an epic week in Tucson
Doing the OS with a January start. Some guys I train with are kicking around going to Tucson Feb/March camp sort of thing. I have a little sway on when we leave. What do you guys think would be better? Feb or March
0
Doing the OS with a January start. Some guys I train with are kicking around going to Tucson Feb/March camp sort of thing. I have a little sway on when we leave. What do you guys think would be better? Feb or March
Comments
I can't remember where Winterset is in IA. I am a Hawkeye...lived in IC and CR for many years!
Olivia no haven't been down there. Winterset is the birthplace of John Wayne and the Bridges of Madison County (clint eastwood) was filmed here. It is like 45 minutes south of des moines. My family is all from CR/ Eastern Iowa. I'm a transplant to Winterset and work in Des Moines.
I don't know of any open water swim places, I think there is some big aquatic centers around the area. I'll be in touch if we know more
For whatever its worth, I'm planning the same trip this year for the week beginning March 29, from anywere from 10 to 14 days. In fact, if other ENers are considering the same period, we should definitely set some plans for a camp in motion. (I did a Tucson Epic last year - it was awesome. Writeup is here. )
I'll provide a few links for pools, routes, chow,etc later today - these are stored on the home computer.
Dave
Dave, just re-read your epic bike week post. Wow, what a cool week. Think I need to plan a trip to Tuscon in the future!
tom
I'd be interested in joining for some group rides/runs since I'm local. Good training for the marathon up Mt. Lemmon.
http://www.mountlemmonmarathon.com/
That is SO cool. Are you doing that? My achilles ache just thinking about it.
Tempting, very tempting! Tucson is great for running and riding, unfortunately, not really any good places for open water swims. There are plenty of pools though. Weather wise, march is a great time to be in Tucson.
Mount Lemmon marathon- wow, epic. used to do lots of trail running around catalinas. That would be a tough one running up the mt lemmon highwaym but scenic. Hmmmm
Man, the neurons inare firing in my brain on how to make it all work!
I'm in for trying to plan a camp. I'd probably stay with my Aunt that lives down there. My timing for pre-IMSG (5/1) big tri week(end) would probably be around the first or second weekends in March.
Then let's get this party started. How is the weekend of March 26-27-28, with opportunity to go into the following week?
( I'm tossing out these dates having noted (1) NorCal is the weekend before (2) flight costs tend to come down for us northerners after the "March Break" for schools has passed (3) Easter is the following weekend.)
Trifest is March 5-7(http://www.trifest.com/). Might be a good time to be down there.
I've found some great house rentals down there with VRBO, it doesn't cost too much per person. Some even have pools and hot tubs, ( i haven't pulled them on a map to see where they are though). Also, Southwest flys to Tucson and bikes are 50 bucks plus you get two free bags.
I like this idea!
I'm in as well, I can pretty much swing any date in march with enough notice. weekdays, weekends don't really matter either, i have some other from outside the haus that might be able to come as well. I have no idea on Tucson geography as where to stay to get access to good roads and stuff can someone chime in
I could be in for the weekend.
I am quite good at over training on my own but people in the house just keep coming up with more ways for me to destroy my legs
I'm interested, but with the Baby on the way in Feb and Boston in March it may just not be feasible this year. FWIW, I also REALLY wanted to do TOC this year but something had to give in my schedule.
I'm in Tucson every other weekend so I could do a little recon for some good rides. Off the top of my head I would say cycling Mt. Lemmon, Gates Pass, east or west Saguaro national monuments. Link is bike routes throughout Tucson http://dot.tucsonaz.gov/bicycle/pdf...p2005.pdf. Running Sabino Canyon is awesome but watch out for mountain lions. Large canal system throughout Tucson with designated run/bike paths. Swimming is done at the local YMCAs.
A few resources I had bookmarked:
This link gives some solid routes; I can't attest for all of them, by I tried Tucson<->Kitts Peak, Silverbell Kinney Sanradio (w McCain Loop), Shootout, and Oro Valley while I was there. This gave plenty of variety. And the 'must climb' Mt Lemmon is here.
Times and places for city pools here. Ft. Lowell was a 10' jog from my hotel; outdoor w / 25 and 50 lanes.
Then Rubios for fish tacos.
-Dave
Oh - I just remembered an exhange I had on EN with Brian Stover. He provided lots of good ride info that I'll paste here:
Madera Canyon is a great ride, haven't done it in a bit but I think I'm going to add it to the to do soon list. The Avra valley ride is cool also, haven't done that in about 10 years out to the mine.
I spend a lot of time in the Tucson Mtns riding. It's a good mix of long grinding climbs that can be ridden in the big ring and aero and a bunch of rollers with flats here and there.
