Charity Events - LiveSTRONG Challenge – Austin, TX 2008

Register here http://www.livestrongchallenge.org/

Good luck to all in Austin, TX. :)

I am registered! Livestrong.

https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=262612&supid=77552504

I'm getting ready to register right now. See you all there!

Come on people, Philly already has at least 7 Bike Forums members registered! Philly is kicking your butts! Are you gonna let us do that to you??? :eek: :p

What is the route for the Austin 100 like? /// Hilly ?? .. Flat ?? ... Scenic ??? I'm interested in possibly flying out to do that one.....

Thanks for the info

About 5500 feet of total elevation gain. Here is a link to someone's montionbase.com map of the 2007 route. http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/4222848

I haven't seen anything for sure if 2008 is going to be the same route, but I am fairly certain there will not be significant changes.

Do we not have a BikeForums team setup?? Really tempted to head down to Austin!

As for the route in Austin this year, from all that I have been hearing is that it is going to be the same as last years route or very close to it. It was pretty Hilly, heard allot of people saying that it was much tougher than previous years. The new Livestrong Challenge site is supposed to be up in March. Looking forward to another great ride.

If it starts and finishes in the same place as last year, what is the Host Hotel for the event.....Is it close to Austin proper, or out of town aways......?

I'll sign up for it! 90 in one day sounds like a great way to get some wind in my hair! :D

The Host hotel was the Embassy Suites Hotel 300 South Congress Ave. in Austin. Its about a 30 minute drive to the start/finish line in Dripping Springs. The Start/Finish was at the Dripping Springs High school. They parked in a field there and then it was about .8 mile to the starting area. The hotel was great, allot of cyclists stayed there.

I would appreciate any donations to support my Live Strong Challenge ride in Austin. My mother passed away two months ago from cancer. I will be riding in her memory. This will be my first charity ride. I would also be interested in hearing from anyone who has done this ride before.

Thanks

I would appreciate any donations to support my Live Strong Challenge ride in Austin. My mother passed away two months ago from cancer. I will be riding in her memory. This will be my first charity ride. I would also be interested in hearing from anyone who has done this ride before.

Thanks

Sorry to hear about your mother. I lost mine to cancer several years ago.

I've never done the Austin ride but I have done the Philadelpia Livestrong Challenge the past two years. It was well organized and I loved it. There's a reason they put "Challenge" in the event name:) If the Austin ride is anything like the Philly ride you'll be climbing every hill in the area. Train, train, train but have fun.

Sorry to hear about your loss. I lost both my parents to Cancer. I did the Austin ride last year and I am doing it again this year too. Its my way to help the LAF. The ride was the best ride I have ever taken part in. The people at the LAF are wonderfull, and the ride is very well supported. You can find the course from last year if you go to mapmyride.com and search Austin Livestrong. It was a pretty hilly course starting and ending in Dripping Springs. Train hard and good luck with your ride and fund raising. I am the team captain for the LBV cyclists doing the Austin ride this year. Our team goal is 15K. Hope to see you out there.

So how is Austin doing?

After my first trip to Austin this weekend, I'm thinking of signing up for the 65 mile Livestrong challenge. I don't get to ride any hills in FL so I have a feeling 65 will be a great challenge for me.

Can anyone recommend a solid shop to rent a bike from? I'm not sure about renting vs. bringing my bike (it is a double). I think I may come out a few days early and ride some of the hills around Steiner Ranch where I'd be staying so I'd have some time to adjust to a rental.

Any advice would be great.

Try the Bicycle Sport Shop. They do fill up their reservations fairly early. http://bicyclesportshop.com/page.cfm?pageID=174
What size bike are you looking for?

I just checked into renting a bike at that shop, they only have like 4 left 49,49,52, and a 60cm frames. Looks like I'm shipping mine there for the ride. I was considering renting one.

As for the Hills, yes the Austin route did have plenty of hills last year. I live near Clermont Florida and Sugarloaf did little to prep me for the Hills in Texas. Great ride! Can't say enough good things about it.

I have been signed up for months and will be riding with my boss/mother's husband. We have been doing the Ride for the Roses/Livestrong ride in Austin for several years now.

When someone buys you a jersey the day before the ride you wear it no matter how much of a dork you feel like:
http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeej440/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/ken_john_rftr.jpg

Feeling a bit more comfortable in 06:
http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeej440/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/Livestrong_2006.jpg

Still need to upload my 2007 photo...hmm maybe I still need to buy my 07 photos. LOL

And look out for Grasschopper in 08...I am already 20 lbs lighter than that last photo and working for 10-20 more by Oct. :D

I have been lurking on this site for the past 2 weeks. I signed up for the LiveStrong Austin Challenge 2 weeks ago and picked up my first road bike yesterday. The 45 mile ride will be my first event ever, and I look forward to accomplishing it. See ya' there!

-Paul :-)

I've signed up for the 65 mile Austin ride in honor of one of my students, a 15 yr. old girl who was diagnosed with AML just this summer (June 2008). I've been training hard and although I am very excited about this ride, I am VERY nervous about the route since I live in deep south Texas - the biggest hill we have here is the 2nd Street overpass! I've been riding in very windy conditions to try and compensate but there just aren't many hills around here. What should I do? I'm currently training on a VERY OLD and HEAVY Trek Antelope 800 mountain bike with slicks rather than knobbies and will have a new 2008 Specialized Rockhopper by the end of the month - will probably modify those tires as well since I'm more comfy on a trail bike than a road bike.

I'm following a progam I found online for riding a century, figuring if I can do that I can do 65 miles...but now summer's over and school starts next week (I'm a very busy music teacher :innocent:) so my training schedule will have to be modified. I've been riding 6 days a week but will probably have to make it 5 now. I've also been doing strength training 4 days a week to help build upper body strength. If anyone's got any advice on how I can be successful at this ride, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks!

Kat

BTW - I'm a 41 yr. old female in good health, if that makes any difference.

My wife and I are registered and will be riding in Austin with 12-15 others from our area. I will be doing the 90 mile ride and my wife will do either the 30-45-or 65 depending how she feels that day. We are really looking forward to it and will be spending a couple of days on either end seeing the sights in San Antonio and Austin.

How many rides will enter the shorter rides Vs the 90 mile rides?

I know I am riding the 90 mile loop.

Is everyone ready for the bumpy ride? I am bringing some 25mm Mich P2Rs with me this year to try and smooth things out a bit.

are the roads really that rough?

-Paul

YES

And it isn't even just the road...there are cattle guards. I can't tell you how many water bottles I saw on the ground after ever cattle guard last year. And bring some waterproof shoes for the one low water crossing that still had water...you HAVE to walk and it is really slippery.

I kept looking for a smooth road last year...and then it happened right before stop #6 around the 60 mile mark...fresh smooth pavement as you turn onto Hwy 281...then 300 yards later you bear right onto more chip seal. :(

Seriously no exageration...89 of 90 miles is chip seal....rough chip seal.

I don't think you need to worry about low water crossings this year, unless we get a bunch of rain in the next week. Last year was the wettest summer in my recollection. This year we are having a drought.
The cattle guards will probably still be there, however. I noticed recently that Creek Rd. was just resurfaced. This is a mixed blessing. The chuck holes are gone, but there is still some loose gravel on the road, especially on the edges.
Hear is to hoping that none of you get to see me, as I am again driving the SAG wagon.

Thats good to hear about the water hazards. Saw several people last year, think they could make it with out getting off their bike, and down they went into the water. Roads were rough, but we have a few just as rough around here in Florida too. The cattle Gaurds were interesting too. See you in Austin..not in the SAG wagon though..

Good luck to everyone participating in the ride! :beer:

I've posted in other places but thought I'd try here.
I am a big fan of the artist who is doing the art for the race. His name is Shepard Fairey and I have been collecting his art for years. He usually sells his art online but this one is only being given to those who are entered in the race. It is probably something you all want to save as a souvenir, but maybe your spouse is riding too. I will either pay you for the print or will make a donation in your name to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Please contact me at tuumi@hotmail.com (tuumi@hotmail.com) if this is something you would be willing to consider.
Thanks,
Chris

Did anyone else run this morning? I got suckered in to it, but it was a lot of fun. LAF really does an awesome job with this event.

I'm stoked for the ride tomorrow! Good luck everyone!

What a gorgeous day for a bike ride. I hope everyone had as much fun riding as I did helping you out. I look forward to seeing you all again next year. The date will be announced in the next few days.
I especially want to thank the Boy Scouts working rest stops 5 and 6. They were great.
I only ran across one interloper. I still can't figure out why anyone would want to steal from a charity. This guy was riding a $2500 bike and wearing a kit from some racing team. I guess he spent too much for that stuff and didn't have any left to pay the entry fee. When I told him the rest stop refreshments were only for paid riders, he grabbed a handful of Power Gels and took off.

you should have taken his picture and posted it :-) Would be interesting to see if he was a member here.

you should have taken his picture and posted it

Along with the word "FAIL" in the picture.

Just curious, how did you know he was an interloper?

I wasn't there, but I did the Philly LiveStrong Challenge. I am assuming the freeloader didn't have an event number. They were supplied for each rider's jersey, bike, and helmet at the Philly event.

Did anyone get the total climbing from the 90 mile (i.e. garmin) for the Austin Livestrong?

Total climbing on my Garmin was 4571'.

Thank you "Z"

The last elevation number I gave was: 4571' from Garmin Training Center

MotionBased is showing it as: 5715'

Any ideas on this?

Go with the Garmin number.

Did anyone see the girl riding in jeans and a LS cotton shirt (on a road bike)? She had no numbers but I saw her several times early on...I was trying to figure out if she was just out for a ride or was doing the route or what.

Oh and here is me with the hotty from rest stop #7. :thumb:

http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeej440/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/Stop7.JPG

Hey all!

I just got home from Austin after completing the 45 mile ride...I can honestly say it was the hardest thing I have ever done and definitely one of the most rewarding things I have ever done.:thumb:

This ride was incredible. The volunteers were totally awesome and it was incredibly well-organized. I nearly cried when I left for the start of the ride and all those wonderful people were along the sides cheering for us.

What I especially loved was, at times when I was struggling and thinking I wasn't going to make it, riders would pass me and encourage me to hang in there and keep going...it was impossible to give up in the face of such support and encouragement.

If you were one of those who passed me up and cheered me on, THANK YOU! If you were a volunteer, THANK YOU!

I'll try to post some pictures later...

PhotoKat

Grasschopper, dag gone it, I was riding right with you for a bit Sunday, and I did not know it was you, but when I saw your picture , I recognized you. I was one of the two wearing the Disney - Tri team jersey! Had a great ride!

Grasschopper, dag gone it, I was riding right with you for a bit Sunday, and I did not know it was you, but when I saw your picture , I recognized you. I was one of the two wearing the Disney - Tri team jersey! Had a great ride!

beeballman - yea I recall seeing a couple of those jerseys along the way. I was thinking of wearing a BF jersey...guess I should have done it.