Rock 'N RollMan Half

I did it a few years back (2009?).  It's probably the best HIM to get someone ready for IM Lou.  The bike course is similar and it's generally very hot/humid.  Here is what I remember:

Swim: Nice lake. Start is in knee deep water and in waves.  Plenty of room to swim.

Bike: Fairly hilly.  Nothing that will crush you, but plenty of rollers.  

Run:  Rollers and no shade.  It was Africa hot out there.

Overall:  Well run race.  I didn't like having to check my bike the night before because the race was on Saturday and that meant taking the day off on Friday plus the expense of a hotel room.  If I'm using vacation days and spending money on hotels, I might as well do Gulf Coast and have more fun.

I think this race is a great tune up for Lou.  The heat and race effort equal a tough day.  I also think it's a great B or C race. It's relatively cheap and easy to get to, but it's definitely not a fast course and Macon isn't the greatest destination.

Thanks for the feedback.  It's the closest race in terms of distance and timing wise for IM Canada so I'll probably go ahead and sign up for it.  Gulf Coast would be fun since I know a lot of people doing that race but I would prefer something hilly to get a good idea of fitness leading up to IM Canada.

Hey csharp - isn't the total climbing at RnR HIM only 1400 feet?

I echo Mrs. brown_dog_us re: Mountain Madness, although it is obviously your call as to how it fits in your plan (I bring it up again as you mentioned that you were also considering Gulf Coast which is roughly the same time). We did it last year and even though it is small, it is one awesome race & venue. Everyone talks about the bike (3500', but almost all of that is on the 10k steady climb up Fort Mountain and the 5k climb back into transition - the rest is fairly flat) but the run is one tough SOB. Great lodging options close by - we grabbed a cabin at the Carters Lake Marina. At the very least I would encourage anyone interested to try out the monthly preview rides - it really is a unique triathlon venue.

Another good tune-up opportunity for you might be the Wheels of Fire Century over near Calloway Gardens in early April. 5500' up and over Pine Mountain, and also lots of good lodging options. We did both last year as prep for Lake Placid - they could not have been better.

Do the Rock N Rollman half. It is a true gut check of how you can perform on a tough course. The distances are accurate and you dont catch a break on anything. I've done it the last two years and will be there this year.

I agree with much of what has been said about Macon.  The Macon Half is the race I love to hate... for some reason, I keep going back.  I have raced there 3-4 times, with last year being my best time.  Last year the temps were cool and dry, so many had a good day on what would normally be a hot and hilly half. The course is tough, but I would said that the hilly-ish bike course makes the run seem worse than it really is. The run course is "rolling", but with a bike course that's akin to being beat with a broom handle for 2.5 hours, so you will be more than ready to get off of the bike!  (Okay, I might be exaggerating a little bit!).

And, yes, this would be a perfect IMLOU prep race!