I ran outta race- FSC #3 race report

I had some bad mojo to cleanse after my disastrous outing at Hanna Park 2 weeks ago, so I came into Tallahassee looking to kick some butt and make up for Jax.

I arrived in Tally on Sat. afternoon and went directly to Tom Brown Park to register and pre-ride the course. I met up with, and pre-rode the course with Cal & Rachel. It was nice having some fellow FWB peeps to ride with. The course was essentially the same as last year, but with a couple changes...the biggest being that it was now being run in the opposite direction of last year's course. Upon riding it the first go-round I immediately gave it a thumbs up. It flowed nicely, and not long after entering the woods you were greeted with a sustained climb (that's right up my alley!).
There was one section though that was cause for concern. Not long after entering the woods you make a hard left turn and go down this rooty, eroded descent. The best line was, or I should say only line was on the left side. Venture too far over to the right and you could get your front wheel stuck in a hole and end up going over the handlebars (something that Cal experienced firsthand). During the pre-ride I cleaned that section, but I was still concerned about what would happen when you have a bunch of riders trying to go down it at speed during the race. As it turns out, my fears were unfounded and nobody (at least in my group) got hung up there. I saw a Sport class female with a bloody chin, and later in the day an ambulance and fire truck made an appearance at the race...carrying someone off. I suspect both of those injuries were sustained at that spot.

Since the white wave went off at 9:30am at the Jax race, we weren't going until 11:30am this time around. With that in mind I made it a leisurely Sunday morning. I still got up early because I wasn't sure if Cal was gonna need feed zone support. After my routine pre-race breakfast (Fruit & Nut pancakes, minus the nuts- Mmmm, yummy!), I made my way to the venue so I could watch the Sport and Expert classes.

After lounging the morning away I got ready, warmed up, and did a last minute check of the bike. I made my way over to the start line thinking I, for once, had gotten their in time to get a first row position. Boy, did I call that one wrong. Second row position. Again. Dammit to hell! I was shoehorned in there, so I wasn't gonna get too frisky on the start...I didn't want to tangle handlebars with someone and go down in the first 50ft of the race.

So, the race starts and with my lousy position I probably am somewhere in the upper teens to 20s as we enter the woods. It should be noted right here, that after that initial 50-75ft I can start sustaining a pace that no one passes me...I hold my position, so I think that if I just got on that damned front row I'd do pretty good, at least a top 10 position.
Anyway, that tricky descent is the first test. I nail the line and go scooting thru that section. The climb starts in a few hundred yards, and that's where I start reeling people in. I past 3 or 4 riders during that climb, so at this point I'm feeling really good, the legs are turning over nicely. The next section is some nice flowing singletrack, but it runs along an embankment, so passing spots are few. Despite this I still manage to get around a few more riders, some of whom are from the 19-29 class. The next singletrack sections are tight and twisty in places, and with my height and broad shoulders...most of you know that tight and twisty is not my fave. When you hit the climbs in the open fields you know you're nearing the end of your lap. Getting out of that tight & twisty doesn't come soon enough. Give me a sustained climb any day! By the time I get to the top of the last climb I'm sitting around 10th. The first lap is almost in the books. Just as soon as I can make it around the BMX track without going over the handlebars or doing a backflip. Let me tell you, after racing at or near your limits for 30 minutes and then have to deal with getting around a BMX track intact takes big time concentration.

On my second lap I catch up with someone from my class and I pass him on that first climb. He tells me that he wasn't too far off from the rest of the group. Nothing like a little extra motivation, right? He sticks on my wheel for a while before dropping off the pace. I come across the occasional rider, most of whom are from other classes. As I near the final climbs I've started catching up with some 30-39 guys. As I near the final section of singletrack, I see a couple guys ahead of me, but with the winding nature of the trail I can't tell how close they are. It's not until I exit the woods and make my way to the BMX track that I see how close (or far, depending on one's point of view) I am. One of them is not in my class, and unfortunately he's the closest one to me. I tried to reel that guy in but I just didn't have enough space to do it. I crossed the finish line a few seconds behind him. I asked the guy if he knew what position he finished. He wasn't 100% sure, somewhere between 4th & 6th. Hmm, if that's the case then that means I finished 5th-7th.

As it turns out, that guy finished 5th. I came in 6th...just off the podium. If there had been an extra 1/4 mile, or even an extra few hundred yards I would've gotten past that guy too. When he crossed the finish line he was cooked. He got off his bike at the finish line and sat down on the spot. It was a chore for him to answer me when I asked his position.
That said, if there had been a 3rd lap I have no doubt that I would've reeled in more of the top 5. As it was, I just ran out of race.

While I'm still miffed about the start, I have no complaints about my performance once I entered the woods. In two laps I went from around 20th position up to 6th. Nobody passed me, even from other classes. I passed aggressively (fortunately everyone was willing to let me pass), and I rode cleanly. This last part of my season didn't go as planned, but that's racing. I do have a NORBA Nat'l win, so I think I can still call my freshman season a success. Don't you?

I have more to add, but it's been a long day.

The woods are alive...intruder beware!

Gotta watch out for the flora when out on the trails.

A branch made an attempt at cutting my throat during yesterday's mtn bike ride.

Final countdown

Today was my last training day before my race. Actually, I don't think you could call what I did "training", because I decided not to do any intervals today. The legs still felt a wee bit tired, so I opted for a low to mid intensity 1hr ride on the roadie, and then I attended the group mtn bike ride. During my rides I was thinking that maybe I should go ahead and do some intervals, but sitting here after the fact I think I made the right decision.
Friday will be a total rest day, and then Saturday I'll turn a couple laps pre-riding the course...nothing too intense.

I'm trying out a new beta version of blogger. Lots of neato behind the scenes additions. I took the opportunity to change up the look too.

Hammered

As I suspected, after yesterday's hammer session on the road the legs weren't feelin' snappy, so I called an impromptu R&R day today. I figure that at this point one more interval session ain't gonna matter. If my fitness isn't good enough then that extra session of intervals won't help. Tomorrow morning I think I'll go for a nice spin, maybe even do a couple of intervals just to keep the legs ready for the action to come. I'll do the group mtn bike ride in the afternoon and then I'll be done until I pre-ride the course on Sat.

Group Hammerfest-10/3

I made it out for another group road ride, and having been on 2 of them I can safely say that it is some of the toughest riding I've done this side of racing. I didn't get dropped this time, but I had to bury myself a couple times to hang onto a wheel. There is a big learning curve to riding in a bunch, let me tell ya. I kept getting surprised by the sudden accelerations when a strong/fast rider would take a pull. One second I'm about a wheel length behind someone, the next second I'm almost a bike length behind. I've just got to pay close attention as to whose turn it is, and be prepared to bump up the pace a little.

The other thing I have to do is get more comfortable sticking to someone's wheel. If I get anything closer than a wheel length to the person in front of me, my proximity alarms go off. I've just gotta get more comfortable with hugging the wheel in front of me. When I resolve those two issues I'll do just fine...and I think that experience will be the best teacher. I think I've impressed some of the old timers with my strength, they seem surprised at how new I am to road biking.

That said though, these rides can add a whole new dimension to one's fitness. Riding with people of this caliber HAS to make you stronger/faster. I know for a fact that one of the guys is a Cat2, and I know that a couple of the others have to be at least Cat2s or 3s. You can't keep riding with people like that and not benefit from it.

The group rides end on 10/24, and my goal is during one of the remaining rides to save a bit towards the end so I can contest the sprint. I won't win it, but I just want to show that I have a little something left to give.

After today's ride I'm prepared to alter my race week training program. The legs feel decent right now, but come tomorrow if they're not peppy then I'll abandon my training plans and then do a recovery ride on Thursday. I don't want to do anything to jeopardize this weekend's race. As far as the Florida Series goes, Tallahassee is as close as it gets to a home course...so I really want to do well there.

