Ironman 70.3 Syracuse : Official Thread (Page 6)

First time poster, so I apologize if I am rehashing any old stuff with this reply.  I rode the Newest New Bike Course yesterday morning.  Here is my report:

Roads: 90% in GREAT condition.  High Bridge Road (West Lake Rd) was in worst condition of all the roads, but no pot holes, etc, just lumpy.  Pay special attention for these turns: South Lake (24 miles), Rt 91 North (35 miles), and Palmer Rd (48 miles).

Wind: Yesterday it was windy, about 15-20mph with gusts and out of the NNW (a typical fall wind by the way for the area).  I started at 6:05am so I did not get the benefit of the following winds so much in the first 28 miles but got the full brunt of the headwind in the last 28 miles.  It always works out that way doesn't it.   I will say one thing--that the hills on both sides of the South-North Roads on the way home do save you from the worst of any N, NNW, WNW, or W wind that could blow up on 9/19.  If anything, the winds come down in that valley and swirl around quite a bit.  AS with any bike course pray for calm on the day and forget about all of the analysis above.  The wind shall be what it will be.

Difficulty: Forget about all posts about older versions of the course.  The newest new course is CHALLENGING.  The first 11 miles will test you early, and the wind could play a huge roll in the final 28 miles. 

Miles 3-11: 30 seconds after you take your first right on Rt 173 there's an 11% grade shot that gets your attention.  Its not too long, maybe 2 minutes or so in your highest gear, but will get you thinking "I have 50 miles to go, and then I have to run 13.1 miles?" 

Comical irony in the name Sweet Rd.  It's the opposite of Sweet.  From the minute you take a right onto Sweet, you are in your small chain ring and you stay there until you cross NY 20.  The madness ends precisely at 11.3 miles.  Go ahead and be brave and try to challenge this 7 mile slog, but maybe best to focus on tempo.  I warn the riders who are SO focused on HR or Cadence that you will NOT be able to stay in your intended range during this stretch---you just won't, but stay cool, nobody will.  In a nutshell, this 1200 ft climb doesn't have any truly vicious or jagged shots, but it is unrelenting.  Tempo, tempo, tempo.  One more thing: if a big bad SW, or South wind blows up on race day this stretch could get downright criminal, the crime being that someone would put this at the beginning of a bike course in a half ironman.  As a training ride or something, there's nothing too mean about it.

On training rides, be careful when you cross 20.  One more bump after 20 and then, finally, its over.  I was surprised by the speed and the length of the downhill after about 11.3 miles.  The profile (I made my own on mapmyride) does not show it as well as it feels.  I reached 40 miles an hour for some time (and I am a very nervous descender).  It is just the perfect grade to not be nervous to not be on the brakes and to go fast.  Again, I am usually timid and I really enjoyed this long descent.  Right up until the left hand curve on 91 (clearly visible on the course map) you are in full tuck mode going 30-35+mph.  The road is super smooth so, man the spinaker!  The curve is safe and not sharp and you are able to carry good speed onto the West-East portion of 91.  Miles 11-20 are really fun especially with a following wind.  An important piece of information, between 11.3 miles and 20 miles I made up 4 mph of average speed. 

At about 20 miles there is a really interesting dip in Rt. 80.  Really interesting.  The bottom drops out of the road and you're at 40+mph before you know it.  I actually did tap the brakes a few times, but many competitors who don't will hit 50mph.  I hit 47mph and was crapping myself.  It is a very short descent that immediately hits the sharpest ascent of the entire course.  Probably a 15-20% grade hill that only lasts about 1-2 minutes.  Carry as much speed as you can from the descent and you will already be halfway up.  Note: this is a perfect place to go to your highest gear, get out of your saddle, adjust your boys, open up your hip flexors, start thinking about your running muscles.  You get about 1-2 minutes to just relax and stretch, maybe take a nice long drink, because you're not going anywhere fast on this hill.  Don't care who you are.

Take your right on Reservoir Road, well marked.  How the 21-28 mile section goes will depend on the wind.  Anything out of the North and it can be fast, about 4-5mph above your average to that pt.  Anything out of the South and it could be really tough.  When you get down toward the reservoir you're protected but a South wind could really hamper progress.  South Lake is an obvious turn but the sign is not huge.  Take you're right there.  Halfway through South Lake and the first couple miles of West Lake is uphill or false flat and your speed will drop.  Don't fight it.  you're about halfway, eat, drink, be merry.

