IM Boulder General Info Thread
I thought I would create this thread as a place to post general information related to Ironman Boulder. As we drop into our Ironman plans I’ll start a weekly training thread so we can all share in the suffering and excitement as we approach August 2nd. But for now, lets use this thread for any questions, or general information sharing related to IM Boulder.
A couple thoughts. For those on Facebook, I suggest joining the Ironman Boulder group. It’s moderated by the RD, Dave Christian. He makes himself very accessible and is always willing to answer questions. He regularly posts information and last season did a great job by posting a series of webcasts that explained in the detail the logistics of the race. FB is not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’re on it, I strongly urge you to join this group.
Specific to the course, the swim will be the same as it was last year. One loop in a counterclockwise direction. The boulder reservoir is very calm and the water temp in august will be low to mid 70’s (wetsuit legal). The bike course is changing to 2 loops this year. We are still waiting for an official announcement, but by all accounts the course will take you N. on 36, a little zig zagging before you get to Loveland where you’ll head East and then South (staying E. of 287) and finally turning West before Lyons and then back on 36 – rinse and repeat. T2 is at Boulder High School close to downtown. The run is essentially the same this year with the exception of the removal of a gnarly little bridge that went up and over the highway. This year that bridge section is replaced by a flatish section so it is pretty much the same course but maybe a touch faster this year. Much of the run is along Boulder Creek and the temps along the creek are a good 5-7degrees cooler. The finish is along 13th street and pearl which is the main intersection in downtown boulder.
Expect hot and dry conditions. Last year temps were in the mid to upper 80’s, but it’s not unusual to have temps in the 90’s or above during the first week of august. Also, worth noting is that conditions change quickly in colorado. The day may start sunny without a cloud in the sky and by 5pm the winds could be blowing in a thunderstorm. You’ll want to carefully consider what to include in your special needs bags.
I think that’s it for now. Man....I’m getting fired up and ready to go just writing about the race. Less than 5 months and counting. Train hard, rest harder and lets make this an experience to remember!
Comments
I hope everyone's training is going well. Big news today.... The new bike course was officially unveiled. It's a 2 loop course and it has a few spikey little climbs. Overall the elevation profiles looks about 700ft more than what my garmin registered on race day. My guess is it will probably be a bit slower than last years course, because of the climbs and increased elevation gain, but that also means there are good opportunities for EN style execution where we can put time into the field by riding smart. Don't worry! There will also be places where you can fly for miles at a time. Here is the link to the new course maps. I'm doing St. George 70.3 on May 2nd, but i plan to ride the course the week following, weather permitting. I will post my observations after riding.
Course Info
Sorry for the break in posting. I raced St. George 70.3 on May 2nd so i have been offline for a little bit. The week prior to St. George i rode one loop + of the new Boulder IM bike course. What everyone has been talking about is the section heading East to West on Nelson Road. If you look at the elevation map it appears this is a pretty dramatic climb. However, it is not nearly as bad as it appears. The average grade of the climb is about 4% and there are several sections that are flat where you can go 20 MPH or more. This is really the only significant climb on an otherwise very fast course. The section i have not yet had a chance to ride is the loop in blue on the course map that kicks in around mile 85 at the completion of the 2nd loop. I have heard there are some short climbs in that section as well. I hope to get back on the course in the next week or two and will report back once i have a chance to ride that section.
I hope everyone's training is going well. We are now at the point where we are all officially training for IM Boulder. Starting next week i will launch a weekly training thread where we can post details of our weekly workouts and race rehearsals. There will no doubt be ups and downs as we approach this race. Feel free to ask questions and share your successes and challenges. I encourage everyone to tap into the power of the power of the group. Lets do this!!!
As race day is quickly approaching, please fill out the team event signup page at the URL below so we can get a count of how many of you will be able to attend the team dinner on Thursday night. If you are traveling with family and friends they are welcome to attend, but please account for them on the signup sheet. Thanks all!
Click Here
Hey gang, i see a lot of you have signed up on the event spreadsheet and most of you are planning to attend the team dinner on thursday evening. I should have more details on when and where in the next week or so. A couple other items to be aware of are as follows:
1> Sign-up for the IM Boulder webinar hosted by Coach Rich on July 15th. It's a good opportunity to ask questions and get Coach Rich's perspective on how to race the course.
2> Dave Christen who is the race director for IM Boulder is posting short Youtube video on the swim bike and run. Here is a link to the swim and bike, run should be out in the next day or so. If you are part of the Facebook group for IM Boulder you have probably already received these.
3> Now is the time when you should start thinking about writing your race plan. Putting your race plan on paper is a very important process and as a result you will uncover things and think more deeply about your race than just trying to planning it out in your head. I encourage you to write up your plan and post it here and in the race execution thread. Tapping into the collective knowledge of the team is one of the greatest benefits of being part of Endurance Nation!
I think that's it for now - Less than 4 weeks to go!
Dinner reservations have been made at The Med for 5:30pm on Thursday, July 30th. The Med is located on walnut street right across from the St. Julien Hotel and about 2 blocks from the finish line. For those with special food requirements,The Med has some gluten free items on their menu and they also are very open to modifying items to meet just about any dietary need. Here is a link to their website. Can't believe 3 weeks from today we'll be having dinner together! $hit's gettin real
Thanks for taking care of things Mark. Much appreciated. Looking forward to meeting everyone in person...
Erik
Hey Folks,
My family and I watched a video DC did on spectating IM Boulder. A few things I noted:
-Busses will be taking folks to and from the reservoir all morning. That is spectators will be able to take a shuttle back to the high school anytime, not have to wait for swim to be over.
-at bike drop off you don't have to pay so long as you are with an athlete who has a wristband...
Just thought I would pass along that info. Hope everyone is well and getting psyched!
Erik