Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Slippin' and Slidin' at Sugar

Ok, I'm finally at some internet access...access that actually has some speed to it.
How 'bout we get to the gory details of my race at Sugar Mtn? I had returned from Vermont with the hopes that things would be dry for the NC race, as I'd had more than my share of wet riding. Alas, that was not to be. In any event, I was looking for some redemption after some bad juju got the better of me at Mt Snow. I didn't get to pre ride the course until late Friday afternoon, but as I was already familiar with the course, it was no big deal. There were some changes, but nothing too dramatic.

I was quite surprised when I came around the corner and saw this. Not exactly the kind of stuff you expect to see on/near a cross country mtb course.


There was some mud in attendance on the course, but the climbs were all rideable. The techy descents were kinda iffy. If the course dried any at all, the technical parts would be rideable as well.

Wouldn't you know it...it rained in the early hours Saturday. What you had been able to ride the day before, now had to be walked, unless you wanted to expend valuable energy trying to pedal up it. This race was about getting across the finish line first, not about your ability to clean a muddy climb. You burn to much energy getting thru the mud and you might not have anything left for the rest of the race.
The race starts well, in fact, I get the holeshot. I came to my senses though, and backed off the gas a bit. Getting the holeshot, only to crack 15 min later was not in my race strategy. A couple guys come around me, and at this point I'm more than willing to let them go, but keep them in sight. This race is pretty tough, in that the steepest climbs are at the beginning of the course. There are three steep pitches within the first mile or so. By the second pitch I notice the leaders are starting to get a gap on me. The legs are feeling a little heavy, and I just can't produce the effort to reel the front guys in. My effort keeps the rest of the pack off my back, but I just can't close the gap...in fact, over the course of the first lap the gap grows to the point where I've lost sight of the leaders.

I'm nearing the section where the course levels some, and I notice that one fella is riding back up to me. I dig deep to get over the last of the climbing so I can recover and gain some speed on the flatter ground. My effort works and I don't see that guy again. I motor up the last big climb, and while not as steep as the early stuff, it is a real kick in the nuts, as it just keeps going and going. Once you get to the top though, you're pretty much home free. A little singletrack, and a few rolling paved/gravel roads and you're ready to descend down the mountain so you can repeat the pain...I mean process.

I had originally hoped/planned to ride as much of the techy stuff as possible, but the rain had really messed that up. What had been good lines the day before were no longer the good lines. The "lines" were just that...lines. A tire wide groove thru greasy, sticky black mud. If your wheel went out of the groove, then you most likely would lose momentum due to sliding out, catching a rock/root, running into a tree, or a combination of. If you stop and/or crash, then the chances of remounting were slim...so it then becomes time to do your best cyclocrosser impression.


It made me feel better that some of the pros had to "hike-a-bike" it as well.


I make it thru the last technical section intact, and then I'm rewarded with a fast, if slippery, descent to the base of the mountain...so I can do it all over again. Hitting the climbs a second time, I can feel that my legs are slowing down more and more. I maintain a decent tempo, but my legs don't have the snap that I'm used to. By the time I hit the final long climb I'm spinning just trying to keep a rhythm going. I may have been stronger than I thought, as I never ever saw any of the guys behind me, but I sure felt slow and tired.

The straightaway to the descent finally appears, and now all I have to do is ride smart and not make any stupid mistakes. I'd still like to hit the good lines and ride most of the hard stuff, but I certainly won't risk too much on this last lap.

I catch onto the wheel of a rider from one of the younger classes and ride behind(not for lack of trying to get around him though) him to the finish line.

As I cross the finish line, I hear the announcer say that I was in 4th place. All things considered, getting a podium spot didn't hurt my feelings at all. Imagine my surprise though, when I'm standing at the awards ceremony and they call my name for 3rd place.


Yep, a bronze medal.


My podium spot at Sugar was redemption for Mt Snow. If I had been at 100% form/fitness I have no doubt that I would not have let those guys ride away from me on the first lap...but, that's racing. Sometimes you've got it, and sometimes you don't. I fought hard that day, and had to dig deep to get the placing I did. It is a result that I am as pleased with as any win I've had to date.

