I had a furlough week at work, so that meant hanging around town and putting some extra miles on the bike. I joined the PV club rides on Wednesday and Friday morning. Solo rides on Monday and Thursday.
It was fun riding in the morning hours during a weekday. Traffic is much lower which makes the riding much more peaceful. It's much easier to train later in the morning on the open roads than 5am on a trainer.
I've had a good run of training the past four weeks. I actually hit my planned 8-11 hours per week. I'm definitely seeing some results in the power numbers, so "doing the time" is paying off.
I picked up a set of "used" rollers this week. They only had about 200 miles and appear to be in mint condition. Good time to find some deals on the used equipment list since the economy isn't hot and folks are trying to raise funds. The InsideRide rollers definitely have a unique design. Check out the videos. They're made just west of Portland.
Cascade stage race is just a couple weeks away. Time to focus on some intervals and less miles. Back to reality next week for a normal work week, so I'll be putting the rollers to use.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Elkhorn Report - Stage 1
Overall, Elkhorn was a really fun race even though I was alittle dissappointed with my results. There were 5 of us PV team-mates in the cat5 and we had a great time racing, recovering, and telling stories.
We road-tripped over on Thursday morning. It took about 4.5 hours from Portland to get to Baker City. It was a partly cloudy day and just beautiful out. I was expecting terrain like Central Oregon - very dry and brown. I was pleasantly surprised by all the green and the snow capped mountains. We did a 1 hour ride around the finish climb of the 1st stage. Got back to the car and the huge batch of mesquitos almost ate us alive.
I woke up Saturday morning feeling really strange. I felt dizzy and pukey when I stood up and walked around. I thought, "great, one of those mesquitos gave me malaria or something". Luckily the race didn't start until 2pm, so I just laid on the bed hoping I'd feel better.
Race time I was feeling better but not 100% so I planned to sit in the back of the pack and see how it went. The stage was 73 miles with ~6500 feet of climbing and all of the climbing was in the last half of the race. The pace to the first feedzone was very mellow - thank goodness I thought. It was rainy but not terribly cold. We actually stopped for a peleton pee break at one point - that was very civilized. At that point, Candi, the nicest race official in Oregon, started yelling us from the car about hitting the gas since the gals were only 60 seconds behind us. The pace picked up and we finally hit the big climb to the 2nd feedzone.
This is where the pack shattered. I was at 350W for a good 5-7 minutes trying to hang on, but finally fell off and rode my own race when I knew I was going to explode. I got to the feedzone and looked back to see a couple big strong TT looking guys I spoke to earlier. No need to race downhill alone, so I wait alittle for them and we started a pace line.
A rotating paceline in a race really makes you feel like a bike racer. It was awesome. Short pulls and rotating like clockwork is a great feeling. It's way cool when you can organize one of these with people you don't know but have that connection of racing a bike. We caught about 10 or so riders. We made it over the finishing climb and then 2 miles on the flats to the finish line. I took a pull that was alittle long at the end and got dropped from the group with about 1k to go - darn it. I finished 24th, an entire 5 minutes behind the leader. A couple team-mates finished 11/13 - about 3:30min behind the leader. Only 2 guys in the top 10 were from Oregon.
Time for the Saturday ride, so I'll continue my report later on. Cheers.
We road-tripped over on Thursday morning. It took about 4.5 hours from Portland to get to Baker City. It was a partly cloudy day and just beautiful out. I was expecting terrain like Central Oregon - very dry and brown. I was pleasantly surprised by all the green and the snow capped mountains. We did a 1 hour ride around the finish climb of the 1st stage. Got back to the car and the huge batch of mesquitos almost ate us alive.
I woke up Saturday morning feeling really strange. I felt dizzy and pukey when I stood up and walked around. I thought, "great, one of those mesquitos gave me malaria or something". Luckily the race didn't start until 2pm, so I just laid on the bed hoping I'd feel better.
Race time I was feeling better but not 100% so I planned to sit in the back of the pack and see how it went. The stage was 73 miles with ~6500 feet of climbing and all of the climbing was in the last half of the race. The pace to the first feedzone was very mellow - thank goodness I thought. It was rainy but not terribly cold. We actually stopped for a peleton pee break at one point - that was very civilized. At that point, Candi, the nicest race official in Oregon, started yelling us from the car about hitting the gas since the gals were only 60 seconds behind us. The pace picked up and we finally hit the big climb to the 2nd feedzone.
