Bike: 268
Run: 32
Time: 20.7
FINALLY managed to get in some solid swimming volume this week. I ended up swimming five times so my average per sesh wasn't that high but still got in a nice long OWS with Fletch in the lake so that's a nice bonus.
I obviously spent the most time on the bike this week as that has been the focus the past two weeks. Going into the weekend I already had just under 160 miles already in the legs so I was fatigued but still ready to put out a solid effort on Sunday. Two very hard efforts on the bike this week so consequently I'm now very tired.
Not a whole lot of running this week but that was on purpose since I knew I'd be on the bike so much this week.
The real focus this weekend was on the Louisville trip with Fletch, Behme and Woody. We drove to Louisville on Saturday morning and got in a nice swim at a local pool (actually ended up being long course which was nice) and a brief run around the race area a little while later. The next day we biked the race course at a very hard effort level and everyone suffered a good bit on that ride. It was probably the hottest bike ride I've ever done; combine that with it also being one of (if not THE) hardest bike rides as well meant that it left a special mark on me once it was over. The course itself was mostly as we remembered it but we just confirmed that you cannot go too hard if it's a hot day and expect to run the marathon. It's definitely NOT an easy bike course.
Here's my "synopsis" of the course:
Heading out of T1 you turn left and get on River Rd for appx 8-9 miles. This road is very flat and fast and for the most part well-paved. As the name suggests, you bike along the river before encountering a short (but pretty steep) hill at mile 9ish before turning left onto 42. 42 is a mostly uphill road during the busy (4 or 6 lanes of traffic) section until you get to the 2 lane highway-ish part where it's very rolling. At about mile 17ish you take the right turn to get on the out/back section that is mostly flat at first before a sharp and decently long downhill before bottoming out and making the climb to the turnaround. These are probably the two steepest climbs on the course. At least they're out of the way early.
After the out/back you turn right to get back on 42 for about 2ish miles before turning right on 393 and beginning what is basically a gradual climb up to 146 (and the loop section of the course).
It's a deceptively difficult section that can really wear you out if you go too hard on your first loop. Once you make the left hand turn it's a flat and fast road to La Grange. This section is well-paved and very fast. There is one decent climb at miles 40/70 but it's not long. Once you make the left hand turn onto Ballard School Rd it is a pretty difficult set of climbs that appear as though you can 'power' over them but they're actually pretty difficult. Definitely small chaingring climbs. After several decent uphill intervals on this narrow road you come to a dead end and turn right on Old Sligo Road. This road is rolling but fairly fast and you then make a right turn on L'esprit Highway which is more of the same. Rolling but fast. No sustained climbs on this section but still some hills. Then you turn left on 153 and I honestly don't remember much about this road but that tells me that there's nothing too crazy. Once past that (1-1.5 miles) you turn left on Hwy 42 (same road as before) to get back to the beginning of the loop. Very soon on this road you see a sign that says "Louisville - 32 miles" which can be a real skullf*** if you let it on the second loop. 42 is very rolling but pretty fast. It's between 8-10 rolling miles to get back to the beginning of the loop (393). During the second loop you just continue on back the way you came (no repetition of the out/back thank god).
Here's the data from the ride:
| Time: | 05:01:35 |
| Moving Time: | 04:59:44 |
| Avg Speed: | 22.2 mph |
| Avg Moving Speed: | 22.3 mph |
| Max Speed: | 40.4 mph |
| Elevation Gain: | 3,622 ft |
| Elevation Loss: | 3,621 ft |
| Min Elevation: | 423 ft |
| Max Elevation: | 906 ft |
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