IMKY swim sighting

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2008-08-15 9:09 AM

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Veteran
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Subject: IMKY swim sighting

For the veterans that did KY last year, did you have to sight much ahead of you while you were in the channel between the island and the shore?

Looks to me from the boat dock that you would not have to do much straight ahead sighting.

Steve

2008-08-15 9:36 AM
in reply to: #1605688

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Subject: RE: IMKY swim sighting
No problem sighting....just get a set distance from the island's shoreline and stay there.......being close to the island you will be most shielded from the main channel's current....the back side of the island is pretty straight so you won't be worried about swimming a crooked course.

YMMV,
Paul
2008-08-15 9:42 AM
in reply to: #1605688

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Subject: RE: IMKY swim sighting

The channel is not that wide so it was really easy sighting.  I hugged the north shore and it was kinda like a lane buoy. 

I just had a flashback thinking about this that I had forgotten all about.  I was swimming in the channel and heard a chopper overhead filming the race.  I remember waving to them and thinking how cool this race was that they even had a helicopter out filming us!

~Mike

2008-08-15 9:43 AM
in reply to: #1605688

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Pro
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Subject: RE: IMKY swim sighting
Just don't wear tinted goggles if it going to be cloudy....trust me on this one.
2008-08-17 7:22 PM
in reply to: #1605688

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Subject: RE: IMKY swim sighting
I dont know about IMKY, but at Lk Placid there was the giant tv screen on the beach. It made a really good beacon to swim towards.
2008-08-17 9:06 PM
in reply to: #1605688

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Expert
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Subject: RE: IMKY swim sighting
There's a nice article about the IM lou course in Inside Triathlon this month. TJ Tollakson echoed what some have said. Hug the shoreline and don't sight to much going up river. Sighting going into the current will tend to slow you down more. The shore does indeed provide a nice landmark to keep you swimming straight.

2008-08-18 9:50 PM
in reply to: #1609360

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Subject: RE: IMKY swim sighting

umbach - 2008-08-17 9:06 PM There's a nice article about the IM lou course in Inside Triathlon this month. TJ Tollakson echoed what some have said. Hug the shoreline and don't sight to much going up river. Sighting going into the current will tend to slow you down more. The shore does indeed provide a nice landmark to keep you swimming straight.

the island shore line or the actual shoreline?

2008-08-18 10:07 PM
in reply to: #1605688


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Subject: RE: IMKY swim sighting
I haven't read the article, but I do swim in that channel every Wednesday. I bet he meant hug the island shore line. It actually doesn't seem to make much of a difference for the first 400-600 or so meters, but then the island curves a bit to the left and the current is much stronger against the mainland shore (at least to me it is). Also, I think I'm right on this one, b/c they have strengthened the shore line with huge timbers on the mainland shore right there in that spot (b/c the current gets directed right into the shore I'm guessing).

It's taper time and my mind could be playing tricks on me, but I think that info is right. Like I said I swim there on Wed. so I'll pay closer attention in a couple days and write back.
2008-08-18 11:24 PM
in reply to: #1612317

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Subject: RE: IMKY swim sighting

king03 - 2008-08-18 10:07 PM I haven't read the article, but I do swim in that channel every Wednesday. I bet he meant hug the island shore line. It actually doesn't seem to make much of a difference for the first 400-600 or so meters, but then the island curves a bit to the left and the current is much stronger against the mainland shore (at least to me it is). Also, I think I'm right on this one, b/c they have strengthened the shore line with huge timbers on the mainland shore right there in that spot (b/c the current gets directed right into the shore I'm guessing). It's taper time and my mind could be playing tricks on me, but I think that info is right. Like I said I swim there on Wed. so I'll pay closer attention in a couple days and write back.

great thx.

 also, what's the water quality like?  i can't afford to get sick from IMKY swim as I have a race the following weekend.

