Take the Lake 2012 Participant Survey
Q1. My motivation to participate in Take the Lake was (check all that apply): | ||||||||||
Percent | Count | |||||||||
Improve my health | 50.0% | 59 | ||||||||
Meet people | 22.9% | 27 | ||||||||
Achieve a personal endurance challenge | 88.1% | 104 | ||||||||
Enjoy beauty of Lake Waccamaw | 53.4% | 63 | ||||||||
Q2. This is how I rate the MERIT of each Personal Endurance Challenge I participated in. | ||||||||||
Poor | Bad | OK | Good | GREAT! | Count | |||||
Walk/Run | 0 | 1 | 5 | 20 | 46 | 72 | ||||
Bike & Hike | 0 | 1 | 5 | 22 | 38 | 66 | ||||
Paddle | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 20 | 28 | ||||
Swim | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 14 | ||||
Q3. This is how I rate the ORGANIZATION of each Personal Endurance Challenge I participated in: | ||||||||||
Poor | Bad | OK | Good | GREAT! | Count | |||||
Walk / Run | 1 | 2 | 7 | 25 | 36 | 71 | ||||
Bike & Hike | 3 | 3 | 12 | 18 | 30 | 66 | ||||
Paddle | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 16 | 24 | ||||
Swim | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 11 | ||||
Q4. My experience before I began training was: | ||||||||||
More than the Take the Lake distance | Significant, but less than the TTL distance | Just Casually | Count | |||||||
Walk / Run | 5 | 41 | 22 | 68 | ||||||
Bike & Hike | 19 | 16 | 25 | 60 | ||||||
Paddle | 2 | 12 | 9 | 23 | ||||||
Swim | 0 | 2 | 8 | 10 | ||||||
Q5. As I prepared, my confidence in my success was based on: | ||||||||||
Experience | Determination | Pure Luck | A Good Sense of Humor | Count | ||||||
Walk / Run | 13 | 49 | 1 | 4 | 67 | |||||
Bike & Hike | 21 | 34 | 1 | 6 | 62 | |||||
Paddle | 6 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 21 | |||||
Swim | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | |||||
Q6. My success, considering my expectations, could best be described as: | ||||||||||
NatchÉ | Not as good as IÕd hoped | Pretty good | Darned good | A miracle | Count | |||||
Walk / Run | 0 | 11 | 20 | 31 | 6 | 68 | ||||
Bike & Hike | 1 | 5 | 28 | 25 | 4 | 63 | ||||
Paddle | 0 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 21 | ||||
Swim | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 10 | ||||
Q7. Along the route, I wish there had been more... | ||||||||||
Water Stops | Portable Toilets | Count | ||||||||
Walk / Run | 26 | 20 | 46 | |||||||
Bike & Hike | 17 | 8 | 25 | |||||||
Paddle | 6 | 1 | 7 | |||||||
Q8. Did you participate in the Walk / Run? | ||||||||||
Percent | Count | |||||||||
Yes | 59.3% | 67 | ||||||||
No | 40.7% | 46 | ||||||||
Q10. Did you participate in the Paddle Challenge? | ||||||||||
Percent | Count | |||||||||
Yes | 18.1% | 13 | ||||||||
No | 81.9% | 59 | ||||||||
Q11. This is what I sat in and paddled for hours: | ||||||||||
Percent | Count | |||||||||
A fast, expensive kayak | 25.0% | 3 | ||||||||
A slow, plastic, sit-in kayak | 58.3% | 7 | ||||||||
A sit-on-top ocean kayak | 16.7% | 2 | ||||||||
A canoe | 0.0% | 0 | ||||||||
Q12. I would recommend this craft to anyone: | ||||||||||
Percent | Count | |||||||||
Nope | 0.0% | 0 | ||||||||
Not really | 18.2% | 2 | ||||||||
Yes, it wasnÕt bad | 54.5% | 6 | ||||||||
Definitely | 27.3% | 3 | ||||||||
Q14. Did you participate in the Bike & Hike? | ||||||||||
Percent | Count | |||||||||
Yes | 83.9% | 47 | ||||||||
No | 16.1% | 9 | ||||||||
Q15. This year we required helmets. How do you like that? | ||||||||||
Percent | Count | |||||||||
I hated wearing it and won't ride again! | 4.4% | 2 | ||||||||
I hated it, but will ride again | 13.3% | 6 | ||||||||
OK | 26.7% | 12 | ||||||||
I liked wearing a helmet | 8.9% | 4 | ||||||||
I always wear a helmet when riding! | 46.7% | 21 | ||||||||
Q16. This year we rode a "horseshoe" route, similar to the Pat Fatmucket Fun Ride. Are you planning on riding in that next spring? | ||||||||||
Percent | Count | |||||||||
No | 19.6% | 9 | ||||||||
Maybe | 54.3% | 25 | ||||||||
Yes! | 26.1% | 12 | ||||||||
