5 Days Until....

Race Day Information

I wanted to pass along the race day info in case you’d like to cheer me on if you happen to be near UNO, City Park, or the French Quarter during any of the legs of my race this Sunday.

The race starts this Sunday at 7:00 a.m.  at the UNO Research and Technology Park. My Swim Wave (women under 29) will start at 8:06 a.m. If you’re feeling super ambitious / early birdish feel free to see me off, but don’t feel bad if you don’t feel like it…my parents will be there to cheer me on!

The bike portion will be all through City Park and Hwy 11 area … this might not be the best portion of the race to watch, because I’m probably going to be focused more on balance and following rules / regulations.

The best part to come cheer me on, then, would probably be during the run and / or at the after event (I don’t believe you’ll actually be able to SEE me cross the finish line but I’ll exit the chute right after). The Run will take place throughout City Park, then Esplanade, ending in the French Quarter in Jackson Square. IF I’m still in the race by then, I’ll be starting the run between 12:40-1:15 p.m. and ending between 3:00-4:00. p.m. I’ve included maps and details below. You can also find course maps on the event Web site at http://ironmanneworleans.com/. Also, you'll be able to track my progress online on the day of the race at http://ironmanlive.com/

In terms of how to scout me out, I’ll be #1940 (it should be displayed on my bike and helmet, and then my waist area during the run). Also, I’ll be wearing:

Pink Shirt

White Hat

If anyone has any ideas on how I can add some identifying “swag” to my workout gear without looking like a complete idiot, let me know and I’ll update everyone on what to look for.

I might also be the only competitor you see crawling…. so that would be an easy way to spot me.

Here’s the info below!

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• SWIM: My Swim Starts at 8:06 a.m. sharp

• My estimated time to finish swim: between 8:50 and 9:06

• Park at UNO parking lot (2045 LakeShore Drive) (Directions from Interstate:)

4. Take the exit onto I-10 E toward Slidell 2.4 mi

5. Take exit 237 to merge onto Elysian Fields Ave 3.7 mi

6. At the traffic circle, take the 4th exit onto Lakeshore Dr

Destination will be on the right 0.2 mi

Bike:

• Estimated Start Time: Between 8:50 a.m. and 9:06 a.m.

• Estimated Finish Time: Between 12:40 p.m. and 1:15 p.m.

After the swim, walk to the front of transition to see part of the bike leg. If you do not see me when I come out, you will see me on my way back from Lakeshore Boulevard on the bike.

You could drive out to New Orleans East and catch me on Chef Hwy, if you’re comfortable with the area. (However, good chance I wouldn’t see you on the bike…I’ll be too busy watching other riders and making sure I’m adhering to distance regulations).

The Run:

Estimated Start time: Between 12:40 p.m. and 1:15 p.m.

Estimated End Time: Between 3:00 and 4:00

A few options for the run: The corner of Harrison and Marconi (take Harrison off of Canal to avoid the road closures) and you can catch me twice on the run from that corner. This run is through City Park and you can pick any nice place in there….lots of trees and shade. You CAN’T hand me drinks or anything! 

The Finish:

Estimated Time: Between 3:00 and 4:00 PM

Go to the French Quarter and watch the finish. To get to the French Quarter, you can drive straight down Elysian Fields to the finish line from UNO all the way down to the French Qtr where it dead ends at N. Peters Street. Take a right and try to park somewhere down there or just park around Elysian Fields and watch me run down Esplanade Ave (1 block over) or walk to the finish line at Jackson Square (about 6-7 blocks). Parking will be hard downtown. End of Race Celebrations are in Marconi Park near the Aquarium-ish.