PT55 Peninsula Traverse

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• Steep 32% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
• 663m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 31.6km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 50.0km.
• Start · 0.0km–2.0km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 2.0km–15.2km · Climb of 424m, high point 603m, descent of 663m averaging 11%. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 15.2km–31.6km · Climb of 526m, descent of 729m averaging 9%. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them.
• Fade · 31.6km–50.0km · Plus 2 more climbs and 1 descent. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 50.0km–55.2km · Descent of 387m averaging 7%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Long descent: keep it even and let go only near the end.

Course

The course climbs 2644m+. With 47m/km of climbing, this is a true mountain course with sustained climbs and descents. By gradient, 38% of the distance is uphill, 40% downhill and 22% flat. The longest climb runs 7.9km at an average 6.6% grade (526m of vertical). The longest descent runs 8.5km at an average 8.6% grade (729m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 38.7% over 0.6km. The steepest descent drops at 31.9% over 0.3km. Surface: 65% trail, 19% road, and 13% smooth.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 10.4km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is moderate (index 33 of 100), with 57% of the load in the first half: 2 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.

• Ease into the early runnable section, save your quads on the descents until 31.6km, then run your race pace, and go all out on the final descent from 50.0km.
• #1 · 9.0–15.2 km · 663 m D−, -10.7% · 40.1 km ahead → control
• #2 · 23.1–31.6 km · 729 m D−, -8.6% · 23.6 km ahead → control
• 36.8–44.9 km · 449 m D−, -5.6% · 10.3 km ahead → your pace
• 50.0–55.2 km · 387 m D−, -7.5% · 0.0 km ahead → even, let go at the end