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.

Randomness

Tomorrow morning Chuck and I head for Tsali for a couple days of real mtn biking. Chuck's not been riding a whole lot since going out of the country on TDY. I think that the climbing is gonna have him sucking some major wind, or barfing up a lung. One or the other.

Other than still looking kinda nasty, my knee is all better... no pain.

The Stan's conversion has performed flawlessly. I'm not sure I've noticed any major difference in the ride quality though. No gains in speed or anything. I have found that the tires do seem to perform better at lower pressures. For my size, 30-35psi seems to be a good range. 40psi, and the tires don't grip as well. But interestingly enough, with tubes and 40psi, the tires hooked up great.

I'm gonna be racing again on the 8th of October in a local charity race. I'm really looking forward to doing a lot more racing in the coming year. I've kinda gotten addicted to it. Go figure.

I'll be posting again when I get back from Tsali.

TTFN

Post race action

I've been taking it easy since the race. My poor knee(below is a pic of the carnage-it ain't pretty. Consider yourself warned.) needed a little R&R. It was sore on Monday, and thankfully has gotten better each day.

Thursday was my first ride since the race, and it went well. No knee pain or discomfort. Thank God! I even managed a good attack. I threw down and got a 2 minute jump on the others.

Ow!

Starting Monday I'll be working on endurance training by logging some serious road time. I'm gonna follow the training regimen in Chris Carmichael's book The Ultimate Ride.

Florida State Championship Series: Race #1- A race report

After many months, my first race arrived. It's been a long road to get here, but it's been a fun ride... pardon the pun. So, why don't we get on with the details of my first(the first of many) race.

My original plan was to leave on Friday, but that fell through, so Saturday morning I departed for Tallahassee. In trying to get all my gear together for the race I realized something...I have a lot of sh,...crap.

Gawd, I sure do have a lot of junk to take!

The plan was to meet up with Pat for a pre-ride of the course. Looking back, getting more ride time on their trails would've been a good thing, but what's done is done. Considering that the race would consist of 2 laps of the 6.5mile course, more time on the trail would've definitely been a good thing.

Pat, Cal, and myself got registered and headed out for our recon of the course.
It wasn't even the race and already I was a bundle of nerves. I was struggling along at a snail's pace, or at least it seemed that way. It may have been because Cal, who is super fast(he'd go on to take 6th place in the 40+ expert category, riding a single speed!), was the one in the lead. Anyway, to add insult to injury (or in this case, add injury to insult), I'm zooming down this descent and I drift to the outside as I get to a turn, and to my horror I see numerous holes...and that's all she wrote. Down I went. My knee was scraped up pretty good, and I was shaken. It wasn't till later that I discovered my helmet was cracked. Things are not off to a good start. I go for a good meal Saturday night, and figure that a good night's rest will do me good. I'm in a funk, and I need all the help I can get.

Sunday morning I get up feeling better, or at least in a better mood. After some pancakes at Village Inn, I'm like a new man.

A day at the races...

It's 8:30 and I'm 1hr away from my start time. The butterflies are starting to make their presence known. I get the bike ready, and fill up my Camelbak with energy drink. Going into this I thought I'd save some weight and just go with a water bottle, but after the previous day's ride where I hardly touched my water bottle, I knew that would be a mistake. It was too hot to do something stupid like forgetting to drink. I do about 15 minutes worth of warm-up and then I head over to the staging area because my class will be going in about 10 minutes.

As ready as I'll ever be.

Beginner 30-34 has just taken off. Beginner 35-39 is called to the line. We've got 2 minutes to wait, which seems like it takes forever. Those damned butterflies...there must be a flock of them. I'm tensed up; my arms, my neck...I'm trying to relax, but that's a lost cause. 15 seconds to go. The horn sounds and I'm off. I get a decent start, but I couldn't tell you what place I'm in at this point. From the starting line we make a hard left and ride around the perimeter of a BMX track. We enter the BMX track for a lap before getting to the singletrack. Trying to ride a BMX course fast enough to maintain your place, but at the same time trying not to go so fast that you're catching air and risking wadding it up, is quite a trick. By the time we enter the singletrack the riders had spread out, which surprised me. Other than 3 riders in front of me, I didn't see anyone in my class for almost the entire first lap. I was keeping the closest rider in check, not letting him get more than 20 or so ft ahead of me I exit the first bit of singletrack and come to one of the many climbs on the course. I'm in a good position to overtake the guy right in front of me, but I'm surprised at how close the next two riders are. I manage to pass two of the three riders, but I can't get to that third guy before the climb ends and turns into a descent.

