As of Sunday I'll have two weeks till the Sugar Mtn race. I should be down to my goal weight of 185lbs by June 1st, and my training is coming along well. It could probably be a bit better, but all things considered I'm fairly happy with my progress. I'll have some days of training at altitude prior to the race which will be very welcomed, and it'll give me a chance to do a few real climbing workouts.
I'm really obsessing over my climbing, as I feel that this race will be won or lost on the climb/s. If you're not in the position you want to be by the time the course descends you are SOL...barring someone wadding it up, or you being close enough for a sprint win.
USA Cycling has unveiled yet another incentive program. It's great that they are doing some things to help American riders compete in the international arena, but I'm wondering why they haven't done this sooner. It appears to me that in the past they've put more resources into the junior development program/s. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for doing all we can to groom the next generation of American cyclists... but why focus so much of your limited resources on the next generation of cyclists, when there are established riders (pros) who could benefit greatly from the total backing of USA Cycling. Just look at our pros who try their best to compete on equal footing at the World Cup events. It's like the old saying, "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."
We invented the sport of mtn biking, and there's no reason why our athletes can't be more of a force at the World Cups. Good solid support is a necessary ingredient for their success.
Friday, May 26, 2006
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
2 1/2 weeks to go
The countdown to my first 'A' race of the season has begun. Only 2 and a half weeks away. Despite some lackluster (read- assy) training days as of late, I feel like I'm on the right track with my fitness. One thing I'm gonna do is, on the week of the race, I'm going to try chocolate milk as a recovery drink. Down a glass after my workouts...I want to make sure that my legs are fully recovered, and ready for the intensity I'm gonna be throwing at them during the race.
Today I was hoping to get some type of high intensity training in (sprints, threshold intervals, etc), but my legs had other plans. I think I was just tired. I stayed up late last night finishing up a work related project, then I had to get up early this morning. I've been going in slow motion all day.
Hopefully tomorrow won't be as putrid as today was.
Today I was hoping to get some type of high intensity training in (sprints, threshold intervals, etc), but my legs had other plans. I think I was just tired. I stayed up late last night finishing up a work related project, then I had to get up early this morning. I've been going in slow motion all day.
Hopefully tomorrow won't be as putrid as today was.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Not happenin'
It's a new day, and a new week of training. Went out with the intention of doing sone descending intervals 75/60/45/30 sec, meant to help develop your ability to produce power at lactate and anaerobic levels. The workout called for making an explosive out-of-the-saddle jump, and then settle into a 110-120rpm cadence, the whole time trying to increase speed during the interval. I think I was out of the saddle for too long, at around 45 seconds into the first interval my legs called it quits. I'll try these another day, and go for fewer revolutions while I'm out of the saddle...see if I fare any better.
If that wasn't enough, on the way back the wind kicked my ass. I guess it's a good way to simulate hill climbs. Not that it helps me deal with the wind any better. Let's face it, there's no way to paint a rosey picture out of a damned headwind. It's evil, EVIL I tells ya!
If that wasn't enough, on the way back the wind kicked my ass. I guess it's a good way to simulate hill climbs. Not that it helps me deal with the wind any better. Let's face it, there's no way to paint a rosey picture out of a damned headwind. It's evil, EVIL I tells ya!
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Makin' my play
I think I smell a ProTour team contract coming. Mr Riis, Mr. Bruyneel? I hereby submit my resume.
That's just my average. Ohh, and that's MPH, baby!
Now, allow me to be the first one to call bullsh*t. I don't know how my HR monitor screwed up that data, but it did. The only thing I can think of is that the sensor was a little too close to the magnet. It even had the mileage all wrong. Technology...can't live without it, and can't make it work.
Besides those goofy figures, the ride was a good one. Did some Tempo work and high speed sprints. Between those workouts and the wind, I was cooked at the end. All that was left to do was stick a fork in me. I'm gonna sleep well tonight.
That's just my average. Ohh, and that's MPH, baby!Now, allow me to be the first one to call bullsh*t. I don't know how my HR monitor screwed up that data, but it did. The only thing I can think of is that the sensor was a little too close to the magnet. It even had the mileage all wrong. Technology...can't live without it, and can't make it work.
Besides those goofy figures, the ride was a good one. Did some Tempo work and high speed sprints. Between those workouts and the wind, I was cooked at the end. All that was left to do was stick a fork in me. I'm gonna sleep well tonight.
Checking in
I took a day off the bike yesterday, as I just wasn't feeling frisky enough for a training ride. I've learned to listen to my body on these occasions. If I ignore the message and ride anyway I end up riding like, "a small child,"...to coin an Adam Craig phrase.
On the road racing front, stage 13 of the Giro just wrapped up. Ivan Basso has the race in the bag. Barring a serious crash or illness there's no way he'll be beat. He has 3:27 on second place, and he's over 5 minutes ahead of the rest of the field. In racing that is a HUGE margin. Seeing his performance here, I am definitely giving Basso the nod for the Tour de France win.
Back to the homefront...
My bar tape grips worked well on their maiden voyage the other afternoon. I'm inclined to say that I might have made them a little too thin. I had good control of the bike, and decent cushioning, so I'll hold off further judgement until I've logged some more miles on them.
I'll be back to the training this afternoon. Trying to decide what will be on the menu; Tempo, hill accelerations, sprints, V02 max thresholds. Decisions, decisions.
On the road racing front, stage 13 of the Giro just wrapped up. Ivan Basso has the race in the bag. Barring a serious crash or illness there's no way he'll be beat. He has 3:27 on second place, and he's over 5 minutes ahead of the rest of the field. In racing that is a HUGE margin. Seeing his performance here, I am definitely giving Basso the nod for the Tour de France win.
Back to the homefront...
My bar tape grips worked well on their maiden voyage the other afternoon. I'm inclined to say that I might have made them a little too thin. I had good control of the bike, and decent cushioning, so I'll hold off further judgement until I've logged some more miles on them.
I'll be back to the training this afternoon. Trying to decide what will be on the menu; Tempo, hill accelerations, sprints, V02 max thresholds. Decisions, decisions.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Workin' it
Yesterday, I actually managed to get 2hrs of saddle time in. Even managed to throw in some Power Intervals. What are the chances of that, huh? I'm really pleased with the way my training is going. I'll be ready for Sugar Mtn...or at least as ready as I can be.
Since this race will involve more climbing than I've ever done, I'm doing all I can to minimize the disadvantage I am at since I live at sea level. I'm trying to take a little weight off my bike, it's not gonna be a lot, but every little bit helps.
My first alteration was my grips. I was using ODI lock ons, and while they're super comfy grips, they are on the portly side. I went the bar tape route and I'm pleased with how they turned out. This evening I'll be trying them for the first time.
Next up, are some exception series Maxxis Crossmarks. I have the UST version, and I'll lose some grams switching to the exception style. These will be race tires only though. As soon as the race is over, the USTs will be going back on the bike.
Between the grips and the tires, I'll be dropping a pound off the bike. Like I said, it's not a lot, but I'll take what I can get. Fortunately, the biggest weight savings I'll get is also at the most important place to get it from, and that's at the wheels. The whole physics, rotating weight thing.
Since this race will involve more climbing than I've ever done, I'm doing all I can to minimize the disadvantage I am at since I live at sea level. I'm trying to take a little weight off my bike, it's not gonna be a lot, but every little bit helps.
My first alteration was my grips. I was using ODI lock ons, and while they're super comfy grips, they are on the portly side. I went the bar tape route and I'm pleased with how they turned out. This evening I'll be trying them for the first time.
Next up, are some exception series Maxxis Crossmarks. I have the UST version, and I'll lose some grams switching to the exception style. These will be race tires only though. As soon as the race is over, the USTs will be going back on the bike.
Between the grips and the tires, I'll be dropping a pound off the bike. Like I said, it's not a lot, but I'll take what I can get. Fortunately, the biggest weight savings I'll get is also at the most important place to get it from, and that's at the wheels. The whole physics, rotating weight thing.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Not in the cards
It's official. I've pulled the plug on any attempt to attend the US Nat'l MTB Championships in Sonoma. There are just too many obstacles at this time, with cost being the biggest factor. This was all kind of last minute anyway, so I'm not broken up about it.
With the racing goals I have for this season, I'll be qualified for next year's championships, and I'll be planning it earlier on.
In the meantime, I'm gonna do a race or two in that time frame somewhere in the region...somewhere not as costly. Maybe one of the remaining SERC races or something.
With the racing goals I have for this season, I'll be qualified for next year's championships, and I'll be planning it earlier on.
In the meantime, I'm gonna do a race or two in that time frame somewhere in the region...somewhere not as costly. Maybe one of the remaining SERC races or something.
Pleased
A Tempo workout was on tap for today, and it ended up being more intense than I initially expected. Part of the workout calls for keeping the cadence low, in the 70-75rpm range. On the way out that was easy as I was battling a nasty headwind. On the way back I just didn't have a high enough gear to keep in the 70-ish range. I was turning my biggest gear and I was still hitting mid to upper 90 rpms. I wish that was my enormous talent shining through, but a lovely tailwind was no doubt helping me along...so much so that I averaged 23mph on the way back. Very nice.
I'm pleased with the first ride of the week.
I'm pleased with the first ride of the week.
Monday, May 15, 2006
Race news
This past weekend had quite a bit of racing.
First off, the first European stop of the World Cup Series took place in Madrid, Spain. With some new rules, it sounds like the race was even more intense than usual. The usual suspects won the day. When are we gonna get an American atop the podium in one of those European World Cups?
Next up, was a different kind of race...the Kokopelli Trail Race. It's a 142 mile unsupported, unofficial race. Unofficial, in that there are no prizes awarded, other than the satisfaction of having finished it. This is an event for true enduro freaks. This is the 6th year it has run. There were 56 starters and 23 finishers. The dude who won, and set a course record in the process, did it on a single speed! Holy Crap!
It sounds like everyone enjoyed themselves, or at least most of them.
But can you believe it...there was actually some cheating going on! What kind of retard cheats in a race with no prizes or national recognition?
In the road racing front, the 9th stage of the Giro d'Italia wrapped yesterday. Ivan Basso is in the lead right now, and unless something major happens, I think he's gonna take the 'W'. Basso's looking fit this year, Landis is having an awesome season...I think we're gonna see an exciting Tour de France.
First off, the first European stop of the World Cup Series took place in Madrid, Spain. With some new rules, it sounds like the race was even more intense than usual. The usual suspects won the day. When are we gonna get an American atop the podium in one of those European World Cups?
Next up, was a different kind of race...the Kokopelli Trail Race. It's a 142 mile unsupported, unofficial race. Unofficial, in that there are no prizes awarded, other than the satisfaction of having finished it. This is an event for true enduro freaks. This is the 6th year it has run. There were 56 starters and 23 finishers. The dude who won, and set a course record in the process, did it on a single speed! Holy Crap!
It sounds like everyone enjoyed themselves, or at least most of them.
But can you believe it...there was actually some cheating going on! What kind of retard cheats in a race with no prizes or national recognition?
In the road racing front, the 9th stage of the Giro d'Italia wrapped yesterday. Ivan Basso is in the lead right now, and unless something major happens, I think he's gonna take the 'W'. Basso's looking fit this year, Landis is having an awesome season...I think we're gonna see an exciting Tour de France.
Race news
This past weekend had quite a bit of racing.
First off, the first European stop of the World Cup Series took place in Madrid, Spain. With some new rules, it sounds like the race was even more intense than usual. The usual suspects won the day. When are we gonna get an American atop the podium in one of those European World Cups?
Next up, was a different kind of race...the Kokopelli Trail Race. It's a 142 mile unsupported, unofficial race. Unofficial, in that there are no prizes awarded, other than the satisfaction of having finished it. This is an event for true enduro freaks. This is the 6th year it has run. There were 56 starters and 23 finishers. The dude who won, and set a course record in the process, did it on a single speed! Holy Crap!
It sounds like everyone enjoyed themselves, or at least most of them.
But can you believe it...there was actually some cheating going on! What kind of retard cheats in a race with no prizes or national recognition?
In the road racing front, the 9th stage of the Giro d'Italia wrapped yesterday. Ivan Basso is in the lead right now, and unless something major happens, I think he's gonna take the 'W'. Basso's looking fit this year, Landis is having an awesome season...I think we're gonna see an exciting Tour de France.
