Bump. I haven't raced it yet either and will take any pointers there are.

I have raced it the last 3 years and will be back again this year.

Ogden is a small city and there aren't a ton of hotel options, but there is one downtown that is very good for getting the best of what Ogden has to offer. There are also plenty of VRBO options both in Ogden and up in the valley where the race is held.

You are best to bring the bike on the plane, especially since the cost on SW is not bad. There are no transport services to that race that I know of, outside of Fedex/UPS.

Be prepared for a lot of climbing. Most of the bike and much of the run is up a mountain. The swim starts at around 6000ft and the bike climbs up to over 8500 then back down to 7500 for T2. The run goes up for the first mile or so, then up some more before traversing the mountain for a rip roaring trail descent. The bike trail is a mix of very loose and rocky fire road, some rocky in parts, but mostly smooth and not overall technical except for 3-4 areas (from my memory). The climb up Sardine is tough, and comes in the later part of the bike, and always hurts. The views from the top of Sardine canyon is spectacular so pre-ride it with your camera (and don't look while racing, the trail is a bit treacherous over the top of the mountain). The tires I find that work best are ones with good knobs that are more built for loose traction rather than rolling resistance types.

Happy to share more!

Jack

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"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." T.S. Elliot | Cycle2Tri.com
Sponsors: SciCon | | Every Man Jack

Bike profile from 2011
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/116748467

Run profile from 2011
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/116748476

I'm not a great mountain bike climber but I used a Schwalbe Racing Ralph rear and a Knoby Nic front. I didn't need that much traction in the front though.

The bike was just about all climbing, the decent from Sardine Peak was fast and twisty. I was totally unprepared to climb that much on the bike.

The run is a lot of up and down too.

jaretj

I just got my email that I qualified -- to say I'm shocked would be an understatement. But I'm thinking about signing up for it just for the experience. Besides, my AG only had 12 athletes in it last year. I like those odds!

Congrats! What region are you in? There must not be any more races I'm guessing?

Thanks for the advice everyone. Based on what I hear about the trails, it'll be best to go with a slightly burlier tire like the bontrager XR2.

I just got my email yesterday. I did the race last year and my wife did the Trail Run the next day. Both events were awesome.

This year a friend is hoping to qualify and we're going up there with him and his wife.

We stayed at the host hotel in town. A little bit of a drive to the venue but not too bad at all. Plus you're in town where most of the activities are. We are staying there again this year.

As for the bike, I left mine at home and rented from The Bike Shoppe in Ogden. They were a great asset and really went above and beyond. they have a pretty nice inventory of what I would consider pretty high end bikes. My friend and I have already reserved for this year.

The only thing I would recommend for the race is get ready to climb on the bike. I rode a little of the run course Friday but I really wish I would have prepared more both at home and at the venue. I would recommend starting a pre-ride where the bike enters the trailhead after the swim venue and also try to do some of the long Sardine climb. If for no other reason than it will prepare you mentally. Last year I wasn't and the climb seemed to drag on forever. (If you look on Youtube, a guy from Dallas actually Go Pro'd the entire bike leg during the race a few years back. It's a great video and kudos to him for filming and posting it. Really worth a look. I'll try to find it and post a link)

After the first mile, the run is pretty straightforward. The first mile is pretty much straight up the hill though, so save a little at the end of the bike.

One last thing, and this sounds kind of basic, but you really need to make absolutely sure where your transition spot is. You leave your bags at T2 and go to the swim area to T1. When you get back to T2 is looks entirely different with all the bikes that weren't there three hours earlier. I am embarrassed to say I spent about three minutes frantically searching for my gear last year. This year I plan to get there at the opening and park at the end of a rack.

Have a great time and a great race.

I'm in the mountain region (CO) and there are more races. I'm signed up for Xterra Buffalo Creek next month. I had to skip Xterra Aspen Valley yesterday because I'm sick and that was a major disappointment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuJJF5lDdzg

Here is the link to the bike course video.

Don't be disappointed you missed Aspen Valley....the race was lame, bike was a joke and the run was 2.5 miles. I don't think I'll be doing it again and I live 20 mins from t1....

Any tips for spectators? My wife and kids will likely be joining me.

Kevin,

The best advice I can give from a fellow east coast athlete is to take the swim and the initial climb out at a conservative pace. It's very hard to recover from oxygen debt at altitude and I've seen a lot of racers have a really bad day by going out too hard and then blowing up. At the mountain champs last weekend, (7,400-9,400 elevation), I was very controlled on the swim and progressed into a hard tempo pace on the initial climb and felt the best I ever have at altitude. You'll still feel like you have a restrictor plate on your aerobic engine, but don't worry, everyone else will also.

