Riding, come hell or high water

When you ride in the rain, or just after a rain it can make for a good ride. One, it's cooler, and two, the trail is more packed down...allowing for more speed.

There is a downside to riding in those conditions though...

The post ride clean up. It can be a real pain in the ass.

While on the subject of today's ride, I just HAVE to share a story. One of the guys I was riding with was using a Titus Racer X. A female friend of his wanted to try it out, so he adjusted the seat and let her take it for a spin. Here's the funny part. She pedals off and he tells her to jump up and down on the bike (which was for her to feel the suspension working), she answers back with, "What, is that how you shift?" I had to laugh, I couldn't help it. It was comedy gold.

Spin to win

Since I started riding, my bike handling skills have gotten progressively better. Getting in shape has helped the most. I would say that my bike handling skills are...better than average- not too shabby, but there is room for improvement. But the one thing that I've been focusing on as of late, is my pedaling. I think I'm doing pretty well with my pedal stroke. The one thing that has taken some work, or at least in need of constant reminding, is my pedal cadence. I have always tried turning a bigger gear...I think due in no small part that my legs kept giving out after a while. I now have the leg strength and lung strength to keep pedaling at a higher cadence for a sustained period of time.
The case for turning higher rpms via a high cadence is compelling. In the same gear, going from 60rpm to 120rpms will double your speed. The less gear changing you do, the better off you are. On my ride today, I really concentrated on turning a gear that would enable me to get a higher cadence. I found out that it really works. By picking a gear that enabled me to spin at a higher cadence, I averaged a very respectable 11.2mph, while at the same time, allowing my HR to average around 144bpm with a max of 177bpm.
I just gotta keep practicing it, or focus on doing it I should say.

No pics today. Camera batteries died. That was a lame-o excuse, I know...but it's all I could come up with on short notice.

Update: Reloaded

Remember how I said I did that test to determine my max HR, and I came to the conclusion that the figure that the monitor devised was more or less correct? Yeah, well...forget I ever mentioned any of that. I still have reason to believe that that monitor derived figure is a ways off, but dammit, I'm just not gonna talk about it anymore. F**k it.

On to something else...

The bike is golden. Other than that issue with my rear cassette, and some recent shifting problems(which have been rectified. Finally.), the bike is performing brilliantly. It's fast, nimble, and plush, just to coin a few catchy, colorful, phrases.
Ohh, and if you've never tried Kenda Nevegal's, I can highly recommend them. They hook up extremely well. I've ridden on hardpack, sand, leaves/pine straw, mud...and they've handled all those conditions with ease. They are hands down the best tires I've ever used.

It's 1:45 in the morning. I'm tired, I'm going to bed. Tomorrow I'll try and have something more witty, or at least more interesting. No guarantees though.

Update

I've done some field tests, and I've come to the conclusion that the reading I got the other day was wrong. Maybe the transmitter wasn't fitted properly, or something. I'd say that a max of 184bpm is fairly close to being accurate, maybe as high as 186-188bpm, but not much more than that.

At least I know. I think.

Gettin' technical

On Monday I took delivery of a heart rate monitor. I figured it was important to get one, so I could monitor the intensity of my workouts- make sure I'm getting the most out of my training. I already know what you're thinking... I'm turning into one of those fitness/cycling geeks. Well... maybe I am. It sure as hell beats the alternative.
I saw a picture of myself from a year ago, and I can safely say that I like where I'm at, or where I'm going, compared to where I was at a year ago.

Anyway, back to the HR monitor. I got a real snazzy version. A Polar S725. It does just about everything except make coffee. I've still got a few bugs to work out to get the most out of it, but what little I've used it so far, I'm diggin' it.

I did the fitness test and found out I was in better shape than I was thinking, so that made me happy. But... the max HR estimation is off, by how much I'm not sure.
The test indicated I have a max HR of 184. Well, today I got some riding in, and decided to use my monitor. While on Carbo I glanced down at my monitor, and the HR surprised me. It read 183. Now, I'm no expert when it comes to heart rates and the like, but since at that moment I was not doing a max effort, AND my heart wasn't about to pound right out of my chest, I think it's safe to say that 184 is NOT my max HR. The intensity I was riding at was a pretty decent tempo, but it was one I could sustain for quite a while, and overall I was feeling pretty good, so there is no way that I could've been at 183bpm and my max HR be 184...just not possible.
I have a test I can do, that will give me a good idea of my true max HR. I'll most likely do it tomorrow. Other than that one issue though, I'm glad I took the plunge into the world of HR monitors.


If you've read this far...I'm impressed. I'm rattling on about a heart rate monitor, and you read the whole damn thing!;)

Mind Numbingly BO-Ring

I think this says it all, right?

