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2015-10-09 12:01 PM


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Subject: IM 70.3 in Raleigh
Happy Friday everyone!
I just found out IM 70.3 is sold out for 2016, which is a real bummer because i'm trying to schedule my first 70.3 while still being able to try and run Chicago next fall. I see that 70.3 in Raleigh is still open, but haven't heard anything about it. Does anyone here have any experience with this race or heard anything about it?

As always, thank you for any feedback.

Alex


2015-10-09 12:48 PM
in reply to: linkslefty

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Subject: RE: IM 70.3 in Raleigh
I did it this year and loved it.

Swim was a bit "long" and choppy and non-wetsuit legal, times were slow, but I enjoyed it. Bike has good pavement and what I would call rolling hills, not crazy hilly, not flat. Lots of hills you can carry your momentum over if you know how to shifting properly. Run is 2x out and back, again rolling hills, not hilly, not flat, just a couple rollers. Some shade on the run not much, was about 88-92 on race day. City supports it well and the volunteers are great.

The one difficult part of the race is the split transition and you have to bus to the lake. Thought it would be a pain but they managed to do it very well, about a 30-40 minute commute to the lake, Just a bit earlier of a morning.
2015-10-10 10:07 AM
in reply to: bcagle25

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Subject: RE: IM 70.3 in Raleigh
Not a comment on the course itself, but on the perspective of a spectator. I had a friend who went with her husband, and because of the way the course is laid out, she found it tough to find him. Nothing on the swim, only later on in the bike. She said the best place to find your athlete is the run. Just in case you're traveling with someone and that matters to you!
2015-10-10 3:43 PM
in reply to: #5145666


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Subject: RE: IM 70.3 in Raleigh
@bcagle...for a weaker swimmer would you recommend Raleigh as a first 70.3? I was hoping to do Chattanooga, sold out, and Muncie is out due to a wedding. The other option may be Steelhead in Michigan.
2015-10-10 3:56 PM
in reply to: linkslefty

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Subject: RE: IM 70.3 in Raleigh
Originally posted by linkslefty

@bcagle...for a weaker swimmer would you recommend Raleigh as a first 70.3? I was hoping to do Chattanooga, sold out, and Muncie is out due to a wedding. The other option may be Steelhead in Michigan.


I would say for a weaker swimmer any wetsuit legal race will be easier. I'm not positive, but I think they moved the date up about 1 month from last year. I don't know if it will make it wetsuit legal or not, but it should be cooler.
2015-10-11 1:36 AM
in reply to: linkslefty

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Subject: RE: IM 70.3 in Raleigh
Originally posted by linkslefty

@bcagle...for a weaker swimmer would you recommend Raleigh as a first 70.3? I was hoping to do Chattanooga, sold out, and Muncie is out due to a wedding. The other option may be Steelhead in Michigan.


I did both this year.

Steelhead has a notoriously "bad/rough" swim, but they changed the course.

I will be blunt though, if your that weak of a swimmer it fears you, train it. Get in open water, work on your stroke, build confidence. In that case Steelhead is 3 months later so that will allow you more OWS time.

Not trying to be a jerk about it, I just see so many people get to the start line unprepared and depend on their wetsuit and not taken ownership in their training.


2015-10-11 8:30 AM
in reply to: linkslefty

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Subject: RE: IM 70.3 in Raleigh
I just checked a few minutes ago as I'm preparing my season and Raleigh still shows it is open. Chatanooga 70.3 (my first choice) is sold out.
2015-10-11 11:18 AM
in reply to: #5145872


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Subject: RE: IM 70.3 in Raleigh
I appreciate the advice. I've actually never even put on a wetsuit, so I don't even know how it helps. It's not that I fear I can't complete the swim, just trying to pick a first 70.3 that will play to my strengths. Having said that, I would be hoping for it to be wsl so that I could take advantage of that additional buoyancy.
2015-10-11 7:56 PM
in reply to: linkslefty

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Subject: RE: IM 70.3 in Raleigh
I live in Raleigh and raced it two years ago.
I really enjoyed it. The swim was wetsuit legal in 2013 and 2014. Its always right around the wetsuit legal temp. The swim is not bad, and wasnt terribly choppy when I raced it. Bike course is rolling and fairly scenic. As mentioned before, the run is 2x out and back and finishes in downtown Raleigh. Crowd support and volunteer support on the run was solid, as well as the last ~10-15 miles of the bike (when going through Holly Springs). Logistically, for spectators, its not ideal, due to the point to point nature of it, but the logistics were handled well by WTC. The experience as a whole was very good, and I will do it again at somepoint. Wanting to do Vineman 70.3 this year, so probably wont do Raleigh.
2015-10-12 9:49 AM
in reply to: linkslefty

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Subject: RE: IM 70.3 in Raleigh
I've raced Raleigh 3 times (full disclosure I live here). I've also done Steelhead, Augusta, Austin, and B2B. Raleigh and Augusta are probably my two top recommendations. Take a look at the race reports. A couple of thoughts then feel free to PM me with any questions.