Regarding the tires, whatever tread pattern you choose, 2.2 width is much preferable to 2.0 or 2.1, you'll have a larger contact patch and can more safely run low pressures.

Lastly, before you drive to Ogden from Salt Lake City, stop and eat at Red Iguana 2, best Mexican food north of the border.

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Alex Modestou | Elite Off-Road Triathlete
On the web: Off-Road Adventures | Tweets
Supported by: Roots Hummus | Rotor Bike Components | Effetto Mariposa Sealants and Tire Accessories | ROKA Sports

Thanks Alex. Congrats on the 5th place finish at CO. Thanks for the input on tires. My LBS said it'll be pretty noticeable difference going from a burly 2.3 to a low profile 2.0 so I'm thinking a moderate tread 2.2 would be perfect for me.

Thanks for the advice on the swim and initial climb. I've done courses like Stoaked and Epic ASP where there's a ton of climbing right out of the gate but not at altitude so we'll see how that goes.

Thanks for sharing the link (sorry forgot the username) of the entire bike course. In my OCD method of scouting bike courses, I've actually seen it before but definitely good for others who may not have seen it yet. Great advice everyone, thanks.

Sounds like beachboy is just bummed he's not a better mountain biker. The race was epic and awesome in every way. Great organization, super cool features on the bike and run course. Had 2.86 on my Garmin for the run so disappointing they couldn't extend to 3.1 but not the end of the world. I'd sign up right now if reg was open and so would everyone on my XTERRA team. Next up Buff Creek and Nationals.

You are right I'm not a "better" MTB'r.....I'm a "kick ass" MTB'r

And if that's what you call epic you should find better trails to ride and or race on, It was so short , short bike, short run.

See you in Maui :)

Hope you did Curt Gowdy then or was that too short and a joke of a mtb course? Maybe you can only ride a road bike up the Beavercreek course or cyclocross bike on the lory course? You should do Fruita as that's about as powder puff of an xterra course as they come.

Curt Gowdy iwas cool, you can defend Aspen Valley (Eljbel it's really, 30 miles from Aspen) I don't care...but that course was lame on so many levels...

Not only was the run a short, but having to mix it up with middle of the bike field on the single track was interesting to say the least.

Any suggestions on running shoe choice? Around here I'll run trails in my puregrit 3s but if the trails out there are less rocky, rooty slippery I could use my St5s too. Thoughts?

Another bump.

I am qualified and was looking for a top 5 in my age group, but now I think I have a pinched peroneal nerve...not sure I'll make it now, but fingers are crossed.

The course seems really cumbersome for spectators. Any tips?

The Pure Grits are great all-around shoes. You likely won't regret using those on even tame trails, but if you go either way, go closer to a road flat from what I've heard. Assuming I make it, I'll pack my pure grits (in the case of rain/snow) and my Asics Hyper Speeds (I have raced 3 xterras with these and they've been fine so far as long as the course is dry).

Spectators can easily watch the swim and t1, but then there is a bit of a delay getting up to t2/run start/finish, due to the bike course crossing the only road. Being that it takes the fast guys 90min to ride the course, all spectators generally get up to Snowbasin with time to spare. There are a few spots on the bike course to catch the race (old Snowbasin road crossing point, at the entrance to Sardine - if you have a bike), otherwise its the swim/t1/t2 and the finishing half mile for viewing.

Jack

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"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." T.S. Elliot | Cycle2Tri.com
Sponsors: SciCon | | Every Man Jack

The run course is very rocky, and in some places pretty treacherous. I'll be wearing my PureGrits.

See you up there.

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Alex Modestou | Elite Off-Road Triathlete
On the web: Off-Road Adventures | Tweets
Supported by: Roots Hummus | Rotor Bike Components | Effetto Mariposa Sealants and Tire Accessories | ROKA Sports

How did you like the course? How did y'all do? I thought it was a great day and the race was fun and the fall colors made it sublime.

Jack

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"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." T.S. Elliot | Cycle2Tri.com
Sponsors: SciCon | | Every Man Jack

I loved it. I didn't have the race I was hoping or capable of but it sure was awesome. The trails were gorgeous. I never suffered so much with climbing and altitude but I was smiling the whole way.

I'm going to recover before getting after it again. I'll without a doubt be back next year (assuming I qualify).

I did the 13.1 on Sunday, we got tons of rain, it was fun. The dry rocky sections were tacky and the dust was gone, so it worked out pretty well. I wore a pair of Brooks Mach 12s, probably didn't need them.

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