I'm being forced back indoors for my ride today. Florida sure isn't living up to its nickname, "The Sunshine State". I'm thinking of suing for false advertisement, or breach of contract.
I'm gonna cut this entry short, so I can put some Amino Vital in my water bottle, slip into my cycling gear, hop on my bike and explore the wonderful scenery my living room has to offer.

Good News. Bad News

The good news is, I got to ride outside yesterday. The trails are in fairly decent shape. There is some debris, but nothing major. During the ride, a branch did claim one rider though. It caught his rear derailleur and tore it right off.

Now, the bad news. Rain. That's right, we got rained on. Fortunately, it didn't rain for long, but it came down long enough to get me soggy, and make my bike a mess...which is what really annoys me about riding in the rain. After an hour of cleaning I did get the bike looking good again. There must be a pound of sand that came off the bike. Yikes.

A poor substitute

I haven't seen the trails after Dennis came thru, but if the lack of damage that I've seen in my travels are any indicator, then the trails should be in decent shape. Dave and Pat were gonna check out the trails this afternoon, hopefully they found no downed trees, only branches and junk. I hope that the trails will be good to go by the weekend.

For now, I'm relegated to training indoors...


With the company of the Trek/Volkswagen MTB team...


Using that video offers an excellent workout. Besides the specific workout (intervals), you're pedaling for a solid hour. When you're out in the real world, on a real trail, there are times when you're not pedaling- crossing various obstacles, railing tight turns, steep descents, etc. That continuous pedaling really can do wonders for your endurance. I guess that's why so many serious mtn bikers train some on a road bike. But since I just spent some serious coin a new mtn bike, Sean is in no hurry to buy another bike.
Despite the benefits of the workout, there is one glaring disadvantage to riding indoors. Scenery...or a lack of.
I'm either staring at my blinds, or vegging out to this...

I really don't like staring at the tv while doing this workout. I know it might seem strange to put a dvd on, but not watch it. I have a method to my madness though. See that little clock in the bottom center of the screen? That clock is the bane of my indoor training existence, my nemesis, if you will. I'll be in the middle of a 2 minute max effort, thinking I'm almost halfway done with that 2 minutes then I'll look at the screen and see that I've only been pedaling for 45 seconds. Look again, 55 seconds. Again, 1:03. "Dammit, when is this interval gonna be over!?!?" So, there you go... that's why I try my darndest not to look at the screen. I haven't perfected my strategy though. I still look at the screen MANY times throughout the workout.

If it makes me a stronger rider, I guess it's worth it though. At least that's what I keep telling myself.

Dennis the Menace

Hurricane Dennis made landfall Sunday afternoon. The hurricane came ashore approximately 35 miles West of here. Fortunately, I was nowhere to be found. I was hanging out in Jacksonville...playing tourist over in St Augustine.
Because Dennis moved so fast, and got downgraded a touch before making landfall, the area was spared. When I pulled into town I was pleasantly surprised at the damage, or lack of. A few signs are down, and some tree branches litter the area, but that's it. Now, if the trails are in good shape...

I'll try and post some pictures once I get a chance to travel around and survey the region.

Takin' it up a notch...

Since yesterday's ride sucked so hard, I gave it another go today. It was a group ride, so I wasn't exactly sure how many miles I'd get in. I went a little early to get a few extra miles in before the main ride started.

Despite not getting as many miles in as I wanted, it was a great ride. We started with Carbo, which is the longest trail out there, and the toughest, at least from an aerobic standpoint. It has about 6 climbs spread thru it's 5 mile length. They're not long climbs, but they're more than enough when you're from Florida.

As you can tell from the photo, we had quite the crowd...the faster riders were up front, with the slower riders bringing up the rear. Dave was in the lead, then myself, followed by Pat. Dave has always been damn fast, especially on the straight aways. Well, today I got a good picture of my fitness level compared to others. Dave, as usual was maintaining a good pace on the flats, but on the climbs I was actually overtaking him. Nobody has any idea how good that made me feel. The day got better though.

The next trail on the agenda was Pine Dogs, an easy, fast 2 mile trail. Pat led off this time, with me in tow. Pat is an endurance racer, specializing in solo 12 & 24 hr mtb events. This is where the story gets really cool (at least it's cool to me). Over the next 2 miles I actually kept up with Pat, never letting him get more than 100-150ft ahead of me. The two of us finished a good 2 minutes ahead of the rest of the group.

After one more trail, most of the group said "adios". Pat and I wanted to get some more mileage in. For the next 20 minutes I kept Pat within my sights. While I was feeling the effects of the sustained effort, I can't say that I was close to blowing up, which was a good thing...an excellent thing! In that 20 minutes (I think the exact number was around 21 minutes and change) we did about 6 miles. That's somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 or 16 mph average for that time frame. I had to recheck that number a couple times.

