2015 TD

[dp]

This is a very important tip for aspiring TDR racers that seems to be overlooked.  One thing to keep in mind while preparing for this race is what you'll do after you finish, wherever that happens to be, but especially if you make it all or most of the way.  We spend so much mental and physical energy getting ready to do the thing but, if these posts are any indication, little if any time thinking about how to recover from it, both mentally and physically.  That's how it was for me.  This isn't a typical adventure race that might last from a few days up to a week.  It's usually at least three weeks of continual physical and mental grind-down.  Given the fact that this event is front and center of our cycling lives for a year or more in many cases, and that the load put on brain and body is greater than anything most of us have attempted, it should be no surprise that what happens to you after you (hopefully) ride up to that gate at AW will be unpredictable.  Suddenly, the constant load placed on you is swept away.  All of a sudden, the one task that has dominated your focus is replaced by a kind of vacuum.  How your physiology and psychology reacts to that sudden change can be profound.  For my 2014 Divide Race I give myself an A+ for preparation, an A for the event itself and an F for planning my recovery from it.  All I could think of was how to do the event as effectively as possible, but not how I was going to taper off from it or what would fill that void.  No surprise then, that after three weeks I still wasn't feeling particularly recovered, physically, and that my mental side had started to slip sideways.  All the months or even years of build-up, then the thrill of actually doing the thing, then - BAM!, the bottom just drops out.  Your mind and body probably won't respond well to that shock, any better than they would if you were to do the TDR without any preparation.  Don't get blindsided by this part of the process.

So preparation tip offering #3 (after #1- perfect your bike fit and, #2 embrace the positive side of this event at all times) is to prepare not only for the event, but for your post-event recovery.  It's not just a matter of resting.  Ending this thing is a big comedown, no matter what the circumstances and no matter how thrilled you are with your results.  It needs to be as gentle a landing as you can manage, not like you've fallen off of a skyscraper.  My old skydiving instructor used to say "falling never hurt anybody, it's hitting the ground that hurts". Mike Hall probably could add some wisdom here, having spoken openly about his mental relationship to this kind of event and the ups/downs that can come with it.  He's certainly as qualified as anyone I know of.  So it's probably a good idea to have a post TDR cycling plan in place (other easy rides/events) and something important to engage you mentally (an important project of some kind).  I knew that doing this would kick my ass in all kinds of new ways and it certainly did.  I just wasn't prepared for some of them.  In 2016 I'll work that into the plan.  For you 2015ers there's still time to sort this out.  Good luck.

Peace

Great insight.  Tough lesson to learn the hard way.  I wonder though if there's really any other way to learn it.  I suppose it's easy to deceive ourselves into believing that once we're home, everything will just go back to 'normal', even though normal for the preceding 12-18 months has involved a modicum of obsessing about the event we've just finished.  And didn't we engage in this thing to be changed in some way?  What else is adventure for?  Why would we want to go back to 'normal'?  If we were content with 'normal', we probably wouldn't attempt this in the first place.

Got me thinking now.  Thanks for sharing.

-dp

[THE LONG RANGER]

How's the training going? Gettin' some long rides in? Overnighters?

[EndoAgain]

Simon - I rode a 1x10 with a 32 front and 11-36 rear. My rig without food weighed 36lbs and I was 140. I was in my smallest gear A LOT! It worked fine for me...couldnt have ridden anything steeper even with a lower gear but I sure wanted something smaller on those sustained climbs. That climb Matt lee talks about getting into Cuba..."rock, sand, rock, sand..." was a killer in my lowest gear. I whimpered more than once as I saw the trail continue to climb as I rounded a corner. I would think a 42 would make a big difference as would running a 30 up front and if I tow the line in June I will have my 30 x 10x42 SRAM ready to roll. Tried the 42 tooth options with my shimano XTR 10spd but never did work well for me. My SRAM has has been flawless and amazingly silent.

