IMFL SWIM VETERANS

I asked my coach the same thing (he's a veteran), and he said it didn't matter....he's started in every different place and it just didn't matter with that many people!  That's about what I figure I'll swim, so let me know what you decide so I can draft on your toes  

I was thinking more to the right I might have to swim longer but no-one will by trying to drowned me

I had no clue where to line up.  My IM swim goal was 1:20 and I ended up finishing in 1:16.  I lined up in the middle, toward the outer right edge.  It was hard though when I got to the swim start to see where I was relative to everyone else, because there were so many people. 

I did make the mistake of cutting in too soon (like by the 1st or 2nd buoy) I was angling over already) and that's when the battle started.  Had I stayed more off to the right until the first turn buoy I would have actually been able to swim more instead of dog paddling.  But it actually didn't matter because the draft carried me and din't slow my time down much even though I wasn't really able to swim free style until after the first turn around buoy.  Surprisingly my 2nd lap time was slower than my first lap and that's when everyone started to spread out.  But that could have been because I stopped for water after the first lap and walked back into the ocean for lap #2.

Some of the STers said to start near the buoy and even swim on the inside of them until you hit the turn, then take the turns wide so you can swim around them instead of getting stuck int he middle of the washing machine.

It's a beach start, and from the pics I've seen people will be stretched out for a few hundred meters to the side along the beach.  I'm not fast at all and will be lucky to average in the 2:00 - 2:05 per 100m, but I plan on starting towaards the buoy line and staying as clear as possible with the 2,300+ other people around me.

Just get me out there in the 1:20 range and let me get on my bike ..... then the fun begins!!

I wish I was fast enough to say "I'm swimming the SHORTEST distance between each 2 points !!"........

....reality check.......I'll be taking it slightly wide, and taking my time going in. If I charge into the water, my HR will rocket, I'll get more stupid than usual, and it will be total chaos. So instead, I'll saunter into the water, let the others beat each other up, and then swim up on their toes and draft.

Sounds good on paper, right?

-------------------

This reminds me of a line from the cop movie Colors:

"There are two bulls standing on top of a mountain. The younger [Sean Penn] says to the older one [Robert Duvall]: 'Hey Pop, let's say we run down there and **** one of them cows.' The older bull says: 'No son. Let's walk down and **** 'em all.'"

Okay Rick,  I'm looking for you!

Is there a "current" or variable wave pattern that would push you right or left?  Or is it all pretty much rolling in towards the beach?

No idea as I've never swam in the Gulf before.  I'm just hoping that since the water is a bit more clear than what I'm usually swimming in events, I can actually swim straight for once!!

Oh, and I should be easy to find ... I'll be the guy in the wetsuit with the goggles and swim cap ....

I'd start on the inside, for the following reasons:

• It's 1000meters to the first turn--it'll be thinned out considerably by then.
• If you start on the right, you'll swim significant extra distance, adn that distance will be though a lot of people swimming straight.
• Here's a little-known fact: the only bouys you have to keep on your left (assuming a counter-clockwise course) are the turn bouys. You can actually swim to the inside of the out- and in-bound bouys. Lots less traffic that way.

And can someone tell more about the exit to the first loop.  It looks like you run out onto the beach around a cone of some sort and then enter  back into the water.

Is there an aid station at the turn?  What's it stocked with?  Water/Gatorade/Gels?

Anyone have much trouble getting through waves/tides?  Is there even much of them with the mass of people plowing through things?  Did you have to duck under any waves at any point? 

You run up on the beach, across a timing mat and then back into the water  to where you started the swim.  There is an aid station with water.  Last year I ran into the water until thigh deep and then started swimming.  There were waves and I just swam through them.  On the swim back to the beach the long shore current will be pushing you away from the bouy line, so watch that.  I was pushed out about 50 feet from the bouy line.  The swim out from shore is easy because the current is pushing you toward the bouy line making it easy to stay on the line.  I started on the bouy line mid pack.  The swim start wasn't bad at all.  I just swam my own race and didn't worry about anyone else around me.  Never got knocked around.  It's a very wide beach start, so people are pretty well spread out. 

Good luck and have fun.  It's a great race.

TJ

Last year we contrary to what the swim looks like on the web site,  we did the loop got out of the water and you go across a timing mat.  THere was an aide station.  THey at least had water I'm not sure if they had gatorade because I didn't expect it and didn't take anything.  you walked across the width of the beach and re-entered the water the same place we started,  You DID NOT have to swim a diagonal on the second loop.  THe first loop there was easy drafting, second loop as everyone spread out it was harder to draft.  ALso on the second loop there was significantly more surf and current than the first loop.  Supposedly the wind and conditions were the worst they had ever had at IMFL so hopefully you guys will have better weather.

Starting the 2nd loop wasn't a big deal at all.  You run up the beach a little and hit the timing mat where all the spectators are- you'll get a huge rush just from the crowd- it's awesome.  There was a table set up last year with just water- I didn't see it though and ran past it, and then realized I passed it and I ran back because I wanted to rinse my mouth from all the salt water.  When I hit the water table it was really crowded and they didn't seem to have enough water poured for everyone- I had to wait to get a cup because everyone was grabbing them- it was pretty crazy.  I just walked into the water for the 2nd lap- I didn't want to waste any energy and get my HR up from running through the sand.  Most of the people I was around didn't run into the water for the 2nd lap, but I'm sure the more "Hard Core" athletes did.

Like Sue said, we didn't have to swim or enter the 2nd loop diagonally- which was good.  It was pretty simple.