2011 CTR Planning

[sherpaxc]

That's a fantastic idea.  I've done a couple road tours with him in the trailer (just overnighters) but you're right, it was a workout.  I'll have to incorporate that.  Only issue I have is the summer heat!

[Marshal]

Musing on the CTR

Barring bad luck, to enjoy and finish a multi day like the CTR I think the most important things are:
good base fitness, nothing special, just solid foundation
familiarity/practice with riding your fully loaded bike for long time period
familiarity/practice with pacing your effort while eating and drinking
good equipment—dependable and relatively light/packable

To approach your personal best finish time I think you need:
At or near your personal peak fitness and ‘race’ body weight
familiarity/practice with riding your fully loaded bike for long time period
familiarity/practice with pacing your effort while eating and drinking
familiarity/practice with racing under sleep deprivation conditions
Optimized equipment—dependable, multi gear, light/packable as possible

To set a record you need all the above for a personal best + the right parents +right conditions

[Done]

Hi Marshall,

Good points, and all of them seem spot on. Last year my goal was to finish, and this year I'm aiming to go faster--but I'm not sure that I'm in "personal best" territory yet. I posted a bunch of similar "musings" on this topic on my blog a couple of weeks after finishing last year: http://tobygadd.blogspot.com/2010/09/can-anyone-ride-colorado-trail-race.html

I also put down some thoughts on quitting:
http://tobygadd.blogspot.com/2010/11/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html

Lastly, I wrote some thoughts about psychological challenges::
http://tobygadd.blogspot.com/2010/08/ive-been-asked-by-few-people-how-i.html

While I put a lot of thought into these posts, please remember that they are still the ruminations of a newbie. This whole endurance thing is like a wonderful new toy, and I'm learning all the time. I imagine that some of what I wrote will seem naive (and even possibly foolish) to old hands, but I'm having a good time with the journey!

Cheers,
Toby

[DaveH]

To set a record you need all the above for a personal best + the right parents +right conditions

You forgot the most important of all:  luck.

[pro_out]

You forgot the most important of all:  luck.

No luck needed if you have the right DNA 

[wookieone]

You can never have enough 'Good' luck brother, never.

[Marshal]

You forgot the most important of all:  luck.

Ha, actually I did mention it, it's in the 1st sentace but I would agree I wasn't clear about including it in the last

Your focus must have been on the last, wonder why?

One could talk about 'making' your own etc but good or bad, anyway you slice it, luck is always looking over our shoulder

[Done]

No luck needed if you have the right DNA 

Good DNA is good luck!

[pro_out]

Good DNA is good luck!

true that.

[bartspedden]

As far as planning for the CTR goes.  Is anyone experimenting with different food this year?  I'm trying to think of some better options.  I'm pretty happy with dehydrated meals for dinner, but I seem to struggle with a good breakfast because I'm a bacon/eggs/hashbrowns/toast/pancake/sausage kinda guy.  In the morning after a big day, I always want to house some serious food in the mornings, but tend to opt with a bowl of cereal/fruit/bagel.  Lunches don't really seem to happen for me as I tend to snack on things all day long while riding (i.e. bars/chews/crackers/gu's).

Can't wait to here some different ideas 

[gdillon]

Starbucks double shot, precooked bacon (goes down easier than beef jerky), one of those gas station muffins (amazing how good those 450 calories are) and hit the road.

If I had a stove, oatmeal, dried cranberries, and granola are the way to go.  Oh, and hot coffee.

[sherpaxc]

Can anyone post up a list of the major food stops?  Anything from good gas station food to a grocery store would work. 

[timroz]

Good luck being as fast as Owie.

[timroz]

Can anyone post up a list of the major food stops?  Anything from good gas station food to a grocery store would work.  

I'd suggest the guidebook.  But,

Bailey Diner, Breck 7-11 (3 miles off course), Quiznos at Copper, City Market at Leadville (plus several good restaurants), City Market at BV, K's Dairy at BV FOR SURE, Mt. Princeton hot springs store,...Apples' big tuperware stash, ...Silverton, Durango.

[sherpaxc]

Yeah, I've got the older guidebook and just haven't cracked it open in a while.  I'll need to order a new Databook as well.

