IM Wisconsin Recon Trip

Total climbing: Just over 10,000 ft

Relax factor: Low (based on constant gear changes)

Wind: Didn’t seem that much of a factor the day I went

Shade: Not a lot

Gearing: You will NEED a 27. Not might/recommend...NEED

Bike: Tri-bike. The aerobars give you a place to "rest" and unwrap your food. Plus a road  bike won’t help you that much IMHO.

Longest climb: ½ mile or so

Longest decent: 1.5 miles w/ .75 really downhill

Total hills: 40 hills on the 42 mile loop. That’s right sports fans...80 hills total!

Note: The hills grow on the second lap! At least I think they did...

Details:

Date: 6/2/06

Conditions: Overcast 1^st loop, sunny 2^nd loop. Average temp: 88

First off, the lake is pretty clear in regards to being able to see your feet. Although I didn’t get a chance to swim the course, I waded in the water a bit. There are some weeds, but even in chest deep water, you can still see your feet. No worries here. They actually have a "lawn mower" that cuts the weeds that grow in the lake.

You go up a parking ramp (no kidding) and T1 is located on top of a parking garage.

You start out along a path which curves around the lake. This takes you to a big parking lot of a civic center/basketball area thing. Use these few miles to get your wits about you because it’s flat and wide open. When you start to leave town, it’s still not noticeably uphill except for the couple of freeway overpasses you’re on. The road so far is pretty good no big potholes or anything like that. Some of it has recently been repaved.

The first real hill comes around mile 10. After a right hand turn, you can see it coming from a good bit away. It’s not that bad, so don’t get concerned. This is where I got my first flat. So I got all the bad Karma out of the way for the Bter’s!

The next 5 miles or so are downhill pretty much. Use this time to eat some food and take the fluids in. You’ll go through a park and that should be the first water bottle exchange. Leaving the park (mile 16 or so), you’ll go left onto a road and then you’ll turn right under an overpass (Valley Rd). This is where the first of the climbing begins. At the top of Valley Rd, there is a right turn that continues upwards. You might want to down shift for this one. It’s just a short uphill, but you lose a lot of speed going into it. After that, there is a nice little down hill where you can catch your breath and get ready for the steady up’s of County Rd - G. G is a long steady up and down road. Nothing really bad, you are just constantly doing something in regards to shifting gears. That’s about 5 miles long. When you get to the end of G, it’s a 90 degree turn onto 92. You WILL want to drop to your small chain ring in the front! After the turn, it goes up for about 100 meters. You will lose some major time, frustration and leg strength if you don’t drop to you small chain ring here. This caught me by surprise the first and second time. The road T’s, so you can see it coming.

Now you’re on 92. I think this is the 2^nd best part of the course for sheer beauty. This is some of the most gorgeous country-side. The hills aren’t bad, just constant through here. At the end of 92, you’re 30 miles into the ride. You’ll know you’re about to make a right when you see a school on your right. Big football field and all. Now you’re in Mount Horeb. You’ll head down 8^th St. And around a traffic circle. Be careful because there is a bit of a dip as you go into and out of it. But the roads are still pretty smooth. When you get here, if you haven’t been eating...EAT...EAT...EAT!!! The next 5 miles are the best to get your body ready for what I think it the second hardest part of the course. This is your last chance to relax and prepare before you go to work. When you make a left onto Witte Rd, take a moment to look around because this is as beautiful as it gets! There is a big blue Silo to your right and it’s gorgeous. You’re still going up and down and little to no flat. Some stiff, but short stuff here.

You’re approaching the most fun part of the course! You get onto Garfoot and then make a left and right continuing onto Garfoot. After this nice little climb, get ready to FLY. You come into a series of S turns. Starts off with a right hand turn and then a left hand one. NOW pay attention. It looks sketchier than it is!! The first turn your instincts want you to brake, but try not to. It will be difficult if you have traffic in front of you braking, but try and go around them and keep your speed. I averaged 30 mph through this and the next mile. After the S turns, it goes up a bit and then back down. The reason I say keep your speed is because you want to carry your speed over the little uphill. If you slow down, it will cost you about 1-2 mph on the ensuing flat portion at the bottom of the hill. When Garfoot goes flat, take in some food. You have flat road for about 2-3 miles. This is a section where I learned something about Wisconsin. Here in the "south" we fill the cracks in the road with asphalt. In the north they fill the cracks with TAR. You’ll see the cracks in the road filled in with a black substance. DO NOT put your tire in it. You’ll feel yourself sink. It won’t throw you, but you’ll get really uncomfortable. It’s no issue when you’re crossing over it, just don’t ride in it’s groove.