First off, the first European stop of the World Cup Series took place in Madrid, Spain. With some new rules, it sounds like the race was even more intense than usual. The usual suspects won the day. When are we gonna get an American atop the podium in one of those European World Cups?
Next up, was a different kind of race...the Kokopelli Trail Race. It's a 142 mile unsupported, unofficial race. Unofficial, in that there are no prizes awarded, other than the satisfaction of having finished it. This is an event for true enduro freaks. This is the 6th year it has run. There were 56 starters and 23 finishers. The dude who won, and set a course record in the process, did it on a single speed! Holy Crap!
It sounds like everyone enjoyed themselves, or at least most of them.
But can you believe it...there was actually some cheating going on! What kind of retard cheats in a race with no prizes or national recognition?
In the road racing front, the 9th stage of the Giro d'Italia wrapped yesterday. Ivan Basso is in the lead right now, and unless something major happens, I think he's gonna take the 'W'. Basso's looking fit this year, Landis is having an awesome season...I think we're gonna see an exciting Tour de France.
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Time is flyin'
I can't believe that it's just under a month till my first 'A' race of the season. I don't know what it is, but the last few months have flown by. It seems like just last week I was doing my first race of the season, and it's been over a month ago.
Sugar Mtn is gonna be a super challenging race for me, and call me crazy, but I'm kinda looking forward to it. I might change my tune halfway thru the race, but for right now I'm excited.
My training has been going well, with one exception...I haven't been getting in as many hours as I'd like. I've got to buckle down over these last few weeks. Yesterday I did some sprints and some hill acceleration intervals. It wasn't a long ride, but it was a quality one. I'll take quality in a pinch. If I can get some good quantity with quality intervals then I'll be very pleased with my form leading into the race. This coming week I'll be stepping up both intensity and volume.
Sugar Mtn is gonna be a super challenging race for me, and call me crazy, but I'm kinda looking forward to it. I might change my tune halfway thru the race, but for right now I'm excited.
My training has been going well, with one exception...I haven't been getting in as many hours as I'd like. I've got to buckle down over these last few weeks. Yesterday I did some sprints and some hill acceleration intervals. It wasn't a long ride, but it was a quality one. I'll take quality in a pinch. If I can get some good quantity with quality intervals then I'll be very pleased with my form leading into the race. This coming week I'll be stepping up both intensity and volume.
Friday, May 12, 2006
Second thoughts
I finally got an email from USA Cycling, announcing the new venue for the relocated National Championships. Sonoma, California's Infineon Raceway will be hosting the race. In an interesting twist, they've moved the race up one weekend, to July 13-16. That was originally the date of the fifth stop of the NMBS, which was to be held at Sonoma, but because of scheduling conflicts, USA Cycling pulled the NMBS race/s that were to be held at Sonoma and replaced it with the championships.
Since learning of my eligibility to race at the Nat'l Championships I've been intending to go. In the days prior to the announcement of the relocation I had a feeling that Sonoma was to be the location, due to the National Series race the weekend before. Once it became official, that's when I started looking into costs...and damn, it's gonna be a costly trip. Sonoma is right there in wine country, which is probably the most expensive part of the state. Geez!
Rough estimates are in the $1300-$1500 range right now. It's enough to make me have second thoughts about going. I have enough faith in my abilities to be able to ride well, and at least have a shot at winning, but if I have a flat or a mechanical (which is always a possibility in a race) then that's all she wrote. In a short race like what I'd be doing, a flat or a mechanical is a KO for all intents and purposes. It would tick me off to pay out all that money to get to the race, then get the dreaded DNF from some bike related issue.
Over the next couple of days I've got some serious thinking to do. Decisions, decisions.
On the training front, the last two days I got some good saddle time in, but it came at a price. We've been having some serious wind lately, and fighting it left my legs pretty thrashed. The wind was really kicking up today, and the legs just weren't feelin' the love, so an impromptu day off. I'll be back at it tomorrow.
Since learning of my eligibility to race at the Nat'l Championships I've been intending to go. In the days prior to the announcement of the relocation I had a feeling that Sonoma was to be the location, due to the National Series race the weekend before. Once it became official, that's when I started looking into costs...and damn, it's gonna be a costly trip. Sonoma is right there in wine country, which is probably the most expensive part of the state. Geez!
Rough estimates are in the $1300-$1500 range right now. It's enough to make me have second thoughts about going. I have enough faith in my abilities to be able to ride well, and at least have a shot at winning, but if I have a flat or a mechanical (which is always a possibility in a race) then that's all she wrote. In a short race like what I'd be doing, a flat or a mechanical is a KO for all intents and purposes. It would tick me off to pay out all that money to get to the race, then get the dreaded DNF from some bike related issue.
Over the next couple of days I've got some serious thinking to do. Decisions, decisions.
On the training front, the last two days I got some good saddle time in, but it came at a price. We've been having some serious wind lately, and fighting it left my legs pretty thrashed. The wind was really kicking up today, and the legs just weren't feelin' the love, so an impromptu day off. I'll be back at it tomorrow.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Utopian world?
Am I seeing the world thru rose colored glasses, or am I trying to create my own Utopian world? Nahhh. Why do I bring this up? My commentary on raceclean has captured some attention, even if it is a tiny bit of attention.
But maybe it's time to expound on my position. So, here we go...
Exactly what does the finer points of the corporate world have to do with racing and cyclist doping? Nothing that I can tell. So CSC owned/owns Dyncorp...big whoop. No matter what you think of a company like Dyncorp, it has zero to do with cycling and doping.
On the subject of doping. As I've stated before, I am firmly against doping. That said, I believe in someone being innocent until proven guilty. Making accusations, and/or passing on information passed on from others doesn't help anyone. I for one would rather err on the side of caution than be party to ruining someone's life/career.
I've said my piece on this.
But maybe it's time to expound on my position. So, here we go...
Exactly what does the finer points of the corporate world have to do with racing and cyclist doping? Nothing that I can tell. So CSC owned/owns Dyncorp...big whoop. No matter what you think of a company like Dyncorp, it has zero to do with cycling and doping.
On the subject of doping. As I've stated before, I am firmly against doping. That said, I believe in someone being innocent until proven guilty. Making accusations, and/or passing on information passed on from others doesn't help anyone. I for one would rather err on the side of caution than be party to ruining someone's life/career.
I've said my piece on this.
Lazy spring Sunday
Some potential nasty weather kept me off the bike this morning, so I decided to take in a movie. As is par for the course, it didn't actually rain, it just looked like it. Ohh well, what can you do? I went to see Tom Cruise's latest offering, Mission Impossible 3, which was pretty darn good...almost as good as the first one. Very enjoyable!
On the racing front, the first NORBA event of the season is in the bag. The XC event sounds like it was an action packed one. The K-Bomb pulled out the win in both the XC and the STXC, narrowly beating Jeremy-Horgan-Kobelski.
Shonny Vanlandingham took the womens XC event.
Props to all the pros, racing at that level can't be easy. I can't wait to watch it first hand next month in Sugar Mtn.
On the racing front, the first NORBA event of the season is in the bag. The XC event sounds like it was an action packed one. The K-Bomb pulled out the win in both the XC and the STXC, narrowly beating Jeremy-Horgan-Kobelski.
Shonny Vanlandingham took the womens XC event.
Props to all the pros, racing at that level can't be easy. I can't wait to watch it first hand next month in Sugar Mtn.
Saturday, May 06, 2006
The lowdown
I got an email from Sugar Mtn. I asked some questions about the course, specifically course length and number of laps. Here's what I found out; The course is 6.5 miles (approximately) and we'll be doing 1 lap.
There's some good and bad to this news...
The Good:
Considering the climbing that we'll be doing, 1 lap will probably be more than enough.
With 1lap I don't have to worry about any feed zone issues. One bottle will do just fine.
The Bad:
Doing only 1 lap means I'll have to keep the intensity super high and work damned hard to keep towards the front, because 6.5 miles will go by fast. I won't have a second lap to keep picking off competitors. There will definitely be some serious strategy needed for this race.
There's some good and bad to this news...
The Good:
Considering the climbing that we'll be doing, 1 lap will probably be more than enough.
With 1lap I don't have to worry about any feed zone issues. One bottle will do just fine.
The Bad:
Doing only 1 lap means I'll have to keep the intensity super high and work damned hard to keep towards the front, because 6.5 miles will go by fast. I won't have a second lap to keep picking off competitors. There will definitely be some serious strategy needed for this race.
Friday, May 05, 2006
Gettin' with the program
Got a late start today, and logged in an hour of saddle time. I did make good use of the time though. I did some high speed sprints. I was planning on doing some Power Intervals, but yesterday zapped the life out of my legs.
How my legs felt today
(Editorial note: That is not a real person, I'm not that twisted. It's from the movie "Lifeforce".)
Despite the lifeless legs, the sprints went well. After two intense days of riding I'm tossing around whether I should take tomorrow off or not. I guess I'll just see how the legs feel in the morning.
The course map has been posted for the Sugar Mtn race, and yow! that has the potential to be an ass kicker...at least for this flatlander. Sugar Mtn boasts 1200 vertical feet, the most in NC. It looks like the XC course utilizes most, if not all of that 1200ft. I guess I started on climbing workouts not a moment too soon. At this stage, I don't know how long the course is, or how many laps we'll be doing. They're supposed to have over 20 miles of double and singletrack, and from what I can tell the race course uses quite a bit of it, like in the 8-10mile range.
I just realized that the last few pics I've posted have been from movies. Time to move on to more original content. Been too lazy to carry my camera with me on my rides, but I better start carrying it again...I've got standards to maintain. A reputation to uphold. Ya know?
How my legs felt today(Editorial note: That is not a real person, I'm not that twisted. It's from the movie "Lifeforce".)
Despite the lifeless legs, the sprints went well. After two intense days of riding I'm tossing around whether I should take tomorrow off or not. I guess I'll just see how the legs feel in the morning.
The course map has been posted for the Sugar Mtn race, and yow! that has the potential to be an ass kicker...at least for this flatlander. Sugar Mtn boasts 1200 vertical feet, the most in NC. It looks like the XC course utilizes most, if not all of that 1200ft. I guess I started on climbing workouts not a moment too soon. At this stage, I don't know how long the course is, or how many laps we'll be doing. They're supposed to have over 20 miles of double and singletrack, and from what I can tell the race course uses quite a bit of it, like in the 8-10mile range.
I just realized that the last few pics I've posted have been from movies. Time to move on to more original content. Been too lazy to carry my camera with me on my rides, but I better start carrying it again...I've got standards to maintain. A reputation to uphold. Ya know?
Thursday, May 04, 2006
A pretty decent day
Today was a good day, it made up for yesterday's %#@&ed up day. I wanted to get 2hrs in, but that didn't happen. I only got 1hr in, but I'm not complaining. That was a packed 1hr of training. I'm not sure if my climbing workout is gonna do any good or not, but it sure is intense.
In other news, I finally got around to putting some money down on a new road bike. Hopefully I'll be able to get it outta hock before too long.
Finally, good luck to everyone that is competing in the first stop on the NORBA Nationals...Fontana, Ca. aKa Fontucky.
In other news, I finally got around to putting some money down on a new road bike. Hopefully I'll be able to get it outta hock before too long.
Finally, good luck to everyone that is competing in the first stop on the NORBA Nationals...Fontana, Ca. aKa Fontucky.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
When you least expect it
There are people in the world who have the life philosophy that about the time everything is going well for you, that's when life sneaks up and bitch slaps you.
I am not one that normally subscribes to such a bleak life outlook, but today I did encounter one of those moments. I was jazzed about today's ride. The plan called for 2hrs, and I was actually looking forward to racking up some mad miles as well as trying out my homebrewed climbing workout. To top it off, the legs were feeling really snappy...so all the ingredients for a good day of training were there.
At every hill I would accelerate my cadence and try and keep a good speed to the top. I was feeling strong, and I was recovering fast. I was in the zone. I approached one of our few steep grades and once again worked at keeping as high a pace up the climb as possible. This particular hill was my first real test. It's one of the longer/steeper climbs available to me, so how well I could A)attack it, and B) recover afterwards, would tell volumes about how I need to refine/continue my climbing based training. I got to the top, and while my HR had snuck up to above 180, it started coming back down fast, even though I was still maintaining a 95 or so rpm cadence.
By this point I was really enjoying my time out on the bike. I come to the first stop sign, and I'm ready to push on for the balance of my 2hrs and then...
