Philadelphia Dirty Dozen: November 3rd, 2007 @ 9:30 AM

Saturday, November 3rd, 2007. 9:30 AM sharp leaving from Cadence Cycling & Multisport Centers, 4323 Main St. Philadelphia, PA 19127

Description:
The Philadelphia Dirty Dozen is a 40 mile ride consisting of 13 challenging climbs in Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties. The format is a points race, with points going to the top 5 men and top 5 women (8-5-3-2-1) up each climb. A whistle will be blown at the start of each climb (rolling start) to signal the start. Riders will regroup at the top of every climb and ride slowly to the next climb. The organizer will try to mark the start of each climb and the 200m to go mark. Local riders will be familiar with many of these climbs, but many will be climbs not typically ridden. All riders welcome.

Entry Fee: $0

Great Advice:
A compact or triple crankset would be ideal for this course, with a lowest gear of 25-27 in the back. Some of these climbs are very steep! (Maybe not as steep as in Pittsburgh… but it will be a good warmup)

Prizes:
First Place: Greatest Climber in the World; Second Place: First Loser, Third Place: Should train better

History:
The Dirty Dozen was started by former RAAM winner Danny Chew in Pittsburgh in 1983. Every year (except 1993) Danny has been organizing the event, usually held the weekend after Thanksgiving. Winners include former professional cyclists Rob Acciavatti, Gunnar Shogren and Josh Smith. Most recently, Meredith Group/GPOA/Cannondale’s own Steevo Cummings has won the 2004, 2005 and 2006 versions. For more information, go to http://www.dannychew.com/

Warnings:
This is not a closed course. Riders ride at their own risk and they must obey the rules of the road. The organizer will not be held responsible for any incidents or accidents that may occur. That said, we will try to have one person at the top scoring the points and another person at any turns or intersections on the climb. Once you are finished each climb, get out of the way of the other riders and out of the way of the traffic. Do not go back down the climb until all riders have finished.

Other Notes:
This is meant to be a fun event. Competitiveness is encouraged, but please be respectful of the other riders, the event organizer and traffic. Point disputes must be resolved before the start of the next climb. Riders may be disqualified or relegated at the discretion of the organizer for starting the climb early, for dangerous behavior or for any other reason.

Contact Info:
Contact Colin Sandberg at capninsano42@msn.com or (330) 647-3977. Updates and course notes will be posted at http://colinsandbergevents.blogspot.com/


Route Description:

Main St. to Bridge. Left on Belmont Ave.

#1: La Collina. Penn Avenue (becomes Ashland at Price S.) from Belmont to Mary Watersford. Don’t turn right on Price.
Right on Mary Watersford at top of climb

#2: Flat Rock. Flat Rock Rd. from Mary Waterford to Hidden River
Right on Hidden River. Right on Sprague. Right on Hollow Rd. Be careful on descent (cars coming off of 76) Under overpass & U-turn.

#3: Hollow Rd/Hagys Ford. Hollow Rd from River Rd. Right Turn on Hagy’s Ford to top of hill.
Right on Hollow Rd. Right on Conshohocken State (Rt. 23) Hard right on Mill Creek Rd. Left on Rose Glen.

#4: Rose Glen: Rose Glen to Maple Hill. Left on Maple Hill up to turn around at park.
Back down Maple Hill Rd. Left on Rose Glen. Right on Youngsford Rd. Left on Stony Lane. Hard Right to stay on Stony Lane. Left on Spring Mill. Right on Conshohocken State Rd. Down to Bottom of Hill. Stay straight on Front St. Left on Ford St. Right on Cedar Ave.

#5: Cedar Ave to dead end.
Back down Josephine. Right on Ford St (becomes Matson Ford) Right on Gulph Rd. Right on Rebel Hill

#6: Rebel Hill: Rebel Hill to Lemonton. Left on Lemonton Way. Lemonton to Timothy Cir.
Back down Lemonton. Right on Rebel Hill. Left on Old Gulph Rd. Left on Matson Ford. Right on County Line

#7: County Line: County Line Rd. from Gulph Creek Rd. to Upper Gulph.
Left on Upper Gulph. Right on Hollow Rd. Turns into Gypsy Lane. Left on Hughes.

#8: Hughes Rd from Gypsy Lane to Weadly Rd.
Right on Weadley Rd. Right on Gulph Rd. Right on Swedeland, quick right on Gulph. Left on Balligomingo. Right on Front St. Stay Straight through light on Spring Garden.

#9: Spring Garden St from Conshohocken State to top of Hill. Bear Left on Merion St. Careful at start of climb going through light.
Back down hill. Right on Ford St. to cross river. Right on Bike path. Bike Path to Train Station. Left on Station. Right on Elm St. Bear Right to go up Barren Hill

#10: Barren Hill from Elm St. to Ridge. Careful of traffic. End of climb is at Stop Ahead sign before Ridge.
Right on Ridge. Right on Manor Rd. Manor Rd to bottom of hill. Right on River Rd. Right on Hart’s Lane.

