Hey, anyone have any early word on whether or not the bike course at IMAZ is going to change this year?
-C
CCF…it is def changing…there is going to be less turns and its going to a true 2 loop route.
Thanks Lloyd. Any idea on when it’s going to be announced?
-C
Does this mean that you are doing IMAZ? See you in April.
Jeromy
2 loops? Lets count the rumors that have been posted in hte last month…
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3 loops without city loop
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3 loops with city loop
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2 loops
Last time I emailed IM they said they would have an update after the beginning of the year even though I am sure someone there knows, but they are not telling 
ChadJ (or was it SAC) talked to Roch in Hawaii and he said they were working on 3 loops, going further up the Beeline, without the confusing downtown loop. Until race day, it’s all speculation.
I think that is probably the most likely scenario. They moved the race to Sunday, so the landfill won’t be an issue anymore. That frees up about 6 more miles of the beeline (gradual uphill), at which point you get to Shea. Going past that would require a lot of buy in from Fountain Hills and it’s business district - they were apparently going to do that last year initially but I see very little incentive for FH to buy into that plan. It would be tough to get riders past Shea.
Does this mean that you are doing IMAZ? See you in April.
Jeromy
Well, I hope so. I’m hoping to get a spot at Ralph’s. You still in San Diego? Let’s see, yesterday it was 8 degrees with a wind chill of zero when I finished my run. I had ice on my eyelashes. Do you miss Urbana?? How did Caliman go?
-Colin
I read it in a local magazine “SWEAT” which is the local sports publication and it said that it is going to a true two loop course…they are extending the loop past Gilbert road (where the far turn around was) the treroy is its going to be a faster course with less turns as well
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I will be doing the IMAZ…I live about two miles from the course also…
Ya, I’m still in San Diego. My post-doc is up in July, after which I will be moving up to San Fran for a real job. So I guess I will see you at Ralph’s as well. BTW, I think I have a friend staying with us for the race, but we have some floor space and an air matress if you need a place to crash.
To answer your question, NO. Pretty much everyone I knew at Illinois has graduated, so I have almost no connection to the area, especially now that it is below freezing.
The sad thing is that I am a wuss now with the weather. It was probably around 40 yesterday morning, and I am out in tights, long sleeve shirt, lightweight gloves, and a hat!
Caliman? I think you are thinking of someone else. I did Vineman as my first IM, which went fairly well (read: biked too hard, walked/shuffled the run), and then did SOMA as prep for IMAZ.
See you in a few months.
Jeromy
I hope its two loops, but not much you can do about it…
two loops would be nice, I wouldn’t mind three loops if they didn’t have that annoying mini loop at the end.
two loops would be nice, I wouldn’t mind three loops if they didn’t have that annoying mini loop at the end.
Yeah, I agree. Three loops could be okay. Isn’t Austria a three loop course? Everyone raves about that one. 37 miles per loop is not short by any means. But I hope they avoid any “crit-style” loops with tons of turns.
-C
Bump
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This month’s Triathlete mag says as it currently stands a true 3 loop without the 4th city loop, only 11 turns and 2 turnarounds per loop (fewer turns than Coeur d"Alane or Pannama City)
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Should be a fast, fast course then. Looking forward to it!
This month’s Triathlete mag says as it currently stands a true 3 loop without the 4th city loop, only 11 turns and 2 turnarounds per loop (fewer turns than Coeur d"Alane or Pannama City)
Excellent info Brent, thanks. But I don’t get the PCB comparison. That course has only about 10 turns TOTAL, while you are saying that the new AZ course has 39. Still, sounds like it will be pretty nice. Much better than Madison! That course felt like a road race course to me!
-C
REPLY : But I don’t get the PCB comparison. That course has only about 10 turns TOTAL
Who knows? Maybe they are counting some of the 10 to 20 degree changes in direction as turns.
Wouldn’t be the first time a course description in a magazine was wrong.
bump - for purely selfish reasons again
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