Galveston 5150.....Oct 23 2011

good call.  didn't know that.  sounds like they might be shooting themselves in their galveston foot.

i guess that's good for me then....less people to pass me.

The last two years (especially 2010) dictated otherwise as to the sheltered nature of that inlet.  The Oly swim was cancelled in 2010 and the 70.3 swim was pretty rough.  I normally swim around 32 to 34 minutes for a 70.3 and my 2010 time was like 42 minutes.  It was kind of choppy this year as well but not nearly as bad as 2010.

And having this race the same day as the Austin 70.3 is just plain dumb.

I am really considering this now that I signed up for the Galveston HIM in April.  It is practically a clinic for the HIM 5 months in advance.

Between the two races:

• The Swim course is identical
• Water temp should be about the same in late Oct as early April
• The bike course starts identicaly but turns around earlier for 5150
• The run course is 2 loops for 5150 and 4 loops for HIM on the same path.

The only problem is I'll be training for a HM in November, but I don't think this will interfere too much with those plans.

1.5K saltwater swim, in protected Offats Bayou. No big surf here!

The swim will begin at Moody Gardens’ beautiful white sand Palm Beach, and finish next to the majestic Colonel Paddlewheel boat. Average water temperature is 72 degrees F.

Of course that description is the same for the HIM too.

I think the water will be wetsuit legal, but not icy.

hoping for wetsuit legal, but planning for not.

water temps for g-town....http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/cwtg/wgof.html

75 average for OCT 67 in Nov and this is in the late half of the month.

I actually prefer non wetsuit races (so far) but I suspect it will be legal in April so I might as well do it in a wetsuit in both.  That said, I plan on being ready to swim it without one.

On another note - anyway to tell how full a WTC race is.  I don't want to book this one quite yet, but I don't want it to fill up on me either.

I'm still looking at doing this race.  I emailed the WTC recently and they confirmed the race still has plenty of open slots.

So I'm probably going to wait to see how I do at Houston first.

The 5150 series has sort of been a big bust so far.  I think four of the races were cancelled this year. The Miami and NOLA events were very poorly attended from what I read.  It looks like Galveston isn't going to change that.  As I stated previously, putting this race on the same day as the Austin 70.3 is just plain dumb.

why were they cancelled?

The latest excuse for the Lake Lanier 5150 was a conflicting event taking place in and around Lake Lanier. They're just finding that out a month before the race???  No one is buying it.

The events aren't selling well.  There are many other options generally available for Olympic distance races on the local level that people don't want to shell out $175 to do an Olympic race.  There aren't many other options for 140.6 or 70.3 races but there are for Olympic races.  WTC is finding out they can't corner the market on short course racing like they did long course racing.

I agree more options are good. I personally would like to see different races in our area. A guy just posted in Tri Talk that he particpated in a race that was a sprint and the next day a 100 mile bike ride and a 10K all over a weekend. Not sure if it was over 2 days or 3 days but I love the idea of mixing it up.  I'd love to see something that is no frills but FUN and different from sprint/oly/HIM, swim/bike/run. 

The timing was all wrong and but I also hope we are sending a message that $175 for an Oly is just plain silly no matter who is putting the race on. I don't pay that much for my HIM distance

I'm still planning to do this one, just because it will be a good practice run for the HIM at the same Venue next year.  Although I think they are running a sprint (lonestar) at the same time.

I don't disagree on the timing and the cost though.  Only $25 less for the Oly than I paid for the HIM.

Galveston 5150 is not $175.  it's only $125.....  straight from their website...

Olympic: 

Registration Fees:
Individual entry: $125 until close

Sprint: 

Individual Entry:
$60 until September 30
$75 October 1 – October 17

The Houston Tri Oly is priced at $115 for regular entry and $125 for late entry (which starts over a month before the race).  so in comparison, i think WTC is right on par (and beating the prices of other local sprints).  Clear Lake is in the $95 range and Kemah is probably the same price as Houston.