Got this wonderful review from a generous slowtwitcher earlier this year!

:-)

Coach KP’s Bike Review of the California 70.3 HIM on Camp Pendleton:
Camp P. presents a challenging course. There is quite a bit of wind to consider early as you ride up the coast and out to Christianitos where you turn inland. As well, there are some extended false flats. Once inland, three short climbs and three sets of rollers highlight the backside of the course. A usually solid head wind along with slight inclines, mark the trip back to T2 from near the mile 48 mark and your final return along Vandegrift.
Within the first 2 miles of leaving T1 you will turn left onto Stuart Mesa. This is a 500-600 meter climb. This is the perfect spot to begin your mental efforts to control your early intensity. There will be lots of athletes with high HRs out of the water on this hill and you'll hear heavy breathing and see athletes firing up this section. I recommend keeping things controlled at this point. I get into an easier gear and spin up with a high cadence.
At the top of the hill you begin the flat to rolling to gentle incline section up the coast. The wind will probably be in your face or coming across from the left and the ocean. The next 20 miles are generally slower than most would like them to be as there are some false flats. Be prepared for this. I would consciously control your efforts until you are up to Christianitos Road. Trying to maintain a previously determined average pace into a cross/headwind and up a false flat will make the last 34 miles of the course, and the run, more difficult for many athletes. Use your HR and wattage caps as a governor, not your speed.
At mile 10 (on base and about half way up to Christianitos where we turn inland) there is an out and back. As you turn right and ‘out’ the winds at your back will help push you along. Things can get quite a bit faster on this stretch, even with consistent efforts. Turn around and get the headwinds. You’ll be out and back in under 20min. As you resume riding up the coast there is a short steep roller. I would control your efforts in an easier gear. Then, you leave the base on a short steep descent. At the bottom of the hill is a 90 degree right hand turn that may have loose gravel and sand. Navigate carefully.
You will proceed up the coast on an extended false flat that is an old Harrier aircraft landing strip. It is about a 2% incline into the wind. My average speed drops and I resist the temptation to prevent that. Then you ride some faster, flatter miles through the state park; past the San Onofre power plant, over a couple of short rollers and up a surprisingly steep bike path to Christianitos Road.
If you have gotten this far and are feeling good after controlling urges to burn up your legs, you are well on your way to a good split. At the top of that path more than a few riders will wish their status were different. Ride time to this point will be about 1:10 to 1:15. That’s about 22 miles.
As you turn inland (right) on Christianitos, after a short incline, the rollers are such that a fairly strong cyclist can stay aero and really move along quite well. There may be some bike traffic and slower riders for you to navigate unless you are at the pointy end of the race. This is the first spot on the course that some riders will begin to feel that they went out too hard. The next 15 miles hold some quick descents. Some accidents have taken place in the past over this part of the course.
Just past half way into the ride you re-enter the base at the end of Christianitos. Turn right over a short roller and into some fast flats leading up to the first climb. The first climb is the steepest climb and is about .6 of a mile long or 1k. This is at about mile 30 or 31. It’s pretty steep. Get into your easiest gear (a 39/27 for me), control your power and HR at pre-race targets, and then work over the very top and early descent. I drop my HR as I descend the backside.
There are a series of rollers over the next 4-5 miles before climb number two. Be careful not to expend too much energy here. The second climb is close to a mile (1.6k) in length if you count the slight incline leading to the meat of it. Not as steep as the first but slightly longer. Over the top you’ll descend some steeper hills that require paying attention to bumps, some potholes, slower riders and sharp turns. Then, it is only a couple of fast miles until the third climb.
The third climb is similar to the second but less protected by trees and headwinds come into play. Once you crest this climb, you’ll have a gradual incline for about a mile into some rather serious headwind. Over the top of this gradual rise are some downhill rollers that most athletes will stay aero over and reach speeds in the lower to mid 30mph.
This stretch will bring you back the populated part of the base and the helicopter landing area. You will be at mile 48 near the landing pads when you intersect Vandegrift and turn right back toward T2. I may be off by a mile or two depending on the location of the transitions. There is still quite a bit of work to do over the last 8 miles. Hopefully, efforts have been controlled to this point. Some athletes will now be mentally challenged after going out too hard over the first 60min from T1 and then the climbing that follows. A smart ride can see you put several minutes into your competition from Vandegrift back to T2.
In general, my average speed and efforts are raised over the backside of the course (the three climbs and rollers during the last 26 miles to Vandegrift). The flats, rollers and downhill work to my personal advantage and I raised my effort levels over the rollers.
Some parts of Vandegrift (the last 8 miles) are flat and some have a gradual incline, but most of it has a brisk headwind; sometimes harder. The surrounding hills make for a wind tunnel along this stretch. If you have not saved a bit of gas you could drop several minutes to another rider. My pace along this stretch varies greatly if efforts remain constant (17mph to 25 mph). It is not flat and the wind does gust and move around some. This is usually an uncomfortable part of the ride.
I have noted conditions in the past. They range from rain and cold (50s) to sunny and hot, near 90 degrees F; maybe some of both. The ocean will be 57 to 63 degrees. On race day most riders will be on the course early enough that it will be cooler and there will be less wind to contend with. It may actually be a bit cold once you are out of the Pacific Ocean and head up coast.
This is a great bike course – definitely the signature part of the race.
Coach KP December 2006