Ins-n-Outs

Coming off my road ride yesterday I ran into Cal & Rachel (I'll be riding with them at the 12Hrs of Pinelog), and the subject of the Tues group road ride came up. I knew that road racing has a lot of strategy involved (moreso than mtn biking), but I had no idea of the nuances of a leisurely group ride. Here are a few nuggets that Cal & Rachel passed on.
For starters, it is important that I learn who is who...in other words, who are the fast people. The reason for that is, if you're getting ready to take a pull at the front and one of those fast people is behind you then you don't want to take a really hard pull or run the risk of getting dropped when it comes time for that fast person to take the next pull.

That one certainly makes sense. I had already seen the folly of taking too hard of a pull. I was planning on putting a cap on my pull efforts, and this little bit of info was just further reinforcement.

The next thing is, there is also some...well, I'll call it inter-personal conflicts. Apparently, there are some bad feelings between some people on the ride and arguments can ensue, etc, etc. Now why is that important? You don't want to be behind the people who are sparring, as you might inadvertently get dropped when one of them 'sits up' to get back at the other one...or some other childish act.

People. Can't live with 'em, can't kill 'em.

6 days to go

Today begins the race week taper, in preparation for Sunday's race in Tallahassee. I'm gonna take a bit different approach to this weeks training than I did for the Jax race. While my legs didn't feel bad at the Jax race, I think that pushing the hard efforts right up till Thursday surely didn't do me any good. So, my new plan is to give it a medium intensity effort today, and use tomorrow's group ride as a high intensity effort, and then do some intervals on Wed, and wrap up the week with a recovery-ish kind of ride on Thursday.
That'll give me Thurs, Fri, & Sat to get recovered and be ready to fire on Sunday.

With all these miles, I could've ridden someplace interesting

Well, I've had the TCR for two months now, and it's seen some serious use. As of today I've logged 900 miles on it. In that time, I have replaced the saddle, got some new pedals, and switched out tires. The pedals and tires are winners, but the jury is still out on the saddle. I'm headed in the right direction with the overall design of the saddle, but on longer rides my rear is telling me I could use a bit more padding. I'm gonna give it another couple hundred miles before I commit to changing it out.

I'm still quite pleased with the TCR C3. It's stiff, and responsive. The Shimano 105 and Ultegra components work like a dream. I can't imagine Dura Ace working THAT much better...at least enough to warrant the price difference. My opinion of the brakes hasn't changed any, as I've not been in a situation (steep descent) to really see how they work under a big load. The only part of the bike that I'm not overwhelmed by is the wheels. The Xero XSR-3s are heavy (over 2000grams), and they do not spin well (if you give them a spin with your hand it won't take long before they come to an abrupt stop, as if your brakes are rubbing.). To their credit, they are strong. In 900 miles they are still rolling straight and true.

If things go my way, my next addition to the bike will be one of these. I have a lead on a good price on one, so if I'm lucky I'll be able to score one. Using it will help me to take my training to the next level. I'm not gonna say anymore about it until I have confirmation... I don't wanna jinx it.

Stink

Another day.

Another ride.

Another set of intervals.

The only thing that set this ride apart from the others was having to hold my breath as I went past a roadkill. Ick. Nasty.

Rockin' the Blur

I just didn't feel like doing any road training today, so I did the group mtn bike ride this afternoon. It's not the best atmosphere for doing long intense efforts, but I had fun, and that was the important thing. Tomorrow I'll be back to my training.

It's official, I'm doing the 12Hrs of Pinelog on a team with Cal, Rachel, and I think Phillip. Those names don't mean anything to you, but they are all FAST folks. On the road ride the other day, I was doing 27mph and Cal sprinted past me like I was dragging an anchor. It's gonna be fun. That will be my last race effort of the year.

Post Mortem

I just cannot get over the intensity of the Tues group road ride...Day-um! The legs didn't have the snap to them, but I still hung in there. I managed a few pulls at the front, and other than getting dropped for a bit I was able to hang with the group. I think I would've done better if the legs had been more awake. There are only 2 or 3 more group rides left before the time change and they end them for the year, but next year I'm gonna make the group ride part of my training. If I can hang with that bunch, then I can handle anything a mtn bike race throws at me.


Time: 1:17:30
Distance: 31 miles
Avg Speed: 23.8mph
Max speed: 35mph

I'm beat, so I'm off to bed.

Make a path people!

If I learned anything from this past weekend's debacle, it's that I'm gonna be more aggressive when it comes to passing. I'm going to ask to pass in a friendly, loud, and clear voice and I'm only gonna ask once. I will then announce to the person that I'm coming by whether they like it or not... "I gave you a chance to let me by, so don't get mad at me if you end up in the bushes."

Goin' for some group ride action this afternoon. Gotta try and get as many in as possible, because as soon as the time change occurs the group road rides will be done for the year.

What went wrong?

It'd be easy to just say that everything went wrong at Jacksonville, but then that wouldn't make much of a post, would it? My emotional state is a wee bit better, so I'll break down what happened on Sunday.

I'd almost wish that I could say that I raced as hard as I could and got my ass handed to me, but alas, that's not the case.

The start is where the damage was done and the race was decided for about 85% of the field. This year the race organizers combined all the 30-something riders into one group, which made for a field of about 34 or 35 riders. From the starting line the course ran along the treeline for about 500ft or so before turning right onto a dirt road for another 2-300ft, and then you had to make a hard (emphasis on hard) right turn into the trail...and that was where the real trouble began. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Let's get back to the start of the race. I thought I'd gotten to the starting line with enough time to get a place on the front row, but everyone else had the same idea and I was relegated to the second row. As the whistle sounded the guy in front of me fumbled getting into his pedal and any chances of a really good start went out the window. I start working my way along the outside, making some ground as we hit the dirt road, and then comes the entrance to the trail. Imagine 30+ people trying to get thru a door as fast as they can...it looked like a bunch of monkeys humping a football. Riders were falling, getting tangled up with each other...it was a disaster.I waited almost 20 or 30 seconds to get on the trail. One guy who was right in front of me, was trying to get going and kept getting hung up on some roots, and when he did get on his bike he just rode off the trail and passed 3 or 4 people in the process. HELLO!?!? Course cutting is against the rules A-hole! (I'll remember you #140...cheating motherf&%@!*) That ordeal gave the first 4 or 5 riders onto the trail valuable time, time that would be almost impossible to overcome considering the course. I probably entered the singletrack close to the back of the pack (upper 20s or so).

Hanna Park is VERY tight and twisty, which means there are hardly no places to pass. There were a couple doubletrack sections and a couple of dirt road segments that allowed some passing, otherwise you had to ask permission to get by someone...and this is where things went from bad to worse. I have never seen so many poor sports in a race. It was like nobody wanted to let you by. There was one really fast section that allowed you to pick up some speed, but I spent that section in a friggin' parade. I couldn't get them to pick up the pace and they weren't too intent on letting me by. I tried every trick in the book. After pointedly asking to let me pass I tried a different strategy, I asked them to let me in front so I could bridge us up to the group in front of us. That didn't work either. When we'd come to the road or doubletrack sections, you'd think they'd let the faster riders get by. But no, they'd actually speed up! We hit a wide area for me to pass and I can get past one fella, but then the others would sense me coming by them and then they'd speed up to keep me from passing, only to slow back down on the singletrack so they could recover from that hard effort. What the hell is that all about!?!?
One guy in particular was REALLY bad though, and he cost me the most time. I kept asking to get by and the dude was ignoring me. Then a guy from another class slips by me, and I was like "I'd like to go faster myself, but this dude won't let me pass". This guy wouldn't even let the guy from another class get by. On the wide areas this guy would actually go out of his way to block someone trying to get by.
And that is how I spent the bulk of the race, trying to battle past the weaker riders...weaker riders who didn't have the decency to let the faster ones go by.

