Did the inaugural IM NOLA 70.3. Overall a very positive experience despite my worst fears of an overly crowded and potentially dangerous bike course for someone like me starting in the 3rd to last wave.
Swim was very easy to navigate, and it was refreshing to have no turn buoys - well, expect for that last one that nobody seemed to know what to do with. And for some reason, after that last turn, everyone was walking the last 30 yards of the swim, as soon as the water was waist deep… so I just followed the crowd - shoulda kept swimming
Bike was fun, relatively scenic, and surprisingly clean/orderly - very few erratic moves given the winds. Headwind on way back was somewhat brutal. Maybe a few too many traffic cones on the course, which were involved in at least 2 riders in separate incidents meeting the pavement.
In the first mile of the bike, I heard a rhythmic click, click from one of my wheels - figured tape had come off of my wheel cover at the valve hole. It became clear after several minutes that it wasn’t going to stop, so I did, at the first inland turn. As I slowed I realized it was on my front tire. The culprit was a helmet sticker (and these were the world’s samllest helmet stickers). So racer number 1477(or maybe 2477?), you may have trouble finding your bike pictures 
Transition was loooong, and of course I had to run my bike the entire length, both coming and going. Definitely best to go socks on right after the swim at this venue. Your feet will thank you later.
The run was initially into the familiar headwind. At the first aid station, I yelled “Cola!!” I got several blank stares, and then one of the nice young girl volunteers enthusiastically replied “Oh you mean Coke!!,” and then handed me an ice cold unopened can of the real thing. I gave it a few shakes as I moved along, opened it and sucked some down. As I was chunking the remainder into the trash, it dawned on me that coke was not on the menu today, and the volunteer gave me her own personal stash!
The run was harder than it seemed like it should’ve been. It was a bit warm and muggy but not otherwise challenging. But somehow mentally difficult. I didn’t *want *to stop and walk periodically in the last few miles. I wasn’t cramping or nauseated. It just happened.
Finished in 4:51, about 10 minutes off goal, but the field was slower than expected, with relatively few sub 5 hour results from the 40something year old men.
While there are going to be some logistical challenges for such a race in a city like New Orleans, I thought the organizers did an excellent job.