Washington NC Half (Page 4)

nice job everyone. I hope you enjoyed my incredible aid station skills at the run turnaround

was a brisk day! way to HTFU!

I want to thank all of you who recommended Marabellas. It didn't look like much from the outside but it was amazing!

And thanks to Alan and Scottie for making the trip just to help out and supoort us.

I hear you on the cold and windy, but it was the opposite in July at the OLY this year- hot and very humid. I would not have wanted to do a HIM in that- the heat presents a whole new set of challenges than the cold. I wonder why they don't do it in Sept, for instance? It could serve a tune-up race for late season IMs and would avoid being on the same weekend as B2B half. What do others prefer: late Oct with the risk of cold, or late July where you KNOW it is going to be hot...it just depends on HOW hot? I doubt I would sign up for an HIM in July in NC.

The B2B races move each year. Next year they will be a week later and than a further week later the year after that. FSseries thinks that a July date will allow people to use the Washington Half as a tune up for Louisville, IMOO, or other mid-season IM's.

As much as I hate the heat and humidity ( and I do more than most), the cold and wind were worse. I do not expect to feel 100% for at least a week.

I totally have to agree with Louiskie.  I did the OLY in July and the run wore me down.  I was in pretty good shape (I felt so bad for most people there who weren't) and would NOT have wanted to do a Half.  Last weekend was a crap shoot.  North Carolina weather is fantastic in the Fall.  We just happened to have a cold front come through.  The next day was beautiful.  You KNOW it's going to be sweltering in July.  You have an idea of what the temperature is going to be like in October.  October is kind of pushing it, but oh well.

I see no reason to move it for the weather. The cold held me up a little in transtion, but it was the wind that really beat me down and it could be windy anytime.

I bet it's a business decision to get some seperation from B2B and save some cost traveling, setting up, and taking down once in Washington instead of twice. Logistics seems to be one of FS's strengths so working out the three races in a wekkend should be doable for them.

FWIW, I would love to see the races in September, but I would have signed up for this one anytime from June to early November because I wanted to do a half this year. But I won't be doing a half next year. The oly is still under consideration, but the water mocassin possibility freaks me out. That's another plus for cold.

+1

If they move it, I would hope for September. That would not be a good tune up race time unless it was Labor Day weekend or so but it's a great weather month for cycling and not too shabby for running either.  July just sounds HOT.

Let me look at my list of things I look for in a HIM...

Hummm.  90+ degrees in swealtering humidity is not on my list.  Olympic distance in July is one thing, HIM is a whole other beast.  There is no finishing before it gets too hot.  The lows are usually 75 in July. 

I did White Lake HIM in May (2010) and it was 88 degrees and it was absolutely miserable (and wife and I both vowed to never do that race again).  The one saving grace with White Lake is there is little humidity in the beginning of May (but no shade).   Add the humidity to that...no thanks.   It is hard enough for me running 13 miles at 6am in July. 

 Early June would be a better option IMHO than July.  Only good thing about July is the lack of competition from surrounding races.

This past year White Lake was not that hot, but you are right it has been wicked hot in years past. May might be good because White lake is going back to just 1 weekend in 2012 so it might fill up by the end of this week leaving alot of people without an early season HIM.

Yeah forgot about that.  A mid apriil or mid-late may date would probably be even better to catch those used to doing White Lake II. 

It's a little bit earlier, but there's the Rock 'n Rollman half in Macon in early June.  Not an easy course and brutally hot (upper 90s at the finish this year) but timing may work for you.  The organizers do a great job preparing for the heat and ice and frozen towels are available at every aid station on the run course.

100 would be bad. 

The issue with the heat at White Lake for me has always been the lack of heat during the training period.  What is really not that hot seems terribly hot because we haven't acclimated.

Now July in Washington would be a real test of endurance.  Take into account the heat, but also the humidity.  I can't say with certainty, but I don't know how many people would sign up for a half at that time in the year.  As to the comparison with IM Louisville, I think people have signed up for that because they were bound and determined to race an i dot race and that was the one they could get into on the east coast.  If I race an iron distance race ( which is a big if) I would race B2B.  For me it's the distance, not the brand.

The calendar is full, that's for sure.  I like this race for a multitude of reasons and will always race it over the B2B half for those reasons. 

I think if you did it in July, you'd have to start at 6 a.m. in order to avoid the worst of the day.  That's not an issue for me, but it might be for others.