All of it! No, seriously, a flat fast course is fun. But a hard hilly course that kicks your butt is also fun, because conquering new challenges is such a high. I usually try to schedule a mix of course types in my season. I think most people would get sick of running the same type of course all the time. Then again, maybe that's just me and my short attention span. :) As for the loops... I'd rather not have multiple loops, just because with multiple loops people tend to back up on each other - particularly troublesome on the bike.

I like everything as far as country/city/hills/flat/etc.

But what I REALLY REALLY like are courses that don't repeat (eg, no out-and-backs and no multiple loops). The feeling of progress and accomplishment is a big motivator for me, and when I know I have to cover the same ground 2 or 3 times, I find it demoralizing. I like to feel like I'm actually going somewhere, like an adventure. I don't like to feel like I'm just running around a track or like a gerbil on an exercise wheel.

I understand the motivation for loops/out-and-backs (less course to police, fewer aid station volunteers, sag wagons, etc.), but I still like the single loop courses the best. Out-and-backs aren't so bad, but the multiple loop bike/runs are a beating, especially on long course races.

I prefer a variety. I do bad with hills, but I like them; I go fast on flats but it gets boring. The more difficult (waves, surf, mermaids) the swim the better.

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-----------------------:)
SUPPORT OPERATION REBOUND:
http://www.operationreboundcalifornia.kintera.org/ejs3

Kestrel Syndicate
Macca Fan Club

I want a 2.4 mile down stream river swim...and 112 mile downhill bike and 26.2 mile "inline skate" marathon.

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?

I dream of a flat lake, followed by a flat bike, followed by a flat run in a cool shaded area. Then I always wake up . . . . Flat is the only way my phat arse can keep up with the 6% BF'ers!

I like all of it (espcially countryside on the bike, with or without hills), except the loops on the run course. granted I've never done a IM, but have done marathons. if those were 2 loops I wouldn't have signed up. there's just something about doing it twice that's not for me. Just give me one loop, that's a long hard run course, and I'm good to go.

... wel you can't have that ... but, if you're an American citizen, you are entitled to:
A heated kidney shaped pool
A microwave oven -- don't watch the food cook
A Dyna-Gym -- I'll personally demonstrate it in the privacy of your own home
A kingsize Titanic unsinkable Molly Brown waterbed with polybendum
A foolproof plan and an airtight alibi
Real simulated Indian jewelry
A Gucci shoetree
A year's supply of antibiotics
A personally autographed picture of Randy Mantooth
And Bob Dylan's new unlisted phone number
A beautifully restored 3rd Reich swizzle stick
Rosemary's baby
A dream date in kneepads with Emmanuel Lewis
A new Matador, a new mastadon
A Maverick, a Mustang, a Montego, a Mercury Montclair
A Mark IV, a meteor, a Mercedes, an MG
Or a Malibu, a Mort Moriarty, a Maserati
A Mac Truck, a Mazda, a new Monza or a moped
A Winnebago -- Hell, a herd of Winnebago's, we're giving 'em away
Or how about a McCulloch chain saw
A Las Vegas wedding, a Mexican divorce
A solid gold Kama Sutra coffee pot
Or a baby's arm holding an apple.

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

TnT, you are describing IM Wisconsin here.

I want a rough water swim with one meter swells (mitigate the advantage of the good pool swimmers). I want a bike course with some good hills and technical decents. I want an out and back run course so that I can put fear in those who I am running down.

Rocketboy

My ideal race would be a 500 yard swim, 55 mile bike and a 100 mile run in 100 degree heat.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

[reply][quote]
[/quote]
TnT, you are describing IM Wisconsin here.[/reply]

That's exactly what I was thinking.

I'd say 2.4mi in an endless pool
112mi on a computrainer
26.2mi on a treadmill

and 2000 entrants, all in the same endless pool, computrainer and treadmill, no wave start....

