I know this was briefly discussed previously, but current temp today at BB Clark beach (which is close to the Terrace I believe) has it at 83 degrees (can you say COOKIN’???).
Yes, we’re still a few weeks away, but hasn’t the temp increased the previous years in August to race day?
What’s the highest temp people have had in an IM swim before? I seem to remember some higher temps at CDA and FL one year…
Is there a link for the water temp?
83 huh? I find that kind of hard to believe. How deep is this lake? 4 weeks to go, I’m hoping it drops 10 degrees.
-Colin
Hold on, is that air or water temp?
If it’s water temp, that’s fine with me. Might as well have everyone suffer without a wetsuit. One less thing I have to bring.
It dropped something like 6 degrees F in the last week or so before the race. We still have a month left, and let me tell you the air was chilly in the Wisconsin part of the world this AM.
I was freezing for the first 3 hours of my ride this AM.
As with Sentania, I’m also in WI. I wore arm warmers on my entire ride today. Of course, we’ll get some hot weather in the next month but we’re losing daylight quickly now…I’m still very confident that the swim will be wetsuit legal.
-Matt
Surely they’ll find a place to measure that will be cool enough to make it wetsuit legal…oh, the uproar if it isn’t.
G
I’m quite confident the race will be wetsuit legal…with or without IMNA magical thermometer. ;o)
The problem/challenge is that my full suit is TOO WARM for a 74 degree, 2.4 mile swim. My sleeveless is now too stretched out. Urghh…
So, I’d rather it be above 78 so I can suffer with everyone else…or below 70 so I can be comfy.
It’s all about me, right?
79 degrees today baby.
Told you it would cool down 
Sample ID
Date
Time
Temp, C
Temp, F
IM-East
8/31/2004
11:45
25.7
78.3
IM Middle
9/9/2004
11:28
22
71.5
Check out last year- Water temp dropped from 78.3 to 71.5 in 10 days.
Low 70s would be sweet. What are “Im-East” and “IM-Middle”? Lake locations?
-Colin
Any update???
The test it every Monday, so we should have an Idea some point today.
I don’t get it? Why all the fuss about wetsuits?
As IM athletes we should all be comfortable in the water to swim 2.4 miles without the floatation assistance.
What gives?
I’m perfectly comfortable swimming 2.4miles sans wetsuit…just not with 2000 of my closest friends trying to swim over the top of me, kicking me and general mayheim.
I’d most IM’rs coudl do it, but I’d also say there’d likely be alot more “close calls” and possible fatalities.
~Matt
I’m perfectly comfortable swimming 2.4miles sans wetsuit…just not with 2000 of my closest friends trying to swim over the top of me, kicking me and general mayheim.
I’d most IM’rs coudl do it, but I’d also say there’d likely be alot more “close calls” and possible fatalities.
~Matt
I guess I’ll never understand. “close calls” “fatalities”?!?!
I think people don’t realize how difficult it is to drown. People think if you inhale water while swimming you drown…it’s quite difficult to drown.
sure 2,000 folks swiming is a scary but drown? Panicked attacked swimmers are what cause problems not wetsuit illegal swims.
having people swim over you and hit you in the face, etc is not the problem, it’s the panic of folks who get all scared about it when it happens that’s the problem.
example:
if someone hits you in the face and knocks off your goggles with a downstroke there is no need to stop swimming, just roll over on your back, continue kicking, adjust your goggles, and continue on.
my point is that people have a false sense of security in wetsuits if IM athletes are worried about a wetsuit illegal swim. I mean come on, this is an Ironman and not some little poe dunk olympic race. If you’re not comfortable swimming, swallowing water, adjusting goggles while swimming, and enduring a little oxygen deprivation then perhaps the need for more swim training is in order?
I think the trouble is that so many “new” triathlets are doing IM once they figure out that 17 hours is a CRAZY long time to finish the race that the end up cutting out much of their swim training due to their incorrect assumption that swim training is the least important portion due to it’s length. this exacerbates the problem (did I spell that right?)
Ok, vent off.
"it’s the panic of folks who get all scared about it when it happens that’s the problem. "
Yep correct, however I’d disagree with…
“my point is that people have a false sense of security in wetsuits”
If expell even 1/2 of the air in my lungs I sink to the bottom without a wetsuit. With a wetsuit it’s difficult to get me under water with all my air expelled. Knowing that If I get nailed in the gut, suck in a bunch of water and expell my air that I won’t sink…is not really a false sense of security, well IMO.
I do agree that people should be spending more time training for the swim. If I didn’t think I coudl do an IM swim without a wetsuit fairly comfortably I woudln’t sign up. However having one one makes me feel more secure, falsely or not.
I also think some people may contemplate not doing teh race if wetsuits we not allowed…me I’d just swim even farther away from everybody else.
~Matt
"it’s the panic of folks who get all scared about it when it happens that’s the problem. "
Yep correct, however I’d disagree with…
“my point is that people have a false sense of security in wetsuits”
If expell even 1/2 of the air in my lungs I sink to the bottom without a wetsuit. With a wetsuit it’s difficult to get me under water with all my air expelled. Knowing that If I get nailed in the gut, suck in a bunch of water and expell my air that I won’t sink…is not really a false sense of security, well IMO.
I do agree that people should be spending more time training for the swim. If I didn’t think I coudl do an IM swim without a wetsuit fairly comfortably I woudln’t sign up. However having one one makes me feel more secure, falsely or not.
I also think some people may contemplate not doing teh race if wetsuits we not allowed…me I’d just swim even farther away from everybody else.
~Matt
Makes sense.
But one question about getting nailed in the gut while swimming? Do you know how difficult that would be? And if it did happen it’d most likely be underwater and have you ever tried to punch someone underwater? (hint: water is more than 800 times more dense than air)
It wouldn’t hurt one bit.
Just food for thought and to possible give you a confidence boost for the swim.
I got grazed in the balls at IMFL…with a foot…it hurt…I floated…I was fine. Without the wetsuit, not only as nut protection but also buoancy…I’m sure I would have made it…but it was very reassuaring knowing I could just float for those few dreaded seconds before your head connects to your testicles to find out if it was just a grazing or full on blow…maybe shouldn’t use the word blow in this context.
Actually I’m fairly confident in the water and honestly woudl likely be fine withouty the wetsuit. I do know plenty of others that have made the desicion to do an IM, particularly the first one, becasue of the wetsuit.
Unfortunately I also know a couple “seasoned” IM’rs that use the wetsuit as a crutch. “I don’t have to train in the swim because I can power thru with a wetsuit” type of thing.
~Matt
To add to your point, don’t forget all the kayaks and attendants (for lack of a better term) along the swim course. Even if you encounter some difficulty you have plenty of spots to take a break.
As I said before, fine with me if there are no wetsuits, though I doubt it’ll happen at this race.