This is when I got ambushed, cold-cocked, bushwhacked. It occurred to me that the rear end (the bike's, not mine) seemed unusually squirrely. I look down, and to my displeasure, I see my back tire is going flat. Dammit to hell!
So much for my 2hr ride. I begrudgingly turn around to head for the car. Since I'd topped up the air in my tires prior to leaving the car I figured I'd be able to make it home. NOT! I got maybe 200 or 300 yards and the tire was getting more and more soft. I'm sure questions of carrying a spare tube and/or air are sure to come up, but let's just say that for numerous reasons those options were not available to me.
A good samaritan stops and gives me access to a couple of C02 cartridges to get my tire inflated. Still thinking that my tube should be capable of holding SOME air, I mistakenly think that this inflation will get me home. Unfortunately it only gets me about 3-3.5 miles closer to home. I try getting my weight off the rear tire by standing up and pedaling...that works for a few minutes. The inevitable finally happens and the tire goes totally flat. I'm looking at the prospect of a 5 mile walk. Yippee. Thank God a couple of Army guys took pity on me and gave me a lift back to my car.
Lesson learned. I won't be such an easy mark next time.
Tomorrow I'll try it again.
I am not one that normally subscribes to such a bleak life outlook, but today I did encounter one of those moments. I was jazzed about today's ride. The plan called for 2hrs, and I was actually looking forward to racking up some mad miles as well as trying out my homebrewed climbing workout. To top it off, the legs were feeling really snappy...so all the ingredients for a good day of training were there.
At every hill I would accelerate my cadence and try and keep a good speed to the top. I was feeling strong, and I was recovering fast. I was in the zone. I approached one of our few steep grades and once again worked at keeping as high a pace up the climb as possible. This particular hill was my first real test. It's one of the longer/steeper climbs available to me, so how well I could A)attack it, and B) recover afterwards, would tell volumes about how I need to refine/continue my climbing based training. I got to the top, and while my HR had snuck up to above 180, it started coming back down fast, even though I was still maintaining a 95 or so rpm cadence.
By this point I was really enjoying my time out on the bike. I come to the first stop sign, and I'm ready to push on for the balance of my 2hrs and then...
This is when I got ambushed, cold-cocked, bushwhacked. It occurred to me that the rear end (the bike's, not mine) seemed unusually squirrely. I look down, and to my displeasure, I see my back tire is going flat. Dammit to hell!
So much for my 2hr ride. I begrudgingly turn around to head for the car. Since I'd topped up the air in my tires prior to leaving the car I figured I'd be able to make it home. NOT! I got maybe 200 or 300 yards and the tire was getting more and more soft. I'm sure questions of carrying a spare tube and/or air are sure to come up, but let's just say that for numerous reasons those options were not available to me.
A good samaritan stops and gives me access to a couple of C02 cartridges to get my tire inflated. Still thinking that my tube should be capable of holding SOME air, I mistakenly think that this inflation will get me home. Unfortunately it only gets me about 3-3.5 miles closer to home. I try getting my weight off the rear tire by standing up and pedaling...that works for a few minutes. The inevitable finally happens and the tire goes totally flat. I'm looking at the prospect of a 5 mile walk. Yippee. Thank God a couple of Army guys took pity on me and gave me a lift back to my car.
Lesson learned. I won't be such an easy mark next time.
Tomorrow I'll try it again.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Here's an idea
For anyone who's read this blog for any length of time knows, I'm not in a part of the country that is blessed, or cursed depending on your point of view, with much elevation change. I've not been able to put a decent climbing workout together since I started training.
I had something of an epiphany, and I've come up with my own way to add climbing workouts into my training. This will by no means be as good as having a nice long climb to do intervals on, but it's all I got. My plan is to attack on every climb, be it on the road or out on the trails. The moment the road or trail goes up, I'm gonna kick it into high gear and make it my goal to get to the top of the climb as fast as I can. Why am I doing this now? I've been thinking about the upcoming NORBA race in Sugar Mtn, and to a lesser extent, the Nat'l Championships, and both of those races will have more elevation gain than I've ever done in a race...and I will win or lose those races on the climbs. I think it goes without saying that I don't really want to lose, so I'm doin' what I can to work on building my climbing ability. I think I'm already pretty decent at climbing, but if I can put the hurt on my fellow competitors and at the same time survive the climbing assaults then I'll be putting myself in a much better position as the finish line nears.
I had something of an epiphany, and I've come up with my own way to add climbing workouts into my training. This will by no means be as good as having a nice long climb to do intervals on, but it's all I got. My plan is to attack on every climb, be it on the road or out on the trails. The moment the road or trail goes up, I'm gonna kick it into high gear and make it my goal to get to the top of the climb as fast as I can. Why am I doing this now? I've been thinking about the upcoming NORBA race in Sugar Mtn, and to a lesser extent, the Nat'l Championships, and both of those races will have more elevation gain than I've ever done in a race...and I will win or lose those races on the climbs. I think it goes without saying that I don't really want to lose, so I'm doin' what I can to work on building my climbing ability. I think I'm already pretty decent at climbing, but if I can put the hurt on my fellow competitors and at the same time survive the climbing assaults then I'll be putting myself in a much better position as the finish line nears.
And the plot thickens...
As I noted before, I'm seriously considering attending the US MTB Nat'l Championships in July. There's a wrinkle in the narrative though. I got the following email from USA Cycling...
Angel Fire, NM
Sonoma, Ca
Vail, Co
Durango, Co
For the time being though, we wait.
Colorado Springs, Colo. (May 2, 2006) - Due to massive snowfall on Mammoth Mountain this winter, USA Cycling will be relocating its 2006 Mountain Bike National Championships scheduled for July 20-23.As I understand it, there are several possibilities for the replacement venue:
After a record 664 inches of snow fell this season, Mammoth Mountain has reported a base depth of nearly 20 feet as of May 1 - a figure that ultimately put the resort's ability to host a national championship-caliber event in jeopardy.
"Looking at our snowpack today, I can confidently say we are unable to host a mountain bike event to the quality we are all accustomed to,"commented Bill Cockroft, senior vice president of operations at Mammoth Mountain. "It was a difficult decision, but ultimately we believe we owe it to the mountain bike community to make sure the event continues at the level and standards expected by USA Cycling."
USA Cycling is currently negotiating with several venues to replace Mammoth Mountain and a decision is expected to be announced shortly. We will send out an announcement email when a venue is finalized.
The dates of the 2006 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships will remain unchanged.
Angel Fire, NM
Sonoma, Ca
Vail, Co
Durango, Co
For the time being though, we wait.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Get a clue
Listen to the trees, kola.What would the trees say? "Don't ride during a wind advisory." Yesterday's ride was indeed a sufferfest. The only bright side was the fact that since I was prepared for riding in the wind, it didn't wreak havoc with me mentally. When I'm not prepared for the wind (which is most of the time) it really gets to me. At times I'm tempted to lay down in the middle of the road and let some military vehicle run me over and put me out of my misery (tongue is planted firmly in cheek). Even being mentally prepared for it, you still can't get too rosey an outlook when you're riding into a 20mph headwind.
Between Friday's higher intensity ride and yesterday's wind sufferfest my legs are a little sore. Couple the soreness with rainy conditions and I think that is a recipe for taking a day off the bike.Of course, since I am a total bike nut if the weather clears up then I may very well end up out on the bike afterall.
Between Friday's higher intensity ride and yesterday's wind sufferfest my legs are a little sore. Couple the soreness with rainy conditions and I think that is a recipe for taking a day off the bike.Of course, since I am a total bike nut if the weather clears up then I may very well end up out on the bike afterall.
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Change happens
Since learning of the Nat'l Championships in Mammoth I've started re-evaluating my immediate racing plans. The 12hr race was something new for me, and I was entering it mainly as a self test...to see what I was capable of. I have no illusions about my chances of being competitive in this race, I'm just to new at this type of event to do anything more than finish it (which was my only goal for the event anyway). Also, it was to be a an early season barometer of my chances of doing the E100. About 3 weeks after the 12 Hrs of Tsali is the NORBA race in Sugar Mtn, which is my first 'A' race of the year...a race I want to be competitive in.
So why do I mention all this? Because I am this [*] close to pulling the plug on the 12hr race. Since a 12hr race is a totally different animal than a XC race, I think with the events being so close together it would adversely affect my training for Sugar Mtn. After being on the bike for 12hrs I would be in no position to do any serious training for close to a week (maybe if I had more of those events under my belt it'd be different) after, and that would leave only 2 weeks to prep for Sugar Mtn.
Unless I discover a good reason to do the 12hr event then my mind is made up...I save myself for the NORBA event.
Speaking of training, yesterday I had one of the best days of training I've had in a long time. It was a good, hard, but productive session. I wish every day was like that. I hope I can get a decent day in today. We're under a wind advisory, so that doesn't bode well for getting out on the road. If I go it'll be a sufferfest, I can feel it. Tomorrow it's supposed to rain, rain, rain so I might just have to suffer today.
So why do I mention all this? Because I am this [*] close to pulling the plug on the 12hr race. Since a 12hr race is a totally different animal than a XC race, I think with the events being so close together it would adversely affect my training for Sugar Mtn. After being on the bike for 12hrs I would be in no position to do any serious training for close to a week (maybe if I had more of those events under my belt it'd be different) after, and that would leave only 2 weeks to prep for Sugar Mtn.
Unless I discover a good reason to do the 12hr event then my mind is made up...I save myself for the NORBA event.
Speaking of training, yesterday I had one of the best days of training I've had in a long time. It was a good, hard, but productive session. I wish every day was like that. I hope I can get a decent day in today. We're under a wind advisory, so that doesn't bode well for getting out on the road. If I go it'll be a sufferfest, I can feel it. Tomorrow it's supposed to rain, rain, rain so I might just have to suffer today.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Color me surprised
I've been very careful of how I list my racing goals for this season. I've stayed away from "getting first place" kinds of goals, instead opting for top 5 finishes, or depending on the race, getting on the podium. Don't get me wrong, I'm going out to win, but there are too many variables to simply state "My goal for X race is to win first place". You don't know who is going to line up next to you at the race, or if some sort of mechanical issue is gonna sideline you.
That said, I thought a good goal for my upcoming NORBA Nat'l, and the future FL State Championships, would be to get a good enough placing to qualify for the Nat'l Championships.
So, I went on the USA Cycling website to check to see what the qualifications were (this is where the surprised part comes in.), and see exactly where and when the Championship is held in case I could qualify this year. In my search I came across the list of current qualifiers, so I decided to check out the list to see how many people were already qualified. I'll go ahead and cut to the chase... I saw my name on that list of qualifiers! That's right, I'm qualified to go to this year's National Championships in Mammoth, California. How cool is that?!?! For the record, I qualified at my first ever race. A race, that by my current fitness standards was kinda lame...go figure.
Now I realize that this isn't a huge deal, not like I've qualified for the Olympics or nuttin'...but it just hit me the right way. For a guy who used to be too overweight to ever be good at any sports, let alone be qualified, is enough to get me kinda excited.
My day has been made, strike that, my week has been made.
That said, I thought a good goal for my upcoming NORBA Nat'l, and the future FL State Championships, would be to get a good enough placing to qualify for the Nat'l Championships.
So, I went on the USA Cycling website to check to see what the qualifications were (this is where the surprised part comes in.), and see exactly where and when the Championship is held in case I could qualify this year. In my search I came across the list of current qualifiers, so I decided to check out the list to see how many people were already qualified. I'll go ahead and cut to the chase... I saw my name on that list of qualifiers! That's right, I'm qualified to go to this year's National Championships in Mammoth, California. How cool is that?!?! For the record, I qualified at my first ever race. A race, that by my current fitness standards was kinda lame...go figure.
Now I realize that this isn't a huge deal, not like I've qualified for the Olympics or nuttin'...but it just hit me the right way. For a guy who used to be too overweight to ever be good at any sports, let alone be qualified, is enough to get me kinda excited.
My day has been made, strike that, my week has been made.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Conspiracy nut
I don't know why I even bothered to look at this site, maybe it's morbid curiosity...but the raceclean site is a real piece of work. The loon who runs it seems to take great pride in accusing many high profile racers of doping.
His latest tirade against Team CSC would be disturbing if it wasn't so damned funny.
I bet that character has a foil hat collection. Gotta make sure his thoughts aren't read by "the man" or little green men.