A couple more climbs and I'm getting in striking distance of that next rider. I come to the spot where I had wrecked the day before, but this time I stick to the inside and have no problems. By now my butterflies are gone, and I'm feeling pretty good. I've passed a couple of riders and I'm maintaining a good pace. Right around the corner and I'm on the back tire of that guy when all of a sudden he just pulls off the trail and gets off his bike. Not sure what happened, but I'm not gonna question it, I'll take all the help I can get. We finally get passed all the exposed climbs which were tough, due to the heat. It was already pushing 90 degrees and it wasn't even 10am yet. After passing some riders from the 19-29 and 30-34 categories I'm feeling really good about my effort. But, oh how things change. This course is pretty technical, mainly roots, but there are a couple of STEEP walls that you have to go up. If you've got speed you can get up them fairly easy. I come up on one of those walls and another rider was parked right in the middle of the trail, trying to walk up the wall. No surprise, I just had to hit the brakes and walk up as well. In trying to climb up it, I can't get any grip and I slip and fall. What made it bad was I fell on the same side that I had injured the day before, including scraping the same spot on my knee!
To top it off, one of the riders(from my class) I had passed earlier on got around me. The fall ticked me off, but that guy getting around me flat out pissed me off. I get back on my bike and I make it my mission to get reel that guy back in.

This was lesson 1 learned. I shouldn't have concerned myself with losing that spot. As it was, I pushed too hard. I pushed, and never caught sight of him. I still managed to lap some riders from other classes, but I was suffering towards the end of that first lap. At one point I was wishing that Martians would land and vaporize me, saving me the trouble of trying to finish the race.

The next lap I struggle to maintain the pace, but overall the last lap goes by without any great drama. Towards the end of the last lap I get passed by a rider from the beginner 40+ class, only to pass him back, and that kinda gives me a renewed feeling and I finish the race feeling pretty good. That said, I was ready for the race to be over. I don't know how I would've performed on a third lap.

It's over, thank God!

I wasn't prepared for the intensity of a race. My last hard ride at home, my HR averaged around 165bpm, with a max HR of 186-187. My average HR today was 177, with a max of 192.

Time to get off this bike!

There were 14 riders in my class, and my effort was good enough for 7th place. I felt good about the results. I had given it my all, so I have no regrets. Considering what my HR was averaging, there weren't many more RPM's left in the engine.
A mid field finish in my first race was a major victory for me. This time a year ago I weighed over 300lbs, and wouldn't have even contemplated competing in a race. This was the first of many races to come. Sure it was painful, but the feeling of accomplishment far outweighed the pain.

I've got good strong legs, so I just need to work on my aerobic engine. I do that and I think my fellow racers are going to have to look out for me.


How about a couple of random pictures from the race?

Expert women.


One of the many Sport classes.


Pat, gettin' ready to rock n' roll.


Even the kiddies get into the act.


Todd May, the owner of Higher Ground Bicycles, and "The Burro"

The Sport and Expert classes went at 11:30 and I sure did feel bad for them. By the time they headed out the temperature was pushing 100 degrees. As a matter of fact, it was 100 before the race was totally over. I was shocked at the number of riders throwing their bikes down and either laying down or sitting with their head in their hands. One guy dropped out of the race. His wife and kids poured water on him, trying to get him cooled down.

Suffering from dehydration.

It was a great time, and I look forward to my next race, along with better and better results. I hope everyone enjoyed this, I sure have talked about it enough.

Tomorrow is the big day

Tomorrow is it. The day has finally come. This afternoon I'll be pre-riding the course. After that I'm just gonna chill out and try and get a good night's rest.

I'm keeping this update short and sweet. My next update will be a complete race report.

TTFN

Dopers Suck!

I just heard that Canadian pro MTBer Chris Sheppard got pinched for doping. What possesses some athletes to want to win so bad that they'll take drugs to give them that edge?

Dopers Suck. Plain and simple.

6 days and counting

Race day is almost here. This is going to be quite the experience for me. I think I have a real shot at getting on the podium, but regardless this will be an awesome experience. Today was my last intense ride before the race. Pat, who is also racing next Sunday, was my riding partner for the day. He really pushed me too. I never fail to be amazed at how much faster/harder I ride whenI'm riding with someone...someone who is a strong rider. Pat pushed me for an hour of solid riding. I ended up with an average speed of 12mph, covering a distance of 12.2 miles. If I can do that, or very near it, then I'll have a race to be proud of...regardless of how I place.

