Edit: Just after I posted this, I remembered that I had the flu last week as well...I was already happy with performance and had forgotten that little detail! anyway...read away...
Wow! So...I made it! First attempt a any mountain bike racing longer than three hours so I was a little nervous going in. I'll get into the race recap in a minute but first I just have to say that this whole experience was great. I've never been that far into Arkansas and realizing that I was still in the Ozarks was a pleasant surprise. Hot Springs was definitely a cool (albeit very busy) town- population signs said ~35,000 people but with all the tourists it seemed 2 or 3 times that!
The USAC ProUET event was very well organized and everything clicked off smoothly from what I could tell. The course was fast...faster in the first couple hours than in the last couple hours...but definitely fast and fun- no smaller ring stuff here! It wasn't very technical but rough with lots of loose rocks, some nice places to catch high speed air, half a dozen or so water crossings, very fast flats and downhills, switchbacks, and 'fun' climbs. Aside from those flat sections it really reminded me of riding around Duluth, MN- and I love that place as well.
About 150-175 riders lined up for the Le mans start. I'd love to see a video of this- running in these shoes is not always the most stable! Jumping on the bike I was not in a very good position, but made up a lot of time and positions on the road section of the prelude before settling into the singeltrack of lap 1.
Each lap was somewhere between 10-11 miles and at a 6-hour long kind of pace I wanted to avg about an hour each. Laps 1 and 2 were easily done in that and I was holding a good pace and surprisingly good position until about 1/3 of the way into lap 3...front tire became very soft and where ever was leaking was too much for the stan's to fill- I tried pumping up 3 times hoping I could last until the end of the lap and make one stop as I needed to refuel anyway. The last time I pumped it up I rode out as long as possible before I realized other riders were suddenly closing hard and eventually passing. No choice now but to stop and throw a tube in it...I wasted way too much time on this deal and easily lost 20 minutes on the race. After the first time I pumped the tire up again I should've pulled off and went with the tube right away. Lesson learned!
Overall still feeling great about the race, refueled on lap 4 and caught major hamstring cramps 2/3 into the lap on a short climb that luckily I was able to spin out of by dumping the gears and reving the cranks up to about 100 rpm for the rest of the race- kept eating and drinking and didn't stop- thought that might make it worse! Starting lap 5 I looked at the time and knew I wasn't going to make my goal of 6 laps. But still happy with how things are going overall I kept spinning the lighter gears and again had to spin through another spell of major hamstring cramping in the exact same part of the course- but again not stopping, they were not as bad as the lap before so kept on truckin'!
That finish line was a joy to see...I rolled through the traps at 5hrs 50 mins with only 40 mins left to fully complete another lap- obviously that wasn't happening so I was done...and happy with it all.
Upon the finish I realized I should've started the lighter gears earlier because my last lap felt really good. It was about 8 minutes slower than my first and second lap, but for not ever racing this long- I was good with that. Fueling-wise...I could've done a little better- that combined with better handling of the flat tire situation and I could've gotten the 6th lap for sure- my fitness is obviously in good order so I am super pumped to build off this! I wasn't sure how I was gonna feel about this Ultra-Endurance stuff in the end but so far I love it.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
The Flu will do that...
Well...Sundays lackluster ride was due to the beginnings of the flu (doctor confirmed) as Monday felt progressively worse and continued into Tuesday. It's Wednesday...and I feel 'okay' at best ...will get the bike on the trainer tonight to see how I feel. Haven't pulled the plug on this weekend yet but...we'll see.
I've been really looking forward to this race though...I'll have to be feeling pretty miserable still to not go. 6-hour race though...that alone will take a lot...hmmmm...
I've been really looking forward to this race though...I'll have to be feeling pretty miserable still to not go. 6-hour race though...that alone will take a lot...hmmmm...
Monday, March 7, 2011
Nice Weather Racin' Comin'!
Lookin forward to the race this weekend! It will be fun to ride in 60-70 degrees again. Last weekend was kind of a bust- after that last race I feel ultra sensitive to cold and just dont want to ride in it at all. A little frustrated about that but it will pass.
