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CDA Swim Start - New format

carlymariecarlymarie
in Ironman CDA

Hi CDA Group,

I'll pass along more information as it is distributed to the CDA race captains; also, the race site (athlete guide - probably late May) will be a good resource to confirm everything as well.  Anyway, CDA is moving to a time trial start for the swim this year.  Your whole race will be based on your personal chip time (even though all the usual hard cut-offs will still be enforced during the race - i.e. swim finish, bike lap cutoffs, etc.). 

Pros will start at 6:00am and 6:05am, with the time trial starts for age groupers starting at 6:35am.  The basic format will be faster swimmers line up in the front (we'll enter the beach from the west end and be lining up down the beach - start of the line towards the swim arch by transition, back of the line towards Spokane), then starting at 6:35am, 4-5 athletes will cross the timing mat to start their race every 10-15 seconds with the entire field in the water at 7:00am.  The swim course team will have signs for pacing as you line up, so you'll line up in an order based on how fast you think you will cover the distance.  Still a two loop course; hoping this format will ease the congestion and scrum we normally see at CDA.

There's an article in the CDA Press from February (sorry - I tried linking it, but couldn't get it to show up when I published my post; if you go to www.cdapress.com, just type in "ironman" in the search box and it's the article from February 24, "Ironman-safety over spectacle.") - It does say the race officials haven't decided what format they'll use for the race, but during our captains meeting in February we spent a lot of time discussing the new race logistics with the time trial format and earlier start time.

Honestly though, it is nothing to worry about now.  Seriously...don't spend any time worring about this.  Once it's all official and on the race website, then start building your race plan with the new swim start in mind.  For now, just put this away in your back pocket and focus on getting your race build workouts in. 

Comments

  • Coach RichCoach Rich

    Carly,

    Thanks for the inside scoop, great to have an inside woMan on the team . Notes:

    • The TT start is an bummer for folks racing for AG / Kona spots as you won't know where you are relative to people you see on the course but it is what it is. 
    • Interesting that they will have people line up by expected swim time. I think this is a good idea but I wonder about compliance, especially for people who may consider gaming it a bit: someone on the bubble for making the swim cut off lining up with the former college swimmers at the front in order to get an extra 25' of swim time. 
    • 2 loop swim? Means the slowest people will be getting lapped for the entire first loop of their swim. Still, probably much preferred to be swum around by competent faster swimmers vs getting beat down continuously for well over an hour...
  • jendatjendat
    Carly,
    Thanks for the info. I think I will find it easier to race "my own race" with this format. I was hoping for a Kona slot at IM Canada last year and found myself "giving up" when I saw people from my age group pass me on the bike. Although I finished the bike in 8th, I ended up 20th. The mental game got the best of me and I found myself throwing in the towel thinking I had "lost". Hoping I can stay in the game this time around!
  • Paul HoughPaul Hough
    At 5 people every 10 seconds, that's 30 people in a minute and only 750 can get in within 25 minutes. Bottomline, they have to put a lot more people in the water at a lot faster rate ... more like 10 people every 5 seconds ... that will get you 3000 in 25 minutes. That is still very doable. If there is a semi honest line up of expected swim times then it should be easy to find a draft at your expected pace and save a lot of energy.
  • bc4uabc4ua
    What's the issue with copying HIM starts and using AG waves? Seems like it'd be the easier solution.
  • Coach RichCoach Rich

    Posted By Paul Hough on 02 Apr 2013 01:17 PM


    At 5 people every 10 seconds, that's 30 people in a minute and only 750 can get in within 25 minutes. Bottomline, they have to put a lot more people in the water at a lot faster rate ... more like 10 people every 5 seconds ... that will get you 3000 in 25 minutes. That is still very doable. If there is a semi honest line up of expected swim times then it should be easy to find a draft at your expected pace and save a lot of energy.

    From what we've seen at IMLou it will go much more quickly. I suspect it will turn into a rank of about 10 people getting into the water every few seconds. 

  • Coach RichCoach Rich

    Posted By Brandon Cantrell on 02 Apr 2013 03:15 PM


    What's the issue with copying HIM starts and using AG waves? Seems like it'd be the easier solution.

    Yep. Make waves of about 500 people by combining AG's and start each wave about 5' apart. Everyone is in the water within 30'. A 500 person wave starting from the CDA beach would be noooo problem at all. 

    I suspect the TT start is equal parts the midnight cutoff, insurance pushback, and the desire to put more bodies into the race. 

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