Ohh, here's an update on the Stan's conversion. I found out that the tires do have different ride characteristics when they are tubeless, compared to tubed tires. I've been running the same pressure in these converted tires as I was running with the tubes(40psi). Last Thursday I noticed that in our dry conditions, hitting pine straw, etc. the back end was losing traction a lot. That never happened when I was using tubes. So I decided to drop the pressure in my tires. I'm now running 35psi front and rear, and I'm happy to report that the ride/handling is MUCH better. I think I've got the tires dialed in now, and everything is good to go. Being free from pinch flats, and thorn flats is quite refreshing.

Just over a week to go

Today I found out some more details on my race on the 18th. The course is 6.5miles, but we'll be doing 2 laps, for a grand total of 13.20miles. Looking at results from last year...the fella who won maintained an average of speed of 11.76mph. I started thinking that if I could shoot for an average of 11.5mph, I stand a good chance of getting on the podium.

I'll admit that after reading those race results I started getting some anxiety. So, this afternoon I got out on the trail, to hopefully dispel some of my anxiety. I can say that I do feel much better now. I'm gonna map out a 13.20mile course, but for today I did 8.83 miles and maintained an average of 12.3mph. My HR monitor showed an average HR of 165, max 181...so based on that, I had a little bit left in me that I could've used for an attack, or a final sprint. I really think that 11.5mph avg during the race is doable for me. Now I just have to make sure I can get enough time on the course to be comfortable enough with it to be able to squeeze every drop of speed out I can.

Creatures of the night

As I previously noted, I'm gonna be competing in a 12 hr race the end of October. In a 12hr race you're gonna do some night riding(which I've only done once before), so I'm gonna need some lights for the event. One of my teammates, Dave, loaned me some nice HID lights to try out. Riding at night is weird. Trails you thought you knew, become new trails.

What is Dave measuring?

Now I've got to dig up my own set of lights, and practice with them...because if I ride as lousy at the 12hr race as I did tonight-ouch!

Stan's NoTubes verdict: Part 2

This was a long time coming, I'll tell ya. I got back from my trip, and I was hesitant to do the conversion on the back tire after that first failed attempt. I was almost at the point where I was gonna leave the tube in for the race, then the decision was made for me...divine providence, if you will. I got a flat on Friday. So I thought, what the hell I'll go ahead and to the conversion, maybe I had learned enough to get it to seal up this time. Friday night I sealed up the tire, or at least started the process. Bottom line, I finally got it to seal Sunday afternoon. *sigh.

So, after much fussing, and pouting about the whole thing, I am running a total tubeless setup. My first foray into the woods with my new setup occurred this evening, and so far so good. I hope it continues to perform well...especially during that race. I don't want to be out of the running by a damn flat tire. Being bested by another rider is one thing, but having a mechanical do you in... that's wrong.
I'll give a more detailed report on them in a few weeks, maybe after the race. In the meantime, if you decide to use the Stan's kit don't be surprised if it takes you days to get the tire/s totally sealed, instead of the 30 min-1hr that is advertised.

Road rage

I went slumming yesterday... I logged some miles on the road.

Lovely, if not bland, blacktop.

What possessed me to head out onto the road? I did a HR test, and trying to do it on the trail would've been impossible. Here's the kicker though...6 miles later, and I didn't learn anything that I didn't already know.
I'm sure that riding on the road with a group can be fun, but riding by yourself...how do I put this? Umm, ohh yeah, it's...boring! That was the longest 6 miles I've ever ridden.

It's kinda tough trying to ride at speed and snap a picture.

On a side note, I have one more week of intensive training for my race, then it'll be time to taper and take it easy that last week. Ohh, I'm also signed up to compete as part of a team, in a local endurance race...the "12 Hours of Pinelog". It will be on 10/29. Should be fun.

Mehhh.

I rode today.

It was ass.

That's all I have to say about that.

Katrina and the waves

I came home from NC to a hurricane. Hurricane Katrina was a monster of a storm. While I certainly didn't wish this storm on anyone, I'm glad we didn't get it, especially after seeing the devastation over in Ms. and La.

I was surprised at the tidal surge we got though. Even the wind was worse than I was expecting. I can just imagine what it must've been like around the Biloxi/Gulfport region.

