How hard/hilly is the Colorado Buffs Time Trial course?

If you train for a flat, sea-level 5K then you won't be ready for Buffalo Ranch. It has a large, steep hill you will have to ascend twice and a couple of smaller hills you will hit at least twice. You might be sub-17 for 5K at sea level and it's improbable that type of training would have you ready for the specific demands of Jawbone Hill at altitude. You prepare for the course by getting to Boulder as early as possible and training with runners who are on the team.

I do train on hills though and there are some steep hills around here. I just mentioned a flat 5k because it would be universal and easier to compare (than say, a hilly course that I've run since all courses are different).

How steep is the hill and how long is it?

In short, there's no comparison or conversion. Altitude affects different people differently. Some need longer than others to acclimate. If you can't get to town to train before the time trial then get to the biggest, baddest hills you can access wherever you are as often as you can. Just get in the best shape of your life and take it from there.

Thanks for the advice. I hope my season will be good this year, but it will take another year of lots of mileage for me to have a chance at the team. There are definitely some steep hills here that I'll run on as much as I can. Hopefully I can get to Boulder next year 2 weeks before and try to adjust from there. Is there a running club as well... or possible to still keep training for the year after if I miss the walk on standard next year?

I am a male master's runner in Boulder and we have an informal group that runs the 5.8k course every other week as a time trial.

it is hard to give you a sea level 5k to Buff 5.8k conversion since few people come direct from sea level to run here.

some years ago, back when Kara Goucher was Kara Wheeler, the Big 12 xc meet was run here. you could look back at the times the girls ran from schools like Kansas and try to convert.

the time trial today is not a good measure of what the top runners can do, but it might give you good guidelines for making it as a walk on.

I'd say a 25:00 5.8 k at the Buff Ranch is about a 21 minute 5k at altitude.

There is a CU triathlon team that is pretty organized, has group runs etc.

What state are you coming from? Is running the reason you plan to enroll at CU?

I have to agree with Chief Niwot. If there could be a way to give yourself 6+ weeks in Boulder (get a job and/or take summer classes, find a summer sublet) then you would be better off. As to what the options would be if you do not make the team, you will want to ask Coach Burroughs and Coach Wetmore. There are a few training groups around that could be of use to someone of your talents. Unfortunately, CU does not seem to have a running club right now. If you have questions after this thread is long forgotten, feel free to send an email. Hope your season this year is as great as you hope!

one more thing,

why not take a year off from school?

legally emancipate yourself from your parents, move to Colorado, get a job in a ski town at altitude, get Colorado residency and thus in-state tuition. train your buns off and THEN try to walk on at altitude.

who knows, maybe you'll mature and be fast enough and altitude adapted enough to get a partial scholarship? in-state is a lot cheaper.

I see. Yes, I've never really been at altitude so I don't know how I'd adjust. I'm from California, but I've looked up a bunch of scholarships etc. and I think going to CU would actually be cheaper for me than going to a UC. One of the reasons I was looking at CU is because I am an outdoors person and I like a place with trails, and from what I've seen (Flotrack 3 min tours, pictures, videos, etc), the place looks beautiful. I'm also looking to major in engineering or computer science, or possibly aerospace engineering for which CU has a good program.

I really would like to continue running after high school, and I am more of a mileage runner... my ultimate goal would be to make CU's team. I'm planning to email the coaches later (after this season probably). Thanks a lot for some of the posts so far. If I do end up at CU, I will definitely see if I can get their early and get used to the altitude.

The 5.8K course is hard, but it's XC not track.

I have done mid 17's often for 5k Roads around Boulder,

and to run sub 22 mins on the 5.8k course is not too far away from a full race effort.

Your going to add about 4 full minutes to your 5k at altitude, and maybe closer to 5 mins coming from sea-level.

We won't talk about "how to run" this course, but it is so easy to make the mistake of hammering jawbone the first lap, so add another 1/2 minute for being a novice on that course.

The mens course 8k is not easy either. 25:30 here usually will be All American at NCAAs. Mens course record is a low 24 and I forget who has it. Maybe Jorge Torres, with Ritz and Adam Goucher just off of it.

folks jokingly call it the Univ. of California at Boulder.

lots of Calis here and yes it is beautiful.

engineering is quite good here, chemical engineering is the toughest major on campus and their grads earn big salaries.

i agree, aerospace is also very good.

so come for the school, enjoy the surroundings, adapt and see how the running goes.

have a healthy senior season!

No offense to any of the Boulderites but I've ran on that course and its not that bad. It's a XC course. So its rolly not extremely hilly and theres plenty of flat spots to move. Hardest part, its out in the sun so the heat does affect you a little. Just train to run XC

Being that I was born and rasied at altitude - and recently moved to the area, the main thing I can say is:

Hills at altitude are MUCH harde then hills at sea level. The course itself actually isn't too bad, though there is one steep hill (and one minor one) that you (on the 8k course) go up twice. The main thing about adjusting to altitude is running by feel - not by your watch. Like Jack Daniels said: at altitude, you learn how to hurt. Basically, your lungs will burn A LOT sooner then usual - though you just deal with it, it doesn't get worse, and it doesn't get better, it's simply there - so you learn to deal with the pain until you're just used to it and don't notice it as much.

I would agree with the previous posters - if you can't get out here early, just continue to trail on rough terrain (HILLS), though the earlier you get out here - the more time you'll have to adjust.

I've been here for three weeks and I don't notice the altitude on my daily runs anymore (at 5,000+ ft; if I go higher - to 7,000+ THEN i notice), but if I run hard (intervarls, tempos etc), I notice a lot sooner.

Depending on your altitude now, you can get an idea of what you could run for any distance up here - there are websites that convert for you, but basically at the Buffalo Ranch, it's about 9-10 seconds slower then sea-level times. (example - if you run a 19min xc 5k at sea-level, that's worth about a 19:30+ 5k up here).

I apologize - i need to restate that i was NOT born at altitude (i re-read my post). I spent over 25 years of my life at sea-level and just recently moved to altitude.

03runner03 wrote:

No offense to any of the Boulderites but I've ran on that course and its not that bad. It's a XC course. So its rolly not extremely hilly and theres plenty of flat spots to move. Hardest part, its out in the sun so the heat does affect you a little. Just train to run XC

None taken, despite the poor writing. Had you run it coming up from sea level two weeks or fewer prior and having trained to run 5K on a flat course? Being acclimated to altitude and training for the types of hills on that course makes more than a little difference. No offense, but we were actually tailoring our answers to the reality of the specifics of the OP's query.