Ride the Rockies 2015 Elevation Gain Numbers are Way Off

UPDATE 6/12/15: Ride the Rockies has updated the elevation gain numbers to 31,217. That's more like it. As predicted, the original estimate from MapMyRide was about 10,000 feet too high :)

UPDATED 3/1/15: Ride the Rockies just posted the following update to the route elevation gain numbers on the RTR Facebook page:

For those on the fence about applying for this year's ride due to the elevation profiles, please note the updated data we are now able to report having just returned from a route recon / community trip where we met with local PD, CSP and CDOT: Day 1 - 2,952 ft., Day 2 - 8,000 ft., Day 3 - 5,583 ft., Day 4 - 1,458 ft. and Day 7 - 4,511 ft. We will not be able to provide data for Day 5 and Day 6 until later this spring due to road / pass closures. This data captured on our own Garmin suggests these stages will equal 4,700 ft. less of climbing than previously reported. Registration closes today at 5PM MST. Best of luck in the lottery - hope to see you this June! www.ridetherockies.com

Based on what I know about Day 6 from Salida to Canyon City (see below), you can take off another 3,000 feet, bringing the approximate elevation gain down to around 33,000!

When I first saw the elevation gain number for Ride the Rockies 2015, announced a week ago, I thought they were ridiculous. More than 40,000 feet in seven days of riding is a lot (nearly 5,800 average per day). Last year's ride, at 33,000 was the most of any of the eight RTRs I have completed and more than enough for me (average 5,500 per day over 6 days). As it turns out, the 2015 numbers, as advertised aren't just ridiculous, they are off. WAY off.

To their credit, I learned about the overestimation from a post on the RTR Facebook page. The reason for the error became clear when the ride organizers explained that they used MapMyRide to chart the course and estimate the elevation gain (MapMyRide is notoriously bad at estimating elevation gain).

For example, the day five route, a mostly downhill 66 mile ride from Salida to Canon City is listed as 5,834 feet of climbing. That is simply absurd. True, it includes the steepest two mile stretch of climbing I have ever done tackled, up to the south rim of the Royal Gorge, but its not 5,800 ft. of climbing, even with the addition of Skyline Drive to the route this year. Not even close. We rode this route on the final day in 2006 and my Garmin Edge clocked it at 2,216 ft. I know Garmin is not infallible , but that's less than half the advertised gain! Conservatively, the MapMyRide estimate is off 3,000 ft.

The other obvious error is the advertised gain on day one. There is no way the ride around Colorado National Monument is 4,702 feet of elevation gain. We rode that route on day one of my first RTR in 2005 but I don't have a record of the elevation gain that day (didn't have a Garmin yet!). But according to a comment thread on the RTR Facebook page, "Ride the Rockies covered this same route five years ago (2010) at which point they (accurately) promoted it having an elevation gain of approximately 2.5k feet."  So there's another 2,000 ft. over-estimated by MapMyRide.

So the good news is that the 40,000+ estimate could be at least 5,000 feet too high. That's a lot better than last year when RTR underestimated the elevation gain by the same amount! That's right, this is not the first time the estimates have been off. Last year they estimated the route at 28,000 and it ended up being more than 33,000! That was just painful.

The bad news is RTR staff have said they won't correct the numbers until early May after they ride the course with GPS devices. Until then, your guess is as good as mine.

Ride on!

Daren

The Ride the Rockies Route is Out!

The Ride the Rockies 2015 route was announce last night at the route announcement party in Denver. The 30th annual ride features a lot of familiar territory for me, including stops in two of my favorite host communities, Salida and Crested Butte. With 465 miles and more than 40,000 feet of elevation gain in seven days of riding, it will be a test of your intestinal fortitude as week as tolerance for pain in the "five points" two hands, two feet and one rear end!).

Here are some of my thoughts on the route:

 

Day One -- Colorado National Monument Loop (45 Miles / 4,702′ Elev. Gain). I did this ride on day one of my first Ride the Rockies in 2005. Its a scenic "warm up" ride with a fair amount of climbing.

