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To ride the course or not that is the question

new2703new2703
in General Training Discussions
Chesapeakeman is 3weeks (Saturday) out and I have an opportunity to ride the course this weekend and next weekend. The problem is it's 2 hours away which would add considerable admin time to the process. Have wife's blessing although she doesn't understand why one needs to ride the course ahead of time. Because I missed the first RR, I was thinking of making this weekend and next weekend RR1 and RR2. Thoughts

Comments

  • cgres123cgres123
    From you posts on the Dash, me thinks you don't have your heart into this race so much. You feeling a little fried?

    I would not ride the course as the 2 hours out and back is just about enough time to really say WTF am I doing.

    Ride your ride at home save the admin time for rest. If you missed your RR1 and 2 it is gone move on rest taper up well. When you get to the course for your race driving it will be fine make your mental notes about it for race day.
  • new2703new2703
    @Dave. Thanks for the advice. I may just wait and make it a friday night decision. I want to ride the course to look at how I feel and how my body responds to riding the course at race day watts. I'm just not very excited about the drive over to the course. The other thing is I'm getting tired of riding the same areas around my house. In terms of being fried, I actually feel okay, I've been taking a minimalist (main set only) approach to training since Texas, with some modifications. As a relative newbie, I figured body might not be able to handle the stress of two full IM training cycles in one season. I've been more attentive to rest and actually built it into my plan rather than waiting till my body broke down and told my I needed rest.
  • Dave TalloDave Tallo
    John - I've done Chesapeakeman, and there is ZERO value added to yaour race intel by riding this course. And this is coming from someone who is a course-riding fool 99% of the time.

    It's flat; stay low. There. I just saved you 2 admin hours. Go practice uber-fast transitions with the found time!

    And, on the RR1 and RR2 combo ... I'd do just the one. RRs feel easy, but there is still a good amount of traning stress accrued, and "cramming" won't put you any further ahead.

  • new2703new2703
    At Dave x 2. Thanks guys for the advice as always I value input from those much wiser. I will heed everyone's advice and stand down and save myself some admin time. I'm glad to hear there is not much value in riding the course ahead of time.
  • Nemo BrauchNemo Brauch
    What Dave said. There really is no reason you need to see the Chessy course ahead of time. To be frank, it's a boring flat course and the only thing that changes is which direction the wind is coming from (and almost never at your back). The only thing you'll do by riding it ahead of time is make race day that much more boring. Stay home, find some ride that gives you a little joy and do that instead. Sounds like you are a bit burned out.
  • Nate ParadyNate Parady
    John,
    as a point of reference. When I did IMLP, I did the EN Camp and riding that course is almost mandatory prior to the race for the less than experienced biker (like me). For IMFL, I did not ride the course at all prior to race day. I even skipped the two day before bike ride because it was stressing me out with admin and unsafe roads.
    I'm probably one of the only people that didn't find the FL course that boring, just relentlessly flat. I suspect I will feel the same way for Chesapeak Man. The bike is really just a long conversation between me and my Joule.

    I also, would not recommend doing two back to back RRs. There is a mental cost there in addition to physical. Your first RR was IMTX...just nail RR2 and you are all set.
  • Dave TalloDave Tallo


    Posted By Nate Parady on 29 Aug 2013 10:13 AM


    The bike is really just a long conversation between me and my Joule. 

      

    .

    Well put - mentally preparing for that conversation, and then not zoning out in mid-sentence on race day, is the perfect frame of mind.   


  • John BayoneJohn Bayone
    hey John.
    Just my opinion, doing the RR on back to back weekends might not give you the necessary recovery period in between. The training plans do not have these stacked on back to back weekends like that, I would stick with the plan.
    Race day might not care if you rode that actual course that much (or at all). Is it posslbie that with it being the holiday weekend it might be possible that the traffic to and from there back might be even worse than normal? (rt. 50, Bay Bridge)?
    Regardless, that long car ride in both directions plus 112 miles on the bike, plus a run might add up to putting yourself into a bigger hole than is really necessary.
    So if you are able to do a RR on the course down there maybe just once.
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