Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition

What you need to know before climbing the Watershed  Note: Within the watershed, there are two routes. At the divide, you can go toward Saluda (right) or Hendersonville (stay straight). Distance:  Starting from Callahan Mountain road, the first section to the divide is 4.14 miles. Toward Hendersonville, it's another ~2.89 miles until the top of the climb (~6.45 miles total). Toward Saluda, it's another 2.6 miles to the top of the climb (~6.13 miles). The top of either climb takes you into NC. Elevation gain:  Toward Hendersonville, you start at 1208 feet and finish at 2274 feet (1049 feet elevation gain). Toward Saluda, you start at 1208 feet and finish at 2114 feet (897 feet elevation gain) Grade:  According to my Garmin, the average grade heading toward Hendersonville is 3%. The average grade heading toward Saluda is 2.8%. There are some short segments around 4-6% but there's nothing steep. I feel the Hendersonville climb is a little more pitchy compar...

What you need to know before climbing the Green River Cove Loop  Note: The Green River Cove loop has a little bit of everything. This 20-mile loop includes descending, 3 very steep short climbs, a scenic flat section and a 2.3 mile climb with over 17 switchbacks. Because there is a lot going on in this loop, I'll break it down into three specific sections: The beginning, middle and end. Distance:  Starting from the gas station on Holbert Cove Drive (by hwy 26), the beginning section is 9.57 miles (left on Silver Creek Road - your first stop sign to the church. You then make a left on Green River Cove Rd). The middle section (starting at the church) is 8.3 miles. The end section (the actual climb with at least 17 tight switchbacks) is 2.29 miles. And then back to the gas station is about 1.7 miles. Elevation gain:  Since this is a loop, you start and finish at the same elevation (2010 feet). For the actual climb at the end, the elevation gain is 904 feet (in 2.29 ...

What you need to know before climbing Saluda Grade Distance:  Starting from the gas station at 176, the climb to Saluda is 7.67 miles. However, the first few miles are fairly flat. The actual climbing guesstimate is around 3.88 miles. Elevation gain:  Start at 974 feet and finish at 2118 feet (total gain = 1537 feet). Grade:  According to my Garmin, the average grade is ~2% with most of the climb averaging around 4-5%. It's a steady climb with a few sections where the grade kicks up a bit. There are some more demanding segments that are around 6-9% but there is nothing crazy steep on this climb. Road condition:  The road condition is excellent. It's very smooth. This is a treat compared to our bumpy roads in SC (this climb is in NC). Scenery:  This is a very scenic climb. With a rock wall and trees on your right and a river flowing below the trees on you on the left, you can't help but feel at peace during this climb. You are literally tucked into ...

What you need to know before climbing Caesar's Head Distance:  The actual climb from Hwy 11 is 7.83miles. Elevation gain:  Start at 1078 feet and finish at 3228 feet (total gain = 2084 feet). Grade:  According to my Garmin, the average grade is ~5%. There is nothing crazy steep on the climb but there are two or three segments (right after a switchback) where the grade switches to over 8%. Around 5 miles into the climb, there is a short section that is "flat" - which provides a nice change and a great place to actively recover. It doesn't last long as within a few minutes, you are back climbing again. Road condition:  The road condition is ok but not great. There are several bumps and cracks. There are a few smoother sections that have been recently repaved, but it's more bumpy than smooth. While it's fine for climbing, there are some rough patches in the switchbacks - which requires excellent bike handling skills when descending on a switchback. ...

"Every mountain top is within reach if you just keep climbing." Unless you live by, in, on or near the mountains, it's not every day that you can get on your bike from your front doorstep and ride up and down a mountain.  Karel and I consider ourselves really lucky in that we can ride from our house and within 10 minutes we can climb Paris Mountain. In less than 2 miles, we are on bike-friendly, country roads with endless options for riding. Although we do not do the long mountain climbs very often in our training, it is a nice treat to know that we can climb a mountain anytime we want without having to drive our bikes anywhere. And if you haven't figured it out yet, Karel and I love to climb! It was a no-brainer that we would give our campers an opportunity to climb a mountain (or two) during camp. Not only would it provide great stress on the body for our campers to climb (without stopping) for up to an hour but it would also force our athletes to dig deep an...