tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-364704312024-03-07T00:01:22.175-08:00Paul's Pedaling ThoughtsPaul_Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03737748144179448332noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36470431.post-91761191238587279842011-07-03T21:46:00.000-07:002011-07-04T09:03:47.281-07:00Specialized TriCross 2006 58cm For Sale<p>I'm upgrading my cyclcross bike, so I'm selling my TriCross. It was my first cyclocross bike which I purchased at River City bike shop in 2006. It's a fantastic bike for someone looking for their first cross bike or a seasoned racer looking for a pit bike. Drop me an email at <a href="mailto:paul.formiller@comcast.net">paul.formiller@comcast.net</a> if you'd like to take it for a test ride. Asking $600 for it or make an offer.<br /></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625359705516956690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQSo2NsL4-mFu3jlZYB1J1dRdKORjXAa8J1igNogVPu9cAjrOas4hBT83CoJLKktCxjnJrUxL1lStbTZGnMuTB97uFyJm3Do6kRpsJGTCMfY6mkXb_TTXQf5Q3-2smK5-KI8X/s320/IMG_1751.JPG" /><br /><br />A few highlights on the bike.<br /><br />• the wheelset hung in my garage most of the time - only 500 miles maximum on them.<br /><br />• brakes upgrade last year to <a href="http://www.paulcomp.com/touringcanti.html">Paul TouringCanti</a> brakes - all new cables and housing - setup is "euro-style" which makes barriers much easier since back brake is on the left<br /><br />• setup as a "single chain-ring" on a 36T since the front shifter is damaged and doesn't function. The front derailleur acts as an excellent chain guard. If you don't like that setup, let me know I also have some Ultegra shifters I can sell you for an upgrade.<br /><br />• Link to the original specs on frame: <a href="http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCProduct.jsp?arc=2006&spid=21851">TriCross Comp Double</a></p><br /><br /><p>• Total weight is approximately 21 lbs.</p><br /><br /><p><br /><br /><p>Here's the component details.....<br /></p><br /><br /><br /><p>• <strong>FRAMESET:</strong> Specialized A1 Premium Aluminum, double-butted tubing<br />• <strong>REAR DERAILLEUR:</strong> Shimano Ultegra RD-6600<br />• <strong>FRONT DERAILLEUR:</strong> Shimano 105 FD-5501<br />• <strong>HEADSET:</strong> FSA<br />• <strong>BOTTOM BRACKET:</strong> Shimano Dura-Ace SM-FC7800 <span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>upgraded in 2010</strong></span><br />• <strong>CRANKSET:</strong> FSA Gossamer 48/36T<br />• <strong>BRAKES:</strong> Paul Touring Canti Brakes <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">upgraded in 2010</span></strong><br />• <strong>SHIFTERS</strong>: Shimano 105 - note that the front shifter won't shift into big ring - see note below about upgrading to Ultegra shifters if you'd like.<br />• <strong>CASSETTE</strong>: Shimano HG50-9 12/25T<br />• <strong>CHAIN</strong>: Shimano<br />• <strong>HANDLEBAR</strong>: Specialized Zertz Comp handlebar, 31.8 clamp<br />• <strong>STEM</strong>: FSA OS-190 31.8, 120mm +/-6degrees<br />• <strong>TIRES</strong>: Michelin Mud 2<br />• <strong>SEATPOST:</strong> Specialized Pavé, FACT carbon seatpost with Zertz insert, 27.2mm<br />• <strong>SADDLE</strong>: Specialized Body Geometry Avatar, microfiber, gel padding, hollow Cr-Mo rails<br />• <strong>PEDALS</strong>: CrankBrothers Eggbeaters <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">upgraded in 2009</span></strong><br />• <strong>WHEELSET</strong>: Roval Classique Pavé, aluminum double wall rim, machined sidewalls, with stainless eyelets, hubs are Roval Classique Pavé, spokes are DT Stainless 14g – <span style="color:#ff0000;">less than 500 miles on these wheels – hung in garage most of life<br /></span></p><br /><br /><p>Other 9 speed components available if you'd like: Ultegra shifters, an extra rear derailleur, a couple extra cassettes. These items are sold separately (off my previous road bike).<br /></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><p></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJpR7QOgg9BB6RXojOMRDNmWB8lH_b4I_HU0MTr41SeChaPZwRBRfnnPgirO1FhFgwoBAUineE2xNdVcCB7MUmjJXqru_xUiXk4J6KDVPY_5JohdPMCwEOLOGi_gQNolSxTOU/s1600/IMG_1743.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625359727836492098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJpR7QOgg9BB6RXojOMRDNmWB8lH_b4I_HU0MTr41SeChaPZwRBRfnnPgirO1FhFgwoBAUineE2xNdVcCB7MUmjJXqru_xUiXk4J6KDVPY_5JohdPMCwEOLOGi_gQNolSxTOU/s320/IMG_1743.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdtYc-GR6OmS6MnPi1cMi64km87pQSd8ZpX1Jg5IWADTGIptW-FkNAsXni0A1hnF27SVahg0WpJbD8v8VsgNrrSIV5pHiS3mum4Etx0Il1w3apZO66x5kCkyot84istmT8SXJ8/s1600/IMG_1740.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625359724473692146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdtYc-GR6OmS6MnPi1cMi64km87pQSd8ZpX1Jg5IWADTGIptW-FkNAsXni0A1hnF27SVahg0WpJbD8v8VsgNrrSIV5pHiS3mum4Etx0Il1w3apZO66x5kCkyot84istmT8SXJ8/s320/IMG_1740.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH7HphF6-zA3MmZXdz7EUXuu0HGK2UtD1BjVta0oC0LZGsfmUlPz6WjrSrtMud8FBORBPBqeHDZ33cQobCYX_L-AWeIb06Js24oiCyp5yE8PN_QspO73i8VSmLxk4l3h18IL2W/s1600/IMG_1739.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625359711305553474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH7HphF6-zA3MmZXdz7EUXuu0HGK2UtD1BjVta0oC0LZGsfmUlPz6WjrSrtMud8FBORBPBqeHDZ33cQobCYX_L-AWeIb06Js24oiCyp5yE8PN_QspO73i8VSmLxk4l3h18IL2W/s320/IMG_1739.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim5vaHZ4Zxbi187cTSJNLFuHit6OR1GGOWQjox3MT2cdIlCwTnZWSfVkqmPv94HnOG3A_u88LH_iz3OpO-l5YjPSTUDeJUJueb9xV5iImrBnyrxWYB-0pT3-kZ8ivfem6KtlpB/s1600/IMG_1744.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625359739090845842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim5vaHZ4Zxbi187cTSJNLFuHit6OR1GGOWQjox3MT2cdIlCwTnZWSfVkqmPv94HnOG3A_u88LH_iz3OpO-l5YjPSTUDeJUJueb9xV5iImrBnyrxWYB-0pT3-kZ8ivfem6KtlpB/s320/IMG_1744.JPG" /></a> <br /><p></p>Paul_Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03737748144179448332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36470431.post-33663447271910537032011-07-01T09:46:00.000-07:002011-07-06T10:00:12.616-07:00PacCrest Long Course TriathlonI decided to participate in some triathlons this year for some "base training" before cross season. Here's alittle report on the PacCrest Long Course event I did this past weekend.<br /><br /><strong></strong><br /><br /><strong>SWIM:</strong><br />I swam in high school and I've been doing alot of swimming in the pool. However, I learned that open water swimming is a whole different thing. I did a few open water swims before the Portland Tri Club "mock tri", but I discovered a mass start is a whole different thing. After that "learning experience" I did some training swims and completed the Hagg Lake Swim and Blue Lake triathlon for some more experience. Well, the first part of the swim at PacCrest was still a bit of a "challenge". P robably a mixture of the cold water (60F) and the altitude. I finally settled down into my stroke after the 1st buoy. Finished with a 42:00 swim - not too far off my 40 minute target. I will say that it's a beautiful lake to swim. The skyline view of snow covered mountains you see while taking a breath is awesome.<br /><br /><br /><strong>BIKE:</strong><br />The course took you from Wickiup Reservoir over to the Cascade Lakes highway, over Mt Bachelor and down into Sunriver. A total of 58 miles or so. I was verify familiar with the climb since I"ve done the Cascade Classic a couple times. However, the strategy is ALOT different. There's that half marathon afterwards that you need to save some gas in the tank for. The road was lined with 10' snow banks towards the top, so that was an awesome sight. I road my Corsa wheels, so no PT for pacing. I was "guessing a 2:40 bike time and ended up with about 2:51. I'm happy with that. Any harder and I would have totally died on the run.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDAQXIT0D-rAqAv845nNsfN13KEV35NuPupsAuwVQSL2jmlz3ws6oQwhv0Gey-p4oomcQKo0PwVTMrmBCYXXLXlwTUyex4pKatGH-q-0bObSt9i-SkZj6pviVNmdrbJWq8fVE_/s1600/PacCrest_bike.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 184px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 181px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626284048003544370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDAQXIT0D-rAqAv845nNsfN13KEV35NuPupsAuwVQSL2jmlz3ws6oQwhv0Gey-p4oomcQKo0PwVTMrmBCYXXLXlwTUyex4pKatGH-q-0bObSt9i-SkZj6pviVNmdrbJWq8fVE_/s400/PacCrest_bike.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><strong><br />RUN:</strong><br />OK, this is part I was concerned about. I've only started running in January, so I don't have too much running mileage in the legs. During training, I was finding that anything over 10 miles was a killer to recover from since I just didn't have the experience. At Blue Lake, I found that I can run great for a 10k in the Olympic distance and finish strong. So, I really wasn't sure what was going to happen with a 1/2 marathon after a 58 mile bike. I was hoping to beat a 2 hour time.The transistion off the bike went fine. After a mile or so, I was putting out a decent pace of 8.5-9 min/mile. I walked through the water stations every mile (just like many folks). I knew the tough part would be coming up. The route followed the bike path trails through Sunriver. The first 8 miles were in the trees and I was feeling good.Then, I got to the "dead zone" about mile 8 or so. That's when the path heads out to the stables and there's no tree cover. This year, we were lucky and the temperatures were in the mid 70s. However, it still got much hotter in that direct sun light. The legs started to ache, my feet were killing me, and the gel and liquid in my stomach were starting to rumble. Luckily some friends came by on their bikes to cheer me on. I started brief walks alittle more often and saw the 5:30 stretch goal time fade away and I was mustering all I could to keep the "lead leg shuffle" going. The crowd kept me motivated to "run" that last mile and I finished with a 2:04 run time and 5:44:44 overall time (16th out of 44 folks in the M40-44 division).Overall, a great race experience. I'd recommend it if you're looking for alittle extra variety in your endurance training.<br /><br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 184px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 182px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626283297267357106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtS4Nc7x9ihyphenhyphenjtED8F5N702OxT-ZRCOunsGfRoBWCJscF9rHU6kphYevpinE1t8-o4MApscbV-AtbgB3mY4ewF7NvmDSV0oJZDeCRAjOOcV2Bo52-43YfLmYUtCgRNB0O-MllJ/s320/PacCrest_run.jpg" /><br />Now it's time to get these aero bars off and enjoy some Saturday ride slug-fests with the PV race team.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Link to results: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.racecenter.com/results/2011/res_ct11.htm">http://www.racecenter.com/results/2011/res_ct11.htm</a>Paul_Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03737748144179448332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36470431.post-21687375401817499322010-10-17T06:47:00.000-07:002010-10-17T07:17:27.853-07:00Cross Crusade - Rainier<div align="left">In the past, the course at Rainier has treated me well. The course isn't super technical, lots of room to pass, and there's a good climb at the end of each lap. A good fitness course. It's also been dry the past few years, so that makes it less technical.</div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">Well, this year was quite different. It rained considerably the few days before the race and it was a mud pit in sections. It stopped raining in the morning and the sun came out. By my race at 1140am the mud in the woods section dried out enough to become a very thick mess which was nearly impossible to pedal through. That meant: running. Yuck!