Anyone else notice the bike course yesterday seemed short? Anyone know why? Was it the same 1999-2019? Ironman even has an IG post that confirms the bike course was less than 112, see the “110†in this post image.
Yeah I was there and clocked 109 and change. I read on fb it was due to construction. Basically they shortened the Olympic center and hassleton road out and backs
Its to make up the same vertical distance in climbing haha!!!
Yeah they said on the broadcast there’s another event coming into town & they’re doing road work on a 3 mile stretch but I’m sure everyone feels like they spent enough time in the saddle.
Bobsled out and back was short about a quarter mile per loop – they’re re-doing the parking lots up there, among other things.
Haselton Road out and back was three quarters of a mile short per loop.
Add it up and you get two miles, and the course when fully fledged is like 55.7 so, there you go.
Lots and lots of fresh pavement out there. With a year to bed in without too many frost heaves wrecking it we should have really good conditions for 2023.
My Garmin recorded 175 km!! Yes I am a Canadian. My legs were pretty happy the course was 5 km short.
Despite the course being short, my back of the napkin math suggests this was the slowest IMLP since the infamous lightning storm during the swim year. Conditions were brutal.
Despite the course being short, my back of the napkin math suggests this was the slowest IMLP since the infamous lightning storm during the swim year. Conditions were brutal.
Was it a wetsuit swim?
They ahem found a cool spot for a 75.8 water temperature. Other readings on race morning ranged from 76.5 to 77.8.
Lots of people with partially zipped down wetsuits for lap 2, especially once you got above about the 1:10 on the clock crowd. Probably set the tone for the rest of the day by already getting hot, and then it was over 90 degrees down in Jay and Wilmington.
They ahem found a cool spot for a 75.8 water temperature. Other readings on race morning ranged from 76.5 to 77.8.
Lots of people with partially zipped down wetsuits for lap 2, especially once you got above about the 1:10 on the clock crowd. Probably set the tone for the rest of the day by already getting hot, and then it was over 90 degrees down in Jay and Wilmington.
Maybe this has been asked before, why not allow SIM shorts when the water gets over 76.1F? Our ponds and lakes next door in Vermont are too warm right now for a wetsuit. Even the Green River Reservoir which is many times the size of Mirror Lake and quite deep is disturbingly too warm for a wetsuit. SIM shorts are great and give you a bit of buoyancy. I’m around 4-5 seconds faster per 100 yards when I wear my Roka SIM shorts compared to just a swimsuit. I have a Roka speed suit too but the SIM shorts are faster (I’ve never raced in the SIM shorts). I feel like I am missing something. If folks could wear SIM shorts (my friends have similar shorts called Lava shorts) or similar shorts, it seems like it would be a good solution when the water temps are borderline wetsuit legal or over 76.1F. I’m not a sales rep or affiliated with these types of products. I just love swimming in my SIM shorts when it’s too warm for a wetsuit. I stay cooler and my hips stay higher in the water.
A couple of thoughts:
1.) A swimskin would do something somewhat similar. (I’d also honestly consider at that temperature wearing my comp swim suit.)
2.) A reminder that 76.1 is a cut-off solely for those competing for awards / Kona slots. For most people, the only temperature that matters is the 80 and change cutoff where no wetsuits are allowed.
3.) Neoprene swim shorts = neoprene = what is banned by the rule.
What really surprised me were the number of folks in full sleeve wetsuits. That’s just asking to overheat. I’d be in a sleeveless from about 71 degrees upward. I’ll take the slight penalty on swim time to not overheat.
What really surprised me were the number of folks in full sleeve wetsuits. That’s just asking to overheat.
That was me. Didn’t have any other option, aside from swim in my trisuit. Did get pretty hot, but was okay overall. Did see a few guys in speedos and I was jealous.
A couple of thoughts:
1.) A swimskin would do something somewhat similar. (I’d also honestly consider at that temperature wearing my comp swim suit.)
2.) A reminder that 76.1 is a cut-off solely for those competing for awards / Kona slots. For most people, the only temperature that matters is the 80 and change cutoff where no wetsuits are allowed.
3.) **Neoprene swim shorts = neoprene = what is banned by the rule. **
What really surprised me were the number of folks in full sleeve wetsuits. That’s just asking to overheat. I’d be in a sleeveless from about 71 degrees upward. I’ll take the slight penalty on swim time to not overheat.
I guess I’m just questioning the rule of no neoprene. If the purpose is to ban wetsuits at a certain temperature so athletes don’t overheat (health reasons), I don’t understand why they just don’t ban wetsuits instead of neoprene. Then athletes could just wear their neoprene SIM shorts and they wouldn’t overheat. There is no way anyone feels too warm in SIM shorts that are the same length as men’s jammers. I’m dealing with menopause and a loss of heat tolerance (sorry about the old lady TMI), and I feel nice and cool just wearing a swimsuit and my SIM shorts in the open water. My question (complaint) is really aimed at the WTC.
