ROTH 2007

Maddy.

Might see if I can tie in with a visit to my friend in Germany to support

Doubly Bionic Ironwolf

some time ago candy mentioned targeting Roth as a pirate outing for 2008, but better keep that under your hat or he'll be prancing about trying to put the race down again! If you're there, I probably will be too. I know folks who've actually raced it every single year.

K9

I'd like to do an IM in 2008.....maybe I'll join you!

my swimming and running are fine.

Cycling needs a lot of work though!

Doubly Bionic Ironwolf

K9, just start doing some nice longer rides for now and work on endurance. Plenty of time to start on speed before 2008. You can do it.

come on in and join us.

Doubly Bionic Ironwolf

Roth's bike course is rolling, 2 laps with several shortish climbs and one pretty long one with a super downhill following that. Crowds of fans on every hill. Then a shortish straight flat bit into Roth and T2.

K9

....are they very steep hills??!

would you reckon ROTH would be OK for a first timer, or can you think of others that might be more beginner friendly?

Doubly Bionic Ironwolf

only the one at Greding on the bottom end of the loop, but that's because you have a 90 degree left turn and the road goes up sharply from there, get in low gear to make it through that turn and the initial upswing. It's only a few hundred yards though and then it flattens out a bit, a longish climb but basically not bad. I'm the world's worst climber, if I can do it so can you. The famous Solarer Berg where huge crowds line both sides of the road is only 800m long and the cheering really helps you up it.
Really only Arizona is a flat course, but no easier from what candy and others have said as it's in the desert.
When it comes down to it, 226km is 226km, and some part of it's going to hurt no matter what the course is like. Just at Roth you have a truly tremendous crowd support right from the time of the first swim start through to the last man at the finish.

K9

very tempting ;o)

[Deleted User]

lol, IW, do you have any brothers?

smiley lady (M.)

226 km? eh? where is the extra 46 come from?....

Hollywood (busy on runsaturday.com)

I think the 226km includes the sneaky extra cycling in the water and on the run.

(And if you are looking for flat, then Almere was very very flat - I do remember two or three slopes on the bike course and one of them was a climb of almost 5m...)

smiley lady (M.)

DOh,,.... now I feel thick. Can I blame it on a visit to the physio this morning..... The woman is evil :-)

Doubly Bionic Ironwolf

jo, when I was at school 3.8 (swim) 180 (bike) and 42.2 (mara) added up to 226. I think it still does!

Doubly Bionic Ironwolf

ergo - yes I do, but only one.

[Deleted User]

i have 5 (if you include step- ones) and they all take IMMENSE pleasure in going on and on about stuff that they don't really care about if they know it will wind me up. in the same vein, i doubt very much that candy actually has any genuinely-formed opinion about roth...

Doubly Bionic Ironwolf

ergo - I'm quite sure he hasn't!

and the beauty of the forum is, nobody ever really knows if I'm seriously pissed off or just putting the cat among the pigeons, so to speak.

[Deleted User]

lol!

Maddy.

Now officially full

I am relieved in one way - decision and stress removed can concentrsate on saving for a turbo in the short term

Doubly Bionic Ironwolf

and still the biggest long distance tri in the world! 2800 starters.

Suffolk Punch

I'm definitely starting at the back!

Maddy.

Thats where I will be in a big one - still pot for 2008 already started

Doubly Bionic Ironwolf

SP - we start in waves, and the river is so broad the swimmers can spread out right across to the dividing rope in the middle. I'm lucky because all the women go off in the first group, with the pros and the older male age groupers. You deffo won't be in the last wave - that's the relay swimmers.

Doubly Bionic Ironwolf

So you will likely see LJS powering past you! If he catches me, I'll REALLY be struggling - but it has been known. He passed me before the finish in 2001's race.

Doubly Bionic Ironwolf

thanks, smiley lady, for the special delivery via Doug, I can use the money right now!

smiley lady (M.)

Ok, I've booked the flights, accomodation etc for this one. It's no looking like Zuppy will finish but you know the drill, He'll do the swim and maybe a bit of the bike and sure when he's done that much he may go for a wee run.........

F.oggy

Yes, we have all heard that one before!!!!

Doubly Bionic Ironwolf

especially if he's doing well against the other firefighters!

where are you staying Jo?

I've worked out that allowing for the fact I start in the first wave and John in the last, and you're all faster than me - all being well, Doug should pass me somewhere around 20km on my mara.

smiley lady (M.)

The closest we could find was over 15 km away so I decided to stay in Nuremberg. It's even further away but should be more interesting as we'll be there several days.

[Deleted User]

Hi SL and IW,

I am also doing this,,, and swim is my big problem also. How do you know which swim group you are in?

Not booked any hotel yet but planning on a slow drive over, leaving UK on Wednesday.

I guess hotels are booked nearby so will also look to Nuremberg for a hotel,, how long do you recon the morning drive to the start would be?

Anyone doing any practice races? I am doing the SouthCoast half marathon on the 18th Feb,, but not signed up for an tri races yet.

smiley lady (M.)

Ted, IW knows because the women are off first and LJS is part of the same relay team that I am on so is in the last group. If you a a solo male you will not know which group you're in yet.

It's 30 km from out hotel to the swim start. I was planning to use IM lanzarote as a practise race but work has gotten in the way so I'll just be turning up on the day so to speak. I am hoping to do an ultra on 1st april though.