</div><div align="center"><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529017058236534178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 212px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFComM8xt14HhbmGE0OoZyq_FUfc_VmI4WordrsWbn5Ev_Hm0AsKrpluFCK6LrQO1bHFo1ozfnlhnytkxAM21c4erTP5aWS1sG5dNrkDzjRyfenrzHCQzf-QQu_w8qLcFpfuHe/s320/Rainer_5.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">There was mud (photo courtesy of Victor Duong)</span><br /></p><p align="left">My start position wasn't too bad - half point in the field. We started straight up the big hill. I passed a bunch of people on that hill and had the leaders in my sight. Got to the back woods section and I was still looking good, but had to get off the bike and run like everyone else. That winded me a bunch so I eased off a bit, but didn't seem to recover very well at all. I was going full tilt to keep my position. Got to the hill the at the beginning of the 2nd lap and that's when disaster stuck. Wasn't a mechanical - it was my body.</p><p align="left">All cross races hurt, but this was something different. I was definitely charging up the hill hard like everyone else, so definitely in the VO2 max region. However, my lungs and legs weren't doing well at all. I backed off for some recovery, but I just couldn't recover. I was losing a bunch of spots and I could tell my day was about over already. It took most of the next lap to settle down and by then I was on a joy ride.</p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529017048642781266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 212px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDectxs4PwVQTfsSLxf6IYc4ValRQn6LHoeoHPR4gVwdWE-GTX-ydhM0vrTowrR0-8v3pR1eKZU8wz3E0s4lsPkzHkipmvd4hEAGN7bPm5MsLS3I3W4EEm7kGSWPnoZYg9kLJG/s320/Rainer_1.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">I was not feeling good (photo courtesy of Victor Duong)<br /></span></p><p align="left"><br />Earlier in the work week I did something I always do. When I got the call from the nice old lady at the Red Cross, I said sure I'll donate blood like I always do. Not a good idea 2 days before a cross race. I sure missed all my oxygen giving red blood cells.</p>So, I rode the rest of the race for fun and enjoyed the ride. Didn't really enjoy the run in the mud, but that's OK. There's always next week - Sherwood. It's got a big hill also I hear. It's was a new course last year and I haven't done it yet. Should be interesting.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529017055725092994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 212px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVpB1l4Gj57wI4St_c0zarLromq4mMSyDuyd6S8mKTdQC3Tp-f7a7hRufhoUOLNuy77rhkHsot0l5hMT3uyYE-X0ychGsjPrMZzVIHWvFttebUu-mWavGI0mXss610BNAroLwW/s320/Rainer_2.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">Even enjoyed the bill hill (photo courtesy of Victor Duong)</span><br /></p><br /><p><br />Here's another awesome video by team-mate Burk Webb.....</p><p align="center"><br /><br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/15892061" frameborder="0" width="400" height="225"></iframe></p><p align="center"><a href="http://vimeo.com/15892061">Cross Crusade Race #2 Rainier High School</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user453525">Burk Webb</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p>Paul_Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03737748144179448332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36470431.post-14140564947877890772010-10-05T15:43:00.000-07:002010-10-06T10:43:35.907-07:00Cross Crusade - Alpenrose<div align="left">It has begun..... the <a href="http://www.crosscrusade.com/">Cross Crusade</a> series. What a turnout on Sunday. Over 1500 racers participated. Most likely the biggest cyclocross race in the world. There were ~250 kids in the kiddie race. How crazy is that.<br /><br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">I was pumped up for my race. Took a rest week last week since I've been training pretty hard the last 7-8 weeks in preparation. My legs felt fresh. Unfortunately, I started behind a 100 or so guys in my field since my random number draw wasn't great.</div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">The course was new and awesome. It was quite different from the last few years since they moved a bunch of earth around the velodrome. Everyone seemed to enjoy the course. Alpenrose is definitely one of the more technical courses in the series, in my opinion. That makes it tough to pass folks. Here's a photo of me in the "pain cave" on a run-up.</div><div align="center"><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524699431010923314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 272px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMWiwVLC_iemdkErMfAkqq_UfhvBRhi5r_P38O92d3rDtCtZH02vW-ClGaOderFgByfGOdh-5IzHtsyaFfFtbyeQ-ovb18_O6wss8nf2locaLasByLkulFvAbFwSr8il2lDZK/s320/Alpenrose_1.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />I put together a <a href="https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AgKtffWX-hdmdGd2WTRRRnVHbE94d19MNFVRVlRIYnc&authkey=CKuw7oIK&hl=en#gid=0">Kill Stat</a> spreadsheet that estimates how many people you passed. It's a fun way to look at results when there's a huge field. There were 135 folks in my field and about 250 on the course including the other categories racing at the same time. What a circus! But it's all good fun. Here's a photo of my butt at the finish.....<br /><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524699435594520610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghflz1SCmyNSlY6rNmgek8bbIuVc0MaATaSlZVqqVvFFsi4SmhSOFyXGwFQ4j_zDI0ZypRzuAlpONUA17ropMgQw7-Ztt0TzGQWLoN6uESESDdJxrihTKvt-JUQUcjaPQM1M9H/s320/Alpenrose_2.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">Photo courtesy of </span><a href="http://www.pdxcross.com/"><span style="font-size:78%;">PDX Cross</span></a><br /></p><p align="left">Here's a way sweet video that one of my PV team-mates created - he's a professional.</p><p align="left"></p><p align="center"><br /><br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/15545845" frameborder="0" width="400" height="225"></iframe></p><p align="center"><a href="http://vimeo.com/15545845">Cross Crusade Race #1 Alpenrose</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user453525">Burk Webb</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p><p align="center"><br /><br /><br /> </p><p></p>Next week is Rainer School. It's a good course for me..... lots of room to pass and a good hill to power up. My goal this year is to get call up points by getting in the top 18. This should be the course for me to do it, even if I start in 123rd place. Keep the rubber side down!Paul_Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03737748144179448332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36470431.post-84971046682345718992010-08-26T20:42:00.000-07:002010-08-26T21:44:13.976-07:00Enjoy the RideThis past weekend Ali and I took a trip down south for the <a href="http://www.craterlakecentury.com/rideinfo/index.html">Crater Lake Century</a>. We've been planning this ride ever since Ali completed her triathalon in June.<br /><br /><div><div>The ride was on Saturday, but we decided to leave PDX on Thursday so we'd have a full day to enjoy the scenery around the lake. We camped at the Mazama campground where we were lucky to find a somewhat private spot in the midst of 200 other sites. There isn't much campground selection around the National Park, so we had to go with the tourist site.</div><div><br /></div><div>Friday morning we took our time around the campground. It was best to sleep in since it was absolutely freezing in the morning. It took a bit to warm up. Our plan was to take the boat tour on the lake. Unfortunately, getting to the ticket booth at 12pm wasn't the way to get a ticket - sold out. Well, we hiked down to the boat ramp which is the only location on the lake to access the water. We found a great rock to eat some lunch and watch others jump into the lake. Surprisingly, no one was shivering when they got out of the figid cold water, so we decided to take the plung. Here's Ali taking the leap of faith......<br /><br /></div><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509933000556072914" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 239px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Pc3NDsVmb9mN3Uxuy3j07BHm_jqqSQePjDuQ4Vg800ulXSsDn-Nt31uaY8GeRcstnn2mSxxTsljRKrtnJVMjmqLKnuzR7ypXKZeZL1TN6VcNiUNkU_DWtwbwCVnZLY01DPOt/s320/IMG_1187.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div></div>On Friday evening we decided to stay on Saturday night so we wouldn't have to pack up camp so early in the morning. We overheard some Pacific Crest Trail hikers getting the "we're full" speech from the corporate campsite management. We both thought that was a real bummer and invited <a href="http://www.thefuzzymonkey.net/The_Fuzzy_Monkey/Home.html">The Fuzzy Monkey</a> and <a href="http://bootsmcfarland.com/home.html">Boots McFarland</a> to stay at our site. It was great to hear about their great adventures on the trail and how they do it. FM was doing a straight through trip, so he started in April and should finish in September. BM is a sectional hiker, so she has done 1-2 weeks sections over the past 8 years. They called us <a href="http://pct.wikispot.org/Trail_Angels">Trail Angels</a> for helping them out in a bind and were very appreciative. Wow, what a logistical thing to pull off and what a committment. Ali and I decided to stick with car camping and the comforts of home at camp.<br /><br /><p>The morning came quickly on Saturday since we had to leave camp at 7am. We drove down to Ft Klamath where the ride started. All the downhill driving on the way to the start was a sign of things to come.<br /></p><p>We decided to do the metric century that only had 5000' of climbing. No big deal for me since I ride like 7-8 hours per week. However, that's alot of UP for a girl that hasn't been riding much this year (foot problems have been keeping Ali off the bike). So, I knew I had to be on my BEST behavior and sit back and ENJOY the ride.</p><p>Here's a photo of us entering the park and the open road before the major UP started......</p><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509937767211859602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwnEj4GdlmWys1u_db9XKD4sIIGu1P2aTWBchsVK5ZPo5pnc87PpTH69X4CBVu1Dm4V8KXC3fi_ncqNw5GoVz24nA6KdDfskf2zxedEGgfg62yonvBE1jtwqTkR3AqpKHHjnyv/s320/IMG_1458.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509937775128075618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSl34-XphVER38Aqvsoz2l3ysxP-nL8JVfOYUzcPw-G7HFMaa_3DIpXMVoMePC7uh-JaYJy3xqSZs1GKwsft60vlYqL2DL8zOhK3A6HE_s8qOOH8jBEFpHxBTJJ8pgShnArLyk/s320/IMG_1453.JPG" border="0" /></div><div></div><div></div><div>We came from the south and passed the Mazama campground. It was a steady grind up the hill and the hill didn't let up. My bike was geared with a double chainring while Ali had the triple. This allowed her to keep a slow and steady pace. I had to slow my cadence way down since I was pushing a bigger gear. This made it a bit of a balancing act for me and since I don't have much balance it was alittle challenging at first. The roads were narrow so my front tire would start to wobble at the slow cadence. By the end I was much better at it.</div><div> </div><div></div><div>The century riders headed to the west and circled the lake in a clockwise direction. We turned to the east and started the ride around the rim of the lake in a counter-clockwise direction. Our route took us over hills, past a couple of waterfalls, and through the trees a distance from the lake. I was kinda bummed that our route didn't provide the majestic views of the lake, but that was OK since we drove the entire rim the day before. Here's a photo from our turn around point at the Phantom Ship..............