This is where the pack shattered. I was at 350W for a good 5-7 minutes trying to hang on, but finally fell off and rode my own race when I knew I was going to explode. I got to the feedzone and looked back to see a couple big strong TT looking guys I spoke to earlier. No need to race downhill alone, so I wait alittle for them and we started a pace line.
A rotating paceline in a race really makes you feel like a bike racer. It was awesome. Short pulls and rotating like clockwork is a great feeling. It's way cool when you can organize one of these with people you don't know but have that connection of racing a bike. We caught about 10 or so riders. We made it over the finishing climb and then 2 miles on the flats to the finish line. I took a pull that was alittle long at the end and got dropped from the group with about 1k to go - darn it. I finished 24th, an entire 5 minutes behind the leader. A couple team-mates finished 11/13 - about 3:30min behind the leader. Only 2 guys in the top 10 were from Oregon.
Time for the Saturday ride, so I'll continue my report later on. Cheers.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Neglected Blog, Birthdays, and BMI
Wow, I've really neglected my blog. Wow, it's June already. Wow, my birthday is less than two weeks away. Yes, time flies.
After Cherry Blossom, I took a couple weeks off the road bike - rest week and did some mountain bike races. It was the end of my 16 week training plan, so it was good timing to get the mind right. I got the mountain bike tuned up and switched over to tubeless tire system so I can run some lower pressures. I'm going to really try it out in July on the short track at PIR.
I started a new 16 week plan in the beginning of May. I modified the current plan to focus more on the short intervals. That's my weakness so that's what I need to work on. I really hate the 1 minute stuff, but it seems to be getting better. However, it's got a long way to go.
The big race coming up is Elkhorn. This is another 3 day race with 4 stages. The 2 road stages are much longer than the ones I did at Cherry Blossom. It's also in eastern Oregon in June which means some hot weather. The final stage which is 100 miles with ~7,000' of climbing is on my birthday. I figure I had to do something significant to get my mind off the fact that I'm turning 40. Yes, probably some mid-life crisis thing.
Have you ever heard of BMI, body mass index? I've heard of it, but never really gave it any thought until the other weekend. I was at a barbacue with a bunch of college friends and they were giving me a hard time about being "too skinny". I'm currently the same weight as a my freshman year at OSU (I remember since I was rowing on the lighweight boat and I had to be 170 max at races). Well, actually if you look at a BMI Calculator such as this one, I'm actually "normal" weight for my height. Play around with the weight numbers for your height. It's actually pretty surprising. I think it's interesting how America's definition of "normal" is now actually "overweight". It's definitely easy to move to that category when you get out of college, starting working, have kids, etc. The key is to find a combination of exercise/diet that works for you. For me, I eat like a horse so I exercise like one.
Anyway, just goes to prove as long as you feel good, who cares what others think.
After Cherry Blossom, I took a couple weeks off the road bike - rest week and did some mountain bike races. It was the end of my 16 week training plan, so it was good timing to get the mind right. I got the mountain bike tuned up and switched over to tubeless tire system so I can run some lower pressures. I'm going to really try it out in July on the short track at PIR.
I started a new 16 week plan in the beginning of May. I modified the current plan to focus more on the short intervals. That's my weakness so that's what I need to work on. I really hate the 1 minute stuff, but it seems to be getting better. However, it's got a long way to go.
The big race coming up is Elkhorn. This is another 3 day race with 4 stages. The 2 road stages are much longer than the ones I did at Cherry Blossom. It's also in eastern Oregon in June which means some hot weather. The final stage which is 100 miles with ~7,000' of climbing is on my birthday. I figure I had to do something significant to get my mind off the fact that I'm turning 40. Yes, probably some mid-life crisis thing.
Have you ever heard of BMI, body mass index? I've heard of it, but never really gave it any thought until the other weekend. I was at a barbacue with a bunch of college friends and they were giving me a hard time about being "too skinny". I'm currently the same weight as a my freshman year at OSU (I remember since I was rowing on the lighweight boat and I had to be 170 max at races). Well, actually if you look at a BMI Calculator such as this one, I'm actually "normal" weight for my height. Play around with the weight numbers for your height. It's actually pretty surprising. I think it's interesting how America's definition of "normal" is now actually "overweight". It's definitely easy to move to that category when you get out of college, starting working, have kids, etc. The key is to find a combination of exercise/diet that works for you. For me, I eat like a horse so I exercise like one.
Anyway, just goes to prove as long as you feel good, who cares what others think.
