Many from Lincolnway Masters will be there as well Orca, although the weather doesn't look to promising as a beach hazard warning due to life threatening surf and current conditions has been issued through tomorrow. Water temp may be ok today but could drop due to 30mph winds and air temperature drop
Not sure what the contigency plan would be. Indoor pool? Weather is going to suck in all parts of the lake.
I suppose I was implying that bid preference should be given to teams with a contingency (backup) plan. And caution should be taken when awarding bids to teams without a backup plan and in a location where weather and/or conditions can be unpredictable. I do realize that this was the first time in 25 years that the swim had to be canceled, so it is perhaps not statistically significant and the bid would have been awarded regardless.
An indoor pool swim wasn't what I had in mind, but rather some other venue that is within driving distance. Given that the forecast 72 hours, 48 hours and 24 hours out looked very unfavorable, there might have been sufficient time to notify swimmers that the championship was going to move to the "backup venue."
As for a contingency plan, here's an example: next year our team is hosting the 10K national championship in southern Oregon at Applegate Lake. This year this swim had to be canceled due to low water levels and dangerously warm water. Next year, since it is the national championship, we're discussing having a backup plan to move to other local lakes in the case of similarly dry and hot conditions to this year. If conditions aren't good in Applegate Lake in 2016, we'll might move to another lake in the region that has more stable water levels and is cooler.
Perhaps there are other lakes in the Midwest region, though maybe not in Chicago metro, that could have served as backups? Just offering some feedback here to USMS to see if there is a way to improve the way National Championships are currently administered.
Perhaps there are other lakes in the Midwest region, though maybe not in Chicago metro, that could have served as backups? Just offering some feedback here to USMS to see if there is a way to improve the way National Championships are currently administered.
My previous post magically disappeared. Hazards of commenting using a phone, I suppose. It certainly would be courteous to have a back up plan. I don't see many race directors doing that. Not sure if they don't want to bother, greed, or logistics. I know the race filled up quickly and I would think that is also not very conducive to a true national championship. I know at least one guy who would be top 3 overall that wanted in.
Really bummed about the cancellation. After wanting to do this swim for a few years, when I saw that it was a national championship this year, I decided to commit. Traveled a long way (from Oregon) and spent a lot of money (a whole lot, actually -- Chicago isn't a cheap town!) to get here to do Big Shoulders. So upset that the weather didn't cooperate. I understand and agree with the decision to cancel, but I wish that there had been some contingency plan that could have worked so that the event could have gone off despite the weather.
For those of us who traveled very far to compete, and who are on a fixed financial budget and have to plan long in advance for this sort of trip, of it is really unfortunate. It's a understatement to say that I am disappointed that I decided to do this swim this year and spent so much money traveling to get here.
In the future, perhaps USMS should have a contingency plan in place for all national championships that will allow the race to go on (or be highly probable to go on) in the event of unforeseen circumstances or bad weather? If not, it's going to make me think very long and very hard about going to future USMS open water national championships that are located in places and scheduled at times when the weather might be unpredictable.
Race has been canceled, per Tweets from Rob Butcher:
Chicago Park District & event management cancel Big Shoulders, weather is unsafe. Goody bags being given out in tunnel @MastersSwimming
Bad visibility, heavy winds, and swells. Lifeguards not comfortable & BS cancelled. Safety is our priority @MastersSwimming
But weather conditions are not safe. Lifeguards have limited visibility and we can't protect 1/3 of race course...
With waves crashing over the wall. With the Bears home game tomorrow, not possible to reschedule...
TY to participants for understanding event director decision to cancel Big Shoulders. We waited hoping for weather to turn.
LaJolla was nice today. Our very own PWB won overall for mile slapping down all comers including college types. I think I should try the 3 weeks off one on approach:)
It certainly would be courteous to have a back up plan. I don't see many race directors doing that. Not sure if they don't want to bother, greed, or logistics.
Agreed. I'm sure it would be logistically challenging to have two different race locations both worked out to handle a large event.
I know the race filled up quickly and I would think that is also not very conducive to a true national championship. I know at least one guy who would be top 3 overall that wanted in.
That's another good point. How to fairly allow everyone to compete who wants to? I know that most (all?) races have to put a cap on number of entrants for safety reasons or due to restrictions set forth by the venue (i.e. sometimes races take place in national forest or parks that have a strict limit for number of participants). I'm not sure of a way around that other than to choose a venue where the participant limit is high? But it would still likely sell out at some point.
Most people probably believe that since the time that registration opens is made public well before it opens, that everyone has equal opportunity to register so it is as "fair" of a system as they can provide. In the case where a race is popular and I expect it to sell out, I make sure I am online when the registration opens so that I can be sure to get in. But it is unfortunate, perhaps even unfair, for those who are unable or unavailable to register right when registration opens. Any suggestions as to how to improve this?
Most people probably believe that since the time that registration opens is made public well before it opens, that everyone has equal opportunity to register so it is as "fair" of a system as they can provide. In the case where a race is popular and I expect it to sell out, I make sure I am online when the registration opens so that I can be sure to get in. But it is unfortunate, perhaps even unfair, for those who are unable or unavailable to register right when registration opens. Any suggestions as to how to improve this?
Quite a few races (both runs and swims) have gone to lotteries. I didn't get into the Boston Light Swim solo section this year due to not making the lottery. But as it seemed a pretty impartial selection system, I had no complaints. And a friend who entered the relay division got in so invited me to be on his team--not the solo, but it was a very good experience, providing me with a preview so I have a better understanding of how the race works and what to expect--and thus tailor my training for next year.
A local run uses a lottery system after people had the kind of problems you describe. They allow a bypass for members of Mid-Atlantic USATF, because the race is part of a grand-prix series. Members first enter the lottery as everyone does. If they're selected, then great. If not, there's a procedure they can follow to get entry.
There may also be exceptions for entrants raising funds for specific charities... so quite a lot of people do manage to get in, but not everyone.
I can understand the disappointment if you were aiming at a national championship. And if they weren't able to set up an alternative venue in an emergency, maybe there could be a way to transfer the championship status to an upcoming event. But there would need to be a "line of succession" built in, perhaps. So for instance, a national championship scheduled for City A has to be canceled. But City B has a swim of the same distance and status as the one in City A and is, say, a week or two later. There could be an agreement to transfer the championship--and the entries of those with qualifying seed times--to City B's event. Just a thought...
--or other events could offer some kind of package deal for those whose events were canceled.
I'm not sure how that would work or if it could be done. When they canceled the New York City Marathon in 2012, NYCM runners were given slots in the Philly Marathon even though it had officially sold out. But they had to pay again after paying quite few clams to run New York. (I'd have been for charging only the early reg. fee, at least--can't remember if they did that.)
I can only imagine how frustrating it would be to commit so much and then have it not go off.