</div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509937783954720946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4l2ZT39xieRGw84wmBFB8XVtwg3sL9IAxhNcqC0z52VU1Rg6MICdc4L6kusjR4XqRU8IQ2_x2jsEWAzocgVCpWuMsK59uOpf8KeowPVppitnKhZxB7Ip2VQP0laL6LtBCbla/s320/IMG_1480.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />We headed back the way we came to the turn-off. Unfortunately, there was still some UPhill before the turnoff. Ali was a trooper and finished off those last few hills with a vengence. The downhill to the finish was welcome sight! We caught up with a few riders on the downhill and Ali found her legs again. She was cranking up there to the front and showing the boys how to ride downhill fast.<br /><br />We got down to more level ground and hit the pasture area we saw early in the morning. I jumped on the front and pulled us all through a few miles. It was a "no chain"** section of road for me. Big sky, green pastures, cute cows, and open road. It was a beautiful way to end the ride.<br />We enjoyed the barbacue back at the start and called the day a success. It was a good break from the fast pace of the PV race team and the "numbers" of the power meter on the trainer. All I did was "enjoy the ride".<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">**no chain day...... that's how Lance Armstrong refers to those extremely rare days on the bike when the pedaling just seems so effortless you swear there's no chain. They're a gift from the gods and there's no way to make them happen or even predict them.</span>Paul_Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03737748144179448332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36470431.post-27018789301151070582010-08-14T08:25:00.000-07:002010-08-14T09:30:00.154-07:00and so it begins......Well, summer is finally starting in Oregon but I'm already thinking about fall and cyclocross. The official training for cross season officially started for me this week. So, you may ask and I do ask myself, "what have I been doing the last 6 months". Let's call it "base training". :-)<br /><br /><div></div><div>Last week of July, Ali and I went to Bend for me to "participate" in the <a href="http://www.mbsef.org/CascadeStageRace/index.cfm">Cascade Classic</a>. I say participate since I really didn't feel very competitive this year, but that really wasn't my goal. The amount of time to train for a stage race is simply something I don't have. The good thing is that I realize that and I'm OK with it. A few highlights from the race....</div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505296901230350002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 239px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJniF2j4MK5iQDyH6AEnJEWViiBPhcFaqm35vkWXhTK-09og87WP82vytXAOBicFSfkEId4hvOUyvmLUeb4_e7kYaeYnb0jqePMHTHOISY1fkn9Aucjx0KJUHaPsNPFYLNHu-/s320/IMG_1095.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><p><strong>First Stage</strong><br /></p><ul><li>I loved my new <a href="http://www.corsaconcepts.com/23t/">Corsa Concepts</a> wheels on the first stage. They felt light, cornered fantastic, and it was nice to race without a power-meter.</li><br /><li>I avoided (my the skin of my teeth) a big crash. I was able to chase back to the group.</li><br /><li>Felt great going into the last big climb up Bachelor. However, my legs exploded a few minutes after we started it. Talked to a few others after the race - sounds like it happens to everyone. </li><br /></ul><br /><p><strong>Second Stage - Time Trial</strong><br /></p><ul><li>My primary goal was to do better than last year. I used my powermeter, so I could compare. </li><br /><li>I definitely did much better than last year. It's uphill on the "out" and downhill on the "back". I focused on having good steady power on the downhill (key problem last year). Lesson I learned was that the "bang for the buck" on power vs speed isn't to great on a downhill - aerodyamics have a big affect. You definitely make better time if you go harder on the uphill.</li><br /></ul><br /><p><strong>Third Stage - Criterium</strong><br /></p><ul><li>Yikes, skipped a pedal and rolled a tire on the first lap. Got a new wheel, but I was totally flustered and hanging off the back. I lasted only 5 laps. Good thing was that the wheel was fine. I'll just get my first chance to glue on a tublar soon.</li><br /></ul><br /><p><strong>Fourth Stage - Aubrey Butte Circuit</strong><br /></p><ul><li>This is a very tough circuit. Lots of punchy climbs. There are 4 laps in the cat3s. Last year we did 3 laps in the cat4s.</li><br /><li>A few of us lost contact with the group on the 1st steep KOM. We chased for 2 laps and got pulled on the 3rd lap. Oh well, I was glad it was over.</li></ul><p>I took 2 weeks off the bike after the race. Spent a week in Orlando for a business trip and hit the treadmill a few times during the week. This week was my first week back on the bike. Typically after a rest period it's good to do some power tests to see where you stand. Well, I found that all that "base training" has paid off and I hit some major milestones.</p><p>My 20 minute test was 11% better than last season and I hit the 4.5 watts/kg milestone. That's a great sign for starting the cross season. The 20 minute test is an indicator of your threshold power and that's a major part of a cross race.</p><p>The 5 minute test is always been something I've struggled with. It's a measure of VO2 max. This is an effort than puts you in serious suffer mode. There's a major mental component of it since it's easy to just "give up". The coach I work with occasionally told me 400W would be a good target. It's taken me about 2 years to get there, and I finally achieved it - 406W (5.2 W/kg). This is another major component of a cross race - especially at the start.</p><p>Well, it looks like I'm stronger than last year, so I'm excited for my second year in the Master B category. I should be able to achieve some top 10 spots this year.</p><p>I'll be doing quite a bit of this for the next 6 weeks in preparation for the first <a href="http://www.crosscrusade.com/default.htm">Crusade</a> race....<br /><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505301353737846434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNpy29R9v0RWS2DxEc4ETM1xmKUz-TMsAowUEgpt7IHKQw3UG1t0HQFIChWprZUZkk1UfKNcZGVCg3nqVQ7SlDSJEMU3oD0HtaiHuZY6V8XcyFNfECKPBp700sPokjVmgY2Qxt/s320/PowerTap_wallpaper2.bmp" border="0" /><br /><p></p>Paul_Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03737748144179448332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36470431.post-29734178707538841962010-07-08T11:32:00.000-07:002010-07-08T12:55:19.267-07:00Corsa Concepts 2.3T ReviewIn 2008 I purchased my first set of serious road racing wheels. I got some Reynolds MV32C carbon wheels that had a power tap. I got them on Ebay for a great price and started training with power. They were clinchers so I used them for training and racing. Not very light with the powertap but I was getting great training feedback from the data.<br /><br />In early 2009 I had a tire blow out on a decent that destroyed the back rim. I had the wheel rebuilt with a new rim. Not a cheap repair since it was a carbon rim. Unfortunately, the LBS (local bike shop) agreed to rebuild the wheel with the old spokes. Turns out that was a really bad idea. I was breaking spokes. Finally, I had the wheel rebuilt with all new spokes. It ran like a champ for about 9 months. Then another broken spoke during a race at Kings Valley. Unfortunately, the spoke break fractured the relatively new rim.<br /><br />The thought of the cost and potentially dealing with broken spokes on a rebuilt wheel was not sitting well with me. One of the key factors was the expense of replacement. Many wheel companies won't warrenty a rim that is built by a LBS, so if you break it you pay full price to replace it. I had the LBS build a wheel with a bullet proof aluminum <a href="http://www.totalcycling.com/index.php/product/RR_DT_12.html?action=currency&id=USD">DT Swiss RR1.2 rim</a> around the power tap. Definitely increased the weight of the wheel considerably, but I knew I wouldn't be frustrated.<br /><br />I did a bunch of investigation into wheel options before going to the DT Swiss rim. I finally decided that the powertap wheelset would become my standard everyday training set. My thought was to purchase a raceday wheelset in the future.<br /><br />Well, the future finally arrived. The PV raceteam is sponsored by <a href="http://www.corsaconcepts.com/23t">Corsa Concepts</a>. They are a small local company that is associated with <a href="http://www.veloforma.com/">Veloforma </a>bicycles, a local frame company. Luckily, one of their sponsorsed racers was in town and I setup a time to test ride the wheels. Well, a test ride on these is similar to test ride of a brand new sports car - WOW. I decided to purchase a few days later after consulting a bunch of racers with similar wheels.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Tubular vs Clincher</strong><br />This is my first set of tubulars. My intention is to use these wheels solely for racing, so I figured this was a good way to go based on recommendations from others. We'll see how I feel after having to change my first set. Luckily the wheelset I purchased already had a set of <a href="http://www.vittoria.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9769&Itemid=116">Vittoria Corsa EVO CX</a> tires mounted.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Deeper Dish</strong><br />The Corsa rim is 58mm (2.3") deep. It's essentially a Zipp404 rim and I understand the rim is made in the same factory as the Zipps. My Reynolds wheelset was 32mm rim depth, so I again spoke to a bunch of racers with the Zipp 404s to get their opinion on the 58mm depth. Everyone agreed, if you have 1 set of aero race wheels it should be around 58mm. It's a excellent comprimise between weight and aerodynamic advantage.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491616634996920706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDCpg6u09s3Bq-nIh_SUmOoQAQCM5VnMEI1rxzEZvBJlG6OUdYE1m1P1omjUBl-GZia48t6LzezFSLEOGEx7jJ8T4yrZESuGanZMkyzTB5NZNxrvacUA5NuyweMS2CtZrIPPp/s320/IMG_1327.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><strong>No Powermeter</strong><br />I've trained and raced with a <a href="http://www.cycleops.com/products/power-meters.html?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage_powermeters.tpl&product_id=131&category_id=2">PowerTap</a> for a couple years now. For training on rollers (which I do alot) a powermeter is an essential item. It gives you instant feedback for training intervals.<br /><br />However, for racing isn't not such a great thing. Basically, if you're not keeping up with others it really doesn't matter what your powermeter says. I'll say that looking a the powermeter during a race can play mind tricks on you. Seeing a number you don't think you can hold for very long is not very motivating. Sometimes it's best not to know. It's nice to review files after a race, but if you've done the race once with a powermeter it really it's too interesting to see it again.<br /><br />Of course, no power meter makes a huge difference on the weight of the wheel.<br /><br /><br /><p align="left"></p><p><strong>Weight Change</strong><br />The weight difference to my powertap wheelset is probably the biggest difference. I measured a difference of ~1.2 lbs (from a bathroom scale, so I'll say that's approximate). That brings my bike overall weight to 16.7lbs (down from 18lbs). All is a reduction in rotational weight which makes a huge difference in acceleration.