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Cherry Blossom Stage Race
My first stage race was the Cherry Blossom last weekend. It included 2 road races, a time trial, and a criterium. All over 3 days. It was a great experience, and after almost a week of rest I can finally say I would definitely do it again.
First Day (Friday) - Columbia Hills Road Race
Two laps on the course for a total of 38 miles. Sounded pretty simple. Our race started at 1pm, so a team-mate, Alex, and I drove over in the morning. Got there to see the 1/2/3 women start the race at 9am - it was sunny but cold. The word from the morning races.... wind. Not a good sign when it typically is not as windy in the morning.
First lap started out very mellow and stayed pretty mellow. Climb up the hill was slow and folks in the pack would yell "speed it up". Well, I spent alittle time at the front and you soon discovered why the pace was slow and there were minimal break attempts - there was a serious headwind.
Second lap a couple Team Oregon guys broke away on the flatter tailwind section. They were moving pretty good so I got to the front and folks were chatting about chasing them down. Well, I attacked after them myself. I guess I unleashed the dogs because we did a really fast pace all the way to the hill. A couple team-mates at the back later stated "that's what dropped me".
I was feeling good until the peak of the second climb. It was at that point I realized I wasn't taking my electrolyte tablets during the race. It was pretty obvious as my left leg froze with a cramp and I almost fell of my bike in pain. I had to stop and watch the pack climb away without me. I chewed an electolyte tablet (not a pleasant taste) and it kicked in. I caught on with a group and finished 1:50 back in the second chase group behind the pack. Lesson learned.
Second Day (Saturday) - Time Trial and Criterium
I've never done a time trial, but my 20 minute power is my strength so I figured I should do OK. I purchased some clip on aero bars (you can tell they make a huge difference). The course was 4 miles up a 2% grade hill and back the same route. I had my power tap on the bike, so I planned to keep my threshold power as a target. Reviewing the power file... mission accomplished on the uphill but I didn't do so well on the downhill. My 20 minute intervals are mostly on an indoor trainer - very consistent. I discovered it's a story going downhill. It's a tricky effort to maintain the power when going down. A technique I need to improve. I was definitely not "spent" when I finished and felt I could have gone much harder. I finished 3:05 minutes behind my powerhouse team-mate who won it.
I've raced a couple criteriums last year. They are always fast paced and intense. I really enjoy them even though they tend to be the risky part of road racing. The course was a 1 kilometer circuit downtown with 4 corners. My plan was to stay safe and definitely stay with the pack - no time loss this time. Mission accomplished. It was actually a pretty "easy" criterium. I'm guessing because everyone had the same plan since it was a stage race - stay safe. I finished easily with the pack 22nd out of 76 riders.
Final Day (Sunday) - Columbia Gorge Road Race
My powerhouse team-mate, Ron, was sitting in 1st place and I was in 40th place down 4:55. However, this day was the "queen stage" - 2 loops - 55 miles - 4280 ft of climbing. This was the big one for the STRONG after 2 previous days of race.
Well, the fireworks started on mile 3 at the beginning of the 7 mile climb. The pack shattered. Long climbs are something you need to do at your own pace. I felt pretty good about my efforts on the 1st lap. I was behind the 1st chase group. There were maybe 15 persons ahead of me. I hooked up with 2 riders with Starbucks kits and could tell they were good decenders. My powertap computer wasn't working, but it folks were saying we hi 45-50mph on the descent. I lost the wheel of the 2 guys and hooked up with a group with a few team-mates on the way back.
We were in a group of 15 riders that started the climb again on the 2nd lap. Again I was pretty happy with my climbing. I was definitely feeling it on this second round. I was taking my endurolytes and drinking water, so no sign of cramps. However, I wasn't doing a good job drinking my fuel bottle on the climb and no way to reach for it on the fast descent. So, I was feeling bonky at the bottom of the descent. I knew I was hurting when everyone was chatting and I was at the back thinking "if I don't hold this wheel I'll be dropped and be roadkill out here". I was fueling and just holding on. I finally felt better with about 5k to go.
Finished with that same group - 32nd place out of 76 riders and 15 minutes behind the leaders. My powerhouse team-mate did his best to hold with the lighter guys, but he didn't make it. He finished 8 minutes behind and dropped to 11th in the GC. My carpool team-mate climbed with the leaders and finished 3rd in the stage and jumped from 10th to 4th on GC. Wow, alot of change in GC in one day - that's why they save the "best for last".
