Anyone race last years redman? I have completed 3 half im races and I am looking for my first full. Any advice would be appreciated. I am a 40yo age grouper with a busy family life and just want to complete an im without too much pain. Thanks, Fran.
I don’t believe there was a Redman last year. I’m pretty sure this is the first year of the race.
This is the first year for Redman. A friend of mine is the RD and even so I will offer my opinion. The course will be brutally boring. When I lived in OKC I trained in that area it was mind numbing. The temps could be into the 100’s or it could be 45 and raining. The wind will either be from the north or south at 25-35 mph. The course will be basically dead flat. The bike course is 4 loops on MacArthur Blvd nothing exciting at all. The run will be over the damn at Lake Hefner again dead flat no shade.
Jeff and Roger are great guys and I know they will do their best to put on a great event. I think they will probably have 200 or so toe the line.
I wish I could be more up beat about the race.
I will be there doing the 1/2. I went to highschool in that area and agree with the poster above. Boring an dunpredictable weather. Lets hope its not 100 degrees.
I am still on the fence about doing the race. The scenery doesn’t worry me, but my lack of training does. I think the site says they are limiting it to 500, but I doubt they will get near that. Last year, the Ultramax in MO had only 170 or close to that doing the Iron and I bet it will be the same for this one.
I registered although it was pretty damn expensive for a first year race in Oklahoma. Also, the processing fee of $11.95 was excessive. I would suggest that if you want to do it you register before September 1st. The fee is going up to $250!!!
I am racing the full Redman. I am not thrilled that the bike will be a 14 mile out and back, so 112 miles on the same 14 mile stretch of road. Otherwise, I am looking forward to it - Sign up and have a go. The weather is unpredictable everywhere.
**The fee is going up to $250!!! **
Still a bargain compared to other IM distance races in the area … oh wait, there’s just one other IM distance race in the area (or at least to the east) and it sold out in 13 minutes.
As for the weather … it’s the midwest. The whole box of chocolates thing. Bring a tank top, bring a jacket. Standard-issue.
Next year, I’d either like to do the 1/2 in Ohio and then 1/2 in Lake Geneva, or do the 1/2 in Ohio or the Pigman followed by the Redman. Need to budget ahead a little better than this year.
I am not thrilled that the bike will be a 14 mile out and back, so 112 miles on the same 14 mile stretch of road.
That could be the deciding factor. Given what others have said about Oklahoma’s boring surrounding’s, doing an 8 loop bike course might be more punishment than an IM race should be. Now, if a tattoo is on the line …
TripleThreat, the fee is for the 1/2 iron, not the full.
Wow
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Its $175/$300 to register now. $175 seems a bit steep, $300 not as bad.
I understand the desire to up the price as the date nears, even by that much. Having read the articles on being an RD, doing all that planning without knowing the number of participants is tough. Best to get them signed up early.
I dont want to confuse anything, the bike is not 8 loops, but it is four loops and the loops are simply 14 miles out then return. Heck all I stare at is a patch about 5 feet in front of me, so what is the difference. $300 for the full is still not a bad price by most IM stds.
Right now the numbers are fairly low, but we still have a month to go. It could be a good or bad, depends on the way you look at it. I’m sure Roger and the folks w/ TriOKC are doing their homework with the races, and by the looks of some of their sponsors, etc., hopefully they over-shoot their expected numbers. Hopefully the aid stations will be over-stocked with all sorts of goodies…I’ll be racing the Half so see ya’ll there.
but it is four loops and the loops are simply 14 miles out then return.
I can do 4 x 28 miles loops. Heck, that’s not a bad way to gauge pacing, hydration, eating, etc.
8 x 14 is a little much. I’m ADD. On the 6th loop, I’d likely do a 180 and start riding in the opposite direction “just for something to do”.
Heck all I stare at is a patch about 5 feet in front of me
I understand the point you’re making, but I look around a bit. Today, I saw a vulture (In Illinois?) scavenging a dead squirrel and there are almost always deer to watch. The magestic horizons you see while out riding are too awesome to pass up. Even row after row of green cornfields has it’s own visual appeal. Woah, I’m getting too deep here. I mean, uh, yeah, y’know I’ll check out the surroundings once in a while.
