(Post Master Supreme)

08/14/14 10:55 AM

Thinking of signing up for this race - *second round done*

Just a fun race. 25k trail ride and 2000 steps.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/525368015

Seems up my alley as I ride a harder portion of these trails pretty often (I pick an area with some longer, steep hills). I also run a lot of stairs. The only caveat is you have to carry your bike up and down and that gets tough carrying it. The set I run is 190 stairs up and kicks your ass without a bike. Most of the sets here are similar, but 200-210/set,

The time there is from an Edmonton Oiler who is about my age and known for being very fit.

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Calling+c...5968/story.html

(Post Master Supreme)

08/14/14 10:57 AM

Re: Thinking of signing up for this race

next step: sprint tri's $;\)$

sorta looks like he wasn't trying that hard [assuming the oiler you are talking about is in his 30s], eg 130 avg HR, he probably just cruised

(Post Master Supreme)

08/14/14 11:22 AM

Re: Thinking of signing up for this race

Just Do It.

(Post Master Supreme)

08/14/14 11:30 AM

Re: Thinking of signing up for this race

I need bike carrying tips. I think the weak point will be how I chose to carry the bike up the stairs (and transitions of course).

(Post Master Supreme)

08/14/14 11:36 AM

Re: Thinking of signing up for this race

you're a huge-ass gym rat right? throw the fucking thing up the stairs ... run after it, then pick it up

I'm sure this isn't applicable at all but in the office here I put my bike over my shoulder and control the front wheel in some manner so it isnt all flopping around

(Post Master Supreme)

08/14/14 12:09 PM

Re: Thinking of signing up for this race

Signed up. Wife will run stairs while I race then catch me at the finish.

(Post Master Sr)

08/14/14 12:14 PM

Re: Thinking of signing up for this race

Originally Posted By: Impulsive

I need bike carrying tips. I think the weak point will be how I chose to carry the bike up the stairs (and transitions of course).

cyclcross shoulder method

(Post Master Supreme)

08/14/14 04:22 PM

Re: Thinking of signing up for this race

Hope I don't Bonk $\:\|$

(Post Master Supreme)

08/20/14 10:58 PM

Re: Thinking of signing up for this race

Did a practice run. Fuck, most of the trail is actual gravel or single rut "trail". Tree roots, rocks and branches galore. Cyclocross took it like a champ, but tires spun too much uphill and had to be very deliberate on downhills. Still was at the front of the pack. Was good on the climbs, but fuck there was two hardcore mountain bikers who could haul up hills. Doesn't help that my chain derails too, even after two tune ups.

And I think there is more than 2000 stairs. We passed about 12 flights, most had more than 200 each.

Hockey player leader did say 90 minutes his repeatable fast time. So that's my goal, but hard to run fast carrying a bike up stairs, especially with traffic. I'm guessing I'm going to make a few wrong turns too. Easy to miss turns in the woods.

Just test this as a workout. I'm used to 70 minute trail rides have done some 90 plus rides with a few sets of sprints/stairs, but mostly paved, so rarely need to be cautious.

(Post Master Supreme)

08/20/14 11:01 PM

Re: Thinking of signing up for this race

Boo

(Post Master Supreme)

08/20/14 11:16 PM

Re: Thinking of signing up for this race

How much is 25k in American? Like 15 miles?

(Post Master Supreme)

08/21/14 01:54 AM

Re: Thinking of signing up for this race

Lol @Art.

I say just go out there and enjoy the suffering man....it'll be awesome.

(Post Master Supreme)

08/21/14 08:37 AM

Re: Thinking of signing up for this race

That's a fresh joke.

Originally Posted By: Mrs. Ironmom

I say just go out there and enjoy the suffering man....it'll be awesome.

In the grand scheme of things, the only thing really suffering worthy will be carrying the bike, trying to squeeze by people on the staircase and the last 50 steps on each case. Otherwise, it's just a combination of workouts I do regularly.

Should be fun, though I'm going to try and get a new rear tire today for a bit more bite.

(Post Master Supreme)

08/21/14 09:46 AM

Re: Thinking of signing up for this race

You have to carry the bike for 15 miles?

