IR 600K

374 miles
13,500 feet of elevation gain (Ride with GPS) 14,500 feet of elevation (personal GPS)

For the 600k I shared a hotel room for the night before and the overnight.  I felt so much better with the additional sleep because of the hotel.  I will continue to get a room for future IR600 and 400 rides. 

IR600 uses the same 400k loop as the IR400. Weather was similar (pleasant), hills still hurt, but I finished the 400k loop of the 600k 2 hours quicker than the 400k a couple weeks ago, thus giving me more sleep during the overnight (3hrs). 

My bike setup remained the same from the 400K, and I plan on using for the Granite Anvil 1200k in late August. 

Gear:

I did take a Platypus water container for additional water on the 200k portion of the 600k.  There are few services on this stretch, it is always hot, and I have run out of water the last 2 times I completed this ride.  The Platypus turned out to be a savior.  For the first time I was able to arrive at the last control with water to spare.  Granted, it wasn't as hot as it has been in previous rides, but I still call the decision to bring he Platypus a success and will keep this option open for future rides.

Detour 1. Gas main failure, closing road.  #ThatsRando

Detour 2.  Luckily the only flooding.  #ThatsRando

Nothing like the feeling of having a flat 10miles remaining to finish a 600k. 

Training Log: 6/5/2017-6/23/2017

This training log consists of a Couple more trips to ride my Puglsey on trails, (50miles 1,300 ft of elevation gain), my rides to martinsville (50miles 2,500 ft of elevation gain), my weekly commutes to work, and around town rides. I was also able to get a run of 5miles in. 

Plainfield-Martinsville-Plainfield pics:

By bike: 314 miles
By feet: 5miles.  

IR 400k

251 miles
+11,000 ft

This year I made the mistake of driving 1.5hrs the morning of the ride for the 5am start.  Of course, I didn't go to sleep the night before at a decent time, maybe 11pm.  I had get up at 2:30am the morning of the ride in order to make the 5am start.  By the Jasper control (half way point) I could barely keep my eyes open.  At the Jasper control I actually napped on and off for about an hour.  It was a tough battle through the night, I was so happy to reach the Seymour control which means a flat 20 more miles to the graveyard (finish). 

The most difficult section of this ride is the Bedford-Jasper segment, which is loaded with steep rollers during the hottest part of the day. 

The Bike:
After a couple brevets not using a handlebar bag, I've decided that I like the handlebar bag, so it is back on. 
I like this bike setup and may keep it for the foreseeable future.
My frame bags are never very full, a trick I learned from Mike Hall. Fumbling around with overloaded bags takes time and increases the chances of losing stuff. 

Gear Checklist:

Sunrise the 1st morning

Sunrise the 2nd morning.

 

 

 

 

 

Famous road on the route due to the 3 walls we climb.  

Final tally: