CTR 2013 Planning

[Joliver]

I'm in.  I just haven't signed in my Spot yet.  Will try and do that later.  I also hope to post some pics/info regarding my setup.

[Couloirman]

Just finished a northbound trip in 10 days thanks to the weather. Three half days due to storms.  Unable to do 22/23 due to fires and no 7 thanks to weather. The storms were coming in early afternoon- 1 to 2 pm with a mix of hail and rain with lots of lightening going all night long to 5 am. Made for some greased conditions. Difficult even to HAB with that much wetness.

That sounds wet! Wetter than I hoped, but, well, it's all part of the adventure and at least it's good for the fires. Congrats on finishing!

[joeydurango]

Last call for interest in a Saturday afternoon/evening get-together.  Is everyone thinking they'll be too nervous/busy/prepping to hang out for a bit, or should we have dinner somewhere?  Either way is fine - I've just had a few people asking if we're planning something, so wanted to throw it out there again.  I'm not tied to it either way...

[elobeck]

Just finished a northbound trip in 10 days thanks to the weather. Three half days due to storms.  Unable to do 22/23 due to fires and no 7 thanks to weather. The storms were coming in early afternoon- 1 to 2 pm with a mix of hail and rain with lots of lightening going all night long to 5 am. Made for some greased conditions. Difficult even to HAB with that much wetness.

Only saw 3 other thrubikers. I'll try to get up some pics up to get you guys psyched for kennebec, Indian ridge and sargents. FYI kennebec and Indian ridge and blackhawk in our first day made for about 5.5 hours of HAB! Rolling took another hour but was surprisingly rideable. Sargents however. .you know, was balanced by fooses.

Ooh yeah- lots of all female groups of thruhikers near collegiates was a bonus. They should be near silverton for the ctr

HAB? (Hot Asian Babe? Harvard Alumni Bulletin? Hard Ass Biking?)

[Matt]

Last call for interest in a Saturday afternoon/evening get-together.  Is everyone thinking they'll be too nervous/busy/prepping to hang out for a bit, or should we have dinner somewhere?  Either way is fine - I've just had a few people asking if we're planning something, so wanted to throw it out there again.  I'm not tied to it either way...

I'd be up for an early eve get together/dinner!

[Stefan_G]

Last call for interest in a Saturday afternoon/evening get-together.  Is everyone thinking they'll be too nervous/busy/prepping to hang out for a bit, or should we have dinner somewhere?  Either way is fine - I've just had a few people asking if we're planning something, so wanted to throw it out there again.  I'm not tied to it either way...

I'd love to get together, Joey.  I'll be around Durango in the afternoon and evening, likely with my family.  I heard about this "Bouldurango" thing going on at Ska and was thinking about getting a ticket. Think it'll be worth it, or just a crazy scene? Either way, I'm down.  Will you be around the shop in the morning afternoon?  I was planning just to stop by when I got over there in the early afternoon, but I can make it to whatever/wherever you decide to organize something.

[THE LONG RANGER]

HAB? (Hot Asian Babe? Harvard Alumni Bulletin? Hard Ass Biking?)

I think it stands for, "I'd Rather Be Drinking Beer"

[Woodland]

Another $100 off to the CTF ($50 from me, $50 matching gift from Nokia - my employer. Thanks for the idea Stefan!)

Apparently there is some cred to this tribal pressure thing 

[Matt Schiff]

HAB means getting a chance to look around and relax or "more bullshit". Depends on your mood.

[Couloirman]

Well, I just got substantially more scared for my CTR this year. During a break from gear packing, it was sunny out and not raining, yet as I gazed out the window during a break from packing, a gigantic old cherry tree in my yard was hit by lightning right in front of my eyes, chopped in half and destroyed my fence. Scariest noise I have ever heard. Careful out there guys. Remember, lightning strikes horizontally too! You don't have to be in the storm itself to get hit. I was about go to outside and pick raspberries at the time-- feeling lucky!

[Woodland]

Sounds to me like you have some nice locally sourced lumber for your next project!

Crazy

[joeydurango]

Okay, seems like there's some interest in getting together pre-CTR just to chat before the gun goes off.  So let's meet at Carver's, just across the street from Velorution, at 4:00pm on Saturday.  I personally want to try to get some sleep before the big morning, so early - while it may make us feel like senior citizens - is probably best.  I'm planning on just getting a light appetizer or something, no drinks for me, and whoever would like to join is more than welcome!

Oh, and Couloirman - that's nuts.  Bummer about your cherry tree, that sucks to lose!

[gdillon]

Ok y'all. Just paid $100 to ctf. Didn't comment on mtb use... Forgot before hitting submit.

No CTR for me this year, but I owe : )

Good luck to all out there this year, wish I could join. My ride from Durango was awesome and I hope folks enjoy those wild flowers! For those wondering about the silverton resupply, it wasn't that bad to carry Mucho food between stops. However, if you are average speed (it took me 2 days, 2 hours to get to silverton from start time), the grocery will indeed have a line out front on Tuesday morning! Those a bit faster would have less to worry about if coming through in the wee hours.

Gabe

[Sethmichael]

Just wanted to say, count me in for the 2013 CTR. Just curious. . . Is there a signup for those who are riding but not using a spot tracker?