Some of my favorite loops are Ajo - Sandario - Mile wide- 2x McCains loop in reverse (pass the first entrance, pass the desert museum enter at the Gilbert Ray campground entrance) then over Gates Pass and it's 14% pitch down the front side through Starr Pass and back home. From door to door it's about 74 miles and 3:40 for me. Starts flat, hits the small climbs on AJo, then it's flat for 20 or so until Mile wide when the climbing starts. Great ride that progressively gets harder. The shoulder sucks in parts, really, really bumpy but still an all time favorite. To really add fun to it do some Vo2 intervals after dropping down the climbs up Ajo.
Mt. lemmon - It's Mt. lemmon nuff said.
Kitt Peak - Drive to 3 points and park at the convience store. It you need more miles head towards Mexico when you get back to the convience store. Harder climb then Lemmon and the last 2 miles of the climb seperates any boys still left with the men. Which for means I'm always staring at ass unfortunately. Ironically its 90km RT from the store to the top to the store, about 4hrs total. There is a Pepsi machine at the top. One year, on July 4th, we did this, about 9 of us. The drink machine had 8 sodas left in it. It was great watching the last person keep putting quarters in the machine only to have them roll out time after time after time. I think I laughed about 40min at that. Once the descent starts there is a deceptive left hand turn. More then once, we've gone hauling ass down only to miss that turn. It takes you into a parking lot, small parking lot towards a wall and a loooooong drop off. Good brakes are essential as is laying it down if you don't like falling off a cliff. Been there done that.
Ajo -Sandario - Avra Valley - Silverbell. Best ridden in the opposite direction in the mornings. Silverbell has gotten sketchy, I tend not to ride it much anymore which is sad, b/c it's a great road.
Silverbell - picture rocks -sandario - mile wide -gates - starr pass. Picture Rocks, probably the most scenic road in Tuscon for riding. Not a saturday route. A very early Sunday morning route, good during the middle of the day in the middle of the week. Way to many cars now, on what was a route we used to do out n backs on. Lots of rollers early, then a long descent. Turn around for a long climb then rollers.
I don't ride east anymore. too many people got hit by cars that I knew in a short time about 10 years ago. Loved riding out towards colussal cave and pistol hill, as well as doing loops around pistol hill. I may have to revisit this soon.
Mission road -duval mine road -helmet peak. Mission road is the road the shoot out goes on. It's in shitty shape and if you do the shoot out unless you are near the front expect to ride into and out of potholes, over chunks of road and basically have the shit vibrated out of you. I would do this ride out to duval mine road, up helmet peak then turn around go down helmet peak, and back to town on old nogales hwy. Or you could go up I think it's houghton and head back into the east side of town. I need to go explore more out there. It's been a long time.
Up Oracle road. Although there is a ton of construction and the bike lane disappears in spots. There are some concrete barries. I take up way more lane then I should so some yahoo doesn't try to pin me against the barrier in a construction zone. They can wait. Head up to orcale, crest the hill, as you go down take the first right, it loops back around to the circle k and then back to tucson. Basically a lollypop route. You can also head past oracle down the hill to mammoth. it's a 12mile climb back out, but the road is busy with trucks and the shoulder less then wide. Although with the mines slow to no go around here right now, that should ease things up a bit. Good ride to have a buddy with, can get hot quickly on this, not one you want to be caught out on when it's 100+.
Any improved dates? I am still thinking earlier is better for me in March. Dan Socie? Who else is in for an epic beating???
I've always wanted to do a Tuscon camp. Visited there many years ago before I was a triathlete and I totally see the potential now. Unfortunately, there' s just too much on my dance card this year with TOC, EN Chicka Camp, and IMWI. I think if I used up any remaining vacay time/$ on another tri related "me" thing my hubby would start talking to a lawyer!
I know some folks were looking at a late March weekend, sounds like there is some flexibility though. I also have flexibility in my schedule except that I don't want to get too late due to potential impacts to IMSG training. I do think that we should try to make this work with Coach P in person. Do we dare look at the weekend of 3/12, the same weekend (I think) as the NorCal Sleeper Cell camp? Could be the makings of an epic weekend challenge between the two???
Coach P, what works for you? Maybe you should tell us when you want to go then we'll come with you??? What about everyone else? Does anyone know how to make a poll on this new forum?
My preferences would be one of the first 2 weekends in March.
P
Thanks for giving us a deadline Coach P! That will help us make sure we nail something down so we can start booking flights.
either should work too, I have some non EN folk who might be in as well. I'm trying to pin them down too.
No luck with either of those weekends on my end ... it looks like I'll have a solo camp starting on the 26th!
My vote is for March 8th. What are you guys thinking for length of time?
I can join in on training on the back half of the week(thurs-sat)