After thinking about it- never before have I raced this early- usually this time of year I'm just starting to think about training after several months off. Perspective is important for motivation. With a competitive nature, it's easy to get wrapped up in the days leading into a big race thinking about the workouts that were either missed or didn't go according to plan for whatever reason. I just love the racing and sometimes need a little thought or reminder to move on looking forward saying I did the best I could, so who cares...lets race!!
After thinking about it- never before have I raced this early- usually this time of year I'm just starting to think about training after several months off. Perspective is important for motivation. With a competitive nature, it's easy to get wrapped up in the days leading into a big race thinking about the workouts that were either missed or didn't go according to plan for whatever reason. I just love the racing and sometimes need a little thought or reminder to move on looking forward saying I did the best I could, so who cares...lets race!!
Monday, February 28, 2011
No Leadville!!! ...yet...
The announcements were sent tonight and I did not get in. However...this year they're having three qualifiers to allow people to race into the start list- One in CA, CO, and NH...guess I'll have to try one of those. It's also very likely that my schedule will be changing dramatically in the next couple weeks. Lookin to add some more Ultra Endurance/Marathon type events.
Lots of outside stress lately...stress outside of training and riding and that sort of fun stuff- Lots of waiting...patiently...it's starting to affect my motivation. Need to get back into somewhat of a routine again! Need to release some tension!
Lots of outside stress lately...stress outside of training and riding and that sort of fun stuff- Lots of waiting...patiently...it's starting to affect my motivation. Need to get back into somewhat of a routine again! Need to release some tension!
Race Report: CIRREM
Terrible race. The weather did not come even close to what it was supposed to be- hovered around 13-14 degrees and was supposed to warm up to 30. Plus it snowed 3 inches the night before.
LOTS of 'cross bikes! Got to the starting line just as they said "go!" There were ~110 racers and I was in about 111th, but quickly (within the first couple miles) and without too much effort drafted my way up to about 25th and at the back of the lead group of about 35 at a harder but sustainable pace to start.
By mile 20, about 20 of that group had put a ~2 minute gap on the rest of us as we strung out into a few groups of 2 or 3, but I was getting pushed into a pace that I would not be able to hold til the end. From there I sat in the draft of others and held a good high paced tempo effort...until around mile 29 the lead guy slows up hard and stops to say "I think we missed a turn" ...uggghhh!!
I had 2 riders in front of me (drafting them) and ~4 behind me, plus my goggles were icing over from the SLEET so I was assuming the 2 in front of me either saw the lead group or saw the tracks. I guess they lost the lead group through a series of about 5 intersection turns in one mile (~40 in the race) so we ended up about a mile half out of the way - so 2 miles extra total. That sucked.
So the "race" was pretty much over for us then, but just kept going to use it as a great training ride. At the start of the race, I had prepared some food to eat while riding but had to take off my gloves after the halfway point not realizing how cold it was at speed and how much sweat was in my gloves...they froze...almost completely. From then on it was terrible- I had to slow so my gloves would warm up- then my feet got cold and never recovered- they got SO cold and numb and for real fear of frostbite at some points I had to get off the bike and walk/run just to get circulation going again. It was terrible.
Including our 2-3 mile "diversion" I reached the halfway point at about 2hrs 20 mins. The leaders were there at about 1 hr 54 mins. I finished around 5 1/12 hours- didn't look at the place or the time- didn't really care- couldn't feel my toes or fingers and just wanted heat.
So...positives? I felt good through about 3 hours- good pace- and in that time I think my fueling was sufficient. I cut up the cliff bars and that seemed to work well- could eat relatively easily when I wanted. 90% gatorade in the Camelback and one bottle filled with water worked well.
LOTS of 'cross bikes! Got to the starting line just as they said "go!" There were ~110 racers and I was in about 111th, but quickly (within the first couple miles) and without too much effort drafted my way up to about 25th and at the back of the lead group of about 35 at a harder but sustainable pace to start.
By mile 20, about 20 of that group had put a ~2 minute gap on the rest of us as we strung out into a few groups of 2 or 3, but I was getting pushed into a pace that I would not be able to hold til the end. From there I sat in the draft of others and held a good high paced tempo effort...until around mile 29 the lead guy slows up hard and stops to say "I think we missed a turn" ...uggghhh!!