This week will be a transition week, where I won't do any structured training. When I ride, it will be purely for fun. I've also got to plan out the remainder of my 2007 race schedule. There are several races to choose from over the next few months.

Ohh, I've also got one hell of a cleaning job to do on my bike.


I sprayed off my bike after the race, and it is still dirtier than it gets in 3 months of riding here in Florida.


Over the next few days I'll post pics from both races.


Thursday, July 26, 2007

In between

I haven't dropped off the face of the planet...I'm currently stuck in dial-up hell. That's why I haven't added any more pics, but I'll do it as soon as I can poach some wi-fi.

I've been taking it really easy this week, as my legs were pretty sore after Vermont. The good news is, the legs are back to normal. Yay!
Tomorrow morning I'll be heading over to Banner Elk for the Sugar Mtn NMBS race. It looks like conditions will be kinda damp, but it can't be any worse than Mt Snow was, so it's all good.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

US National Mudfest

My pre-ride on Thursday was messy, to say the least, but it was nothing compared to race day. On paper, conditions should've improved. The rain had stopped in the wee hours of Friday morning, and the sun came out. Unfortunately, this made the course even nastier. Thursday, the mud wasn't too much worse than dirty water, but Friday the mud was the consistency of peanut butter.


The fire road climbs were the only sections that benefited from the sun coming out. Even then there were a couple sections that the steepness combined with the mud meant that you were "hike-a-biking" it.


I probably spent 20 or so minutes per lap walking/running my bike. Thank God the organizers reduced our race down to 2 laps...I could not imagine doing that course (in that condition) 3 times, or even the original 4.



My race didn't go as I had envisioned it. Not 50 ft from the line I go down...right in front of LOTS of people. My drivetrain locked up. My chain hung up or something and I came to a stop as if I had grabbed my brakes. Actually, it was the second time it happened within 50ft, but the first time I was able to keep moving and get the chain freed/unhooked. I get up and check my bike over, and I don't SEE anything wrong. No visible chainsuck or anything, so I hop back on the bike and try and catch back on to the group that is almost a minute ahead of me.


I try not to panic and up my pace so high that I crack, but I still manage to reel a few people in on the climb. Thru the first "techniclimb"(credit for that term goes to Adam Craig) and I'm like WTF? Why am I all over the place? I had been so focused on my drivetrain when I fell, and subsequently trying to catch my competitors that I failed to notice that I'd jacked up my handlebars, and they were crooked. I stop and have to use my multitool to get my handlebars straight. Meanwhile, guys are going past me. Dammit! I get going again, but by this time my HR is not where I'd want it to be...all the drama has me all flustered. Gotta calm down and focus on the race. Just pretend like all this crap didn't happen.



At every climb I catch riders, so I'm doing pretty good. Something that will haunt me thru the entire race though is some overly worn cleats. I either had trouble clipping in, or my foot coming unclipped...always at inopportune moments. I knew they were worn before the race and I had a spare set, but I didn't want to change them out last minute and risk positioning them wrong and causing me some knee pain or somethin'. In retrospect I should've put them on. It was frustrating, because I was doing really well at riding the techy stuff, but if I had to hop off for whatever reason and then I wanted to hop back on, and clip in while moving. Try bobbing over rocks and roots trying to clip in and not bust your ass. I was constantly stopping and starting because of it.


The mud was really taking its toll. Riding, walking, it all sapped the energy out of you. The mud was so thick and sticky in places that I almost walked out of my shoes on several occasions. I make it thru the first lap more or less unscathed, but I have no idea where I am in the standings.
The second lap is a carbon copy of the first lap, without falling in the starting chute. The final insult added to the injury was some cramping. I could pedal without cramping...only the hardest low cadence efforts brought on the twinges of pain. It was the walking that really hurt, and of course there were places I had to walk.
The cramps subside with about 10-15 minutes to go and provides me with the opportunity to drop the hammer as I head for the finish line.

Even with all the drama I finished 18th out of 29 riders. What I am most pleased about is how well I rode the technical stuff. Many of the techy descents I was just bombing down them. Two weeks ago if I had seen pictures of the technical areas I would've said I'd be walking them...no way would I ride that stuff.

It was a hard race, but I'm glad I did it, as it ended up being a personal victory. Who knows how well I would've placed if it weren't for all those annoyances.