Once you get onto to Rt 13 and start heading West, the road starts to get fast again.  There is a fast section where you can go 30+ for a while on 13, but then it really flattens out.  I think I remember 29-35 miles being the flattest section of the course by far.  Not even any of the NY rollers to bother you.  Again, wind will play a big part here.  Yesterday this is where I was getting punched in the face by a WNWesterly, but it could be different, even fast if the wind is calm. 

You're right on the other 91 has some JCT signs but then the actually right is not marked.  When you see the 91 with an arrow under it just make the next right.  As soon as you make the right you'll immediately be reassured by a 91 North sign on the shoulder.  OK, out of the flat and most boring section of the course.  Rt. 91 North is a slow steady climb that will wear on you.  It doesn't look to nasty but that road under is going up hill.  Be careful here to be eating and drinking.  Very long false flat sections are spiced up with some fairly challenging up hill rollers, but the ride through the valley is pretty cool.  You will also be protected from any Westerlies for the most part.  So, 35-41 miles should be about consumption and staying in a good range.

Left on 80, right on Berry, well marked.  Finish the long steady up hill on Berry (very nice road by the way) and the very second you take your left on Clark Hollow, its off to the races.  Clark Hollow is very fast but its the first "tar and chip" road on the course so far.  Different surface so be careful.  Nothing hazardous, other than a few curves on the descent but even the timid descender in me never had to go into pucker mode.  Speeds as high as low 40s (faster for the good guys) and a few knuckles that slow you down and then you immediately speed back up again.  NOTE: There are no knuckles that last for more than 15 seconds or so, try to work over those rises and keep your speed going, its worth it!

Take your left on Palmer which is a very short farm access road.  Hold your nose for 30 seconds and get to Rt. 20.  You'll only be on 20 for 1/4 mile but its uphill and kills all the momentum you had on Clark Hollow.  Start thinking about the run and stretch your legs out.

This is where I thought the long slow descent would keep going, but special NOTE: Apulia road is up and down rolly and requires effort, rather than what the profile would indicate.  Perhaps its because there was a 15 mph NNW wind beating down on me and maybe I was more gased than I thought, but I was ready for a nice 25 mph+ ride back to the Beach and there were some rollers that are going to add to the run's difficulty.  Don't let me scare you, its not difficult by normal standards.  So, mile 49-56 is relatively easy and could be pretty fast and you're back to the beach.

I know this was long, but I have enjoyed other descriptive posts from others about other rides I have done.,  I hope I was able to help some of you out there navigate the course.  Definitely do it before the big day.  It will help.  I really feel like I don't have to do it again after doing it once but I probably will anyway.  Good luck

Thanks for share all this it really helps to the people that won´t have a chance to do it before the competion. 

Anyone interested in a BT gathering before the race?? I haven't thought about it much since it's still so far off.  Even though we're in Binghamton the husband and I may just get a hotel for the night.  We may be up for a swim the day before or meet for dinner the night of.  Thoughts?

p.s. I only ask because meeing BT folks at IMLake Placid was one of the best parts of the race!

I'm up for it.  Is the Spaghetti Warehouse still around?

Not familiar with the area, but I have to say that running down a street with abandoned buildings and vacant lots full of weed does not sound appealing at all. Thanks for the warning about the railroad tracks.

I look at it this way - 1. I did FL70.3 last year and the run was through the back access dirt paths, hot savannah-like course of Disney World.  Nothing can beat the nastiness of that run.  2. There will be lots of "open" areas on Erie Blvd that our families can park and see us race.  Now, I haven't driven down Erie Blvd in a while, but I don't think it will be that bad on a Sunday morning.  Running on the outskirts of campus is quite hilly.  I had trouble walking it while there, let alone running up it.  I am more concerned about the 1,000 climb in the first 10 miles of the bike.  

I am coming up there this weekend to ride the course on Saturday if anyone wants to join me and my buddy.  Probably start between 8 and 9.

I did the course this morning and this report is dead on.  If you don't train hills, start now.  Go outside and find the biggest you can and ride it a couple of times.  I don't have anything like this in Mass.  I am actually going to buy a compact crank.  Good luck.