My dude, just ride it.

(Post Master Supreme)

08/23/14 12:33 PM

Re: Thinking of signing up for this race

Done. The biking part wasn't bad at all, except the trails were a bit much for a cross bike (some road bike guys there, not sure how they made it without wrecking shit).

The trail was marked well on the north half, but the south half had a lot of forks that were not marked.

I wasted a bit of time with wrong turns including one that took me on a wild trail and I did a nice barrel roll over my bars with an awesome wipeout no one saw. I was thinking in mid summersault "oh fuck, just land smooth" and I managed just some scrapes on my legs/shoulder and bent some shit on my bike. Another mild slide out when I was on a very narrow (one wheel wide) trail and shouldered a log that was near head level sticking out. Also ran out of gear on a couple climbs and spun my wheels too much on others so I had to run the hill.

Had my chain jam and wrap around about 3 times. So with the wipeout, the slide and the chain jam, I still managed 1:43. I think there was at least 2 minutes of BS to be cut out. Maybe a bit more without lap traffic on the stairs too.

Was about the time I expected, but shit those stairs fuck your legs. I regularly run 8-12k with 2000 stairs (singles and 2x2). It's never easy, but my legs didn't burn like this. 14 sets, some as many as 240-250 stairs, some also very steep. Carrying the bike is what made it suck. No bike, you can jog up. With a bike, it's an odd attempt to speed walk while my arm is tired as fuck from carrying it.

So it's done. I feel good other than the scrapes and a bike mechanic on site fixed me up good to go which was awesome. The only people who passed me where the hard core road bikers that were a team and one butch girl who wasn't a fast biker, but ran the stairs like mad. Maybe 5 people in total while I passed about the same amount (I lead my group except for one team road guy).

(Post Master Supreme)

08/23/14 12:41 PM

Re: Thinking of signing up for this race

Preliminary pics here - spot the bald guy with the black wife:

https://twitter.com/hashtag/YEGDeadLegs?src=hash

lol'ed at the cat meme.

(Post Master Supreme)

08/23/14 03:40 PM

Re: Thinking of signing up for this race

Nice job man...sounds like a beast of an event.

(Post Master Supreme)

08/23/14 06:35 PM

Re: Thinking of signing up for this race

That's awesome. The most miserable part of cyclocross--multiplied. I love it.

Nice job going for it. Cool event.

(Post Master Supreme)

08/24/14 11:06 AM

Re: Thinking of signing up for this race

One pic I found from the paper....first!

By the way, it's quite the feeling charging to the finish line with the people, who have no clue who I am, cheering.

(Post Master Supreme)

09/02/14 10:18 PM

Re: Thinking of signing up for this race

Couple "official" pics.

(Post Master Supreme)

09/02/14 11:20 PM

Re: Thinking of signing up for this race

Fuckin' Grumpy Cat.

Seems like running shoes would make the most sense in this race. I guess I'd run clips and straps and benefit from having proper shoes on the stair climb portion. Anything to ease that misery.

Cool shots. $\:\)$

(Post Master Supreme)

09/03/14 08:56 AM

Re: Thinking of signing up for this race

A lot of people ran clips and their shoes looked pretty suitable for running too. I don't have them and not sure I want them. I have platic toe clips that I took off for this as there were too many situations where I was spending time trying to get my foot back in them instead of peddling.

There was a lot of terrain that was too rough to ride on my bike as well (pure mountain bike trails) so a lot of times trying to ride for a bit, jump off, carry, jump on again etc.

I'm a pussy when it comes to clips too and when I dropped $1600 on my bike (peanuts to some), I didn't feel like adding more for shoes/pedals (come at me). I bike, but I'm a casual biker.

(Post Master Supreme)

09/03/14 09:10 AM

Re: Thinking of signing up for this race

I still run clips and straps on my MTB (and I plan to run them on my cross bike, too). Decent foot retention but I can blow out of them way faster than SPD's (which I run on my road bikes). I can get in and out of them very fast just because I've used them for so long.

(Post Master Supreme)

09/03/14 11:29 AM

Re: Thinking of signing up for this race

Impulsive is a sexy beast!

