Post by jimdehner on Jun 17, 2010 9:31:55 GMT -5
Eagleman - IM 70.3 was held June 13th in Cambridge MD -
The race is part of the Ironman 70.3 series and is a qualifier for Kona and for Clearwater world championships. The course is flat for both the bike and the run so you would expect the race to be fast - and it was. At the pro level past world champions Natascha Badmann and Michellie Jones were in the house as were Desiree Ficker and Sam McGlone - The age group fields were fast with also with many in each AG looking for a trip to Kona or Clearwater.
Race official will tell you to expect hot and windy race conditions on race day and 2010 more than lived up to the warning. Air temps at 5:00 AM were in the high 70's with a forecast to hit high 90's by early afternoon - actually hit 89- As an additional surprise, the water temps were 77.9 so the race director at his discretion banned wet suits for the event. Lots of crying over that one.
The swim is in the Choptank river - its a mile or so wide at that point and is had to distinguish from the Chesapeake - the water is brackish and silty - but no worse than Lake Erie. There is also a tide and a current that seemed to be in our face on the final leg - The swim seemed long for everyone and there was talk later that the course was set at 1.5 miles instead of 1.2 - many athletes missed the swim cutoff.
The bike is a single loop, flat ride around a marsh preserve that is the home to a nesting population of eagles - really cool to see them flying - with few trees the course was real windy - somehow it always seems to be in your face.
By the time the run started it was hot. The run course follows the same line as the bike but is a straight out and back. the first 2 miles are through a neighborhood with some limited shade - the remainder is open with no cover -
As for me I made it to the finish on a real tough day - many did not
The race is part of the Ironman 70.3 series and is a qualifier for Kona and for Clearwater world championships. The course is flat for both the bike and the run so you would expect the race to be fast - and it was. At the pro level past world champions Natascha Badmann and Michellie Jones were in the house as were Desiree Ficker and Sam McGlone - The age group fields were fast with also with many in each AG looking for a trip to Kona or Clearwater.
Race official will tell you to expect hot and windy race conditions on race day and 2010 more than lived up to the warning. Air temps at 5:00 AM were in the high 70's with a forecast to hit high 90's by early afternoon - actually hit 89- As an additional surprise, the water temps were 77.9 so the race director at his discretion banned wet suits for the event. Lots of crying over that one.
The swim is in the Choptank river - its a mile or so wide at that point and is had to distinguish from the Chesapeake - the water is brackish and silty - but no worse than Lake Erie. There is also a tide and a current that seemed to be in our face on the final leg - The swim seemed long for everyone and there was talk later that the course was set at 1.5 miles instead of 1.2 - many athletes missed the swim cutoff.
The bike is a single loop, flat ride around a marsh preserve that is the home to a nesting population of eagles - really cool to see them flying - with few trees the course was real windy - somehow it always seems to be in your face.
By the time the run started it was hot. The run course follows the same line as the bike but is a straight out and back. the first 2 miles are through a neighborhood with some limited shade - the remainder is open with no cover -
As for me I made it to the finish on a real tough day - many did not