Overall, I finished 34 out of 68 (86 in original field - 18 folks didn't finish) and 19:36 behind the leader. It's a fun experience to live like a pro for a few days. Race, eat, sleep, and recover. I couldn't imagine doing this for 21 days like TdF. I figure not bad for a working dad. I also figure I'll do it again. Actually, I already planned my 40th birthday weekend...... Elkhorn
First Day (Friday) - Columbia Hills Road Race
Two laps on the course for a total of 38 miles. Sounded pretty simple. Our race started at 1pm, so a team-mate, Alex, and I drove over in the morning. Got there to see the 1/2/3 women start the race at 9am - it was sunny but cold. The word from the morning races.... wind. Not a good sign when it typically is not as windy in the morning.
First lap started out very mellow and stayed pretty mellow. Climb up the hill was slow and folks in the pack would yell "speed it up". Well, I spent alittle time at the front and you soon discovered why the pace was slow and there were minimal break attempts - there was a serious headwind.
Second lap a couple Team Oregon guys broke away on the flatter tailwind section. They were moving pretty good so I got to the front and folks were chatting about chasing them down. Well, I attacked after them myself. I guess I unleashed the dogs because we did a really fast pace all the way to the hill. A couple team-mates at the back later stated "that's what dropped me".
I was feeling good until the peak of the second climb. It was at that point I realized I wasn't taking my electrolyte tablets during the race. It was pretty obvious as my left leg froze with a cramp and I almost fell of my bike in pain. I had to stop and watch the pack climb away without me. I chewed an electolyte tablet (not a pleasant taste) and it kicked in. I caught on with a group and finished 1:50 back in the second chase group behind the pack. Lesson learned.
Second Day (Saturday) - Time Trial and Criterium
I've never done a time trial, but my 20 minute power is my strength so I figured I should do OK. I purchased some clip on aero bars (you can tell they make a huge difference). The course was 4 miles up a 2% grade hill and back the same route. I had my power tap on the bike, so I planned to keep my threshold power as a target. Reviewing the power file... mission accomplished on the uphill but I didn't do so well on the downhill. My 20 minute intervals are mostly on an indoor trainer - very consistent. I discovered it's a story going downhill. It's a tricky effort to maintain the power when going down. A technique I need to improve. I was definitely not "spent" when I finished and felt I could have gone much harder. I finished 3:05 minutes behind my powerhouse team-mate who won it.
I've raced a couple criteriums last year. They are always fast paced and intense. I really enjoy them even though they tend to be the risky part of road racing. The course was a 1 kilometer circuit downtown with 4 corners. My plan was to stay safe and definitely stay with the pack - no time loss this time. Mission accomplished. It was actually a pretty "easy" criterium. I'm guessing because everyone had the same plan since it was a stage race - stay safe. I finished easily with the pack 22nd out of 76 riders.
Final Day (Sunday) - Columbia Gorge Road Race
My powerhouse team-mate, Ron, was sitting in 1st place and I was in 40th place down 4:55. However, this day was the "queen stage" - 2 loops - 55 miles - 4280 ft of climbing. This was the big one for the STRONG after 2 previous days of race.
Well, the fireworks started on mile 3 at the beginning of the 7 mile climb. The pack shattered. Long climbs are something you need to do at your own pace. I felt pretty good about my efforts on the 1st lap. I was behind the 1st chase group. There were maybe 15 persons ahead of me. I hooked up with 2 riders with Starbucks kits and could tell they were good decenders. My powertap computer wasn't working, but it folks were saying we hi 45-50mph on the descent. I lost the wheel of the 2 guys and hooked up with a group with a few team-mates on the way back.
We were in a group of 15 riders that started the climb again on the 2nd lap. Again I was pretty happy with my climbing. I was definitely feeling it on this second round. I was taking my endurolytes and drinking water, so no sign of cramps. However, I wasn't doing a good job drinking my fuel bottle on the climb and no way to reach for it on the fast descent. So, I was feeling bonky at the bottom of the descent. I knew I was hurting when everyone was chatting and I was at the back thinking "if I don't hold this wheel I'll be dropped and be roadkill out here". I was fueling and just holding on. I finally felt better with about 5k to go.
Finished with that same group - 32nd place out of 76 riders and 15 minutes behind the leaders. My powerhouse team-mate did his best to hold with the lighter guys, but he didn't make it. He finished 8 minutes behind and dropped to 11th in the GC. My carpool team-mate climbed with the leaders and finished 3rd in the stage and jumped from 10th to 4th on GC. Wow, alot of change in GC in one day - that's why they save the "best for last".
