2010 Calgary Ironman 70.3 - Give me the goods

I ran this race last year. Was my first HIM. From Calgary, so I trained on the bike route a bit. Ghost Lake was not bad at all. The morning of the race they said it was 18 degree. Most people had full wetsuits on, which I think is a good idea. I raced with full! The bike is very scenic, some hills for sure, especially coming out of Cochrane! The run route is very hilly! Most people I saw, including me were walking up the hills. It was also 34 degrees by the time most people hit the race phase-very hot! This year I will be training more on the run course to get some hill training in, as I didn't do any last year. Hope this helps!

Dawn

I heard from a friend who did it last year that the swim isn't too cold but most everyone wore a wetsuit and that bike course is overall negative descent but there arnt too many flats, the course is quite rolling. The run is quite hilly.

Swim is not too cold, although the end of the swim was very wavy. Wave start though, I started 2 hours after the pros and finished 4 or 5 hours after them.

Bike is down hill all the way except for a long hill near the beginning, oh and another hill but it is mostly downhill. Also, most of the time and on most days, wind is at your back, you can seriously fly.

Run is nice, a bit of shade a bit of sun.

Good race but a prefer the Chinook Half in June because:

point to point, although well run and cool on a bike because well, it is point to point, is a logistical headache for me in terms of dropping the bike off (100 k out of Calgary), getting out there race day (although the buses were great and really no complaints about the organization), also compared to the chinook course, I prefer the chinook as you ride out to the mountains, nice view, the 70.3 course has you biking back to calgary, no great views. Although Chinook ride is more challenging as you are guaranteed to hit a hard wind one way, and maybe both ways if unlucky. Both bike courses are long by a couple kms too.

wave start, pros and cons there, kinda fun to hang around, kinda sucks to hang around.

Both runs are good, 70.3 a little better as the chinook is a 2 looper which is annoying. 70.3 more a there and back type of thing.

I am glad I did it, it was fun, but I will stick to the Chinook Half for my future calgary HIM. Chinook is a smaller race, but they have a prerace meal and post race meal, not even sure the 70.3 did anything postrace at all, although the 70.3 had the expo which was okay.

Thanks for the tips guys - much appreciated! If you think of anything else, good or bad, let me know.

I'm also going to need to book a hotel. The website is pushing the Westin (I also think that's where you meet to catch the shuttle), but I was wondering if there's anything else close by that you guys would recommend?

There is free parking at the casino which is where you catch the bus to get to T1. The casino is 10-15 min drive from the Westin.

No real hotels around the casino, although google has Packsaddle Creek Lodge?- more info »
5605 Henwood Street Southwest, Calgary, AB? - (403) 228-2024?

as being close there. I would drive to the Casino. Don't really know hotels though so can't help too much.