Q17. Put yourself in your position for the next few s... If I could name my bike, I would name it this: | ||||||||||
Percent | Count | |||||||||
Rocket – A sleek, expensive racing or hybrid | 23.9% | 11 | ||||||||
Bear – A new, average mountain / hybrid bik | 50.0% | 23 | ||||||||
Daisy - One or three-speed beach cruiser | 17.4% | 8 | ||||||||
Grandpa - Old clunker | 8.7% | 4 | ||||||||
Q18. ... And I would recommend this type of bike to anyone | ||||||||||
Percent | Count | |||||||||
Nope | 0.0% | 0 | ||||||||
Not really | 13.3% | 6 | ||||||||
Yes, it wasnÕt bad | 60.0% | 27 | ||||||||
Definitely | 26.7% | 12 | ||||||||
Q20. Did you participate in the Swim? | ||||||||||
Percent | Count | |||||||||
Yes | 7.5% | 8 | ||||||||
No | 92.5% | 98 | ||||||||
Q21. My swim technique was this: | ||||||||||
Percent | Count | |||||||||
Freestyle all the way | 40.0% | 2 | ||||||||
Back stroke most or all the way | 0.0% | 0 | ||||||||
Whatever works | 60.0% | 3 | ||||||||
Comments | 3 | |||||||||
Q23. Next year, I plan to: | ||||||||||
Percent | Count | |||||||||
Increase my participation by one or more ev | 45.6% | 47 | ||||||||
Participate at the same level | 45.6% | 47 | ||||||||
Decrease my participation by one or more e | 1.0% | 1 | ||||||||
Not participate in Take the Lake | 3.9% | 4 | ||||||||
Participate in the X-TREME! | 3.9% | 4 | ||||||||
Q25. About supporting the four events of Take the Lake financially: | ||||||||||
Percent | Count | |||||||||
IÕm glad Take the Lake was free and I would | 28.2% | 29 | ||||||||
I would pay a fee, maybe $5 - $10, | 25.2% | 26 | ||||||||
Throw in a T-shirt and I would pay maybe $ | 46.6% | 48 | ||||||||
Comments | 23 |
How may we improve the Walk / Run? |
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1 |
Start it alot
earlier so we can beat most of the heat. My crew started on time and it took
four hours so the sun was really blazing...... |
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2 |
I was impressed with the event and
feel it was great as it was. |
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3 |
water and places to cool when it
get hot up in the day |
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4 |
It was a very good experience. |
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5 |
Start earlier. It gets really hot close to noon and
the last part of the walk (Bella Coola) was miserably hot with very few water
breaks. |
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6 |
Have more cold water along Bella
Cola rd. |
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7 |
DONT KNOW REALLY. |
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8 |
Quicker sign in. Put faster
runners at front for a more organized start. |
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9 |
having the last stretch be the 2
miles of concrete and no shade is hard! the heat is beating down and back up
off the concrete. |
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10 |
Possibly starting earlier...it got
dangerously HOT at the end!! |
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11 |
I would like to add an event that
is part walking and riding a bike. |
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12 |
More water stops on Bella Coola (usually
there are, but so hot this year...). Have police make everyone walk against
traffic- they have done this in years past but not this year. |
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13 |
Just missed getting to go through
the park. |
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14 |
Have more water stations during
the last 2 miles, this was the hottest time and it seemed that all the water
had been used up during the beginning of the walk?? |
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15 |
I thought it was great. Vehicles
were not an issue and considering the route change, everything went well. |
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16 |
* Allow pre-registered
participants to begin promptly on time.
