Ok, so the more they email me, the more I get nervous about the water temp. Last year it was 69 which stung to get in, but it made for a nice swimming temp. By the end, though, my fingers and toes felt a little numb, but that could have been tired (??).
But this year, it could be up to 10 degrees colder?! What to do when the coolest water I can find here in Cincinnati is 80?
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I posted earlier that I thought all the safety personnel were positioned on the outside of the course. I probably shouldn't have said that because I don't know this for sure. I always breathe to the right and since the course is swum CCW I'm always looking toward the outside of the course.
edit: found a race photo on bigshoulder.org that shows a pretty good view of the course: www.bigshoulders.org/.../dsc03163.html
You can see on the right side the round, mid-leg buoy and further on the triangular buoy marking the turn between the first and second leg. I see a couple boats positioned along the first leg and I think the lifeguards in these boats would definitely see if someone cut the course. What I don't know is whether the lifeguards are purely there for safety or are also marshalling the course.
As my previous post stated, no one should be DQ'd by a lifeguard or what a fellow competitor observed. However reviewing the post from Race Director, Chris; nothing was stated on who, what or where the official race referee’s were posted or even if there were official course marshals with the power to disqualify a swimmer. Furthermore based on the photos submitted Knelson I see boats outside of the markers not inside where they would need to be located to accurately observe and record a swimmer miss a buoy. Who the race referees were if any and there location seems to be less then transparent in this race is my mind a serious issue for a National Championship event. Based on the hullabaloo here, officiating of OW needs to be addressed by USMS for future open water National Championships in both bids submitted and OW rules.
I posted earlier that I thought all the safety personnel were positioned on the outside of the course. I probably shouldn't have said that because I don't know this for sure. I always breathe to the right and since the course is swum CCW I'm always looking toward the outside of the course.
edit: found a race photo on bigshoulder.org that shows a pretty good view of the course: www.bigshoulders.org/.../dsc03163.html
You can see on the right side the round, mid-leg buoy and further on the triangular buoy marking the turn between the first and second leg. I see a couple boats positioned along the first leg and I think the lifeguards in these boats would definitely see if someone cut the course. What I don't know is whether the lifeguards are purely there for safety or are also marshalling the course.
As my previous post stated, no one should be DQ'd by a lifeguard or what a fellow competitor observed. However reviewing the post from Race Director, Chris; nothing was stated on who, what or where the official race referee’s were posted or even if there were official course marshals with the power to disqualify a swimmer. Furthermore based on the photos submitted Knelson I see boats outside of the markers not inside where they would need to be located to accurately observe and record a swimmer miss a buoy. Who the race referees were if any and there location seems to be less then transparent in this race is my mind a serious issue for a National Championship event. Based on the hullabaloo here, officiating of OW needs to be addressed by USMS for future open water National Championships in both bids submitted and OW rules.