[mtbordie]

Good luck to everyone this year wish I was out there with you. For some reason I just couldn't get my head in it this year and
then this last weekend I clipped a tree during a race and broke my left little finger so it just wasn't suposed to happen this
year but I'll sure be watching everyone out there. Have fun, be safe and try and stay dry which might be a challenge this
year.

[cable_actuated]

Hey Everyone,

A few things here from a first time poster and CTR newbie. First of all, I donated $50 to CTF today. Maybe a bit weak, but at least I'm doing my part.

Second, Toby Gadd was nice enough to give me his "Distances and Services" sheet referenced in his blog. I have reversed the course, checked the mileage against the new CT Databook with the new detours, and got permission from Toby to share it here.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Auo-YhxH18-ddDlQU1hQTHhVeW9CU05mZHU2dUYxTlE#gid=0

Anyone can edit this version, so please don't change anything unless you see an error or have information to add. It would be great if people were able to contribute to this (services available, latest open/close times, etc). This is a big help to those of us who haven't done this thing before!

See you all soon and very early.

Thanks for posting. I noticed the Leadville Safeway is listed as opening at 12:00am. That looked fishy to me. Google says 7am.

[Stefan_G]

BTW all, the Leadville bypass is your option. If you have enough supplies and don't want to ride through town then take the bypass. Otherwise, it is fine to go through town as well. Either is fine. Just wanted to be clear on that as it seemed there was some confusion.

[Stefan_G]

Just wanted to say, count me in for the 2013 CTR. Just curious. . . Is there a signup for those who are riding but not using a spot tracker?

Nope! Just show up and ride. I would ask that you call in to the MTBCast toll-free number in Silverton, B.V., Copper though. Also, it is up to you to report your time here (or better, to me directly) so you don't get missed from the results.

Also, especially if you intend on challenging the win or CR, some other form of course/time validation (e.g. .gpx file, pics, etc.) will keep your credibility among peers high. A good idea for sure!

[DizzyDave]

CTR 2013 - Carpool from Boulder/Front Range to Durango. Leave Fri/Sat.

Anyone driving from Boulder/Front Range area and want to carpool?  Leave town Friday or Saturday. I have a car with two racks but no return driver.  Hit me up if you want to arrange something.  
-Dave

[Woodland]

What is really important is the following:
1. No time limits. Each year many racers give themselves a strict time limit that is unrealistic. The trail is harder than they think. The moment comes when a person realizes that they cannot make their goal, and they quit. I have seen people that are way faster than me riding with me. That is very common as logistics become overwhelming under duress. The person has the ability to meet the goal, but reality means sleeping, breaks, being tired, not being able to eat, etc.
2. Adversity- how to overcome it without cheating or quitting. Things will not go your "way". What are you going to do when that happens? You may have to ride a tire with leaves in it-lash your frame bag with paracord-walk 80 miles-glue your shoe back together-etc.
3. Training is good but specific training is better. If one does not have a decade long endurance base, that is okay. By specific I mean HAB training. Overnight training. Weather training. Etc. I go out and hike a bike all the time in the fall and winter. I do overnighters in the cold or damp weather.
4. Mindset. What is your motivation? If it is 15 minutes of Warholian fame (like blog bragging, Facebook posting, etc.) your odds of quitting increase. This is a journey that has to be internalized. You must be one with the trail and block out human emotions that are ego driven.
5. Riding/racing alone. If you cannot handle being alone in the most remote stretch of Colorado, dont count on the company of other racers. Teaming up for anyone slower than true middle pack racers usually results in a DNF. The team slows you down almost all the time. I practice by camping alone near home often.
6. Injury. What happens when you have body issues? The will to continue the journey when dealing with pain is very important for all racers, not just fast ones. I had to deal with intense pain in 2012 in AZT and CTR. I ended up taking one aspirin in 25 days though I dealt with a heel/achilles injury in Arizona and a stress fracture in the lower leg in CTR. Do you have that drive to succeed? Even if it means your elapsed time sucks in comparison to others or your goal? Many folks quit because their final time would be not good enough or they cant break a record, etc.
7. Logistics. Dont fly in the day before. Have your gear ready prior to the morning of the race. Etc.
8. Practice with a fully loaded bike often. I am riding my bike fully loaded for the AZT 750 and it is 5.5 months from the start. Any gear movement or bike issues are being solved now-not on the trail day 1.
9. Eating. It is a skill to eat and keep up with caloric intake early in the race. Dont downplay this important aspect of the CTR. People quit all the time from this, even saying they got a bug or got sick from what they ate or whatever. It is calorie deficit not a bug. Your brain functions poorly without food not just your body.

So in conclusion if you can race with no time limit, handle adversity, ride alone, deal with pain, ride a loaded bike, HAB 50-100 miles out of 500 and eat food while moving then you have the ability to finish. If that sounds too hard then you understand why CTR is what it is. Is is a lot harder out there doing it than sitting here discussing it. Even people who finished the route underestimate it sitting at home/work talking about it. You "forget" how hard it really is. Time heals those wounds physical or mental. We forget how good it feels to finish or how painful/demoralizing the lows points were.

Going back to page 1 in the thread for one of the best posts about being successful in the CTR. Thanks for it dream4est!

Good luck to everyone this coming weekend. I'll enjoy watching the blue dots as I prepare for my first yellow dot journey in a couple weeks.