<br /></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491616650604859330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimlf3AYVfBo86FiLw3Kcpl8PIAR65xAqG-e5cc8BuDcoc2OXlOFFzsJ7pbxQTCYE5ILrlfioeQuuZoO_jP5mGOac0vfCkLxsmO8taw3-3gNZUAbFuf5iPVmlVd7aR00QZa4xTn/s320/IMG_1328.jpg" border="0" /> </p><p><br /><strong>Ride Review</strong><br />I haven't put many miles on these yet, but I already have an opinion - WOW. I raced them last night out at <a href="http://www.mttaborseries.com/">Mt Tabor</a>. The difference in accerelation is amazing. Actually, you really need to pay attention to your body position when you jump on these. You need to have weight over the back wheel, otherwise the tire will slide out. Also you can jump the back of the bike around pretty easily based on a talk with Corsa owner (who is much more of a sprinter than me). So, alittle form is necessary. </p><p>Tabor has a good short 2 minute power climb. They felt great. I just wish my legs felt good after the 5th lap!</p><p>Descending seemed very solid. By the 3rd lap I was starting to trust the wheelset and it was sticking to the road very nicely. Obviously, I need to get some more experience with them on the longer descents that take you up to 40+mph.</p><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491616642582849538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafjadHnfbVCYRGih3JTvQdfBylcQXRbpyIwe3yB4r-A6CALgiXGd75O1dfBSAkTT3ELAGaYmyinCupUZpI0NxOlRDE4nc_-748DqNj-4BdXKi_fNgxKrqlTL47Ozmnbt5qL2F/s320/IMG_1323.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />Overall, I very happy with the wheelset so far. It will be great to race them at the <a href="http://www.mbsef.org/CascadeStageRace/index.cfm">Cascade Classic</a> later this month.Paul_Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03737748144179448332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36470431.post-78047148774995825942010-07-04T13:14:00.000-07:002010-07-04T13:27:26.953-07:00Ramping UpWell, in the middle of June I really started focusing on training. Cascade Classic stage race is at the end of July and I need to get in shape or get my a$$ handed to me. I guess I've been doing some form of training since the beginning of the year, but it was more fun rides and morning endurance/threshold sessions. I really started the intervals and the long weekend rides.<br /><br />I joined Ali in Bend last weekend when she did the PacCrest triatholon with Team-in-Training. I got in some excellent rides with Sunriver being the base. I did a 90 mile ride on Friday out to T1 at Wickiup Reservoir and then head back to Sunriver via Mt Bachelor on the 1/2 ironman route.<br /><br />Here's a photo from my favorite lake along the route (Devils Lake) - the view on this route is awesome!<br /><br /><br /><br /><p></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490149433034548898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6BL9fbFjlug8bDfjVG6yOZP9JeehsKKY4RoMeDN4A_HQPRvvOHE0BacNLzplGfCvGOki0bTnBHogwlNjfhuG6rh_5qUCGPnj54c4ufeEdTkbKg5ElJ20feE-gd5LqMB4v865J/s320/2010cascadelakes2.jpg" border="0" /><br />I've also been getting in some good long rides with the PV guys on Saturdays. Yesterday we did Mountain Home hill and I set a new 5 minute power record with 382W. </p><p>Tour-de-France has started - enjoy the race. It's going to be a good one.</p>Paul_Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03737748144179448332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36470431.post-25957428699399165102010-05-06T11:33:00.000-07:002010-05-06T13:26:27.132-07:00Eugene Roubaix - 5/1Carpooled down to Eugene with a couple other Master racers to hit the Eugene Roubaix race. The quick summary is that I got dropped on the 4th lap on "the hill". Very dissappointing to ride the last lap all by yourself. However, a few days after the race I've had time to reflect and get things into perspective.<br /><br />Number 1 - Road racing isn't my goal this year. I really haven't started any hard intervals yet, so it shouldn't be a surprise that I get dropped when the cat 1/2 riders hit the hammer on the hill of the last lap.<br /><br />Number 2 - I've come a long way in my strength. I first did this race as a cat 5 in <a href="http://obra.org/people/492/2008">2008</a>. It was my only DNF as a road racer since I got dropped on the same hill on the 1st lap. Yikes! Now I'm racing with the cat 123 Masters crowd and I made it to the last lap.<br /><br />Number 3 - Cramps suck. It's a similar story to last year. I get dropped when my legs seize like bricks and I'm in crying pain if I try to turn my legs any harder. It happens during the attacks after I'm been on the bike for 2+ hours. Looks like I'm not the only one based on this <a href="http://www.roadbikerider.com/#NO">article</a> that came out today. I'm pretty sure my issue is the "train right" section. I'm typically doing 60 minute rides on the rollers during the week. Now that the sun is out later, I'll be getting in some longer rides.<br /><br />The OBRA road race calendar changes now and there aren't many 1 day road races left. I'll be doing some evening races at PIR and Tabor. My next big race will be the Cascade Classic at the end of July. I better get in some long rides before that!<br /><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Here's a cool photo of the gravel section. It's about 1/2 mile long and everyone stays in the car tire "lanes". This year the gravel wasn't very deep in between the lanes, so it really wasn't a big deal. Actually, it's the easiest part of the race since your in a paceline and in a tailwind. It adds a fun twist to the race. Photo courtesy of <a href="http://oregon.cyclingaction.com/">OCA</a></span></p><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468254515713369362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0GMZf3_2i7F8QhqgO9mM_ClAYUIWnuAF-kPOZU0s7SBV3ixp0ciF0savZF8xUSQeKD4f3B5PqdUsWSr_NoAoenLaTATyyXrda99Acy5oQXKY8iBjyaL2nXJ6madYjMEa9JXBD/s320/roubaix-0377.jpg" border="0" />Paul_Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03737748144179448332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36470431.post-8028421511985133962010-04-24T06:17:00.000-07:002010-04-24T06:36:25.917-07:00De Ronde Van West Portlandia<div>The <a href="http://www.rondepdx.com/">DeRonde Portland</a> is a bike ride based on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_of_Flanders">Tour of Flanders</a> in Belgium. It's a road race that covers 17 cobbled hills which are really steep. Well, the organizer of the CrossCrusade in PDX thought it would be a treat to replicate the fun in the West Hills of Portland. They started the DeRonde a few years ago. Initially only a few people join and last year it swelled at 500 riders. Even OPB did a <a href="http://www.opb.org/programs/ofg/segments/view/1728">video segment</a> on the news.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>It's about 40 some miles and approximately 7500 feet of climbing. The two steepest hills are streets called Brynnwood and College. Byrnnwood tops off at a grade of 31%. I had a moment of lost concentration on that one and lost my momentum. There was no getting back on the bike and continuing to ride with that type of grade. I made it up College - photo below (I'm in the center).</div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463696755723567298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMUsGpKM5OSVIBGac8q0m6JSPAkLmM7xBig5cUUYNWo1868IVppG1f1WlA27cTeXLLd8c_cFKNAPAVnajzDOcFuuPtG2F2a86nyaV2Y6FxQMoQodc09c-BFYUxYsYWbWFB1SnB/s320/Ronde-PDX10-college.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>We had a great turnout from Portland Velo. A few of the guys finished in the top 10 finishers (not that it was a race). It was great to have a friendly ride with folks you race with and enjoy the city. We stopped at a couple lemonade stands and a beer stop along the way. We're very blessed to have opportunities like this in Portland. Yes, we're spoiled.</div>Paul_Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03737748144179448332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36470431.post-70557339265173672702010-04-11T07:19:00.000-07:002010-04-11T07:44:46.750-07:00Piece of CakeWow, I've neglected my blog something terrible. I'll use the excuse that I've been training in the pain cave and there hasn't been much to report. My approach to road racing has been much different this year. Last year I started early with the Banana Belts and didn't miss any opportunity to race. This year, I've been taking an more casual approach in order not to burn out for cross season. I've been working on endurance and really haven't done any hard intervals yet. Looks like I'm getting stronger for the longer efforts. My 20 minute power is up to 330W. I was at 300W this time last year, so that's a good sign of improvement.<br /><div></div><br /><div>However, all training and no racing makes Paul a boring boy. So, it was time to put the legs to the test. I was going to race Piece of Cake (POC) rain or shine. Well, there wasn't any shining that day. It was windy and cloudy when I showed up to the race. The morning PV boys had the new tent setup, so there was a good place to stay dry. </div><br /><div></div><div>Of course, it started pouring rain 5 minutes before the start gun. Everyone was cold and wet and the officials got eager beaver and started the race a few minutes early. We were riding for about 5 minutes really hard to warm-up, but then the officials car stopped us. We waited in the cold rain for about 3 minutes to wait for a couple guys that missed the early start. Yikes!</div><br /><div></div><div>We started cranking away again and the pace was fast since it was cold. My team-mate got in a 2 man break right off the beginning of the 1st lap (he pulled off 2nd place for the race). About 15 minutes later I saw the guy I marked jump off the front so I put out a big effort to catch his wheel. We did a serious TT effort for quite a while. We caught the 3rd chase group and became a group of 4. I wasn't working too much since I had my team-mate in the lead break. My error of the day was doing too big of a pull to close the gap on the 2nd chase group. My legs were toast and I lost the groups wheel. I was in "no-mans land". I sat up and went back to the pack.</div><br /><div></div><div>On the 4th lap, 5 miles prior to the finish they closed the road. There was a bad wreck in the womens field. We were all stopped and had to wait for 5 minutes. They kept track on the time splits of the breaks. There was about 10 of us left in the pack. The hard wind and rain did the damage. We were all cramped up and decided to soft pedal in since we were racing for 8th place.</div><br /><div></div><div>It was a good hard race to start the year. I was happy with my efforts. Took 11th place.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458889790513450610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM2o5yibXnRAGf_YzdA0xg3TKVHuNoi4fgxaVGBeFQZXrsgal3a3HTs05ur4K6XB_byz5UAviCD7-XkbElE6LBK4NZ3E5_84hknwwfB9iNXaKHwYoBaBATHo5V4Ru6W1-YWxpc/s320/POC_2010.jpg" border="0" /></div><p align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">Rolling in at the finish - I'm on the left.</span></p>Paul_Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03737748144179448332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36470431.post-40116867210717446902010-01-07T16:19:00.000-08:002010-01-08T17:12:16.320-08:00Back in the Saddle AgainWow, new year, a new decade, and most importantly a new season. I took the last few weeks off the bike after Cross Nationals. Holidays were great with my son, Luke. Christmas is so much better through the eyes of a 7 year old. I also took some time to reflect on 2009 and do some planning for 2010. I met with coach Cree at <a href="http://www.upperechelonfitness.com/">UEF</a> to make sure I wasn't off my rocker and here's a taste of what I came up with.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>2009 Review -</strong><br /><br />I believe I made some good progress on the bike in 2009. It was the first year I was really organized training and stuck to a "training plan". I pretty much self coached myself and met with coach Cree every few months to make sure I wasn't doing anything stupid. I attended all kinds of clinics, read books, read lots of forums on the web, and listened to my team-mates. Of course, I learned some things and I'll make adjustments in 2010.