Your 1st Ironman, the things people forget to tell you about!

Registration:
Sunday races: Open Thursday & Friday
Saturday races: Open Wednesday & Thursday

Bring:
Valid ID
USAT Card (If you do not have one there is a single race day fee of $10.00)
Print out of your Active.com registration/confirmation
Print a copy of the Athletes Guide

All Participants:
Will be weighed
Receives a Ironman ID wrist band (this gets you into everything IM has to offer, athletes welcoming dinner, award ceremony, transition, ect.)
Swim Cap
Timing Chip
Transition Bags
Special Need Bags
Race numbers (bike, run, sticker race number to be put on bike, transition & special needs bags)
Swag Bags
Event Poster

Setting Up Transition & Special needs Bags:
Lay out all of your gear by event
Pull out your check list
Check All gear
Place Appropriate Gear into Transition Bags

Transition Bike Bag:
You should have everything you need in these bags before turning them in.
Helmet, shoes, glasses, gloves, socks, jersey, shorts, sun screen & body glide.
You can add your bags on race morning.
If you have to add something keeps it to a minimum.
Only change my gear if there has been a change in the weather.
"Nothing new on race day."

Transition Run Bag:
You should have everything in this bag before turning it in.
Shoes, shorts, hat/visor, glasses, jersey, body glide, water bottle, gel bottle, race belt, fuel belt & sun screen.

Special Needs Bag:
You get two bags one for the bike and one for the run.
These get dropped off race morning.
There will be boxes in a designated location labeled Bike Special needs and Run Special needs.
Place the right bag in the right box.
Do not put anything valuable in them, you may not get these bags back.

Bike special needs bag:
You can put food, extra tubes & co2, clothing, gels, water, powders, b-glide, pre-mixed bottles & sandwich.

Run special needs bag:
You can put food, clothing, water, socks, gel, pre-mixed bottle, powders & body glide.

FYI, the race does not provide anything (water/gels ect.) for the athletes at the special needs areas.

Bike Prep:
Inspect bike
I suggest taping your gels to the bike before turning it in. During the race you should be able to tear off the tops while riding. When you pull the gel up to eat, it should open up. This will minimize any fumbling around trying to open the gel pack.
Do not fill tires to their max psi the day before the race as they could pop.
Store tire levers, extra tubes and co2 on bike.
Water bottles should be
added race day morning.

Transition Tent:
You may not be aware but you can fully change in the transition tent.
If you are caught changing outside of the tents you could possibly be DQ'd. Grab your transition bag run into the tent, grab a chair and maybe helped by a volunteer (that depends how many people are in there at the same time).
The tent is divided; there is a boy's side and a girl's side. Most tents usually have water, Gatorade, ice, sun screen, & Vaseline (but don't count on it).
If you need something ask a volunteer and they will help you out.
You will use the same tent for the bike & run transition.

The Day before the Race is Bike & Gear Drop off Day

Bring:
Bike
Bike Transition Bag
Run Transition Bags

During Bike & Gear drop off:

Rack your bike by an assigned number
Drop run transition bag at assigned location
Then drop the bike transition bag at it's designated area.
I suggest walking the transition area, making a mental map.
Walk from the end of the swim to your bike bag and then to the changing tent.
From the changing tent walk over to your bike.
Go over to the bike dismounting area, walk to your run bag and then to the changing tent.
Walk over to the run exit.
Try to have a transition plan.

FYI, You will not turn your swim gear at Bike & Gear drop-off.

Race Day:

7:00am start
Transition Opens @ 5:00am
Drop off Special Needs Bags
Get body marked
Place nutrition & hydration on bike
Pump Tires (bring a light to see the pump pressure gauge)
Lube your body
Put on wetsuit, goggles & swim cap

Morning of the Race Bring:
Special need bags
Nutrition
Hydration
Wetsuit
Swim cap
Goggles
Body glide
Timing chip

FYI:
There will be over 2000 people registering Thursday & Friday/Wednesday & Thursday.
The lines may be long.
Try to be in line early, this will give you time to tag and separate your gear.
The expo and registration area is located in the same place.
There will be message booths, however some races charge.
You can buy just about anything you may have forgotten back at home.
I suggest making a list of all the local bike and tri shops in town.
Athlete welcoming diner is two nights before the race
Award ceremony is the day after the race
Finishers gear is usually sold the morning after the race, they may open the store up the evening of the race.

A Word About Special Needs:
They do not supply any water/Gatorade in this area.
You have to supply your own in you special needs bags.
Special needs are generally located about the halfway point, of both the bike and the run.
Do not place any valuable items in these bags as you may not get them back.

Helpful Hints:
Break the race down into small races with in the race.
Break the swim down into little chunks and goals.
Break the bike down by aid stations. Thinking about 112-miles may drive you nuts.
Break the run down into four 10k events. 26.2-miles is a lot to think about.

Remember:
There are cut off times for each event.
Swim: 2 hours 20 minutes
Bike: 10 hour 20 minutes
Run: midnight
Total Race: 17 Hours, with an exception to some races overseas.
Check Athletes guide to seeif there are any other special cut off times, they will also go over this at the athlete meeting.
You have prepared yourself for this race by putting in the time and effort. Now just go out there, relax and enjoy the day. Complete an Ironman, you can brag for a life time.

Cheers and enjoy the day,
Kevin Koresky
kevink@lmstri.com
Follow Us: @finishlinenews

MACCA AND CROWIE DUEL IN THE 'DESERT'

Abu Dhabi, UAE. 1st February 2011: Ironman world champions and legends of triathlon- Australia's Chris 'Macca' McCormack and Craig 'Crowie' Alexander - have both thrown their hats in the ring for next month's Abu Dhabi International Triathlon, as they look to go head-to-head for the lion's share of the US$250,000 prize purse.

