Ironman 2014 - 10 Years of Ironman in PE

[davem]

Bright side:- Single loop swim course means you will only have to pass everyone once!

 

Not sure I pass anyone in the swim.

 

I think swim waves will only be decided much later. Need some more of that German analysis.

 

(Isn't Wolff a German surname, perhaps Paul just used a pocket calculator)

[dracs]

Guys it will be awesome and this is just one of the great views - Lakefarm - look out for giraffe, many buck species, fish eagle pair etc.

 

Ahh, think I am oriented now. Is the the section that was flooded last December? I mapped out a nice ride and ended up having to detour via Seaview Rd to get back to the kraga Kama area...

[dracs]

.

[ADe]

This will be my first full IM, so maybe I am a little naive to think that none of these changes really matter, as it is not controllable. So why make fuss about the size of the field, bike course changes, drafting, making money (???? ), and and. Adapt your training and thinking and go train. Its an individual sport, its Ironman, it should be tough.

 

I for one cannot wait for the challenge.

 

Now I just have to find those hills to train on....

[fabes]

Ahh, think I am oriented now. Is the the section that was flooded last December? I mapped out a nice ride and ended up having to detour via Seaview Rd to get back to the kraga Kama area...

Thats it

[jaxtun]

 

Ahh, think I am oriented now. Is the the section that was flooded last December? I mapped out a nice ride and ended up having to detour via Seaview Rd to get back to the kraga Kama area...

[jaxtun]

Yes was totally flooded. Beautiful section of the route!

[dracs]

Yes was totally flooded. Beautiful section of the route!

Ja, I think I took some pics on my phone - will see if I can find them.

[Foxbat]

Swim - piece of cake

Bike - ride that route every weekend no problem love the route.

Run -I'll just suffer through it

 

Biggest fear with a big field, some toss taking my transition bag by mistake then NOT putting it back when realizing what he has done. This is a regular occurrence at the 70.3 and it decimates times.

 

and just for you JGR I still think they are greedy for making both races so big.

 

See you on the start line chaps and if by any chance you take the wrong bag in transition, please put it back in the right place.

[dracs]

Ja, I think I took some pics on my phone - will see if I can find them.

As at 24 Dec 2012... Pity I wasn't on a MTB....

 

Stunning roads around there though - going to make the route memorable for visitors

 

[JGR]

Swim - piece of cake

Bike - ride that route every weekend no problem love the route.

Run -I'll just suffer through it

 

Biggest fear with a big field, some toss taking my transition bag by mistake then NOT putting it back when realizing what he has done. This is a regular occurrence at the 70.3 and it decimates times.

 

and just for you JGR I still think they are greedy for making both races so big.

 

See you on the start line chaps and if by any chance you take the wrong bag in transition, please put it back in the right place.

May I ask what work you do?

 

Does your company try and do a little better and grow every year?

 

Should IM only be limited to a small number of people?

 

Do you actually want the sport to grow?

 

What are your thoughts on Roth?

 

What is your idea to make full IM more accessible to more people or do you prefer to remain a special small minority that have done it?

 

Did it occur to you the additional funds/people would create some part time work for people? Require more sub contracting for small business in the PE area. that's also 500 more beds for a few nights, 500 more people filling the restaurants and other establishments further benefitting the economy of one of SA poorer provinces, retailers will sell more equipment, which could result in better pricing for all. The list goes on .......

 

Did you think of anyone else besides yourself with that statement?

[fabes]

I will admit I am Unhappy about the changes and I am entitled to be unhappy about it. For 9 years it has been the same coarse so I entered the 10th thinking it will be the same as before. I have been in a bit of a rut recently and needed a bit of a challenge again in my life and thought I would target next years Ironman and try and get a PB (on the old coarse). Yes I will be getting a PB next year but so will 2499 other competitors.

 

Having said that I have now accepted a new challenge. I am not sure if I will be setting a time tho but I will still still accept the challenge of being competitive within myself on this coarse. I do look forward to the training that lies ahead.

 

Shebeen is making a bit of noise about marketing etc but he really is not that far off. They sent out an SMS stating there are ONLY 800 slots left and created a mad rush. Well done to them.

So now we have this hype and everyone registers. They then send you an email demanding payment as they will ONLY be accepting 2000 entries and will not be making provision for more. So now everyone rushes to pay and Ironman sit with 2000 paid up entries. Well done.

And once the payment received for all the entries they then proceed to inform everyone of a route change. Had they announced the route change before there would still be many entries left over as a lot more people would have thought a lot harder about parting ways with R 4300 to participate next year.

Then Boom some German says no this coarse can take an extra 500 entries and now all of a sudden Ironman make provision for extra entries.

