All thats left is for the dust to settle

The 12Hrs of Pine Log has come and gone. As of Monday the 31st, I am still trying to recover. I used my laptop and jotted down some notes from each of my laps. I figured if I waited till the race was over I'd not remember most of the details.

So, here are some of my ramblings from the race.


Lap 1

Lap time: 29 min and change (close to 30 min. I forgot to reset my computer)
avg spd: 12.6mph
Mx spd: 19.7mph
Distance: 6.71

Avg HR: 161
Max HR: 188

I started the race for Team Pine Dogs, and the race began with all starting riders having to take off their front and rear wheels, and then putting them on before the race started...talk about a pain in the ass. I would’ve preferred the LeMans start.

The first lap went fairly well. I think nervousness had me, as my lap time was off from the race a few weeks earlier. I got passed by a guy whom I think is a solo rider. This guy was flying. I thought I was draggin' an anchor or somethin'. I think he's gonna blow up before it's over with.
I rode solid. Not great, but good. I think the next lap will go much better.


Lap 2

Lap time: 28:39
avg spd: 14mph
Mx spd: 20mph
Distance: 6.71

Avg HR:175
Max HR: 192

This second lap went much better. I think the wheel changing thing really messed me up...psyched me out if you will. Sophie and I changed up flawlessly, and I was off. I was riding really strong, felt good. About a third of the way in I caught and passed one of the other team riders, from Robin’s Fitness. I would pass 2 more riders before the lap was over. A 4th rider, a soloist, I caught up with right at the end...another 100ft and I could’ve passed him.This was the guy who passed me on the first lap. This doesn't bode well for him.

All in all a good lap.Hopefully I can keep these times going till the night portion.


Lap 3

Lap time: 28:44
Avg spd: 13.8mph
Max spd: 19.6mph
Distance:6.70

Avg HR: 174
Max HR: 189

The third lap went pretty good. I was a tiny bit off my lap two pace... but if I can keep my laps around the 28:30-29 min mark I’ll feel good. The field has really spread out, and you only occasionally come across other riders. I passed two riders this lap, including a boy of about 10 or 11 who was on the trail taking a leak...when you gotta go, you gotta go. I laughed over that one for a few minutes

The fastest teams, unless they have some sort of mechanical issue, will not be caught. There are some expert caliber riders on those teams. We’re about 15 or 16 minutes ahead of Team Possum...W00t! Before the race is over, we should be able to lap them. [Insert evil laugh here]


Lap 4

Lap time: 28:58
Avg spd: 13.8mph
Mx spd: 19.9mph
Distance: 6.71

Avg HR: 164
Max HR: 173

I felt pretty good on this lap, but I could feel my legs are starting to get heavy. Despite that, I still managed to pass Pat, Trudy, and in a last second move into the transition area, a rider from the strong Robin’s Cycle team. I’m thrilled to have passed Pat...now if we can pass a possum!

Next lap will be with lights...here goes nothin’.


Lap 5

Lap time: 31:08
Avg spd: 12.8mph
Max spd: 19.1
Distance: 6.71

Avg HR: 158
Max HR: 168

This was the first of the night laps, and the HID light worked well. The only problem is my legs, they’re just not responding now. My HR is low, but I just don’t have the power to sustain the effort. As a result I went over a 30 min lap time for the first time all day. That said, I still managed to pass someone, and didn't get passed... so it’s all good.
I think we’re within striking range of Team Possum...Hooyah!


Lap 6

Lap time: 31:01
Avg spd: 12.9mph
Mx spd: 18.9
Distance: 6.71

Avg HR: 157
Max HR: 167

This was it, the last lap. I had one goal, and that was to lap Team Possum...I did that, and gave Dave a 45 second lead in his last lap. My legs are shot right now, and my eyes are bloodshot from all the crap in the air. Gonna need some Visine when I get home

I had a great time!

That was my lap by lap account of the race. The reports got shorter as the race dragged on. My HR kept dropping and dropping, but my lap times increased. The engine was willing, but the legs were toast.

Our team did well. Our laps times stayed fairly consistent throughout the race, which was excellent. FYI, that solo rider that flew passed me on the first lap called it quits by the late afternoon. He and his buddy packed up their crap and left. I had a feeling he wouldn't make it through the event keeping a pace like that first lap. I also heard that one of the teams packed it in too.


