anyone? how is it? course? gearing? ect…
THANKS. luke
Francois is right!
Buffalo Springs 1/2 is a staple around here (NM and West TX). Expect Heat, Hills, and Wind! and to be 20-30 min. off your PR.
I may add, that the awards, T-shirts, and expo are great. It is where I had my first encounter of a young age-grouper who kicked everyone’s ass by the name of Michael Lavato, whom I am a big fan of now. PNF, Tinnley, Dave Scott, have also compteted in years past.
The Greers are extraordinary RDs who regularly compete in IM, along with being stand up people!!!
The Swim is mostly warm (marginal wetsuit legal)… but, since it is spring fed, you might get a blast of cold water for a short period during the swim.
The bike is steep grades coming out of the canyon… but the bike course is mostly flat (however, Mike did seem to go out his way to find the only hills in the area). … almost always WINDY (hint: don’t stay in an aero-position with strong tail wind - duh? See this happen more times than I would expect)… almost always HOT! For the past few years, the temp. has been very forgiving but it is not the norm. Gearing is difficult to predict because a lot depends on the wind. If it is very windy, you might consider a gearing that you would consider appropriate for very long rolling hills (moderately steep) type courses.
The run starts out shaded and rolling hills… mostly up hill (i.e., going out of the canyon (again)). Then the run becomes becomes flat and totally exposed to wind and sun. Heat can be a definate issue during the run. There have been years when the asphalt/road temp exceeded 105 degrees. So, (in general) heat is the determining factor for the run… While Wind is more of a determinant for the bike (don’t underestimate the wind - it’s like an endless and unforgiving steep grade).
Only key suggestions… During the race: Stay hydrated! It’s a very dry climate. Trainig for…: Train in extreme heat conditions. If you have a trainer… ya’ might try and place it next you your oven and breath the hot air as it comes out a small opening in the oven door… that will be close, but only cooler than the actual event…BTW, I’m just kidding about training next to the oven… but, just trying to make a point about how hot it could become.
Hope this help… It’s a great race… but, it can be a challenge (specially if your not use to heat or wind). I can almost always guarantee both wind and heat… but, if your lucky you will only have one but not the other… but, you will most likely have to deal with one - Heat or Wind.
FWIW Joe Moya
Did buffalo 01 and 02 the above posts are correct. Mike has made the statement that if the official won’t say water temp is 78 he will fire him and get one that will. suggestion for swim if you have short john good idea long john next. swim is counterclockwise. My exoerience in 01 and 02 you will have to deal with wind and heat. In 1994 temp was 114F. ON the bike there are 8 climbs as said the first immediately out of t1. If you have the chance drive the course there are some potential suprises. Like the first decent is fast and has a right turn at tha bottom. One climb and decent is called the spiral staircase there is a problem with people staying on their side of the rode when they decend. Road surface was pretty good except for a few places. I did well with hydration by drinking atleast 1 bottle of water and/or gatorade between aid stations. Probably the steepest climb is before you go down into t2. The bike course except for the climbs is ess flat with some 1-3%grades. The run starts with 3mi in the canyon some of it shaded. Just past 3mi you get to climb out. while in the canyon you get very little wind and that hurts when you have 3mi left in the canyon to finish. there is a total of 3 climbs on the run and they can take it out of you if your not ready. I had alps front and hed 3 rear 53-39 and 12-23 and I’m in one of your older age groups.
As said before the race is well run with a good expo.
Good Luck hope to see you there
thanks everyone for the info! planning on doing it so i’m excited.
i’ll probably run an 11-23 with 53-39 up front…(thats what i usually ride, and i live in colorado)…with my spinergy carbon ss wheelset.
the wetsuit i use is a full…i’m thinking i may overheat? do you guys think i should definately run a sleeveless? i did see some pics of people in full suits, but that would be a crappy way to start an allready hot race!
luke
The only thing I have to add is that road conditions are pretty bad. Maybe I’m used to great roads, but I spent a lot of the time just trying to focus on continuing to pedal when I was bouncing around on the bike. It wasn’t like I was riding 19mm tires at 190psi, I was riding 700x23 at 110psi. Fix your bottle launchers before this race! I’ve never seen so many launched bottles, computers, spare parts, tires, tubes, kitchen sinks, etc. This course will shake everything loose.
Most people are in full wetsuits although probably b/c that is all they have.
