sciguy

The Garmin files I've seen show the bike route as only ~177k in total.

Actually the oldest woman finisher was 59 year old Denise Everitt racing in the 60 to 64 age group. She was also the only competitor to set a new course record for their age group this year, lowering the old record by more than 50 minutes in the process.

Training's good on the other side of the world. It will be nice to experience consistent temperatures above freezing. Does anyone know the current ocean temps in the swim area near Hobie Beach? While we're at it, what have the race day water temps been historically. The race info mentions temperatures as high as 24.5C but that seems pretty warm. Thanks for any info, Hugh

Thanks for the info! Hugh

Are there any semi-regular swims going on from Hobie beach in preparation for IMSA? My wife and I will be arriving in PE on April 1st and she excited to get in some ocean swims. Thanks for any useful information. Hugh & Deni

I look at it more in terms of who will benefit the sport the most, the 50th ranked male pro who may get bumped from Kona if Lance gaines enough points or Lance. Whether you care for him or not, he'll bring a heck of a lot of mainly positive exposure to the sport. YMMV, Hugh

Yes, high pressure in tires + rough asphalt = sore tender parts. We have some rough roads here due to frost heaving as well as "chip seal" surface treatment. Most flats seem to come from broken glass on the road edge or tiny rock chips that work their way through a tire over time. We're really excited to be be able to make the trip to such a beautiful part of the world. Hugh

How about a quick run down on the road surface of the IMSA bike course. We've heard mixed reviews about the potential for flats and want to be well prepared. I know that there is a significant variety of roughness within the loops and wonder if tires like Michelin Pro Race 3 or similar stand up to the surface. Do many athletes run sealant in their tires? Thanks for the reply. We really appreciate all that have contacted us so far! Hugh & Denise

My wife is competing in IMSA 2012 as her 14th Ironman. We will be arriving in Port Elizabeth April 1st 2012 and would love to establish some local contacts near Port Elizabeth long before we head there. We live in the cold and snowy part to the north eastern USA and are excited to be able to come to the area 3 weeks before the race and enjoy for fine fall weather. We would like to find locals interested in training as well as other social activities.This is our first trip to Africa so we are trying to make the most of it. Both of us are in our late 50s but act younger as most athletes do. Denise has raced on 7 different North American courses including 4 times to Kona so we have a decent bit of experience at this that we would be glad to share should you be interested in ever coming to the USA to race. I pride myself on being a semi-professional Ironman sherpa and enjoying biking and running but not the swimming end of things. Let us know if you'd be willing to act as an information resource for this adventure. We have our flights all lined up and a potential accommodation for the month of April. If you or a friend have a downstairs flat you'd like to rent for the moth of April we would be interested in that as well. Best Regards, Hugh Mason & Denise Everitt Marion, NY USA sciguy@rochester.rr.com