Here are a couple pics I took.

My backyard.

A park just down the road from where I live.

Hopefully my local trails won't have too many downed branches, so I can continue with my race preparations.

Real mountain biking

I just got back from North Carolina, and was fortunate enough to get some serious riding time in at Tsali. In three days I managed to ride all the trails...which is quite a feat considering my past luck in riding there.
Since I've only ridden Left Loop one other time, I had never taken the overlook loop. I rode to the overlook this time, and I'm glad I did!

Lake Fontana, from the Left Loop Overlook.

The overlook loop is not what you would call a beginner route, but the view is worth the price of admission. You are on a bluff that has to be every bit of 500ft above the lake. What a view!

On the whole, Left Loop is probably the hardest trail in the Tsali trail system. Don't let that deter you though, it's not to be missed.

The remains of an old homestead- Left Loop

Wonderful Tsali singletrack- Mouse Branch

While I thoroughly enjoyed Left loop, there was one dark spot on an otherwise grand ride. No, I didn't break any bones, no sprains, no bruises. It was a bee. I was stung by a damn bee. I'm cruisin' down the trail, and I'd already had some thorny bushes scratch my arm, so when the bee first stung me I thought it was another thorn bush. Out of the corner of my eye I saw something on my arm, so I shook my arm to get the bug off(I didn't want to stop, that wouldn't have been right). Well, to make a long story short, I finally realized that the pain in my arm and the bug on my arm were connected. Fortunately, I'm not allergic to bee stings(never been stung before). I hope that bee died a horrible lingering death.

I did have a brush with the more painful side of mtn biking while riding Right loop. I was nearing the Right loop overlook when...well, let's just say I wound up going off the side of the trail and damned near rolled down the hill/mtn. I choose to leave out the details of exactly how I got there. Gotta maintain some dignity, right?
Anyway, some bushes stopped my fall and no bodily injury occured. The only casualty was my bottle cage. My leg hit it or somethin', and it was bent all to sh...hell. I ended up spending 20-30min at the overlook straightening it out. AS I got back up on the trail I didn't notice that my bottle cage was thrashed. What caught my attention was the fact that my water bottle was missing. It was only after retrieving my bottle from the embankment, and subsequently putting it back in the cage, that I realized my cage was caddywompus.

Dude, where's my water bottle?

Hmm, I don't think my cage should be at that angle.

After fixing my bottle cage and was about to finish my ride, I noticed a trail I'd not seen before. I thought it might be an alternate route out of the overlook loop. I never found out where that trail came out at, or if it even went anywhere. That had to be the most technical descent I've ever seen. It started out as a tight singletrack descent filled with roots. The roots gave way to rocks and a very exposed, rock filled slope down to the lake. I decided that "discretion is the better part of valor". I took a couple of pics and then went back the way I came.

Are you f**king kidding me? look at them rocks!

As drama filled as my ride may have sounded, it pailed in comparison to the poor guy who broke his hip out on Thompson loop. I'm not sure exactly how he did it. It took rescuers 2 1/2hrs to get him out. I heard that they had to get a pontoon boat to get him off the trail(for those not in the know, the Tsali trails follow the contours of Lake Fontana), so they could then get him to a spot where a medevac helicopter could fly him out. Again, I'm not sure how he hurt himself, as I rode that same trail not 20 min after he was evaced, and the area where he went down at wasn't technical. I'm thinking he must've been new to the sport and made a noobie mistake.

I had a great time at Tsali, probably the best time since I started riding there. I'll be going back in a little over a month, this time with a buddy. Riding by yourself gets old.

Here's the final tally:
-42 miles ridden
-5000 ft of climbing
-1 bee sting
-1 bent bottle cage
-rock-fu
-root-fu
-thorny bush-fu

Can't wait to do it again!

Time is growing near

There's only a few short weeks till the race. Gotta put in some overtime in the training department. I want to go into the last week really prepped and tuned, so I can taper in the final week and make sure my legs are fresh.

I'm in North Carolina right now. I'm hoping to get 2-3 rides in at Tsali. 1 of those rides will be with a couple of friends, so I won't be getting any serious training in on that ride, but that's ok. Gotta have some fun once in a while, right?
I'm on Dial-up here in NC, so don't expect any pics till I get back home to the 21st century.

I'm currently reading a very good book by Chris Carmichael, called Food for Fitness.