His latest tirade against Team CSC would be disturbing if it wasn't so damned funny.
I bet that character has a foil hat collection. Gotta make sure his thoughts aren't read by "the man" or little green men.
Looking back
I was doing some spring type cleaning...I know, why am I wasting time on something like that when I could be out riding? It's a long story.
Anyway, during my cleaning I came across a journal with some ride entries dating back to 2002. Check out this excerpt:
5/16/02
Group ride today
There was a sponsored racer with us, and she set a blistering pace!
Met a nice couple, who were on the last group ride...David and Regina.(Note: I now ride with Dave and Regina on a regular basis)
Overall, it was a great ride except for a couple of spills. I maintained a great pace.
Ride stats:
9.04 miles
1hr 2min 32 sec (ride time)
8.6mph (avg speed)
I've come a long way since then. I would've been around 300lbs or so at that time, and I thought that 9mph was an awesome pace. 120lbs later and I feel like I'm dragging an anchor if I go slower than 11mph. It'll be interesting to see where I'm at a year from now.
Anyway, during my cleaning I came across a journal with some ride entries dating back to 2002. Check out this excerpt:
5/16/02
Group ride today
There was a sponsored racer with us, and she set a blistering pace!
Met a nice couple, who were on the last group ride...David and Regina.(Note: I now ride with Dave and Regina on a regular basis)
Overall, it was a great ride except for a couple of spills. I maintained a great pace.
Ride stats:
9.04 miles
1hr 2min 32 sec (ride time)
8.6mph (avg speed)
I've come a long way since then. I would've been around 300lbs or so at that time, and I thought that 9mph was an awesome pace. 120lbs later and I feel like I'm dragging an anchor if I go slower than 11mph. It'll be interesting to see where I'm at a year from now.
Grandiose
I've been keeping up with the Tour de Georgia, and they've had those cool climbs...Brasstown Bald, and Burnt Mountain. We have "10 Mile Hill". That's one of the bummers of living in a relatively flat place... no climbs with cool names.
I rode for an hour today and logged a measly 300 or so feet of accumulated climbing. That is just wrong. Nevertheless, it was a good ride. I did some LT threshold intervals, which made for a good hard effort. The leg is still bothering me some, and I think it's gonna take some time for it to heal totally. Fortunately, it doesn't hurt any worse after riding. I am prepared though, that if this keeps lagging on and perhaps does start hurting more after a ride, that I might have to pull the plug on the 12Hrs of Tsali. That way I could get some recovery time in and then be prepared for the Sugar Mtn NORBA event. We'll see how these next couple of weeks go.
Back to the Tour de Georgia...
As expected, Danielson won the Brasstown Bald stage. The big news is that Floyd Landis hung with Danielson during that stage and went on to win the event today. I called that one right, too bad I don't get nuttin' for it.
Big props to Landis though. Tour of California, Paris-Nice, now the Tour de Georgia...Floyd's the man! Here's hoping this great form continues on to the Tour de France.
I rode for an hour today and logged a measly 300 or so feet of accumulated climbing. That is just wrong. Nevertheless, it was a good ride. I did some LT threshold intervals, which made for a good hard effort. The leg is still bothering me some, and I think it's gonna take some time for it to heal totally. Fortunately, it doesn't hurt any worse after riding. I am prepared though, that if this keeps lagging on and perhaps does start hurting more after a ride, that I might have to pull the plug on the 12Hrs of Tsali. That way I could get some recovery time in and then be prepared for the Sugar Mtn NORBA event. We'll see how these next couple of weeks go.
Back to the Tour de Georgia...
As expected, Danielson won the Brasstown Bald stage. The big news is that Floyd Landis hung with Danielson during that stage and went on to win the event today. I called that one right, too bad I don't get nuttin' for it.
Big props to Landis though. Tour of California, Paris-Nice, now the Tour de Georgia...Floyd's the man! Here's hoping this great form continues on to the Tour de France.
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Back on track...slowly but surely
Friday I got back out for some saddle time, and while my leg still bothers me some, I was able to put in a real good effort...at least till I had to battle a headwind. The first 30 minutes I time trialed it and I did pretty good. I think I matched or even beat a personal best. In the 30 minutes I reached 10.5 miles with an average speed of 21mph. I'm hoping to get back out on Sunday, as May 20th is fast approaching.
I wish I didn't have previous plans today, as I'd love to be on site for today's stage of the Tour de Georgia. Today is the main stage of the event...the famous Brasstown Bald climb.
I wish I didn't have previous plans today, as I'd love to be on site for today's stage of the Tour de Georgia. Today is the main stage of the event...the famous Brasstown Bald climb.
Friday, April 21, 2006
I'm back!
After 3 days of no riding I was anxious to get the legs spinning again. There was still a twinge of soreness there, so I kept it low key and rode the mtn bike with the usual suspects on the Thursday ride. I've given it some thought, and I think that I twisted my knee instead of tweaking a muscle. I remember during a mtn bike ride last week that I went down, and I was trying to get the one foot that was still clipped in, loose, and I think I used a bit too much gusto in trying get my foot out and twisted my knee.
The good news about today's ride that while I still am feeling the pain in my knee, its just a minor nuisance. I'm gonna give the road a go tomorrow afternoon. Gotta ramp the training back up.
I see that Floyd Landis was the man in the TT at the Tour de Georgia. But Tom Danielson (who won last year's TdG) is only a few seconds behind, and Saturday's stage...the famous Brasstown Bald climb is tailor made to Danielson's strengths. It's where he won the event last year. Can he do it again?
I like Danielson, but I gotta go with Floyd. He's been having a phenomenal year so far. I'd like to see him keep it up.
I think this is all the damage I can do for now. Need. Sleep.
The good news about today's ride that while I still am feeling the pain in my knee, its just a minor nuisance. I'm gonna give the road a go tomorrow afternoon. Gotta ramp the training back up.
I see that Floyd Landis was the man in the TT at the Tour de Georgia. But Tom Danielson (who won last year's TdG) is only a few seconds behind, and Saturday's stage...the famous Brasstown Bald climb is tailor made to Danielson's strengths. It's where he won the event last year. Can he do it again?
I like Danielson, but I gotta go with Floyd. He's been having a phenomenal year so far. I'd like to see him keep it up.
I think this is all the damage I can do for now. Need. Sleep.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
A good day for Discovery Channel
Lance Armstrong must be proud right now. Wunderkid Yaraslov Popovych laid some serious smack down in the final moments of stage 2 of the Tour de Georgia, and took the stage win. After almost 115 miles of racing he had the reserves to throw down...damn, that's some mad cycling skillz right there!
If I didn't have some previous plans, it would've been cool to see some of the action live.
If I didn't have some previous plans, it would've been cool to see some of the action live.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Stockpiling
It's a month before the 12Hrs of Tsali, and I've begun rounding up/ordering the supplies I'll need for this suffer fest.
Elete water (electrolyte add in)
Water bottles (I'll be filling them with Perpetuem - main fuel source for the race)
New jersey and bib shorts
Extra Camelbak reservoir
Spare chain
Extra shifter cables
Inner tubes
Back up battery for my light
Reflector/tail light for bike or Camelbak
Clothing (This is some top secret stuff- I've been sworn to secrecy over it. If I told you, I'd have to kill you!)
I normally use Hammer HEED for my hydrating needs, but I decided that since I'll be living on Perpetuem and it is a little sweet, I wanted to have some plain tasting water. Elete is pretty much tasteless unless you use a bunch of it. I got a spare bottle to test with prior to the race. I don't want to take anything untried going into that race.
Elete water (electrolyte add in)
Water bottles (I'll be filling them with Perpetuem - main fuel source for the race)
New jersey and bib shorts
Extra Camelbak reservoir
Spare chain
Extra shifter cables
Inner tubes
Back up battery for my light
Reflector/tail light for bike or Camelbak
Clothing (This is some top secret stuff- I've been sworn to secrecy over it. If I told you, I'd have to kill you!)
I normally use Hammer HEED for my hydrating needs, but I decided that since I'll be living on Perpetuem and it is a little sweet, I wanted to have some plain tasting water. Elete is pretty much tasteless unless you use a bunch of it. I got a spare bottle to test with prior to the race. I don't want to take anything untried going into that race.
Lounge Lizard
I've been off the bike now for two days, trying to let that muscle in my leg get better. Today I'm still feeling a slight twinge down there, but it is definitely getting better. While I am absolutely itching to get back out on the bike, I might throw in the towel for today. I'd rather sacrifice an extra day of riding than really hurt the muscle and spend a week or more off the bike. These...challenges really do test me. *Sigh
On an unrelated note, I've been getting visitors from some very exotice places like Australia, New Zealand, England, Montgomery AL... I'd certainly like to hear from some of the folks that are taking the time to read my ramblings. Drop me a line in the comment section.
I'm outta here.
On an unrelated note, I've been getting visitors from some very exotice places like Australia, New Zealand, England, Montgomery AL... I'd certainly like to hear from some of the folks that are taking the time to read my ramblings. Drop me a line in the comment section.
I'm outta here.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Shaved legs, Euros, and peaches
Today the Tour De Georgia begins. For anyone that is interested, Velonews will be having live internet coverage starting at 11:30am Eastern time.
Best of luck to all the racers, keep it rubber side down.
Best of luck to all the racers, keep it rubber side down.
Monday, April 17, 2006
Test driving and some rest
My leg was still a little sore today, so I decided to hold off on any riding today. It'll be an intense week, so I'd rather sacrifice a day in hopes of getting some solid training in later in the week. I got a call from the LBS, telling me they'd built up the bikes for me to test.
First up was the TCR2 ( I was actually interested in the TCR 1, but for purposes of trying out the ride, the lower spec'd TCR 2 would work fine.).
The bike felt good. It was responsive and pretty comfortable over rough road. The higher priced TCR1 would make a great bike, with it's nicer Ultegra and Dura-Ace component package.
Next up was the TCR C3. This is Giant's lowest priced carbon TCR model. Shimano 105 is standard with this bike, and that was the reason I was kinda leaning towards the TCR1. I'm a firm believer in a good component spec.
After spending some time on this bike I can see why carbon is the in thing. The overall feel of the bike was similar to its aluminum cousin, as they share the same geometry. That's where the similarities end though. While the aluminum TCR 1 was a light, responsive bike I was not prepared for how...zippy the carbon TCR3 would be. In addition to being considerably more responsive than the TCR1, the carbon really took the edge of the small bumps/cracks/holes in the pavement.
What is the verdict? I am gonna go with the carbon TCR. The Shimano 105 might not last as long and/or work as crisply as the Ultegra/Dura Ace, but the ride of the carbon is awfully hard to pass up. That said, I might change my mind before it comes down to plopping some Benjamins on the bike. Ya never know...for now though, the TCR C3 has the nod.
First up was the TCR2 ( I was actually interested in the TCR 1, but for purposes of trying out the ride, the lower spec'd TCR 2 would work fine.).The bike felt good. It was responsive and pretty comfortable over rough road. The higher priced TCR1 would make a great bike, with it's nicer Ultegra and Dura-Ace component package.
Next up was the TCR C3. This is Giant's lowest priced carbon TCR model. Shimano 105 is standard with this bike, and that was the reason I was kinda leaning towards the TCR1. I'm a firm believer in a good component spec.
After spending some time on this bike I can see why carbon is the in thing. The overall feel of the bike was similar to its aluminum cousin, as they share the same geometry. That's where the similarities end though. While the aluminum TCR 1 was a light, responsive bike I was not prepared for how...zippy the carbon TCR3 would be. In addition to being considerably more responsive than the TCR1, the carbon really took the edge of the small bumps/cracks/holes in the pavement.
What is the verdict? I am gonna go with the carbon TCR. The Shimano 105 might not last as long and/or work as crisply as the Ultegra/Dura Ace, but the ride of the carbon is awfully hard to pass up. That said, I might change my mind before it comes down to plopping some Benjamins on the bike. Ya never know...for now though, the TCR C3 has the nod.
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Easter spin
I hope everyone is having a nice Easter Sunday...gettin' to do whatever you want.
After pissing off a muscle in my leg the other day it was good to get out on the bike today...it also helped work off some of that Easter brunch (thank God days like this don't come around very often!). Other than doing some LT intervals I kept it low key to keep from making that muscle worse. I probably should've stayed off the bike, but after that pig out session this morning I couldn't bring myself to just do nothin'.
