Quote Originally Posted by SLash View Post

TriGirl, I will definitely take advantage of the swims on both days before. I want to get out to the lake soon just to see the course, just to visualize how it will be. I found the map online from last year's, do you know if it is the same? I swear if we don't get rain soon we won't be able to swim anyway, and between that and the heat we may not be able to wear wetsuits. That wetsuit gives me confidence because of the buoyancy, I really hope they're allowed. I'm going to plan on them not being just in case.

Is there an opportunity to get in the water before I start to get my suit wet and adjusted? I would guess once the waves start, there wouldn't be.
The wetsuit strippers are wonderful! You just pull the wetsuit off your torso down to your waist, lay on the carpet with your feet up and they rip it off. It's nice!

I doubt the course will be the same as last year. I don't know if you've been out to Hefner lately, but there is a beach where the course was last year down the side of the dam. The water is low there anyway (waist deep) but it's just sand now. They may have to change the course to what it was when I did the full in 2006 (a triangle out to the middle of the lake). That year the lake was really low, too, and we had to run about 100 yards in the mud up to the water exit ramp. It wasn't ideal, but it is what it is....

And yes, you will be able to get in the water to do a warm up before the race begins. They'll call you out about 30 minutes before the start, tho.

I, too, hope it's wetsuit legal. I can swim the distance with no problem, but for that long, I would like to save my legs for the bike. I might just wear it anyway. It means I wouldn't be eligible for prizes, but I'm not going to win anything anyway so the trade off for confidence would be worth it to me!