Review - Ironman 70.3 New Orleans
Tuesday, April 7, 2009 at 5:47AM Simply put, this race was one of the best I've ever done. If you are looking for a PR and a professionally executed, scenic venue, New Orleans should be at the top of your list.
I must admit that I had my reservations about this event. The city had been devastated by Hurricane Katrina, I'm not a big fan of the price charged for official Ironman events, and the hoops you have to jump through for a venue to handle such a large volume of people can be a real pain - specifically IM Wisconsin's transition area nuttiness.
IMNO had almost no issues to make me regret this race. Even though I felt like I would rather be dead at the end of this thing, I was simply blown away at how awesome it was. I put together a list of pluses and minuses to help you decide if you want to do it yourself.
What was good -
- The swim course was along a wall. No swimming aimlessly and looking forward for a buoy. Just look to your right at the shore. Perfect.
- Wave starts. Thank you!
- The transition area was executed perfectly. Plenty of room, stuff right next to your bike, it just flowed.
- The bike course was flat and super safe. A completely closed off course? Flat? It was like a dream come true. Wind can be an issue, sure, but I think this course would be great even if it was dumping rain.
- The run course was flat and went along the shore, a great park, and into the French Quarter. Talk about scenic!
- Free GOOD beer at the end and a real party zone. Abita beer in the French Quarter? That's really experiencing the local faire.
- Volunteers were where you needed them, but never in your way. Want out of your wetsuit? Done. Water instead of gatorade, gatorade instead of water? Unlike a lot of races where the volunteers don't know or care what liquid they are handing you, these knew that it actually mattered.
- Knowing that you were helping out a community in need. New Orleans is still suffering from the hurricane. The locals were happy to see us there spending cash.
What was bad -
- Holding the pre-race meeting and packet pickup in the densest part of town. Crowded, hectic, and not necessary. Why not have it in a building on the same campus where the swim and transtition area was?
- I had no idea where the buses were to get back to the transition area after the race. I eventually caught a ride with some guys who took pity on me. My friend said he had to walk about half a mile to find the buses. Maybe they told us where they were, but I never caught that. There should be a big sign at the finish saying, "BUSES - THIS WAY!" Sheesh!
- Only allowing athletes to enter the transition area before the race from one side, not both. My friend and I walked down to the water to check out the lake. When we turned around to go back to our bikes we were told by some tool really great guy that we couldn't go back in. No, we had to walk a quarter mile back around to the other entrance. So there we were, with our bracelets on indicating we were racers, being told that we couldn't get back into the same area we just walked out of. On top of that, the guy said "I've been standing here all day saying to people leaving that you can't go back in." Really? Really? Because we just walked out of the transition area and you never said a thing to us. Simply stupid. Fix this.
- Crazy rules that differ from USAT to Ironman. 4 bike lengths between racers instead of 3. Keeping your torso covered at all times... C'mon people, let's get this crap worked out. We really don't care who's winning this powerplay tug of war, we just want to race.
- Parts of town can be a little scary, but it's really no big deal. Huge sections of New Orleans that are still wrecked by the hurricane and some shady-looking folks can be a little intimidating, but it was just fine. The people were all super nice and we had no problems. Use Google Maps on your iPhone to get around so you don't get lost and you'll stay on track.
Reader Comments (4)
I saw your results. Great Time! IT'S TRI Season! What's next?
Brian - Sorry I missed hooking up with you while in New Orleans. Thanks for the great comments on our city. You are 100% dead on. This was my first tri and in the city I love. I am hooked now!!
I had some issues on the bike and I wore my legs out on the bike as well so my run was crap as well. But over all for my first tri and a 70.3 Ironman...I finished!
Sorry, Brett...
I agree with you on everything - except a friend of mine who was in a later wave (one of the last) said that the 1st aide station on the bike was out of everything when he rode by. And also the port-a-potty issue. There needed to be just a few more to accomodate 3000+ athletes :)
But how freaking AWESOME was the finish! I still get goose bumps just thinking about it! Thousands of people lining the street!! I'm sure most of them where drunk - but it was so awesome!! LOVED IT!
Glad you had an awesome race!! It was my first 70.3 - so it was a PR for me. But I'm looking forward to 70.3 Florida in a month :)
Cheers! Chloe
www.runningwithabottleofwine.blogspot.com