I never would've thought that I could've found a nutrition book interesting. Talk about changing your outlook and attitude. Once I'm down to my final weight, I'm thinking of trying my hand at some cooking(I don't consider boiling pasta and heating pre made spaghetti sauce "cooking"). Me cooking could be grounds for the end of western civilization. It could be a disaster, but doggone it, I'm gonna give it a shot!

Anywho...the book is a good read. If I never touch another product that has "hydrogenated" in the ingredient list, I'll be a happy man. I highly recommend this book though.

Stan's Notubes verdict: Part 1 (continued)

I was expecting for it to be a couple of days before my next installment regarding the Stan's NoTubes, but circumstances dictated otherwise.

I was due to go on a ride this afternoon, so I was looking forward to having a total tubeless setup. It wasn't to be though. I never could get the tire to totally seal. I had a couple of sidewall leaks, and several small bead leaks. If it had only been the sidewall leaks I would've left it in, but bead leaks worried me. So what was I left to do? I pulled it. I took the tire off, pulled the rim strip, and cleaned the sealant out, and put a tube back in.

I don't have to tell you that I was seriously annoyed over this. Now, that said I will try the process again when I return from out of town. The guy I rode with today indicated that the amount of soap you use in sudsing up the rim and tire bead was a key component to the process. I thought I had soaped up the tire and rim pretty good, but I won't rule out the possibility of using more soap doing the trick.

So, the process continues. Hopefully there will be a part 2 to this whole drama, where I can talk about how well the tubeless conversion works.


To be continued...

Stan's Notubes verdict: Part 1

I'm currently in the processing of "Stansing" up my back tire, and I havea few thoughts on the whole process. It's a pain in the ass. Ok, I have a bit more to offer than that... As with the first tire, everything up to the actual sealing of the tire went smoothly. These Kenda's were not easy, and did not seal up as fast as Stan's website, and other people's experiences indicate. I've read where people had their wheels good to go in 30 minutes or so. Must be nice. This back tire has sealed up faster than the first one, so that's good.

If you go into the process not expecting it to take 30 minutes or so, then you'll be ok. I'll also offer up a little tip of my own. In the instructions it says that as soon as you've got the sealant in the tire, pump it up to 35-40psi. What it doesn't tell you is to make sure it stays at that pressure while you're getting the tire sealed. Take the wheel I'm working on right now. I had pumped it up to 40psi and began the sealing process. There were several holes that resulted in the air pressure dropping significantly before the sealant stabilized the pressure somewhat. I continued with the sealing and finally got the leaks sealed, and decided I'd pump up the tire to the proper pressure, soap the bead once more and remount the tire. I pumped up the tire to 40psi and guess what? I had a ton of leaks around the bead. It happened on the first tire but I didn't give it much thought at that time. Oh well, lesson learned...the hard way.

Part 2 will be posted when I get this tire done and get out and ride some. Which, weather permitting, will happen between today and tomorrow.

Leaping before you look

One of my riding buds recently had a less than stellar riding vacation. Read it in his own words...

"Okay all, here's the scoop on my weekend festivities in Ruston.

Before I go on, I want you all to know that I was not particularly pleased with the results of the events and had hoped to recover well enough so that it would not have been an issue when I came back into town. Quite frankly, I was a bit embarrassed by it all. I initially told Sophie and Keri what had happened, because in the event I had been unable to drive the 7 hours back home, I was going to offer them whatever amount of money it took to come rescue me (and my truck) from the Louisiana woods. As it turned out, I was able to drive back and the pain and discomfort kept me awake the entire way.

Today I feel really good. It's the breakthrough day I had been expecting ever since the incident occurred. I have not taken any pain meds for almost 20 hours, and if I keep progressing at the current rate, I may be able to go for a spin around the block on a road bike next week. My head is still a little woozy and I get dizzy just getting up from a chair to a standing position, but the doctor looked inside my head with that little light thing they stick in your ear and found nothing. (That's a joke; he was looking for blood behind the eardrum and did not see any).

I downplayed things and tried to tough it out as long as I could before seeking professional medical help, but by Tuesday things were not getting better, so I reluctantly went to the doctor. The verdict:

Concussion

Separated shoulder (the actual term is 1st degree separation of the A/C joint, whatever that is)

Compression fracture of the lower spine

Plus some cuts and bruises that have already mostly healed

Here's my story...