Day Two -- Grand Junction to Hotchkiss (98 Miles / 9,069′ Elev. Gain). Day two is very similar to the second day of the 2005 ride, as well, only ending in Hotchkiss rather than Delta. The climb up Grand Mesa, the world's largest flat top mountain, is brutal. Maybe the toughest I have ever tackled. It certainly was in 2005. At 98 miles and more than 9,000 feet of elevation gain, this will be the toughest day on the 2015 ride.

Day Three -- Hotchkiss to Gunnison (78 Miles / 7,466′ Elev. Gain). I've ridden this route on a previous RTR (2010, I think). It's not terribly difficult but following the day two climb it will be tough enough! Lots of beautiful scenery.

Day Four -- Gunnison to Crested Butte (27 Miles / 1,458′ Elev. Gain). This will be a nice recovery day unless you are a masochist and go for the "Dirty 30" option (actually 35 miles) on dirt roads over Ohio and Keller Pass. Crested Butte is a beautiful spot to rest up for the remainder of the ride.

Day Five -- Crested Butte to Salida (102 Miles / 7,502′ Elev. Gain). The second hardest day on the 2015 route is a century ride including a tough climb on dirt roads over Cottonwood Pass. Hopefully you'll have enough energy to party that night in Salida, a perennial rider favorite. The overnight party in the park along the Arkansas River followed by some liquid carbo-loading at The Vic is a must.

Day Six -- Salida to Canon City (66 Miles / 5,834′ Elev. Gain). Forty-five of the 66 miles on day six are downhill but do NOT overlook the tough climb up the south rim of the Royal Gorge. It's the steepest two-mile climb I've ever ridden, hitting grades of 15-20%. But the opportunity to ride across the wooden slats of the world's tallest suspension bridge is worth it!

Day Seven -- Canon City to Westcliffe (49 Miles / 4,488′ Elev. Gain). Ride director Chandler Smith's sadist tendencies (its only a matter of time before he changes the name of the ride to "50 Shades of RTR") are showing in this mostly uphill final day. The steep 29-mile climb on tired legs will be tough. However, the views of the Sangre de Christo (Blood of Christ) range are amazing.

So, you may have noticed me say "you" and "your" a lot in this post. I am seriously considering not registering this year and heading to Iowa for RAGBRAI in July. I've wanted to do RAGBRAI for several years now and this may just be the year to do it. The 40,000+ feet of climbing is just silly for a 6'4", 215 lb. rider like me. Besides, I've ridden nearly every road on this route and I think it is time to branch out. But we have until 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 1st to decide.

So, RTR friends, are you in or out?

Ride on!

Daren

Forget Fad Diets; Be Well in 2015

I've sat down several times this past week to write a typical New Year's blog post. I tried to think of something inspirational but I wasn't feeling inspired. Then I saw several bloggers talking about their "Top 10 Posts of 2014" and thought that might work but couldn't figure out how to figure that out (Blogger only keeps track of the past day, week, month or "all time") so abandoned that idea. New Year's Eve and New Year's Day came and went and I wrote nothing. But I did have several thoughts along the way. So, without further ado, here are my rambling thoughts on New Year's Resolutions, health and wellness, popular topics this time of year.

Weight lose and exercise always top the list of New Year's Resolutions but rarely lead to lasting change. 

I've written several times about New Year's Resolutions. On January 1, 2011, I challenged you to Resolve to BEEFit and get at least 30 minutes of exercise and eat 3 oz. of beef per day. On the first day of 2013, I wrote about avoiding grandiose resolutions and instead setting concrete goals like registering and training for an event such as Ride the Rockies. This year, I encourage you to join me and sign up for the FREE 30-day Self-Care and Wellness Challenge from sport nutritionist Leslie Schilling, a daily e-mail for 30 days designed to challenge your thinking about health and wellness.

