Anybody ever have someone tamper with their transition bags in an ironman? I did my first IM last weekend at Lake Placid. After the swim I came in to the transition racks and noticed my shoes were on the ground and not in my bike-to-run bag. Since I was rushing to get through, it just struck me as odd and I didn’t think much else of it until a returned after the bike. I picked up my T-2 bag and my running shoes and went into the tent. When I opened the bag there were no socks. I had put two pairs in just in case and both were gone. I went back out to the rack to check in my swim-to-bike bag since I had put a pair in there in case I decided to ride with socks. They were gone too. Unfortunately, I wasted a ton of time in T-2 and had to run the first half of the marathon without socks until I reached my special needs bag which had another pair. I wasted more time putting band aids on my blisters and changing into socks. I can’t figure out why someone would do this. Taking one pair I could understand, but all three? I’m thinking it might be helpful to place a video camera in the transition area for security.
Sorry to chuckle…but that really sucks.
I think the 1st experience might have been someone taking your bag by mistake and not having “time” to repack it.
As for the 2nd, I’m guessing you either put them in someone else’s bag, you got ripped off or the scenario above.
I try to be one of the last to leave the bag…and a good reason to check your pack the morning of the race.
That’s really too bad, but good call on extra socks in the SN bag. At many IMS, you run past SN while out on the run…but not at LP. :o(
Well, once I was positive someone had somehow stolen just one of my socks out of my T1 bag. I eventually found it after sifting through my stuff about 3 times and beginning to freak out…it was on my foot, under the other sock. I must have had a stutter in my rehearsed T1 litany due to oxygen deprivation from the swim…"cap off goggles off wetsuit off jersey on left sock on left sock on right sock on hey where the hell is my right sock you BASTARDS??? oh never mind.
As you say, can’t imagine someone swiping 3 total pair of socks out of two different bags both belonging to one person - either you have a “friend” with a sick sense of humor, or you never actually put the socks in there - wouldn’t be the first time someone forgot an item at bag turnin, by any stretch of the imagination…although, in that case you’d think that you would have encountered them amongst your luggage later. Are you certain you went home with fully 3 pairs less than you brought to the event?
And are you saying that the T1 (bike optional) pair was there in T1 when you decided not to use them, but then gone when you checked again after finding the T2 pairs missing? Did you repack your T1 bag yourself or just dump it and leave the stuff for a volunteer to (hopefully) pack up? In the latter case, they’re going to
be mainly concerned about your swim gear, wetsuit goggles and cap, and would probably assume that you took all your bike gear with you - they aren’t going to be looking around for socks to stuff back in the swim to bike bag.
I am actually missing the socks and they were packed in the bags. Since it was my first IM I was very careful I had everything I needed, and then a whole lot more. I double checked the bags in the morning before heading over to the swim start and didn’t think about it again.
I’m not upset about the incident, I thought the race was really well run and I still had a great first time experience. When I started to think about it afterwards though I realized that my race would have been over if either my bike or running shoes had been taken. I began to wonder if, as a deterrant, it might be a good idea to set up some video security. At least this way the culprit would run the risk of being caught, which might be enough.
The whole incident just really makes me wonder since I could see someone forgeting their socks and taking one extra pair but not all three. This sort of incident is obviously not wide spread but the potential to really ruin someone’s race exists. Thats not so bad for a short course race but the participants have a lot of time and $$ invested in an IM.
Nope.
Do they no longer hand you your bag? In '99 they did. They also handed you your bicycle.
Well, if you do another one, have a pair of socks hidden in your helmet. Then have a pair in your bag that have been sprinkled with cayanne pepper inside. You’ll probably see the thief within a few miles.
are you aware that you can access you transition bags on race morning? all you are required to turn in at bike check in is your transition bags (and maybe your helmet, but i don’t think even that). when i did IMUSA last year, all i turned in the day prior was a helmet and my T1 and T2 bags. brought everything else and packed them race morning. no extra stress at all. just label everything in some throw-away bags and do the transfer when you get there. if any of it disappears after that, you can be fairly sure it was someone grabbing it by mistake and not realizing it until they started to unpack it. if that was, in fact, the case, no amount of security would make any difference anyway.
very strange that all those socks were missing though…and now that it’s all said and done, you gotta admit, almost funny too… 
I just love new sox
Dirt
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Hey NYC…this is a good reason to train and race with no socks. I did the race at LP in a pair of newish shoes (used for 5 runs) and ran with no socks. No blisters or anything. Sockless is the only way to go. Of course like anything you need to get used to it.
I was actually surprised at how good it felt to run without socks and intend to try more running without them. The blisters only came after my feet got wet. It hadn’t occurred to me to try to keep them dry. I suspect your feet get used to running without socks and will become more resistant to blistering when wet.
Anything over Oly and my feets are hamburger w/o socks.
There were several cats spotted lurking about the transition area. Perhaps one of these feline bandits made off with your 3 pairs of sox.
I’m sure you’ll find them buried in a litter box somewhere nearby.
NYC…yes, the key is to keep the feet dry when running without socks. That being said, if you are running without socks in a rainstorm (ie LP 2003), it is better than running with totally soaked socks adding an extra lb of blister inducing mush to each foot.
I also find that without socks I have a better feel for the road and my coordination is better and as you guys know, when running at mile 20 after 9.5 hours, you can use all the coordination available. Simple things like running while drinking a cup of gatorade become almost impossible as your overall brain functions and nervous system efficiency starts dropping in a hurry.
Dev