Ironman Florida 2008

Snopes.com says this is a true photo, taken near Capetown. Yikes again!

It's forecast to be rainy with a high of 58*F in Oceanside, California tomorrow for the half Ironman. So the organizers are offering a "different" option:

"Ford Ironman California 70.3 is offering an optional 700m swim for athletes who are not comfortable swimming in colder conditions. Those athletes choosing this option will go in a wave at 8:30am and swim 700m, bike 56 miles and run 13.1 miles. Your results will be posted in the new category so you can see how you finished compared to your fellow competitors in your race. You will receive a finisher’s shirt and medal however you will not be eligible for awards, Ford Ironman World Championship slots (Hawaii), Ford Ironman 70.3 World Championship slots or Ironman North America race slots."

What do you all think of that? That's 36% of the half IM swim leg distance. While it's a nice gesture to accommodate those folks that would have withdrawn otherwise, it seems like once you're cold and wet you might as well swim the whole leg. It will be interesting to see how many people actually complete that option.

---

Update: At 10AM local time on March 18 in Oceanside, weather reports say 55*F with broken clouds and average 8 mph winds. Precipitation in the last 6 hours was 0.03 inches. That's about 10 degrees colder than the average high daily temperature, but well within the normal range. According to NOAA, the average water temperature in Oceanside in March is 58*F. Everything looks well within the normal range of weather and water conditions.

---

Update 2: According to Ironmanlive.com coverage: The water temperature was 56 degrees (2 degrees below the average). 2115 triathletes were registered to race. 14 athletes elected to do the shorter swim course.

Our thanks to Comm for this great article which appears on page 26 of the April 2006 Triathlete magazine. If you haven't joined yet, and would like to be on an email list with fellow triathlete-bloggers, please join us in the Tri Blog Alliance Yahoo discussion group! (You don't need to be a blogger to join the fun, but your blog helps us learn more about you!)

Well, I did the easy part, at least - I booked my flights today.

Arriving in Panama City Beach 8:59 AM on Thursday, November 2nd; picking up a rental car at the airport and heading straight to the race venue! Departing Panama City Beach 7:00 AM on Monday, November 6th. I'm having my bike shipped separately so I won't have to worry about that until I arrive.

I also splurged and paid $15 for trip cancellation insurance, which also pays up to $5000 for medical expenses and $15,000 for emergency medical evacuation at any time during the trip. Just in case, you know, I have a teensy problem on the Ironman course. Not that I'm planning on needing it, but it will be nice to know it's there.

Getting ready for Ironman Florida, like several of us!? Linae's design talent produced this great logo for shirts and other items for us! We are selling these AT COST (that means we are taking NOT ONE CENT PROFIT!) at Cafepress NOW!

Get psyched for Ironman Florida! We'll add some designs and styles (e.g., special "Crew" shirts) as we continue to get more creative. (Naturally we have to be careful about copyright infringement, too.) Keep checking back and let us know if you have any special requests!

See you there!!!

Along with the third edition of the Chesapeakeman Ultra-distance Triathlon in Cambridge, Maryland this September 30th, they are offering a new event on the beautiful and pancake-flat Eastern Shore:

The Chesapeake Endurance Triathlon, with a 1.2-mile swim, 65-mile bike, and 10-mile run.

Sounds perfect for a long workout and dress rehearsal, 5 weeks back from Ironman Florida! The race management team always does a superb job on their events. I'll probably enter. Who else is with me?

If those distances aren't long enough for you, they're also offering a 2.4-mile swim, and an "AquaVelo" with a 2.4-mile swim and a 112-mile bike. Something for everyone!

Here's a shot from from the Lake Cam at Taupo, New Zealand on the day that the Ironman New Zealand swim was cancelled. Those whitecaps look tough! Smart call, and let's all hope for milder conditions in Florida in November!

Ahh, here's an alternative shot from the Panama City Beach webcam. Now that looks a little nicer!

Here's an instructive tale, with a touch of self-deprecating humor by someone who tackled Vineman. Also known as Whineman. It's worth reading through to the end. It's pretty amazing!

Moronman!