BAH.
At Eagleman, they switched around the GOOD swim starts from last year, and now I'm going to have a problem.
Last year we Athenas started with our respective age groups. Slow old Athena ladies like me swam with the faster old ladies and the slow old men right after the pros, at 6:50 AM. Then there was a 15-minute break before the next wave, so we had plenty of time to get our walkers around the swim course before we were lapped by the faster swimmer waves behind us. Plus with people starting along well behind us, we had lots of company on the bike and run course with other folks (passing us, of course, but still it's nice not to be all alone). And we had an hour less of the afternoon heat on the run.
Now Athenas swim at 8:08, 5 minutes before the Clydesdale wave and 10 minutes before the relay wave. Which means standing around for over an hour in the morning, then only to have the slower Athena swimmers (like me) getting massively swum over by the following two waves of faster swimmers.
Emailing race management twice asking for a return to the GOOD system used last year, and a request to change my division, didn't work. No reply to the first email, an answer of NO to the second one.
I'm going to be swum over by some bigass Clydesdales and skinnyfast relayers (though I'll make them work for it), half the folks will be done and hanging around transition when I head out of T2 on my run in the hottest part of the day, and I'll be finishing up the run all alone.
So be it. I'll make the best of it. I'm NOT going to complain on race day. It's the right of race management to send off the waves whenever they like. And it's my job to do the best that I can with the conditions that I meet on race day.
But BAH. That is not so much fun.
7 comments:
In theory I understand why they start faster people first but realistically if they start the slower people first then everyone finishes around the same time.
Just no? any explanation? stupid! but you will cope, you always do!
look at it on the bright side, it will better prepare you for Florida...
of course, i say the same thing everytime i hit a headwind, this will help prepare me for Kona -- like that's gonna happen!
But there IS a silver lining, right? You could just show up at a more civilized hour.
You have a right to rant. I think it was not very well thought out. Let it go, don't dwell and swim your best race ever! I'll be routing for you!
That's bloody rediculous. Bet next year they switch it back, after waiting around that much longer for everyone to finish to shut things down.
This is why smart marathons give the walkers a head start!
Idjits.
Race directors do like to hear these things. It may be to late to consider for this year but perhaps they will change it for this year.
I know the Race committee for the Calgary Marathon always reviews comments from both the runners and the volunteers. Not all requests can be accomodated but they are considered.
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