We were also told the new coarse is to make it safer and fair for everyone. Well firstly adding 500 extra people to the race is not really focusing on Safety, yes 2500 people will be manageable but it definately won't make it "safer" than years before. As for fair I am not sure how they are going to control an extra 500 people on this coarse over a 90 km loop as opposed to 1800 people over a 60km loop.

 

They could have been more upfront with us from before they created the whole hype.

 

Having said all of this i do believe that Ironman SA and Paul Wolff will put an amazing race on on the day. And every competitor will enjoy the whole Ironman experience from the day the arrive in Port Elizabeth until the day they leave

 

It is what it is, enjoy your training

[JGR]

@fabes you are entitled to be unhappy but there difference you have entered the race where as shebeen hasn't. He has been posting negative comments on a thread (telling us we all drinking cool aid or whatever) where everyone is discussing the race ect. I asked him to start his own thread about 'what ever he has issues with' and leave this one alone.

 

Yay, they did a good job. Good for them! The managed to grow an event and increase the profile of the sport - is this not supposed to be a good thing?

 

Shouldn't the complaining about the traffic on the course wait until you experience traffic? So what if they make some more money - that same money gets distributed amongst others in the process on putting on the event? Why are we always begrudging people when they do well? No one has complained about the actual price (which is steep) just that IM are going to make more money.

 

I would ask anyone reading this to come out and state they would prefer to be paid less next year than they were this?

 

Would those people prefer to pay more for their entry so IM can continue to make money and put on a successful event.

 

I would personally rather pay less and have more competitors than the opposite. If safety isn't compromised I don't see the issue with numbers

[Garfield2010]

Well the "business" is now in their hands... They have decided to make these changes (and not always upfront as rightly pointed out by Fabes).... it is up to them to make it work. If people are unhappy on race day due to the above then they will not go back and IM will go back to being a 1,500 athletes event or whatever. If I get pinned for blocking / drafting due to some new guy making a mistake or the route not allowing so many athletes I will be upset and blame the number of people and not go back. This is why I don't do EL70.3 anymore. I didn't get pinned for drafting but I saw everyone drafted and that upset me - that is not Tri for me....

 

They have also now shown everyone there is a big market so hopefully someone will take the opportunity and organise a second Ironman Distance event in South Africa

 

A little bit of completion never hurt anyone and I think it will in fact make the "Athlete" the number one customer again.

[fabes]

@fabes you are entitled to be unhappy but there difference you have entered the race where as shebeen hasn't. He has been posting negative comments on a thread (telling us we all drinking cool aid or whatever) where everyone is discussing the race ect. I asked him to start his own thread about 'what ever he has issues with' and leave this one alone.

 

Yay, they did a good job. Good for them! The managed to grow an event and increase the profile of the sport - is this not supposed to be a good think?Yeah it's great for the sport and they have done a great job getting all the entrants in etc. When I spent R 4300 I had no idea actually what I was paying for in hind sight. Not happy about that

 

Shouldn't the complaining about the traffic on the course wait until you experience traffic? So what if they make some more money - that same money gets distributed amongst others in the process on putting on the event? Why are we always begrudging people when they do well? No one has complained about the actual price (which is steep) just that IM are going to make more money.Once again i do not have any problems with Ironman making money, I just have a problem with parting with money and I do not in actual fact know what I am getting for it. Yes in the terms and conditions they are entitled to make these changes. All I ask is please be upfront with me about it.

 

I would ask anyone reading this to come out and state they would prefer to be paid less next year than they were this?

 

Would those people prefer to pay more for their entry so IM can continue to make money and put on a successful event.

 

I would personally rather pay less and have more competitors than the opposite. If safety isn't compromised I don't see the issue with numbers Now we have 500 competitors extra are we getting refunded a small portion of our entry?

 

Further questions to you.

 

Do you think Ironman will become cheaper if we had more entrants. Say now the coarse could take 5000 people, would the price drop?

 

Do you think entries would be sold out had they announced the route change before the big marketing hype?

 

Please don't take this the wrong way. I think this debate is healthy

[fabes]

Well the "business" is now in their hands... They have decided to make these changes (and not always upfront as rightly pointed out by Fabes).... it is up to them to make it work. If people are unhappy on race day due to the above then they will not go back and IM will go back to being a 1,500 athletes event or whatever. If I get pinned for blocking / drafting due to some new guy making a mistake or the route not allowing so many athletes I will be upset and blame the number of people and not go back. This is why I don't do EL70.3 anymore. I didn't get pinned for drafting but I saw everyone drafted and that upset me - that is not Tri for me....

 

They have also now shown everyone there is a big market so hopefully someone will take the opportunity and organise a second Ironman Distance event in South Africa

 

A little bit of completion never hurt anyone and I think it will in fact make the "Athlete" the number one customer again.

Spot on