I think I rode the course with a 53/39 and a 12-25 and I was able to spin up every hill. If I were to do the race again I would consider a 23 in back, but probably keep the 25 just in case the winds were really bad. BTW, the only reason I’m skipping it this year is because of the rough roads.
The previous posted cover the course pretty well. Mike & Marti put on a well organized race and a pretty nice awards banquet following. While picking up my packet last time- they were finding a bike for someone whose bike took the wrong flight.
I like discussions like this, because it shows just how relative things like “hills” and “heat” can be. All depends on what you’re used to. I did this race in '02, the year Francois took 3rd in the pro division. I found the heat to be very bearable, but the hills on the bike and run to be nightmares. I’m from south Georgia, and though many describe the hills as short and steep, they may as well have been Mont Ventoux for me. There are “only” eight hills on the course, but I really struggled on them. I was undertrained in the worst way, but still would have had trouble with the hills no matter what. I just wasn’t prepared for that kind of terrain. The wind is a factor on the bike, as has been mentioned.
But the worst part of the course to me came after the second climb on the run. I think it’s around the 5 mile marker if I remember correctly. Just out of that climb, you hang a right and run a long flat stretch to the turnaround. That is as desolate a landscape as I’ve ever encountered. Nothing but cotton fields for as far as the eye can see. I broke up the monotony by counting dead prairie dogs. In Georgia, cars really take a toll on oppossums and armadillos. In west Texas, it’s the prairie dogs that have a hard time with looking both ways before they cross the roads.
Once I made it off that stretch or road, I could see the light at the end of the tunnel, and it wasn’t too bad from there. The heat was pretty benign that year. I think it got up to the mid-80’s, but it felt much cooler than that to me. I guess the dry Texas heat is a bit different from the wet, humid heat of south Georgia.
I had a fun time in the race, all things considered. It was a great learning experience for me, and it really helped me focus more on what it takes to be a triathlete. I struggled throughout the race, but I learned more at that race than I have at any other triathlon. I would love to go back to Lubbock and do the race again. I feel like I have some unfinished business on that course. I won’t get back this year, but maybe next year.
To summarize: Windy. Hot. Deceptively hilly. At times, the scenery is desolate and forlorn. But it’s a great race, well organized, and very challenging. I would like to do it again.
RP
for those who have done both which course is tougher, Ralph’s or Buffalo Springs?
I did IM calif 2000 and if ralph’s is the same course or similar I vote for buffalo being toughest. Except the swim in Calif was like a bar fight.
The last time I did the race (2001) I used a full suit. That was my biggest mistake of the day!! About 1/4 way through the swim, I got so hot I wanted to stop and take the suit off right there and then. I would strongly recomend not using a full suit. If you’ve got a “shorty” (no sleeves, no legs) that would be best.
I did BSLT last year and just finished Raphs on saturday… i was new to the half distance out at lubbock and damn was the idea of incorporating nutrition and hydration into a race plan a shock. so yeah drink up… every water stop on the bike… grab two if you can and dont forget to pop your salt pills… tape them to your top tube. the bike at buffalo and ralphs --minus miles 30 through 42-- is what i would term flat… but thats coming from austin. the swim… i have a beef here with the greers… god dang it this damn race should NOT BE WETSUIT LEGAL. i felt like a fucking baked lobster when i got out last year… i know i know quit your bitching but come on its ridiculous to bend the rules in fact with the combined water and air heat it can be dangerous… measure the water temp at the surface not the exit of the natural spring. other than that a great race and i will be heading back there… with a little bit more experience… this june 20th see ya there and oh how i would LOVE for it to be no wetsuits GO SWIMMERS
Luke,
Where do you live? Might be able to give you a comparison of the hills that way. I’ve done BSLT 4 times. First 2 times were super, super hot. The last 2 somewhat forgiving…meaning we had some cloud cover and I think it only hit mid to high 80’s. The norm is mid to upper 90’s, with many years hitting 100F+ by the time you are turing around on the run.
The hills on the bike are fairlly steep, I think. But not long. I think the one out of the canyon (which you have to repeat right before the finish line) is the steepest. I ran 54/42; 12/23; and found it more comfortable out of the saddle coming up the last hill by the finish line.
A couple of the hills on the run are steep and kind of long for a running hill. To the point where I’m betting 80% of the field walks them.
-TxDude
Did it in '97 and I think it’s a great race. I say that I am going to return but each year seems to bring a time conflict during that time period. I remember getting to Lubbock and wondering where all the hills could be because everything looked so flat. Little did I know that the swim was at the bottom of a “canyon”.