Dp - It is a big adjustment to come back but here is one aspect most don't think about. Everyone has a different experience but to show you the impact riding the tour has on you here is my experience and one shared by many others. I dreamed I was on the tour divide for 30 straight days when I got back. Every night I woke up...sometime multiple times...and sometimes I could not seem to wake up from the dream at all. The dream was always the same...I missed a turn...I didn't really finish and I had to go back...no this is a dream I am finished but...but I missed part...get up and go back...I'm hungry gotta eat first. That scenario would play out again and I would awake disoriented. It is not unlike the experience I sometimes had coming back home from a military deployment. Was it PTSD some would ask? No, but that type of recurring anxiety nightmare is common to both. I loved being out there on the TD and I loved my deployments too. I had a moment or two when I thought "Oh shit" out there but absolutely nothing traumatic. Simply it is a big event that you eat, breathe and sleep 24/7. The mind will continue to process it when you get back even as you try to focus on your daily routine and it will often do it at night. Any experience that is drilled in your mind, good or bad, through a single emotional episode or just prolonged exposure with a singular focus can cause the mind to get stuck for a while especially when you are experiencing sleep deprivation and hunger. Its normal. Happens to many who deploy who do not have PTSD and will happen to many when they return from the TD. With luck I will be dreaming of missing a turn again this July :-)

[james-o]

This is a very important tip for aspiring TDR racers that seems to be overlooked.  One thing to keep in mind while preparing for this race is what you'll do after you finish, wherever that happens to be, but especially if you make it all or most of the way.  We spend so much mental and physical energy getting ready to do the thing but, if these posts are any indication, little if any time thinking about how to recover from it, both mentally and physically.  That's how it was for me.  This isn't a typical adventure race that might last from a few days up to a week.  It's usually at least three weeks of continual physical and mental grind-down.  Given the fact that this event is front and center of our cycling lives for a year or more in many cases, and that the load put on brain and body is greater than anything most of us have attempted, it should be no surprise that what happens to you after you (hopefully) ride up to that gate at AW will be unpredictable.  Suddenly, the constant load placed on you is swept away.  All of a sudden, the one task that has dominated your focus is replaced by a kind of vacuum.  How your physiology and psychology reacts to that sudden change can be profound.  For my 2014 Divide Race I give myself an A+ for preparation, an A for the event itself and an F for planning my recovery from it.  All I could think of was how to do the event as effectively as possible, but not how I was going to taper off from it or what would fill that void.  No surprise then, that after three weeks I still wasn't feeling particularly recovered, physically, and that my mental side had started to slip sideways.  All the months or even years of build-up, then the thrill of actually doing the thing, then - BAM!, the bottom just drops out.  Your mind and body probably won't respond well to that shock, any better than they would if you were to do the TDR without any preparation.  Don't get blindsided by this part of the process.

So preparation tip offering #3 (after #1- perfect your bike fit and, #2 embrace the positive side of this event at all times) is to prepare not only for the event, but for your post-event recovery.  It's not just a matter of resting.  Ending this thing is a big comedown, no matter what the circumstances and no matter how thrilled you are with your results.  It needs to be as gentle a landing as you can manage, not like you've fallen off of a skyscraper.  My old skydiving instructor used to say "falling never hurt anybody, it's hitting the ground that hurts". Mike Hall probably could add some wisdom here, having spoken openly about his mental relationship to this kind of event and the ups/downs that can come with it.  He's certainly as qualified as anyone I know of.  So it's probably a good idea to have a post TDR cycling plan in place (other easy rides/events) and something important to engage you mentally (an important project of some kind).  I knew that doing this would kick my ass in all kinds of new ways and it certainly did.  I just wasn't prepared for some of them.  In 2016 I'll work that into the plan.  For you 2015ers there's still time to sort this out.  Good luck.

Peace

A great post that I fully relate to and agree with.

[james-o]

but what other hot weather adjustments or precautions should I be aware of?

