General Discussion Triathlon Talk » HELP! First HIM... Which is best one!?! Rss Feed  
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2015-05-05 6:25 PM


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Subject: HELP! First HIM... Which is best one!?!
I'm doing a HIM to celebrate (mourn?) the completion of 30 years of life. My birthday is in October, so which event is a good one (gentle course, nice weather, good city, etc) to get me into the Ironman family?


2015-05-08 6:03 AM
in reply to: clbdpt

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Subject: RE: HELP! First HIM... Which is best one!?!
Ironman Louisville, October 11th. Aside from Kona, the best finish line environment of all IM's.
2015-05-08 6:49 AM
in reply to: Calvin386

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Subject: RE: HELP! First HIM... Which is best one!?!

Originally posted by Calvin386 Ironman Louisville, October 11th. Aside from Kona, the best finish line environment of all IM's.

He said HIM. 

2015-05-08 8:44 AM
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Subject: RE: HELP! First HIM... Which is best one!?!

Originally posted by GMAN 19030

Originally posted by Calvin386 Ironman Louisville, October 11th. Aside from Kona, the best finish line environment of all IM's.

He said HIM. 

He also asked for suggestions, of which there are none yet.

I don't have one either, but do have a question of what area to look for? How far can the travel be?



Edited by brigby1 2015-05-08 8:44 AM
2015-05-08 11:46 AM
in reply to: clbdpt

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Subject: RE: HELP! First HIM... Which is best one!?!
Lake Tahoe 70.3 is at the end of September. Otherwise Beach2Battleship is in October
2015-05-08 12:25 PM
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Subject: RE: HELP! First HIM... Which is best one!?!
I can travel anywhere, so that's not a concern.


2015-05-10 5:50 AM
in reply to: GMAN 19030

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Subject: RE: HELP! First HIM... Which is best one!?!
Originally posted by GMAN 19030

Originally posted by Calvin386 Ironman Louisville, October 11th. Aside from Kona, the best finish line environment of all IM's.

He said HIM. 




Sorry...missed that.
2015-05-10 9:16 AM
in reply to: Rdracer99

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Subject: RE: HELP! First HIM... Which is best one!?!

Originally posted by Rdracer99 Lake Tahoe 70.3 is at the end of September. Otherwise Beach2Battleship is in October

He said gentle course. 

I can do this all day. 

2015-05-10 10:08 AM
in reply to: GMAN 19030

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Subject: RE: HELP! First HIM... Which is best one!?!
lol...not sure there is a "gentle" course out there. They are all tough...just different factors (i.e. winds and heat in Texas although mostly flat courses...hills/mountains out west, altitude, etc.). I thought that Galveston this year would be "easier" than Muncie last year...ha ha, wrong! Those winds are no joke. I think the flat but windy bike course in Galveston was actually worse than any other that I've been on to date. I've only been doing this a little over a year, so I'm still a newbie, but it seems to me that they are all tough and you have to choose your difficult factor (wind, heat, hills, etc) or destination location and go from there.
2015-05-13 8:30 AM
in reply to: clbdpt

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Subject: RE: HELP! First HIM... Which is best one!?!

Does it need to be Ironman brand?  Niagara Falls Barrelman in September was great.  A nice swim in a canal (moved this year to a rowing basin) then a flat and fast bike, followed by a run that goes by Niagara Falls twice.

2015-05-13 4:47 PM
in reply to: clbdpt

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Subject: RE: HELP! First HIM... Which is best one!?!
Well here's the 70.3's that might be within the ballpark...

Augusta GA Sept 27
Superfrog Coronado CA Sept 27
Silverman Henderson NV Oct 4
Tempe Tempe AZ Oct 18
Miami Miami FL Oct 25
Austin Austin TX Nov 8


2015-05-13 9:43 PM
in reply to: Rdracer99

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Subject: RE: HELP! First HIM... Which is best one!?!

Originally posted by Rdracer99 lol...not sure there is a "gentle" course out there. They are all tough...just different factors (i.e. winds and heat in Texas although mostly flat courses...hills/mountains out west, altitude, etc.). I thought that Galveston this year would be "easier" than Muncie last year...ha ha, wrong! Those winds are no joke. I think the flat but windy bike course in Galveston was actually worse than any other that I've been on to date. I've only been doing this a little over a year, so I'm still a newbie, but it seems to me that they are all tough and you have to choose your difficult factor (wind, heat, hills, etc) or destination location and go from there.

Okay... I won't tell you the winds at Galveston this year were the calmest of any year the race has existed.  

2015-05-14 8:24 AM
in reply to: metafizx

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Subject: RE: HELP! First HIM... Which is best one!?!

Originally posted by metafizx Well here's the 70.3's that might be within the ballpark... Augusta GA Sept 27 Superfrog Coronado CA Sept 27 Silverman Henderson NV Oct 4 Tempe Tempe AZ Oct 18 Miami Miami FL Oct 25 Austin Austin TX Nov 8

 

Don't do Austin.  

2015-05-14 8:26 AM
in reply to: GMAN 19030

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Subject: RE: HELP! First HIM... Which is best one!?!

Originally posted by GMAN 19030

Originally posted by Rdracer99 lol...not sure there is a "gentle" course out there. They are all tough...just different factors (i.e. winds and heat in Texas although mostly flat courses...hills/mountains out west, altitude, etc.). I thought that Galveston this year would be "easier" than Muncie last year...ha ha, wrong! Those winds are no joke. I think the flat but windy bike course in Galveston was actually worse than any other that I've been on to date. I've only been doing this a little over a year, so I'm still a newbie, but it seems to me that they are all tough and you have to choose your difficult factor (wind, heat, hills, etc) or destination location and go from there.

