It’s my first 1/2 and not sure what I got myself into. I was wondering if anyone knows what the bike and run course is all about? I need all the help I can get! jo
Sorry, can’t help you with the IM Utah course. Your friend mentioned you were having knee problems that sound like they are IT band problems. If you search on posts below about ITB or IT band, you will find some great information.
Last year and I’ve heard that the course is similar although not the same, the bike is flat and fast, there was really only a couple of hills of any significance and they were neither steep nor long.
The run was through a residential area and around the school, that was somewhat hillier but predominantly flat.
I find it hard to believe either has changed substantially and in general both courses were flat although there was one or two steep climbs on the run but the remainder was fairly flat.
The run course this year is completely different…not even in the same part of town. T1 and T2 will both be at the lake where T1 was last year, and the run will go from there. It is pretty flat, with a few false flats.
The bike course is essentially the same as last year ended up being, but rather than going out in a loop, it is an out-and-back. It is pretty flat and fast, with rollers at about 3 miles, and then again at about 52 miles (same ones on the way back). The only wild card on the bike is the wind, which can come from the North, like last year, or from the South. We rode it two weeks ago in a nasty North-northwest wind. (Or, yes, even occasionally from the West…East would be unusual.) South or North would be crosswinds for much of the bike, and balance out for the rest. West wind would be head winds for much of the outward leg, and tailwinds for all but the last three miles homeward. Wind is not really common in late May, except in the case of a storm front (as with last year’s race), so it should be good. Enjoy.
–Lloyd
The race website has a good map. It has a section where you can compare the gradient of this race to other IM races. This race is the flatest and on that basis it’s not going to get much easier than this…
See you there.
Hi Jo… if you go to my post of “need encouragement please” you will find a couple of other people have wished you well. Have a great day!!
Jo… Please have Jennifer read the post from Earl (Its listed under"Whats the secret of drafting in the swim" by PGPG) She is so fast she could use this. Ken
I just happened to take a peek at the course on the Utah website today, and noticed that it has been changed since I had last looked about two weeks ago. From a safety and community relations standpoint, I think the changes are positive, and were needed. From an impact on the participants standpoint, the course is now even flatter than before…so I amend my prior comments.
Actually, this is somewhat of a local joke - not that we don’t take the race seriously, but the fact is most everywhere we locals ride will be anything but flat - Utah doesn’t have much flat terrain. Just turns out logistically (given IMNA’s desire to use Utah Lake as the swim venue) that the best course option happens to be flat. Go figure.