Chinook Half

Signed up for this year's HIM Chinook. This will be my first HIM. I started seriously training this week. Been running and swimming bu t now Doing multiple sports per day, following the BT beginner HIM loosely.

I only have an exercise bike to practice on. Is this sufficient until the weather starts cooperating. I have a trainer but don't want to switch my tires because spring is almost here. Will it ruin my 'real' tire if I use it on the trainer for a month or so?

Using your "real" tire on the trainer may shorten the life of the tire a little bit but if you want to take the trainer tire off so you can start riding outdoors soon I'd say now is a decent time to do it.  And on days the weather doesn't cooperate I wouldn't sweat throwing the bike w/ the real tire on the trainer.  I do it all the time.

I'm signed up for the Chinook HIM as well, depends on what your threshold for cold is but you can start training on 22X or on the range roads south of Calgary almost anytime now.  The roads are mostly clear.

I'm in as well, can't wait to get out. Gravel along highway 8 etc is still a bit much for me though.

I just registered for the Half. I've done the Oly for the last couple of years, so the longer distance should be fun. :-)

Anyone ridden highway 8 in the last week or two? If so, how is the gravel?

I haven't ridden it yet, but while driving last weekend it looked like the sweepers had gone through and there were a lot of cyclists on the road ...

Good luck to everyone training - the weather is not cooperating much! I was planning to do the Oly, but something's come up with work and now I can't get that weekend off. Sigh.

Or how about highway 22? I suppose it would be good to actually ride the route before the race.    I've never gone further west than the highway to Millarville. Anybody ridden or driven that?

Nice weather for a change on Sunday!

I rode most of the course on the weekend. It was my first time riding the portion west of the turn to Millarville. I was surprised how hilly it was and took my time on descents given I've never seen the road. But I can't imagine going too fast down some of those hills during the race. Do people go down those in aero given the narrow shoulder, rough road, gravel, and turns?  I've gone down "the road to Nepal" in aero and got above 70 km/hr, but that road is straight, wide, and smooth!

Yup. Those are the descents I am talking about too.

I forgot to mention there's one spot going westbound where the shoulder has become quite wavy due to erosion of the road down a large slope.  Is passing a challenge during the race?

Hm, I can think of a couple spots like that.  Not really sure specifically which one you're referring to.  Right now registration is at about 150 for the half IM, and 300 for the Oly.  So I don't think passing should be a *huge* issue the way it would be at Calgary 70.3.

I swam in Lake Midnapore yesterday.  Water temp was great.  They're saying its 16C right now.

Weather looking to be pretty crappy. Last 2 tris have been wet and miserable for me, ugh.

I was going to do this one (sprint) but when it came down to actually registering, decided the Loops For The Troops 5K on Sunday would be much better suited to the current environmental situation.

I have a few friends doing the Half on Saturday, I'll likely head out and cheer you peeps on. I've got a cowbell somewhere ...

stop the rain!!! I ran the 10k yesterday, and the piece that dips down into Fish Creek is soaking wet. A few parts of the path you have to jump off the path to avoid the large puddles.

10C and showers, look to be a great morning for a race!