Overall, I finished 34 out of 68 (86 in original field - 18 folks didn't finish) and 19:36 behind the leader. It's a fun experience to live like a pro for a few days. Race, eat, sleep, and recover. I couldn't imagine doing this for 21 days like TdF. I figure not bad for a working dad. I also figure I'll do it again. Actually, I already planned my 40th birthday weekend...... Elkhorn
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Spring Break Update
I had the week off due to "economic slowdown" at work, so I spent some extra time on the bike. I realized I haven't update this blog in awhile, so here's a summary of the past month.
I raced in the 2nd Bananna Belt race as a category 4. I found out that I need a few more races before I can officially upgrade to a 3. It was a good race. The 2 highlights for me were at the end of the race. I made it up the Lee Hill with the lead pack on the final lap. That tells me the work I've been doing on the 1 minute power is starting to help out. That is the first time I haven't been dropped on that hill in the final lap, so I was happy with that. That allowed me to jump to the front and ramp up the pace and string out the pack. That allowed my team-mates with the high end power to move up and take over at the 1k sign. It setup our sprinter for a victory so it was a great team victory. There were good comments from other teams in the parking lot and on blogs about our teamwork.
That inspired my new favorite quote.... "Let them hate, so long as they fear", Lucius Accius, a Roman tragic poet. A good quote for us guys in the pack causing havoc at the front.
A week or so later, I had a crazy blow-out on my rear-wheel. I wish I took a photo. Basically, the sidewall of the tire blew out at 30mph downhill and somehow the tube wrapped around the cogs and brake which ceased the wheel from spinning. My carbon rim lost about 1/4" as it slid across the pavement. I've been without my powertap wheel for 3 weeks. I should get it back this week.
This week I did some weekday rides with the club. This got me some extra miles in this week before I taper for the Cherry Blossom Stage Race. This will be my first stage race and I'm looking forward to it. It will also be my first time trial (race against the clock). My strength is my 20 minute power so I think I should do good in that. I've been riding well, so I'm hoping to crack the top 15 (currently 85 riders in the field). I'll be racing in the category 4 group.
Other stuff in life..... Luke went to sports camp a couple days this week at the community center. He loved it. He's growing up way fast. Work is interesting since the economy is hitting high-tech sector hard. It's a big company, so they aren't going away. I'm sure there might be some more reductions in the next couple months. Good thing I'm good at a$$ kissing. Finishing up the spring break painting project at the house.... bedroom and small bath. No fun looking at the same brown around the entire house.
That's it for now. Cheers...........
I raced in the 2nd Bananna Belt race as a category 4. I found out that I need a few more races before I can officially upgrade to a 3. It was a good race. The 2 highlights for me were at the end of the race. I made it up the Lee Hill with the lead pack on the final lap. That tells me the work I've been doing on the 1 minute power is starting to help out. That is the first time I haven't been dropped on that hill in the final lap, so I was happy with that. That allowed me to jump to the front and ramp up the pace and string out the pack. That allowed my team-mates with the high end power to move up and take over at the 1k sign. It setup our sprinter for a victory so it was a great team victory. There were good comments from other teams in the parking lot and on blogs about our teamwork.
That inspired my new favorite quote.... "Let them hate, so long as they fear", Lucius Accius, a Roman tragic poet. A good quote for us guys in the pack causing havoc at the front.
A week or so later, I had a crazy blow-out on my rear-wheel. I wish I took a photo. Basically, the sidewall of the tire blew out at 30mph downhill and somehow the tube wrapped around the cogs and brake which ceased the wheel from spinning. My carbon rim lost about 1/4" as it slid across the pavement. I've been without my powertap wheel for 3 weeks. I should get it back this week.
This week I did some weekday rides with the club. This got me some extra miles in this week before I taper for the Cherry Blossom Stage Race. This will be my first stage race and I'm looking forward to it. It will also be my first time trial (race against the clock). My strength is my 20 minute power so I think I should do good in that. I've been riding well, so I'm hoping to crack the top 15 (currently 85 riders in the field). I'll be racing in the category 4 group.
Other stuff in life..... Luke went to sports camp a couple days this week at the community center. He loved it. He's growing up way fast. Work is interesting since the economy is hitting high-tech sector hard. It's a big company, so they aren't going away. I'm sure there might be some more reductions in the next couple months. Good thing I'm good at a$$ kissing. Finishing up the spring break painting project at the house.... bedroom and small bath. No fun looking at the same brown around the entire house.
That's it for now. Cheers...........
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