If you're not pre-registered, you just might have to start later than
others. No big deal. And it if's a big deal to you, you'll
pre-register next year! Also,
manage the crowd (PA system volume) so that everyone can hear the
announcements. Have volunteers
"in the crowd" to quiet folks and encourage attention. Perhaps start at 7:30 rather than 8:00. |
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17 |
At the end there were very few
water stops with cold water. That
is when the water was needed the most. |
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18 |
Fine for me |
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19 |
Towards the end of the Walk/Run,
for example, the last 3 miles, provide more water stops. This is when
participants need it the most. |
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20 |
Unlike many people I spoke with, I
enjoyed the there and back run. It allowed me to see people throughout the
run unlike last year when I was alone most of the run. Additionally it was
very nice to know exactly how far I had left because I had been over the
course moments before. |
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21 |
Do not do registration on the day
of the event as it causes delays in the start time. Preregister online or pay a fee for
waiting until the day of. Some of
us want to start on time. |
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22 |
Runners/walkers start in two
separate waves. |
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23 |
Cold water stations available on
the final 5 miles or so. |
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24 |
Water stations the LAST three
miles on Bella Coola. The first
ten miles was so supportive though! |
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25 |
Overall, it was great! |
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26 |
Earlier start to avoid the heat |
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27 |
Go around the lake |
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28 |
I only feel their should be maybe
two portable toilets added on the bella coola road. I enjoyed all the scenery and the great
people who took time to hand out water and refreshments along the way. I feel
that the volunteers were superb because it takes quite a bit of time and
effort to plan and organize an event that is this size with minor injuries
but quite a bit of complaints that I feel is not necessary. |
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29 |
everything was good it was
extremely hot which you have no control. |
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30 |
it is good the way it is |
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31 |
Would like to see my name matched
up with my times on the final results. |
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32 |
Start earlier or change the
location of the finish. The last couple of miles were really tough, with no shade and no breeze. |
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33 |
1: Have some milestone points that
people can abandon the 15-mi challenge but still get credit for at least finishing
(i.e. 7.5 and 10 mile points). 2. Start earlier. We began late and the
incredibly hot day was worse. |
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34 |
Asking everyone to stay on the
same side of the road to make traffic a little less of a concern. |
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35 |
Shut down traffic - VERY dangerous
to have participants doubling back thus on both sides of the road and two
vehicles trying to pass simultaneously.
Start earlier. I am an
experienced runner and was getting into trouble with dehydration/heat
exhaustion |
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36 |
I thought it was well organized
and everything went well especially with the last minute change of plans with
route! |
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37 |
Mile markers on the way back |
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38 |
start earlier in the day tons of
water stops on lake shore etc, but by the time you
got to bella coola there
were only a couple (they were great) but that was a LONG HOT three miles with
very few water breaks... Don't know how you can encourage the people that
live on that road to sit in the heat and give away water, but that could
really use improvement |
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39 |
It was really hot on Saturday, I
think it would have been better if we could start at 7 instead of 8. |
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40 |
None |
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41 |
How about a cooler time of year or
starting it earlier in the morning.
If we started at 7am we would be through before it got so hot or at
least on the last leg of walk. |
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42 |
this was my first and the weather
prevented me fro seeing the course as intended would love to do it again with
the organelle course |
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43 |
An earlier starting time would be
great. It was so very hot and
humid. I think 6:30 or 7:00am
would be good. I know a lot of
marathons have 6:30 start times now. |
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44 |
I loved that we did not have to
run through the park. It made it
much more enjoyable and safer.
There were lots of water stops but they seemed to be heavy in some
areas and sparse in others. |
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45 |
I thought everything went well
with the walk/run. I can think of
no necessary improvements. |
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46 |
There was only one water stop in
the last 2 miles of the course, and by the time we got to it, the family had
given everything away. When we arrived at the finish line, now dehydrated,
there was no water and no more fruit. When we asked the man who had packed up
the cooler, he said he would bring us some. He then drove his golf cart to
his truck, got in, and left the parking lot. At this point in the afternoon,
the temperature was in the upper 90s, we had not consumed water for more than
the last 2 miles of the route, and received none at the finish line. We both
became sick from dehydration. Until this point, we were thrilled with the
event...this, however, left us both upset. We will participate again, but we
will NOT trust the event to provide adequate hydration. |
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47 |
more water stops that the end also
the end was really hot on pavement |
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48 |
More water stops, ESPECIALLY
toward the end. That run in the sun with no water was horrible for the last 2
miles!!! |
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49 |
I thought it was great! Don't
change a thing. (Unless you can dial down the heat!) |
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50 |
More water stations down Bella
Coola because there was not much shade.
and more restrooms with better ventilation (too hot inside) |
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How
may we improve the Paddle Challenge? |
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1 |
AN
OFFICIAL FINISH LINE. END OF PIER OR WHERE? |
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2 |
its
perfect |
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3 |
Provide
parking |
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4 |
Make
sure paddlers stay between land & no wake poles |
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5 |
Not
a thing |
How may we improve the Bike &
Hike? |
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1 |