This coming week will be good, I'm looking forward to it. I'll be restarting Build 2...I'm anxious to get back into my training routine, full force. I'll also be test riding those two road bikes. W00t!
After pissing off a muscle in my leg the other day it was good to get out on the bike today...it also helped work off some of that Easter brunch (thank God days like this don't come around very often!). Other than doing some LT intervals I kept it low key to keep from making that muscle worse. I probably should've stayed off the bike, but after that pig out session this morning I couldn't bring myself to just do nothin'.
This coming week will be good, I'm looking forward to it. I'll be restarting Build 2...I'm anxious to get back into my training routine, full force. I'll also be test riding those two road bikes. W00t!
Saturday, April 15, 2006
Droppin' the D-bomb
I was just over at Trek-VW racer Tristan Schouten's blog and he's stirred up a hornets nest [Edit- the posts on this topic have been removed by Schouten] over possible doping at the Sea Otter. In his blog he commented on seeing numerous pro racers using asthma inhalers moments before the race started. He even went so far as to name a couple names. I did some reading on asthma inhalers as a ergogenic aid, and there seems to be some debate over the usefulness of such products as an ergogenic aid.
Now I don't know the finer points of doping, but I am 110% against doping in sports. If you can't win using your natural, God given abilities then you need to take up a different sport...like croquet or something.
That said, Tristan's accusatory words, not having any real proof one way or another, sounded like sour grapes. He said he wasn't calling anyone a doper, but by him even bringing it up he was accusing them of doping. Are those guys dopers? Possibly. I hope not. I have great respect for their skills and I'd hate to see it come to light that they are in fact shameless doping cheats.
In today's society you have to be VERY careful about making accusations. If you make an accusation and you end up being right, then you're the hero...but if you make an accusation and you're wrong, then you've damaged (possibly irreparably damaged) the reputation of that person.
You gotta love the drama that goes on in the cycling world, don't ya?
Now I don't know the finer points of doping, but I am 110% against doping in sports. If you can't win using your natural, God given abilities then you need to take up a different sport...like croquet or something.
That said, Tristan's accusatory words, not having any real proof one way or another, sounded like sour grapes. He said he wasn't calling anyone a doper, but by him even bringing it up he was accusing them of doping. Are those guys dopers? Possibly. I hope not. I have great respect for their skills and I'd hate to see it come to light that they are in fact shameless doping cheats.
In today's society you have to be VERY careful about making accusations. If you make an accusation and you end up being right, then you're the hero...but if you make an accusation and you're wrong, then you've damaged (possibly irreparably damaged) the reputation of that person.
You gotta love the drama that goes on in the cycling world, don't ya?
Capping off a stellar week
I found the perfect way to cap off an otherwise lousy biking week...
I tweaked a muscle in the back of my leg, right below my knee. It doesn't hurt bad or anything, but I'm gonna give it some time to heal. I'd rather take the time off now then make it worse and end up with several days worth of down time.
I tweaked a muscle in the back of my leg, right below my knee. It doesn't hurt bad or anything, but I'm gonna give it some time to heal. I'd rather take the time off now then make it worse and end up with several days worth of down time.
Friday, April 14, 2006
I am SO done
That's what my legs felt like after today's ride. Those messed up weeks affected me more than I thought. Today's ride kicked my ass. I'm mad at myself for letting my training get so screwed up. Even though there were some things that happened that were out of my control, I could've shoehorned some saddle time in.
I'm even going so far as to restart Build 2 on Monday. This week I'm just gonna get some more long rides in and try and get my endurance back on track before starting high intensity stuff. I tried some LT threshold intervals today, and after the first one my legs said in so many words "Oh, hell no!"
I'll get there though.
On a more positive note...
I'm looking VERY hard at a road bike. I've pondered, and ruled out a couple brands already (for various reasons).
The LBS is building up one of these for me to test ride.
They're also building a TCR Composite 3
I'm partial to the TCR1, due to the better components selection. The TCR has mostly Ultegra, while the TCR composite is made up of Shimano 105.
If I do prefer the ride of the aluminum TCR, the shop is gonna order a Cannondale R1000 for me to try as well.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Moving on
It's been 4 days since the race, and I'd like to say I'm still basking in what is my most satisfying race to date, but there's no rest for the weary. I have 2 important races over the next 2 months, so training resumed the day after the race.
Despite a good performance at the race, and faster and faster times, my training has been in a slump for the 3 or so weeks prior to the race. It was a case of life getting in the way. Why do I mention that? I got back out on the road on Monday to continue my training for my upcoming events...and it's been so long since I've gotten some quality/high intensity rides that between Mon and Wednesday's rides it has left my legs a little lifeless. I noticed it the most on the group mtb ride today. Between now and my next race I've got to be super strict on my training so I can be totally prepared come May 20th.
The final results were put up from the race, and I beat 2nd place by just over 3 minutes. I'm very very pleased with how the race turned out. Now I just have to step it up a notch for the rest of the season.
Despite a good performance at the race, and faster and faster times, my training has been in a slump for the 3 or so weeks prior to the race. It was a case of life getting in the way. Why do I mention that? I got back out on the road on Monday to continue my training for my upcoming events...and it's been so long since I've gotten some quality/high intensity rides that between Mon and Wednesday's rides it has left my legs a little lifeless. I noticed it the most on the group mtb ride today. Between now and my next race I've got to be super strict on my training so I can be totally prepared come May 20th.
The final results were put up from the race, and I beat 2nd place by just over 3 minutes. I'm very very pleased with how the race turned out. Now I just have to step it up a notch for the rest of the season.
Monday, April 10, 2006
UWF Fat Tire Challenge- Race Report
The first race of the season took what seemed like a long time to arrive. April 9th was finally here, and it was time to see if my training was taking me in the right direction. I labeled this as a C priority race, as I intended to maintain my training volume/intensity and I'd use the race as a measure of my race fitness.
The day started early...too early. I had to be up at 5am, on the road by 6, to be at the venue and ready to race by 8am. It's something to be able to see the sunrise in your mirror. I'm of the opinion that if God had wanted man to see the sunrise he would've made it later in the day.
Upon my arrival at the University campus I got registered, suited up, and got some warm-up time in. The call-up for the beginner class was announced and a total of 60 people lined up for the 10 mile race. The race organizers chose to have a mass start instead of sending the racers out by age group, which I thought was a mistake, but they didn't ask my opinion.
The horn sounded and...mass chaos ensued, or at least that's what it felt like. In the above picture I'm the second one on the left(next to the guy in the yellow jersey) and the kid (whom I'm going to refer to as "beanpole" from here on out) who was my nemesis is on the far right.
I got an assy start. There was a quarter mile or so run to the singletrack, and because of my lousy start I got into the singletrack in 7th position overall. That was NOT what I had in mind. My pre-race plan was to be in the top 3 going into the singletrack, so I could get ahead of any impending crashes due to an early bottleneck at a bridge. So, I don't get a good position and the crash that I knew would occur happens. Upon entering the singletrack, the trail descends down to a creek. About halfway down to the creek there is a nice size log pile. It's not a huge obstacle, but trying to navigate it at speed is a recipe for disaster. There are detours on both sides of the pile, but yet one guy decides to go over it. As he goes over it, another rider is going around it and gets funneled right into Mr Log Crossing. Log Crossing guy ends up on the losing end. Fortunately for me I watch as it happens, and am not involved in the wreck. All I see is legs and assholes as log crossing guy goes over his handlebars.
That wreck puts me in 6th position. We pass over the bridge without incident. About 75ft past the bridge the course makes a hard right up a steep, sandy rise. On my pre-ride it was almost too sandy to ride and so I was prepared to run up it, but as I clear the bridge and make my turn towards that section of trail I see people riding up it. The fella in front of me stalls out on the climb and because I'm able to ride up it I'm now in 5th position. Over the next few hundred yards I pass 3rd and 4th. "Beanpole" has been leading from the start. I've not yet seen Beanpole, but I'm on the wheel of 2nd place. Like Beanpole, the 2nd place rider is a kid (16-18yrs old). He's a fairly strong rider, but shifting problems give me the opportunity to scoot around him. So, after a couple miles I'm in 2nd place overall. It'd be a bit longer before I'd discover that Beanpole was a teen, but I knew for sure that I was leading my age class, so I felt pretty good.
I finally catch up to Bean and except for getting stalled in some sand, I stick on his wheel. On the flats he was damn fast, but I was stronger on the climbs. When he could get some speed up, he'd get 4 or 5 bike lengths ahead of me, and when the trail started climbing I'd reel him in, almost to the point of clipping his back tire. Due to his speed on the flats I was hesitant to try a pass as I wasn't sure I could make it stick. That line of thinking would lead to my one big mistake in the race.
I played this cat-n-mouse game with beanpole for quite a while. We enter Greenbriar and it is all climbing. Bean is suffering on this section of trail and I'm practically recovering on it. Several times I have to ease off to keep from rubbing his tire. At the top of Greenbriar I decide to make my move. As we exit the trail the course crosses a powerline break which gives me plenty of room for a pass. The next section of singletrack is appropriately labeled "The Chute". It's all downhill and fast. Throughout all of this I've felt really good, legs have been strong. At the end of the Chute there is another short section of a powerline break to navigate before crossing the creek and making the end run.
This is where things took a turn from my plan. I overcooked the turn onto the bridge and missed the line onto the bridge. As a result I had to actually stop and get my bike on the bridge. Beanpole was right there to get ahead of me. I'm back on my bike in seconds, but it felt like I had stopped for a picnic lunch. In a cruel twist, the steepest, nastiest climb of the entire race is heading back up the trail after exiting the bridge. Being the better climber, I am back on Bean's wheel. Because he's so fast on the flat stuff I realize that this climb is my only shot to get out front. We're coming up on that same logpile that caused so much grief earlier, and I am going to take him as soon as I get past that obstacle. What I didn't notice was that I was already overtaking him and when I went to move to his left, my front tire clipped his back wheel and..can you guess the punchline? Over I went. Not hard mind you, but the damage was done.
Before I could get up and get some momentum Bean was on his terrain and kicking it into overdrive for the finish.
I gave it all I had left, and in the end I finished a mere 6 seconds behind Bean. That is something I'm quite proud of, considering that I have about 20yrs, 6 or so inches of height, and 45 or 50lbs on Bean.
Now, back to the mistake I alluded to. As the race went on it became clear that I was the stronger rider. My mistake was in not passing Bean earlier in the race. If I would've passed him before we got to Greenbriar, I have no doubt I could've gapped him on that climbing section. He more than likely would've caught up on the fast stuff, but I would've been in a better position to stick with him on the final run to the finish line. That's race strategy, and it's a mistake I won't make again.
That said, I'm extremely happy with my performance. My battle with Bean for that fastest overall spot was just for bragging rights. No prizes were awarded for it, and no mention was made of it during the award ceremony. I saw I had an opportunity to have the fastest time of all the racers in my wave, and by God I was gonna shoot for it even if it was just for bragging rights.
At this stage I don't know how far off my closest class competitor was to me, but I hope to find that out in another day or so.
As far as a fitness test, that was a success too. I look to be on track with my training, as is. I will make one adjustment, and that is to work more on my top end power (sprinting, etc). I'll never be able to match someone like Bean in a flat out sprint, but if I can minimize the damage and keep the gap in check then I'll be pleased with my sprinting ability.
Course distance: 9.95 miles
Race time: 51:18
I'm hoping someone got a picture or two of me out on the trail. If and when I find out I'll add the pic.
The day started early...too early. I had to be up at 5am, on the road by 6, to be at the venue and ready to race by 8am. It's something to be able to see the sunrise in your mirror. I'm of the opinion that if God had wanted man to see the sunrise he would've made it later in the day.
Upon my arrival at the University campus I got registered, suited up, and got some warm-up time in. The call-up for the beginner class was announced and a total of 60 people lined up for the 10 mile race. The race organizers chose to have a mass start instead of sending the racers out by age group, which I thought was a mistake, but they didn't ask my opinion.