Ride time: 2hrs 57 minutes
Miles ridden: 40.2
Avg spd: 13 mph (approximately)

I have some pictures, but I'll post those at a later time. Still trying to get myself together.

Just under 48hrs to go

I'm psyched for the 12Hrs of Pine Log, it should be a blast! If I enjoy this race like I think I will, my next endurance race will be done solo.

I did my second night ride with my new light, and it is working perfectly. I'm in the midst of discharging the battery right now so I can have a full charge for the race.
While riding tonight, I almost had a disaster. A stick got thrown up into my rear derailleur. When I stopped and looked at my derailleur, it was bent all the way back, pointing towards the back of the tire. My initial emotion was anger, as this would've most likely killed my race. Upon closer inspection, the derailleur had just pivoted back on its attachment point. I pulled out my trusty multi tool, loosened the bolt and the derailleur went right back into place. I tightened the bolt back down, and tried shifting...everything appeared OK. The real test was to start riding. To make a long story short, the bike shifted just fine, and seemed no worse for the wear.

Talk about dodging a bullet! God must've been looking out for me.

My next update will be after the race.

Lights, action...

The 12hrs of Pine Log is almost upon us. If the temperatures are like what they've been the last couple of days, then we're gonna have an awesome day for racing. My light came in, and it looks to be a really good one. Tonight will be my first opportunity to try it out. From what I've seen so far, that sucker is B-R-I-G-H-T.

Ride or die trying

I’m back home, after what seems like an eternity. I managed to get in 3 days of riding at Bootleg Canyon.

The riding at Bootleg is incredible, if extreme. My bike handling skills, or lack of, left me unsure on some of the more intense sections of the trail/s. I got more comfortable as time went on, but I never got used to the hairiest stuff. Some of the areas were just too sick for me to even contemplate riding over. Rob tried a cheap ploy at one crazy climb... he told me to, “adjust the hem of my skirt”and give it a go. I gave him the one finger salute.
Skyline and East Leg trails were the toughest trails that we rode. I’m not sure of the difficulty rating of those trails, but they both deserve to be labeled as ‘Black diamond’. I walked more than I rode while on those two trails. These trails were nothing but off camber, ledge filled, rock gardens with just a few smooth sections of trail thrown in.

A sick, sick climb.

It's always that sudden stop at the end.

Thursday’s ride was the best of the week. The trails we rode were awesome... great descents, fast, and flowing. They were also the easiest trails...well, except for East Leg. I had one bit of bad luck though. I cut the sidewall of my front tire. Due to the spot where the cut occurred, the Stan’s sealant couldn’t seal the cut. Fortunately I had a spare tube and got back under way before too long. I have to say that dealing with that Stan’s sh*t out on the trail is cruel and unusual punishment. I got that crap all over me. Other than the tire damage and a couple cuts on my person, I came away no worse for the wear...oh, did I mention the new cassette? I’ll get back to the cassette in a few minutes. Let me finish my train of thought...

Fast turn+loose soil= WIPEOUT!

I give high marks to Mother, P.O.W., IMBA, Par None, and Girl Scout. West Leg, Upper and Middle Lake View trails were also good. Making a descent on Boy Scout is not to be missed, but climbing could prove a challenge unless you have a 5"+ travel bike.

We're going to the top of that!?!

If you’ve never ridden terrain like at Bootleg Canyon, a word of caution. Pay no attention to the quoted difficulty ratings (as posted on the BC website). Even the easiest trails are more technical than most East Coast riding. Every trail there requires you to pay close attention to your surroundings(and what you’re doing), as well as having some decent bike handling skills.

Yours truly, on Upper Lake View trail.

I have to admit that sending my bike on the plane had me more than a little worried, but it made the trip just fine. No damage to the bike, and the box had only minor wear. I couldn’t imagine riding Bootleg on a rented bike, but to be honest, schlepping a bike around an airport and hotel is a PITA.

Now that I’m back from Vegas I’ve got to get some training rides in, in anticipation for the 12Hrs of Pine Log. The bike is in top form, and my light will be here on Monday. I found a deal on a Nightrider Storm 2.0 HID. This “deal” is still costing me $325. Can you believe it? $300+ for a light! Some of those lights cost more than my first mtn bike. It’s friggin’ highway robbery. But, what can you do? I’m really looking forward to this race, it should be a lot of fun.

