Sleeman Clear / TAJ – Oliver ½ Ironman

Destination: Oliver ½ Ironman
Date: June 1, 2008
Location: Oliver, BC
Disciplines & Distances: 2km lake swim, 93km bike, 21.1km run
Duration: 5-7.5 hours
Rating: 9/10
Extreme Factor: Hard core (this event takes months of training and dedication to train
for and is a major test on both the mental and physical spheres)
Cost Factor: $100-$200 registration fee (depending on apparel purchase with package).
TAJ members in attendance: 19 (from Innovative Fitness)
Total competitors: 1000+
Group Recommendation: You want to train for this event with a group and develop a support community around the event. It makes the long training swims, rides and runs much more enjoyable. During the race, it also really helps to see so much support on the course, not to mention the bigger the group, the bigger the celebration at the finishline!
Registration: You need to register 8-10 months ahead because the race does sell out due to its popularity.
Accommodation: We rented an RV and it was by far the best way to go! Park it by the transition and you are right in the middle of the festivities! If you prefer a hotel setting, the Lakeside Resort is right on the beach.
Link: http://www.outbackevents.ca/Oliver%20Half%20Web%20Site/index.htm

Description:

The Oliver ½ Ironman is the first long distance triathlon of the season and proves to be a great priority one destination as well as a priority two training destination for those training for Ironman Canada in August. It is a perfect travel destination because it is only 4-5hrs from Vancouver, 6-7hrs from Calgary and is located in “Wine Country” in BC’s beautiful Okanagan. The weather is typically warm during that part of year (25-30 degrees Celsius).

The Course:

This is a great course for a first time ½ Ironman and I highly recommend it to anyone. The lake is warm (approx 20 degrees) and the bike and run are relatively flat so you can produce a fast time.




The swim portion is in Tuc-El_Nuit Lake and takes you through a 2 loop triangular course where each lap is 1km. The bike portion takes you through the town (ship) of Oliver on mostly Highway 97 as well as Old Sage Road. There are 2 major loops of the course and one section you do 3 times. It is a beautiful winding route where you have the luxury of riding through the wineries! The run portion is part residential and part trail along the Okanagan river. You are required to do 2 loops of the run which is great because you get to see all your teammates on the out and back and are able to cheer them on!



Swim course map:

http://www.outbackevents.ca/Oliver%20Half%20Web%20Site/images/Course%20Info/2008%20Oliver%20Swim%20Course.pdf

Bike course map:

http://www.outbackevents.ca/Oliver%20Half%20Web%20Site/images/Course%20Info/2008%20Oliver%20Bike%20Course.pdf

Run course map:

(http://www.outbackevents.ca/Oliver%20Half%20Web%20Site/images/Course%20Info/2008%20Oliver%20Run%20Course.pdf)

Training for this event:

This is the most important factor to consider. You need to have your family and friends on board first before you event sign up for the event so you can make the training an enjoyable experience. It takes a special person to put in the hours to get to the start line for this race.



Suggestions / Tools needed:

• A detailed periodized program focusing on your areas of weakness while incorporating all the various disciplines (swim, bike, run, strength training, flexibility, prehab).
• A training group. This enables you to be held accountable by others, share the experience, and develop new relationships with likeminded people.
• The right gear. To make the training and race experience enjoyable, you need to make sure you are in the right gear (wetsuit, bike, shoes, tri-gear, fuel, heart rate monitor, etc)

Shout outs:

I can not say enough about how proud I am of each of the participants from Innovative Fitness. You all did such an amazing job training for this event and I commend you on your efforts. Everything from overcoming fears over open water swimming (or not being able to swim at all when you signed up), to learning to ride a road bike, to running a ½ marathon distance is truly inspiring.

Probably the best part about the entire experience for me was getting to know you all better on a personal level by spending a lot of quality time training together, going through this learning process as a team and supporting each other.