 

2008-08-19 8:12 AM
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Subject: RE: IMKY swim sighting
The water seems great to me right now. Granted, I'm no expert. Another guy on here, Tim, works for water treatment here in Louisville, and says that the river is actually very clean right now. I don't want to jinx us by saying this, but this could all change if this tropical storm continues up through the US and dumps a bunch of rain in the Ohio Valley in the next week.
2008-08-19 8:31 AM
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Subject: RE: IMKY swim sighting

Finding the right line could make a huge difference.  I did a lot of rowing and bumps racing in rivers in college and river currents are always much stronger than they look, especially when the river is wide.  If you have time on Saturday, take a few minutes to check out the currents at the start going up the channel and look for a line of slow-moving water.  It will probably be the same on Sunday, though it may be to dark to see it in the morning.  The same thing goes for the trip back in after the turnaround.  The water usually moves the fastest in the middle of the river and this could save you a lot of time and effort, so try to spot a line relative to the buoys for this stretch as well.  The buoy line may be the shortest, but not necessarily the fastest.

2008-08-19 8:49 AM
in reply to: #1612959

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Subject: RE: IMKY swim sighting
cwsiii - 2008-08-19 8:31 AM

Finding the right line could make a huge difference. I did a lot of rowing and bumps racing in rivers in college and river currents are always much stronger than they look, especially when the river is wide. If you have time on Saturday, take a few minutes to check out the currents at the start going up the channel and look for a line of slow-moving water. It will probably be the same on Sunday, though it may be to dark to see it in the morning. The same thing goes for the trip back in after the turnaround. The water usually moves the fastest in the middle of the river and this could save you a lot of time and effort, so try to spot a line relative to the buoys for this stretch as well. The buoy line may be the shortest, but not necessarily the fastest.

In the famous words of Guiness Beer "BRILLIANT" !

 

2008-08-19 9:29 AM
in reply to: #1605688

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Official BT Coach
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Subject: RE: IMKY swim sighting

sighting is not an issue unless you are having to navigate yourself around other athletes. I'm a 59-60 min IM swimmer and it was like a maze for me trying to get through everyone.  Would like to start towards the front, but don't like the idea of chilling out at the swim start for 2 hrs before the race.

 

2008-08-19 10:12 AM
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Subject: RE: IMKY swim sighting
To add to this good info....last year the buoy line was NOT straight back.....in fact it kind of hugged the shoreline, which bows inwards....

After LY my plan for next year is to get to the top buoy and swim as directly as I can to the exit - to hell with the buoys! I will use the bridge structures as my sighting guides......

Paul
2008-08-19 11:47 AM
in reply to: #1613313

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Subject: RE: IMKY swim sighting
Tri-Wog StL - 2008-08-19 10:12 AM

To add to this good info....last year the buoy line was NOT straight back.....in fact it kind of hugged the shoreline, which bows inwards....

After LY my plan for next year is to get to the top buoy and swim as directly as I can to the exit - to hell with the buoys! I will use the bridge structures as my sighting guides......

Paul

I second that! I saw a lot of folks have to swim down stream then cut across to get out. I will make the turn (which is a ways across the river, not just past the island like the maps looks) and head in towards the shore.
2008-08-21 6:44 AM
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Subject: RE: IMKY swim sighting
I swam the course yesterday evening. From what I can tell (I zig-zagged across the canal by the island to check current) I think the current on the shore of the island is the weakest. That's were I'll be swimming for sure. In other words, if you're looking at the course from the starting dock stay to the left. Once you round the top of the island, the water got pretty choppy. Also, just in case anyone freaks out or gets in trouble, once you get to the top of the island there is a river bouy to the right. This bouy marks a sand/nasty Ohio river mud bar on which you can stand up. Further down stream the river was still pretty choppy (hopefully this will be better on race day b/c they shut river traffic down I think), and under the bridges the currents can get a little different. I felt like I was going backward under the first bridge. A couple other people said the same thing. The current didn't feel as strong as I thought it would, but my time was pretty fast so it probably did help quite a bit. I didn't get sick, but the choppiness of the river (up/down/sidways/etc.) got to me near the end.

Overall point, hug the island at the start and don't freak if it's choppy or you don't think the current is helping you as much as you thought. It is, it just doesn't feel like it.

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