OMC News and Updates

Folks, Dave Settle and I drove the IM Branson 70.3 bike course yesterday afternoon and I recorded a 24 mile version of it to convert into a CompuTrainer 3d course, perfect for an hour or so work out. I'll tell you a little bit about what we did, my opinion of the course, and I'd be curious to hear Dave's opinion, too. He's got some digital photos of the course. We thought we might publish an article on our website with the full details.

Here's the short course that we recorded: We started at Moonshine Beach, went up 265 along the Chateau up to where you make the brief jog on 76 (a right turn) before you turn left onto 465 (Ozark Mountain High Rd). So, left on 465, and it winds north and east to 65. At 65, we made a hairpin turn and headed west on 465, and then took the 248 exit, again heading east and then south to the Landing. The difference between our course and the official course, besides the distance, is that you will do several loops around the Ozark Mountain High Rd (465). Keep in mind we would have needed an extra 32 miles to add to our course. However, short of the full west bound length of the OMHR, you've got a great sample of everything you should expect to find on IM Branson 70.3. And, our course is a good practice length for CompuTrainer purposes.

So, what about the course? Will you find the hair raising climbs that everyone fears about a bike ride in Branson? The answer is basically no. What the course features is long gradual climbs and long gradual descents. Except for when you get to the Landing itself, don't look for a flat section of road. Folks, this looks like a very, very fast course for those of you who are fearless speed demons. If you are not afraid of getting down into that aero position and gaining momentum to speeds that could easily hit 50 miles per hour, this course is for you. There's going to be lots of momentum to help with the uphills. There are plenty of technical twists and turns, combined with hills, so BE CAREFUL. You can easily imagine how the Tour of Missouri rider went over a guard rail and down a precipice.

There you have it. Consider using a cassette like a 12-27 or 11-26. But I don't think it's going to be those thigh-melting hill repeats that ultimately gives you an edge in this race. I do think it is going to help a lot if you are familiar with the course because of the technical nature of it. The more you know what's coming around the bend and can plan for it, the better, safer, and faster you will be. I have the .tcx file on my computer already, and I have to convert it to .gpx before my Cycling Peaks software can, in turn, convert it into a 3d course. Once I do I will figure out a way to post it so that you can download it.

Best wishes, and thanks to Ryan Robinson for the inside scoop.