So, why did I type all this? Well, basically I was extremely happy with myself for hanging in there with an endurance racer, an endurance racer that is a good 5" shorter than me, and at least 40lbs lighter. He's looking for someone to push him, and I need something similar. I think I've found a good training bud.

That's all for now, gotta go see where Hurricane Dennis is gonna hit. It's not looking good right now, but I'm praying for the best.

Eight Legged Freaks

Today was due to be my 2hr ride day. The remnants of Tropical Storm Cindy came thru this morning, and I wasn't certain I'd be riding...but it cleared off nicely, so out I went. That's where the good news stops. It went downhill from there. Since it had been raining this morning, I was the first one out on the trails. With no one out there, the local wildlife was out in force. I'm refering to the species known as arachnid...the Golden Orb Spider to be specific. These insidious little critters are some serious web builders, and guess where they build those webs? That's correct, right in the trail, and damn near eye level.


Riding in the shade of the woods, you don't see the damned things till you're like a foot away, and if you're moving along at a good clip, you're gonna run right into the web before you can stop.
Let me tell ya, having to stop and clear webs/spiders off your person screws up your riding tempo. I "cleared" one loop, so I decided in the interest of a decent workout that I'd just keep repeating that loop. By that time though the damage was done, I was off my pace and I wasn't in my groove. So, after 1hr and 10 miles I said "the hell with it." I'll try again tomorrow.

If it's not rain, it's spiders...I swear.

Happy 4th of July!

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July...

Had a big shindig here; food, fireworks, more food. Had a friend/business associate come over a bit early so we could ride. This fella is a total noob, and so I went out with the intention of keeping it easy, and not going too fast as to leave him in unfamiliar territory. Still, I ended up burying him. I thought I was going really slow, but not slow enough. I normally average in the 11mph range, but today I was around the 8 mph mark...and still he couldn't handle it. Not 10 minutes into the ride, he totally blew up. I've been there, so I wanted to do my best not to punish him...so, causing him to implode like that was unintentional. After about 10-12 minutes of rest, and one of my energy gels, we got going again. It ended up being a VERY casual ride for me today. Oh well, I guess I'll have to go for an extra ride this week to make up for it.

At least he didn't walk away from the ride hating mtbing.

The Hurt Locker

Stage 1 of the Tour de France began today, with a time trial. Jan Ullrich, who is Lance's main rival, had an accident yesterday (while on a training ride, he got a little too close to his support vehicle and went head first thru the rear window), and it ended up costing him...I think it's safe to say that it cost him the Tour. In the TT riders go out 60 seconds apart. Ullrich went out, and 60 seconds later, Lance took off. Lance ended up passing Ullrich. That's gotta sting.

It was a great first stage. Lance did well enough in the time trial that his key rivals are all a minute or more off his time. Add in the fact that a total of 4 Americans made the top 10, and it was indeed a good day.

I do have one thing to say to the French...grow up!

Two days ago, every rider was tested for banned substances. Then, yesterday a French governmental sporting agency randomly tested one rider. Can anyone guess which rider that was? You got it. Lance Armstrong. When are you people gonna figure it out? He's clean! He's clean, and he's got that rare combination of ability, endurance, and strength that makes him the greatest cyclist of this generation. End of discussion.

Lucky Seven

Well, today (7/2) Lance Armstrong begins his attempt for #7, and this will be his last Tour as well.

I'm not a big fan of Armstrong as a person, but as an athlete, I have boatloads of respect for him.

Go get 'em Lance!

Groove

Chalk up another 20 miles today. That's two long rides, for a total of 50 miles this week. In just over a month and a half, I've put 200+ miles on the new bike. All this mileage should start paying off soon...especially now that I'm doing these longer rides on a regular basis.

On a related note...
We're in the midst of summer here in Florida, and a cool ride means temperatures in the upper 80's. 90+ degrees is the norm (I sure hope we don't see any 100s, but that's another story). In times past, despite having a CamelBak filled with 60-70 oz of water, I'd come home from a ride and develop a headache within a couple of hours (as long as I can remember heat gave me a headache). Well, lately I've changed some things. First off, I read how you can drink too much water, and that the human body can not replace fluids at the same rate you lose it (which makes sense if you think about it). The article went on to say that depending on your size, you can only use about 20-30 oz of water per hour. So, I started using a drink mix in a 20 oz water bottle, and then carrying maybe 25-30 oz in my CamelBak as a backup. The next thing was the drink mix I was using. I got a free sample of Powerbar Endurance mix, and I tried it and liked it, so I bought a big ole container of it. I've been using it for the last month or so.
Now, I'm not sure if it was the amount of liquid I was drinking, the drink mix, or a combination, but it has done wonders for me in this heat. I would almost go so far as to say that the heat has not been an issue as a result.

I can highly recommend Powerbar's Endurance mix. It's not nasty tasting...trust me.