Some rumors are floating around the internet about Oceanside going back to a full IM in 2009? Anyone else hear this??
Where did you hear this?
I wanted to do the half in '09.
that would not surprise me except for the las vegas rumors? I can’t imagine both happening so early in the season.
That would also be a pretty tough IM - the bike course would certainly rival Placid and that concrete run would give out quite a beating too! I wonder if the run would be 4 loops of the 70.3 course or something different?
Either Vegas or OCN full IMs would be awesome. CA is in dire need of one. I’m doing VineMan this year and will be looking for a different “western” target IM for next. OCn or Vegas would work great!
I’d do it!!!
clm
I read it on a blog…www.commonmansyndrome.com
I actually hope that the 70.3 remains an option…though I don’t know of any other instances where they run an IM and 70.3 on the same course. I prefer the 70.3 distance and since Oside is my hometown, I’d be bummed about losing a local option at this distance…
I’d do it. My first IM attempt was at IM California and I DNF’d due to back problems. I wanted to return and finish the next year, but that was when it became a half (which I did as my first Half-IM.)
Me too! That’d be great to have an IM so close to home!
according to that website
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Can you believe this!! According to my source, it won’t cost NA Sports any more money and will simply become a two loop course."
It would be great just to have an IM some where nice for a change. Yeah sure- all the others are fine, but they do nothing for my family. San Diego (close enough) is a very easy sell :).
I’d do it. My first IM attempt was at IM California and I DNF’d due to back problems. I wanted to return and finish the next year, but that was when it became a half (which I did as my first Half-IM.)
What was the course like for IM Cal? Was it two loops of the current course?
-C
Back to the 2001 course? Basically it was just the 70.3 done twice. That was the year that the fatal bike crash occured and the speed limit rules came from that day. (May 19, 2001). Yes, it would be a really hard course and that concrete will beat the hell out of you too. I would be nice to have another IM distance race in CA but I really think they should work out a new course so it’s not just the same thing twice. I’d consider doing it, but with Vineman in my backyard I don’t think I could justify the travel expense for a multi-loop beating.
Dave
Roch Frey was at our tri club meeting last Wednesday night and the idea of going back to a full IM instead of 70.3 at Oceanside came up because there are so few here in CA. The way he responded made it sound to me like it probably won’t happen.
Neil
Roch Frey was at our tri club meeting last Wednesday night and the idea of going back to a full IM instead of 70.3 at Oceanside came up because there are so few here in CA. The way he responded made it sound to me like it probably won’t happen.
Did he mention any particular challenges that would prevent a full IM?
I hope you’re right. two loops of the current 70.3 course would be pretty darn tough. Running on the concrete on the Strand would make the end of the run particularly nasty. The run course would be very crowded since it would be 2 loops on an out and back course.
What I got out of it was mainly to do with changing to more of an open water swim (going outside the harbor) and having so many first time IM’rs in the water.
Did he mention any particular challenges that would prevent a full IM?
It’s pretty hard to keep those base roads closed for about an entire day. There are lots of families that live there and they don’t appreciate being locked into their homes all day. The traffic backups just from the half are pretty horrendous. I played golf with a CWO from Pendleton and he gave me a good-natured ribbing about being a triathlete and screwing up everybody’s day once a year.
I’m not sure what the current course is exactly. In 2001 they still had full use of the base and the swim was in a different location. It was a difficult course with a couple of nasty climbs (one in particular) and the ride back up to the start/finish area was dead into the wind. As someone else mentioned, a triathlete died as a result of a crash that year. I think the course has changed a bit since then and was quite a bit different for the 2002 half.
The Vegas race might be having some issues with the host site so it’s very conceivable that they might try to ‘move’ that race to Cali.
I’d be bummed about losing a local option at this distance…
Superfrog!