Hey, I am doing my first 1/2 ironman . If anybody has any advice about any aspect of this race I would appreciate the input. Thanks!!!
Well,
I hope you haven’t consistently been training with a wetsuit because the water temp is already 77 degrees with two weeks to go. Looks like it might be a wetsuit-free swim.
Hey WHY86!
Vineman is a great course. It can be a fast course of you are patient early. The KEY will be to take it out easy for the first 15-20 minutes of the bike and to use easy efforts for the first 3 miles on the run. The early bike is made up of rollers and it is important that stay controlled over this part of the course. For Half IM, an extrememly fit athlete (elites and Pros) should ride steady early, building to upper steady with some mod-hard. A very fit athlete steady to upper steady. A moderately fit athlete at steady or the first deepening of breath (first uptick). Let athletes fly past you until you are out of the initial rollers. They are fitter and faster or silly. Either way, let them go.
There is one climb as you get closer to finsh – Chalk Hill. It’s not that tough unless you have paced poorly early. This is where you might give your biggest HR/watts of the day. I like to ride it mod-hard to hard and finish strongly. You can put a lot of time into the early hammerheads the last 10 miles of this bike split.
If you are very fit I would run steady, building to mod-hard by the turn around. Come back in mod-hard to hard, ending the last 5k at 2-3 beats below threshold with the last bit giving everything you’ve got.
Eat and drink through the entire run. Never stop drinking right up to the last station. It’s usually hot.
Have fun 
KP
KP pretty much hit the nail with his post! (good stuff KP)
From a different thread asking about water temps & gearing i posted:
Water temp was 77 degree’s on Saturday, warmer in a couple places, but measured in a number of places closer to the beach at 3+ feet deep. I swam w/ no wetsuit on Saturday morning - no issues. We have had (up until today) temps in the low 90’s to 100+ degrees depending where you are. We were at 100 degree’s in Geyserville area of the course and mid 90’s closer to Windsor on Saturday afternoon. Days like that (we had a bunch) will help warm the water up. Today was much cooler with high marine layer until almost noon. It’s way too early to predict whether it will be wetsuit or not. If it’s a hot week next week w/ no marine layer it’s quite possible no wetsuits … if it’s a “normal” weather pattern (highs in the low/mid 80’s, cool nights w/ marine layer through part of the morning) then the water will stay cooler!
Gearing? If you have 10sp and 700c wheels i say the majority of folks racing here should ride the 12x25 if you have it … if you only have 11x23 then thats what it is. I guess it’s relative to what you train on, how strong you are, how much you want to “cross chain” gearing and maybe what kind of cadence you want to carry on a couple of the short hills. IMO there is nothing sustained that is “steep”. Chalk Hill will present probelms only for those who do not have the right gearing, fitness, or sense to pace themselves during the bike leg.
Cathy and John are correct regarding the last two years … if the race was 1 week earlier you would not have been wearing wetsuits. Race day the last 2 years have been 74 & 75 degree’s. It’s just a timing thing … there has only been 1 non-wetsuit legal swim in 15 years.
See you in a couple weeks!
From my files … this should support KP’s samrt strategy:
Swim Course:
The swim of course takes place in the Russian River. The river is relatively shallow, has very little to no current, and you can stand up in many places. Because you can stand up in many places it is very safe, especially if you have any technical problems. Other details:
-The course is an out (upriver) and back (downriver) run in a counter clockwise direction keeping the buoys on your left.
-Sighting is easy because there are a number of large orange buoys and the large green redwoods that surround the river provide a great back drop.
-Water temperature could be anywhere between 72-80 degrees based on race week weather. We have only had year that wetsuits were not age group legal.
-Overall the swim course is easy to navigate and very safe.
Bike Course: (1700 vertical feet of climbing)
-Miles 1 thru 5 is perfectly flat NOTE: there is a sharp right hand turn just past mile 5 on to Sunset Rd.
-Miles 5 thru 27 contains a mix of flat to rolling terrain
-At mile 27 you will have a gradual 1 mile climb up Canyon Rd.
-Mile 28 thru 40 is mostly flat, overall downhill w/a couple small rollers near mile 39.
-Mile 40 begins Chalk Hill Rd. where you find some rolling terrain followed by three quarters of a mile up a 400 foot climb. This does have a couple steeper spots but is not very long.
-Mile 45 to the transition area is virtually downhill and flat with a couple of very small hills to go over.
I like to describe the bike course as slightly challenging but fair. Your key is to be patient until you get to the top of Canyon Rd. at about the half way point. If you have a little bit extra in the tank at this point you should be able to get it moving pretty good the rest of the way.
Run Course: (700 feet of climbing)
-Miles 1-2 are virtually flat
-Miles 3-6 are a mix of flats containing a couple short hills and rollers. NOTE: just shy of mile 4 is the toughest hill on the course.
-Mile 6-7 is a flat loop around the La Crema Vineyard on a dirt road.
-Mile 7-13 is just the reverse of the outward bound 6 miles. Except this time you get to go down the big hill!
-The last 2 miles are flat all the way to the finish!
Be extremely organized since there are two transition areas 15 miles apart and you drop your run stuff off the day before.
T1 you will have to pack up your stuff and put it in a bag so it can be transported back to the finish.
If you can get someone to drop you off at the start or drive your car back to the finish, your life will be so much easier.
If it’s a hot day and you are a guy and start early, be thankful.
clm
Thanks for all the info, it was very helpful. If any of you are doing this race good luck!!
Hey Cath … some gals will be starting in the first wave this year and they will be happy too if it’s hot 
We should put you in the last wave and hope it’s really hot so you can have good Kona training !
See you soon!
I’m near the back, so no worries.
Going to be around on Saturday? We’ll be up.
Good … lets hope for weather we had the past two years!
I’m in town and hopefully getting a ride in … see how busy i am!
So now that DeBoom and Reid are racing, are they going to add an elite wave?
No pro wave … Just Tim & Pete racing 1v1 for $5000, winner takes the 5 grand put up by Vineman.
YEAH! I start early this year!! 
Carp–you start an hour ahead of me!
Cathy, I am a guy, and I am in the last group going off this year, 45 to 49 AG. Now, I plan not to crash on the bike this year!!! I do not want to see the emergency room of the santa rosa hospital again.
Dave
Are they going to start with the women then, or go out with the age groupers?
Likely 6:25 … just before the first wave. Feel free to call the office if you have any questions! (707) 528-1630
Though the river is dammed, there is still a small amount of current. Therefore, you will likely find people swimming up-river close to shore (where the current is less), and down-river near the middle. The difference is likely less than a minute, but for some that matters.
Oh, and if you drive the bike course the day or two before the race, keep your windows up for the first part. Last year there was an old man that would turn his hose on any out of town cars that drove his street. If I remember correctly he was on either Sunset Ave or Westside road, shortly after you drive under River road. Fortunately he was not out on race day, but if that weather keeps up, maybe you would welcome the shower.
Jeromy
Saturday, 9:15 AM at the usual spot…
Cathy, I am a guy, and I am in the last group going off this year, 45 to 49 AG.
Be right there with you, absolute last wave to go off at 8:46…with the race start at 6:30 (or 6:25 for the elite “wave”)…I was going to post a separate thread about any tips for waiting this friggin’ long to start a race, so if anyone has any tips or just wants to bitch with me about starting dead last, feel free to chime in!
I know it rotates every year to even things out----but dammit, last!! Will make for an interesting race, both mentally and physically, especially if the heat keeps up.