$300 worth of headlight

Now, about that cassette. I rode on the Tuesday before leaving for Vegas, and the bike performed flawlessly. The next day I was cleaning up the bike (lubing/cleaning the chain) and decided to check the status of my chain, and discovered that my chain was a little stretched out. According to my chain checker, the amount of stretch was still within the parameters of continuing to use the chain, but replacement would be needed before too long. Well, since I was going to be riding in an extreme place like Bootleg Canyon I decided to go ahead and switch out the chain. I got the new chain on without incident and the packing process continued.
Fast forward to Friday night. I’m at Rob’s house and unpacking the bike. I get the bike assembled and notice that the shifting is off, apparently due to a trashed rear derailleur cable. The plan is to get and install the new derailleur cable at the bike shop just down from BC. So the new cable goes on, and Rob works his magic on the necessary adjustments.
No matter what he tries though, we can’t get the shifting right. 3rd and 4th gear keep giving us problems...so many problems that we drive back to his house to try and figure out what was wrong (another reason for going back was that Rob forgot his riding shoes...so the trip home wasn’t all my fault). To try and make this story short (I know, too late for that) It’s discovered that the cassette was worn, or at least the 3rd and 4th cogs of the cassette, and the skipping/shifting problem was the result of the new chain not meshing correctly with the worn cassette. Another trip to the bike shop and $45 later and I was ready to ride. Gotta love that sort of thing, huh?

On the plus side, I learned how to properly adjust the derailleur.

I think that’s enough drama for a while. I’m gonna go chill out, and recover from all that plane travel yesterday.

Bootleg Canyon pics

Lake Mead, from Middle Lake View Trail

A time out for a flat...two of them to be exact (thank God for my tubeless set up)

Skyline Trail

The strip, from Bootleg Canyon.

The penalty for failure is...getting f**ked up, big time

Reporting in from Vegas. I've ridden Bootleg Canyon twice now, and I have a couple of thoughts to share. First off, Bootleg offers some truly epic riding. Bootleg has lots to offer; tons of climbing, rocks, narrow exposed trails, rocks, and more rocks, and some beautiful, if quite stark, scenery.

Next, Bootleg is technical as hell. For this Florida boy, even the trail called Girl Scout was more technical than anything I've ridden before. I can handle rocks, and I can handle narrow mountainside trails, but rocks AND narrow? That's a whole 'nother matter.

I didn't go down, but I had two close calls in two days of riding. The second one really freaked me out. I had just cleared a rocky section and right at a turn was another rocky section to cross, and since this was in the middle of a climb I didn't have a whole lot of speed after clearing that first batch of rocks. To make a long story short, I almost clear that rocky spot when my front tire gets into a hole and I don't have the speed to clear it...and my bike stops, I'm talking a dead stop. At that point it is a mad dash to grab something, anything, to keep from falling off the side of the mtn. I ended up with one hand on a rock, and another hand on my front tire. That close call really got me. I was totally psyched out over the next few rocky areas. We'd take a break and chill some before I'd get over it fully.

I've got a few pics, but I've got to get them downloaded from the camera first. Hopefully I'll get them posted before my $11 per 24hrs internet access is up.

I've got another chance to get the sh*t scared out of me...I mean go ride, at Bootleg Canyon, so there will be more updates.

I'm outta here...I hear the MGM Grand Buffet calling my name.

Sin City

I'll be leaving in a few hours, and flying to Las Vegas. My main reason for going is a convention (that pesky work thing), but I'm planning on having some fun there, and it has nothing to do with gambling or hookers. I've got a buddy who is stationed there, and we're gonna do some mtn biking at Bootleg Canyon.

I'm taking my bike, in lieu of renting. I bought a box from Crateworks, and after much fussing I got the bike in the box. The bike was almost too big for the box, I'm most concerned about my brake rotors though. Despite what they (the box company) say, these boxes are meant more for road bikes, or perhaps mtn bikes w/ rim brakes. As it is, I think it'll do fine. If my next installment is me crying about damage to my bike, then we'll know I was wrong.

Can you believe my whole bike is in there?

Depending on whether I can find a convenient wireless hot spot will depend on how much updating (if any) I do while i'm in Vegas.

Engine work

I finally got some slicks on my mtn bike, and did my first road ride today. The Giant HT is being used for road/trainer duty, and man did it feel weird riding it. All that time on FS and I had forgotten what a HT felt like.

