I’ve now done the IMOO loop forwards and backwards enough times that I am quite sick of it. Today I promised my body it wouldn’t have to do it again until the actual race. However, I have not done the out and back from transition to the loop. I know you have to climb up the parking garage but otherwise are these miles flat? PLEASE tell me they are flat. From the profile it looks like there is a hill at approximately mile 10. Is this the climb onto Valley at the start of the loop or is this a hill on the out and back?
On the out and back is the hill on Whalen Road. It’s before you get to Verona. Decent climb, but not like the hills on the loop. The rest is mostly flat.
On the way out, no worries. On the way back to town, the climb on Whalen Rd (around mile 105) is a somewhat unpleasant surprise if you haven’t done the course. If you know it’s there and you’ve saved a little somethin’ for it, it’s not so bad. You just have to resist the urge to hammer back to the Terrace to get off your bike sooner, keep it steady and spin up it.
Mike
Seems flat going out. Coming back it seems a lot hiller :).
Really it isn’t that bad. No big hills but a lot of false flats. You will obviously be tired and this plays against you more than anything.
all of the above is good advice. Save a little for the Whalen hill then spin back the last 7 miles.
Check out the video of the bike course:
http://www.simplystu.com/…?post_category=Video
The parking garage is actually pretty easy, you’ll be pretty pumped to get on the run course. Just remember to keep it dialed back when you hit the run as well. If you want a refresher, my long ass race report (almost as long as my run in the race) will detail the suffering if you don’t.
Hey, that’s very cool - thanks for posting that! I too have yet to do the out and back and was worried that it was hilly, but it looks relatively flat. Whew. Plus, one could make a good drinking game out of that video, i.e. drinking every time he says “hammer” and so on. Good times.
in addition to it being hillier on the way home, 2 of the 3 times i was there, there was a headwind on the way back as well.
it sure was fun the year it was a tailwind tho.
k
I remember a tail wind in 2005. Very welcomed indeed. The two previous years (2003, 2004) it was a head wind and it really sucked. Pray for a tail wind :).
It’s pretty flat, on the way out I use it to settle into a low-moderate HR and take in some nutrition before starting thte loop. The hill on Whalen isn’t that bad, but on the way back it’s a good landmark to let you know that you’re almost back to T2. So save a little and spin all the way back. See you in Madison!
E
Thread Jack alert: Has anyone here started/ended at the Hilton? What is the distance that you get?
I always feel my computer isn’t calibrated but it would be interesting to see what other people get for distance.
not many hills, but the wind can be a factor especially coming back. Two years I had a headwind coming back and it was miserable, one year I had tailwind and it was nice and fast.
Thanks for all of the feedback. I forgot that I signed up for the Madison open swim next weekend so it looks like I may be able to check out the hill on Whalen Road then. The fewer surprises, the better.