The horn sounded and...mass chaos ensued, or at least that's what it felt like. In the above picture I'm the second one on the left(next to the guy in the yellow jersey) and the kid (whom I'm going to refer to as "beanpole" from here on out) who was my nemesis is on the far right.I got an assy start. There was a quarter mile or so run to the singletrack, and because of my lousy start I got into the singletrack in 7th position overall. That was NOT what I had in mind. My pre-race plan was to be in the top 3 going into the singletrack, so I could get ahead of any impending crashes due to an early bottleneck at a bridge. So, I don't get a good position and the crash that I knew would occur happens. Upon entering the singletrack, the trail descends down to a creek. About halfway down to the creek there is a nice size log pile. It's not a huge obstacle, but trying to navigate it at speed is a recipe for disaster. There are detours on both sides of the pile, but yet one guy decides to go over it. As he goes over it, another rider is going around it and gets funneled right into Mr Log Crossing. Log Crossing guy ends up on the losing end. Fortunately for me I watch as it happens, and am not involved in the wreck. All I see is legs and assholes as log crossing guy goes over his handlebars.
That wreck puts me in 6th position. We pass over the bridge without incident. About 75ft past the bridge the course makes a hard right up a steep, sandy rise. On my pre-ride it was almost too sandy to ride and so I was prepared to run up it, but as I clear the bridge and make my turn towards that section of trail I see people riding up it. The fella in front of me stalls out on the climb and because I'm able to ride up it I'm now in 5th position. Over the next few hundred yards I pass 3rd and 4th. "Beanpole" has been leading from the start. I've not yet seen Beanpole, but I'm on the wheel of 2nd place. Like Beanpole, the 2nd place rider is a kid (16-18yrs old). He's a fairly strong rider, but shifting problems give me the opportunity to scoot around him. So, after a couple miles I'm in 2nd place overall. It'd be a bit longer before I'd discover that Beanpole was a teen, but I knew for sure that I was leading my age class, so I felt pretty good.
I finally catch up to Bean and except for getting stalled in some sand, I stick on his wheel. On the flats he was damn fast, but I was stronger on the climbs. When he could get some speed up, he'd get 4 or 5 bike lengths ahead of me, and when the trail started climbing I'd reel him in, almost to the point of clipping his back tire. Due to his speed on the flats I was hesitant to try a pass as I wasn't sure I could make it stick. That line of thinking would lead to my one big mistake in the race.
I played this cat-n-mouse game with beanpole for quite a while. We enter Greenbriar and it is all climbing. Bean is suffering on this section of trail and I'm practically recovering on it. Several times I have to ease off to keep from rubbing his tire. At the top of Greenbriar I decide to make my move. As we exit the trail the course crosses a powerline break which gives me plenty of room for a pass. The next section of singletrack is appropriately labeled "The Chute". It's all downhill and fast. Throughout all of this I've felt really good, legs have been strong. At the end of the Chute there is another short section of a powerline break to navigate before crossing the creek and making the end run.
This is where things took a turn from my plan. I overcooked the turn onto the bridge and missed the line onto the bridge. As a result I had to actually stop and get my bike on the bridge. Beanpole was right there to get ahead of me. I'm back on my bike in seconds, but it felt like I had stopped for a picnic lunch. In a cruel twist, the steepest, nastiest climb of the entire race is heading back up the trail after exiting the bridge. Being the better climber, I am back on Bean's wheel. Because he's so fast on the flat stuff I realize that this climb is my only shot to get out front. We're coming up on that same logpile that caused so much grief earlier, and I am going to take him as soon as I get past that obstacle. What I didn't notice was that I was already overtaking him and when I went to move to his left, my front tire clipped his back wheel and..can you guess the punchline? Over I went. Not hard mind you, but the damage was done.
Before I could get up and get some momentum Bean was on his terrain and kicking it into overdrive for the finish.
I gave it all I had left, and in the end I finished a mere 6 seconds behind Bean. That is something I'm quite proud of, considering that I have about 20yrs, 6 or so inches of height, and 45 or 50lbs on Bean.
Now, back to the mistake I alluded to. As the race went on it became clear that I was the stronger rider. My mistake was in not passing Bean earlier in the race. If I would've passed him before we got to Greenbriar, I have no doubt I could've gapped him on that climbing section. He more than likely would've caught up on the fast stuff, but I would've been in a better position to stick with him on the final run to the finish line. That's race strategy, and it's a mistake I won't make again.
That said, I'm extremely happy with my performance. My battle with Bean for that fastest overall spot was just for bragging rights. No prizes were awarded for it, and no mention was made of it during the award ceremony. I saw I had an opportunity to have the fastest time of all the racers in my wave, and by God I was gonna shoot for it even if it was just for bragging rights.
At this stage I don't know how far off my closest class competitor was to me, but I hope to find that out in another day or so.
As far as a fitness test, that was a success too. I look to be on track with my training, as is. I will make one adjustment, and that is to work more on my top end power (sprinting, etc). I'll never be able to match someone like Bean in a flat out sprint, but if I can minimize the damage and keep the gap in check then I'll be pleased with my sprinting ability.
Course distance: 9.95 miles
Race time: 51:18
I'm hoping someone got a picture or two of me out on the trail. If and when I find out I'll add the pic.
Sunday, April 09, 2006
V is for Victory
Call me Agent V.
I'm gonna keep this short and sweet, but the race went extremely well. The weather was perfect, the course was FAST, and it all came together for me. Chalk up one in the W column.
In the coming days I'll have a full write up on the race, complete with pictures. For now though, me needs rest...I'm tired.
I'm gonna keep this short and sweet, but the race went extremely well. The weather was perfect, the course was FAST, and it all came together for me. Chalk up one in the W column.
In the coming days I'll have a full write up on the race, complete with pictures. For now though, me needs rest...I'm tired.
Race day
It's 5:23am and I've already been up 23 minutes. It's too early for this sh*t. As soon as I finish my breakfast and get dressed I'll be outta here. *Yawn.
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Tomorrow is the big day
Tomorrow is it, the first race of the season. I'm happy to report that I have all my ducks in a row and I'm ready to head out early. I took the bike in for a re-adjustment of the rear derailleur, and it was once again gunked up in that rear section of cable housing. It happened after only a few rides. I'm thinking I'm gonna have to switch to a sealed system, like the Avid Flak Jacket.
Time to head to bed. I need some serious sleep...5am is gonna come quickly.
Time to head to bed. I need some serious sleep...5am is gonna come quickly.
Friday, April 07, 2006
2 more days to go
Not too much to tell, other than I'm workin' on getting my daily saddle time in. I was due for 3 days off the bike and I have two more days I can take, so I'm thinking that I'll go ahead and take Friday and Saturday off. This way I'm still sticking to my schedule, but I'm giving my legs a chance to be fresh come Sunday.
If I ride at all over the next couple of days, it'll be Friday when I do it.
If I ride at all over the next couple of days, it'll be Friday when I do it.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
T-Minus 5 and counting
I got some time in yesterday on the mtn bike. I included some Power jumps, to work on my explosive power for sprints and stuff. I can already see that I want to make some more gains in the power department. I think I'm gonna step up the weight routine. I'm capable of producing some pretty good power, but I think it could be a bit better. I was surprised at how cooked I was yesterday, after Sunday's marathon race pre-ride session. I kept a good pace, but my legs were really feeling a lack of love.
I can't get over how dry and dusty it is out on the trails. Here in Florida we have a problem with sand, but throw in a lack of rain and the sand really becomes nasty.
Speaking of dry and dusty. The dry conditions were/are the one downside of the course for the upcoming race. I haven't ridden in such dry conditions since the Tom Brown stop on the Florida State Series. I'd like to think we'll get a little (emphasis on "little") rain on Friday evening or Sat morning....pack things down a bit. That might be asking too much though.
Check how dirty my legs were after Sunday's ride...
Pay no attention to the goofy tan thing going on.
Today will be a rest day, gonna need it after yesterday's lackluster ride.
I can't get over how dry and dusty it is out on the trails. Here in Florida we have a problem with sand, but throw in a lack of rain and the sand really becomes nasty.
Speaking of dry and dusty. The dry conditions were/are the one downside of the course for the upcoming race. I haven't ridden in such dry conditions since the Tom Brown stop on the Florida State Series. I'd like to think we'll get a little (emphasis on "little") rain on Friday evening or Sat morning....pack things down a bit. That might be asking too much though.
Check how dirty my legs were after Sunday's ride...
Pay no attention to the goofy tan thing going on.Today will be a rest day, gonna need it after yesterday's lackluster ride.
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Seven days and counting
Next Sunday is my first race of the season, and I must say that I'm quite excited about it. This is an early season fitness test, so I'm anxious to see how my training is working out.
Today I rode the race course so I could make sure I was familiar with the layout as the trails there can be confusing at times. I started riding at 9:30am and left for home at 2:30pm, with over 2hrs of actual riding time. I managed to get two laps in, and I'm now confident in my knowledge of the course layout. I hope that it is a bit cooler next Sunday. It was in the mid 80's today. I'll be racing early in the day, but the cooler the better.
Ride totals:
2hrs 17 min
23 miles
25mph max
Now for a couple of pics.
Part of the crew I rode with this morning. The guy in the center is Cal, he's like from another world...super fast.
Some wildlife seen on today's ride. For those with an inquiring mind, it is a Gopher Tortoise.
I've decided to keep my schedule "as is". This will be a R&R week with 3 days off the bike and 5.5hrs of riding. I'm gonna make it a nice mix of road riding and mtn bike. I think I'm gonna work on power this week....do some sprints and stuff in preparation for the race.
Today I rode the race course so I could make sure I was familiar with the layout as the trails there can be confusing at times. I started riding at 9:30am and left for home at 2:30pm, with over 2hrs of actual riding time. I managed to get two laps in, and I'm now confident in my knowledge of the course layout. I hope that it is a bit cooler next Sunday. It was in the mid 80's today. I'll be racing early in the day, but the cooler the better.
Ride totals:
2hrs 17 min
23 miles
25mph max
Now for a couple of pics.
Part of the crew I rode with this morning. The guy in the center is Cal, he's like from another world...super fast.
Some wildlife seen on today's ride. For those with an inquiring mind, it is a Gopher Tortoise.I've decided to keep my schedule "as is". This will be a R&R week with 3 days off the bike and 5.5hrs of riding. I'm gonna make it a nice mix of road riding and mtn bike. I think I'm gonna work on power this week....do some sprints and stuff in preparation for the race.
Big day of riding
Today I'm gonna be putting in some serious miles on the mtn bike. I'm heading over to P'cola to ride the race course. I'll probably be putting in 3 or so hrs of riding, which I need after the stinky week of riding I had, or didn't have.
I see myself getting stronger/faster, but it still is hard to not obsess over missing valuable training time. I almost feel like lost days set me back, despite the improvements I've been seeing. Right now I'm torn between re-doing this past week's training schedule or just letting next week's planned routine move forward.
I see myself getting stronger/faster, but it still is hard to not obsess over missing valuable training time. I almost feel like lost days set me back, despite the improvements I've been seeing. Right now I'm torn between re-doing this past week's training schedule or just letting next week's planned routine move forward.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
A big surprise
There was a big group ride today out on the road, and we had a surprise guest. It was none other than Lance Armstrong. For being retired, he's as fast as ever, although a couple of us were able to keep up with him for a time. Speaking of retirement, he said that he might come back in a year or so and again compete in the Tour, "just to prove that I can win anytime I want, AND not need any f**king drugs are doping to do it!"
It was fun riding with him, right up till he dropped the hammer on us. The sonofabitch even gave us "the look" too!
Here's the one pic that someone got from the ride.
For those that may still be reading this, and have not realized that I'm full of sh*t....April Fools!
It was fun riding with him, right up till he dropped the hammer on us. The sonofabitch even gave us "the look" too!
Here's the one pic that someone got from the ride.
For those that may still be reading this, and have not realized that I'm full of sh*t....April Fools!
Friday, March 31, 2006
Gettin' my act together.
I'm slowly getting back into my routine. It's weird, it feels like it's been weeks since I was last on a bike. Doesn't take much of an interruption in your training to really throw you off. Tomorrow I've got a meeting, so it's going to take some creative thinking to get saddle time in...or at least the amount I WANT to get.
My first race is just over a week away, and despite the fact that my training plan has been a mess lately, I'm feeling really strong.
I think it's time for me to include one of the fixtures of cycling blogs everywhere...
The self (while riding along) portrait:
Hey, if it's good enough for Kerkove and "The Goat" then why shouldn't I do it too?
With my first race so close, I'm trying to decide if I'm gonna run a bottle or my Camelbak. I'm leaning towards the bottle, as there are numerous places where you can drink and not run into a tree or knock a tooth out because of bumps, roots, small forest creatures, etc. I like the idea of using a bottle as it's less weight (especially since that additional weight would be on my back). The topic has even come upon mtbr. Decisions, decisions.