Cheers

KiwiDave

A late reply but reading a few pages back this reminded me of one of the most unpleasant and unforseen problems I had on the TDR, I've not seen it mentioned so thought it's worth highlighting. I'm from the UK so the dry, hot air from the Baisin onwards messed up my sinuses pretty badly, I felt pretty dried out but it wasn't a dehydrated lack of water feeling. I awoke in my bivi with a mouth like dry leather due to a blocked nose, rode on with a nosebleed too many times and it became painful to eat. I had prep for chapped lips but there wasn't much I could do about the dry air. I made something a bit like a surgeon's facemask from a bit of rag I had and some tarp cord and tried to keep it damp, or at least wet it when I drank. A bit of a PITA but preferable to blood loss, a few days in CO and NM using this helped me recover to a more normal state of discomfort

[dream4est]

My LOI-

4/25/2015

Hi Matt I have been on the fence for months trying to make this decision. Some things happened in and after the 750 that made me realize I have no excuses and if I can make Antelope Wells with a small budget and a no hotels or racer influence attitude I can race faster and cheaper than before and also live the more true spirit of the race, the ITT of the course.


Its my birthday today so time to pony up and go all in for a Grand Depart Northbound-to lock down another Triple Crown!!
There is no better time than right now to live out my dreams I am going for it again while I still have the ability and motivation and drive and most importantly the people behind me to help me succeed.

Mark Caminiti

[Briansong]

My LOI-

4/25/2015

Hi Matt I have been on the fence for months trying to make this decision. Some things happened in and after the 750 that made me realize I have no excuses and if I can make Antelope Wells with a small budget and a no hotels or racer influence attitude I can race faster and cheaper than before and also live the more true spirit of the race, the ITT of the course.


Its my birthday today so time to pony up and go all in for a Grand Depart Northbound-to lock down another Triple Crown!!
There is no better time than right now to live out my dreams I am going for it again while I still have the ability and motivation and drive and most importantly the people behind me to help me succeed.

Mark Caminiti

Awesome Mark!!

Truly impressive.

Steve

[sfuller]

How's the training going? Gettin' some long rides in? Overnighters?

I've been trying to put together some overnights with distance since late February and early March. Most of have been Fri/Sat or Fri/Sat/Sun. Pretty typical of what may have been doing - Ride 5 to 6.5 hours after work. Set/break camp in the dark. Ride century+ or close the next day. Camp again. Ride 5 - 6 hours home. I've been trying to time my setup/teardown times just make sure that I'm not wasting a lot of time (especially in the morning).

[Norb]

Its my birthday today so time to pony up and go all in for a Grand Depart Northbound-to lock down another Triple Crown!!
There is no better time than right now to live out my dreams I am going for it again while I still have the ability and motivation and drive and most importantly the people behind me to help me succeed.

Mark Caminiti

Mark, congrats on another AZT finish.  Your drive and commitment are seriously impressive!

Keep living those dreams and have a great Tour Divide race.

[Rorr]

Hey, Anybody know what the TDR rules are on using the Chaco alt. between Cuba and Grants? I think we used it in 2013 but I can't remember why, fire? mud? easier?

[kato]

Hey, Anybody know what the TDR rules are on using the Chaco alt. between Cuba and Grants? I think we used it in 2013 but I can't remember why, fire? mud? easier?

Pulled from the Tour Divide Website rules section,

Alt. C) Optional (but de facto): The 116-mile 'Chaco Alternate' is a TD-legal, ACA-official alternate segment between Cuba and Grants, New Mexico. The main route is impassable, potentially dangerous when wet, so riders have the option to follow the Chaco Alternate (paved) route. See ACA Map 5-B for cues.

[SlowRide]

Yep, Chaco Alternate and Malpais Alternate are always TD legal alternates as stated on the Rules page. The official GPX track for TD does follow these alternates, so just follow the purple line!

[Rorr]

Thanks guys, guess I need to re read the rules sorry for asking a stupid question. Going through my new maps, doesn't seem like there are to many changes.