[bartspedden]

I'll have to try the pre-cooked bacon.  I also read on a thread (here?) that the pre-cooked sausage was pretty killer too.  mmm I can taste it now, cold pre-cooked bacon wrapped sausage in a tortilla! 

As for food stops, there's also a pretty well stocked gas station in Bailey.  Last year a bunch of us stopped and ate at the log cabin restaurant (maybe it was the Cut Throat Cafe?) in Bailey.  Food was good, but I could barely eat anything...

[ETURK]

As far as planning for the CTR goes.  Is anyone experimenting with different food this year?  I'm trying to think of some better options.  I'm pretty happy with dehydrated meals for dinner, but I seem to struggle with a good breakfast because I'm a bacon/eggs/hashbrowns/toast/pancake/sausage kinda guy.  

The food stuff has to be in balance with everything else. I agree that you find yourself eating little stuff w/big impact (like figs) while you ride for the entire day AND find yourself relying on it. Realistically, does anyone want to put the extra effort in a "big meal" when your dam tired in the evening and really cold in the morning? Not me, not really. I been thinking of the importance of forcing a "mandatory BIG lunch" even if its against basic instinct to keep riding. I believe the stop will make the entire pm more productive and carry into some more coherent and productive riding, while getting a chance to smell the roses. My last attempt I found myself night riding a bit anyhow to "get to the spot" and during those evenings electing "fall down and sleep hard" over big dinner. My last attempt I had always set my alarm to 4am, and found breakfast was sooooo nice then. This year I want to hit my biggest "exotic dehydrated meal" smack in the middle of the day when I can see too. I also rationalize that mentally it be nice to lose that big weighted meal in the middle of the day.

I am not saying that getting a good meal in the evening isn't important, as you sleep you re-build presumably, but that just didn't seem to work out for me. Sleep for me was absent then suddenly powerful and overtaking, I try to keep pushing to "that spot" like a zombie, then end up sleeping hard and short. This year I want my sleeping aligned with how I feel (simple tarp-tent, less clothing with 1 warm bag, done). You may be different.

Regarding breakfast choices, if there were a silver bullet, one of my fav picks is the simple and great tasting Mountain House Granola w/blueberries and powered milk. Eat inside tent/bag next morning without cooking or being cold. This is a smaller pack and each contain 500 cals - just add water, no heating required. They taste soo good probably due to the sweet blueberry powdered milk. Because its so simple I might double up on this evening/morning.  I am getting hungry for it already.





  

[bartspedden]

Thanks ETURK, that's a really well thought out response.  It's giving me a lot to think about.  I've been considering taking a break during the heat of the day too.  I'm just not a big fan of sweating profusely.  I loose all that salt and have a hard time afterwards.  To some extent the, hammer electrolyte pills have helped, but I think just avoiding the MAJOR sweat-fests would go a lot longer.  And your idea of eating the big meal during the day would kill two birds with one stone.  I'll have to give it a try on a training mission.  Thanks for the great idea  

[ETURK]

I don't sweet like you describe. Maybe its because I keep my heart rate relatively lower but burn more muscle instead. Try adding a gear to use more legs and less lungs? Sounds too simple I know. But the mid day meal sounds like a perfect solution for you.

Pushing it further once could rationalize eating big and sleeping in the middle of day - lose the tent altogether when its warm and ride through the night. Makes sense but unfortunately I am not nocturnal. 

[TruthRider]

I'm curious about the need for a GPS unit for this race?  I don't have one ... not inclined.  I've found the CT to be fairly well marked in most places ...  In the places where it's not:  Are the GPS units super helpful?  What's their resolution?  Do they tell you if you're within 100 ft of the trail, or within 3 feet?

Having ridden the majority of the sections from Denver through Chochetopa, I kind of feel like I could find my way through ... although the Cataract section definitely seems dicey.  Interesting, too, because the maps I have show the CT goes down Pole Creek to Stony Pass road, whereas Stefan's route stays along the ridge and hits Stony Pass road much higher towards the pass.  Are my maps wrong, or does the CTR depart from the CT there for a bit?

How much do you rely on your GPS?  Do you have it on the handlebars, and look at it a lot?  Or is it packed away?  THANKS