- The swim has been wetsuit legal 2 of 3 years. But it's always going to be a last minute thing as to whether it will be or not. Of course, even when it's not wetsuit legal you have the option of wearing one (but you go in the last wave and you aren't eligible for awards... the latter not usually being too relevant for many). Aside from that the swim is pretty straight forward open water.
- The bike is beautiful NC countryside for the most part. It is "somewhat" hilly. How hilly tends to depend on your frame of reference. The roads are generally good.
- The run is two laps in downtown Raleigh with really good crowd support.
- The point-to-point transition thing is a bit of a PITA but not uncommon and not a reason to not do the race IMO.
- The race can be hot being in NC in early June.
- The city really welcomes the race. And the race support is excellent.
2015-10-13 11:38 AM
in reply to: smoom

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Subject: RE: IM 70.3 in Raleigh
Originally posted by smoom

I've raced Raleigh 3 times (full disclosure I live here). I've also done Steelhead, Augusta, Austin, and B2B. Raleigh and Augusta are probably my two top recommendations. Take a look at the race reports. A couple of thoughts then feel free to PM me with any questions.

- The swim has been wetsuit legal 2 of 3 years. But it's always going to be a last minute thing as to whether it will be or not. Of course, even when it's not wetsuit legal you have the option of wearing one (but you go in the last wave and you aren't eligible for awards... the latter not usually being too relevant for many). Aside from that the swim is pretty straight forward open water.
- The bike is beautiful NC countryside for the most part. It is "somewhat" hilly. How hilly tends to depend on your frame of reference. The roads are generally good.
- The run is two laps in downtown Raleigh with really good crowd support.
- The point-to-point transition thing is a bit of a PITA but not uncommon and not a reason to not do the race IMO.
- The race can be hot being in NC in early June.
- The city really welcomes the race. And the race support is excellent.


Yeah, what he said ^^^, except I have a place in my heart for B2B as well. But Raleigh is a really well done race, the course is challenging enough to keep you honest but nothing that should scare you too much (as smoom said, rolling hills but no big climbs). The swim is just that- a 1.2 mile lake swim. Nothing more, nothing less. Some years it is wetsuit legal, some years it is not.


2015-10-13 1:28 PM
in reply to: #5145963


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Subject: RE: IM 70.3 in Raleigh
I really aporeciate everyone's feedback. Being newer to this, I'm curious to follow up with another question: some of you have mentioned community support as a big positive. Have you been deterred from other races because of a lack of that? I would've never thought to consider the spectator support.
2015-10-13 1:35 PM
in reply to: bcagle25

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Subject: RE: IM 70.3 in Raleigh
Originally posted by bcagle25

Originally posted by linkslefty

@bcagle...for a weaker swimmer would you recommend Raleigh as a first 70.3? I was hoping to do Chattanooga, sold out, and Muncie is out due to a wedding. The other option may be Steelhead in Michigan.


I did both this year.

Steelhead has a notoriously "bad/rough" swim, but they changed the course.

I will be blunt though, if your that weak of a swimmer it fears you, train it. Get in open water, work on your stroke, build confidence. In that case Steelhead is 3 months later so that will allow you more OWS time.

Not trying to be a jerk about it, I just see so many people get to the start line unprepared and depend on their wetsuit and not taken ownership in their training.


Not to highjack the thread, but what did they change at Steelhead? Did it 2 years ago, and there were some swells, but nothing awful.
2015-10-13 1:48 PM
in reply to: linkslefty

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Subject: RE: IM 70.3 in Raleigh
Originally posted by linkslefty

I really aporeciate everyone's feedback. Being newer to this, I'm curious to follow up with another question: some of you have mentioned community support as a big positive. Have you been deterred from other races because of a lack of that? I would've never thought to consider the spectator support.


For me, I train alone a lot. When I race I like having some crowd support. Its just more fun. I have no desire to do a race like the Finish Strong Half where it is very small, little crowd support, etc because it is basically like paying money to do a triathlon on my own. Of the races mentioned though (B2B, Raleigh 70.3, Augusta 70.3), crowd support is pretty good so no worries there.
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