) while another passed on the left. And #6, which is related....

6) If you can't climb....just walk your bike up. I know Chalk Hill is a grinder, especially that far into the race, but that doesn't give you the right to do zig zags all over the right lane cause you don't have the bike strength or totally chose the wrong gear choices for the race. It's annoying and dangerous....just walk and stay out of our way. It's less embarrassing than looking like a fool all over the road.

7) If you have to make a pit stop at one of the bike aid stations to go to the restroom please take your bike off the road. This is a part of the course where us people who choose not to stop need to get close to the volunteers on the right side of the road to get hydration/nutrition.

Now onto the run. Boy the roads get crowded at this point of the race.

8) Don't try to act like your saving yourself for the last 1/2 of the race. If I'm passing you just accept it. It gets old passing people who try to stay with you because they don't like getting passed. Then you see them at an out and back walking cause they obviously overcooked themselves.

9) If you're going to be taking every water, ice, gatorade cup at an aid station...just goto the table instead of taking every volunteers cup. Some of us actually know what we want at a station and will be on out own way. These poor volunteers spinning around and around trying to make sure they help everyone who needs it doesn't need you just taking stuff and dropping it cause you can't say "Water".

And #10...I Didn't plan for this to be a 'Top 10' List, but I'll leave it here.

10) After the race keep the food line going! Some of us are hungry!


To all you AGr's who every race have deal with all this bs, you now have my sympathy.

I think the correct term is "race".

Many of your points advocate for mass start races.

1) If you are a less experiences swimmer learn how to swim in a straight line. I know it's not an easy thing to master, but it's not that hard to learn that a straight line is a shorter swimming distance than making a continuous "Z" pattern. Which leads me to #2... How is this a problem for you?. The only way this is a problem is if you are so slow that the zig zagging person still manages to bump you on each zig and zag. Or, you just have a knack for being in the wrong place for every person zig zagging out there.

2) If you know you are a slower swimmer...please stay to the right of the swim course. It's better for everyone. No, it's better for you. It's better for them to stay on the left, becuase it's the shortest route (see your note above.) And, presumably you are on the left side of the course - if so, then how are you being bothered by zig zaggers? If you are on the inside lane, then are they zig zagging out of bounds? .Leads me to #3....

3) If you are swimming at a decent tempo DO NOT IMMEDIATELY GO TO BREAST STROKE! All of a sudden I'm drafting off of someone at a good clip and then my face goes into your ass.....C'mon people let's go! Translation - Dear everyone in front of me - it's your job to make my swim easier - don't do anything that would make it harder for me to mooch off your effort. And is there any other way to go to breast stroke? Is there some internationally accepted intermediate stroke between freestyle and breast stroke to alert people to stop drafting? The person breast stroking could easily post: "Dear drafting person, you should be watching my feet when you draft so you can see if I suddenly stop or slow down. I think you are cute and all, but I don't want your head up my ass."

Onto the bike....
5) Know how to bike BEFORE the race. There was this one girl in front of me who not took a terrible left turn (took up the whole road and braking way more than needed). Not only did she take up the whole lane when doing this, but she made a bad shift and dropped her chain. She then just stopped on the road! Right in the middle! This was a part of the road where the left lane was full of cars that were stopped waiting to pass when there was lack of riders. So I had to pass on the right of her (while almost riding into the dirt embankment) while another passed on the left. (Wow - she was either REALLY big, or was standing cross-ways in the road if she were taking up the WHOLE road. I think she should be shot! Luckilly, you are an uber biker with exceptional bike handing skills, so it all worked out. And #6, which is related....

6) If you can't climb....just walk your bike up. I know Chalk Hill is a grinder, especially that far into the race, but that doesn't give you the right to do zig zags all over the right lane cause you don't have the bike strength or totally chose the wrong gear choices for the race. It's annoying and dangerous....just walk and stay out of our way. It's less embarrassing than looking like a fool all over the road. I don't understand. Are you saying that while climbing Chalk Hill, you had your head down so much that you didn't see the person in front of you zig zagging? Or that the zig zagging is so completely erratic that you could not simply time your pass? What happened to those exceptional bike skills?

Now onto the run. Boy the roads get crowded at this point of the race.

8) Don't try to act like your saving yourself for the last 1/2 of the race. If I'm passing you just accept it. It gets old passing people who try to stay with you because they don't like getting passed. Then you see them at an out and back walking cause they obviously overcooked themselves. Exactly how is this any skin off your nose? Maybe they don't like to get passed. Maybe they were having a particularly terrible day, saw you passing and thought, "there is NO WAY I am letting THAT guy pass me. I'm faster than he is!" Or is it that they are also taking up the entire road? Were they weaving, somehow blocking your forward progress? Hey Galileo, the universe does not revolve around you. I bet that person did the same thing with every other person that passed them. It's nothing personal - I bet you've thought more about that person than they have thought about you.

9) If you're going to be taking every water, ice, gatorade cup at an aid station...just goto the table instead of taking every volunteers cup. Some of us actually know what we want at a station and will be on out own way. These poor volunteers spinning around and around trying to make sure they help everyone who needs it doesn't need you just taking stuff and dropping it cause you can't say "Water".

And #10...I Didn't plan for this to be a 'Top 10' List, but I'll leave it here.

10) After the race keep the food line going! Some of us are hungry! (Especially that really fat girl who took up the entire road on her bike!)


To all you AGr's who every race have deal with all this bs, you now have my sympathy.

When another persons actions has the potential to cause harm (as in a crash or what not) - they are the one needing correcting, not the other folks. Better to whine on the forum than the race course.

Actually, better not to whine at all.

I can't help but be reminded of the George Carlin routine where he notices that anyone driving slower than you is an "a**hole", and anyone driving faster than you is a "maniac". Well, guess what - we're competing on a course with 2,500 other people, and by definition, each and every one of them is either an a**hole, or a maniac (except for that person right next to you that you can't seem to get away from...that person is just weird). Do you really think you can put 2,500 people on a race course and not have them get in each other's way?

Oh, and remember that for every a**hole that you have to go around who is "in your way", you are the maniac that is screaming past them and putting everyone else in "danger".

You are an IDIOT .... I cannot help that out of 2500 participants 2400 do not know what they are doing..... you all have too much money and very little on brains.

If you want to have a 100% unimpeded path to the finish line, get your pro card.

If you want to have a 100% unimpeded path to the finish line, get your pro card.

"DO NOT LEAVE YOUR SHOES IN THE PEDALS!!!! I WILL REMOVE THEM WHILE YOU SWIM!!!!!"

Are you having fun yet?

There are too many words to describe you: Let's start with arrogant.