Welcome to episode eighty-nine of the Löw Tide Böyz - A Swimrun Podcast!On the show this week we have our course preview for Ödyssey Swimrun Ludington. We're joined by special guests Aaron Palaian and John Stevens from the Ödyssey crew to talk us through their newest race and share some great training tips for this unique course. Trust us, this race sounds like it's going to be dope!PURE MICHIGAN MAKES FOR PURE SWIMRUNNINGMuch Like Ödyssey Swimrun Mackinac Island, Ludington offers Swimrunners an opportunity to explore a very cool part of the state of Michigan. Aaron shared with us how he settled on the coast of Lake Michigan to host a Swimrun and why Ludington will be an awesome venue for athletes and families.Travelling to Ludington is pretty straightforward with several airport options. Lodging is also straightforward as Ludington has a lot of options.SAND IS YOUR FRIEND (or at least keep telling yourself that)We are lucky to have the only person to have actually ran and swam on the course, John Stevens, to walk us through each leg of the race for both the long and short course. The short course meets up with the long course at Swim 4 (of the long course) and follows the same course to the finish line so we will only mention Run 1 of the short course separately.The long course clocks in at 19.33 miles with 16.2 miles of running and 3.13 miles of swimming with 1,500ft of elevation gain. The short course is 10.68 miles long with 8.55 miles of running and 2.13 miles of swimming with 750ft of elevation gain.Both courses feature a variety of terrains that should make for a super fun event. As you listen to the leg by leg breakdown, we recommend looking at the course map to help orient yourself and visualize what you will experience on race day.Annotated Leg By Leg BreakdownLONG COURSERun 1 (1.45mi)“Urban running” through the downtown LudingtonThere will be some sidewalk traffic involvedSwim 1 (650m/711yd)Coldest swim of the day (Mid to upper 50 degrees Fahrenheit) Pretty straight forward swim along the beachRun 2 (2.15mi)First half is on roadsBack half of the run is a paved trail through the woodsSwim 2 (565m/618yd)The lake is really darkRun 3 (2.05m)Last run on the roads for a whileSand dune climb at the end of the runSwim 3 (400m/437yd)“Steven’s Lake”Swimming though an old quarryRun 4 (3.75mi)Aid station at the start of the runRunning on trails and then on sand towards the endSHORT COURSE Run 1 (1.75mi)This first run is a doozyThere are some wooden platforms at the start that can be very slippery when wetThere are some sand trails towards the middleA “crazy” sand dune climb at the end of the runSwim 4 (1,365m/1,493yd)You swim under a bridge near the startIt’s a pretty shallow swim on the second halfRun 5 (.40mi)Straight up a 200 meter sand dune at the start of the run“Embrace the suck.” -- John StevensSwim 5 (200m/219yd)Nice and short!Run 6 (3.25mi)This run has it all! It goes from woods to sand to the oceanLots of sand hereYou’ll run through some shallow poolsAwesome climb at the end over a ridge that will give you a cool view of the Big Sable Point LighthouseSwim 6 (250m/273yd)This swim is around the Big Sable Point LighthouseThis swim might be cancelled if the conditions are too gnarlyÖdyssey will make the call on race dayRun 7 (3.0mi)Dirt road runIt’s exposed so it could be hot if the sun is outDefinitely hit the aid station at the start of the runSwim 7 (1,610m/1,761yd)This swim is down river so it should be pretty fastNear the end of the swim you go under a low bridge that can be a little nerve rackingRun 8 (.15mi)Sweet little beach run to the finish lineDO IT FOR THE ICE CREAM!John Stevens shared a couple key workout sessions that will help athletes prepare for the demands of the Ludington course. He recommends some high tempo running mixed with some hill work such as a running workout consisting of 6-8x 30 second hard uphill into an extended 4-5 minute tempo effort. The swims are pretty straight forward so being comfort