[simon cross]

Simon - I rode a 1x10 with a 32 front and 11-36 rear. My rig without food weighed 36lbs and I was 140. I was in my smallest gear A LOT! It worked fine for me...couldnt have ridden anything steeper even with a lower gear but I sure wanted something smaller on those sustained climbs. That climb Matt lee talks about getting into Cuba..."rock, sand, rock, sand..." was a killer in my lowest gear. I whimpered more than once as I saw the trail continue to climb as I rounded a corner. I would think a 42 would make a big difference as would running a 30 up front and if I tow the line in June I will have my 30 x 10x42 SRAM ready to roll. Tried the 42 tooth options with my shimano XTR 10spd but never did work well for me. My SRAM has has been flawless and amazingly silent.

Thanks alot Endo - agree - found the same with SRAM vs shimano ...

This week riding the bike happily in the bush - sending positive thoughts to friends and people in Nepal. We are a lucky bunch of people. I reckon our choice and ability for recreation and exploring - taking on challenging projects such as the TD is a privilege.  Safe training.

Simon

[SlowRide]

Going through my new maps, doesn't seem like there are to many changes.

Last years gpx included the single track detour after Elkford and adopted the new route in to Butte. I would expect that barring any last minute changes from Matthew it should be ready to go as is.

[Marshal]

GPX file for 2015 TDR Grand Depart:

Shortly before the Grand Depart, on this web page: http://topofusion.com/divide/gps.php,  I am expecting Matthew and/or Scott to post up the most current GPX file that all 2015 riders are expected to adhere to.

Scott, Matt, would either of you care to comment?

[mountainbaker]

I've just been chatting with Matthew Lee by email about the route, and alternates, the Warm Springs (former) alternate is now the official route, so there WILL be a new .gpx for 2015.

There's also a chance that things will change drastically around Rawlins to avoid construction works, and significant pavementing of dirt roads. We should hear soon.

[sfuller]

I've just been chatting with Matthew Lee by email about the route, and alternates, the Warm Springs (former) alternate is now the official route, so there WILL be a new .gpx for 2015.

There's also a chance that things will change drastically around Rawlins to avoid construction works, and significant pavementing of dirt roads. We should hear soon.

Thanks for the update!!

[kiwidave]

A program I use for teaching lets me input GPS data and mess with it.

This is a really cool graph - what is the software that you use to generate it?

I like to have an visual overview of what's ahead and what has to be tackled between where I start the day and the POI's.

[tuhduhvuh]

Hi, I am a math teacher and use a program called Mathematica to create notes, examples, tests, etc.
It is able to read GPS files, and it was pretty simple to take the elevation profile and "annotate" with lines at various points of interest.
I do plan to create these for various sections, but I know everyone will have different "start" and "finish" locations for their legs, and everyone will have different "POI" they would want on their graph.

I'd be happy to create graphs for various sections (with in reason) and post them in my Dropbox or Google Docs to share.

It's a 5 second process if I get
A)   the gpx file for the section of the route in question
B)  a LIST of points of interest

I.E.     in this format... this is what I used for the section from the start to the Boulton trading post.


poi = {
  {0.1, "Trailhead"},
  {10, "Bridge"},
  {19,  "Spray Road"},
  {27, "Dam"},
  {43, "Dam"},
  {51, "Bryant Trail JCT."},
  {57, "Parking lot"},
  {61, "Unnamed High pt, 1894 m"},
  {68.2, "Unnamed High pt, 1904 m"},
  {75.1, "Parking area"},
  {90, "Highway, Visitor Centre"},
  {98, "Boulton Grocery"}}

(for my American friends... actually I was born in the USA but lived in Canada all my life.... I can easily  modify for miles and feet....)

Just send me a personal message with that info and I can create a PNG file (or whatever format you want)
If these would be generally useful I could post them somewhere for everyone to access.

I didn't have this last year, I really think it will help this year.  I too feel like having a sense visually of what to expect can be a helpful thing for the mind and the riding.

Tom