I finished 15th, 16th, 17th...I'm not even sure, and to be honest, I don't really care at this point. Being stuck behind the slower riders I couldn't go as hard/fast as I'm capable of. When I pre rode the course on Sat my avg speed was 9.5mph. My avg speed on race day was 10.1mph...10.1mph!!! When I came across the finish line I had gas left in the tank. I couldv'e easily done another lap, and that is what pissed me off the most. If I raced as hard as I possibly could and I was beaten then so be it. I gave it my all and just wasn't good enough on that day...that's racing. But to not be able to give it 100%, that's a hard pill to swallow. It really hit me hard. All this training and I wasn't even able to use it.

Hanna Park has no business being a race course. You NEED places to pass, and Hanna doesn't have that. The race promoters should've either A) split up the 30 something racers, or B) had a longer run up to the entrance of the singletrack, so the field could get spread out and not get log jammed. No race should be decided at the start, that's totally retarded.

Yesterday has caused me to make a shift in my plans for the remainder of the season. I had zero fun yesterday, and every race I've been in has been fun (and they weren't fun because I won. 2 of my 3 races I didn't know how well I did till the results were posted.)... fun, because I rode as hard as I could, and gave it everything I had. So, it's time I have some fun on the bike. I'm going to race at Tallahassee in 2 weeks and then I'm gonna be on a team for a 12hr race at the end of October and then that's it for 2006.

As far as the 2007 season. I'm gonna focus on mtn events. I'll do the SERC events that take place in the mtns, the NORBA Nat'l in Sugar Mtn, the Nat'l Championships in Vermont, and then I think I'll also hit up one of the NORBAs out west, and maybe the BUMP n Grind. I won't be doing any of the Florida Series next year, except maybe Tallahassee, since it's so close.

FUBAR

FUBAR...that sums up everything about that race today. I'd go into more detail, but I just don't feel like it right now. Maybe tomorrow.

I'm off

In the morning I'll be leaving bright and early for Jax, so don't expect too much till after the race.

Time for bed. *Yawn

Race of truth

It's probably not hard to guess, but I decided to man up and do the Time Trial today. They call the TT "the race of truth"...just you against the clock. Not to oversimplify things, but the secret/s to a successful TT are A) try and catch the riders who went before you, and B) try not to get caught by the riders behind you.
The turnout for this month's TT was small compared to last month, but there were still 15 or so riders out there to test their legs against the clock.

This is only my second TT, and being new to the whole roadie and TT thing I've not been too concerned with how well I do compared to the other riders out there. My plan was to use the TT to gauge my fitness. Last month I rode the 10 miles in 26:22, so obviously I wanted any time lower than that. One of the worst things you can do in a time trial is to take off too hard...something that the guy who went before me found out the hard way. I got a good solid start and ramped it up over the first 5 miles, so that on the return trip I was zoomin'. I knew I was doing well when I past both my 1,2 & 3 minute men. I came across the line with a time of 25:44. I was hoping to shave a few seconds off my previous time, but I wasn't expecting to go below 26 minutes since I don't have aero bars or any of the usual TT accoutrements. Even more surprising was the fact that I ended up with the fastest time of the day!
Of course, it doesn't mean a whole lot as the two fastest guys weren't in attendance today. I am pleased though. I've only been riding a real road bike for about a month and a half, and in only my second TT I go home with the fastest time...beating riders using aero equipment.

Since I couldn't say no to some competition and went ahead and did the TT despite my initial hesitation, it is safe to say that today WAS my last hard effort before the race. I'll chill out on Friday, pre-ride the course on Saturday, and then it's race time.

Ohh, I almost forgot. After the TT I went with a couple of my buds for a little mtn bike time. I figured it'd be good to get time out in the woods. That too went well... right up until I realized that a damn stick broke a spoke. So, what does Sean get to do tomorrow? Take his wheel to the shop to get a new spoke put on. Drat!

I'm beat, I'm goin' to bed...later.

Race day approaches

Only 3 more days till my race. I did some descending intervals (30 sec on, 30 sec off, 5 min,4,3,2) today, as well as some 5x2 min max intervals, and overall they went well. I completed 4 of the 5 2 min intervals, but on the 4th one I felt my power dropping some, so I bagged the last one.
Tomorrow is the monthly club road TT, and I want to do it, but I think that I should make today the last of my intense efforts...give myself plenty of time to recover and be fresh for Sunday's race. I think I'll see how the legs feel in the morning. If they're kinda lifeless then I'll forget doin' the TT this month.

On a completely different note...
I think the 90+ degree temps have said goodbye for the year. Today was an absolutely gorgeous day. Too bad every day can't be like it was today.

Every cloud...

Has a silver lining.


The "cloud"?... An approaching thunderstorm.

The "silver lining"?... A tailwind caused by said thunderstorm.

Between yesterday's intervals, and 50 minutes of Tempo today, I'll be taking tomorrow off.
I'll ride Wed. and Thurs., take a break on Fri. and then pre-ride the course on Sat.. Sounds like a plan.

6 days and counting

The first stop on the FSC series is in the books, and it still chaps my hindquarters that things played out the way they did and I couldn't attend. I can't focus on that though, what's done is done. This coming weekend is race #2 in Jacksonville, and I'm gonna be ready for it!

I did some descending intervals, and 2 minute max intervals and they went off rather well... so you could say I was pleased with today's training. Now if I could just totally recover from that damned trip.

That felt good!

Got out on a real bicycle for the first time in over a week, and it felt muy good.

Despite pangs of disappointment I think I made a good decision not to do Reddick. I'm still very tired, and I think it's gonna take me at least another day to get fully rested up.

Home

After a terribly long and uncomfortable plane trip, I'm finally home.

Tired.

Need sleep.

That is all.

Sin City

Sorry for my absence, but I'm still in Vegas, and at $11 per day for internet access I've been holding off on updates. Vegas is...well, Vegas. I wasn't able to take my bike (which is a whole other story), I found some joints in my room, I've even been propositioned by a hooker right in the lobby of the MGM and I'm not even due to leave for another 24hrs.
Since I didn't have my bike, I was relegated to exercise bike hell.

Not exactly the view I was planning on.

The Reddick race is on Sunday, and I'm pulling the plug on attending it. I think I'm asking for a poor result if I go. I will be flying during the night on Thursday, and won't get home till Friday morning. My body clock will be on Pacific time, and I will have to try and get a good nights sleep Friday and then get up early Saturday to drive the 5+hrs to Reddick, get a couple of good practice laps in, and then try and get some sleep...now dealing with still being on Pacific time and being in the Eastern time zone. If it sounds confusing, that's because it is. The bottom line is, I think I'll get to the race on Sunday morning tired and feeling like crap.
I'm upset at the prospect of not attending this race, as I want to make a run for the series title, and this will certainly make the task that much harder. As upset as I am, I can't help but feel that I won't be able to give the race 100%... and while I can't control things like flat tires, chains breaking, or some sandbagger showing up, I am going to these races to win, not 2nd or 3rd, but 1st. So if I can't go to win...well, you get the picture.

Next weekend is Jacksonville, and I'll be fully rested and ready to kick some butt.

This weekend I'll be back to regular updates.

