Harvest Moon vs 5430 Long Course

I did the 5430 Long Course last year and it was hot, hot, hot!! There is no shade on the run at all.  Other than that it was a great course.  There are a few hills on the bike but nothing too bad.  Its a one loop swim and a two loop bike and run.  A good portion of the run is on dirt so its not so bad on your knees.

Have a great tri season!

Hey pipen,

So glad you're doing an 1/2 IM this year. I'm doing both the Harvest Moon (repeat) and 5430 Long (first time). See ya there.

Harvest Moon, don't listen to devo everyone says the bike course isn't hilly I beg to differ!

The bike course is hilly for the first half with nice long flat stretchs (flat for Colorado) including the I-70 stretch in the middle but the killer are the last 10-12 miles which are pretty much steeper hills and the last little hill back to the Transition area. Knarly and totally sadistic! I rode the bike course like crazy (probably every weekend leading up to the race starting about two months prior).  So it's much fun. And for the record you don't have to do the I-70 stretch to do the course you can just do two loops (out and back) down Hwy 36 if you're skittish. (you don't miss much the I-70 stretch is pretty flat and fast) I wouldn't ride the I-70 stretch alone and without race support, it's plain dangerous. But hey I'm not a guy either and I'm a little chicken.

The run and the bike have absolutely no shade and of course the weather is unpredictable. Rain like cats and dogs one year, hot and nice the other year. So prepare yourself by checking the weather and training in hot and cool conditons.

Not sure, correct me Cogirl, but I think the 5430 bike course is a lot faster (ie not so hilly).

I really like Harvest Moon, especially the RD. He was cool and very accomodating to me since it took more more than 8 hours to do the course. I had fun and even won 1st place as an Athena so I'm going back to defend my title.

But I like Barry at 5430 as well. So being the Libra I am I guess I haven't given you much to make a choice with.

Many blessings and if you want to train on the Harvest Moon course sometime give me a holler. I know it like I know my own skin.

Later. Ovetta.

Yes the 5430 bike course is pretty fast IMO.  There are some hills, some short, some long but minimal grade....then you turn on St. Vrain and go downhill forever   It's nice.  It's a 2 loop course. 

The 5430 run is also 2 loops, but they have an aid station every mile and last year they had ICE (precious ice) that I swear saved me!

Hey pippen, why not do both?    hehehe.