Just had a crazy thought after too much turkey and wanted to get a reality check. Some quick backround: 2004 will be my second year doing tri’s. I have done 6 sprints and a half IM this year, and I have a slot for IM Florida in '04. I noticed that IM Brazil is 6 months from now, and I have a whim to go for it! I feel that 6 months is plenty of time for me to prepare, and the May 29th race date will leave me 5 months to rebuild my base and prepare for IMFL. I am in serious need of an adventure, and for me spending a week in Brazil would satisfy that itch nicely. What am I overlooking? Can anyone that has done IM Brazil offer any opinions about the course? Is it crazy to fly to the other side of the equator for a first IM? If I see Brazillian girls on the beach will I ever return for IMFL? Help!
Hey, I’m currently living in Brazil and ran a marathon in Florianopolis last September. It would be an ideal place to compete. The island is full of beaches and the water is pretty clean for Brazil.
I would caution you though. The plane trip and subsequent connections would be really hectic and unless you speak portuguese, some of the simplest of tasks can be a pain. It might not make for the best experience if something goes weird and something always does.
That said if you decide to do, good luck and get some seafood at Box 32!
I think the time gaps you have outlined are fine…I have done Brazil twice and would go again in a heart beat. The timezone shouldn’t be to bad expecially if you are going from the east coast - typically allow a day per hour for adjustment before the race. Ken Glah runs a travel company specializing in Pucan half in Chile and IM Brazil - well worth investigating. Race accomodation fills up early and as usual the best sites are really close to the start as public transport ain’t great and neither is English - seem to remember cabs being in short supply as well. It is possible to rent a house for race week as well - search the web. The swim is in pretty calm conditions while the bike course isn’t to tough - 2 lapper kind of like a spider web - couple of longish climbs but nothing overly taxing. The run is pretty flat for the first 13 odd km - then you hit the stair case - a series of pretty steep climbs lasting about 3km - pretty steep going - come down it on the way back which is a real killer. You spoke about the babes on the beaches - well trying to focus on racing is enough of a challenge when you see what’s manning the drinks tables!!! Ken also does post race packages to Rio. Bahia, Amazon etc - there is a link to his site from the race web site. One of the real nice things is you can hang back on signing up to about 2 months before the race I think - last year it had around 800 athletes.