The dynamic Aussie duo, both originally from Sydney, will lead one of the best elite
fields expected outside of Kona, Hawaii when they take to the Abu Dhabi start-line
on March 12th. They join defending champions - Spain's Eneko Llanos and Great
Britain's Julie Dibens - who have also thrown down the gauntlet to the 45-strong
elite field contesting the event's unique 223kms course.

And with the fearsome twosome having dominated the Hawaii Ironman for the past four
years, with McCormack winning in 2010 and 2007 and Alexander in 2008 and 2009, the
chasing elite field will need to be in superlative form to tame the energy-infused
Antipodeans.

"The opportunity to race the world's best athletes, over a very unique triathlon
distance is exciting and it will be a wonderful race and I look forward to the
challenge. It takes the foresight and courage of destinations like Abu Dhabi to
create these different styles of races and challenges, and I am anticipating a very
tough day," said McCormack, the only athlete to win Triathlon World Championships
and the ITU World Cup Series in the same year (1997).

"I have spent a lot of time in the UAE and have many friends who call Abu Dhabi
home. The course is challenging, Abu Dhabi is spectacular and the winds could make
this race much tougher. It should be great and I am excited about competing," added
the five-time Ironman Australia winner.

And Alexander, one of only four male triathletes to win the Ironman World
Championship two years in a row (2008, 2009), is hoping to kick-start another
record-breaking season off in Abu Dhabi and wrestle the Hawaii title back off his
countryman.

"I'm excited to make my competitive Middle East race debut in Abu Dhabi. I had ties
with the UAE a few years back and I've also had a blast training with local
triathletes in the Emirates several times. The race venue in Abu Dhabi looks
fantastic and I look forward to my first race of 2011 at this world-class event,"
said Alexander, a previous Ironman 70.3 World Championship (2006) winner.

Registrations for the second Abu Dhabi International Triathlon has more than doubled
over the 2010 edition, with over 1,500 athletes from 48 countries due to take their
marks in the UAE capital next month.

Living up to its international billing, the race - which is run over three unique
distances - has seen first time representation from Brazil, the Channel Islands,
China, Denmark, Greece, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Peru,
Philippines, Portugal, Slovenia, Turkey, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Much of its success is down to its specialised format, with a finishing running leg
shorter than typical Ironman events, allowing athletes to recover faster and compete
more often, as well as a city-wide course that weaves through many of the UAE
capital's iconic landmarks including a cycle sprint around the stunning Yas Marina
Circuit, home of the Formula 1(tm) Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

"To have doubled our entire field in just 12 months and to attract an enhanced
world-class athlete line-up, consisting of world-champions, Olympians and world
record holders, speaks volumes about how positive word-of-mouth about this event has
spread and interest has grown," said Faisal Al Sheikh, Events Manager, Abu Dhabi
Tourism Authority (ADTA), which organises the race.

"With Abu Dhabi boasting a large Australian population, we expect to see a very
strong turnout from fans cheering on their countrymen and hopefully many more
turning up on the start-line to compete shoulder-to-shoulder with their sporting
heroes."

This year's event will be raced across three lengths. Professionals will contest a
3kms swim, a 200kms cycle and 20kms closing run. The shorter version, at half the
length, has a 1.5kms swim, a 100kms cycle and a 10kms run, with both courses
eligible for a share of the US$250,000 prize purse.

Also a first for this year's edition, ADTA has also launched a unique 'sprint'
distance as an entry platform for aspiring athletes. Comprising a 750m swim, 50kms
bike and 5kms run, the new 'sprint' course is aimed at boosting uptake from novice
racers across the Arabian Gulf and can be raced as an individual or as a team.

Places are charged at US$180 and US$123 for the long and short distances,
respectively. The team relay short course entry fee stands at US$272, and the sprint
fee will be US$70 for individuals, US$112 for a team.

Athletes interested in entering should visit
www.abudhabitriathlon.com and, after clicking on
the ENTER NOW link, simply follow the instructions.

Complete(r) or Compete(itor)?

In the sport of triathlon there are two types of athletes, competitors and completers. Which one are you?

The dictionary offers these definitions (Verbs):

Compete: to strive to outdo another for acknowledgment, a prize, supremacy, profit, etc.; engage in a contest; vie: to compete in a race; to compete in business.

Complete: to make whole or entire, to make perfect, to bring to an end; finish, to execute successfully.

In 2001, I was introduced to the sport of triathlon through friends and charity. After a few months of training for my first triathlon, the LA Triathlon, I knew where I ranked and I was able to figure out my goals in this amazing sport. I wanted to make new friends, make a complete lifestyle change, inspire/motivate others and complete every race I start.

Going into the 2006 season I decided I was going to do IM Wisconsin. So, I trained, trained and trained, like you are supposed for an Ironman. On race morning I lined up on the starting line cocky (i.e. Today I’m gonna be a competitor), loosing sight of the goals that I had set back in 2001. And on this day, I was going to pay for my actions “karma baby!”

When the cannon sounded, to send the athletes off onto their 140.6; I was overly confident. That quickly changed when I got onto the bike course. [Jump forward] 75% of the way through the bike course and I am done. I received my first DNF!

These three letters (DNF) on my triathlon resume has grounded me and put me in my place. It is now 2011 and I have completed every race I have started including 2 Ironman races because I stay focus on my triathlon goals.

I know my place in this sport, I am a complete(r).

It doesn’t matter which type of triathlete you are. Having fun, making friends, inspire/motivate others and living a positive and healthy lifestyle is the most important thing.