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.
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.