Coach Rich's Awesome IMLT Scouting / Road Trip Report Thread
Follow me here, via SPOT
My original plan was to go up to Lake Tahoe for my camp up there a day early to preview the course before the camp. But last week I decided to take advantage of the funky holiday week this coming week to shoot up to LT, so I can prepare some stuff for you and give everyone as much of a heads up about the course as I can.
My to-do's during the trip, products I want to create after the trip, etc include:
- GoPro video of the entire course on my motorcycle, then GP any technical sections on the bicycle. Related: work with Sawiris to GP descending and cornering videos of some local climbs so we can give you some good tools to improve your bike handling skills.
- Make gearing recommendations for IMLT
- Write an article and accompanying podcast on the effects of altitude on long course racing and deliver the true scoop about to train/not to train / what does it mean to train at altitude.
- Scope out the run course, eyeball the venue / race week logistics, etc
That's the short list. Anything else you folks want me to cover and research while I'm up there?
This is my ride, the EN All Terrain Course Recon Vehicle (ATRCV):
Additional gear includes:
- SPOT: a satelite/gps dealio that allows people to see where I am at all times. I'll update this post with the link to the map.
- Macbook and wifi card, natch
- Helmet with bluetooth connectivity so I can take and make calls from the road, stream Pandora, etc
- Tools, flat repair stuff, GPS, maps, extra gallon of gas, 1gal water and emergency stuff to spend the night with the bike if I need too...or I could just use my cell to call AAA but it's cool to have this stuff anyway (see hatchet below)
- Radar detector, to fend off Johnny Law
- 100oz Camelback. Temps are wicked hot so I'm leaving crazy early to get ahead of the heat in the high desert.
- Hatchet: some of these desert towns can be quite sketchy and you never know when the zombie apocalypse is gonna catch you unprepared...
Route/itinerary:
(Must not ride dirt roads with stock tires, must resist urge to explore)
- Monday: 0500 on the road. Over the San Gabriel Mtns and drop into the Mojave on the 14. Hammer up to Bishop to catch wifi for a call with Patrick at 10a. Then, depending on the heat, either go straight up the 395 to Lee Vining, or swing around the east to Benton Crossing, Mono Lake then Lee Vining. Check into my room, hit the nets, then climb Tioga Pass, the eastern entrance to Yosemite NP.
- Tues: shoot up the 395, park the bike and climb Sonora Pass on the pedal bike, then take backroads through Markleeville to Lake Tahoe. Check in, ride / preview / video the bike course from the moto.
- Wed: ride the bike course with GoPro and take lots of notes. Ride the run course.
- Thurs: dunno. I have a friend staying in June Lake, just north of Mammoth. I may ride down to his place then go rent a mtn bike and ride Mammoth Mtn. The prospect of riding from LT to LA in one shot in this heat is not appealing.
- Fri: leave early to beat the heat and get back to LA.
Anyway, I'll be updating this thread as I go so check back often!
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Comments
Not much soul searching, not enough time. Just banging out miles. The rack is all well and good until you forget to hook up a Pacsafe to secure your stuff while you're away from the bike. Think steel mesh bag that holds your stuff. Considering that I ride in about $2k of protective gear + my clothes, Macbook, etc in a dry bag, I'm a little leery of jumping off the moto just anywhere to ride the pedal bike. Only so much I can do with 8ft of cable lock. But I'll figure it out.
Step 1. Become hard as nails.
Step 2. Become triathlon coach.
Step 3. Adventures.
Looks like an awesome trip though, look forward to your reports.
Original page is updated with the link to my SPOT tracker page, so you can track me and see me on the map
. I forgot to hook it up this morning so it will appear that I've been teleported to the Looney Bean Coffee Shop in Bishop, where I'm hitting the interwebs. ~250mi in already and very, very hot. I think I'll take the long way to Lee Vining, swinging to the east towards Benton Crossing and Mono Lake, see if I can drop my gear at the hotel and climb Tioga. No pics yet, I suck, as my phone is my phone + iPod + Pandora + camera and I can't be bothered to stop just yet.
My observations of the course:
Separate transition areas add some complexity so have your gear dialed for T1 and T2
Swim was cold but not unbearable, however my fingers were not working right! Be prepared for this maybe with some throwaway gloves and arm warmers for the first part of the bike until you warm up
There is a short steep climb to Dollar Hill early on the bike, be disciplined not to crush it or you will pay later - remember, you will do this climb 3 times!
There is a short section (1/4 mi?) of jogging path as you leave Truckee which will be tricky on your motorbike but I bet you can pull it off. On the bike may have to slow down and there is little opportunity for polite passing.
I hope you have better luck than me getting past Gestapo at guard shack to private neighborhood near Northstar, they turned me back.
The Brockway Summit climb is long and relentless, doing it twice will be a challenge however I plan on using the EN hill climbing strategy so I can have a great run
The run is relatively flat, beautiful run on mostly paved 2 way bike path - so, it's narrow but will see many competitors and pros.
If you plan in a daylight finish- great! if not, it will get chilly and DARK! (no street lights) so plan on an extra layer,e.g. vest or arm warmers and a flashlight or headlamp in special needs bag. Seriously it gets really dark on that bike path.
See you all on Sept 22!
July 1, 2013: Left home at 0500, as it was going to be very, very hot and I wanted to beat the heat. Sorry, no pics and I didn't get my SPOT tracker page stuff working until later in the day.
SPOT tracker page here, for an overview of my route
Uneventful but nice ride over the San Gabriel Mtns, on to the 14 and north through Lancaster, Mojave, with gas in Coso. Then up to Bishop for a 10a call with Patrick and some work in a coffee shop. Felt like a rockstar as anyone who walked by the EN All-Terrain Course Recon Vehicle (ATCRV) took pictures. REALLY need to hook up some EN stickers or get the bike wrapped!
Procrastinated in the AC of the shop and it was HOT when I got on the bike. Like >105f hot, not fun. Up the 395 to Lake Crowley Lake then long-way-around detour on the "Benton Crossing Loop." I've done this many times on a bicycle. Crazy remote and no water for about 70 miles. I've seen some dark times out there. Curiously, much faster on a motorcycle . There was a weather system over the Sierras to the west. It was very windy, and I got tossed around some.
Given the winds and the system over the mountains, I decided to scout Tioga pass on the moto first. Very windy going up and a little chilly at the top.
Rode back down to Lee Vining and had 2 x fish tacos at the world famous Whoa Nellie Deli on the Mobil station at the bottom of the pass. Seriously, awesome food in a gas station.
Checked into my hotel, worked, let the fish tacos settle a bit, then got in the bike at about 6:15p. Challenging climb, with some extended pitches at 8-9%. It's also a very long and deep pass, in that you can see where you're going for a looonnggg time, no real switchbacks. So wayyyyy up ahead you see the road and a tiny, tiny RV that becomes a huge bus when it passes you = you gotta a long way to go yet!
GoPro video of the descent coming soon. Turns out I'm 3rd on the Strava leaderboard of the descent. Next time I'll pass the rental Camrys with tourists and own it!
Strava file here
Coming Soon: Day 2 -- Sonora Pass!
http://2x2cycles.com/product/motorcycle-bicycle-rack/
Maybe I can get us a team discount
in case anyone is interested.
Stop enjoying your vacation and spend more time in front of the computer.
Valuable info can't wait to see the rest
Huh, ^that^ looks very familiar
No, at not cool, at all. The intent of me posting this here is to keep it within the squad. I haven't decided if / what guidance I'm going to publish to the public.