We were coming out of the woods onto the perimeter dirt road that surrounds the boundary of the Park. There were 4 of us, all strong riders with lots of mountain biking experience. We were operating on some pretty fresh legs, too, as we had stopped after about 40 minutes of riding to exit the trail near the campground so Hans could fix a flat. I was in the lead on a borrowed bike; a Titus Racer X that was like riding a magic carpet. The RX wasn't the lightest mountain bike on the planet, but it was one of the smoothest and fastest. It would pliantly plow over rocks and roots like they weren't even there; stiffen up like a board and scamper up climbs as if it were a mountain goat on steroids; and rail down descents like a runaway train. I felt right at home on this bike and believed that I could take risks on the trail that I would never have considered on the DeKerf and the bike would bail me out. It had done so already on a number of occasions that day and the week before, when I had first ridden it on the local trail in Ft Walton Beach. As I exited the woods in front of my friends, I looked ahead on the trail and saw a long sloping downhill that was straight and relatively smooth. There was a small hump towards the bottom of the hill that looked to be a perfect launching point to get a little air before reaching level ground. I was the only one of us that had ridden the Ruston Trail more than once, so I would yell out upcoming features of the singletrack as we were speeding through the woods. Sometimes I would yell out a warning about soft sand in a turn, or tell them a big climb was coming up, or that there was a low tree branch ahead. The other guys were behind me and this time I called out to them: "Big Ring, Boys!"

As in: shift into the hard-to-pedal gears because this downhill is an area where we can go really fast.

I sped up and shifted gears, picking up speed as I raced down the hill towards the small hump in the trail. I was going so fast and concentrating so hard on the singletrack that I didn't really pay attention to the sign posted along the side of the trail about 10 feet from the take off point. It read: "Caution SLOW Down" and had 3 arrows pointing at the ground indicating there was a steep decent ahead. I flew by the sign and cranked one more powerful turn out of the pedals before I launched off the berm into the humid morning air.

I remember thinking that this was a really long leap I had just taken and for a few seconds was filled with the exhilaration of being free of the earth, if only by about 8 feet. The bike traveled in a gentle arc downrange, with me crouched over the saddle, my hands firmly on the handlebars and feet clipped in to the pedals. I estimated my speed at liftoff at around 28 mph, although Phil and Gary thought it was more like 30. It doesn't really matter; I was flying through the air and enjoying it. Then the front wheel of the bike started to fall towards the ground and my level attitude was pitched forward, nose down. Suddenly I was looking over the handlebars at the orange dirt and sharp rocks rushing towards me and my mind conceived a single, coherent thought just before impact: This is going to hurt.

The front tire hit first, 57 feet from where I had left the earth, and the bike pitched me over the handlebars, head first into the dirt. I didn't have time to take my hands from the handlebars and try to break my fall; my head hit squarely and I heard a CRACK! as the momentum carried my body forward. (That was my helmet thwacking the ground and cracking, perfectly doing the job it was designed for. Thanks Giro!) I rolled into my right shoulder, and then onto my back and flipped over one more complete revolution as the inertia of the crash carried me down the trail, finally coming to a rest (so to speak) an estimated 71 feet from where I had started the maneuver.

There was a lot of gritty dirt in both of my eyes, and I blinked to try to get them to clear. The right eye could see, but there was a red sticky film over my left eye and a sharp pain over my eyebrow. I could feel the blood flowing down the bridge of my nose into my left eye. My back was in great distress, and I was lying in the sun with my right arm pinned behind my back. My shoulder was screaming in pain for it's freedom from the weight of my back on it, and I tried to roll over to free it. That's about the time Hans arrived on the scene and he put a cautious hand on my chest and advised: "Don't move."

I obliged.

Gary rolled his bike slowly over the hill next and I heard a conversation going on around me as soon Phil rode up on his bike. I don't remember too much, other than the pain and being uncomfortable in the hot sun. They pointed their Camelbacks at me and hosed off much of the dirt and blood from my face and shoulder to make sure there were no deep cuts that would require immediate medical attention. Some water got up my nose and I remember being very annoyed by this. As soon as Phil determined that the Care Flight helicopter was not required, he immediately left the accident scene to race back to the campground and retrieve the video camera so he could at least salvage the aftermath of the mishap. I tried to get up once, but got very dizzy and lost my balance, falling into Phil and retreating to the earth. After about 10 minutes I did get up and surveyed the scene. Miraculously, the bike barely had a scratch on it! Somehow I got back on the bike and we all rode the asphalt path back around the lake to the campground. By then the adrenaline and endorphins were starting to wear off, and my body felt like a smashed bag of Fritos. I made it up to the washroom at the campground to shower off the blood and dirt and took some pain pills and rested. Hans, Gary and Phil, disappointed that they had not been able to get photographic evidence of the mishap as it occurred, went out on the trail to do a "made for TV reenactment". I saw the video later, and although it hurt very much to laugh (or cough, or sneeze or breathe), I could not help myself and nearly brought tears to my eyes.

