LOTOJA- anyone do it before?

[jamesdak]

Well, registered for LOTOJA again. Did not get selected last year but hoping for better luck this year. Anyone here done it in the past and have any advice?

I logged over 8000 miles last year so I am not too concerned about the distance. Plenty of 100 plus mile rides under my belt. Just don't really know what to expect in terms of the climbs. Did the Park City 100 mile Gran Fondo last year which had plenty of climbing. Really didn't find it too bad at all despite not doing much climbing to prepare for that one.

This year I will take turns riding the 4 different climbing paths out of Ogden Valley. Between Powder Mt Rd, Trappers Loop, the North Ogden Divide, and Monte Cristo I should get plenty of climbing variety.

Anyway looking for any insight from those that have done it. Pretty much all my riding is solo so how important is it to get some group riding experience before the race?

[mxerhale]

I know one guy who did it 3 times and he said that the first year it was more survival than race for him. He made it clear that after that he knew what to expect and how and what to eat during the day. He said it was fun after the first year. I used to have aspirations of doing it, but those feelings are long gone .

[jamesdak]

Yep, I learned years ago as a marathoner how important nutrition and hydration is during a ride. Now the knees are shot from all the miles and from jumping out of airplanes in the Army so I bike. The mental aspect of not knowing the course may be the biggest problem. Hoping to break the course up over the summer and ride parts of it as training rides so that I am familiar with the routes and how long, steep the climbs are.

[neilether]

Well, registered for LOTOJA again. Did not get selected last year but hoping for better luck this year. Anyone here done it in the past and have any advice?

I logged over 8000 miles last year so I am not too concerned about the distance. Plenty of 100 plus mile rides under my belt. Just don't really know what to expect in terms of the climbs. Did the Park City 100 mile Gran Fondo last year which had plenty of climbing. Really didn't find it too bad at all despite not doing much climbing to prepare for that one.

This year I will take turns riding the 4 different climbing paths out of Ogden Valley. Between Powder Mt Rd, Trappers Loop, the North Ogden Divide, and Monte Cristo I should get plenty of climbing variety.

Anyway looking for any insight from those that have done it. Pretty much all my riding is solo so how important is it to get some group riding experience before the race?

Hopefully you will get in! I have done this 3 times in the past and I really enjoy it. I will say that I would definitely work on group riding skills and etiquette because the speed difference between riding solo and with a group is massive. A solid group also makes the ride much more enjoyable. 206 miles is a long ride and being able to hide a little bit form the wind is invaluable! I won't bore you with nutrition and hydration details, other than to emphasize how important they are.

As far as the course goes, I can give you a little insight there. There are 3 major climbs en route, as well as one farther along that isn't as bad. The first one is Strawberry Summit just outside of Preston ID. This climb is steady with maximum grades of 10%. However, the majority of the climb is in the 5-7% range. The killer here is the length at about 14 miles. This climb comes relatively early in the race and a lot of people take it too hard and wreck their entire day. Find a "comfortable" gear and don't get caught up in the race mentality.

Geneva Summit is after that. It is much shorter at 3-4 miles perhaps. Not too steep, but it'll hurt the legs a bit. The last one is Salt River Summit. This comes at almost the exact halfway point. This one is short and steep and painful. 1.5-2 miles at about 10% grade. Survive to the top, and the reward is another 100 miles on your bike.

From there, it is a big mental game as you got through Star Valley. If the wind is bad, it will make for a very tough ride. This is where the group is the most important. It is a long, lonely road if you are by yourself here. The last climb (with 45 miles to go) is through Snake River Canyon. This is more of a rolling climb that a serious grunt, but with the amount of miles already on your legs for the day it will likely hurt. This is also the prettiest part of the ride, so if you can, make sure you enjoy the scenery (much easier said than done at this point). At the top you get to Hoback Junction for the final water stop. From there it's only 25 miles or so to the finish at Teton Village.

I did not sign up this year, because the training was too time-intensive for me with a small child, but I will be back at some point in the near future. LEt me know if you have any other questions.

[Candace66]

http://www.lotojaclassic.com

Looks fun! My secret fantasy, however, is to survive this ride: http://www.everestchallenge.com/
(Note they haven't updated their site yet for the 2012 edition)

[jamesdak]

Dang it, you are evil! Looks like quite the challenge and now I want to plan for that one sometime also.

[UTJetdog]

I logged over 8000 miles last year...

Nice

[jamesdak]

Woo Hoo, made selection this year . Now I am like, oh crap, gotta get serious on the training.

[UTJetdog]

Woo Hoo, made selection this year . Now I am like, oh crap, gotta get serious on the training.

Congrat on getting in. I haven't done LOTOJA but I ride with some guys that have done it many times and from what I know Neil gave you some very solid advise. Good luck!

[Candace66]

Woo Hoo, made selection this year . Now I am like, oh crap, gotta get serious on the training.

You mean 8K miles/year isn't enough?! You are definitely way out of my league. Well, maybe I'll be able to step up if Mike's fitting helps me as much as I hope!

[jamesdak]

Didn't feel "out of anyone's league" Saturday when I climbed Monte Cristo and Snowbasin. I just felt old, LOL!! Thanks for the kind words though...

Seriously though, the fit will help you get comfortable and then the miles will start melting away.

