Steamboat Springs Triathlon

I'm doing it to... (my first tri!) but since I live at 7400 feet, I don't have any advice for dealing with the altitude other than making certain to hydrate well in the days before.

 Good Luck!

I noticed in your first post that you said it's a good idea to get there as close to race time as possible? This will actually hurt you. You need to get there as far in advance as you can to let your body get used to it.

I rode the course the other day and was paced on the bike for a couple yards by a fox. Way cool!

I beg to differ.  I've seen a number of people highly affected by altitude when under 10,000 feet.  Everybody is different and it's hard to predict how your body is going to react to it. 

did not know this -- thanks for correcting. 

tissuedigester - 2008-08-05 3:36 PM It will keep you fueled during the race It can't be worse than Cherry Creek, can it? I just finished a tri there. Blech.

 The lake is cleaner than Cherry Creek but there is more plantlife. I haven't been out there yet but I would think it would be better than two years ago. The water level should be up which should help the algea issue.

Cherry Creek is just nasty because of all the boats and crap they let in all the time.

I did this race 2 years ago and found the lake to be weedy, but not unbearable. The main thing was the temperature. The water temp was a comfy 68F, but the air temp at start was 37F! It only warmed up to 51F by the end of the race. The swim was fine, but once I was on the bike, wet, and speeding along, I was near hypothermic. My hands were like numb claws and I couldn't even get my gel open. As a matter of fact, I was so hypothermic that I couldn't figure out how to tie my shoes in T2 and had a 4 minute transition because my brain couldn't figure out what to do. I just sat there dazed and confused and ended up tucking my laces into my shoes. I wasn't prepared for the weather and had not brought a jacket or anything warm to put on. My feet were numb for 2 miles of the run.

I found the altitude not to be a factor. It's barely above what we're used to and you probably won't even notice it. This is a great race and absolutely beautiful. Check out my race report if you want more details! Have fun!

Mel