IMWI Course Report

I thought I would just start a fresh thread for this...
Feel free to add on...
I'll update from Time to Time...Plus, I may get around to Video taping the route this spring.

IM Bike Course preview
Links:
This is a graphical map created by the UW Tri team. It has mileage markers and elevations. Great tool. However, does not have course changes.
http://www.uwtriathlon.com/Graphics/ironmanwi.swf

Also, one of my teammates has developed a spreadsheet to estimate your IM times with graphical links to maps of the run and bike. It’s a great way to let family/friends know when/where they might be able to see you. Cost is $5, but it’s worth it.
http://www.pattonathletics.com/qsheets.htm

NOTE: Through trial and error, I’ve learned many things about this course. The biggest is that on paper it looks “easier” than some other IM courses. I heard a number of athletes at last years IM saying the same thing. The problem is that the rolling nature of the course leaves very little room for GOOD recovery. When you check out the elevation chart on the IM website, you’ll notice very little downhill sections except for coming back into Verona at the end of the loop and after the big hill on Whalen heading home.

You’ll leave the bike transition area going down a helix similar to the one you just ran up from the swim. They are not that tricky but watch you speed. You come out onto John Nolen. Go slow through this section. As this area is part of the Isthmus (Land between two lakes), there are raised areas on the road that can be a nightmare at a fast speed. Many athletes lost there bottles/food/equipment over these areas. Also, this is a good place to get a pinch flat if your tires are over-inflated.

You wind out of Madison over some flats and rolling hills. Good time to get your HR down, and settle in. Once you get to whalen there are a couple of bigger hills that you see in about 100 miles going back up? Also, the first aid station is on Whalen (It was last year…) Make sure to stock up on fluids/fuel. It's a bit of a haul to MT. Horeb. Whalen takes you into the edge of Verona, then you’ll wind your way to the beginning of the Loop at firemen’s Park. Verona is nice because they have a huge festival and tons of people come out. You’ll make a right onto paoli St. 100 yds from this intersection is where your special needs bags will be. Take Paoli to Valley and start going up hill. The next section until Cty G is rolling with a couple of nice downhills to get your blood moving. It should be fine on race day, but beware of the pea-gravel on Sugar Valley Rd. G had a strong head wind in 2005 so this is a good place to stay aero...

Cty G is a beat-up county road so beware as there are some nice potholes towards the eroding road edge that can creep up on you as this is a good place to get areo and settle in again. This goes for a while as a rolling hill section, and a bit boring. Finally you will come into a big downhill section where you can pick up a lot of speed. At the end you will make a 90-degree right turn onto Rt 92. You go directly into a graded incline so make sure you aren’t in a big gear. I’ve seen people fall over being in the wrong gear!

Rt 92 will take you all the way into Mt Horeb (Mt Horrible to some). This section is rolling and full of false flats. Conserve your energy as the climb into Mt. Horeb is not incredibly steep, but it is long. You’ll know you are coming up to the climb to Mt. Horeb when you see a sign for “The Cave of the Mounds” on the right side. The beginning of the climb is steeper, changes to a longer incline, and flattens for a wee bit, with a final incline up to the School. The next aid station is right around the sweeping right corner by the school.

Take this opportunity to refuel…

You go through Mt. Horeb and go RT onto S. This is a good place to settle in as you usually have a tail wind. You’ll go left on Witte. This is a big section of big downhills, some with a sizeable uphill on the other side. More rolling hills. I play conservative on the backsides and spin my pedals to flush my legs. The times I’ve tried to “bomb them” in a big gear, I find it catches up with me later…

Follow cty J, to Garfoot, to Mineral pt…More of the same rolling hills. Then you will take a left on Garfoot. This will take you to a technical downhill with some nice S curves. Be careful…They usually put out hay bails? After the S curves you can settle into a rhythm as it is relatively flat w/ a few rollers until you come into cross plains via KP.

When you take a right on Bourbon, you will encounter the next aid station in Cross Plains. The following section until Birch Rd/Old Sauk Pass is relatively flat w/ rollers. Be warned that the section on Cty P (right after Bourbon) often has a head wind. Fuel and recover at this time as the next section takes you through big Hills on the course.

Upon turning right onto Birch Rd., it is about 1 mile until the uphill climbs. You’ll pass to 2 farm houses, go over a narrow bridge, and see a road that appears to go into the trees. The Birch climb has trees on both sides that form a partial canopy over sections of the climb. Depending on the time of day, you may have some shade. However, the trees prevent any form of wind so it can get really muggy during this section. I believe there are 3 switch backs on this climb so don’t go hard early. I’d recommend just spinning your way to the top. Upon completion, there is a short flat section that allows you to recover before the Timberlane hill.

Timberlane is label as the “highest Degree of Difficulty”. However, I think the hill at Midtown is more difficult. Timber is not a straight up and down. Once you get on the hill, you’ll notice a crest about 1/3 of the way up. The beginning is quite steep then you have a long incline. I usually hit the bottom of the hill and get out of the saddle till after the crest. Then I settle into the saddle and spin up the hill. Because of the location of this hill, there will be 100’s of people. When I went up the 1st time last year, people were crowding the road just like the Alps section of Le Tour.

Following the timber hill, you can settle into a good groove until Midtown. What makes Midtown tough is that your approach to the midtown turn is all graded. You make an uphill left turn onto Midtown and begin climbing. Just remember that once you finish Midtown you have mostly flat and downhill as you return to Verona to start the second loop/head back to the terrace. The 3rd aid station is located on Main St by the high school. Always lots of people!! Then you wind out of town and back to fireman’s park to begin your next loop. Between the Verona aid station and the Mt. Horeb aid station, this is the longest distance without a place to replenish fuels, so stock up in Verona.

Your way back to Madison will be fairly easy once you leave Verona except for the last big hill on Whalen. Usually, you have a decent tailwind which can be nice.
Another tip is that Outside assistance is not legal, but you can get it from ANY volunteer. So the nice lady sitting in the middle of nowhere helping direct traffic with a cooler can give you water,etc. without taking a penalty!!




Attachments
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IM Course preview.doc (33KB - 74 downloads)