At least I know that’ll give you lots of opportunity to pass people all day. Can’t exactly say the same for me, I’ll have to watch out for the broom wagon. We are the last group to go off before the sprint races start, so we may mix in with a lot of them on the tail end of our swim since they hit the water 10 minutes behind us. My son has an hour and ten minute head start on me…
See you there,
Neil
Looks like your son is in my wave…I’m really hoping the temps stay down or the run is going to be carnage even for us if it’s like this past weekend 
.
Is this a smackdown or something?
It’s going to be an interesting race. On the bike course, the sprinters don’t do that little out-n-back, right? For many, it’ll be a mess right there. Anyway, I remember a few years ago coming off that little excursion and mixing back in with the sprinters. That kind of helps keep your speed up as they’re typically hammering a little more than the Oly guys.
I don’t know a lot of names in our AG on the roster. I’m carpooling with Lar Dog. He and I are being gentlemanly about who’s going to beat whom. I’ll have him on the swim, and I say we’re about even on the bike, but he’ll say I’m faster. Then he’ll have several minutes on me on the run. So I’m hoping I can gap more minutes on the swim than he can make up on the run, but it’ll be close. Worse, though, will be the suffering of the loser to the gloating of the winner for the entire ride home.
I don’t quite understand the run course. Is it two times up Grand (that hill?)
I don’t quite understand the run course. Is it two times up Grand (that hill?)
I’ve heard but cannot confirm yet that we only run up Grand once. The turnaround on the second lap is earlier than on the first lap, I’m just not entirely sure where it is in relation to the hill. The person I heard it from had supposedly asked the RD but I’m not 100% confident at this point.
OK, I just spent 5 minutes on google maps and I’m pretty sure the second turnaround is before the hill on Grand
In theory, the run should be faster than the last couple of years as you don’t have to climb all the way back up from the river.
How long and how steep is that Grand portion?
Thanks.
Paul
It’s only a block but it’s like running up a wall. You come down it near the end of the bike and if you’re doing 20ish at the top and don’t brake you’ll be doing at least 40 at the bottom. I don’t know the actual gradient. To add to the fun there’s usually some nice potholes at the bottom. The run uses the side of the road and goes up the same hill.
Yea, we’ll really need to be watching for that little out and back and not get lulled into going straight with the sprint people. Up and down that hill two times would be really tough if the heat held up but we turn around on the second lap between 5th and 9th according to the route map so I think it’s before the hill. I just know the race director had a plan in mind with putting us last. I can see him telling the police, “okay, when Neil goes by you can open the streets back up.” Well, maybe not quite that bad…