I had 2 riders in front of me (drafting them) and ~4 behind me, plus my goggles were icing over from the SLEET so I was assuming the 2 in front of me either saw the lead group or saw the tracks. I guess they lost the lead group through a series of about 5 intersection turns in one mile (~40 in the race) so we ended up about a mile half out of the way - so 2 miles extra total. That sucked.
So the "race" was pretty much over for us then, but just kept going to use it as a great training ride. At the start of the race, I had prepared some food to eat while riding but had to take off my gloves after the halfway point not realizing how cold it was at speed and how much sweat was in my gloves...they froze...almost completely. From then on it was terrible- I had to slow so my gloves would warm up- then my feet got cold and never recovered- they got SO cold and numb and for real fear of frostbite at some points I had to get off the bike and walk/run just to get circulation going again. It was terrible.
Including our 2-3 mile "diversion" I reached the halfway point at about 2hrs 20 mins. The leaders were there at about 1 hr 54 mins. I finished around 5 1/12 hours- didn't look at the place or the time- didn't really care- couldn't feel my toes or fingers and just wanted heat.
So...positives? I felt good through about 3 hours- good pace- and in that time I think my fueling was sufficient. I cut up the cliff bars and that seemed to work well- could eat relatively easily when I wanted. 90% gatorade in the Camelback and one bottle filled with water worked well.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Colorado
No snow in the foothills as I hoped!! Such sweet riding there! One day I took the usual route from just east of Boulder up Baseline to the top of Flagstaff and back...feeling really good about how that felt.
My mantra of smooth is fast is working in many ways even off the singletrack- I didn't "sprint" to the top...but made it to the top faster than ever before. The tactics TJ's been having me practice are really shining right now.
Didn't get into the mountains to do any skiing this time though. That turns out to be an all-day event and I wanted to spend some time with the family.
Race tomorrow in Cumming, IA! 100K over mostly gravel road I think. Probabbly lots of "cross" bikes...not sure how I'll hold up against them but should be a fun test of endurance and keeping on top of nutrition for Spa City 6-Hour in two weeks!!
My mantra of smooth is fast is working in many ways even off the singletrack- I didn't "sprint" to the top...but made it to the top faster than ever before. The tactics TJ's been having me practice are really shining right now.
Didn't get into the mountains to do any skiing this time though. That turns out to be an all-day event and I wanted to spend some time with the family.
Race tomorrow in Cumming, IA! 100K over mostly gravel road I think. Probabbly lots of "cross" bikes...not sure how I'll hold up against them but should be a fun test of endurance and keeping on top of nutrition for Spa City 6-Hour in two weeks!!
Monday, February 14, 2011
50+ degrees!!
Finally! I got to get out on the road yesterday without suiting up with all the heavy cold weather gear. I was so amped up and could not wait to release this energy into the bike! I didn't even think much about the route- just headed north on Hwy 133 up to Blair then over to Arlington and back which turned out to be about 3hrs 45mins and roughly 62 miles.
This is a pretty flat route but had a good head wind most of the way to Arlington before turning back...that tailwind felt really good from there ;)
On Saturday, for the first time ever, I took a yoga class...yeah it was weird at first- haha! But, I gotta say that it was pretty sweet in the end. A little different and felt a little out of place...but I can definitely see the benefits of it. And it is one of those things where how much you get out of it greatly depends on how much you put into it. There's more strength/muscular endurance involved in some of the poses than I would have thought.
Heading to Colorado this coming weekend. Not sure how open from the snow the foothills are for some good hill climbs but hoping to find something! Plus...have to hit those slopes at some point!
This is a pretty flat route but had a good head wind most of the way to Arlington before turning back...that tailwind felt really good from there ;)
On Saturday, for the first time ever, I took a yoga class...yeah it was weird at first- haha! But, I gotta say that it was pretty sweet in the end. A little different and felt a little out of place...but I can definitely see the benefits of it. And it is one of those things where how much you get out of it greatly depends on how much you put into it. There's more strength/muscular endurance involved in some of the poses than I would have thought.
Heading to Colorado this coming weekend. Not sure how open from the snow the foothills are for some good hill climbs but hoping to find something! Plus...have to hit those slopes at some point!