Revelations

I finally made it out for one of the Tuesday group road rides...and what an eye opener it was. As the group was assembling, it was intimidating seeing some of the serious equipment that was being amassed for what was in essence a "fun ride".When I did the TT, there was a fella with a Cervelo P3 Carbon, and the same guy was there for the group ride, and he was sporting a Soloist Carbon...that's almost $7 grand in frames alone, God knows what the complete bikes cost.
Once the ride started it didn't take long to realize that riding in a 'peloton' takes quite a bit of concentration. You're constantly having to assess and adjust your positioning so you don't lose the wheel in front of you, get to close to that wheel, or because of someone moving in on your position.
I was able to handle the pace nicely, and one of the highpoints was taking a pull at the front at almost 30mph. Not knowing the ins and outs of riding in a bunch led to a mistake which resulted in me riding alone for almost half the time. After taking my pull at the front I lingered along side instead of filing all the way to the back of the line. The reason I didn't, was if there was some sort of break, I didn't want to be all the way in the back when it happened. I should've ignored my competitive notions and joined at the rear. As it was, we hit a hill and the peloton had momentum on its side and before I could latch on I had been spit out the back.
I spent the rest of the ride in a no mans land. The only consolation I had was that I caught and passed two stragglers later on.

I can see where riding in a group on occasion can do wonders for your fitness. I'm hoping that I'll be able to get back out there at least once more before they wrap it up for the year. I can tell you one thing though, I won't get ejected off the back like that again. No sir.

Head Scratcher

Ok, I'm totally stumped on this one.

What...

Is...

This?

And what the heck is it for? Any ideas? If you don't know, feel free to make something up. At this point I'm open for any and all ideas.

Sexy Beast

Despite having a nice road bike, I'm having a serious case of bike lust. What exactly is the object of my new found affection? The redesigned Orbea Orca.

That is one elegant, sexy ride!

Motivation and Lollipops

Athletes are always looking for that "edge" that will enable them to train/compete harder, faster, longer. Some turn to man made alternatives, but for everyone else it is a continuous struggle to find that extra motivation deep down inside.

Well, I found some motivation today... there's nothing like a rain storm, complete with lightning, to give you that added 'oomph'. I was about 10 miles out when I saw the impending storm approaching, and I made it 4 miles before the rain proceeded to wail on me. That was bad enough that I was trying my best to get back to the car in a hurry, but when the lightning started I kicked it into overdrive. For that last 6 miles I was turnin' 85rpm at 50x12. My avg speed for the whole 20 miles was 22.6mph. Two weeks ago during the monthly TT I only averaged 22.8mph, and that was a 10 mile round trip!
The threat of electrocution sure can light a fire in the ole legs.

Today I got my new shoes and pedals. The Speedplay Zero pedals are pretty nice, even if they do look like a lollipop. In an interesting twist, most of the mechanism for clipping in and out is in the cleat, so the pedal doesn't have a lot to it.

Mmm, lollipop.

The shop recommended that I go home and get familiar with clipping in and out, but I wasn't having any of it. I'll get on the job training. They require a bit different method (instead of clipping in toe-heel, you use the ball of your foot and go straight down.) for clipping in than my old Eggbeaters, but nothing that is gonna require a big learning curve. The jury is still out on the new pedals, but my initial experience is good. I think I'm going to like them a lot. For mtn biking, nothing beats eggbeaters, but for the road bike the Speedplays are more to my liking.

That is one serious cleat design there!

Last but not least, when I go to Vegas next week I'm going to take my road bike. I'll be able to get some training time in a place with some real elevation changes, and not the bumps we have here. I'd normally take my mtn bike, but I don't want to risk damaging something on it, because I'll be tight on time when I get back...I'll have a day and a half before I have to be in Reddick for my race.

One is the loneliest number

I was out burnin' up the roads again this morning on the road bike. When you do long miles, your mind starts to wander and you think of all kinds of things. Unfortunately, you never really think of anything super deep, just off the wall stuff.

Take today for instance. It occurred to me that I never seem to hook up with anyone out on the road that is at my fitness level or better. I welcome the opportunity to tag along with a faster rider...it would give me a chance to get near race pace sessions in on occasion. But as it works out, I only seem to come upon people who are out for a leisurely ride. If there's someone riding who is there for a real workout, they're either finishing when I'm getting ready to start or vice versa. As a result of that I've done all my road training all by my lonesome.

I walk a lonely road
The only one that I have ever known
Don't know where it goes
But it's home to me and I walk alone

On a slightly different note, as of todays ride I've logged 500 miles for the month of August. I think I've been riding that new bike a bit.

Damp

Saying it's damp out is a bit of an understatement. The last week or so, the humidity has been terrible...like livin' in a swamp. In just a one hour ride, the water was pouring down my head and face, like I had a faucet turned on. Yuck.

The Florida State Championship Series is less than a month away. I'm feelin' really good about my fitness. The road bike has really added some intensity to my training that was previously missing. This coming week I'm gonna suck it up and concentrate on some serious intervals (power intervals, climbing, etc.). This will be the last full week I'll have to train. Next week I head to Vegas for business. I hope to do some riding with a buddy while I'm out there, but I don't expect to get much done in the way of structured workouts. If nothing else maybe I'll get some time on the indoor bike in the hotel gym. When I get home I'll only have a day before I have to head to Reddick for the first race of the series.

This is gonna be a fun week...

Little bit a this, little bit a that

Tomorrow will be 3 weeks since getting my road bike, and in that time I will have logged over 400 miles. Getting a road bike really can take your training to the next level.
I've been using some mtn bike shoes, and Eggbeater SLs and that combination isn't well suited to road biking. So, I've got some Sidi Zetas on order, and I'll be mating them to Speedplay Zero pedals.

It hasn't taken long, but as I expected, the Floyd Landis debacle has become non news. It could take 16-18 months for the whole thing to play out, even though many people have already condemned him, without due process. I have repeatedly stated that, at this point, I believe Floyd. Apparently, others believe him as well. Phil "the voice of the Tour de France" Liggett in an interview, is skeptical of the positive drug test.
For those that believe Landis, or at least feel that the WADA, UCI, and the French lab have made a mess of everything, there is a petition floating around.

Missed it by that much

The good news is I was able to rearrange my schedule to attend the weekly Tues ride, the bad news is, I missed the group. Traffic was horrible, so I got to the meeting spot at about 5:02 or so. When I pulled up there was no one around. I figured they must've just left, so I hurried and got my crap squared away and took off thinking I'd be able to catch up to them, or at least catch sight of them. I knew I'd catch sight of the slower group sooner or later, so I kept a good pace the whole way out. Well, to make a painfully long story short I never caught up with the main bunch. About 17 miles out I just turned around, and ended up working with a guy taking turns doing pulls back to the parking area.

I'll have to try this again in the next couple of weeks, and next time I'll have the knowledge that the ride starts promptly at 5pm.

Low profile

I've been logging some intense sessions lately, and it has taken its toll on me. Saturday I went to bed feeling really tired. Sunday I was draggin' all day long... I even took a snooze in the afternoon. I was feelin' better today, but I figured I'd take an extra day and fully recharge my batteries. Tomorrow will tell the tale.

I'm hoping to participate in the Tues group road ride. There are some hammers that ride on Tuesdays, and everyone keeps telling me how riding (or attempting to ride) with faster riders will do wonders for your fitness.

Sitting pretty

I got my new saddle, and I've got a couple rides on it. Originally, I was gonna go with the Selle Italia SLK, but I've since opted for the Selle Italia Signo Gelflow. I'm very pleased with my selection. I know that the real tests will come with longer rides, but at the moment my hind parts are most thankful for the new perch. The Signo has an ingenious system whereby the sides/tail flex under pedaling forces, which gives a cushioning effect to the rider. Some people don't like the feel of that system, but it works for me.
The Signo is a perfect example of "less is more", at least in my case. As the pictures show, it is a minimalist saddle compared to the Aliante Sport that did grace (or curse, depending on how you look at it) the TCR. I've learned that my caboose prefers a flatter, more firm saddle.

The idea of the cutout is one of the best the saddle industry ever came up with!

