OW Triathlon in March?!

This popped-up on my FB feed earlier. I’m really hoping the date is a typo, as I can’t help feeling that it’s very optimistic. Can someone enter and let me know how it pans-out?

Apparently they claim on FB a triathlon has never been held in this lake…which sounds a lot like Lake 32 :thinking::rofl: I don’t think all the facilities they quote will be available there in March.

Well Lake 32 is open all year round if you fancy it.
http://chillydippers.co.uk/
But to say the lake has never been used for triathlon when there are events there most weekends over the summer suggests the organisers are not too clued up?

They’re talking about the “North Lake” however. The 113 events races are in the southern one at that site, right? Not sure if any other events use the one to the north?

As Jorgan says, I wouldn’t fancy 1500m OW in March!

We start OW in May and it’s often about 12C when we start.
There’s a local place that always says they are going to start in April and always end up postponing. That’s going to be freezing, not just the swim but the after effects on the bike if it’s a cold day. Snow isn’t unheard of in March.

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Snow isn’t unheard of in April!
I often go on snow hunts over the Easter Weekend.

I attempted to swim in 12 degrees in April this year and managed about 100-200m, before I actually started shivering and quaking.
I’ve done an OW tri in single digit air temperature and didn’t leave the park/facility on my bike, as I was wobbling all over the place and shivering.

If it is in March, that is a massively poor idea.

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I’ll bet good cash the swim gets cancelled on the day because its too cold. Its bonkers to think it will be ok in March.

Our local lake is very shallow and heats up quickly. This year it opened (mild winter!) on 3rd April, the water was 12C, and they measure that in a puddle by the lake entrance (long running joke), the temp in the middle of the lake was probably 10.

Get a harsh and/or prolonged winter and that lake might not even be in double figures.

Its a no from me.

Might help with arm turnover rate though. :laughing:

What water temps are the likes of norseman and other extreme tri’s?

As mentioned, the air temperature is likely to be an issue that time of year too; most probably single figures early in the day. So the likelihood of the swim being cancelled is high. Heck, I’ve done pool Sprint tris a month later and it’s only been around 8-9 degrees air temp at 8 in the morning.

I’ve twice done a pool based triathlon in May - both times 3 degrees, one was torrential rain and lips were blue at the end of the run (almost didn’t do the run). Second time I racked my bike, hailstones started pouring down and so I put my bike back in the car and drove home. Didn’t even start - that was May. I certainly wouldn’t enter a triathlon with a start date before June - too much of a wimp. :rofl:

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Yeah, the Outlaw Half in May looks dodgy to me!
Far too cold.

I only did Clitheroe in April as they still had entries on the Thursday and weather prediction were (correct at) 25 degrees.

I reckon May will be alright. I’ve done some OW swims in the past in April, and managed oly distance in 10-12 degrees at the Docks. Certainly cold, but another month+, and I’m sure it’ll be bearable.

I just want to get a race in before IM, and I didn’t want to have to travel much. Outlaw half I can hire a car Saturday morning, drive up and register, rack and race Sunday morning, and be back home by the early evening to drop the car off. Definitely not an A race however. Mainly just dust the cobwebs off.

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There have been a few instances I think where the air temp has properly done people in. People taken ill on the bike with early hypothermia.

Freezing cold swim, into freezing cold air on the bike. Sounds horrible, and I like running and riding in shite weather.

Sort the men from the boys that will :cold_sweat:

I’ve recently seen events stop the clock in T1 to make sure everyone takes time to get kitted up properly before heading off. Having said that, this event is literally down the road from me and I have no interest in OW at that time of year. I’ve done several races in May in those lakes, with no real issue, but March - Why?

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Definitely a lizard here.

Years ago did Blandford Tri, part of old Concept Sport Series. It was a pool based sprint in early April, opening event of the series. Temperature was something like 4C with strong northerly winds and a hailstorm on the bike. Never been so cold. Did not like it one little bit.

At the other extreme, did Alpe de Huez tri one year ?2010 ?2011 when the temperatures reached 40C on the lower slopes. Personally I loved that, but some people found it too hot IIRC.

The Swashbuckler is in May. I don’t do it because of the register Saturday crap but it looks elfin cold!

I just sketched back from IMUK to Staffs to Southport…I’m in BCN the week of Staffs and on holiday over Easter, in the UK, too.
Getting those rides and runs in might be tight!
:see_no_evil::see_no_evil::see_no_evil:

As in, just during the week and back for the race? You wouldn’t be doing a huge amount of running/riding then surely anyway?

Yeah.
Fly back on Friday.
Whoops! :see_no_evil::joy:
Yeah nothing massive planned for that week, so no big deal - just annoying I might have to “tick over” whilst away.
Holidays are holidays for me. None of this exercise malarkey