<br /><br /><br />Changes to make.....<br /><br />1) Start road racing later in the year. Damn, it was a long year when I started racing at Cherry Pie in February and ended at Cross Nationals in mid-December. Can't do that again. I've decided to skip the early spring races and start in April. I'm bummed I'm going to miss the Bananna Belt, but I need a break since cross is still my primary focus.<br /><br />2) More focus on 3-5 minute power. I had a tough time at the end of road races with cramping and missing the big surge at the end of a race. I finally realized when I started cross season the benefit of 3-5 minute intervals. Last year I focused more on short 30s-1minute stuff in order to improved my biggest weakest (a sprint). I started the 5 minute intervals for cross season and saw a dramatic increase in strength and power. Well, I have now realized I'm not going to win a sprint so I really shouldn't focus on the real short stuff. However, getting cramps at the end of a road race due to that 3- 5 minute big effort is not acceptable. A change I will make in 2010.<br /><br /><br />Good results.....<br /><br />1) Cross.... I was satisfied with my results in cross this year. I upgraded to the Master Bs and I felt like I was in the right group. I can race with these guys. I never was able to combine a good start position with a non-problem day at the Crusade. However, I did an excellent job passing folks when I started in the back. Next year, I'll be shooting for some top 10 finishes.<br /><br />2) Power numbers.... It's great to have a method to measure progress. A power meter definitely gives you that ability for cycling fitness. I'll be focusing to increase 5 minute to 400W and 20 minute to 345W. I'm weighing in 168-170 consistently now, so my power-to-weight ratio is pretty decent for 20 minutes. I'll never be a sprinter, so I'll just let my 5s anc 1min fall where it does.<br /><br />A comparison of 2008 versus 2009 best average power outputs.....<br />5second: 896 - 1031<br />1minute: 512 - 569<br />5minute: 360 - 378<br />20minute: 294 - 322<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>2010 Racing Plans -</strong><br /><br />Well, I'll be holding off until April to hit the racing circuit as I mentioned above. I upgraded to category 3, so that I can hang with the rest of my PV team-mates and push myself alittle harder. This will most likely be the category I stay at. You have to "earn" your upgrade to a 2 and that means alot more work and dedication. I'll also be able to race in the Masters Open category. This is the 40+ group that includes category 1,2,3 racers. I raced with these guys a couple times last year. Much safer group and learned alot about tatics since they are much more experienced. However, these guys are fast.<br /><br />I'm going to race some time trial events this year. This will give me more experience in this discipline for the stage races. As for stage races, I'll plan on Cherry Blossom and Mt Hood Classic. I'm not sure about the Cascade Classic in late July. I might want to have a bigger break before cross this year.<br /><br />I'm also committing myself to an <a href="http://www.vineman.com/aquabike.htm">AquaBike</a> event this year. I've always wanted to do triathlons, but my knee problems prevent me from running. A aquabike event is swim and bike. I swam in highschool and enjoy it, so it will give me some cross training during the road season. The 2.4 miles of swimming is intimidating, but my training partner is willing to coach me on the swim training.<br /><br />Cyclocross will again be my focus since it is my true passion. I love cyclocross - the racing, the training, and especially the atmosphere. My goal will be a top 10 finish in the Master B group. I'll also participate in Cross Nationals in Bend Oregon again. That was an unforgettable weekend.<br /><br /><br />Well, they say that sharing your goals with others is a good way to motivate yourself. So, there they are. Let 2010 start rolling!Paul_Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03737748144179448332noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36470431.post-8145372289632803482009-12-19T07:17:00.000-08:002009-12-19T08:59:21.945-08:00Cross National Champions<p>Last race of the season. The top dog, the big enchilada, numero uno.... Yep, it doesn't get much bigger than <a href="http://www.visitbend.com/Bend_Oregon_Activities_Recreation/National-Championships/Cyclo-cross/default.aspx">Cross Nationals</a>. This is where they hand out the stars and stripes jersey to the winner.<br /><br />Yes, I know I really wouldn't "compete" for the top honor. So, you may ask "why the hell bother if you're not competitive"? Good question. Here's my thoughts when I decided to do this race months ago.<br /><br />1 - It's freakin' cross nationals! In our backyard. How can you not be a part of that experience.<br />2 - It will be in Bend 2009 and 2010. I'll be stronger and more competitive next year.<br />3 - See if I can race late in the year. Last year I was totally burned out in November after the Cross Crusade.<br />4 - It's Bend Oregon. One of my favorite places in Oregon to have a 4 day weekend.<br /><br />Pack my gear, bike, and Ali and I hit the road on Friday afternoon for the adventure. Yes, Ali is the girl I met a cross race at the beginning of the season (you see, I knew this bike racing stuff was good for me). She found this fantastic B&B, the <a href="http://www.bendhillsideinn.com/">Hillside Inn</a>. Totally a fantastic location. Stay there if you're in Bend. It is totally worth the extra ~$15 per night.<br /><br />My race (40-44 men) was 930am on Saturday morning. The earliest race I've done all year. I got registered and my number bright and early at 730am. The <a href="http://www.usacycling.org/events/2009/cxnationals/">USA Cycling</a> official that signed me in was grumpy. You see we're totally spoiled in Oregon with our <a href="http://obra.org/">OBRA</a> officials. </p><p>We got to the course and I was able to do a pre-ride of the course to check it out. It was about 32F outside. Cold, but I guess much warmer than the previous 2 days of racing (a friend raced on Thursday and it was about 4F). The course had icy patches and of course snow. I've never ridden or raced in those conditions before. I was totally nervous. Slipping and falling on my side on hard ice was something I didn't want to do. I was feeling OK about it after my pre-ride, but I was still nervous.<br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhongJPUpdt05ICBM5iqu2qBLa6JaI9IJEXLryJyyYvZvQzPirjlQPU5g-RiylMYtCPvvBrS-zV_hWITuMkJN82nhl3RGxW8PvcbmNOpE722h8zxrzXocEEq3PLAqAuaGjzSNm-/s1600-h/warmup.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416973244364273474" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhongJPUpdt05ICBM5iqu2qBLa6JaI9IJEXLryJyyYvZvQzPirjlQPU5g-RiylMYtCPvvBrS-zV_hWITuMkJN82nhl3RGxW8PvcbmNOpE722h8zxrzXocEEq3PLAqAuaGjzSNm-/s200/warmup.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p></p><p>Spent the next hour on the trainer next to the car. As you can see I was pretty well bundled up. I even slipped some toe warmers in my shoes. It wasn't my typical season warm-up. I was taking it pretty easy and skipped the higher intensity parts. It's quite different racing in a category that you know you won't be in the top 1/4 of the field. I would say it's more difficult to mentally motivate yourself. Especially when it's freezing outside and you're thinking about the hot tub back at the B&B.<br /><br /><br /><br />The start call ups were based on national points and then registration order of your USAC license category. I just got a USAC license for this race, so I was going to be in the back. The way back that is. There were 190 riders pre-registered in my field. However, not everyone shows up. Actually, only 147 guys lined up. I think I was like 130th in the call ups.<br /><br />The race started with a "bang" or really a big crash. It happened quite a bit in front of me, so I was able to run around it. However, it split the field up quite a bit. Which means the top guys were that much ahead (remember, in a national race you get pulled when/if the lead guys catch you). Here's a video I found on the internet of our lovely start......<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC7nZtV3its&feature=player_embedded">Video - Start of Mens 40-44 Race</a><br /><br />The first lap was bascially total chaos. However, us guys in the back were having fun with it. We all knew we were way off the lead group, so we joked around while waiting at the pinch points. The first section was in the trees and lots of switchback corners. It's tough to finesse the corners when you are surrounded by fellow racers. </p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416978917450305682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlcVbGiPo2MTnfuylmm1B5wrJA4lHLQk49YIh-ha3PcsP7ODVhyphenhyphenOgUndjcLcZEapgewTpyjhWM0oOnxlh5D_UzBH5TSVbaA4uz_MYWOdg-Rn8tceL_n10w1rigQ05HXBxjg_6M/s320/IMG_0937.jpg" border="0" /><br />They added a cool set of man-made wooden stairs on a run-up. This would be a great photo spot (unfortunately, I haven't seen one of me on these). Only one set of 2 barriers, but the good news is that my personal paparazzi, Ali, got a great photo of me there. I "nailed" the barriers and looked good while doing it since I did alot of barrier practice at the beginning of the season and have a few years of experience now. There was one large run-up and downhill on the backside of the course. The downhill was icy during my pre-ride and it was a congested mess on the first lap. I ran down it like most guys. This led into a pavement section across the start/finish line.<br /><p></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg95lKNWxZXTRRCHJ6O93rCOdIhJeptmNTthrM38W6GsRzY2zJb919El9oP3uAs2B8s7_RTzcwyzyb11oqUG1LmeotYg1ibyU-pbYg1myFVKHGzlztijJMel4s0H4rWikmosDDw/s1600-h/nationals_heidiphoto4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416981206539919794" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 134px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg95lKNWxZXTRRCHJ6O93rCOdIhJeptmNTthrM38W6GsRzY2zJb919El9oP3uAs2B8s7_RTzcwyzyb11oqUG1LmeotYg1ibyU-pbYg1myFVKHGzlztijJMel4s0H4rWikmosDDw/s200/nationals_heidiphoto4.jpg" border="0" /></a> As normal, riders began to string out by the beginning of the second lap. I was now able to hit the straights with power and had the entire lane to finesse the corners. I was finding my snow riding technique. Lap 2 and 3 were fun and I was looking good. <a href="http://everydayathleteblog.com/2009/12/14/cyclocross-nationals-gallery-friends-and-locals/">Heidi Swift</a>, who writes for the Oregonian and Wend Magazine, captured a few sweets photos of me.<br /><br />Near the end of the third lap, it happened. :-( I got pulled. There was quite of few of us pulled at the same time. I recognized my RiverCity nemesis from the Crusade season. We joked about how that was the quickest race we've ever done and it's time to start the off-season.<br /><p>So that's what I did the rest of the weekend..... started the offseason. Ali and I hit the after race party that evening, went snow shoeing, hiked around Smith Rock, and of course enjoyed the hot-tub back at the Hillside Inn.</p><p>Fantastic weekend to end a good cross season. Now it's time to enjoy the break.