That was the last riding for me for awhile, and the 7 hour drive back to Navarre was an adventure all in itself. A story for another time... "


I need some Tylenol just reading that story.

This really works...color me impressed!

I've done two rides, and so far the tire is holding up. I must admit that I was more than a little nervous at the prospect of the tire blowing off the rim, at an inopportune moment. So far, so good though. I'm sold enough on this tubeless conversion that I'm gonna do the rear tire in the next couple of days.

Tubes? I don't need no stinking tubes!

I've finally made the conversion to tubeless tires...well, partially. The front tire is tubeless. I'm gonna see how it performs before I convert the rear tire. Not long after getting the new bike, I bought a tubeless conversion kit. A couple days ago I decided to start the process of converting to tubeless, mainly for my upcoming race. If you get a flat in a race, you're pretty much through unless it is a 12 or 24hr event. I figure if I can reduce the risk of flatting(from thorns, snakebites, etc) then that will be one less thing I have to concern myself with during the race.

Most of the process went fairly easy. Drilling the stem hole larger, installing the rim tape, it all went without to much fussing and fuming from me.

Time to put the sealant in the tire.

And this is where my troubles began...

Well, I am dramatizing things a bit. The sealant went in just fine, and the tire inflated. Sealing the leaks is where I was having trouble. I followed the instructions, but the damn tire bead on one side wouldn't seal completely.

See all those white spots around where the tire meets the rim?
Why wasnt it as easy as the demo video on the notubes website?

In the end, it took a day and a half to get the tire to seal. I'm hoping the performance makes up for the trouble. If it doesn't work like it should then I'm pulling it and sticking with tubes. I will be riding this afternoon, so we'll see.

Now we're gettin' somewhere!

The race promoters have finally put the flier up for the Florida State Championship Series. The course is approximately 6.5 miles, and I assume that my class (that would be the Beginner class), will do one lap...with Sport, Expert, Pro, etc doing multiple laps. I get my entry fee sent in, and it'll be official.

I'll feel real good about this race if I can get over to the trails to ride them a couple times, and get more comfortable, or I should say more familiar with the trails over there.

Enough already!

Rain. It's raining today, it rained yesterday. It has rained every day this week. Fortunately, it subsided enough for me to get some riding in this past week, but just barely. Rain on a Saturday just isn't right. I guess it's gonna be a trainer kind of ride today. Bummer.

Lead, follow, or get out of the way

Today was group ride day. I thought I was gonna get rained out. 10 min before I was due to head out for the ride, it started raining...no, make that pouring. Fortunately, it wasn't raining at the trailhead, so I caught a break. For once.

The Thursday group ride is not for training, it's just for enjoying the company of some fellow mtn bikers. That said, there were 4 of us who kept a pretty fast pace, and left the slower riders bringing up the rear. For not being a "training" ride though, I posted a great average for the time out there. 12mph was my average for the ride, which clocked in at just shy of 10 miles. Riding with faster people, and doing those intervals have really made a huge change in my riding...losing quite a bit of weight sure hasn't hurt any either.

Sooner or later and I'm gonna have some more pictures to post.

Ride Forrest, ride!

Had a great ride today. It was one of those intense, almost painful kinds of rides...but a good kind of pain. It was just Pat and me. Pat led off, and kept a good pace for just over an hour. We didn't stop, except for Pat to clear the occasional spider off his person(that's why I let him lead...I know, I'm a jerk.). Pat is pretty damn fast, and I wasn't sure I'd be able to keep the pace, but I surprised myself. Which that's what is great about pushing yourself, you usually end up discovering you can go farther/harder than you ever thought possible. He'd get ahead of me, but I could always catch him.

When we got back to the trailhead, the final tally was; 12.3 miles in 1hr 3 minutes, with an average speed of 11.6mph.

If I can do a ride like that at least once a week, I will definitely be ready for Tallahassee.

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.