wow. Great RR. Thanks a ton!

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>>What's your take on the course and how would you compare it to say, Vineman 70.3?<<

HARDER BIKE

Excellent description, with photos, of the bike course:

http://www.multisports.com/news/943689600.shtml

http://www.multisports.com/news/943948800.shtml

http://www.multisports.com/news/944035200.shtml

http://www.multisports.com/news/944899200.shtml

http://www.multisports.com/news/945158400.shtml

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

Great descriptions of the bike course. The run is pretty much flat, but with a short section of rolling "hills" (maybe 20 feet in elevation change) in the middle that you have to do 4 times (2 out-and-backs), but the 300 yards of sand running I'd classify as more challenging than those very small hills.

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My business-eBodyboarding.com

The course is flat. The sand will screw with your cadence/ stride frequency/ steps per minute :). MAke sure you keep short quick steps through the sand so once you are on the cement you are able find your rhythm quickly.

The sand last year was mostly soft. There was a 6" wide strip of the sad that was compacted a bit, but you have to fight for it with oncoming traffic or overtaking people. If you have a knee injury, this is wear you suck it up and hope for the best (that is what I did last year).

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Reverend Dr. Jay
Lake of the Pines Triathlon fastest bike course record holder - Golden State Super Sprint fastest tri course record holder - Wildflower Long Course slowest run course record holder (4:46:32)

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"If you have a body, you are an athlete." -Bill Bowerman

thanks for the report. The only part of the course I can seem to remember from last year are the last 8 miles. Now it makes sense to me why I probably averaged 14mph the last 8mi. Ill have a different strategy this time around.

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"It's nice to be great, but far greater to be nice"

On a related note, does anybody have recent info regarding those underpasses along the coast? You know, the ones that have been clogged with slippery mud the past couple years? It would be nice to be able negotiate those this year without having to worry too much about losing your traction ...

Ah yes, the sand! I remember it well. As I hit for the fourth and final time, well, at that point I can barely get my legs moving forward, much less moving upwards to get over the ruts and uneven terrain the sand presents, but here's a picture from the slideshow on the ironman california website...

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Proud member of FISHTWITCH: doing a bit more than fish exercise now.

Check my post earlier in this thread. I rode the Pendleton part of the course two days ago, and granted, it had rained all night Tuesday night, but yes, the tunnel under the freeway was muck-city. Major mudbath. Typically, they clean that out fairly well for the race. I ride that route 1-2 times/week all year and it ranges from dirty to muddy pretty much year round in that tunnel.

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My business-eBodyboarding.com