New Boulder bike course

Just registered for 2013 Boulder!

So excited about the bike route change.  That very first ~4 mile climb was a true pain the second time around when it was a 2x loop.  Plus, repeated loop courses screw with my head, so I am all for the change.

If anyone is interested in setting up some 70.3 route-specific training rides, assuming weather is OK (and with the way this winter is looking so far, we may have a few good weekends), please let us know.  Winter training requires a bit more motivation and comradre...

LisaGee - 2012-12-27 3:51 PM I live at 512 feet in San Antonio. Having trouble finding the oxygen %. Thank you for the info though. Do you or anyone know is there anything in particular I could do in training that would help with the elevation in CO? I am already planning on getting there early enough to try to acclimate, and since this is a new area for me, just curious what, if anything, I can do ahead of time that may help too. Thanks again.

I'm a flatlander (Washington DC) who did Boulder 70.3 last year as my first HIM. I was in Boulder for a few weeks prior to the race, so I was acclimated by the time the race came around, but struggled the first few days. The other big factor for the 70.3 is that the run is rather harder than it looks. Here's what I'd suggest:

-- If you can give yourself some days to acclimate, it'll likely help, even if only in terms of gauging how much to slow down. Remember to hydrate very well. Folks seem to often encounter digestive issues soon after going to higher altitudes.
-- Swim: you should be simply relaxing your way around the swim in any case, so it shouldn't be hard; but I was struck at first by how my normal 3-stroke breathing pattern didn't work for me at altitude, so I had to learn to be comfortable with a less-balanced 2-stroke rhythm.
-- Bike: shouldn't be a problem. The thinner air makes riding easier, so it compensates for the lack of oxygen
-- Run: the run course is not really hilly, but it is quite exposed, and in the middle of the day the heat can be oppressive. Hydrate well and pace conservatively. At the end of Lap 1 I felt that I had perhaps held back too much, but not long after that I was suffering big time.

Good luck. 

Has any locals ridden the new 1 loop bike course? any thoughts on it? climbs, descents, cornering?  I have mapped it and it looks fairly flat with the initial climb out of the reservior and onto 36 going north. I am hoping for a flat and fast course and with the higher altitude and a new carbon fiber tri bike, I am thinking I will be fast on this course.