I have done it twice in the past ('12 and '14).

Swimming is in the Weerwater. Usually hardly any waves. Course has changed a bit, but it is still two laps in the same water.
Bike course is flat, on the Oostvaardersdijk you cycle on top of the dike. When you have a headwind over there it is 25km of fun...
Running is 6 laps of 7km, mostly flat. 1 bridge immediately after km mark 4 and the finish area have some height difference (Dutch height difference that is: max 2m).

1) No clue. I'd say to start slow. You're fit, so no need to overdo it.
2) Do some slow long rides I think

3) I did the Half distance Almere twice (after a juli and august Ironman 140.6), and doing the full distance this year (3 weeks after another full distance triathlon, so I'll have to rest in the weeks before the event as well). Almere is really calm/small compared to the bigger Ironmans. It's hassle free and logistically easy. Bike check-in is calm (not crowed) and the Transition zone is small and neaby the swim-exit. People are friendly and there is no big circus.
Full distance is basically twice the half distance (yeah, really ;) ): So a 2 loop bike-ride (starting with a long part on a dyke, where winds can be strong) and a 6 loop run around the "Weerwater". The 'Weerwater" is also the lake where the swim is. Mass-start with a turn after a few 100 meters. So be carefull if you dislike swimming/are afraid. Swim is 2 loop, without australian exit. Water is clean but has some plant (that are mowed in the days before the event, so no problem at all). Enough aid-stations on the run and I think about 90% is tarmac. Just a small (hard) gravel road of a few 100 meters near the end of each loop.

Any other questions, let me know!

That really sucks when the bike leg gets cancelled, what was the reason given?

I've done Almere full distance twice and half distance once. Other than was has already been said I'd like to add that the transition area is rather long and the bike and run bags are located in a parking garage, so it helps (as it usually does) to get to know the transition zone. Some parts of the bike course aren't that wide (eg the first couple of kilometers towards the dike), but mainly you have wide and open roads. Wind direction plays an important role, so if you have a power meter be prepared to use it wisely. Long stretches in the aerobars. The run is pretty straightforward. I do like the fact that you run 6 loops, mentally the kilometers get ticked off easier that way and if you have someone at hand to give you gels and drinks (which is allowed here) there's an opportunity every 7 kilometers.

All in all it's a great course for a PB, given that the wind direction is favourable. Have fun and good luck!

I'd have thought you could re-set and sort of take what you previous training plan was for the Outlaw and re-lay it over the new timeline ?? Ie repeat of the past 6 or so weeks ? Just over 4 hrs excercise on a Sunday is prob lighter than you usually do ?? !!

As far as the bike leg cancel, I've done the Outlaw 3 times before (I'm distinctly slower than you tho, esp the mara !).
I've had it hot (for UK tuat is). Had it cold + windy+ wet. Had it 'just right' too.

OSB are not prone to cancelling, and I heard from a few others on the course who said it was bad in places with deep standing water, a tree down, etc

I got a 7am call to get over to Notts pronto to help set up one of the run feed stations (the one on the riverside path between HP and the Forest ground that you hit 4 times) which my club have helped run for the past 4 years. There were some sections of roads I travelled on to get there that were calf-to-knee deep in water at 8 or 9am.

(I've no links to OSB other than i like their races, think their organisation is spot on and prefer 'independent' events to MDot).

Hope your next race race goes perfectly and that you are tempted back to the Outlaw in 2020 as it's a great race, fabulous support, and vitally it is still independent. I think I'll be on that start line again next year.

Hallucinating experience! Continuous waving plants below: Thought I was attacked by some eel :-)

I know, but luckily you barely touch the plants (I hate plants and fish, stupid nature.....). I'll try not to look down too much :)

Are you participating this year?

Which years did you participate? I think the transition zone is not that big/long. From swim to bike is short (compared to my 2 other full distance events, IM Frankfurt and IM Maastricht) and from bike to run is not bad either (alltough, that might depend on where your bike is, the transition zone is long, and not wide, so I recon you could be in for few extra meters with bike-out and bike-in).

The fact that your bags are in a parking garage is a big plus. Never had problems with rain (no wet shoes/socks/gels and no wet visor for those storing the helmet in the bag as opposed to on the bike).

It's true that the first few kilometers to the dyke a not really wide, but since it's not overly crowed, I've never experienced any problems). On the half distance in 2017, bike was a bit long (92/93km), so was the swim (bit that could be my navigation skills)

Very interested in this thread on behalf of my wife who is in the same boat. Advice over accomodation nearby would be most appreciated given that most places appear full given how last minute this will be to organise.

To the OP - impressive swim and run, well done! I can't offer any particular advice but FWIW, my wife's plan (if she decides to do Almere!) will probably take a very easy week this week, two weeks to gradually build back into training, then two bigger weeks before a taper. It's essentially a hacked version of her final pre-Outlaw block to fit around 'life' in the same way as yourself!

As for Outlaw cancellation, the course was acceptable 30mins before the start, due to the preceding 24hours of heavy rain it was a bit waterlogged but otherwise fine. 5mins after the swim start it rained biblically for one hour straight which tipped things over the edge. Within about 30mins of the start we'd heard (as spectators) that part of the course was flooded and impassable and that they had a team of people even trying to dig drainage channels into the side of the road. There were also rumours of a tree down blocking a different section but I don't know if this was true.

I didn't hear many really question the decision because it honestly wasn't surprising it was raining that hard. OSB dealt with it as well as realistically possible I thought, despite the inevitable carnage at swim exit. Obviously there were the odd competitor getting angry and that it 'should be their choice to ride' blah blah blah but the amount of rain really was ridiculous and it continued to rain very hard until nearly lunchtime.

Right, but my issue is I don't have the weekends free like I did prior to Outlaw. I'll probably only get one or MAYBE two rides longer than 3 hours, whereas before I was doing one each week. Not much I can do other than try and get what I can done I suppose.

Thank you so much for your efforts on Sunday, despite the disappointment of a cancelled bike leg I had a great day. I totally understand the reasons for the cancellation and cannot fault OSB in their quick thinking to respond to an occurrence that was no doubt as disappointing for them as it was for us.

Given your obvs good fitness for a sub-hour swim and 3-something mara then you'll still have that fitness in half a dozen weeks.

Full in 2015 and 2017, half in 2016. Compared to other full distance races I guess transition is indeed typical and not very long, but given the route to the car park (which is a plus, I concur) I consider it to be quite a walk. Anyway, just do a recon and all is well. I personally haven't had any troubles on the bike course, just be aware that overtaking can be difficult.

Did you wife enter? I secured my spot last night.
Back to training now, however I feel I've lost some bike fitness over the course of the taper/rest period. Last nights intervals felt way tougher than they did a month ago, though perhaps I am still carrying some fatigue from the marathon.

Good job! Yes, my wife finally made up her mind on Sunday so we'll be there too. We found an AirBnB place in the end about 20 mins from Almere.

In my experience of similar situations it's not so much fitness as just a bit of form that gets lost. It will come back soon enough :-)

All the best for the next few weeks!