Leslie Schilling, MA, RDN, LDN,
Nutrition Expert, Mom, Wife, Cook,
& Creator of YourSupperSolution.com

In full disclosure I have no vested interest in this other than the fact that Leslie is my friend and I loved her "pitch" for the 30-day challenge: "Health and wellness isn't about a number, or feeling guilty, or demonizing food. We don’t get ourselves anywhere positive when we are made to feel guilty or don’t believe we can trust our bodies or food choices. So, if you’re ready for the next big diet, this isn't it. If you’re ready for a journey that increases your awareness, changes your perspective and moves your towards lasting change, THIS is for you!"

To give you an idea what this entails, here is the Day 1 Challenge:

Hi Daren. I'm so glad you're on this journey with me.

Wellness is so much more than a number. And, I believe true health and wellness starts with a change in perspective. We live in a society where it seems "normal" to be at war with who we are and the bodies we live in. It's time for a change. It starts within... 

We'll start by increasing our overall awareness in a variety of areas that impact our health & happiness. AND, we'll build on your observations all month long. It's a process. 

Here's your first challenge. 

Today, I want to you observe obstacles in your day-to-day life that get in the way of doing things that make you feel happy or healthy. They could be external obstacles (like work) and/or internal obstacles (like beliefs).  

Grab a journal, old notebook or a random sheet of paper. Label it Day 1 (that'll make it easier to come back to later). At the end of the day write down your observations. Don't judge. Just write it down.  

Put your observation glasses on and get on it. I'll catch you tomorrow.  

Leslie

Today is Day 2 of the challenge, so you haven't missed anything yet if you sign up today to join Leslie and me in this challenge!

Which brings me to my thoughts on Health and Wellness. Scrolling through my friends' Facebook posts in the past week I have noticed a lot of wishes for "good health" in the coming year. Many of my peers are either dealing with their own health issues or those of their aging parents (or even their children). We all want to live healthy, happy lives and it seems most are willing to try anything except exercise! Unfortunately far too many people tune in to shows like Dr. Oz and The Doctors for health recommendations, half of which have been found to be baseless or wrong!

My advice is to avoid fad diets and marketing buzzwords like natural, gluten-free, non-GMO, etc., enjoy the food you eat and get some exercise every day. When it comes to food choices, pay attention to calories and eat nutrient rich foods, like beef, that provide the most nutrients per calorie. Nutrient-rich foods provide the fuel your body needs to by physically active. One thing most health experts actually agree on that being physically active and maintaining a healthy weight is the best way to avoid chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer.

Speaking of the Big C, I have a good friend who received a cancer diagnosis over the holidays. The news gave new meaning to those wishes for good health. Barb is in a fight for her life, one she is facing with courage, humor and the support of many family and friends. One immediate silver lining is that Barb has decided to share her experience in a blog and, as it turns out, she is every bit as irreverent in writing as she is in person.

Barb runs the Boston Marathon in 2010.

My introduction to Barb was in 2008 when she was training for her first marathon (actually, it was her first organized race!). Her friend wanted to outfit her with a Team BEEF jersey and contacted me. Debbie told me the story of how Barb was running a marathon after losing 130 lbs. on a personal journey to improve her health. A year later, in her second marathon, she qualified for Boston and in April 2010 she ran the Boston marathon. Who does that?!

Barb does. As I have grown to know Barb over the past 6 years her story makes more sense. She is a tough and determined business woman with a big heart and quick wit that will keep you on your toes! As she heads to Dallas this week to begin treatment I have to chuckle thinking about the doctors, nurses and other patients at MD Anderson who have no idea what is about to hit them! I know Barb will fight this battle with her unique combination of strength, faith and humor and will touch many lives in the process.

If you like to laugh, cry and think I encourage you to follow Barb's blog. As Jimmy Valvano said in his famous ESPY speech while facing his own cancer prognosis: "If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special."

And that, my friends, is my resolution for 2015: To laugh, cry and think and live every day to its fullest. Be well.

Ride on!

Daren