$300 for the full is still not a bad price by most IM stds.
Not at all. Even with the family going and travel/lodging, it’s not bad. I had no idea my family wanted to go/watch, so I was significantly under-budgeted (lucky for me, I did not train enough)
Don’t forget that the 14 mile out-and-back runs directly north and south. So in Texas and Oklahoma i’m sure that means headwinds and tailwinds. Could make for a long day???
Does anyone know if the course is closed to traffic?
According to a quote on the website the course is closed to traffic. I think that means the main road that we will be on is closed, with cross traffic still coming through. I believe the run course is also closed. That is pretty cool - I am glad they will close it. I emailed the RD a couple of weeks ago and he responded pretty quick. I know he is excited and wants to be on a good show.
I think you are expecting the worst. September is just about the best month of the year in OKC for a triathlon. It could be 100 or 45, but most likely it will be between 60 and 80. There could be 25-35 mph winds, but most likely the winds will be light to maybe 15 mph. Statistically September is the least windy month of the year in OKC and we haven’t had consistent 25-35 mph winds since May. Winds for the last two months have been less than 15mph 95% of the time.
The bike is 4 loops. I like this idea for this race. It won’t be crowded so you don’t have to worry about fast people catching slow people and causing congestion. You will get something like 7 opportunities to see your competition and gauge how you are doing. For spectators it is unbeatable with a 2 loop swim, 4 loop bike and 2 loop run, that give fans 9 opportunities to see you without leaving the area around transition. The course is pretty flat, but not totally flat. Probably big ring the whole way, but you will still be shifting gears regularly as you ride gentle rollers. Only the ride across the dam is dead flat. I like the course, but then I’m not particularly interested in the scenery. It isn’t ghetto and the roads are nice. That’s about all I care about.
The run is not across the dam, but around the south side of lake, which is mostly a winding greenbelt past a lot of greenery and a golf course. Better scenery than a lot of races. It is flat, but there are things to look at if you are that sort of person.
I don’t see any reason why this race would be any more boring than many of the other multiple loop IM’s out there.
Do you really want an “exciting” bike course for an IM? I don’t think so.
TTT if you expect the surroundings to be boring, then you will be pleasantly surprised. I’ve lived and raced in San Diego, Long Island, Seattle, and San Jose before moving to Oklahoma. The area is no more boring than any of the other places I’ve raced. It isn’t dead flat. There are lots of trees, especially on the run. The road out on the bike is just a typical road. Some housing, some small stores, some large houses, some farms, a school… It’s really a nice location for a race.
TTT if you expect the surroundings to be boring, then you will be pleasantly surprised.
I was just going by what the 2 Sooners (or current residents), ATX and Orbilius, were saying. I’m simple … easy to please. I’m an Illinoisian that routinely does his “Tour de Farms”. My scenery is corn, corn, corn, dead racoon, corn, corn, beans, corn, corn, FARM DOG!, corn, corn. =)
Don’t forget that the 14 mile out-and-back runs directly north and south. So in Texas and Oklahoma i’m sure that means headwinds and tailwinds.
As a Texan once told me as I was complaining about the same thing, “Welcome to my world”. The only I ask for is that I start off into a headwind. Man, that last bit coming home after a long ride into the headwind is crap … coming home with a tailwind, using a big gear, is well … y’know.
The bike is 4 loops. I like this idea for this race.
It also breaks the ride into 4 smaller segments. 28miles? Heck that’s just a 1- 2 hour ride … we can always do one more of those, right? It does seem like thAt would be great for nutrition/hydration, “Every loop I need to eat XXX and drink YYY”.
There are lots of trees, especially on the run.
We have close friends in Tulsa. That city advertizes the “city of trees” or something. Trees everywhere … just the opposite of AZ.
It’s really a nice location for a race.
It’s be cool to read the race reports of a first time race. Honestly the conditions, provided you guys have 70-90% humidity every day are not that different than what we have a coupla states to your right.