I have pictures from the weekend, and I'll post them when I get a chance.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Vermont...

Foggy, rainy, Vermont.


It has been raining all dang day. Yesterday was nice, but I was doing some sightseeing and didn't pre-ride the course. I would've slipped in a ride today, but I was trying to install some more appropriate tires for the conditions, and it didn't go as planned. So... tomorrow, in between the rainstorms I'll fit in a lap or two.
I'm holding out for an improvement in the weather before Friday @ 11am.

Monday, July 09, 2007

The Emperor's New Clothes

My new kit finally came in. If nothing else, I'll at least look like I know what I'm doing.




Morning Cup O' Pain

My pre-race taper began last week and continues this week with a modest 5.5hrs. I had another successful workout today. I don't know what it is, but since last week, all of my interval sessions have gone off like clockwork. The only thing I can think of is that I have more energy in the morning. In the past, my afternoon attempts at doing intervals have met with mixed results.

I'm just gonna accept it, and not ruin a good thing... I'll keep doing all my intervals in the morning.

I leave Thursday for NC for a couple days, before continuing my drive up to Vt.

Saturday, July 07, 2007

London Calling


With a max wattage like that, perhaps I should be racing the Tour!

Ok, so should I call Bullsh*t, or do you want to?
I would love to think that I could hit a max of almost 2000 watts, but alas, that number was an aberrant reading.

Ohh well, there goes my chance of mixing it up with Tom Boonen and Robbie McEwen.

On a completely unrelated note... Today I finished up my week with Anaerobic Capacity intervals. It's been a great week on the bike! I successfully completed all my workouts, which is something I've not done in a long time.

Anaerobic Capacity intervals:
Warm up- 20min <68%
Ride- 3x2min 135%
Recover 1min between sets
Easy pace-3min <68%
Ride- 3x1min 150%
Recover 1min between sets
Easy pace- 3min <68%
Ride- 3x30sec 200%
Recover 1min between sets
Cool down- 15min <68%


Now it's time for a much deserved break. Next week I'll only do 2 interval sessions, one of which will be some hill climbing when I'm up in North Carolina next weekend as I make my way up to Vermont.

Thursday, July 05, 2007

Bringin' it

This is turning into a good week on the bike. I've pulled off two consecutive days of successfully completed interval sessions. V02max yesterday, and sub threshold today.
Sub Threshold ("sweet spot") workout:
Warm up- 15min <68%
Blowout effort- 5min 100%
Easy pace- 5min <68%
Ride- 2x20min 88-94%
Recover 15min between sets
Ride, +105rpm-8-10x1min 85-95%
Cool down- 15min <55%

Tomorrow will be an easy day, and then I plan on wrapping up the week with some intense Anaerobic capacity intervals on Saturday.

I leave next week for Vermont, so these harder efforts this week are super important.

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

It's about damn time!

It feels like it's been ages since I got in some good intervals...wait a minute, it has been ages since I've gotten any intervals in, good or otherwise. Mystery solved. Nevermind. Nothing to see here. Move along.

Seriously though, I had one of those great days on the bike. V02 max intervals were on the menu today...

V02 max intervals
Warm up- 15min <70% FTP (Functional Threshold Power)
Ride- 6x3 min 117% FTP
Recover 3min between sets
Easy pace- 5-6min <70% FTP
Ride- 4x2min 113-120% FTP
Recover 3min between sets
Cool down- 15min <70% FTP

I did all my sets and hit my target wattage numbers. And, the weather cooperated! It wasn't too hot and it didn't rain (which it did quite a bit of yesterday, but that is a story for another time).

Now I think I'm gonna go see Transformers...for a second time.

Independence day

Happy 4th of July!


Now, go out and ride your bike...it's what I'm gonna do.

Sunday, July 01, 2007

Hell ride

On Saturday, several of us did a ride to the gates of hell...and it looked an awful lot like the country roads of N Florida. The ride started off well enough, but the temperature started to take its toll. I went thru 5 bottles in 3hrs 45min and I was still dehydrated by the time I got home. I felt like crap. My head was pounding, my legs were weak, and I was mildly dizzy. When I got in the shower, I just sat down in the tub...didn't have the energy to stand there.

I won't be doing that again any time soon.