</p><p><a href="http://www.usacycling.org/results/index.php?year=2009&id=2972&info_id=20657">Final Results</a> <span style="font-size:78%;">- (at least I wasn't DFL)</span></p><p><a href="http://www.pdxcross.com/blog/2009/12/13/day-three-in-bend-national-cyclocross-championships.html">Cool PDXCross Photos</a> - <span style="font-size:78%;">(I'm number 470 in the gallery)</span></p>Paul_Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03737748144179448332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36470431.post-37627521437286876372009-12-17T11:43:00.000-08:002009-12-17T12:20:40.441-08:00USGP - 12/5<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyt3chB-G8pe_DNbPION2yGFPFz421AnWphDePuBV1WKYmNHITI1yFDVRWrSLkzyoKnFV4kL8n_g-Fc2ziNKfX7lF51HERbTTd8ij_Atn2JdBgk-2LyB340QZEZQO5nKmq8jfE/s1600-h/usgp3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416297768486788514" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyt3chB-G8pe_DNbPION2yGFPFz421AnWphDePuBV1WKYmNHITI1yFDVRWrSLkzyoKnFV4kL8n_g-Fc2ziNKfX7lF51HERbTTd8ij_Atn2JdBgk-2LyB340QZEZQO5nKmq8jfE/s320/usgp3.jpg" border="0" /></a> The <a href="http://www.usgpcyclocross.com/">USGP</a> is a national series that ends in Portland. In years past, I would go to watch the pros and other team-mates since it was so late in the season. I had to do it with nationals the week afterwards. I figured I would do it in the "open" masters field. Then I would have 2 weekends in a row of getting my a$$ kicked.<br /><br />You see, I've been racing the master B category this year in the Cross Crusade. The next group up is the A field. These are the guys that have either been racing for years and have tons of experience in their legs or they have lots of time to train during the year. Basically, they are way faster than me. So why am I even bothering? Well, the B race at nationals is on a Thursday - can't do that, so I needed to sign up for the "open" category for my age group. I knew that I would struggle in this group, but it's always good to push yourself and get some good experience. BTW, you know you're in a tough group when the national bike rag has a story on one of your <a href="http://velonews.competitor.com/2009/12/news/from-snowboards-to-%e2%80%98cross-bikes_101714">competitors</a> (cool to see a story on a masters racer).<br /><br />USGP was in a similar boat. The B race was at like 8am in the morning! Forget that!!! The "open" 35-45 age group was a 12:30. A good thing since it was WAY COLD that morning. I go there about 10am and it was freezing. There were a couple team-mates racing at that time. I found the warm-up tent, got my number, and packed my gear over to the tent. They gave us a timing chip and numbers for our shoulders - how pro. I started "warming up" about 90 minutes before my race just to prevent myself from freezing!<br /><br />I was able to get a lap on the course about 11:15am. That was one of the first times I did that this year, but it was important since I've never raced this particular course at PIR before. The mud was greasy. I didn't pay attention on 1 corner and "ate it". Great, mud on my number even before the race started. Good thing they gave me an extra! Got to line up at a national caliber race "looking good".<br /><br />The sun came out and things warmed up just before my race. Calls up were based on national points and registration order. I started in the back of the field which was fine with me. The course was about 2.5 miles. My key goal was not to get lapped since you get "pulled" from the race if you get lapped by the leaders. I held on pretty well the first lap, but these guys were smoking fast. I rode my own race - strong on the straights and finesse in the corners. I was competing with the guys I recognized at the the back of the field.<br /><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416297983754052898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGiFF2FD6pyN6cPHC4yYLNmTjqY2Zn8869cDQwQPw5Fwzl4BpGss4usjvVqV82k0gjocI2h9J-ZG_ga6J8GGgfhEz563Y3dTLQwA1UKaRihrKmQvJUTFlSPHmPBM6OIy8dW6sZ/s320/usgp2.jpg" border="0" /><br />The top 2 or 3 riders caught me on the end of the very last lap. So, I didn't get pulled. I stayed upright the entire time. I placed 83 out of 98 riders. Obviously, not a great result, but I'm happy I raced, had a great time, and got some cool photos.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Photos courtesy of </span><a href="http://www.oregonvelo.com/"><span style="font-size:85%;">OregonVelo</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">. These guys take great photos.</span><br /></p>Paul_Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03737748144179448332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36470431.post-30553468978188842972009-11-24T14:53:00.000-08:002009-11-24T15:25:02.036-08:00Krugers Mudfest<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnRKyL4cHsjGR58VQ4DLVXbHbYn1avVD75HxJS6VaBefibr_ngRgZKwWAmtquuSplOQjiOoKaYYDToRA499IvnbsEM8HYrZRdeIJi5mBmfBMzGVeQNvKa9U350gECHnCwI9FrD/s1600/krugers_flag.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407815072325012146" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 132px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnRKyL4cHsjGR58VQ4DLVXbHbYn1avVD75HxJS6VaBefibr_ngRgZKwWAmtquuSplOQjiOoKaYYDToRA499IvnbsEM8HYrZRdeIJi5mBmfBMzGVeQNvKa9U350gECHnCwI9FrD/s200/krugers_flag.jpg" border="0" /></a> Sunday was a cross race out at <a href="http://www.krugersfarmmarket.com/">Kruger's Farm</a> on Sauvie Island. They typically hosted the pre-cross season Kremesse races, but this year they were unfortunatetly canceled due to some permitting issues. However, they were able to figure things out for the post-Crusade race. I've heard stories about this venue from last year - cornhusks and mud mix eat bike parts. So I was prepared for a mess.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">photo from PDXcross.com</span><br /><br />We drove out in the pouring rain and I was expecting some epic conditions. I was running alittle late, but I got the trainer setup in the tent and was ready for a warm-up. It was horizontal rain and really cold. About 60 seconds into the warm-up, the wind howled and blew over the tent. Into the course. Hitting a rider that was racing. What a mess! Whoever setup the tent forgot to stake it down. Needless to say, I had no warm-up since we had to setup a different tent.<br /><br />No call-ups, so I got out to the start line alittle early to get a decent start position. I started in the third row which was great. Talked to a couple guys I raced with last year in the C crew and talked about how the Crusade series was a new experience since we upgraded. The skies parted and the sun came out for the start of our race and remained that way the entire time.<br /><br />Start horn goes off and we're on our way..... slowly. Wow, it was muddy and slippery. The water puddles were deep. There was a section of mud next to the corn field with SUPER thick mud. It was unbelievably hard to pedal in. I finally just got off my bike and ran. I hate running, so it was that bad. However, running that section proved to be a good thing on the 2nd and 3rd lap.<br /><br />I found myself passing folks on the 2nd lap. The course was flat. However, the deep mud made for leg zapping pain. It was a slugfest. My mind was wandering and I wanted to quit many times, but I knew everyone else was in the same boat. I found that running the real deep mud section I was able to maintain the same speed as the guys riding. I'd get back on the bike and crush them in the next section since they zapped their legs so bad riding that section.<br /><br />I caught one of my PV team-mates on the 3rd lap in that deep section. John is a super strong rider and always did well in the Crusade races with his call-up position. I was pumped to catch him and drop him after the deep section (finished 2 spots ahead of him).<br /><br />Overall a very, very hard race. Probably the hardest cross race of the year. Mud was EPIC. I placed 13th out of 48 racers. One of my best results of the year. Very happy with that.<br /><br />I'm in the "peaking" section of my training plan. I've really done all the work I can to get stronger this year. No more of that. Now it's time to "sharpen the edge" with shorter and intense workouts. Next race is USGP series on 12/5 and then nationals aon 12/12. I'll be racing the 40-45 open category with the "big boys". This extra challenge is motivating me for the last efforts of the season. I'll be looking forward to a break from the bike after that!<br /><br />Check out photos of the EPIC mud at <a href="http://www.pdxcross.com/galleries/dog-days-at-kruger-farm/">PDX Cross</a>.Paul_Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03737748144179448332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36470431.post-13811009977433052442009-11-23T12:11:00.000-08:002009-11-23T12:35:53.051-08:00Crusade Complete - End is NearBarton Park on November 15th was the finale of the Crusade Series. I still hadn't secured any call-up points so my start spot was left to "random" chance again. I started about the middle of the pack, so it didn't really suck. I knew the course was fast and plenty or room to pass, so I was ready to roll.<br /><br />Unfortunately, I neglected to select proper tire pressure for this rock garden. Not sure what I was thinking. My front tire became a victim about 10 yards past the pit on the 1st lap. It sealed with some air left in it, so I was able to ride it in the less rocky sections. Otherwise, it was quite a run back to the pit.<br /><br />Luckily I stuck with it and got 3 more laps of "fun" after the wheel change. It was fun because I was so far off the back that I just concentrated on going fast with good form in the slick mud. I wasn't DFL so I guess it wasn't a total loss.<br /><br /><strong>Thoughts on the Crusade series:</strong><br />1) I knew it was going to be a tough year since I upgraded to the B group. I couldn't expect results like last year. It would take me a year to "earn my wings".<br /><br />2) Race results were decent. In the 25-30 range out of 80-130 persons. I typically started middle of group to the back, so I did alot of passing.<br /><br />3) Alpenrose was my mistake of the season. I raced the day before and put in some huge efforts for a 3rd place finish in a small Salem race. I thought I'd get a poor call-up. Turned out it was my best all season. I could have easily got top 18 if I didn't race the day before. Oh well, water under the bridge.<br /><br />4) Figured out I have plenty of fitness to race in this group. Felt good to be able to compete at this level. I passed tons of people at Rainer and Astoria.<br /><br />spot - location - date<br />65 - Barton Park - 11/15/2009<br />26 - Astoria - 11/01/2009<br />26 - Astoria - 10/31/2009<br />32 - Wash County Fairground - 10/25/2009<br />30 - Rainer - 10/11/2009<br />24 - Alpenrose - 10/04/2009<br /><br /><br /><strong>Crusade 2010:</strong><br />My key goal for 2010 will be to make the top 10 in the Master Bs. I'll maintain and improve my fitness by road racing in the category 3 and master's open group. I'm going to upgrade on "experience points". I need to race with a faster/harder group to improve. No need to hang around and beat up on the category 4 group.<br /><br />Here's one of my favorite photos of the year. It's out at Barton Park after my wheel change. I hate running and really had no need to push it. However, that's what cross racing is about. Digging deep and pushing yourself at all times - always make it count.<br /><br /><br /><br /><p></p><p></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407399544366104850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnyNMQGCbnvVTvVYQeKseco5IZWset8bqsl-MjvPtGBc4SOEum3iQRhqnyK-DV6PmivU22nyClisZr3FR7mj0idYKQMU6CfZwradMV3QtbkGKcw5hr0lve2JRhgHBSixYhrFSa/s320/barton_park_5.jpg" border="0" /></p><br />Three more races for me this year. Two of them will be with the "big boys" in the masters category for my age. Last challenge for the year.Paul_Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03737748144179448332noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36470431.post-64477313618884892502009-10-28T20:03:00.000-07:002009-10-28T20:27:51.940-07:00Slip-n-SlideThis past Sunday at the Washington County Fairgrounds we had our first "real" cross race. There was MUD. Finally, we had some rainy weather worthy of the Pacific NW. The course was similar to last year without the horse ring with all the poop. Flat, slick, and lots of corners.