PTC Man is back for Memorial Day weekend!
3 days/200.6 miles of swimming, biking, and running with friends! Cool engraved awards for the survivors.
Stage 1 (Ride to the Clouds)
Event: 91 mile bike ride, Pasadena / Angeles Crest Highway / Crystal Lake / Encanto / Pasadena. Approx 11000ft of climbing.
Date: Saturday, March 25th
Start: 7:00am (sharp)
Location (start & finish): Rose Bowl Aquatics Center Parking lot
Description:
The ride will start at the heart of Pasadena’s center for fitness and exercise – the Rose Bowl. We will meet at the parking lot in front of the Aquatics center and head towards La Canada. After approx 5 miles, we’ll start climbing up Angeles Crest Highway and continue up and up.. for about 40 miles. We’ll briefly stop at Red box and Clear Creek to fill up our water bottles and continue towards Newcombs Ranch. This will be the main stop for water / food / bathrooms etc. From Newcomb’s Ranch we will continue up the 2 for about another 15 miles, towards Cloudburst Summit at an elevation somewhere over 7000ft. We will start descending, going through a tunnel and approx a mile after the tunnel head south towards Highway 39. This is a closed road, and we’ll be descending on the road for about 40 miles. That’s pretty sweet – since we may need to go up a couple more hills at the end of highway 39.
We will continue towards Encanto, and continuing on towards Sierra Madre (with a slight detour for a coffee/water stop at Starbucks in Duarte) and towards the Rose Bowl parking lot.
Map:
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1115300
Shorter options
While this ride is a loop, it is easy to make it an out and back. You can start with the group and ride towards La Canada and up Highway 2 (Angelest Crest) for as long as you want. You can easily make it a 2, 3, 4 hour ride depending on where you turn around.
Important!
- Please be self sufficient and bring anything you would need on a regular Saturday Ride. There will not be ride SAG. Wear sunscreen, bring bottles, powerbars, gels, and carry spare tubes (with proper valve stem length),pumps, CO2, tools etc as you do on any other ride. There will be access to water along the way at regular times on the way up, but plan ahead and definitely bring your sports nutrition with you. Yes, you can enjoy some real food at Newcombs Ranch though climbing with a full stomach is NOT recommended unless you want to see yourself in a video clip at the PTC Christmas Party!
- This is a tough ride, it might not hit 100 miles but consider it similar to a serious century. Again, be prepared with proper fuel for the ride!!! Water, energy drink, powerbar, gels, electrolytes, you will need them so bring them with you. Passing out may also result in videos being presented at the Christmas party!
- This will be a slow day, plan to be back at the Rose Bowl around mid afternoon.
Stage 2 (Surf and Turf – 2 Parts)
Part 1: 1 mile Open Water Swim
Date: Sunday, March 26th
Start: 7.30am (start of the swim)
Location (start & finish): Belmont Lagoon, Long Beach
Description:
What better way than starting our day with an open water swim! We will head towards Long Beach and get ready for a 1 mile open water swim. Though technically this water is ocean water, it’s more like a lake and there are absolutely no waves. We will start at 2nd and Bay shore ave, swim out (counter clockwise) for half a mile, regroup, and swim back. Simple as that!
Map:
Important!
Bring a wetsuit and goggles and don’t forget your body glide! You are allowed to swim without a wetsuit but chances are that’ll be quite chilly. Fins are not allowed nor are any other devices used for flotation. If you want to join the group and feel you need these, please use them though you will not be able to qualify for the title of PTC Man 2013, and you will not be able to get the crazy cool shirt! Make sure you eat early enough in the morning – swimming with a full stomach is no fun. Whereas this is a relatively easy swim, make sure you are experienced and fit enough to participate in the swim. There are no lifeguards, swimming is at your own risk so if you have never done any swimming, don’t put yourself in any danger.
After we get out of the water, we will continue immediately with stage 2 before we get a chance to get cold.
Part 2: 10 mile run
(Belmont Lagoon to the lighthouse on Shoreline Aquatic Park and back)
Date: Sunday, March 26th
Start: 8:30am (start of the run)
Location (start & finish):
Description:
After the swim, we will run ourselves dry with a scenic run along the ocean. We will run South towards the beach, and continue running on the beach trail. We will pass the Belmont Pier and continue towards Shoreline village. We’ll run along all the sightseeing boats in the harbor and go up the hill to the lighthouse. That’ll be exactly 5 miles, so we’ll come back exactly the way we came to make it 10 miles. This will be a flat route – running fast is highly recommended.
Map:
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1163710
Important!
There is a drinking fountain and bathrooms by the lighthouse though consider bringing a fuel belt or other nutrition. After an early breakfast, drive out, swim, you might start to get a bit thirsty / hungry so plan ahead. Better to bring it and not use it than forget and want it!
After stage two we can go eat something locally before driving back home, or if you want to be home early to start your recovery for stage 3, you can do so too! We highly suggest you do not engage in any major activity on Sunday afternoon, and make sure you recover well ahead of Stage 3.
Stage 3 Beach to Heliport
Event: 99 mile bike ride, Sierra Madre / Long Beach Via Rio Hondo
River Path / Seal Beach / San Gabriel River Path / Encanto / CHANTRY FLATS! Approx 4000ft of vertical gain.
Date: Monday, March 27th
Start: 7:00am (sharp)
Description:
The classic Long Beach Ride BUT with extra scenic ocean miles to Seal Beach rewarded with a Starbucks regroup at the 44 mile turn around point, a return via the San Gabriel River Path, last water and potty at Encanto Park and then… a challenging 1,800’ climb up to the Chantry Flats helipad before finishing at Starbucks Sierra Madre. After taking a body count, we eat and celebrate the day’s ride and the 3 days of PTCMAN coming to a climactic end! Eating plans are for us to gather at The Only Place In Town restaurant for a celebratory meal together immediately after the ride if we can stay upright.
Map and Profile:
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1114657
Shorter options:
There are many shorter options for this ride. The 3 we suggest are…
- A flip at mile 24 at Hollydale Park for a 48 mile ride
- The customary flip at Long Beach Starbucks on Pine Ave for a 76 mile ride
- Or you can do almost the whole ride but pass on the 7 mile Chantry climb and descent for a 91 mile ride.
Important!
- Even though this is a civilized urban ride that is never too far from a source of food and drink, still be self sufficient and bring anything you would need on a regular Saturday Ride: credit card, cell phone, cash, Road ID, wear sunscreen, water bottles, PowerBars, gels, spare tubes (with proper valve stem length),pumps, CO2, tools etc as you do on any other ride. There will be access to water/coffee/pastries but plan ahead and definitely bring your sports nutrition with you.
- This is another tough ride because: 1) It is day 3 of Ptcman and you will be fatigued from 2 previous days of epic training and 2) The Chantry Flats finish will prove to be a PTC Man Maker or Breaker!
- Again, be prepared with proper fuel for the ride!!! Water, energy drink, extra powder mix, powerbar, gels, electrolytes, you will need them so bring them with you. Don’t be “That Guy”
- This will be a long 3rd and final day, so be nice and help your fellow man successfully complete the ride by riding cooperatively, giving (and taking) a wheel and being the encouraging/ non-competive/ never trash talking PTC’er’s we always are.:x lovestruck
Sounds like fun, doesn’t it!