Friday, February 11, 2011
Funny Stuff for Athletes
When training a lot of the time on your own, its always nice to see, hear, or do something that reminds you that you are not the only one with this level of crazy/commitment to go faster. This email was forwarded to me this week ha! (Thanks Sandy!):
Message: Triathlete online dating profile:
"I am an outdoors type of person." Really means: I train in any type of weather. If its raining, snowing, 90 degrees w/100% humidity, or winds gusting at 30 mph. I don't want to hear any complaints because I will still train in it and you're just a big wuss for complaining about it.
"I enjoy riding my bike." Really means: with or w/o aero bars, alone or in a peleton, I don't care. If you can't do a spur of the moment 30 miler then youre not my type. I will let you draft, but if you can't hang and I drop you - I will see you later. I am a capable mechanic, but don't expect me to change your flats or tune your bike. You need to learn that on your own.
"I enjoy jogging." Really means: Lets run hills until we puke. I have just as many shoes as you only mine are better because they are functional and all look the same.
"I enjoy dining out." Really means: I enjoy eating out, in or any where else I can find food. Don't be shy because with the amount of food I eat, you can have that main entree instead of a salad and you will still look as though you eat like a rabbit in comparison. Don't get your limbs too close though as I may take a bite out of you. Most importantly don't expect any taste off my plate unless you can bring something to the party like more food. Eventually though if you're not burning 4,000+ calories a day your going to plump up and have a terrible complex due to watching me eat deserts and not gain any weight. Friends and family will eventually decide not to dine with us anymore due to my horrid table manners. Oh, and don't ask me any questions during breakfast, MidMorning Lunch, Lunch, Afternoon lunch, Dinner or Recovery Dinner as it does not lend to efficient food intake.
"I enjoy quiet walks on the beach." Really means: Walks on the beach warming up into an 8 mile run and then plunging myself in the ocean for a 2 miler. If you get in my way you're going to find out what mass start is and let me assure you that you don't want to find out.
"I find fulfillment in charitable work." Really means: If I am not racing, I am volunteering for a race and I expect you to be there along side me as I stand out in 90 degree weather or rain for 8 hours handing out sports drinkto cyclists going 20 mph. Just stickthe ol' arm out there and hope it doesn't get taken off.
"I enjoy sharing quiet moments together." Really means: It's tapertime. Just back off because I am strategizing and in a pissy mood because I am worried about my "A" race and can't workout.
"I am an active person." Really means: Aside from my 40 hour job, and the 8 mandatory hours of sleep a night. 10 hours a week are devoted to me during the off-season and 20 during race season leaving us 4 hours. 2 of which are spent inhaling food and you not talking to me, so let's make the best of the 2 hours we will spend together on average each day. If you are a licensed message therapist or doctor this would make the most optimal use of our time together. Nutritionist is also acceptable, but I probably already know just as much as you.
"I enjoy road trips and leisurely drives." Really means: You have your choice of Wisconsin, Idaho, Florida, California, Arizona, and NewYork, but don't expect to do much site seeing. If I get enough support from you we might be able to include Hawaii in there.
"I enjoy site seeing." Really means: Lets grab a mountain bike and get our HR's up to 90%. There's plenty of time to look around on the descent as trees and bushes whiz by you at 40 mph.
"I like stimulating conversation." Really means: while we are running,we can talk about food. Then we can talk about how we decided what to wear on this run based on the temperature at start time versus the temperature at the time we expect to finish, how horribly out of shape we are, how many miles we did last week, and how many we will do this week and next week. Then we can talk about food.
"I enjoy relaxing soaks in the tub." Really Means: I'm going to stop on the way home and buy two bags of ice, throw them in the tub with somewater, and sit in this torture chamber for 30 minutes.
"I'm interested in photography" Really Means: My camera is permanently perched a tripod in front of my trainer. I obsess over taking photos of my bike position and analyzing them to get the perfect setup.
"I'm into in technology" Really Means: My HRM and bike computer are my best friends. Until you can give me some hard data that can improve my training, don't bother trying to buddy up to me. You could one day break into the top three if I find you as entertaining on long runs and rides as my Ipod.
