Harryman Triathlon : Official Thread

Sorry to hear about the achilles.  All I know about achilles injuries is what I read about with Samantha McGlone, and ultimately she just had to stop running till it healed.  Hopefully yours is not too bad.  Perhaps you can do some eliptical and aqua-jogging to keep some run stamina.   Does the bike and swim aggravate it?

I have to tell you Harriman, or HARRYMAN as it is appropriately called, is THE TOUGHEST course I've ever done.  I did the Olympic Course a few years ago, and honestly the Olympic distance on this course is harder than most Half Ironman's I've done.  The swim is FREEZING cold, but the lake is smooth and glassy, however wear a neoprene cap and when you come out prepare to have frozen feet.  I think the water temps the year I did it were around 54 degrees. 

The Bike is also VERY Challenging.  There are some rollers, false flats, spikey rollers, than a screeeaming descent that at the end of you do a 180 degree turn and start up the ROUGHEST, STEEPEST, LONGEST CLIMB I've ever done.  I would rate it 9/10 hard.  It's absolutely brutal.  Even the race leaders where grinding up this thing one-pedal stroke at a time.  If you are not ready for this hill, it will bury you.  I CANNOT RECOMMEND ENOUGH riding this course before Race Day.  If you don't, you are almost guaranteed to drop your chain at the end of the screeeaming descent turn-around into the 180 turn and HUGE CLIMB. 

The Run is also not pretty.  Lots of rollers and false flats.  No really tough hills, but the rollers really beat you up and you FEEL THEM on the way back in. 

I think the key to this race is being Ready for it Mentally and Physically.  Mentally knowing that you are in for an ARTIC COLD SWIM -- you will come out of the water frozen and disoriented.  Mentally and Physically you must be prepared to ride a VERY CHALLENGING Loop 4 times!!!  I did it twice for the Olympic, and given my fitness back then; there's little chance I could have done another 2 loops, or if I did my MPH would have been around 9 or 10. 

After all this you must be 'up fo'r a b*tch of a 13.1 mile up-and-down run with very little crowd support. 

If you don't train Hills on the BIKE or RUN now through Race Day, prepare for a 7 Hour+ day out there.  Just look at past results.  I've never seen such a high percentage of people plus 6, 7 and even 8 hours for a 70.3 distance.  Don't look at last years results because the swim was cancelled due to fog.  But the year before that, 2008, the 3rd place OA finisher was 5+ hours!!  Only two triathletes were sub 5 and barely.  In 2008 over 60% of the field was 6 hours plus!!    26% of the FIELD WAS 7 HOURS PLUS! 

These numbers clearly tell the tale of how challenging and difficult this race is.  And I say all this not to scare or intimidate anyone, but to help anyone who wants to do this race to make certain they are prepared.  My strong recommendations would be to ride the course beforehand and possible due the Olympic if you are not 100% sure. 

Having said all this, I will be doing this 70.3 this year and will Pray for a sub 6!!

Post Script Thoughts: After re-reading my post from above, I just wanted to add: the Endurasport Harryman is a great race.  Yes, it is very challenging and hard, based on my short racing experience.  But it was a very well-run race, well staffed with lots of volunteers.  The backdrop of the lake, mountains and forest is as beautiful as it gets.  I'll never forget how surreal it looked and felt lakeside in the early dawn hours with the sun slowly illuminating the lush woods bordering lake Welch.  The park itself is georgeous.  What was also VERY COOL was the transition area does not contain poles or racks, but individual wooden boxes.  The boxes allow you to have your own personal area in transition (on pavement) and a slot in the wood allows your bike to safely stand and be taken from and put back into transition.  I highly, highly recommend this race.  But I also highly recommend not underestimating how challenging it is.  But with great challenge, comes great reward.

For anyone who's interested in group rides at Harriman State Park, I posted a Group Ride thread in the NY Forum

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=197315&posts=1&start=1

Thanks man.  Sorry to hear you won't race this year   But very awesome of the organization to let you defer to next year!

Is it open?  Last I heard the Park and course are still closed...

I drove up to Harriman last week before the cold front came in.  A portion of the road was closed, however I called the park police and was advised that the road was open to bicycle traffic.  Never made it up there last Sat though - too cold - stayed local.  Will be riding the course this coming Sat.

Thanks for the info guys!!  We'll see how the weather plays out, but I'm thinking of setting up a Sunday mid-morning, April 11th Harriman Course Ride.  Stay tuned. . .

Good info.  Thanks!! I wonder if we can take the Palisades to Exit 14, make a LEFT on Willow Grove Rd, and take that (turns into Gate Hill Road) around to Lake Welch Parkway, make a RIGHT, and take it down to the Lake Welch parking lot.  I wonder if that parking lot is open, which is the same parking lot where transition is and the race starts.  I think that would be an ideal starting point, and it will give us time to warm-up and get our legs warmed up before the brutal 2-mile climb! 

If anyone has any info, please post.  Thanks

Awesome!  Thanks for the info.  Really, thank you!!

OH BOY!!  Thanks for the Update.  WoW, things are getting interesting.  I have my in-laws 60th Wedding Anniversary tomorrow & my daughter's first Soccer game Sunday, so I am looking to organize a BT Ride for Saturday the 17th.  If Genesis Adventures doesn't post a Route by then, I think we'll use you map.  Thanks a million for this update and posting that map. 

Shoot, I have my son's first Lacrosse game this Saturday, the 17th ; and I have my cousin's engagement party Sunday the 18th.  Looks like the new Harryman Training Ride date will be Sunday April 25th. 

If anyone wants to set-up a group ride in Harriman State Park for this weekend, please feel free to hijack this thread and announce what day and time you will be there, and what parking lot.  I am really focused on making the Sunday April 25th date, for sure, as I couldn't imagine hitting this course on Race Day without a few practice runs on that killer climb. 

Looks like heavy rain for this Sunday

Anyone got news on the new bike course?