Dang near 'board flat'. Just the way I like it.

I should be testing out the saddle on a longer ride tomorrow...we'll see.
Today I finally was able to participate in the local club TT. It's a 10 mile course, which is mostly flat, just a couple of hills to keep things interesting. This monthly TT is for fun, but seeing some of the rigs that people were using, you'd think it was a stage of the TdF, or the Giro d' Italia. Aero helmets, rear disc wheels, uber expensive frames (Cervelo TT frame was a standout), you name it. The legs felt good, so I gave it my all. I completed the course in 26:22, with an average speed around 22.8mph. Not too bad for a noob roadie.

Dumb, or just stupid?

I woke up bright and early today, in order to get some riding in the morning hours since my work schedule was gonna screw up any chance of an afternoon session.

Everything was going to plan right up until I arrived at my usual riding spot. The plan was for 30-40 miles. As I was getting my helmet and gloves on, military police (I ride on Air Force property) pulled up and proceeded to ask for my recreational permit. Upon producing my permit, the MP informs me that due to a training mission the road is closed a mile and a half up. Great. Just perfect. So much for my 30-40 miles. I was tempted to go home and get at least an hour in riding in the neighborhood, but I quickly dismissed that as it would cut into my time. So I said, "the hell with it...I'm gonna get some saddle time in come hell or high water!" Now, in a move that bespeaks of intense dedication or insanity, I proceeded to log 20 miles, but I was never more than a mile and a half from the car [*Note- Everyone that I have recounted this story to has gone with 'insane'].

Insane or not, at least I wasn't alone. There were 2 others out there doing the same thing as me.

So, what do you think? Dedicated or insane? Feel free to lie just to make me feel better.

Giant TCR C3- first impressions

It's been a week since I got the TCR. As of Sunday I have logged just over 200 miles on the bike. So what do I think of it?
First off, the riding position of a road bike is taking some getting used to. At times I feel a little squirrely on it, but that will pass as I get more accustomed to it.

As far as the bike itself goes...well, carbon fiber is the cat's meow. Carbon can/does take the edge off bumps in the road. I know that a lot people prefer handcrafted metal frames, citing that carbon fiber bikes "just don't have any soul to them", but if you ride on less than perfect roads, you will love the feel of carbon fiber.
As it pertains to the TCR C3, the frame is obviously light, but yet very stiff. When hammering out of the saddle there is no flex in the bottom bracket, or in the rear triangle. If I had anything to pick on, it would be that the location of the seat tube water bottle attachments are in an inconvenient spot... I have really have to stretch to reach my seat tube mounted water bottle. That said, there may be a good reason (like aerodynamics or what not) that they put it there, so I'm not gonna give 'em too much grief about it.

Now, on to the components. On the Giant website, and in their print catalog they list the F & R derailluers, shifters, cassette, and chain as Shimano 105. Imagine my surprise when I get the bike home and discover an Ultegra F derailluer and chain. It doesn't hurt my feelings at all. The 105 and Ultegra mix works very well, shifts are nice and crisp (except now, I think I'm getting a little cable stretch- which is to be expected).

The crankset is a TruVativ Elita compact 36/50. For being a lower priced crankset, is seems reasonably stiff, which is all you can really ask of a good crankset. I don't know if this is an effect of the double chainring, or an adjustment with the F derailluer, but on two different occasions I have shifted to the small chainring and the chain has dropped off...onto the bottom bracket (fortunately I was almost coasting and didn't do any damage). I clicked the shifter a second time to make sure that the derailluer had moved all the way over (no more cable to be played out), and the derailluer moved the chain right off the chainring, just like it was wanting to drop the chain to a third ring or somethin'. Very perplexing. I'm gonna ask the shop about it.

The handlebars and stem are Easton EA30s. Easton makes some good stuff, and this bar and stem are no different. The handlebars have a nice form to them, making it easy to find a comfortable position for your hands, and the stem is does its job without you thinking about it. *Note- Due to some really harsh road conditions I am gonna switch to a carbon fiber handlebar in the future. The aluminum transmits the vibrations right thru my hands and arms. Over the first few rides I noticed that the stem's lower bolt on the handlebar fixing plate would loosen up ever so slightly. Like clockwork, after a ride I would have to tighten that lower bolt, requiring maybe a quarter turn at best. The good news is, that for the last two rides the bolt has remained tight.

Stopping power is supplied by some no name brakes. In looks, they resemble Campys, but that's where the comparisons end. While the brakes are working fairly well for me, they are on the spongy side. On long descents or in wet conditions I would imagine that these brakes would scare the &^%$ out of you. I'm going to stick with these brakes until I've worn out the pads, at which point I will upgrade to Ultegra or Dura Ace stoppers.

I don't need to go into any detail on the saddle, as I've already beat that horse.

Last, but not least...where the rubber meets the road.
The tires are Michelin Dynamics (700 x 23). The Dynamics are no doubt some entry level tires. They do their job and give you some good grip, even in wet conditions. What they lack in suppleness, they make up for in treadwear. I've got over 200 miles on them and I could probably pawn them off as having maybe 20 or 30 miles on them. The main reason to promptly upgrade these tires would be weight...they are listed as a portly 373g ea! Switching from the Dynamics to a good lightweight tire could take off close to 1/2lb off the bike's weight.

Onto the wheels. The Xero XSR-3 wheels have a unique lacing pattern that looks pretty cool, and I guess offer more strength than traditional lacing patterns (not that I have any real first hand knowledge or experience on that). When it comes to reviews of this bike, the wheels are what most people bag on. The stiffness, or lack of, and the weight being cited most. As far as stiffness goes, they seem fairly stiff to me. I think it will take a bit more time for the wheels to show their colors. One thing I have noticed is that they don't spin very well. If you spin the wheel, it will stop, almost as if the brakes are rubbing, even though the pads are not touching. This is another item I'm going to quiz the bike shop about. As far as the weight goes, I can't argue with people there. At 2050g for the set they are some heavyweights. Between some lighter weight tires and wheels, I bet you could take 1- 1 1/2lbs off the weight of this bike.

This is a great bike. For $1800 I got an awesome frame, with a mix of some good components. I would recommend this bike in a second!

That really chaps my...

I am loving the TCR, but with one exception. Is it the no-name brakes? The average tires, or possibly the heavy wheels? No, no and no. All those items I can deal with. They're not even an issue. What I am talking about is my saddle.The Fi'zi:k Aliante...Sport that is.

People seem to rave about the more expensive versions of the Aliante, but I can't say a whole lot for the OEM Sport Aliante that came standard on my Giant. Of course, saddles are a very personal thing, so take my comments with a grain of salt. It doesn't work for me, but I'm sure that there are numerous people out there who love it. To my delicate behind, it is some sort of medieval torture implement. I gave it a decent chance to prove its worth, but after 170 miles it hasn't won me over...so a saddle change is on the menu.

I (my rear, to be exact) prefer saddles that have a flatter profile. When the tail curves up, it makes for an uncomfortable time. After staring slackjawed at some of the exorbitant prices of saddles, I made a choice. I'm gonna give the Selle Italia SLK a shot. Selle Italia have been making saddles since like, the Jurassic period, so I think they know how to make a good seat. Anyway...the SLK looks like it could be just the ticket for Behind bliss. I should have it by mid week, and I'm sure it won't take but one or two rides to see if it has the magic feel.


I almost forgot...
Big props go out to JHK and Shonny Vanlandingham for taking the 2006 NMBS XC titles. JHK is the first American to win the NMBS title since 2000. For the last 5yrs the title has been in Canadian hands. Kabush almost took it again this year.

