BT Forum

Depends on if you're coming with family or not.  The Grove is (rumored to be) the nicest hotel in town and is super close to the finish. I've been to a couple of conferences there and it seems good.  There's also a Hampton Inn right downtown (a block from the Grove) thats pretty nice. Really, you cant go wrong if you stay downtown - its all super close to the venue.  If you're coming with family then I'd recommend the Town Suites across the river - a little further but has an outdoor pool and is close to a great park. 

Last year, I ended up doing a Priceline "name your own price" for a hotel.  Risky, since you can't pick the hotel, but I was really pleased with what we ended up with.  We ended up staying at Springhill Suites in Parkcenter.  It was maybe 10 min from the race site, super easy to get to downtown, I think we paid $5 for parking for the day (2 blocks from T2), and I paid $40/night with the name your own price deal.  Given the deal I got, driving 10 minutes was VERY do-able.  I think for 4 nights I paid $190 total (including taxes).

There were a ton of racers staying there too, but I imagine most hotels in the area are full of race athletes.

I talked to a friend of mine the other day who raced in Boise. He said that the First downhill is a screamer! He reached 50+ MPH and there are two significant uphills. One is long and gradual, and the other is short and steep. However after the turnaround you get to go back down those hills so its a good ride. 

Other than that, the wind is the main thing we need to worry about on the bike, and the run is "Pancake Flat" No uphills really just lots of turns.

14 more weeks!!

See you all there!

Jared

Lived in Boise for last three years before moving back to CO.  This was my first HIM last year ... returning this year b/c it was sooo fun!  Crowds and downtown finish are awesome!

Yep, wind and possible inclement weather are definitely the biggest factors on the bike.  There are speed bumps and generally some rough road over the dam (at the beginning of the bike).  Big screaming downhill too, but the wind was so bad last year, I was actually pedaling down it to keep my momentum (I'm relatively light though).  The bike course has been set up differently each year.  Unfortunately, Idaho is not the most bike friendly place.  A lot of complaints from motorists apparently led to some sketchy 'half road closures' last year.  It'll be interesting to see what they do this year.

Water temps were high 50's last year as I recall.  Cold, but not brutal.  Bring booties, insulated cap, etc if you're susceptible to cold water temps.

Be prepared for rain, hail, wind, cold, hot, sunny ... anything goes in Boise this time of year. 

I'm in as well. This will be my 2nd time doing Boise. I also did it in 2009. It really is a fun course. The swim is in a nice lake, the bike is not terribly hard. There are a few hills but nothing to kill yourself over. The run is the best part because the only hills are crossing the bridges over the river. It's 2 laps around the greenbelt (which is one of the best parts of Boise) and the river is right there to keep the temps down a little. You get to finish downtown and it is a blast. I'm hoping to drop a lot of time this year. Looking forward to seeing everyone there.

If anyone stops into town and wants some advice on stuff to do or places to train or anything like that feel free to let me know.

Last year's race was my first HIM and I am signed up again this year.  Hopefully we'll finally get a nice calm day.

I just noticed that the start time this year is noon.  Doesn't matter much to me but I'm curious why the RDs changed it.

where did you see this? I just saw on the website that it still says 2:00 for the start time.