Message: Triathlete online dating profile:
"I am an outdoors type of person." Really means: I train in any type of weather. If its raining, snowing, 90 degrees w/100% humidity, or winds gusting at 30 mph. I don't want to hear any complaints because I will still train in it and you're just a big wuss for complaining about it.
"I enjoy riding my bike." Really means: with or w/o aero bars, alone or in a peleton, I don't care. If you can't do a spur of the moment 30 miler then youre not my type. I will let you draft, but if you can't hang and I drop you - I will see you later. I am a capable mechanic, but don't expect me to change your flats or tune your bike. You need to learn that on your own.
"I enjoy jogging." Really means: Lets run hills until we puke. I have just as many shoes as you only mine are better because they are functional and all look the same.
"I enjoy dining out." Really means: I enjoy eating out, in or any where else I can find food. Don't be shy because with the amount of food I eat, you can have that main entree instead of a salad and you will still look as though you eat like a rabbit in comparison. Don't get your limbs too close though as I may take a bite out of you. Most importantly don't expect any taste off my plate unless you can bring something to the party like more food. Eventually though if you're not burning 4,000+ calories a day your going to plump up and have a terrible complex due to watching me eat deserts and not gain any weight. Friends and family will eventually decide not to dine with us anymore due to my horrid table manners. Oh, and don't ask me any questions during breakfast, MidMorning Lunch, Lunch, Afternoon lunch, Dinner or Recovery Dinner as it does not lend to efficient food intake.
"I enjoy quiet walks on the beach." Really means: Walks on the beach warming up into an 8 mile run and then plunging myself in the ocean for a 2 miler. If you get in my way you're going to find out what mass start is and let me assure you that you don't want to find out.
"I find fulfillment in charitable work." Really means: If I am not racing, I am volunteering for a race and I expect you to be there along side me as I stand out in 90 degree weather or rain for 8 hours handing out sports drinkto cyclists going 20 mph. Just stickthe ol' arm out there and hope it doesn't get taken off.
"I enjoy sharing quiet moments together." Really means: It's tapertime. Just back off because I am strategizing and in a pissy mood because I am worried about my "A" race and can't workout.
"I am an active person." Really means: Aside from my 40 hour job, and the 8 mandatory hours of sleep a night. 10 hours a week are devoted to me during the off-season and 20 during race season leaving us 4 hours. 2 of which are spent inhaling food and you not talking to me, so let's make the best of the 2 hours we will spend together on average each day. If you are a licensed message therapist or doctor this would make the most optimal use of our time together. Nutritionist is also acceptable, but I probably already know just as much as you.
"I enjoy road trips and leisurely drives." Really means: You have your choice of Wisconsin, Idaho, Florida, California, Arizona, and NewYork, but don't expect to do much site seeing. If I get enough support from you we might be able to include Hawaii in there.
"I enjoy site seeing." Really means: Lets grab a mountain bike and get our HR's up to 90%. There's plenty of time to look around on the descent as trees and bushes whiz by you at 40 mph.
"I like stimulating conversation." Really means: while we are running,we can talk about food. Then we can talk about how we decided what to wear on this run based on the temperature at start time versus the temperature at the time we expect to finish, how horribly out of shape we are, how many miles we did last week, and how many we will do this week and next week. Then we can talk about food.
"I enjoy relaxing soaks in the tub." Really Means: I'm going to stop on the way home and buy two bags of ice, throw them in the tub with somewater, and sit in this torture chamber for 30 minutes.
"I'm interested in photography" Really Means: My camera is permanently perched a tripod in front of my trainer. I obsess over taking photos of my bike position and analyzing them to get the perfect setup.
"I'm into in technology" Really Means: My HRM and bike computer are my best friends. Until you can give me some hard data that can improve my training, don't bother trying to buddy up to me. You could one day break into the top three if I find you as entertaining on long runs and rides as my Ipod.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
I love this stuff...
Saturday afternoon I swapped back over to the lighter Kenda Karmas (best all-around tire I've EVER been on) and headed out for a good long ride. At ~37 degrees, it was raining, which greatly increased the efforts. After about 6 miles on the road I veered off onto a dirt road that was a bit peanut buttery and very soft from the current rain. I was out for a few hours- not sure on mileage. When I was done, I was sloppy muddy and wet head to toe...it took more than two hours to clean the bike and get the drivetrain to quit making the harsh sandy grinding noises. Good effort though. Good ride.