Rackin' up the miles

Since getting the TCR, I've logged 124 miles on it. By Sunday I should be sitting around the 200 mark. I did an intense 1hr ride on Wed, and I paid for it yesterday. The legs were smoked. They started to liven up towards the end, but that was too little, too late. I've got another 2hr jaunt lined up for this afternoon. Hopefully the legs will be more interested in participating this time.

Throughout my HR based training, I've seen the limitations of using HR to train by. Don't get me wrong, the training I've done has really paid off this year. But there are better methods out there. After this season is wrapped up, I'm gonna get me one of these (when finances allow it). When you train with power, you're dealing with absolutes. Outside factors can affect your HR, and as a result, you don't know whether to believe the HR numbers or not. When using a power meter, you have an exact picture of what's going on with your training. It's THE way to measure your performance and progress. If you can turn out an average of X number of watts today, and next month your average is higher, then you're getting stronger/faster...no matter what your HR monitor is telling you.

The only downside is the cost. $1000 plus is tough to swallow, especially when you consider that I only paid $1800 for my road bike.

So this is what it's like to have a BIG chainring

Did a long ride today. The new bike is great, even if I'm still trying to get used to it. I knew that the different gearing would make the rides a bit harder, but I wasn't prepared for how much difference there would be. On the old bike I could turn 85-95rpm and not feel too worn out afterwards. As I type this though, the legs are kinda sore. But it's a good kind of sore...it just means that it's gonna make me stronger.
Once I get used to the handling I will probably give the Tues night Hammerfest a shot. I've got to be a little more sure of myself on the bike before I get thrown into a peloton, pacelines, etc.
I've been told that there's one particular guy to stay away from...he's caused several bad accidents, and I think the person who told me this was being kind when he called the guy "aggressive".
I'm going on record right now. If that dude causes me to go down, I'm gonna f**k him up.

As promised, here are a couple pics of the new ride:

Formula One composite, baby!

The stats for today's ride:
Time- 1:55
Distance- 40.2 miles

Rocketship

I got my first ride on the new bike, and what a revelation! Compared to what I've been riding on the road, this thing is a dang rocket.



It's like going from a pickup truck to a sports car. I only have one ride on it, but I'm totally digging it. It's gonna take several rides to get used to the handling of the bike, and the different body positioning.

On thing I have discovered, is that a given speed/cadence on a mtn bike, isn't the same on a road bike. I was working much harder today turning an 85-95rpm cadence than I have with a similar cadence on the old mtn bike.

I'll get some pics posted tomorrow...I promise.

It's a boy!

After much waiting and anticipation, today I finally picked up my new road bike. I haven't taken it for a spin yet, but that will happen tomorrow. It's a well spec'd bike, although I see that tires, wheels, and brakes will be the first upgrades on the list. Actually, I think if I were to address those items, nothing else would need to be switched out. I was quite surprised to see an Ultegra F derailleur on there. On every spec list I've seen, a 105 FD was listed. I don't know where the change came about, but I won't complain any.

I'll update again once I've ridden the bike, and I'll have a photo or two to post too.

On a related note, Floyd Landis' 'B' sample came back positive (nobody in the Landis camp expected any differently). Now it looks like there will be 3-6 months of arbitration before this whole thing is settled. Regardless of how this all turns out (I still believe Landis at this point), one thing is for certain...the UCI has really botched this whole thing. It appears to me that they are more interested in covering their collective butts, than "protecting the image of the sport". First, they announce that a rider had an "adverse analytical reading" in their 'A' sample, the UCI pushes to get the 'B' sample tested, seemingly going around Landis in the process, and then someone in the UCI leaked to the NY Times that some of the testosterone found in Landis' 'A' sample was synthetic. I think the UCI is just going out of their way to make sure no one can accuse them of being complacent in the face of all the doping going on.
If you take everything the UCI has done, and couple that with the fact that the lab doing the testing has had some ethically questionable dealings in the past, and if this were a criminal case, it would probably be thrown out of court.

By the time the arbitration is over, I don't think anyone is gonna care if Landis doped or not, or care if he even won to begin with.
And THAT is what will hurt the sport of cycling more than anything.

Lame

4 days, and 1 day of riding. How's that for lame? Damn rain!

Wednesday was the first time I've ridden since Saturday. On the plus side, we've really needed the rain. Hopefully the rest of the week will give me a chance to do something that resembles training.

New day, new week

Even though I had a long day ahead of me, on Saturday I woke up early to get an AM ride in. It was pleasant out, which makes a good case for doing the bulk of one's riding in the mornings. Except for being dead tired later on in the day, it was a wise decision.
The last two days have been R&R days, due to some much needed rain. Tomorrow should be the last ride on my old hardtail. The plan is to pick up the new road bike tomorrow. Yay! It's about time. The HT has served me well, it's been a great bike. Since December of last year I've put almost 3000 miles on it. Time for it to be retired.

It's H-O-T!

Mid 90's today, with a heat index around 105. That's not fit for man, nor beast. No riding today.

Smellin' the roses

After two hard days of training, I decided to take it easy today and ditch the scheduled road miles in favor of the group mtn bike ride. The legs were feeling lifeless, so the thought of hitting the road for 2hrs didn't meet with much enthusiasm.

If this ends up being true (and I don't think it is), then I'm done caring one way or another about pro road cycling.

That's it, I've had enough

Gawd almighty it was hot & nasty today. 95 degree temps weren't bad enough, no sir, we had to get gut kicked with humidity that was equally as high as the temperature. I made the Phi Beta Kappa decision to ride at 2pm today, and that has to be the most tortuous ride I've done. When I was done, I couldn't have been any wetter had I jumped in a pool. I prevailed though, and despite the awful conditions I got a fairly decent workout in. Mark my words though...Sean will not go riding at 2pm again until the max daytime temp is no higher than 70 degrees. I'll ride in the early morning, late afternoon, or not at all.

What a Tour!

This year's Tour de France was one for the books, in more ways than one. It was a roller coaster of a ride.

First off, Ivan Basso and Jan Ullich are excluded from the Tour due to their possible involvement in the Spanish doping scandal. Alexandre Vinokourov became an unfortunate casualty of the purge. The yellow jersey was switched up more times than I change socks. We have; Thor Hushovd, George Hincapie, Tom Boonen, and so far we're just up to Stage 3! Sergei Gontchar, Cyril Dessel, Floyd Landis, and Oscar Pereiro. Due to the intensity of the race, there were a number of crashes. GC contender Alejandro Valverde went down on Stage 3, and CSC's ad hoc team leader (after Basso's ejection), Bobby Julich took a painful fall during the Stage 7 TT.
Floyd Landis' Tour experience is the definition of "roller coaster". Mishaps in the prologue and Stage 7 TTs, taking the yellow jersey in Stage 11, his heartbreaking meltdown on the slopes of La Toussuire, and his awe inspiring ride the very next day, then taking the big prize 3 days later.

It was one of the best Tours in years. Congratulations Floyd, you earned it!

Got game

I've gotten back to my full training routine, finally. Today I got a good 2hrs in, complete with 50 minutes of Tempo riding. I was on today, everything was clicking. Maybe I was inspired by Floyd's legendary ride yesterday...whatever it was, it was a good day for riding.

Ride time: 2hrs
Distance: 40.5miles
Avg Speed: 20.2mph

Only a couple more weeks, and I can retire my old hardtail. Soon I'll be able to rip it up on my new road bike. Yippee!

I'm speechless!

Wow! What a day for the Tour de France...and Floyd Landis. After that atomic sized meltdown yesterday, everyone thought Landis was out of the running. Well, evidently someone forgot to mention it to Floyd.

What a stunning ride! Floyd deserves every accolade he gets in this Tour.

Rock on Floyd, rock on!

If you're gonna go, you might as well go big.

Strike a pose

This picture is just too funny. Frank Schleck doing his best Hulk impression...

Hulk mad, Hulk smash!