<br /><br />I had Luke with me, so I didn't get a chance to pre-ride the course. However, we did some time on the trainer warming-up. The big local bike blog writer was hanging in front of our tent, so I made an effort to strike up alittle conversation. He was doing a story on the race teams that do the Crusade. Luke was the highlight of the story! Check it out at <a href="http://bikeportland.org/2009/10/27/teams-slick-mud-keep-things-interesting-at-cross-crusade-4/">BikePortland</a>.<br /><br />I haven't cracked the top 18 yet to acquire a call-up. The line-up after that is based on a random number draw. I got lucky and was the 2nd group, so I was toward the front with a great position. Unfortunately, my start lap was TERRIBLE. Probably the combination of no pre-ride and 1st time on mud this year. I fell backwards pretty quickly. A couple of my team-mates that started behind me caught me and I was chasing on the 2nd lap.<br /><br /><br />I was accelerating out of the corners too soon and did the serious slip-n-slide. As caught on film below. Horizontal is not a good position for bike racing!<br /><br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397855009987492706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCFudpzZnQfK9Wfr2BgiqT2M544LFPwP5caShSaEcu0zx1nFvfEHbfo4Tj3uAbhv6DjMYhIruMy21_tgW0up2XTl_WdA3sDZ4V3_sCPZqbI0hsHHyu6gZChgDLKwQ9KHYdOyuI/s320/hillsboro+-+crash.jpg" border="0" /></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">photo by pdxcross.com</span></p><p>Things finally started to settle down for me on the 2nd lap or so. I started closing gaps on the straight aways and started passing folks. The power was in my legs and I needed it to catch-up. I made good progress and caught back up to my nemesis, Ken, who started in the same group as me. We went back/forth the last couple laps. Unfortunately, I pulled my last stunt on the last lap and he passed me as I fell directly in front of him.</p><p>Key takeaways from the race for me: 1) I have the fitness and the mental strength to fight back. I got back up and kept on charging after 4-5 falls. I was happy with myself not giving up. 2) I've been sick the last three weeks and avoiding the VO2 intervals. I definitely felt it as my legs cramped up the last couple laps. Especially felt it when I dismounted and ran the barriers. 3) Need to keep in control in the corners. Lost WAY to much time on the groun<br /></p><p>Fantastic, fun, big grin on the face type of race. Let the rain, mud, and fun continue.</p><br /><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5397857582052038098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 212px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20u7sDZBtKB0Eg02aapb4wj9X-WVOwvyvPJq7epePCePZzsBjGCpjZnBytisuonbMDh27ahpDAZ2RbTbO84jjxtGNU0b_4UjIrP-pv40o2lh5S__E_L5nvP3QEdILX5yJuGAu/s320/hillsboro+-+mud1.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:85%;">photo by Victor Duong</span><br /></p>Paul_Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03737748144179448332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36470431.post-34985541493652859182009-10-08T21:16:00.000-07:002009-10-08T21:30:09.738-07:00don't SLAP MEHere's a simple technical change I made to my cross bike that someone might find useful. My Shimano 105 front shift lever broke a couple races ago and I can't shift to my big chain ring. I figured this was an opportunity to test out the single chain ring idea. Many people run this on a cross bike to reduce the risk of chain drop. Much of this is due to less chain slack which reduces the opportunity for chain slap which reduces dropping a chain. I'll give this new setup a try the rest of the season and plan to upgrade to an "official" single chainring if all goes well. <div></div><div><br /></div><div>I consulted the fellow with the most impressive toolbox at the team tent last race and he suggested remove links of the chain until your hanger is about 45 degrees to the flat chain. Here's a couple before and after photos.</div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div>BEFORE (about 135 degrees when in big ring in rear and small ring in front)</div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390451022489184146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3cKJq_w9Y6JxsFcB-lGiJTSJGG-M2f-uwg0z7JuY3ZEgOChTPdckEIi8QndRhXUyFjot8tAJfqPfjWHjgFWKLn_hzLaAA_iI_ET0oqzqQ3AlgdClvaW3T52HkFVgb5ZHOU4wa/s320/0chain_d.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><br /><div>AFTER (about 45 degrees in same condition - much more tension on chain)</div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390451032863566178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VQwPWBGsZLOrYqXsTCSeEFAB-4VdtAzaKNGm6Pa8zlvm3FUiNZss0LfrcCEfFOcyDY4w6jkjOgSSxHb4TsCL2ZXBW6QsF51yCW6IE_t9d8UxcqttI9plxIaf3cysyPhVosOn/s320/0chain_e.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />Remember, technique of bike handling plays a BIG part in dropped chains. It's important to set a bike down gently after a bike carry and getting ready to re-mount. Also important to pick up the rear wheel alittle if you run along side your bike instead of carrying it. I rode a 2 chain-ring setup for 3 years and rode in the small chainring most of the time. However, I really only had a couple dropped chains.<br /><br />Cyclocross racing has alot to do with "avoidance of bad luck". Reducing the chance of a dropped chain that can take time to repair and that just means you getting passed by others.<br /><br />Ride hard and ride smart!Paul_Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03737748144179448332noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36470431.post-22554498428275174182009-10-04T05:50:00.000-07:002009-10-09T14:19:47.457-07:00Heiser Farms - 10/3<div>This weekend is the "big" kickoff to cross season since Cross Crusade starts Sunday at Alpenrose. However, I decided to get it kick started with a smaller race in Dayton OR at <a href="http://www.buylocalcycling.com/2009/09/willamette-valley-cyclocross-series-.html">Heiser Farms</a>. One might ask, "Paul, why aren't you saving your legs for the big race on Sunday?". Well, in my view Alpenrose is classic and awesome, but it's a big circus for the race. Last year, I had about 140 racers in my field and it was the biggest turnout ever at ~1300 racers. This year they expect about ~1600 racers. So, I'm really "saving my legs" for next week at Rainer - an open course with plenty of opportunity to pass.<br /><br />I never raced at Heiser, so I convinced my carpool mates to leave early to pre-ride the course. Took only 50 minutes to get there instead of the 80 minute google estimate, so they gave me a bunch of hell for waking them up to early. However, it's always best to be early to pre-ride and get into the "game mode".<br /><br />I didn't race last weekend at Barlow, so I had a couple week break from racing. I wasn't sure how the legs would do. However, I was feeling confident since I met a major goal during the week in my training. Exceeded my year goal on the 20 minute test. I set a goal of 310W back in February when I was 290W. I had hit about 310 on the road in July, but my true "measuring stick" is the test on my indoor trainer. I hit 322W (4.2W/kg) and still had some in the tank! That made me feel great about the progress this season.<br /><br />Sorry, I digress.... back the race report. My bike seemed to be in good shape. I had some mishaps earlier with flat tires due to "operator errors", and I worked out all those bugs. The engine didn't feel great during the warm-up on the trainer, but I wasn't too worried about it. I rolled over to the start line.<br /><br />There were two team-mates in my field. Jeff, is an ex-pro mountain biker and a very strong masters rider. I also recognized a fellow from River City that I raced with in Eugene. Big strong TT rider. I couldn't keep his wheel in Eugene. However, today he was my "marked man". I told myself that I HAD to stick with him. That was my goal! Having a goal in a race really helps the motivation going when it starts to hurt.<br /><br />There were about 15 guys in our field, so the hole shot wasn't a big deal to fight for. Jeff and RC guy took the lead and I stuck on their wheel. Here's a cool photo from the hole shot (cool since it makes me look like I'm in 1st place!).....</div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390712873274788434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTiQAG85sHOf9UNswk_jcWcKARA0VqQKiC9VJghbaPxq6t6jH1bsQMg2o3H5oJwXZaoWtxJCEmxE3oyss7nzZCPmFz0LcvNHAdckGq_emBj-xyveXT3XsoE6SzGFp8GozEf0m/s320/heiser1a.JPG" border="0" /> <div></div><div></div><br /><div>There was about 6 of us together at the end of the 1st lap. It dwindle to 4 of pretty quickly after the grass power section. I was going back and forth with a fellow while Jeff and RC guy were in the lead but not far off. They were starting to form a gap so I told myself "get that RC wheel". I passed the guy I was battling with and got back to leaders. At the end of the 2nd lap, there were 3 of us with a good size gap.<br /><br />The next 4 laps went like this...... I would catch the leaders, hang with them, get gapped in a deep gravel power section, chase like hell, catch them in the barriers at the start/finish line. Since I was in 3rd, my team-mate Jeff didn't have to do any work. Poor RC guy had to do all the work. I knew in my mind that Jeff would crush him on the last lap (you see, Jeff really should be an A rider).<br /><br />The night before, I was talking to some fellow PV rides about recovery in a cross race. Honestly, I haven't really focused on planning my recovery during races. I would go hard as I could and recover went I was pooped. Tatically, it wasn't a smart way to recover. They reminded me to go hard in the hard sections and remember to go hard before a "recovery section" to catch a wheel. Sit on that wheel during the recovery section. Then go hard and pass in the next hard section. I think I did much better with this plan at Heiser.<br /><br />On the last lap, I caught them again at the barriers and I sat in back waiting for Jeff's move. He went and RC guy and I couldn't keep up since we worked like dogs the entire race. RC guy started to gap me, and I really didn't respond with the killer instinct. Sure I went fast and hard since it was the last lap, but I really didn't kill myself to keep his wheel. At that point, I settled for 3rd place since I was very happy with my race. Of course, I almost caught him towards the end at the barriers and missed 2nd place by only ~5 seconds.<br /><br />First podium in a cross race. Yes, it was a small field, but it was a small field of the my new B+ category. The finish spot wasn't my success. It was meeting my goal of sticking with RC guy. A major confidence boost for me.<br /><br />Later today is Alpenrose. Let the true mayhem begin!<br /><br /></div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388736685165467826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 160px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKKCtN1nAiwywOtfMoFhDXH0NGwSSzNWlM3-ffaqzC63-mgOWISRkcyNsPq1O0Qp5leQB1INUch-jpAjI0MAOFqP-KE3GtabEweLuZo4JE4qX74ZFpShJiK7XNGUcgu17NBNb5/s200/crusade.jpg" border="0" /></div>Paul_Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03737748144179448332noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36470431.post-77426952862471424822009-09-19T05:26:00.000-07:002009-09-19T06:08:06.573-07:00Scrubbing SpeedUsing the terms "slowing" or "stopping" isn't good when you're talking about bike racing. I mean, racing is all about going as fast as you can. However, in cyclocross it's critical to stay upright in all those corners, off camber sections, barriers, and all those other obstacles. So, scrubbing speed prior to the obstacle is necessary in order not to "eat it".