Okay... I won't tell you the winds at Galveston this year were the calmest of any year the race has existed.  

 

But in Galveston it's JUST the wind.  Flat as a pancake, run is 3 loops and is WELL supported, generally a flat salt water swim.  If you're disciplined enough to ride by power/hr and realize that sometimes 13mph into the wind IS the right effort you'll love the course.

 

2015-05-15 8:18 AM
in reply to: uhcoog


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Subject: RE: HELP! First HIM... Which is best one!?!
Uh oh, why not?
2015-05-15 2:59 PM
in reply to: ktsams

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Subject: RE: HELP! First HIM... Which is best one!?!
Originally posted by ktsams

Uh oh, why not?


Seems primarily people don't like the road conditions for Austin.


2015-05-15 11:11 PM
in reply to: metafizx

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Subject: RE: HELP! First HIM... Which is best one!?!

Originally posted by metafizx
Originally posted by ktsams Uh oh, why not?
Seems primarily people don't like the road conditions for Austin.

That's the main reason.  Road conditions are terrible.

2015-05-18 2:51 PM
in reply to: clbdpt

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Subject: RE: HELP! First HIM... Which is best one!?!
There's one in Macon, Georgia in October. Supposed to be really good. Rock nRollman

http://gamultisports.com/rocknrollmanraceseries/half/
2015-05-18 2:53 PM
in reply to: clbdpt

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Subject: RE: HELP! First HIM... Which is best one!?!
Also, IM 70.3 Steelhead. You can fly into Chicago or Detroit. It's in Benton Harbor Michigan. REALLY beautiful and fresh water!
2015-05-23 12:11 PM
in reply to: clbdpt

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Subject: RE: HELP! First HIM... Which is best one!?!
Originally posted by clbdpt

I'm doing a HIM to celebrate (mourn?) the completion of 30 years of life. My birthday is in October, so which event is a good one (gentle course, nice weather, good city, etc) to get me into the Ironman family?


Nobody's mentioned Los Cabos 70.3 on October 25. For those of us on the West Coast it is closer than Miami. It has the nice weather, at least. I don't know about the course.

Has anyone done this race? I'm thinking about it.
2015-05-24 10:05 AM
in reply to: EchoLkScott

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Subject: RE: HELP! First HIM... Which is best one!?!

The Cabo 70.3 is new.  They Iroman has been done twice.



2015-05-25 8:05 PM
in reply to: GMAN 19030

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Subject: RE: HELP! First HIM... Which is best one!?!
Originally posted by GMAN 19030

The Cabo 70.3 is new.  They Iroman has been done twice.




Is it the same course? What's it like?
2015-05-28 2:00 PM
in reply to: clbdpt

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Subject: RE: HELP! First HIM... Which is best one!?!
Sorry to be joining this discussion so late. If you don't care about the Ironman label, and just want a great half iron distance, you should definitely check out the Big George half, Lake George, NY,Labor Day weekend. I did it last year and it was fantastic. Spectacular surroundings, incredible support, with a lovely, clean lake, nearly flat bike course and good half marathon course as well. Granted, you ask "which is the best" and I will admit that this is the only one I have done, but everyone I know who's done it LOVED it.
2015-05-29 9:08 AM
in reply to: kathfair

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Subject: RE: HELP! First HIM... Which is best one!?!
IM Viet Nam 70.3 was AMAZING especially if you stay at the host hotel. DO NOT do New Orleans.
2015-05-29 6:04 PM
in reply to: lyttleviet

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Subject: RE: HELP! First HIM... Which is best one!?!
UM.....I DON'T recommend Vietnam 70.3 unless you really, really, really like running in the heat! That being said, one of my colleagues did it as her first HIM and survived. She finished in 8:17, about an hour over her initial time goal, after walking most of the run. Don't underestimate the heat. There is pretty much NO shade on the entire bike and run course, and you have sun reflecting off the ocean and beach onto the road for most of the middle 12 km or so of the run. Admittedly, I was pretty sick at the time, so maybe the heat got to me more than it usually does, but the temperature when I STARTED the run was 95F. That's not the heat index (and it's pretty humid), but the air temp. I started running around 10:45 AM and our temps usually peak around 1 PM, so I"m pretty sure it hit triple digits. Others who had the technology to check reported that air temps along the road reached 40-45 degrees C (about 105-110F) due to the reflection and radiation of sun off the water, and lack of shade. Also, not all aid stations had cold water, water in bottles, or ice, at least when I went through (I finished just under 6 hours).

Another consideration is that the race is at the very tail end of our dry season, which not only means that temps are at their absolute zenith (think lows in mid 80's), but there is also a possibility that rainy season could arrive earlier and affect the race (violent thunderstorms and unsettled water conditions would be typical then.) I'm not sure I would do the event again, unless it is rescheduled for earlier in the year.

On the plus side, it's a beautiful swim, and a pretty scenic and very fast bike course if the winds don't pick up too much. But if you're not REALLY good at running in extreme heat, be prepared for a death march/lots of walking on the run. You can see my race report (and Yanti's husband, Kingsley's as well) to get an idea what conditions were like.
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