Tanasi Challenge- Race Report

The Tanasi Challenge was the 8^th stop on the South Eastern Regional Championship series. The Tanasi trails are located at the Ocoee Whitewater Center (which was the kayaking venue for the ’96 Olympic Games), just outside of Ducktown, Tn. The decision to do this race was kind of last minute. My first ‘A’ race of the season was the “Showdown at Sugar” NORBA event in June, and then I was going to have 3 months before my next race. I figured it would be good to add a race in there, instead of 3 solid months of boring training.

Coming off my win at Sugar Mtn I had some confidence built up, but could I make it two for two? There are some great riders that compete in the regional races, so I knew I was gonna have some serious competition.

This race would be my first time riding these trails, so I was hoping that there wasn’t too much of a learning curve on them. On my pre-ride I was pleased to discover that Tanasi is not too technical, just lots of flowy singletrack, and some pretty good climbs at the beginning. Ohh, and I can’t forget to mention “Thunder Rock Express”. Clear weather meant that the trails were in great shape. If it had rained, then it would have made sections of the course very technical. There was one dark spot on an otherwise good pre-ride though… I got stung by a friggin’ Yellowjacket! Thank God I’m not allergic, but damn, that hurt like a mother.

The day of the race I was up early, as I was hearing all kinds of sounds in the motel…people upstairs walking around, TVs playing, coughing, creaking, dripping, you name it (Editorial note- Don’t try and get any real sleep at the Ramada Limited in Blue Ridge, Ga.). After my normal pre-race breakfast of pancakes, it was off to the event.

My wave didn’t go until 11:30am, so I had plenty of time to hang out and get warmed up. Getting warmed up took on a new meaning today. It was hot, with a capital ‘H’. Temps were expected to be in the mid 90s with some nasty humidity. As a Floridian, I’m no stranger to riding in hot temperatures, so I wasn’t expecting the heat to be a factor, or at least not too much of one. With the Ocoee river right there, you certainly had a place to cool off afterwards… which more than one rider took advantage of.

After a 15 minute delay, they called up my class, Beginner 30-39. We were doing 1 lap of the 11 mile course. As always, one of my goals is/was to be in the top 4 or 5 upon hitting the singletrack. I never know if I’ll be able to achieve it, but it sounds good, right? The whistle sounds and we’re off! On top of having to watch out for fellow racers, we also had to look out for bystanders. The first part of the course was on some paved trail that bordered the river. This section of trail is used by people watching the kayakers and rafters. Needless to say, it made for some interesting obstacles. When we got to the singletrack, I had the position I was looking for…I was sitting in 4^th. With all the climbing ahead I felt that I was in a good position to be able to attack on the climbs and keep anyone from getting too far away from me. The guy in 3^rd fell of the pace almost immediately, so that put me in 3^rd. Not even 10 minutes into the race and I’m in 3^rd, so I’m feeling really good about my chances. The good feeling was short lived though. On one of the climbs, I lost momentum trying to go over a particularly big root (due to picking a bad line...but lets keep that between us.). I got one foot unclipped, but I didn’t get the important foot unclipped. The foot that was still clipped in was on the side that all my weight was on when I came to a stop, and I fell over… again, not a big problem by itself. A tree caught my fall, so all I had to do was stand up and be on my way. Wrong. When the bike fell over the back tire got wedged in the same root that that I got hung up on. So here I am leaning against this tree, and I can’t get unclipped because I can’t get the bike up because the wheel is wedged. One guy goes past, and I'm still fighting to get my foot unclipped and get the bike upright. I'm frantic as it appears if the whole damned field is going past me, and I'm floundering on the side of the trail like a fish out of water. In a move that would make a yoga master proud, I twisted my free leg around the front of the bike where I could get some leverage and finally get my trapped foot free, and I get the bike up and get going again.

Until I saw that only 1 guy had gotten past me I was in the throes of a panic attack over the mishap. It takes me a couple minutes to get out of my funk, but once my head is back on straight I pass the guy for the second time and I'm back in 3rd place. I'm finding my rhythm again, and I make a move for 2^nd as the second place fella is having some bike problems. I’m right on the wheel of the leader and when we enter a doubletrack descent I get around him and put it into high gear to try and create a sizeable gap that I can work off of once the climbing starts again.

I built on my lead over the next few climbs and for almost 10 minutes I ride by myself except for passing the occasional rider from a different class. Almost out of the blue a guy from my class shows up on my wheel and manages to get around me, and leads for the next few minutes. I am stronger on the climbs so I am right on his wheel anytime the trail goes up. After hugging his wheel for a bit he announced that he had blown and that I could get passed. I gave it all I had to create a big gap while he was trying to recover, because I didn’t want to have to be playing that same game near the end of the race. I was now starting to pick off more riders from other age groups. I'm past the halfway mark, so I’m just trying to keep up a steady effort, but at the same time not make any stupid mistakes. As I mentioned earlier, this is not a technical trail, but if you don’t pay attention it can take a bite out of you, especially Thunder Rock Express.

A long jeep road downhill tells me that the end is near. The only challenge left is Thunder Rock Express. Thunder Rock Express is a fun, and at times steep, downhill filled with rocks of all kinds; loose baseball sized ones, half buried monsters, jagged tire slicers… all of them waiting to take out anyone but the totally diligent.

If you make it down Thunder Rock Express unscathed then an easy gravel road downhill awaits you. All that was left was the run for the finish, which is on pavement. I get on the pavement and click into my highest gear and floor it for the finish line. There is one last potentially tricky section though. The final stretch of the race takes you through the Ocoee Whitewater Center parking area, across a bridge, and to the finish. The bridge is the tricky part, and that’s because of people. Despite signs that say “Caution! High speed mtn bike race in progress”, people would routinely walk down the side of the bridge designated as the race lane, or just stand in the way of the entrance to the bridge. If anyone was in the way I was prepared to put a shoulder into them if I had to. Thankfully my way was clear and I made it across the finish line with no problems.

Almost there...

If, like Ichabod Crane, I can just get across the bridge safely.

I thought I had done well, and even won, but I couldn’t be certain…not after my hang up on that blasted root. I didn’t know for sure if someone had gotten ahead of the pack without me knowing it. I grabbed some recovery drink, and then I went and cooled off/cleaned up in the Ocoee. I wish I could describe how good it felt.

Of course it always takes forever to post the results, and after a long wait I found out what I had hoped for. I took first place. I finished 2:22 ahead of second place. Along with the medal, the race promoter supplied a bottle of burgundy champagne.

While on the podium I was tempted to open it and give it the ole shake and spray, but I didn’t think it would be well received.

This was a first.

This was a great result for me, as it tells me that I’m more or less on the right track with my training.

I’ll enjoy this win for a few days, and then it’ll be back to the daily training grind. I gotta be ready for the Florida State series.

I do want to give some props to the folks at River City Bicycles for sponsoring the Tanasi round of the SERC series, and offering up some shwag to the winners. I do have one thing to ask whoever fixed up the award bags though… what the hell am I supposed to do with one tire? That’s like getting one shoe, or one glove.

My winnings.

Also, I want to give a shout out to my sponsor, the fine folks at SixSixOne.

Tanasi

I made it to the race venue, finally. The race takes place on the grounds of the Ocoee Whitewater Center, which is where they held the kayaking during the 1996 Olympic Games.
I got a lap in on the 11 mile course, and I have to say that it is a great trail. Reminds me a bit of Tsali. The only downside was getting stung by a effing yellowjacket not 5 or 6 minutes after starting my ride. Thank God I'm not allergic!

I was hoping to take some pics, but damned if I didn't leave my small camera at the motel room. I'll snap a few pics of the race tomorrow, but for now you'll have to use your imagination. Look for an audio update after the race, and a full race report in the following days.