<br /><br />Earlier this year I attended a cross clinic and my key takeaway was that I needed to upgrade my brakes. I had an offline discussion with the coaches and they brought up a few key features that my setup was missing.<br /><br />First, they had the "euro style" brake lever setup. Basically, the levers are swapped so the rear brake is on your left hand. This is a huge benefit while dismounting prior to obstacles. You can get your leg over, hold the top tube with your right hand, and actually scrub speed at the same time. Currently, I'm having to keep my right hand on the rear brake so I can slow down without going over the bars with using my left hand on the front brake.<br /><br />Secondly, the brake hanger on the front brake is positioned really high. This helps to reduce the power on the front brake. Remember, we're trying to "scrub speed" and not stop on a dime. My current setup is way to strong and results in lots of chatter in the front fork.<br /><br />Lastly, the higher end brakes look more pro and they should be easier to adjust.<br /><br />Last year I upgrade the wheels, so this year it had to be the brakes. I got a set of <a href="http://www.paulcomp.com/touringcanti.html">Pauls Touring Cantis</a> installed by the folks at Velshop (photo below). Some folks put the NeoRetro on the front and Touring on the back. The NeoRetro is more "eurostyle" and looks cool, but they stick out and become a "leg grabber" so they put the Touring on the back. I stuck with the Touring on both to keep the maintenance the same. BTW, the Pauls came with some "post style" pads which I didn't install based on the shop recommendation. They placed on the brake shoes that take the pad inserts. This should be much easier for maintenance since you don't need to "start from scratch" when you replace your pads.<br /><br />My first ride/race with them was last week at Psycho cross. I finally made it out to the park this week to get some more practice with them also. Totally awesome having the euro setup. Much easier to hit the barriers with speed during the dismount. Actually, I'm sure the setup change was probably the biggest difference instead of the phyiscal brake change. Something to consider since it was about $250 with installation. However, they look great and feel great so I'm convinced it has been a "worthy" upgrade.<br /><br />Here's a good article on brakes in <a href="http://www.velonews.com/article/9054">Velonews</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383158813048065522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHdxleFFPn07Qi0MT3IkbBZnGHYEoPWTChrED63yP9D9jzrVJ8AzfUqJ28S5f8JnFMByPUiy7DPmiLFKXrWw8R74SU5sEVUDL7pl1xxZ3Q_UwJhWZgEAjbU8aDKIKg62LdiI59/s320/brakes.jpg" border="0" />Paul_Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03737748144179448332noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36470431.post-87676822955349621192009-09-19T05:13:00.000-07:002009-09-19T05:24:26.116-07:00Circle of LifeThis past week I had a serious "Lion King - Circle of Life" experience. I took Luke to his first cub scout meeting. I grew up in scouting, became an eagle scout, and looking back it really impacted my life. It taught me work ethic, values, leadership, and having fun in the outdoors. My mom was involved from the start. She was a den leader and all that stuff.<br /><br />Well, all that came rushing back this week. Luke and all the other boys checked out reptile man while the parents got the orientation. It talked about how at this age kids are so "formable", the values it teaches, and involvement of parents. I can see why my mom was sold on it for me years ago. Sometimes you don't realize the impact parents had on you until quite later in life - I called my mom and thanked her later in the week. <br /><br />I did my best not to "push" Luke into it, but I of course I was excited that he was excited after the first meeting. We will see how it goes, but I have a feeling he will stick with it for a period of time and "the circle of life" will continue.Paul_Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03737748144179448332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36470431.post-25888301268629839652009-09-14T12:57:00.000-07:002009-09-14T13:28:46.350-07:00Psycho Cross Race - 9/13Here's a report on the <a href="http://www.obra.org/flyers/2009/psycho_cross.html">Psycho</a> race I did on Sunday. Early season races are all about tuning/testing new gear, the "skills", and checking out the competition.<br /><br /><strong>Course</strong>: Great course at Camp Harlow. Same location as last year. Gravel, some farm field, big single track sections, and a couple sand sections. Had a 4-pack barrier section, a barrier after the downhill sandpit, and a couple other single barriers. Smaller fields are great for the early season races. Sal puts on a good race.<br /><br /><strong>Competition</strong>: I'm starting to notice a few Cat 2 road racers pull up to the line in these B+ races. I start to wonder "what am I doing in this cat", but then I remember that it gives me a good excuse to "suck their wheel" and not feel bad about it. We also race with the 50+ guys. Wow, some of those guys are really fast. Now I know what I want to do when I grow up.<br /><br /><strong>Skills</strong>: Last year I really didn't do much mountain biking and I suffered in the handling skills in the early races. This year I've been riding with some guys from work to improve that. Felt much better in the single track than last year. The barriers felt even smoother with the brake lever switch.<br /><br /><strong>Gear</strong>: My new brakes with the Euro setup worked great. It was my first ride/race with the left handed rear brake, so nothing like throwing yourself into the fire. It was great for the barriers. It took alittle getting used to in the single track section.<br /><br />My key lesson of the day was "don't be lazy with tire setup". I had a flat at bunny hop practice earlier in the week and I threw in a tube into my tubless setup. Well, that came back to haunt me. In the 3rd lap I pinch flatted in the 1st single track section. Which wasn't that far after the wheel pit. So, I had a LONG run/walk. Got in a couple laps after the wheel change, but I was a lap behind everyone.<br /><br />I got some good early season experience and learned a lesson on equipment. Good race even if the result wasn't the best.<br /><br />DFL is always better than DNF.Paul_Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03737748144179448332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36470431.post-75742835428103858432009-08-31T20:41:00.000-07:002009-08-31T21:08:12.885-07:00Indoor TrainingWow, it's September already. That means fall is around the corner and it will start to get alittle wet in Oregon. Folks are starting to discuss indoor training alittle in the cycling forums. Unfortunately for me, I end up doing ALOT of indoor training no matter what time of year. I like to spend time with my son when I get home for work, so that means I'm on the indoor trainer in the morning before he wakes up. Luckily, I'm a morning person.<br /><br />Recently, I enhanced my indoor "experience" by purchasing a pre-owned set of <a href="http://www.insideride.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=64&Itemid=50">E-motion rollers</a> (check out the videos on this link). Turns out they are built at a machine shop just west of Portland (big town of North Plains). They are on the pricey side - took me about a year to find a used set. However, they are worth it.<br /><br />I ride these things at 5 am, so it was important to find something I wouldn't be falling off. The bumpers on the sides really prevent that. I actually don't use the bumpers too much when I'm riding a constant speed, but at the end of a hard interval when your gasping for air and a lower gear - they come in handy.<br /><br />Benefits of indoor training include: 1) easier to fit into schedule, 2) very focused workouts, 3) keep your bike cleaner than riding in the rain.<br /><br />Problems with indoor training include: 1) difficult to do high end intervals, 2) can't reach same power levels indoors as outdoors (many reasons), 3) definitely not as fun as outside<br /><br />Here's a couple other handy ideas that make the indoor training better.<br /><br />1) You must have a good fan. I place mine in front of an open door for cool air.<br />2) Some video distractions can help. The fellow at the <a href="http://www.thesufferfest.com/">SufferFest</a> provides some excellent videos with bike racing to music.<br />3) I'm trying on this new application for the I-Phone. Should be out of beta testing soon. You can assign music selections to different effort "zones" for intervals - very cool feature. Make your own workout, pick existing workouts, etc. <a href="http://imobileintervals.com/">http://imobileintervals.com/</a><br />4) Setup alittle "trainer cave" if you can. Near the garage is always good - cooler, quiter for others in the house, and OK if you sweat on the floor.<br /><br />Best of luck keeping the bike rolling even when it gets nasty outside or your schedule forces you inside.Paul_Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03737748144179448332noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36470431.post-71496030572328247512009-08-28T08:27:00.001-07:002009-08-28T08:41:31.482-07:00Cross is on the HorizonI've neglected this blog for awhile, but now that cross is on the horizon there's lots to discuss. The bike community is buzzing about cross clinics, cross training, what are the best tires, etc. That's a sign August is here and September is quickly approaching. Where did the summer go?<br /><br />Well, I spent most of my summer road racing. My results weren't fantastic, but none of the races were considered an A race for me. It's important to define the importance of a race before you do a race. Otherwise you can set yourself up for some disappointment. This year I focused on stage races. I knew they would be solid base training and they might fit my riding style better. I completed 3 this year, and I enjoyed them a bunch. I believe they will give me a good solid base for cross season.<br /><br />I took a few weeks "off" after the Cascade Classic at the end of July. It was hard and hot race, so a mental/physical break was necessary. My plan is to do some "base" training for 4 weeks in August/early September (I'm in the 2nd week) - continue with "build" training for about 8 weeks in September/October and then peak for the end of Crusade and see if I can maintain it for Nationals (in Bend OR). Here's some good links on training for cross that I found.....<br /><br /><a href="http://www.cycle-smart.com/coaching/articles/intervals_for_cross.html">Intervals for Cross</a><br /><br /><a href="http://cxmagazine.com/training-for-cyclocross-pre-season-training-plans-coach-michael-birner">Train Plan for Cross</a><br /><br /><a href="http://imobileintervals.com/">http://imobileintervals.com/</a> - this is a new Iphone App I'm trying out - very cool!<br /><br />Next entry, I'll review some stuff about getting my "steed" ready for battle. Only ~9 days to the first test of the legs at <a href="http://www.obra.org/flyers/2009/crossover.html">CrossOver Race</a>.Paul_Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03737748144179448332noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36470431.post-45189725731017007542009-07-10T20:05:00.000-07:002009-07-10T20:16:50.542-07:00Miles this weekI 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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 <a href="http://www.insideride.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=64&Itemid=50">InsideRide</a> rollers definitely have a unique design. Check out the videos. They're made just west of Portland.<br /><br />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.Paul_Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03737748144179448332noreply@blogger.com0