(Post Master Supreme)

08/24/15 04:20 PM

Re: Thinking of signing up for this race

Doing this again this weekend. This time they are doing a 10k run version as well so I signed my wife up for that one.

I chose the biking one again because the 10k run only looks like it hits about 5 flights of stairs or so (1000+ stairs). I honestly think I could own that. 2000+ stairs with a bike on your back is far harder.

So yeah, I probably should have done the running race.

(Post Master Supreme)

08/24/15 04:25 PM

Re: Thinking of signing up for this race

good luck man. my stair-running days are well behind me I'm afraid $\:D$ [/knees] It's not the up it's the downs that hurt

(Post Master Supreme)

08/24/15 04:40 PM

Re: Thinking of signing up for this race

I just want to be faster then last year. Stairs don't really bother my knees much - though running them with a bike is very awkward - especially with traffic. It's just heavy/awkward enough that you can't jog so you do this odd, uncomfortable speed walk up and it burns more than it would if you were just jogging up.

(Post Master Supreme)

08/29/15 06:12 PM

Re: Thinking of signing up for this race

Almost a repeat of last year. They changed the course, far more crazy trails and barely any pavement. It was too dangerous though. About a foot wide path in some places, cliffs, logs on the grid and sticking out like a harpoon. I almost chest impaled myself. Some cross traffic in places and some terrain so rough, I had to run it.

So, 5 minutes in, the guy in front of me goes from paved to gravel pretty fast. He completely Charlie Brown's yard sale and I'm right behind him trying to keep it together without killing myself. I'm trying not to run him over, there is nowhere to go and I'm moving. I slowwd down as much as I could, ran over his legs, getting some air and my bike hit dead center on a tree. I looked up in time to catch myself. The guy was hurt bad, and I stopped to help. Volunteers came running, he slowly stopped being in ton of pain and told me to go on.

Great, I just wanted a clean ride to time myself. 5 minutes in I'm scraped. Chain's off, so have to get my hands oily. Hop back on the bike, wtf, shits bent to fuck.

Bend everything back as best I could and go on my way.

Did a bit better on the stairs this year, but there really is no easy way to run 2000+ carrying your bike up and down. They're steep to. Come to the back side of the trail, another guy wipes out in front of me... I caught it in time. Then, after a long downhill, I come around the bend and there is a giant mud pit all across. No way to slow. No way around. Just try not to wipe out.

I hit it, mud splashed everywhere and I did a 3/4 slide semi wipe out. Now muddy, including my hands, I can't grip the bar well.

Keep on soldiering. The last 3-4k last year was paved and a nice way to finish. Not this year, all 6-12" wide trail. Roots, potholes that gave me another semi wipeout.

So I'm done.

Wife's run was uneventful and much easier as they only do 5 sets of stairs for about 1000 total. She was done in 70 minutes.

My time was identical to last year, but I think I was faster... Just less paved/groomed trails and more mountain bike shit. At least the same amount of downtime checking& helping the wipeout guys.

I'm not doing the biking next year. Saw three wipeouts and the trails were dangerous. Numerous fallen trees sticking out without warning at odd angles. I'll just run it.

(Post Master Supreme)

08/29/15 11:08 PM

Re: Thinking of signing up for this race

Nice, try a crit it will be safer lol
Going down three times and being ok sounds good to me man, good job

(Post Master Supreme)

08/30/15 05:06 PM

Re: Thinking of signing up for this race

What's a crit?

I never totally went down, always had a foot down, but three went down in front of me. The tree was scary, but I managed to time everything just right.

According to my GPS, this was over 1km longer, and being more trails, I'll take having a time within the good side of a minute of last year, including the standing around helping.

Anyways, exhausted yesterday. Fell a sleep at 9:30. Felt ok today, so went for a run. Calves are sore, but not nearly as sore as they usually are from stairs. Odd, but I'll take it.

(Post Master Supreme)

08/30/15 06:56 PM

Re: Thinking of signing up for this race

Criterium road races--super common buy also super sketchy for newer riders and feature pileups nearly as often as BMX racing, YMMV