IM Louisville Deets
Hey everyone....I know, I am posting about a bunch of races lately...obviously a bit lost and searching for the right one. I saw today IMLV has general entry slots available.
Wondering about the how much and where for accommodations...any input/info would be great. If you have other tips about the race, the area or whatever, I would love to hear.
Thanks friends
JC
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Comments
1. The swim is time trial start...one at a time off the end of a dock. If you don't like mass start swims, this is the race for you. I think I touched one other person the whole swim, and it was a kayak. It's in the river, and you have a current to help you for about 2/3 of the swim.
2. The bike is hilly, but no real BIG climbs. It's got a couple of laps on a 30ish mile loop, so it can get a little crowded. The course is also not completely closed, and the cars created a few backups which can be very annoying
3. The run is mostly flat...goes by Churchill Downs and loops through downtown twice.
THis is the only IM I've done. It seems like a good first one for most people except for the heat. I do OK in heat, but if you are not good in the heat or can't train (I'm in MN, so that was a problem for me) in it, you might look elsewhere. Kris Frazier lives in Louisville just off the course and can give you all the low down if you PM her.
Bill’s comments are spot on!
The big factor for this course is the heat and humidity. You need to come to this race acclimated or it may not be a pretty day. For more info on the course doe a search on race reports for IMLOU.
The finish is a one of a kind atmosphere, I put it second to Kona. One view from sugar challenged brain cells!!
I will check out the 21C, I did see it advertised....
Thanks again guys
JC
IMKY was my first IM this year. I trained in the New England myself and luckily this summer was hot as blazes, so I felt pretty prepared. I stayed at the Galt which was quite convenient for sure (race expo, registration onsite), but not the least expensive option. I sprang for a suite and it was worth the extra $ (only about $20-30 more/night - and I saw the regular rooms). I am considering doing the race next year as well, and would look at 21C - very cool vibe. My husband and I ate there one night (I forget the name of the restaurant) and it was awesome! Locally sourced modern American cuisine and a funky art gallery. I know some other folks stayed at the Brown.
I really enjoyed the course overall and would recommend it. It is certainly not the most popular - you can't wear a wetsuit, and it is really hot (though of course this varies year to year and it wasn't that bad in 2009). The course itself I would classify as moderately difficult. I've heard the logistics for IMKY are good compared to others (specifically IMWI) everything is centralized and easy to get to..And as Matt said 4th St Live is a way cool finish!
PM me if you want any other deets
We've had some folks have some pretty good days in extreme weather, Myself, Aimee,and Matt have all done the podcast take a listen and you can hear our thoughts.
I also had a RR podcast. I will be there for IMLOU #3 in 2011. The heat/humidity of the race is similar to the Kansas summers, so no biggie for me. I like the Galt House, nice central location. Between the finish line and swim/transition sites. Feel free to contact me anytime for any details about the race I can give you.
1) more participants allowed to register
2) very hot and humid this year, much like the first year.
3) promoter did not plan appropriately for water throughout the course, especially for the mid-packers. I hit mile 60 aid statiion to find out that they were completely out of water, I then made it to the next aid station (15-20 miles) to find out that they were out as well. There was panic as there were many athletes needing water, especially because of the heat. The volunteers were doing the best they could by picking up used water bottles from the ground and filling them with a hose or dunking them in the melted ice to get water for the athletes.
I seen many athletes between mile 75 and the finish stretched out in front yards (including me) trying to cool off or waiting for water.
I dropped out at mile 8 of the run due to dehydration, but I heard similar stories on the run course. One guy in my hotel said that at mile 24 later in the evening, they not only ran out of water but cups as well, he was forced to pick up a empty 2 liter bottle and dip it in the melted ice and used it until the last mile.
I emailed the WTC and race promoters, they acknowledged that there was a logisitic problem with the water as demand was higher than anticipated, but they claim that they fixed the problem quickly. unfortunately, there were some participants that were really effected by this, I think this is one of the reasons why the race has not sold out.
I would like to do the race again sometime in the future, but not for awhile, they have to prove to me that they can fix the logistic issues before I will register again.
I did IMLou in 2008 and would agree with most comments
Positives
1)I like an urban setting
2)Good base for family and friends to workout of during the race
3)Agree with comment about Galt House suites being worth it if money is not an issue
4)Swim was really quite fun despite all the jokes about a dirty river and frankly a wetsuit is just a pain anyways
5)The bike course does have cars but it is a constantly changing course so you never really get bored(except for the part near the horse farms where the bike feels like it is riding in peanut butter. The last 15 miles or so have the feeling of a slight downhill--just when you need it most
6)The run is straightforward and mostly flat--again I like the urban feel
7)Finish line is major league exciting and worth the effort
8)Family can easily see you 4 times on the bike course by driving to La Grange (so called loop portion of the course)
Negatives
1)The heat is well documented but you got to deal with something
2)I am a true back of the packer and they ran out of water for the bike but not run during my effort--Not ideal--But actually there are stores around that you can buy some in a disaster case scenario. I will actually take some cash with me this go around. You can also put an emergency stash in your bike special needs bag
3)Yes I did see people fall into the ditches on the side of the bike course-Benny Hill style-during my race, but that will not be you.
The water thing is crazy! How could they run out of water? Sounds like a bad "ironman anxiety" dream I have been known to have
there are stores at 58, 38 and about 15 miles before the finish--so don't worry. Worst case scenario you make a quick purchase, skip the change and you are off and biking
The stores are used to people in funny clothes and shoes since folks train on the "loop" part of the course all summer long
Tip: I wore a white mesh hat and filled it up with ice at every aid station on the run, and I swear I did not feel the heat during the run. Around dusk I stopped doing it thinking it had cooled down, and then I started to heat up. This worked really really well for me! I stayed for the midnight finishers and it was AMAZING!
Biggest negative I had was the bike course wasn't closed for traffic. There were at least 3 times I was stuck behind cars and slowed down quite a bit, and from the safety standpoint, the organizers could do a better job.
There are lots of info wrt accommodation, race, etc. in iamtri.com, so you might want to check it out.
As of last week there were still 200 slots open.
Thanks to Matt and his wife I was able to get in on the secret to get someone in line for the swim start while I checked my bike and equipment at transition. The earlier you start, the less problems with water and heat you will have.