Mtn climbing

Today I gave another shot at making it all the way to the Cataloochee Resort. A put a mtn cassette on the HT and that made all the difference in the world. I stayed in the middle chainring till about the last 1/2 mile of the climb(which was also the steepest section), and I even had a little gas left to shift into a higher gear and crank up the RPMs for the last 100 or so ft. I climbed over 1500 ft in about 2.5 miles. Whew!
If I climb that well on Sunday I'll be VERY pleased.

Ohh, and HUGE props to Floyd Landis!

That's it for now, gotta get some rest.

Prepping

I'm up in North Carolina, where I'm gonna get a little altitude acclimatization and some climbing training in prior to my race on Sunday. I'll probably do an hour and a half or so tomorrow, and then on Friday I think I'm gonna make another attempt at riding all the way up to the top of Cataloochee Mtn.

Gone Riding did have most of the Florida State Championship Series dates posted, but darn it to heck, some of the locations are back listed as "TBA". They're making it damned difficult for me to plan my calendar.

That's more like it!

I got my planned ride in. I stepped it up a bit from the planned recovery style workout, since my legs felt pretty good...which was quite a change from earlier in the day when the legs felt like crap.

Stats:
Time- 1:15
Miles- 24
Avg speed- 20mph


What do you think? I think Floyd gets the badass of the peloton award for that.

Change of plans

After Saturday's tempo ride, the legs were toast on Sunday. Even today they're not feeling really great. So...time for a change of plans. I think I'm gonna go for a 1 hr-ish recoveryish kind of ride. If the legs are better, then tomorrow I'll hit some higher intensity stuff. I'm prepared to go VERY low-key this week, if need be. I don't think I'm going to make any huge strides in fitness in the week before my race, so no use wearing myself out.

I had to get some new rubber for the HT today, which kind of annoyed me as I was hoping not to spend any more money on the old cow, since my road bike is forthcoming in a few short weeks.

I gotta have something to train with until I get the road bike, so I just gotta deal with it.

Hmm...

Well, doesn't that suck?
Floyd just ain't havin' good luck with TT's in the Tour. He's got some mad skillz though...changed bikes and STILL managed to take 2nd place. If he can do well in the mtns I think Landis will get the yellow jersey. Go Floyd!

Pulled a 2hr session this morning, complete with 40 minutes of tempo riding. Whew... I'm beat.
I forgot to charge my ipod, so I had to listen to the wind whistling thru my helmet straps. What do you do when you don't have some music to pass the time? You take pictures of yourself.


I know. It's lame, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Right?

It was a good ride today, but doing Tempo on a mtn bike is rough. I just don't have the gear to do it properly. The workout calls for a cadence of 70-75rpm, and I couldn't get it down that low unless it was up a hill. For the 40 minutes I probably averaged 86-88rpm...and as a result of that cadence, I couldn't get my HR up to where it needed to be. The only thing I can say is, it provided a good muscular workout.
Depending on how frisky I'm feeling tomorrow I might head out for another 2hrs and some of the dreaded Power Intervals. If I don't get a long session in tomorrow, then I won't be doing any 2+hr rides until after my race. This coming week I'll be switching to shorter rides with higher intensity...at least that's the plan.

Goodies

The brown Santa paid me a visit today. I got my order from my sponsor, the totally awesome folks at SixSixOne. I got me some totally cool looking gloves, the Nytrate.

I've only had an opportunity to try them on, but they fit extremely well. They're light and offer a lot of dexterity. My first impression is that they're going to be one of the best pairs of gloves I've ever used. I'll let you know how they feel in action.

Visions

This upcoming race in Tn was kind of spur of the moment and wasn't on my initial race calendar. I decided to add this race as part of my plan to get as much racing experience as possible so that I can go into the more intense racing that is sure to come next year. I know that at my current fitness level I'm not gonna choke in this race (short of a flat or mechanical), so all I should be concerning myself with is getting more racing under my belt.
At least that is what I was thinking when I added this race to the schedule, but a strange thing happened... as the race has gotten closer my desire to win this race has grown and grown. Now I'm thinking, "Hey, if I'm going to the trouble of strapping a number on my handlebars then I'm gonna throw down as if it was a national event." It's like the old saying, "if it's worth doing, then it's worth doing right."
Every time I picture this race in my head, I visualize winning it. I've not thought about 2nd,3rd,4th or lower.

I just need to reel this attitude in, and keep everything real. I just have to focus on racing MY race and letting everything else fall where it will.

Since I started training I've tried several different sports drinks. I started with Powerbar Endurance, and then I got hooked on Hammer products and gave HEED an extended trial period. After running out of HEED, I got hold of some Cytomax.
Here's what I've come up with...
All 3 of these drinks work. I've not suffered any leg cramps or gotten seriously dehydrated after a workout while using these different mixes. Hammer speaks out against using simple sugars in performance fuels, but I'm not totally sold on that concept.
Taste has been the main factor for me. Powerbar Endurance and Cytomax beat HEED all to hell in the taste category. HEED doesn't have a strong flavor to it, but it has a taste that becomes more noticeable (and less appealing) as your drink warms up. For my money Cytomax is the best tasting... I've been using the Tangy Orange flavor, but I'm gonna pick up a can of Peachy Keen to try some other flavors. If the Peach one is good then I'll probably stick with Cytomax for a while.
One plus for HEED is that with its mild flavor you can mix a double batch in your bottle and it still be relatively mild tasting. I'm sure that both Powerbar and Cytomax would be WAY too sweet to mix a double portion. That said, I'm still gonna go with Powerbar or Cytomax.

Picking up where I left off

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July.

I've been getting some good saddle time in, but not the hours I've wanted. I even rode some yesterday...how's that for dedication, huh?
Today's supposed to be a rest day, but after eating more than I should have yesterday I'm thinking of getting some riding in, even if it's just a recovery ride.

My next race is fast approaching. It's only 11 days until Ducktown. I'm feelin' good about my preparations so far. I finish this week really strong and I'm gonna be good to go.

Independence day

Happy 4th of July!
Have fun today, and be safe out there.

Clickin' off the miles

Another 25 miles is in the books. My carefully laid plans went up in smoke, as I only managed an hour and a half today. At least I got some descending intervals (75sec/60/45/30) in. I didn't get the full number that I wanted, but a string of stop signs and traffic put the kibosh on the second set.
I have finally gotten enough money down on the new road bike to safely say that I'll have it in my hot little hands sometime in July. I won't be getting rid of that old hardtail too soon. That thing is an effing buffalo.The road bike is gonna weigh in the neighborhood of 12 or 13lbs less than the HT. I'm not gonna know what to do with a light bike. Tuesday group ride, here I come!

Close, but no cigar

I managed to get that afternoon ride in, but I got a late start and didn't get the full hour and a half I was hoping for...still, I pulled off 30 miles for the day, so that wasn't too bad.
It's just over 2 weeks till my next race. This coming week I'll be in training overdrive.

Doin' the Tour thing

I've been trying to get my longer rides in during the morning hours when it's not so blasted hot out. This morning though, I just didn't have the drive to go out for 2hrs and change this morning...I was kinda tired. Instead, I took the opportunity to Do the Tour. It's a series of audio workouts that in a small way, are meant to emulate some of the TdF stages. Today's stage was a 10 min time trial...a sampling of the Tour prologue. It made for a decent ride. This afternoon I'll probably go out again for about an hour and a half or so.

Speaking of the Tour, the first day is in the books. Thor Hushovd won the opening time trial, but the big surprise is that George Hincapie smoked it and finished 73/100ths behind Hushovd. Way to go George! The other big surprise is that Floyd Landis was late for his start, and it cost him eight valuable seconds.

Come on Floyd, don't do this to me...I'm rootin' for ya.