I am in the best tri shape I have even been in and was hoping for a AG podium spot at Accenture on Sunday. I registered today and the wave sheets indicate I’m supposed to be in wave 4 but when I get my stuff it shows I’m in wave 3. I go to the “Trouble Desk” and a lady says she will correct it but only wrote it up manually since supposedly they did not have access to the Internet. There is no timing mat when you start the swim so your start time is based on your wave. I think it’s 50/50 that I will have 4 minutes added to my true time because the computer will have me starting in wave 3, 4 minutes ahead of wave 4. This is obviously bugging me.
Your screwed! Did you get documentation?
You get a 4 minute head start and you are complaining?
No matter what your papers says, your chip is registered so when you pass the timing mat near swim start you actually timed from there. Couple of times in my life I missed my wave start, I notified the officials and my time started with the wave I started.
That happened to me at collegiate nationals on year in lake Havasu, it cost me about 100 spots in the overall, they refused to correct it. it was a major bummer because it is the last time I will be at college nats.
I’m going to start in wave 4. If I stayed in wave 3 I would probably have had 4 minutes taken off my real time.
I can’t believe this post. I would trust Accenture on the timing. They have chips for a reason – to get the times right. There is a mat you go over when you start. No matter what wave you go off in, your start/finish time is registered.
No way they screw it up at race as big as Chicago.
I hope you are right but I don’t remember there being a timing mat at the start of the Accenture swim. Each wave jumps into the water, treads water, and starts when the horn goes off. Unless there is a mat under the water (I doubt it), I think the computer assigns you a start time by wave.
BTW - You must be young if you think screw-ups like this don’t happen because it’s a big race. There was a long line at the “Trouble Desk” yesterday at the Expo.
Young? I’ve done that race 3 times and have raced in tris for 5 years, 30 plus races including IM.
Trust me there is a mat. They are not that stupid.
Screw ups do happen, but not likely at Chicago. Maybe your local race, but not at a race like that.
OK. If you have done this race 3 times, explain to me where the timing mat is at the beginning of the swim. If it is on dry land and I walk over it, jump in and tread water for a minute or so before our wave’s horn goes off, did I just lose a couple of minutes? I doubt that. Then the only other place for it is under the water at the swim start. I guess that’s possible but I wouldn’t bet on it.
You go over the mat on dry land – under the banner before you get in the water. That way they know what wave you are in.
Sure you tread water before the gun goes off, doesn’t matter, you went over the mat before the start for that wave, registering you for that wave.
Relax and enjoy the day. Don’t stress man.
I hope you’re right. I’ll mellow out now.
Dude, you’re screwed!
Most swims that have an in-water start have the timing mat before you get in the water. This is the case at Vineman. You go through the little holding pen over the mat and then into the water. You might then have 1-5 minutes before you actually start depending when you get in the water, but the entire wave’s time starts when the horn goes off. Have a cocktail and chill. And have a great race!
clm
Listen to him (bigred) he is right, don’t panic.
I agree… don’t panic. But if you are concerned, go back to the trouble desk later today and see if they have corrected the issue.
And again, I agree, don’t panic… but looking at the evidence from last year,
evidence
I don’t see timing mats on dryland. I seriously think they are underwater… we’ll see tomorrow. Maybe I will ask when I go down to packet pickup today.
Either way… I think the guy is covered, but he can check up on it later if he is concerned.
I can’t believe this post. I would trust Accenture on the timing. They have chips for a reason – to get the times right. There is a mat you go over when you start. No matter what wave you go off in, your start/finish time is registered.
No way they screw it up at race as big as Chicago.
Like I suspected, there is no timing mat at the start of the Accenture swim. Your start time coincides with your wave’s start time.
I checked again with the info desk before the race yesterday and the computer was still showing me in wave 3 instead of wave 4. I asked which wave I should I start in and the lady unconvincingly said wave 4, took down my name and said they would correct this. Hmmm…where had I heard that before?
I finished in 1:19, thought I had a good shot at 3rd in my age group and went to the results table. The guy punched in my race number. Would it be the correct 1:19 or the incorrect 1:23 because the computer still had me in wave 3? I held my breath, steeled myself against utter disappointment, blah, blah, blah.
1:19:25 and AG 3rd (40th overall). I wonder if I had not checked at the beginning of the race, however, if I would have had the same result.
Moral of the story: Race registration screw-ups happen and it’s better if you try to unscrew them before the race. I would have missed the experience of my family and friends (and strangers) clapping for me when my name was called at the awards ceremony and may have never gotten that real cool Speedo visor in my award bag