[Candace66]

Here's a good training ride for you, on June 25...

http://www.sundanceresort.com/explor...EBINFO2012.doc

[DOSS]

Here's a good training ride for you, on June 25...

http://www.sundanceresort.com/explor...EBINFO2012.doc

Sadly I now want to do this next year....

[jamesdak]

Looks like fun for certain. But committed that weekend. Of course I probably need to be "committed" for even thinking about that one right now.

[Candace66]

Another good warm-up ! On August 11, you can ride Stage 5 of the Tour of Utah, before the pros set out on it!

http://uc.dnacycling.cc/

[Bike until I drop]

I just saw another event that may be a cool warm up or alternative if you didn't get in to LOTOJA. 130 miles Gunnison CO to Crested Butte CO with 20 or so miles of dirt road climb over Kebler pass ~5000'. Kindof a cool route. And food and beer etc in downtown crested Butte after.

West Elk Bicycle Classic
facebook.com/westelkbc

[jamesdak]

Damn, nutrition remains a problem with only 2 weeks to do. Yesterday I did a 117 mile training ride with over 7000 ft of climbing. Went from home to the top of Monte Cristo, back down and over Trappers Loop, down to Morgan, and then back over Trapper Loop and home. But as keeps happening around 4 hours in I get sick to the stomach and have trouble eating/drinking. Been fighting this since last year and can't get it figured out. Yesterday I actually started puking in the 6th hour and that has never happened in my life. Was not exertion because my HR was in the 120-130 range and my legs felt fresh. Also one of the cooler days as of late. Not sure what to do. Can't see making it another 90 miles if I can't eat or drink.

Any ideas from those with experience?

Right now I am just out the entry fee. But two hotel rooms for two nights, gas for the truck, feeding my drivers, etc means a lot of money down the drain if I can't even finish. But I hate to waste a spot someone else could have used because I can't figure out my nutrition, Augh!!

[Candace66]

That's interesting, because I had trouble with a queasy stomach on the two long (90+ miles with lots of climbing) training rides I did before The Ultimate Challenge. However, I chalked it up to the heat.

It was similarly hot during the actual event, but I didn't feel as bad in the last 10 miles or so. However, there was ice and cold water available at the last two hydration stops. I felt like having that very cold water to wet down my "sun sleeves" and sprinkle on my head (and to drink!) helped me a lot.

You mention you've been having trouble with this since last year. Does it happen in much cooler weather, too? Until I was training for that UC, I had no reason to attempt such long & difficult rides at (for me) a hard pace. So I don't have much to compare to. I did do an 80+ miler earlier in the season (Moab to and around Canyonlands NP and back), but I wasn't pushing the pace and it wasn't hot.

[neilether]

Damn, nutrition remains a problem with only 2 weeks to do. Yesterday I did a 117 mile training ride with over 7000 ft of climbing. Went from home to the top of Monte Cristo, back down and over Trappers Loop, down to Morgan, and then back over Trapper Loop and home. But as keeps happening around 4 hours in I get sick to the stomach and have trouble eating/drinking. Been fighting this since last year and can't get it figured out. Yesterday I actually started puking in the 6th hour and that has never happened in my life. Was not exertion because my HR was in the 120-130 range and my legs felt fresh. Also one of the cooler days as of late. Not sure what to do. Can't see making it another 90 miles if I can't eat or drink.

Any ideas from those with experience?

Right now I am just out the entry fee. But two hotel rooms for two nights, gas for the truck, feeding my drivers, etc means a lot of money down the drain if I can't even finish. But I hate to waste a spot someone else could have used because I can't figure out my nutrition, Augh!!

Eat REAL food!! My first year doing this race I battled severe leg cramps and nausea. The subsequent two years went much more smoothly. My main change was not relying so heavily on GU gels and stuff like that. I made a bunch of mini (one or two bite size) turkey and cheese sandwiches. I also drank a couple of those Campbell's ready to eat chicken and stars soups. Lots of salt and fat and very easy on the stomach. Boil some red potatoes cut into litte cubes and put them in a bag with a tiny bit of olive oil, salt, and parmesan cheese.

I have found that up to 100 miles, I do fine with the typical "bike food." Anything longer than that I need real food.

[jamesdak]

That's interesting, because I had trouble with a queasy stomach on the two long (90+ miles with lots of climbing) training rides I did before The Ultimate Challenge. However, I chalked it up to the heat.

It was similarly hot during the actual event, but I didn't feel as bad in the last 10 miles or so. However, there was ice and cold water available at the last two hydration stops. I felt like having that very cold water to wet down my "sun sleeves" and sprinkle on my head (and to drink!) helped me a lot.

You mention you've been having trouble with this since last year. Does it happen in much cooler weather, too? Until I was training for that UC, I had no reason to attempt such long & difficult rides at (for me) a hard pace. So I don't have much to compare to. I did do an 80+ miler earlier in the season (Moab to and around Canyonlands NP and back), but I wasn't pushing the pace and it wasn't hot.

Yeah, it's been ongoing no matter what the temps. Even for those Centuries done in Feb. I just don't get it. The second to last marathon I did was ran just a fews weeks after coming off of a broken leg. I was way out of shape and it took me over 5 hours to "gut it out" Yet despite all the exertion I was able to eat and drink just fine. Don't know why I am having the trouble on the bike.