Signed up for Arizona and was wondering if anyone knew if the bike course was suppose to be the same as last year. I’m also curious why its not sold out. Is there a reason this IM doesn’t appeal ? Any bad experiences with this race last year? Thanks for anyone who takes the time to respond to these questions. I don’t have much to offer except maybe a quote my friend threw out the other day. “She used to think love was special. Now its on special.”
Good luck on getting any course info. I emailed IMNA to ask the same thing and they said nothing would be posted until after the new year. It has been rumored to be back to 2 laps (like it was gonna be last year) but as you can see they are not saying anything for awhile.
Did you do it last year?
Monk, I didn’t, heard rumours about a local triathlete up here in Seattle that did. Evidently he blew up so bad there still trying to collect the rest of his molecules. Thanks RacerX for the info. The thought of escaping Seattle after a long Prozac induced winter holds a lot of appeal to me.
They had some first year issues with the planning and org for the bike course this year. The word is that the local Indain reservation asked, at the last minute, for more cash for the permit to let the ride go through their land. They couldn’t come up with the dough (or didn’t want to be held up) and had to reroute the bike course. It got a lot of grief from a vocal minority, but I think most people found that it was fine. A bit complicated with all the loops, but fine neverthe less.
I thought the race was good and am doing it next year. I usually don’t understand what all the fuss is about knowing the course ahead of time…but I imagine that they are still in negotiations with the tribe.
The newness of the IM probably exposes the idea that there is less demand for IM’s than people think. I believe the IMCdA is still open as well.
I think I heard that Paul Huddle is not the RD next year, as he this year? Does anyone know this?
Reggiedog, my main interest in the bike course is about the scenery. I’ve never been to Tempe and just don’t know what to expect. Are you constantly in the city? I have this image of long square blocks where every now and then you make a 90’ turn. Thanks, Dave
Well, the course seemed to be, just weird. I am used to long boring flats, being from Florida, but there is this funky thing in town that is like being in stop and go traffic, downhills that you have to stop at the bottom of and make a hard right turn at (buzzkills) or do a 180 at and go back up (super-buzzkills) or, uphills that you can’t build up any speed in advance for (stingers). I can’t remember if you do that three or four times, and actually, a lot of people weren’t even sure at the time. More than a few people came in one City Loop to early, then doing the 26.2 to useful puporse–I am sure they had a good laugh about it later, though. And the course directions on the website were wrong at the tricky part, so you couldn’t even drive the course to be sure in advance, unless you had secret local knowledge that south was north and east was west.
This part is not a complaint, just an observation–but because it is almost entirely flat and there is no protection from any direction, you are open to the wind, which was uncharacteristically (I am told) substantial that day, with sand devils and tumbleweed blowing across the road. Also, because it is three loops, you will have the pleasure of having pros pass you like you are standing still, sometimes simultaneiously on the right and the left, and even on the inside at the aid stations!
Another thing you will be treated to at this event, are the justifiably proud dancers from the local Indian Tribe. They apparently began preparing for this day many years ago like Sumo Wrestlers. The Dance of the Seven Veils has nothing on these beguiling women. Two steps to the right. Two steps to the left. Every hour and a half they spin completely around, sometimes all in the same direction, if they are paying attention, revealing a backside that would put Oprah Winfrey to shame. Talk about MILFs! And the variety of musical offerings by this merry band is rivaled only by the One Note Samba.
But the best part is, the day after the race, in the morning, they will do it all over again for you, this time, in the blazing baking relentless desert sun in the tentless open air, just in case there is any life after you after having done the IM the day before.
I will say that the run was quite beautiful. Unfortunately, the people who finished during the daylight did not have the opportunity to run up the unlighted trails into the hills, and fear stumbling into the vertical-sided aqueducts, or be attacked by wildcats in the arroyos.
Here was the best part of my trip to Tempe. I awoke, and there, in all its glory, outside my ground floor hotel window, was this:
I found this very symbolic. A weiner.
DS, I thought the race was pretty good. The RD has no control over the weather and that was the only bummer of the race. I rode both of the two-loop courses prior to the race (the original course and the proposed course that skipped fountain hills). If the new course goes on either of those routes, it is easy terrain unless the wind is up. The day I trained on the course, the wind was calm and I had a huge PR for a training ride. Come race day I was about 40 min slower. As for scenery, it is not too bad. The only chance I really get to enjoy the scenery at an Ironman is when I’m driving the course before the race. During race day, you will spend less than an hour each way on each lap going throught the desert, broken up by aid stations and bike traffic to keep your focus. After training for months to get there, certainly you can suck it up for a few miles come race day. If they stick with the 3 loop bike course, it was good too. The turns were not bad at all and it broke things up a bit. I had no trouble pre-riding the city loop the day before the race and also checked out the 4th loop section. If anyone botched up the distance on race day it was because they were ill-prepared and did not attend the pre-race meeting. The directions were on the map, written in the course description and detailed at the meeting. The swim is nice and wide so it was the best swim start of my 3 IMs. The run course is scenic and a great course to run.
I agree with Monk about the entertainment at the dinner and banquet. It was the most boring event ever, but I respect the native people and would sit through it again.
Monk and Tim, great information. Monk, I needed a good laugh today, I’m still a little down and tired after doing IMC. I did a 7:00 marathon PR (my first marathon and IM) The only thing that made me feel better after vomitting was to look across the street and see Simon Lessing holding up a perfectly solid concrete wall and heaving his guts out. Great picture of that Weiner, I used to have a weiner like that but then I turned 45 and…nevermind. Sounds like it could be a crazy race, I’m going to start training for those Buzzkills.
Tim----Not to be a whiner, which I certainly AM, here are the directions I refer to, still on the IMAZ website:
Turn Right on N. Lake View Rd.
Turn Right on Curry Rd.
Turn Around just before College Ave.
Turn Left on N. Lakeview Rd.
They apparently meant S. Lakeview. Also, because they were still paving S. Lakeview right before the race, it looked like an unlikely route. No problem on race day though–I just got on Marques’ wheel and hung on 
it was my first time in AZ (in a while) and the scenery was fine. The city riding (which I think will be minimal next year) was a bit of a break, but it was generally longer stretches with a few semi-criterium moments. The “country” scenery was desert scrub with distant views of mesa’s. Apparently it was slated to be much more scenic, going around a mesa/set of mountains, which I think will happen next year?
The run scenery was neat, as it went very close to mesas and through cool desert trails and along water.
If they go with the original 2 loop course it will definatly change the dynamics of the course and add some pretty good sized rollers into the mix. Stay tuned…