Livestrong Challenge - schedule for 2009

[ny biker]

and then is it bad for the rest of the ride (70-mile route) or does it get better after a time?

The steepest hills are in the middle portion of the ride.

[bluebug32]

Question: do you stay overnight the night after the race, too? We're about a four hour drive away and some of my group needs to return for work sometime Monday. Are there shower facilities anywhere at the race? I know the answer is probably no, but really not looking forward to sitting in the car with two sweaty guys (and myself!) and 100 miles.

[Possegal]

There are showers in the gym of the college. I haven't used them and admittedly last year didn't even go in there to use the bathrooms. So I'm not sure that they were still available to us last year. In '07 they had the packet pick-up in the gym, but last year they had tents set up. I'm not sure if that meant that last year the gym was then closed to the folks on the ride. So I guess I'm really not answering your question. My team stays over Sunday night. Some are about a 6 hr drive from Philly, I'm about 2.5. I still like the idea of not getting right into my car.

[ny biker]

Last year one of the sponsors, Embassy Suites, had portable showers at the post-ride event. There were not that many of them, so there was line to use them, at least when I was there (which was around 2:30-3:30). But yes, they had showers.

The year before that they let us use the locker rooms at the college to get cleaned up after the ride.

I don't know what they will plan for this year, but I think Embassy Suites will be back as a sponsor so my guess is that they will have the portable showers again. (FWIW, in the post-event survey last year I suggested that they have more showers available as well as a place for people to change if they don't want to shower right away. If enough other people made similar comments, maybe they will have more facilities available this year.) To be on the safe side, you could always bring some Wet-Ones, which are good for a quick clean up when it will be a while before you can reach a shower.

I also have a long drive home and I'm always so tired after the ride that I just take Monday off. I stay at the hotel on Sunday night and I like to eat a gigantic celebratory breakfast at Cracker Barrel before I hit the road. Mmmm...biscuits and gravy....mmmmm

[ny biker]

BTW, the elevation profiles for Philly are posted:

http://www.livestrongchallenge.org/s...n_Profiles.htm

[ny biker]

Just wanted to say - good luck to everyone doing the Seattle ride this weekend!

[andtckrtoo]

Livestrong San Jose! Two more weeks! Anyone else riding?! I just did my last long ride on Saturday - 78.55 miles of good rollers. I finished strong (but very hot!). I think I'm ready, but my heavens I'm dreading Metcalf!!

[aka_kim]

I'm riding Livestrong SJ with Team Triumph. I have not been training, and will likely be walking Metcalfe.

[bluebug32]

BTW, the elevation profiles for Philly are posted:

http://www.livestrongchallenge.org/s...n_Profiles.htm

Are the arrow-circles about the peaks the percent grade? Also, I thought the ride was approx. 8k feet of climbing, but this says 4+.

[Possegal]

The arrow/circle things are the rest stops. And my garmin said 3800 total climbing for the 45 mile ride. Do with that what you will.

[bluebug32]

This is strange because we mapped out the course on Bike Route Toaster with GPS and it said the climbing was over 5,000 feet. They originally posted 8k for the amount of climbing and now they are saying 4,300. This would change the training plan just a bit. Anyone know the exact number?