After you cross through Cross Plains, you’ll find the 3 hardest climbs on the course. You’ll smell them coming. I say that because this was the only spot on the course that I could smell the cows. You pass between 2 farm houses and across a ‘one lane bridge’ and you can see the first climb. You’re are now about mile 42. The first one isn’t that bad but apparently the locals will be there in full force. Just imagine you’re climbing Al Duez (sp) because you will fell like it next time you see this one. :P I recommend just spinning up this one. Conserve and enjoy the people and cowbells if you can. The second climb comes fairly soon. It’s steeper and shorter, but not as nasty as the third one. I think it just looks intimidating because it’s so soon after the 1^st climb. Look for the devil and Spider man costumed folks. Let the cowbells guide you to the top. I recommend getting out of the saddle for this one purely because it will give your legs a chance to change it up.

The third and, I think, hardest hill is a couple of miles down the road. Take the time to get some nutrition if you can. Be on a constant look out for fluids. Even if you’re bottles are full when you get to a water stop (and they SHOULD NOT be), take a bottle, drink from it and toss it. As you finish up Timber Lane, you will be approaching the hard hill. They just repaved it, so that’s a good thing. You’ll make a left and up you go. The first time, I spun up it the second I survived up it out of the saddle. When you get to the top, make sure you let out a WHOO HOO! Also, look at the house on your left. It’s beautiful and it’s for sale. Much more than I can afford, but maybe not for you. Take the 5 seconds to enjoy your accomplishment by looking out over the hill, not back down it.

The rest of the way is not too bad. You’ll make a left after a golf driving range and head into Verona. BE CAREFUL when you get onto Cross Country Rd in town. There is a big bump in the road from the middle to the right side. If you don’t see this coming, it could launch our water bottle off your bike. I was 3^rd in the pace line and had to bunny hop it. About a mile later, there is another one. No need to slow down over them, just let your body absorb them. I just warn against being in the aero with all your weight down and you will get a nasty little surprise. You head back through the park and go for the second loop.

My nutrition was great until the back half of the second loop. Keep in mind that you will see those three nasty hills at miles 80 - 90 of the bike. You will want to take fluids every chance you get! It was overcast for the first loop and sunny for the second just for reference. On the way back, it’s some rollers with the last hill coming about 10 miles from the finish. I got very excited as I climbed this one. It has painted on it, "last hill..." That motivated me a lot. Then I saw painted on there, "Now Run". At the time, I was excited by this. But I can also see it taken both ways depending on how you’re feeling at that point on the bike. :P

Take the last 10 miles to drop about 10 bpm on your HR if you can. You can still keep your speed, but let the relative downhill do some work for you. You have a couple of overpasses, but nothing major. Set yourself up for the run.

I ran a bit of the run course and didn’t find it all that bad. A couple of climbs that I would be unwilling to call them hard. And I’m from Florida, so that is saying something.

This workout was a 112/4 so I could get a feeling how I would be after the bike at IM MOO. Mentally, I felt great on the bike but did NOT want to run afterwards. I spent the last 10 miles dreading the run. Even after I got off the bike, I didn’t want to run. But once I took my first couple of steps, my body didn’t mind at all. I say this because I’m sure we all will be hurting puppy’s when the run starts. But the body knows we are capable so let it do it’s thing. HOLD back the first miles and settle in. My HR didn’t go down until about a mile - 1.5 miles into the 4 mile run. Granted it was elevated because I was dehydrated, but none-the-less. Another reason to go slow and stay hydrated.

I hope this helps anyone doing IM MOO! I am really glad I saw the course ahead of time.