I won't race, but it'lll be fun to watch ;-)

Sounds like a masters swim class I used to go to. The coach used to put four of us in one lane for 100s on the 1:25. We'd start at the same time. Always a fun race to the first turn. It was a good way to practice mass starts. The cool thing is that I'm still friends with the guys I shared a lane with.

Now THAT sounds like my winter training program minus 1,999 people.

pfff...french wuss! ;-)

Like hills,

really don't like laps and hairpin turns.

-Geezo

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-Fast and Loose

Well, a cyclist CAN win Hawaii, but he can't win this one!

Gerard.

I'm an americam mutt. Little of everything including native american.

it's ok, I am a french mutt too...a little bit of french, a little bit of belgian, quite a bit of aussie (not native as far as I know)

sick psycho bastard!

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__________________________________________________
Simple Simon
Where's the Fried Chicken??

I personally like loop courses but no more than 2 loops. 3 is a bit much 4 is down right boring and congested. Rolling but fast bike, and less rolling on the run.

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

Finally, somebody asks me what I want. Everything dammit.

You could start out with this race though.



Race to be held on Labor Day. Beginning just north of the red star at the bottom of this map, on highway 39. Travel approximately 9 miles north on highway 39, rolling up from 700' to approximately 1500'. Turn east onto east fork road. Travel approximately 5 miles, rolling up from 1500' to approximately 1900'. Veer right onto the backside of Glendora Mountain Road. Travel approximately 5 miles, a steady climb from 1900' up to approximately 3300'. Turn left onto Glendora Ridge Road. Travel approximately 12 miles, rolling up from 3300' to a max of 4500' and then dropping down to 4000' just before turning left onto Mount Baldy Road. Travel approximately 3 miles north on Mt. Baldy Rd, a steady climb from 4000' up to 5000'. Turn left to head towards the ski lifts, approximately 2.5 miles UP, going from 5000' up to about 6400'. Time to rack the bike. Throw your running shoes on. Run down approximately a quarter of a mile to the base of San Antonio Falls Rd. Welcome to the gates of hell. Run up fire roads and catwalks for another 7.75 miles, taking you from about 6100' up to 10'064'. Roll over and die a slow comfortable death.

Here the runners travel up one of the ridges.

The beautiful thing about this (non-existent) race is that it is on labor day. 17 of the 36 miles on the bike are already closed to vehicle traffic, and simultaneously open to cyclists. There are many families lined along the east fork road that would cheer us all on. Also, there is a scheduled race already in progress, the Mount Baldy Run to the Top, beginning at 8 am. So those permits are all taken care of as well. There just needs to be some communication with that race director, Marta Escanuelas. The bike leg would begin at a time determined to get the top riders to the transition area at approximately 8:15 am, as to avoid any traffic problems between the runners and the duathletes. Prizes awarded for the fastest bike split, fastest run split, and a HEFTY bonus if any duathlete breaks the Mt. Baldy Run to the Top course record of 1:00:49 for males, by Matt Ebiner, or 1:15:32 for females, by Carrie Garritson *age 11 !!!*. As well, there would be a total of 501 drummers (samba-ja or native american maybe?) spaced out over the bike course, in sets of threes every 1140', which would cover the entire bike course. The reverberations would be nothing short of magnificent throughout the canyon. Another group of 120 drummers, again in sets of threes, would be spaced over the run course every 1050'. If I'm in really good shape next year around labor day, and this triumphant race hasn't been realized, I might just call out multi-sport athletes in the area and put up some type of prize moneys on my own, or get others to donate as well. In my opinion this is the EXACT course that Dan spoke of in his article about what a duathlon is all about, and it's in HIS BACKYARD so I do think he could make it happen if he wanted it to. You killed Duathlon Dan! You could wake up on September 6th 2005, the day after labor day, and be proud that you've taken part in it's resurrection. Read his article here ----> http://www.slowtwitch.com/...pinion/duathlon.html

Where can I sign up for Tom's race? I will have to modify my training (cut out swimming all together) but it should be a problem.

Tom is your course indoors?



JW

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JW (on the comback trail)