SC Half Ironman Half Full

I'm always curious to see how many local triathletes sign up for the SC Half Ironman in Greenwood at the end of the tri season. It's not a race most athletes do each year. The distances are 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run, so it requires a serious commitment to training volume.

Typically, this is a goal race. A race you mark on your calendar in January, and start training for months and months in advance. You've raced several sprint and Olympic distance triathlons and you're ready for the next challenge. For some, it's a stepping stone race, because before you can dream of completing the full ironman distance, you know you have to tackle the half. Just the natural triathlete progression I guess.

This year, I was surprised to see how low the total number of race participants were compared to previous years.

2004 185
2005 263
2006 380
2007 423
2008 567
2009 253

You can see that the total number of participants has gone up each year, a steady pattern of growth. Then, this year, 314 fewer entries than the previous year. Why the dramatic drop in participation?

I couldn't figure it out at first. This is a Setup Events production, and well organized. It's a race that's been around for six years and has a very good reputation.

Was it the economy? No, I don't think so. Local race director Paul King was quoted earlier this year stating that entries in his five local races were not down at all. In fact, the CSTS series sold out in record time (I've heard he's adding a 5th race to the series next year by the way). Plus, if you believe the statistical data provided by Triathlete Magazine, triathletes tend to have higher household incomes which translates to more disposable income, making them a little more recession proof as a demographic. The triathlon scene seems to be weathering the economy just fine.

Then it hit me. The new Augusta Half Ironman! That's it. A new half ironman just across the Savannah river in Augusta - parts of the course go through Aiken County. So, while this race is based in Georgia, it's not much longer of a drive for SC athletes. Plus, it bears the official Ironman brand and is part of the official Ironman series, making it a qualifier for the 70.3 world championship.

Also appealing, particularly to first-time half ironman racers, is the swim course. The swim is with the tide and thus swim times are a good 15 minutes faster for the average swimmer. So, if this was your year to tackle a half ironman, Augusta was an easy choice. Moreover, if you do race the SC Half each year, why not try a different course?

Bottom line, I think Augusta took a large chunk of race entries from the SC Half, and could continue to do so. I don't know what that means for the future of the SC Half, but this is a trend that will be interesting to watch.

Changing a Flat Tire (Tri Bike/Road Bike)

Being able to quickly and efficiently change a flat tire should be a priority to any cyclist. Be it on a group ride, in a race, or even in your neighborhood, you don’t want to spend 30 minutes (or longer) struggling to change your tire, or worse yet, have to walk all the way back to your house or car pushing your bike.

If you ride a bike, you should expect a flat. Maybe you don’t get a flat this year, but you could just as easily get three consecutive flats on your first three rides next year. It’s random, but one thing is for sure, it’s going to happen sooner or later.

For starters, you should prepare for flats by carrying all the tools necessary to change the tire, and you should practice changing flats until you feel comfortable with the process. And I recommend practicing with the back tire, because getting the chain back on the rear cassette can be tricky the first couple times. I recommend you carry a spare tube (2 if possible), 2 tire levers, and a CO2 kit. All this should fit nicely in most all bike saddle bags.

The only other advice I’ll offer up is that in a race situation flats are the worst. It’s really hard not to get frustrated. You just have to relax and change the tire quickly and smoothly. You won’t get your PR, and you will likely lose around 5 minutes minimum to your competitors, so just accept it and move on. Keep a positive mental attitude and finish strong. Don’t let a flat ruin your day. Your number just came up. It happens.

Here is a good video showing the proper way to change tire. FYI – the video is for clinchers, not tubulars.

New off-road triathlon in Charleston

Looks like another triathlon has been added to the local race calendar. The inaugural Folly Beach Challenge is set for Sunday, September 27. This is an off-road triathlon consisting of paddling, biking, and running. After a 3-mile paddle on the Folly River to Folly Beach County Park, participants will bike 8.5 miles (round-trip) on the sands of Folly. Then a 3 mile run, which I assume will be on the beach as well. Sounds like a bus will transport participants from the race site to the kayak launch site, but not sure about that.

There are solo and team options (3 person). Packet pick up will take place on September 26 from 10am-2pm and on race day from 6:30am to 7:30am at Folly Beach County Park. Online registration will end September 23. There will be no race day registration.

The race will be capped at 300 participants. T-shirts will be available to participants who have registered prior to September 12. If available, late registration will take place at packet pick-up on September 26 . The website doesn't mention if you can rent kayaks or not, but for more information, you can call 843-795-4FUN (4386).

New Half Ironman event in South Carolina

Finally, another half ironman distance triathlon in South Carolina. On October 10, 2009, for the First Annual Long Bay Triathlon will take place in Litchfield/Murrell’s Inlet at Huntington Beach State Park. This is a half ironman distance event – 1.2 mile ocean swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run.

I’m happy to see another half iron race in South Carolina. Until now, we’ve had only Setup’s SC Half Ironman in Greenwood. That’s a great event, but it’s the only long distance triathlon in the state. Other half iron options, that don’t require too much travel, include the Rock n’ Roll Half Ironman in Macon, GA and the Whitelake Half in Whitelake, NC.

Race Info
Registration is now open. The cost is $165 for individual participants. They also just added a relay option for $250. This race is a USAT sanctioned event.

The swim is a 2-loop, out and back, wave start, ocean swim. Water temperature is expected to be in the low 70’s, so wetsuits will be allowed unless water temps go above 78 degrees. The swim cutoff time is 1hr 10 minutes.

The bike portion is a relatively flat 56 mile course with 3 aid stations. This course is not closed to traffic, and the cut off time is 5:30 from your race wave start time.

The run is also relatively flat, consisting of a 13.1 mile loop consisting of beach, trail, and road sections. There will be 5 aid stations on the run course. The run cut off time is 8:30 from your race wave start.

Concerns
Putting on a race this size requires a lot of work, volunteers, money, and attention to detail. Hopefully, this race will go off without a hitch. But I can’t really tell from the website if this outfit has experience producing races this size. The race director is listed on the website, but not the production company, so I assume it’s his show.

Personally, I like to know if the production company or individual has experience with large-scale events. I only mention this because a race this distance really needs all the controls in place – aid station supplies, medical staff, traffic control, volunteers, timing, etc. I wouldn’t be concerned if it were a road race or sprint triathlon, but a long distance event like this is a different beast. Just more time for things to go wrong. And first-time events, regardless of distance, always seem to have more hiccups along the way.

Initially, very little information was available on the website, but they continue updating and adding information, which leads me to believe this is a ‘work in progress.’ For example, it looks like they recently changed the race date from the 11th to the 10th. No big deal, but before I pay $165 for a race, I really want to know that all the bases are covered, that the event will be safe, and honestly, that it will be worth the money.

They are definitely working in the right direction. Hopefully, if they haven’t already, they will secure enough sponsors and volunteers to make this event something special because I really appreciate having another race option so close to home. Stay tuned.

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