My first race is just over a week away, and despite the fact that my training plan has been a mess lately, I'm feeling really strong.
I think it's time for me to include one of the fixtures of cycling blogs everywhere...
The self (while riding along) portrait:
Hey, if it's good enough for Kerkove and "The Goat" then why shouldn't I do it too?
With my first race so close, I'm trying to decide if I'm gonna run a bottle or my Camelbak. I'm leaning towards the bottle, as there are numerous places where you can drink and not run into a tree or knock a tooth out because of bumps, roots, small forest creatures, etc. I like the idea of using a bottle as it's less weight (especially since that additional weight would be on my back). The topic has even come upon mtbr. Decisions, decisions.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
This is more like it
It sure was good getting back on the bike, I almost forgot what it was like. I don't normally like having 3 days off the bike in a row...I typically feel like that many days off the bike does more harm than good, but today was an exception. It was very evident on the mtn bike ride. I could do no wrong, my game was on. I even found myself keeping up with a buddy, who can usually drop me on this particular trail. Today though, he didn't get more than 50-60ft ahead of me. I had tons of top end power too.
It was one of those days that makes all the training worth while. If I can have a day like this on the 9th, I'll be very happy.
It was one of those days that makes all the training worth while. If I can have a day like this on the 9th, I'll be very happy.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Back home
I made it back home. Finally.
I think I know why Oklahoma is called the Sooner State... the "sooner" I could get home, the better!
I'm anxious to get back on the bike, and get some good training in. My first race of the season is just under 2 weeks away, so I need to get back on the program. The next few days are gonna be some intense ones. I've not been riding since I spent some saddle time on a stationary bike Sunday night. Today I wanted to ride, but I had to go pick up the Santa Cruz from the bike shop. I was having some shifting issues that I couldn't get sorted out. Tomorrow though, it's all about the riding. I'll be doing both an AM and PM ride in addition to the usual Thursday night group mtb ride.
This is the event T-shirt for my first race. Pretty cool, huh?
I think I know why Oklahoma is called the Sooner State... the "sooner" I could get home, the better!
I'm anxious to get back on the bike, and get some good training in. My first race of the season is just under 2 weeks away, so I need to get back on the program. The next few days are gonna be some intense ones. I've not been riding since I spent some saddle time on a stationary bike Sunday night. Today I wanted to ride, but I had to go pick up the Santa Cruz from the bike shop. I was having some shifting issues that I couldn't get sorted out. Tomorrow though, it's all about the riding. I'll be doing both an AM and PM ride in addition to the usual Thursday night group mtb ride.
This is the event T-shirt for my first race. Pretty cool, huh?
Monday, March 27, 2006
A quickie
I've been absent as of late. I've been in the happening burg of Oklahoma City on business. Not much to tell, other than I'm sick and tired of seeing a stationary bike. I've logged almost 100 miles on the damn things since I've been gone. Gimme a trail, a road, anything that is outdoors.
I'm outta here. Need. Sleep.
I'm outta here. Need. Sleep.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Time Trial #2
Today was the second of three mtn bike TT's. The first time around, I completed the 4.62 mile course in 23:08. I was hoping I could shave some more time off and get in under 23 minutes. My specific goal was 22:50. I've been battling some allergy related congestion and sniffles, so I was concerned how that might affect my performance today.
I started the TT feeling pretty good. I got a good start and found my rhythm early on. But once I started hitting the climbs and pushed my HR closer to my threshold, that's when some problems developed. Trying to take some deep breaths I'd hear my chest rattling, and that would make me cough some. In order to get some much needed air into my lungs, it caused me on a couple of occasions to back off ever so slightly. I just knew that those moments of easing off my pace was gonna cost me a good time. I was certain I was gonna be slower than the first time. Giving in wasn't an option. I kept pushing myself, trying to get some breaths without breathing so deep that it brought on coughing.
I come off of "Carbo", turn left onto "Speed Demon", get in the big chainring and I turn those cranks for all I'm worth. I make it across the finish line and turn to hear the bad news. Surprisingly, there wasn't any bad news. My time was 22:54. Backing off those couple times cost me some precious seconds...I'm sure I could've shaved another 10 seconds off that time had I been totally healthy.
14 seconds faster than last month. I can live with that. In April I'd like to aim for a time of 22:15, or thereabouts.
I started the TT feeling pretty good. I got a good start and found my rhythm early on. But once I started hitting the climbs and pushed my HR closer to my threshold, that's when some problems developed. Trying to take some deep breaths I'd hear my chest rattling, and that would make me cough some. In order to get some much needed air into my lungs, it caused me on a couple of occasions to back off ever so slightly. I just knew that those moments of easing off my pace was gonna cost me a good time. I was certain I was gonna be slower than the first time. Giving in wasn't an option. I kept pushing myself, trying to get some breaths without breathing so deep that it brought on coughing.
I come off of "Carbo", turn left onto "Speed Demon", get in the big chainring and I turn those cranks for all I'm worth. I make it across the finish line and turn to hear the bad news. Surprisingly, there wasn't any bad news. My time was 22:54. Backing off those couple times cost me some precious seconds...I'm sure I could've shaved another 10 seconds off that time had I been totally healthy.
14 seconds faster than last month. I can live with that. In April I'd like to aim for a time of 22:15, or thereabouts.
Friday, March 17, 2006
Less is more?
If the saying "less is more" is in fact true, then I'm on my way to a successful racing season. A second attempt at 11.5hrs of training has been a disaster. The weather has cooperated, but I've been goin' a few rounds with my allergies. I've made two attempts to do my V02 threshold intervals this week, and I just couldn't complete them...I felt like I was working with one lung. I'm gonna get as many hours in as I can over the weekend, and then focus on the hard intervals next week. Ohh, and I'm not restarting the period again. I'm sayin' the hell with it.
Next week should even prove to be challenging. I've got to go out of town on business next Wed, and won't be back till Monday evening...to Oklahoma City, of all places. The stationary bike at the hotel fitness center is already calling my name.
Next week should even prove to be challenging. I've got to go out of town on business next Wed, and won't be back till Monday evening...to Oklahoma City, of all places. The stationary bike at the hotel fitness center is already calling my name.
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Ups and downs
This past week and a half has been full of ups and downs. Weather, namely wind, prevented me from getting some of my vital road miles in, and eventually necessitated me restarting my Build 1 phase. Sunday I was planning on getting one last attempt at getting some good road miles in, but for reasons too numerous to list, I ended up hitting the trails. Of course, having some "downs" are can be made bearable by having a corresponding "up". Check this out...
For the first time since I've been riding on these trails I cracked the mythical 13mph average mark. At one point during the ride my average was as high as 13.6mph. The great thing is, I wasn't even trying to go for a personal best. I was just out with the plan of getting a good, continuous time(no stopping) on the bike. It wasn't till about the midway point that I realized I was riding at such a pace. The discovery came after a couple of wipeouts in corners. The first slide out in a corner had me thinking I used a little too much body english, the second one had me scratching my head. Right after that is when I took notice of my avg speed, then it hit me(lightbulbs turn on, fireworks go off, the skies part)...Aha! I was going too fast for the corners. So, not a bad discovery, especially in light of how the week had been going.
That brings us to the current week. My sinuses have been messing with me (damned pollen!), so I just didn't have the desire/energy to ride on Monday. Tuesday came and I was all set to get back out on the road, and start up my intervals again...except that I had a 20mph N wind goin' on. Back to the mtn bike and the trails. *Sigh. The good news is that despite not feeling 100%, I still managed a 12.9mph average speed out there.
Today is a new day, and by God I'm gonna get out and do my intervals even if it hairlips Lance Armstrong.
Ohh yeah...congrats to Floyd Landis. He's won Paris-Nice (I know, it's kinda old news, so sue me!)! Couple that with his win at the Tour of California, and Floyd's lookin' very good for this season.
For the first time since I've been riding on these trails I cracked the mythical 13mph average mark. At one point during the ride my average was as high as 13.6mph. The great thing is, I wasn't even trying to go for a personal best. I was just out with the plan of getting a good, continuous time(no stopping) on the bike. It wasn't till about the midway point that I realized I was riding at such a pace. The discovery came after a couple of wipeouts in corners. The first slide out in a corner had me thinking I used a little too much body english, the second one had me scratching my head. Right after that is when I took notice of my avg speed, then it hit me(lightbulbs turn on, fireworks go off, the skies part)...Aha! I was going too fast for the corners. So, not a bad discovery, especially in light of how the week had been going.That brings us to the current week. My sinuses have been messing with me (damned pollen!), so I just didn't have the desire/energy to ride on Monday. Tuesday came and I was all set to get back out on the road, and start up my intervals again...except that I had a 20mph N wind goin' on. Back to the mtn bike and the trails. *Sigh. The good news is that despite not feeling 100%, I still managed a 12.9mph average speed out there.
Today is a new day, and by God I'm gonna get out and do my intervals even if it hairlips Lance Armstrong.
Ohh yeah...congrats to Floyd Landis. He's won Paris-Nice (I know, it's kinda old news, so sue me!)! Couple that with his win at the Tour of California, and Floyd's lookin' very good for this season.
Saturday, March 11, 2006
It's official...
I'm restarting Build 1.
This past week has to go down on record as being the most f&%ked up training week I've had. It got off track with those windy, err, blustery days and went downhill from there. Today I didn't ride at all, I woke up with my sinuses really affecting me, making me uber drowsy. If I looked the way I felt, then this is what I looked like today...
I didn't have any discomfort or anything, I just felt exhausted. Fortunately I'm feeling more alive now. Tomorrow I'll get a couple hours in, but save the hard efforts for Monday and Build 1: Reloaded
This past week has to go down on record as being the most f&%ked up training week I've had. It got off track with those windy, err, blustery days and went downhill from there. Today I didn't ride at all, I woke up with my sinuses really affecting me, making me uber drowsy. If I looked the way I felt, then this is what I looked like today...
I didn't have any discomfort or anything, I just felt exhausted. Fortunately I'm feeling more alive now. Tomorrow I'll get a couple hours in, but save the hard efforts for Monday and Build 1: ReloadedThursday, March 09, 2006
Blow
Nope, not that kind of blow. I'm talkin' wind. Lots and lots of wind. Yesterday I was under the impression that it was gonna be rainin' like crazy today. In what first appeared to be divine intervention, the storms had slowed. I thought I had dodged a bullet, or as Maxwell Smart would say...
Missed me by THAT much.What I didn't know was that I was the subject of a cruel joke... we didn't get any rain, but we get a wind advisory instead(Thanks, thanks a lot). 25mph winds with gusts in excess of 40mph. Dammit!
I typed all this to get to this... I got an hour and a half in on the mtn bike, so technically I'm still on target for the week, but I think that the rain will finally catch up with me tomorrow. If so, I'm just gonna restart the Build 1 period next Monday.
Maybe I could've told this story better with a really neato Viking analogy?
I typed all this to get to this... I got an hour and a half in on the mtn bike, so technically I'm still on target for the week, but I think that the rain will finally catch up with me tomorrow. If so, I'm just gonna restart the Build 1 period next Monday.
Maybe I could've told this story better with a really neato Viking analogy?
I'm feelin' it
Another hour and a half is in the books. After yesterday's intervals my legs weren't snappy, or at least they didn't seem snappy. Despite the less than peppy legs I still managed a new personal best to the second stop sign...38:55. I wasn't even trying to go hard, I was actually taking it easy after the intervals yesterday. I'm not gonna complain though.
We're looking at some potential rain over the next two days, and if that's the case I'm gonna restart this build period next week. I'm not gonna stress over it, I'm just gonna do what needs to be done. Must. Stay. Relaxed.
It's late. I'm goin' to bed, I'm beat.
We're looking at some potential rain over the next two days, and if that's the case I'm gonna restart this build period next week. I'm not gonna stress over it, I'm just gonna do what needs to be done. Must. Stay. Relaxed.
It's late. I'm goin' to bed, I'm beat.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
This is more like it
I was good to my word today. I got out for my first day of the Build 1 phase. I kicked it off with some pyramid intervals, designed to increase my anaerobic threshold. The intervals went well. I need to fine tune some things, but overall I was pleased with how they went. I didn't feel like my chest was gonna explode, but they were tough, to be sure. I need to ask around to see what kind of exertion level I should be shooting for...maybe I should be close to puking when I do them. Kinda flyin' blind with this. I'll figure it out though.
