Half Iron Man in Boulder

I did the 5430 Long Course in 2006.  Course is considered hard from what I understand, but I have no basis for comparison since that was my first half ironman.  The bike course goes through some fairly significant rollers.  The run course has a couple of hills as well, but the real issue is the lack of shade.  So, if the weather is as hot as it can get in Boulder in August, that course can be very challenging. 

The race organization is fantastic.  Really pretty much flawless.

My complaint this year was large drafting packs, but that's the fault of the USAT officials, not the race organizers (and I understand that this is a common problem at long course events).  There were LARGE groups of people drafting on the bike course this year.  Aside from the fact that drafting is cheating, they're just hard to get around.

Great race.  Very well organized.  I personally think it's a really easy course...I almost set a bike PR even with getting a flat!  And no, I wasn't drafting.

VERY competitive though.  It's Boulder.  Sheesh...those guys take this racing thing WAY too seriously...just be ready for some elbows in the swim and maybe a less stellar than usual AG placing.  As my coach put it in response to my comment about how competitive it felt out there, "It's Boulder.  You don't step to the line unless you're serious." 

But really, good choice for a first, IMHO. 

Some people may not think this is smart, but I would say, do your training rides in the middle of the afternoon in July(say 11-3)  instead of morning.   Nice thing about that time of day is that if you use the bike paths, they open up when it is over 90.  

As long as I carry enough fluids, it as not been a big deal to me