Beach to Battleship

i see that there were several last year. are they only for the people doing the full distance event or is it for both? Is it mandatory if i am only doing the half?

while it is worth attending they do not take roll call. it is for full and half if its the same as last year

50% thanking of sponsors and remarks by dignitaries
40% stuff 99% of folks already will know
7% stuff you probably didn't know but don't really need to know
3% stuff you'll probably be glad you were there to hear.
Followed by Q&A.

psycholist wrote:3% stuff you'll probably be glad you were there to hear.

They did talk about crossing the bridges w/ the carpet and railroad tracks on 421

And since the courses have changed since last year, I would recommend going to the meeting even if you went last year. I've been racing 20 years and I go to every meeting I can to find out if there is something about each race course that I need to know. I may be too anal about it, but I like to know.

psycholist wrote:50% thanking of sponsors and remarks by dignitaries
40% stuff 99% of folks already will know
7% stuff you probably didn't know but don't really need to know
3% stuff you'll probably be glad you were there to hear.
Followed by Q&A.

I would definitely suggest going to the meeting. But as far as for the percentages...
- These thanks are well deserved, w/o these people and businesses this race might not happen (ps - remember to thank the vols who are out there on the course helping you to finish).
- As for all the "stuff": very few athletes have read the USAT rules from cover to cover and are thus upset when they are 'dinged' with a penalty, so if you know 99% of everything sure it isn't important, but there is a good chance these rules and regulations could come back to you (questions like ipods, passing, bridges, the new run course, nutrition provided, where to be and when, who can pick up you stuff, where to park) plus you get to be around the race energy. This is what you trained for, this is what the devotion, commitment and sacrifice was for, so GO, enjoy every moment of it. Maybe you learn something maybe you don't, but I'd be hard pressed to think you don't get fired up just a bit more....

The biggest thing I learned about race rules at one race briefing I attended was that attempting to pass someone on the bike (i.e., getting within the draft zone) and failing to do so could result in a drafting penalty. You must complete the pass, even if they speed up and try to keep you from doing so (which is not the same as blocking) or you are drafting. On a flat course such as B2B, IMFL, Racine, this type of thing can happen easily if you don't know the rules so watch out. Someone I know got 2 penalties probably because of this.

crispcrispcrisp wrote: ... you get to be around the race energy...

I honestly didn't mean to suggest it wasn't worthwhile going. You're required to go. And as CrispCrispCrisp accurately pointed out, if you get nothing else from it, you WILL pick up on the race energy.

And those sponsors and volunteers deserve all the kudos they get. You're right on that, too, Crisp. (There was one local politician who droned on and on last year, though. I was glazing over. I really didn't care what he was running for.)

That said, I think my percentages were right on the money.