Monday, March 06, 2006
This will help
USA Cycling has instituted yet ANOTHER program geared towards increasing America's mtb chances at the Beijing games in 2008. It will be interesting to see how it works. I'd love to see America do better(in mtn biking events that is) in international events.
Awww, dammit
Today is/was supposed to be the start of my first build period, and how did I begin it? An easy spin? Some intense Anaerobic intervals? Nope, none of the above. I didn't even get on the bike, how's that for a novel approach to training?
I'm actually quite pi**ed about it, to be honest. I had every intention of riding, but a quick flight/pricing check for an upcoming business trip turned into a mind numbingly long session of checking every airline ticket site known to man. What I'm most ticked about is, after all that time wasted checking prices and I STILL am no closer to a airline ticket. Hmmmph.
Write this down...tomorrow I'm getting some quality saddle time, if it's the last thing I do! There's not a friggin' thing that's gonna stop me!
If you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go sulk some more.
I'm actually quite pi**ed about it, to be honest. I had every intention of riding, but a quick flight/pricing check for an upcoming business trip turned into a mind numbingly long session of checking every airline ticket site known to man. What I'm most ticked about is, after all that time wasted checking prices and I STILL am no closer to a airline ticket. Hmmmph.
Write this down...tomorrow I'm getting some quality saddle time, if it's the last thing I do! There's not a friggin' thing that's gonna stop me!
If you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go sulk some more.
Saturday, March 04, 2006
What are the odds?
I just read that there will be a Pro purse at the NORBA events this year, and they're even gonna throw in UCI points too. As cool as it is that the pros will make some money for winning, the awarding of UCI points is HUGE! For anyone that saw the awesome documentary Off Road to Athens knows that it was the chasing of UCI points that created most of the drama in the film. To get a slot on the 2008 Olympic team, you need to amass lots of UCI pts. The highest point awards are still only available at the European World Cup events, which means a number of US pros will be heading to Europe over the next 2 years.
I think that chasing points is still the wrong way to go about the selection process. If someone who is very talented, even possibly the best rider that year, and they sustain an injury that keeps them out of the running for a couple months in the year/s preceding the Olympics, then they're gonna be way behind in the point race. So, that means that someone with less skill could make the team, just because they got more pts than others. There should be a couple of Olympic qualifier events, or, the coach of the team SELECTS the best riders for the team.
Personally, I'd like to see the Olympics go back to the days of all amateur athletes. That was a format that made the Olympics accessible to anyone, and offered much better competition...it left some room for surprises.
The point method that USA Cycling uses for team selection is a perfect example of making the Olympics inaccessible to most. If you're a privateer, then you're gonna have your hands full getting to all the NORBA races to gather those all important UCI pts, and the World Cup circuit? Fuhgetabouit...unless you're independently wealthy. Even a sponsored pro isn't assured of all the opportunities to gather the points. There aren't too many companies that are keen to pay for their riders to compete in Europe. Europe is hell and gone from a US company's target market.
At least the prize money and awarding of UCI points is a step in the right direction.
I think that chasing points is still the wrong way to go about the selection process. If someone who is very talented, even possibly the best rider that year, and they sustain an injury that keeps them out of the running for a couple months in the year/s preceding the Olympics, then they're gonna be way behind in the point race. So, that means that someone with less skill could make the team, just because they got more pts than others. There should be a couple of Olympic qualifier events, or, the coach of the team SELECTS the best riders for the team.
Personally, I'd like to see the Olympics go back to the days of all amateur athletes. That was a format that made the Olympics accessible to anyone, and offered much better competition...it left some room for surprises.
The point method that USA Cycling uses for team selection is a perfect example of making the Olympics inaccessible to most. If you're a privateer, then you're gonna have your hands full getting to all the NORBA races to gather those all important UCI pts, and the World Cup circuit? Fuhgetabouit...unless you're independently wealthy. Even a sponsored pro isn't assured of all the opportunities to gather the points. There aren't too many companies that are keen to pay for their riders to compete in Europe. Europe is hell and gone from a US company's target market.
At least the prize money and awarding of UCI points is a step in the right direction.
No more base
As of today, my base training is done.W00t!
Over the course of the last 3 months I've logged some heavy duty miles, and made some big gains in my aerobic fitness. When I first started, I could keep my HR in the mid 140s fairly easy, but to go much higher took some work. Fast forward to today and I can get my HR into the 160s without much thought. As a matter of fact, I did my TT test today, and then continued on with the remainder of my ride. After the test I noticed that while I was pedaling a good steady cadence and my RPE was around a 5 or 6, my HR was hovering around 165bpm. Riding on the road has done some great things for me, and I'm anxious (I might not be this enthusiastic after the more intense efforts to come next week) to get to the high intensity work of the coming weeks. It's just over a month till my first race of the season, and about 2 1/2 months till my first high priority race.
Over the course of the last 3 months I've logged some heavy duty miles, and made some big gains in my aerobic fitness. When I first started, I could keep my HR in the mid 140s fairly easy, but to go much higher took some work. Fast forward to today and I can get my HR into the 160s without much thought. As a matter of fact, I did my TT test today, and then continued on with the remainder of my ride. After the test I noticed that while I was pedaling a good steady cadence and my RPE was around a 5 or 6, my HR was hovering around 165bpm. Riding on the road has done some great things for me, and I'm anxious (I might not be this enthusiastic after the more intense efforts to come next week) to get to the high intensity work of the coming weeks. It's just over a month till my first race of the season, and about 2 1/2 months till my first high priority race.
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Trail obstacles
How's that for a trail obstacle? That's an Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake- about 4 1/2 ft of rattlesnake at that. Came across this badboy today. It was initially stretched out across the trail, but as soon as we rode up, he struck a pose, and started a rattlin'. Get bitten by that will put you in the hurt locker, for sure.Other than the wildlife sighting, it was a good ride. I'm feeling really good out on the trails these days, very strong.
I'm working on my bike handling skills, things like bunnyhops, etc. My bunnyhopping has improved dramatically. I'm progressing to bigger and bigger obstacles. I still have room for improvement, but I'm actually pretty decent at bunnyhopping now, where I used to suck at it...to the point where I didn't even try for fear of catching my back tire on the obstacle and stacking it up as a result.
Crossmarks, under the microscope
I thought it was time for a long term review of the performance of the Maxxis Crossmark UST tires. I've been running them for about 3 months now.
The Tread
The Good: The tread pattern of the Crossmark is a good one. The almost constant center ridge offers good acceleration and low rolling resistance, and the aggressive side knobs mean you're gonna stick to that turn like velcro.
The Bad: The tire cleans itself fairly well, with the exception of the center ridge- that takes a bit longer to clear out.
The Hard Stuff
The Good: In hardpack conditions this tire rules! It gives you gobs of confidence, encouraging you to go faster and faster. The tire offers decent rolling resistance, so as a result it is snappy and accelerates very well... I'd say on par with the Kenda Nevegal, perhaps even a bit better, which is pleasantly surprising considering that the Crossmark is a 600+gram tire.
The Bad: Bad? On hardpack there is nothing bad about this tire. Period.
The Wet Stuff
The Good: In wet sand, the Crossmark still offers you some traction, which is no small feat. For not being full blown mud, wet sand can pack up tires in a heartbeat, leaving you with no traction. The mud that I've encountered has packed up the center ridge, but the outer knobs got cleared and left me with some traction. I'm gonna cover pine straw in this section, as riding on pine straw can be like riding in real wet conditions. We have copious amounts of the stuff. Like every tire I've ever used, the Crossmark does lose traction on the pine straw, but it finds the solid ground beneath very fast. I've found myself tackling out of the saddle climbs on ground covered with pine straw, and there'll be moments of spinning back tires, but I always find some traction and maintain my momentum on the climb.
The Bad: Wet roots really scare me on these tires. Anything but a straight line over some and the back tire starts going in any number of directions. Now, to be fair to the Crossmark, I've not found too many tires that handled wet roots very well. These tires handle the roots best when they're aired down. If you're running normal pressure be prepared for some scary riding.
Final Thoughts
I've been very impressed so far. In dry, hardpack conditions these tires rule! Even our notorious Florida sand doesn't deter these tires, you can float across/thru it without the bike getting all squirrely on you. These tires love to go fast, and rail corners...it shows, they do both very well. They do a great job with most conditions. The bottom line is that the Crossmarks are confidence inspiring. I've found myself going faster and faster, even to the point where I go faster than the tires and bike can cope with (a turn loaded with pine straw- can you say "wipe-out"?!?).
Note: On the UST version, the amount of air pressure you use on a standard tire will offer a completely different ride. On standard tires I ran 38psi, and it offered a medium ride- not hard but not plush either. That same 38psi in the Crossmark gives a hard ride. Since I'm running a F/S bike it doesn't bother me, and I run that pressure in dry conditions. Thru pure happenstance I found that you can go quite low on the pressure and still not bottom out the tire on the rim, or offer a super squishy ride. I can easily run 22 or so psi in these tires and have no problems (which is a real bonus when its wet out).
The Tread
The Good: The tread pattern of the Crossmark is a good one. The almost constant center ridge offers good acceleration and low rolling resistance, and the aggressive side knobs mean you're gonna stick to that turn like velcro.
The Bad: The tire cleans itself fairly well, with the exception of the center ridge- that takes a bit longer to clear out.
The Hard Stuff
The Good: In hardpack conditions this tire rules! It gives you gobs of confidence, encouraging you to go faster and faster. The tire offers decent rolling resistance, so as a result it is snappy and accelerates very well... I'd say on par with the Kenda Nevegal, perhaps even a bit better, which is pleasantly surprising considering that the Crossmark is a 600+gram tire.
The Bad: Bad? On hardpack there is nothing bad about this tire. Period.
The Wet Stuff
The Good: In wet sand, the Crossmark still offers you some traction, which is no small feat. For not being full blown mud, wet sand can pack up tires in a heartbeat, leaving you with no traction. The mud that I've encountered has packed up the center ridge, but the outer knobs got cleared and left me with some traction. I'm gonna cover pine straw in this section, as riding on pine straw can be like riding in real wet conditions. We have copious amounts of the stuff. Like every tire I've ever used, the Crossmark does lose traction on the pine straw, but it finds the solid ground beneath very fast. I've found myself tackling out of the saddle climbs on ground covered with pine straw, and there'll be moments of spinning back tires, but I always find some traction and maintain my momentum on the climb.
The Bad: Wet roots really scare me on these tires. Anything but a straight line over some and the back tire starts going in any number of directions. Now, to be fair to the Crossmark, I've not found too many tires that handled wet roots very well. These tires handle the roots best when they're aired down. If you're running normal pressure be prepared for some scary riding.
Final Thoughts
I've been very impressed so far. In dry, hardpack conditions these tires rule! Even our notorious Florida sand doesn't deter these tires, you can float across/thru it without the bike getting all squirrely on you. These tires love to go fast, and rail corners...it shows, they do both very well. They do a great job with most conditions. The bottom line is that the Crossmarks are confidence inspiring. I've found myself going faster and faster, even to the point where I go faster than the tires and bike can cope with (a turn loaded with pine straw- can you say "wipe-out"?!?).
Note: On the UST version, the amount of air pressure you use on a standard tire will offer a completely different ride. On standard tires I ran 38psi, and it offered a medium ride- not hard but not plush either. That same 38psi in the Crossmark gives a hard ride. Since I'm running a F/S bike it doesn't bother me, and I run that pressure in dry conditions. Thru pure happenstance I found that you can go quite low on the pressure and still not bottom out the tire on the rim, or offer a super squishy ride. I can easily run 22 or so psi in these tires and have no problems (which is a real bonus when its wet out).
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Dragon Ass
That's what I feel like today...jello. I don't know what it is, whether it's my sinuses, or the fact that it is one of those spring fever kinds of days. It's about 70 degrees out, with a nice southerly breeze. Perfect for opening the windows, AND being lazy.I just don't have it in me to get out for a ride, my ass is definitely draggin'.
This will be my second day in a row with no training. Tomorrow though, I'll be back at it, regardless of how I feel. I can't/won't take all my rest days at one time. Gotta save something for the weekend. I need to be plenty rested before the start of the harder intensity efforts to come next week.
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