I did wear my Roka speed suit in PR for the 70.3 a few years ago. I had my slowest swim ever. But I blame myself, not my gear 
It’s really at World Triathlon / USA Triathlon and the sanctioning bodies. Think it all stems back to when they started enforcing thickness of neoprene in the first place and determining that there should be an intermediate temperature for things.
Really it goes back to athletes needing to better judge their abilities when it comes to whether they are awards/Kona competitive. If yes, then the lower wetsuit temp applies to you. If no, then ignore it and wear the damn thing.
Had I raced Sunday, it’d have been in a thin sleeveless suit – shorts mean I’d have needed to go full change in T1 versus having the suit rolled down and just needing to put the top on in T1.
It’s really at World Triathlon / USA Triathlon and the sanctioning bodies. Think it all stems back to when they started enforcing thickness of neoprene in the first place and determining that there should be an intermediate temperature for things.
Really it goes back to athletes needing to better judge their abilities when it comes to whether they are awards/Kona competitive. If yes, then the lower wetsuit temp applies to you. If no, then ignore it and wear the damn thing.
Had I raced Sunday, it’d have been in a thin sleeveless suit – shorts mean I’d have needed to go full change in T1 versus having the suit rolled down and just needing to put the top on in T1.
OK I get it. Sounds like older rules.
It was wetsuit legal yesterday so if I had raced, I could have just used my SIM shorts if I understand the rules correctly. I have two nice wetsuits. One is a thermal (lol) since I can now swim outside into October and start mid May. And my other is a full sleeve regula3r (helix b70). I suppose a shortie or thin sleeveless wetsuit is now going to be a future purchase with warmer and warmer temps.
I did IMLP in 2017 and had a sh*t show day due to being sick (honestly don’t know how I finished it). I have unfinished business there in regards to performance. I may be back again someday. Will have every type of swim gear ready since it will be a crap shoot with weather!
ETA: about the OP, when I did IMMT in 2016 my garmin only clocked 109.7 miles for the bike (55.1 for the 70.3 same year). I just checked my training log. I didn’t complain about the distance since it was the crazy rainy, windy and cold Ironman! Never dull…
Correct. Sim shorts would have been legal.
2017 was a weird year. Last year of the long out and back on 9N if I remember correctly…
Might as well put it out there that I’m doing LP in 2023. It’s been four years since I DNF’d due to my brain going haywire and losing thermal regulation function and putting me in acute kidney failure. Now that we have all that fun stuff figured out, it’s time to give Ironman one last hurrah. Get that finish batting average above the Mendoza line.
ive seen 8 bike files and all about 110m. folks who rode good tangents high 109m:-)
The area got a big check from the state for renovations in prep for World University games (I think) and a POSSIBLE bid for a Montreal/Lake Placid joint Winter Olympics push.
this was my 19th year there. id call “normal” ADK day. low 80s, light breeze, some clouds.
I remember the SUPER hot days and of course the wet days (2004 and 2008).
See ya there in 2023
What really surprised me were the number of folks in full sleeve wetsuits. That’s just asking to overheat.
That was me. Didn’t have any other option, aside from swim in my trisuit. Did get pretty hot, but was okay overall. Did see a few guys in speedos and I was jealous.
I also used a full, thick suit (De Soto). I actually do own the sleeveless top to go with it, but of course forgot to bring it. That said, I honestly didn’t find it -that- bad. Going into the second lap I think I took a few seconds to let some fresh water into the top of the wetsuit. I clocked about a 1:11.
Correct. Sim shorts would have been legal.
2017 was a weird year. Last year of the long out and back on 9N if I remember correctly…
Might as well put it out there that I’m doing LP in 2023. It’s been four years since I DNF’d due to my brain going haywire and losing thermal regulation function and putting me in acute kidney failure. Now that we have all that fun stuff figured out, it’s time to give Ironman one last hurrah. Get that finish batting average above the Mendoza line.
Oh gosh, that sounds really scary! Very glad you have things figure out for 2023.
Yeah that out and back on 9N with the not-so-perfect road conditions (while some complained it wasn’t any worse than the roads I trained on in VT in many places).
Imagine they said it was 76.2 and wetsuit users would not be eligible for awards and KQ. Who is actually going to enforce that? 1500 people walk to the start corral in their wetsuits, and 750 without. Someone form IM is going to sit there with a clipboard and mark people off?
Meanwhile, I didn’t see a single official on the course all day, or anyone in a penalty tent. And, yes, there was plenty of drafting, including from prominent AG teams.