As you probably know by now, I signed up for the Tour of Utah/300 warriors. I thought that since I was training for LOTOJA, this would fit right in and be a piece of cake. This email came yesterday from the organizer. I just drove the 300 WARRIORS course today and, at 62 years old (my 2008 "racing age"), I must confess I am scared witless! I'm lying here right now in a fetal position, sucking on whatever thumb isn't required to hit the space bar on the keyboard. I put between 4,000 and 7,000 miles a year on my bicycle, have ridden LoToJa five times and the STP (Seattle-to-Portland) 4 times, climbed the big climbs in the Tour de France (L'Alpe D'Huez, Colombiere and the Madeline), and I have NEVER IN MY LIFE seen a more grueling course. I kid you not when I express my sincere worry that some of you who ordered XXXL jerseys are going to drop dead before they hit the bottom of the Snowbird climb (You bet you'll sign the ride waiver or else!).
Oh yeah, be sure you have new brakes installed for the ride. Coming down from the Alpine summit will otherwise be a very bad experience.
Now, I've got to see about changing my name and getting out of town without leaving any traceable tracks.
Sorry to cut this short, but I've gotta switch thumbs and do some more whimpering.
Rick Bennett
Oh yeah, be sure you have new brakes installed for the ride. Coming down from the Alpine summit will otherwise be a very bad experience.
Now, I've got to see about changing my name and getting out of town without leaving any traceable tracks.
Sorry to cut this short, but I've gotta switch thumbs and do some more whimpering.
Rick Bennett
Elevation map shown below
Emails like this always make me worried. I didn't think that this would be an easy ride, but I expected to be able to handle it. I guess after the High Uinta Classic this Saturday, I will be able to judge if I am in the ball park.
2 comments:
Yer gunna die. Just kidding. But it will be brutal.
New brakes? Well, always a good precaution, but AF Canyon isn't that steep. North side of Suncrest is steeper.
That's a lot of climbing. If it stopped in Draper or Sandy I'd consider it. But to end with a climb up Little Cottonwood? That thing's a beast by itself - put it at the end of a long, climbing ride and it's gunna hurt.
But you're a young guy - you'll be fine. Remember, what doesn't kill you, only maims you. ;-)
LOL - I'm going to give it my best even if it leaves me incapacitated.
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