The ride was pretty uneventful. I did an hour of what Chris Carmichael calls, "foundation miles". The object was to do the ride at 89% of my field test HR. The ceiling for this ride was 151bpm. A couple of times my HR got over 150, but for the bulk of the ride I kept it in the 140s. As a matter of fact, my avg HR for the ride was 143, with a max of 158. As long as I kept my HR under that ceiling for 90% of the ride then I was doing the exercise correctly.

The "foundation miles" are going to build my aerobic engine. By the end of January my aerobic capacity should be in top form.

Ride time: 1hr 4min
Mileage: 18.8
Avg spd: 18mph
Max spd: 29.1mph

Triumphant at last!

Today was my second race, the "Bikes 4 Kids" charity mtn bike race. The race was to be held at Pine Log State Forest, just outside of Ebro, FL. It's about an hour's drive, and the race was scheduled to kick off at 8am. So that meant getting up early, we're talking 'sick' kind of early. All the way there I was wondering exactly who's idea it was to get up at 5am to go race.

Mornings should come later in the day.

A couple of folks who I ride with decided to give the race a go. We were the first ones there, and after checking in we went for a quick pre-ride of the course (or at least part of it). The Pine Log trails are relatively flat, and fast...fast with a capitol 'F'.

These trails were meant for speed!

The race started with a LeMans style start, which for those of you not in the "know"...basically, we run to our bikes. That was a joy, I have to tell you. I'll be blunt and say, that (LeMans starts) is a f&%ked up way to start a race. You should only run when chased.

After my feeble attempt at running, I get on my bike and get up to speed. Two of us break away from the rest of the group. I am content to let the other guy lead for a bit, as I'm staying within a wheel's length of him. I figure that every minute I can save some of my strength it'll be a good thing. I'm feeling really good, despite that run. The singletrack dumps us out onto a dirt road, and it is here that I decide to make my play for the lead. I get out in front and stay there as we reach the next batch of singletrack. The guy behind me is staying fairly close but I'm not too concerned as my legs are feeling really good, and if it comes down to a sprint I feel I have the power to beat him to the finish.

Part of the trail does some minor climbing. If you were just standing out there you'd probably never know that you were on an incline, but on your bike you start noticing that your rpm's are dropping. Through these elevation changes I kept my pace up, concentrating on keeping my rpm's high. That strategy paid off. My rival started slipping back (I wouldn't know how far back till I'd crossed the finish line.). Since I wasn't sure how close or far behind the guy behind me was, I kept up the pace till I crossed the finish line.
It resulted in my first ever 1st place finish!

How 'bout that for a totally cool plaque?

I finished about 1 minute ahead of my competition, completing the course in 27:35. Remember how I said the trail was fast? My avg speed for the course was 13.8mph. I've NEVER seen an avg speed figure for myself that high.

It was a great time. I had lots of fun, and did my small part for a good cause.

The fastest rider of the day, and he's doing it on a single speed bike!

My next race won't be till the end of the month, and that will be the 12Hrs of Pine Log.

Epics...it's all about the riding.

Just a bit of news I thought I'd share. IMBA has bestowed "epic" status on Left and Right Loops at Tsali. That's awesome that Tsali is getting the recognition it deserves.

Busier than a one legged man in an ass kicking contest

Had a blast in NC. We rode all the trails in Tsali in 2 days... covered like 40 miles and did 3,000ft+ of climbing. Chuck was in the hurt locker on the climbs. I did really well, especially on Saturday. I had one of those awesome days where the legs and lungs stayed strong. It was like I could do no wrong that day. I wish everyday could be like that!

It was a fun time. Going on biking trips with competent mtn bikers is lots of fun, more fun than going by yourself.

Chuck, motoring up one of the many climbs.

I came back from NC, and have had quite a busy week. In addition to doing the work thing, I've been trying to log some endurance miles (finally got some slicks for the mtn bike), and I've also got a race on Saturday...and to top it off, I just ordered my case for my bike, in anticipation of my trip to Las Vegas(and Bootleg Canyon riding....W00t!). Next week will be uber-busy.

Had a real good ride today. All this riding/training is starting to pay off. I'm noticing that I am getting considerably faster than any of the other people I ride with (with the exception of Pat). I threw down, and Dave could only keep up, he didn't have the juice to get past me. Give me till February, and I'll have the engine to go with the legs.