Sunday- it's just crazy that the more I feel the previous days workout, the more I want to get out and ride?! Today I opted to stay IN-side and hit up Lifetime's Sunday afternoon movie ride. Brought the freshly cleaned Santa Cruz to the studio with the trainer and rode for about two and a half hours there. These are proving to be very helpful when getting outside is just not the best for training with the weather...and with the first big race (a 6-hour national calendar race!) in 5 weeks...I need all the training capacity of spinning those cranks as I can get. Another 60 minutes of some core work in the gym after the ride and it was a good solid day of...playing :) I love this stuff!!
Sunday- it's just crazy that the more I feel the previous days workout, the more I want to get out and ride?! Today I opted to stay IN-side and hit up Lifetime's Sunday afternoon movie ride. Brought the freshly cleaned Santa Cruz to the studio with the trainer and rode for about two and a half hours there. These are proving to be very helpful when getting outside is just not the best for training with the weather...and with the first big race (a 6-hour national calendar race!) in 5 weeks...I need all the training capacity of spinning those cranks as I can get. Another 60 minutes of some core work in the gym after the ride and it was a good solid day of...playing :) I love this stuff!!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Did I or didn't I...
...get in? Well...I sent my entry to the race in November...cutoff for registration for the Leadville 100 'lottery entry' was Monday. Guess I'm supposed to get an email on or before February 28th if my number's drawn? I have to say I'm really hoping I get in to this thing. I hadn't seen either of the Race Across the Sky movies...until this week. I knew watching this would be a real boost in motivation to keep training hard- even in this weather. Now I want to get out and ride for hours! Of course I've only been able to see the first one because the 2010 race isn't out until March 8th, but as everyone who's seen it knows, this very well done...and really gets my hopes up to get in to this race. It's suposed to be nice this weekend- hopefully thats right. I printed off a few 50-60 mile routes posted by other riders in the area...would love to get out there!
Other than that, I added most of the dates up to the USAC Nationals on my calendar. I'm excited for the longer "road" race on dirt coming up here on February 26th- registration done. I'm not so excited to announce that I might not make the journey out to southern Cali in March- too much going on here to plan plane tickets, bike shipping, car rentals, hotels, dealing with socal traffic and whatever, and still try to relax and prepare for a big race; however...I think I found a fun alternative; the Spa City 6-Hour Ultra Endurance MTB Race in Hot Springs, AR on March 12th. This is also a USAC National Calendar race and some big ultra-endurance names competed last year- looks like a great event!
Training has been great- more than just putting the time in. I'm learning a lot more about efficient workouts- concentrating on position and more focus around the purpose of each ride/task/excercise/stretch. Perfect timing for what is now the 'pre-season' for me. TJ's been setting up killer workouts- sometimes literally- and they've been great! Working with someone this knowledgeable has helped me train so much more efficiently and it really shows.
Really hoping I get into Leadville the more I think about it...mid-August is perfect timing for it too!
Other than that, I added most of the dates up to the USAC Nationals on my calendar. I'm excited for the longer "road" race on dirt coming up here on February 26th- registration done. I'm not so excited to announce that I might not make the journey out to southern Cali in March- too much going on here to plan plane tickets, bike shipping, car rentals, hotels, dealing with socal traffic and whatever, and still try to relax and prepare for a big race; however...I think I found a fun alternative; the Spa City 6-Hour Ultra Endurance MTB Race in Hot Springs, AR on March 12th. This is also a USAC National Calendar race and some big ultra-endurance names competed last year- looks like a great event!
Training has been great- more than just putting the time in. I'm learning a lot more about efficient workouts- concentrating on position and more focus around the purpose of each ride/task/excercise/stretch. Perfect timing for what is now the 'pre-season' for me. TJ's been setting up killer workouts- sometimes literally- and they've been great! Working with someone this knowledgeable has helped me train so much more efficiently and it really shows.
Really hoping I get into Leadville the more I think about it...mid-August is perfect timing for it too!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)