I just did my first IM (IMFL) and I thought that the weather on raceday was ok, well with the exception of the headwind on the last 12 miles of the bike course.
Anyways, my question is… “As a whole, was the weather good, hotter than normal, OK or cooler than normal…?” I am trying to get a feel for this IM racing thing.
Paul
I would say that IMUSA 2003 was wetter than normal. This year was perfect weather.
that is kind of like asking how long is a piece of string - varies per area - done 5 and i think Florida was about in the middle - had hotter, cooler, more wind and less wind…
Normal weather for IMFL. Congratulations on your finish!
Not a seasoned IM’r, Florida was my first, too, but I was talking to a guy on the run who had also done Kona. He said the ride in Florida made Kona look like a cakewalk.
Based on the descriptions of the conditions I’ve heard the conditions were what I woud describe as “typical” to “favorable” for an Ironman distance event.
Factors that degraded the conditions on that day from “ideal” would be (I am told by four sources, included a highly respected 9:25 finisher from our store): Rough water conditions on the swim and an ankle to knee deep run from first lap to second lap on the swim. Head winds in the closing 15 miles on the bike for many competitors.
Favorable factors were: No precipitation. Moderate to light winds with the exception of the closing 15 miles on the bike. Moderate to slightly high temperatures (I was told a high of 85 degrees).
All in all, a good day.
Weather seemed pretty benign to me. Not too hot, not too windy, not too humid…a little of each thrown in. I’ve been in much worse conditions…
I thought that the water was a little choppy, but the days leading up to raceday was a little worse.
“…the ride in Florida made Kona look like a cakewalk…” Are u sure about that…? Or did u mean that Kona was hotter…? It wasn’t really that hot out on the run (maybe it was because i was a glowstick finisher)
Paul
The water was a bit rough, in my mind a little rougher than it was on the days preceding the race, but not too bad overall.
Yeah, that quote about “Kona look(ing) like a cakewalk”…curious on the explanation of that one as well!!
That was pretty nice freaking weather for an IM, especially since we aren’t counting the wind the last 12 miles of the bike. Not hot, not real windy, not cold, nice water temperature, no rain.
Last year was a little nicer but you aren’t going to get perfect weather unless you hold your IM in a dome. Hey, there’s an idea, DomeMan.
i did IMFL, too, and my basis of comparison is IMs in kona and NZ. i thought the conditions were quite good, unexpected wind at the end excepted. yes, the water was just a little busier than in the days leading up to the race, but not much, in my estimation, since i usually swim in the pacific. but then we had to add in the exit/re-entry, which was a new one for me.
back to the weather. while my assessment is that it was pretty good weather, i need to add that i certainly needed to keep tending to overheating. both on the bike and run, and yes, that would be the evening run. so, while it wasn’t super hot compared to kona, nor as humid, it was still warm enough that it was imperative that i tend to my body overheating.
good race, and i had a great time.
peggy