#11: Hart’s Lane from River Rd. to Kinder Rd (top of last ascent before Barren Hill).
Right on Barren Hill. Right on Ridge. Right on Manor Rd. back down to bottom of hill. Left on River Rd. Left over tracks towards bike path.

#12: Port Royal (cobbled climb) from River Rd. (bottom of hill before tracks) to Eva St.
Right on Eva St/ right on Shawmont. Bear Left on Umbria. Right on Leverington. Left on Main St. Left on Levering.

#13: The Manayunk Wall. Levering St. Right on Cresson St. Left on Levering. Levering to Pechin.

Big Hearts

Hearts of Tour de France cyclists are bigger than normal, doctors say
By MARIA CHENG, AP Medical Writer September 3, 2007

VIENNA, Austria (AP) -- Riding the grueling Tour de France bike race takes strength, stamina -- and perhaps a heart nearly 40 percent bigger than normal.

Researchers who examined the hearts of former Tour bikers found that the athletes' hearts were from 20 to 40 percent larger than average, said Dr. Francois Carre of the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Rennes, France, speaking at a meeting of the European Society of Cardiology.

The difference is attributable largely to rigorous training that expands the cyclists' hearts. But researchers have not yet determined whether the athletes' hearts were larger to begin with.

"They are a special breed," said Dr. Richard Becker, a professor of medicine at Duke University and spokesman for the American Heart Association. Becker was not connected to Carre's study.

Scientists have long noticed the phenomenon of the "athlete's heart." Athletes who train hard in aerobic sports, such as cycling, running or swimming, tend to have a bigger heart that pumps more blood throughout the body.

The heart's walls become thicker to be able to handle the increased blood volume. That gives the athletes an edge by increasing their oxygen levels and improving their endurance.

Carre's study, funded by the Brittany provincial government in France, is perhaps the first to track what happens to athletes' hearts when they stop training.

Medical tests done on all Tour de France cyclists before the race begins showed virtually all have enlarged hearts, Carre said. "When you see an athlete's heart test, you know right away that it's not a normal person," he said.

In his study, Carre tracked seven former professional cyclists through their final year of competition and three years of retirement.

Once a year, the cyclists took tests to check the size and function of the heart. They were also tested on their fitness levels.

Carre found that the athletes' hearts shrank nearly a quarter in size after they finished riding professionally. Still, the cyclists remained in excellent physical condition.

"Some athletes have a genetic predisposition to perform better," Carre said. "But we found that in these cyclists, their hearts adapted to the hard training conditions by just getting bigger."

The intense training that Tour de France athletes undergo to race in a three-week-long competition cycling up and down mountains is arguably among the toughest in professional sports.

"When you examine Tour de France athletes, they are probably among the best-trained athletes in the world," said Dr. Alfred Bove, a physician for the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team and vice president of the American College of Cardiology. "This study shows us that even in extreme conditions, the body finds a way to adapt."

Bove said that in athletes with bigger hearts, doping could prove potentially more dangerous than for normal people.

Athletes with bigger hearts have more red blood cells, which deliver oxygen around the body. These cells are thicker than normal cells. So if athletes decide to use an illegal agent like the blood-booster EPO, they run the risk of making their blood too thick. That puts them in danger of a clot, stroke, or heart attack.

"These athletes already have hearts that have increased in volume to adapt to their training workload," Bove said. "If they then go and use drugs, that could potentially erase the natural advantage they already have."

Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved

US Pro Road Championship LIVE

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Updated: Saturday Morning Coffee Run

Start Time: Saturday, 8:00a
Start Location: Tommy Gunn's BBQ, 4901 Ridge Ave, Manayunk (across from Septa bus depot)

Decription: Ride leaves from BBQ at 8:00a and is approx 2.5 hours (flat w/some hills). The route will probably be rolling hills with a few climbs since a few riders are preparing for the upcoming Schuylkill Century. Typically includes riders of various skill levels. Ride ends at La Colombe Cafe, Manayunk.

Saturday Morning Coffee Run

Start Time: Saturday, 7:30a (possibly 8a...check back later in the week for a def. time)
Start Location: Tommy Gunn's BBQ, 4901 Ridge Ave, Manayunk (across from Septa bus depot)

Decription: Ride leaves from BBQ at 7:30a and is approx 2.5 hours (flat w/some hills). The route will probably be rolling hills with a few climbs since a few riders are preparing for teh upcoming Schuylkill Century. Typically includes riders of various skill levels. Ride ends at La Colombe Cafe, Manayunk.

"Pure Sweet Hell" Cyclocross Video

This looks like it could be habit forming...

2007 Team Photo