Which Race to Do - Part 2 (The Swim)

Note: This is part 2 in my many, many part series about how I chose the race with which to pop my iron-distance triathlon cherry.  Part 1 talks all about race logistics, but if you'd like to go all the way back to the beginning, click here.

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Now let's break down the possibilities by the individual events.  Up first, we'll look at the swim, which can have multiple formats and slightly different rules.  One thing is constant, though - all "Ultra" distance events have a swim that's 2.4 miles.


The swim is the first leg of the race, the shortest leg by both distance and time, and it's also my weakest, so I'm looking for a course that will give me the least amount of trouble.

Remember from Part 1 of my race selection series that there are five contenders:

• Ironman Wisconsin (IMMoo)
• Ironman Louisville (IMLou)
• Ironman Chattanooga (IMChoo)
• Ironman Lake Placid (IMLP)
• and the home race, Rev 3 Cedar Point

Here's how the swims break down: