Overall, Elkhorn was a really fun race even though I was alittle dissappointed with my results. There were 5 of us PV team-mates in the cat5 and we had a great time racing, recovering, and telling stories.
We road-tripped over on Thursday morning. It took about 4.5 hours from Portland to get to Baker City. It was a partly cloudy day and just beautiful out. I was expecting terrain like Central Oregon - very dry and brown. I was pleasantly surprised by all the green and the snow capped mountains. We did a 1 hour ride around the finish climb of the 1st stage. Got back to the car and the huge batch of mesquitos almost ate us alive.
I woke up Saturday morning feeling really strange. I felt dizzy and pukey when I stood up and walked around. I thought, "great, one of those mesquitos gave me malaria or something". Luckily the race didn't start until 2pm, so I just laid on the bed hoping I'd feel better.
Race time I was feeling better but not 100% so I planned to sit in the back of the pack and see how it went. The stage was 73 miles with ~6500 feet of climbing and all of the climbing was in the last half of the race. The pace to the first feedzone was very mellow - thank goodness I thought. It was rainy but not terribly cold. We actually stopped for a peleton pee break at one point - that was very civilized. At that point, Candi, the nicest race official in Oregon, started yelling us from the car about hitting the gas since the gals were only 60 seconds behind us. The pace picked up and we finally hit the big climb to the 2nd feedzone.
This is where the pack shattered. I was at 350W for a good 5-7 minutes trying to hang on, but finally fell off and rode my own race when I knew I was going to explode. I got to the feedzone and looked back to see a couple big strong TT looking guys I spoke to earlier. No need to race downhill alone, so I wait alittle for them and we started a pace line.
A rotating paceline in a race really makes you feel like a bike racer. It was awesome. Short pulls and rotating like clockwork is a great feeling. It's way cool when you can organize one of these with people you don't know but have that connection of racing a bike. We caught about 10 or so riders. We made it over the finishing climb and then 2 miles on the flats to the finish line. I took a pull that was alittle long at the end and got dropped from the group with about 1k to go - darn it. I finished 24th, an entire 5 minutes behind the leader. A couple team-mates finished 11/13 - about 3:30min behind the leader. Only 2 guys in the top 10 were from Oregon.
Time for the Saturday ride, so I'll continue my report later on. Cheers.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Neglected Blog, Birthdays, and BMI
Wow, I've really neglected my blog. Wow, it's June already. Wow, my birthday is less than two weeks away. Yes, time flies.
After Cherry Blossom, I took a couple weeks off the road bike - rest week and did some mountain bike races. It was the end of my 16 week training plan, so it was good timing to get the mind right. I got the mountain bike tuned up and switched over to tubeless tire system so I can run some lower pressures. I'm going to really try it out in July on the short track at PIR.
I started a new 16 week plan in the beginning of May. I modified the current plan to focus more on the short intervals. That's my weakness so that's what I need to work on. I really hate the 1 minute stuff, but it seems to be getting better. However, it's got a long way to go.
The big race coming up is Elkhorn. This is another 3 day race with 4 stages. The 2 road stages are much longer than the ones I did at Cherry Blossom. It's also in eastern Oregon in June which means some hot weather. The final stage which is 100 miles with ~7,000' of climbing is on my birthday. I figure I had to do something significant to get my mind off the fact that I'm turning 40. Yes, probably some mid-life crisis thing.
Have you ever heard of BMI, body mass index? I've heard of it, but never really gave it any thought until the other weekend. I was at a barbacue with a bunch of college friends and they were giving me a hard time about being "too skinny". I'm currently the same weight as a my freshman year at OSU (I remember since I was rowing on the lighweight boat and I had to be 170 max at races). Well, actually if you look at a BMI Calculator such as this one, I'm actually "normal" weight for my height. Play around with the weight numbers for your height. It's actually pretty surprising. I think it's interesting how America's definition of "normal" is now actually "overweight". It's definitely easy to move to that category when you get out of college, starting working, have kids, etc. The key is to find a combination of exercise/diet that works for you. For me, I eat like a horse so I exercise like one.
Anyway, just goes to prove as long as you feel good, who cares what others think.
After Cherry Blossom, I took a couple weeks off the road bike - rest week and did some mountain bike races. It was the end of my 16 week training plan, so it was good timing to get the mind right. I got the mountain bike tuned up and switched over to tubeless tire system so I can run some lower pressures. I'm going to really try it out in July on the short track at PIR.
I started a new 16 week plan in the beginning of May. I modified the current plan to focus more on the short intervals. That's my weakness so that's what I need to work on. I really hate the 1 minute stuff, but it seems to be getting better. However, it's got a long way to go.
The big race coming up is Elkhorn. This is another 3 day race with 4 stages. The 2 road stages are much longer than the ones I did at Cherry Blossom. It's also in eastern Oregon in June which means some hot weather. The final stage which is 100 miles with ~7,000' of climbing is on my birthday. I figure I had to do something significant to get my mind off the fact that I'm turning 40. Yes, probably some mid-life crisis thing.
Have you ever heard of BMI, body mass index? I've heard of it, but never really gave it any thought until the other weekend. I was at a barbacue with a bunch of college friends and they were giving me a hard time about being "too skinny". I'm currently the same weight as a my freshman year at OSU (I remember since I was rowing on the lighweight boat and I had to be 170 max at races). Well, actually if you look at a BMI Calculator such as this one, I'm actually "normal" weight for my height. Play around with the weight numbers for your height. It's actually pretty surprising. I think it's interesting how America's definition of "normal" is now actually "overweight". It's definitely easy to move to that category when you get out of college, starting working, have kids, etc. The key is to find a combination of exercise/diet that works for you. For me, I eat like a horse so I exercise like one.
Anyway, just goes to prove as long as you feel good, who cares what others think.
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Cherry Blossom Stage Race
My first stage race was the Cherry Blossom last weekend. It included 2 road races, a time trial, and a criterium. All over 3 days. It was a great experience, and after almost a week of rest I can finally say I would definitely do it again.
First Day (Friday) - Columbia Hills Road Race
Two laps on the course for a total of 38 miles. Sounded pretty simple. Our race started at 1pm, so a team-mate, Alex, and I drove over in the morning. Got there to see the 1/2/3 women start the race at 9am - it was sunny but cold. The word from the morning races.... wind. Not a good sign when it typically is not as windy in the morning.
First lap started out very mellow and stayed pretty mellow. Climb up the hill was slow and folks in the pack would yell "speed it up". Well, I spent alittle time at the front and you soon discovered why the pace was slow and there were minimal break attempts - there was a serious headwind.
Second lap a couple Team Oregon guys broke away on the flatter tailwind section. They were moving pretty good so I got to the front and folks were chatting about chasing them down. Well, I attacked after them myself. I guess I unleashed the dogs because we did a really fast pace all the way to the hill. A couple team-mates at the back later stated "that's what dropped me".
I was feeling good until the peak of the second climb. It was at that point I realized I wasn't taking my electrolyte tablets during the race. It was pretty obvious as my left leg froze with a cramp and I almost fell of my bike in pain. I had to stop and watch the pack climb away without me. I chewed an electolyte tablet (not a pleasant taste) and it kicked in. I caught on with a group and finished 1:50 back in the second chase group behind the pack. Lesson learned.
Second Day (Saturday) - Time Trial and Criterium
I've never done a time trial, but my 20 minute power is my strength so I figured I should do OK. I purchased some clip on aero bars (you can tell they make a huge difference). The course was 4 miles up a 2% grade hill and back the same route. I had my power tap on the bike, so I planned to keep my threshold power as a target. Reviewing the power file... mission accomplished on the uphill but I didn't do so well on the downhill. My 20 minute intervals are mostly on an indoor trainer - very consistent. I discovered it's a story going downhill. It's a tricky effort to maintain the power when going down. A technique I need to improve. I was definitely not "spent" when I finished and felt I could have gone much harder. I finished 3:05 minutes behind my powerhouse team-mate who won it.
I've raced a couple criteriums last year. They are always fast paced and intense. I really enjoy them even though they tend to be the risky part of road racing. The course was a 1 kilometer circuit downtown with 4 corners. My plan was to stay safe and definitely stay with the pack - no time loss this time. Mission accomplished. It was actually a pretty "easy" criterium. I'm guessing because everyone had the same plan since it was a stage race - stay safe. I finished easily with the pack 22nd out of 76 riders.
Final Day (Sunday) - Columbia Gorge Road Race
My powerhouse team-mate, Ron, was sitting in 1st place and I was in 40th place down 4:55. However, this day was the "queen stage" - 2 loops - 55 miles - 4280 ft of climbing. This was the big one for the STRONG after 2 previous days of race.
Well, the fireworks started on mile 3 at the beginning of the 7 mile climb. The pack shattered. Long climbs are something you need to do at your own pace. I felt pretty good about my efforts on the 1st lap. I was behind the 1st chase group. There were maybe 15 persons ahead of me. I hooked up with 2 riders with Starbucks kits and could tell they were good decenders. My powertap computer wasn't working, but it folks were saying we hi 45-50mph on the descent. I lost the wheel of the 2 guys and hooked up with a group with a few team-mates on the way back.
We were in a group of 15 riders that started the climb again on the 2nd lap. Again I was pretty happy with my climbing. I was definitely feeling it on this second round. I was taking my endurolytes and drinking water, so no sign of cramps. However, I wasn't doing a good job drinking my fuel bottle on the climb and no way to reach for it on the fast descent. So, I was feeling bonky at the bottom of the descent. I knew I was hurting when everyone was chatting and I was at the back thinking "if I don't hold this wheel I'll be dropped and be roadkill out here". I was fueling and just holding on. I finally felt better with about 5k to go.
Finished with that same group - 32nd place out of 76 riders and 15 minutes behind the leaders. My powerhouse team-mate did his best to hold with the lighter guys, but he didn't make it. He finished 8 minutes behind and dropped to 11th in the GC. My carpool team-mate climbed with the leaders and finished 3rd in the stage and jumped from 10th to 4th on GC. Wow, alot of change in GC in one day - that's why they save the "best for last".
Overall, I finished 34 out of 68 (86 in original field - 18 folks didn't finish) and 19:36 behind the leader. It's a fun experience to live like a pro for a few days. Race, eat, sleep, and recover. I couldn't imagine doing this for 21 days like TdF. I figure not bad for a working dad. I also figure I'll do it again. Actually, I already planned my 40th birthday weekend...... Elkhorn
First Day (Friday) - Columbia Hills Road Race
Two laps on the course for a total of 38 miles. Sounded pretty simple. Our race started at 1pm, so a team-mate, Alex, and I drove over in the morning. Got there to see the 1/2/3 women start the race at 9am - it was sunny but cold. The word from the morning races.... wind. Not a good sign when it typically is not as windy in the morning.
First lap started out very mellow and stayed pretty mellow. Climb up the hill was slow and folks in the pack would yell "speed it up". Well, I spent alittle time at the front and you soon discovered why the pace was slow and there were minimal break attempts - there was a serious headwind.
Second lap a couple Team Oregon guys broke away on the flatter tailwind section. They were moving pretty good so I got to the front and folks were chatting about chasing them down. Well, I attacked after them myself. I guess I unleashed the dogs because we did a really fast pace all the way to the hill. A couple team-mates at the back later stated "that's what dropped me".
I was feeling good until the peak of the second climb. It was at that point I realized I wasn't taking my electrolyte tablets during the race. It was pretty obvious as my left leg froze with a cramp and I almost fell of my bike in pain. I had to stop and watch the pack climb away without me. I chewed an electolyte tablet (not a pleasant taste) and it kicked in. I caught on with a group and finished 1:50 back in the second chase group behind the pack. Lesson learned.
Second Day (Saturday) - Time Trial and Criterium
I've never done a time trial, but my 20 minute power is my strength so I figured I should do OK. I purchased some clip on aero bars (you can tell they make a huge difference). The course was 4 miles up a 2% grade hill and back the same route. I had my power tap on the bike, so I planned to keep my threshold power as a target. Reviewing the power file... mission accomplished on the uphill but I didn't do so well on the downhill. My 20 minute intervals are mostly on an indoor trainer - very consistent. I discovered it's a story going downhill. It's a tricky effort to maintain the power when going down. A technique I need to improve. I was definitely not "spent" when I finished and felt I could have gone much harder. I finished 3:05 minutes behind my powerhouse team-mate who won it.
I've raced a couple criteriums last year. They are always fast paced and intense. I really enjoy them even though they tend to be the risky part of road racing. The course was a 1 kilometer circuit downtown with 4 corners. My plan was to stay safe and definitely stay with the pack - no time loss this time. Mission accomplished. It was actually a pretty "easy" criterium. I'm guessing because everyone had the same plan since it was a stage race - stay safe. I finished easily with the pack 22nd out of 76 riders.
Final Day (Sunday) - Columbia Gorge Road Race
My powerhouse team-mate, Ron, was sitting in 1st place and I was in 40th place down 4:55. However, this day was the "queen stage" - 2 loops - 55 miles - 4280 ft of climbing. This was the big one for the STRONG after 2 previous days of race.
Well, the fireworks started on mile 3 at the beginning of the 7 mile climb. The pack shattered. Long climbs are something you need to do at your own pace. I felt pretty good about my efforts on the 1st lap. I was behind the 1st chase group. There were maybe 15 persons ahead of me. I hooked up with 2 riders with Starbucks kits and could tell they were good decenders. My powertap computer wasn't working, but it folks were saying we hi 45-50mph on the descent. I lost the wheel of the 2 guys and hooked up with a group with a few team-mates on the way back.
We were in a group of 15 riders that started the climb again on the 2nd lap. Again I was pretty happy with my climbing. I was definitely feeling it on this second round. I was taking my endurolytes and drinking water, so no sign of cramps. However, I wasn't doing a good job drinking my fuel bottle on the climb and no way to reach for it on the fast descent. So, I was feeling bonky at the bottom of the descent. I knew I was hurting when everyone was chatting and I was at the back thinking "if I don't hold this wheel I'll be dropped and be roadkill out here". I was fueling and just holding on. I finally felt better with about 5k to go.
Finished with that same group - 32nd place out of 76 riders and 15 minutes behind the leaders. My powerhouse team-mate did his best to hold with the lighter guys, but he didn't make it. He finished 8 minutes behind and dropped to 11th in the GC. My carpool team-mate climbed with the leaders and finished 3rd in the stage and jumped from 10th to 4th on GC. Wow, alot of change in GC in one day - that's why they save the "best for last".
Overall, I finished 34 out of 68 (86 in original field - 18 folks didn't finish) and 19:36 behind the leader. It's a fun experience to live like a pro for a few days. Race, eat, sleep, and recover. I couldn't imagine doing this for 21 days like TdF. I figure not bad for a working dad. I also figure I'll do it again. Actually, I already planned my 40th birthday weekend...... Elkhorn
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Spring Break Update
I had the week off due to "economic slowdown" at work, so I spent some extra time on the bike. I realized I haven't update this blog in awhile, so here's a summary of the past month.
I raced in the 2nd Bananna Belt race as a category 4. I found out that I need a few more races before I can officially upgrade to a 3. It was a good race. The 2 highlights for me were at the end of the race. I made it up the Lee Hill with the lead pack on the final lap. That tells me the work I've been doing on the 1 minute power is starting to help out. That is the first time I haven't been dropped on that hill in the final lap, so I was happy with that. That allowed me to jump to the front and ramp up the pace and string out the pack. That allowed my team-mates with the high end power to move up and take over at the 1k sign. It setup our sprinter for a victory so it was a great team victory. There were good comments from other teams in the parking lot and on blogs about our teamwork.
That inspired my new favorite quote.... "Let them hate, so long as they fear", Lucius Accius, a Roman tragic poet. A good quote for us guys in the pack causing havoc at the front.
A week or so later, I had a crazy blow-out on my rear-wheel. I wish I took a photo. Basically, the sidewall of the tire blew out at 30mph downhill and somehow the tube wrapped around the cogs and brake which ceased the wheel from spinning. My carbon rim lost about 1/4" as it slid across the pavement. I've been without my powertap wheel for 3 weeks. I should get it back this week.
This week I did some weekday rides with the club. This got me some extra miles in this week before I taper for the Cherry Blossom Stage Race. This will be my first stage race and I'm looking forward to it. It will also be my first time trial (race against the clock). My strength is my 20 minute power so I think I should do good in that. I've been riding well, so I'm hoping to crack the top 15 (currently 85 riders in the field). I'll be racing in the category 4 group.
Other stuff in life..... Luke went to sports camp a couple days this week at the community center. He loved it. He's growing up way fast. Work is interesting since the economy is hitting high-tech sector hard. It's a big company, so they aren't going away. I'm sure there might be some more reductions in the next couple months. Good thing I'm good at a$$ kissing. Finishing up the spring break painting project at the house.... bedroom and small bath. No fun looking at the same brown around the entire house.
That's it for now. Cheers...........
I raced in the 2nd Bananna Belt race as a category 4. I found out that I need a few more races before I can officially upgrade to a 3. It was a good race. The 2 highlights for me were at the end of the race. I made it up the Lee Hill with the lead pack on the final lap. That tells me the work I've been doing on the 1 minute power is starting to help out. That is the first time I haven't been dropped on that hill in the final lap, so I was happy with that. That allowed me to jump to the front and ramp up the pace and string out the pack. That allowed my team-mates with the high end power to move up and take over at the 1k sign. It setup our sprinter for a victory so it was a great team victory. There were good comments from other teams in the parking lot and on blogs about our teamwork.
That inspired my new favorite quote.... "Let them hate, so long as they fear", Lucius Accius, a Roman tragic poet. A good quote for us guys in the pack causing havoc at the front.
A week or so later, I had a crazy blow-out on my rear-wheel. I wish I took a photo. Basically, the sidewall of the tire blew out at 30mph downhill and somehow the tube wrapped around the cogs and brake which ceased the wheel from spinning. My carbon rim lost about 1/4" as it slid across the pavement. I've been without my powertap wheel for 3 weeks. I should get it back this week.
This week I did some weekday rides with the club. This got me some extra miles in this week before I taper for the Cherry Blossom Stage Race. This will be my first stage race and I'm looking forward to it. It will also be my first time trial (race against the clock). My strength is my 20 minute power so I think I should do good in that. I've been riding well, so I'm hoping to crack the top 15 (currently 85 riders in the field). I'll be racing in the category 4 group.
Other stuff in life..... Luke went to sports camp a couple days this week at the community center. He loved it. He's growing up way fast. Work is interesting since the economy is hitting high-tech sector hard. It's a big company, so they aren't going away. I'm sure there might be some more reductions in the next couple months. Good thing I'm good at a$$ kissing. Finishing up the spring break painting project at the house.... bedroom and small bath. No fun looking at the same brown around the entire house.
That's it for now. Cheers...........
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Going to start to HURT
I've been on this training plan since the beginning of the year. Wow, two months have passed already. The plan had me working on the foundation for the 1st couple months. Mostly endurance (zone 2) and "sweet spot" training (just under threshold in upper zone 3). I also had a big mileage week in the beginning of February with my trip to sunny Tucson.
I believe it's paying off. The standard test is to ride for 20 minutes at zone 4 and determine your average power wattage. I typically do this test once a month after a rest week on my indoor trainer. It's a controlled setting. My first test of the year was late December and I managed 285 watts or 3.67 watts/kg. The power per weight ratio is typically used since bigger riders naturally produce more power. My test this morning I produced 306W or 3.98W/kg. The 300W is a "magic number" and so is the 4.0W/kg - it puts me at a mid range category 3 rider. I'm happy with that for 2 months of training.
In March, the plan really ramps up the training load. The hours on the bike is the same 8-9 hours per week. However, the intensity increases. The "hard" days I'll be doing 20 minutes at threshold (zone 4) and some microburst intervals. The intervals are really the killer and the area I need the most improvement. This is in the 1 minute power range. The range where fast-twitch muscles are working. The area that's really hard for us slow-twitch muscle guys. This is the area I know I need to focus since it's critical to help respond to surges in the peleton during a race - keeps you from getting dropped by the group.
I attempted my first set today. 40 seconds "on" and 20 seconds "off" and repeat that 5 times. The "on" time is all out effort. I was having a hard time maintaining the full 40 seconds. I consulted the "big power" guys on the team forum and got some technique tips. Hope they help out. Basically, eveyone said that these are going to hurt.
So, I'm going to start to "embrace my weakness" and see how it goes over the next 3 weeks.
I believe it's paying off. The standard test is to ride for 20 minutes at zone 4 and determine your average power wattage. I typically do this test once a month after a rest week on my indoor trainer. It's a controlled setting. My first test of the year was late December and I managed 285 watts or 3.67 watts/kg. The power per weight ratio is typically used since bigger riders naturally produce more power. My test this morning I produced 306W or 3.98W/kg. The 300W is a "magic number" and so is the 4.0W/kg - it puts me at a mid range category 3 rider. I'm happy with that for 2 months of training.
In March, the plan really ramps up the training load. The hours on the bike is the same 8-9 hours per week. However, the intensity increases. The "hard" days I'll be doing 20 minutes at threshold (zone 4) and some microburst intervals. The intervals are really the killer and the area I need the most improvement. This is in the 1 minute power range. The range where fast-twitch muscles are working. The area that's really hard for us slow-twitch muscle guys. This is the area I know I need to focus since it's critical to help respond to surges in the peleton during a race - keeps you from getting dropped by the group.
I attempted my first set today. 40 seconds "on" and 20 seconds "off" and repeat that 5 times. The "on" time is all out effort. I was having a hard time maintaining the full 40 seconds. I consulted the "big power" guys on the team forum and got some technique tips. Hope they help out. Basically, eveyone said that these are going to hurt.
So, I'm going to start to "embrace my weakness" and see how it goes over the next 3 weeks.
Monday, March 02, 2009
Banana Belt #1
The Banana is a "spring classic" in Oregon. It's held at Hagg Lake outside Forest Grove.
The Masters 1/2/3 field was packed with the big guns in this race. My key take away.... racing with these guys will force me to be a smarter racer.
At the car we were all discussing what to wear for this odd weather. It started raining the moment we pushed off and it was raining for most of the 4 laps. It didn't matter what you were wearing since it was soaked to the bone after the first lap. Actually, I think it stopped during the final lap, but you really couldn't tell or care at that point.
There were two other team-mates in the group. One guy, Todd, got a flat in the first few miles, but caught back on alittle later (great effort, Todd). It got alittle dicey on the third time up Lee Hill. Went up at a good pace and then everyone let's up at the top. An important time to pay attention since the speed change is dramatic. One guy kissed wheels and took a couple others down about 2 bikes ahead of me. I was glad to make it around that.
I was hanging out towards the middle/back with Todd the first few laps - the smart thing to do. I decided to get alittle closer to the front on the final lap to keep an eye for any breaks. No breaks today - everyone just wanted to get this done. I chased down a couple attacks, legs felt good, and I didn't listen to my smart part of the brain. I found myself pulling these guys up the hills on the backside on the final lap. There is NO reason I should be doing that with these guys - they are way stronger than me. Well, I finally moved to the back for alittle recovery and held on to a few surges.
After the dam I worked my way up towards the front for the infamous Lee HIll. I was 3rd wheel heading up it. About 1/2 way up, my legs remembered that pull on the backside and weren't as frisky as the last 3 times up this hill. I hate that hill (about a 400W effort for 1 minute 1st 3 laps - only managed 350W the last time). It always seems to get 2X steeper on the final lap. So, I faded and lost contact with the pack. Hooked up with 3 guys for a roaring pace line to catch back on - dropped 1 - didn't quite catch them before the finish line.
Last year I always cracked on Lee Hill on that final lap in the cat5 crew, so it happened again. Primary goal for next races....not again......... Good thing I finally start working on those shorter intervals in the training plan this month.
OregonCyclingAction has a good report on the race and some photos.
Good to know a bike designed in sunny Arizona works so well in rain. The VeloVie road like a champ - flawless.
The Masters 1/2/3 field was packed with the big guns in this race. My key take away.... racing with these guys will force me to be a smarter racer.
At the car we were all discussing what to wear for this odd weather. It started raining the moment we pushed off and it was raining for most of the 4 laps. It didn't matter what you were wearing since it was soaked to the bone after the first lap. Actually, I think it stopped during the final lap, but you really couldn't tell or care at that point.
There were two other team-mates in the group. One guy, Todd, got a flat in the first few miles, but caught back on alittle later (great effort, Todd). It got alittle dicey on the third time up Lee Hill. Went up at a good pace and then everyone let's up at the top. An important time to pay attention since the speed change is dramatic. One guy kissed wheels and took a couple others down about 2 bikes ahead of me. I was glad to make it around that.
I was hanging out towards the middle/back with Todd the first few laps - the smart thing to do. I decided to get alittle closer to the front on the final lap to keep an eye for any breaks. No breaks today - everyone just wanted to get this done. I chased down a couple attacks, legs felt good, and I didn't listen to my smart part of the brain. I found myself pulling these guys up the hills on the backside on the final lap. There is NO reason I should be doing that with these guys - they are way stronger than me. Well, I finally moved to the back for alittle recovery and held on to a few surges.
After the dam I worked my way up towards the front for the infamous Lee HIll. I was 3rd wheel heading up it. About 1/2 way up, my legs remembered that pull on the backside and weren't as frisky as the last 3 times up this hill. I hate that hill (about a 400W effort for 1 minute 1st 3 laps - only managed 350W the last time). It always seems to get 2X steeper on the final lap. So, I faded and lost contact with the pack. Hooked up with 3 guys for a roaring pace line to catch back on - dropped 1 - didn't quite catch them before the finish line.
Last year I always cracked on Lee Hill on that final lap in the cat5 crew, so it happened again. Primary goal for next races....not again......... Good thing I finally start working on those shorter intervals in the training plan this month.
OregonCyclingAction has a good report on the race and some photos.
Good to know a bike designed in sunny Arizona works so well in rain. The VeloVie road like a champ - flawless.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Pimp My Ride
This week all the rumors, discussion, and anticipation came true. The FedEx man delivered the newest member of the family (much easier than a delivery room). The new VeloVie arrived - Portland Velo Team addition.
I went with the Ultegra SL components, Ritchey WCS stem/bar/seatpost, and of course the Reynolds MVC32 PowerTap wheels from last year.
I lost almost 3 lbs overnight. Previous road bike: 19.8lbs. The VeloVie: 17.0lbs.
It looks really fast. Now I just need to train harder to keep up with it.
PezCycling did a review of the Vitesse 300SE
Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.
I went with the Ultegra SL components, Ritchey WCS stem/bar/seatpost, and of course the Reynolds MVC32 PowerTap wheels from last year.
I lost almost 3 lbs overnight. Previous road bike: 19.8lbs. The VeloVie: 17.0lbs.
It looks really fast. Now I just need to train harder to keep up with it.
PezCycling did a review of the Vitesse 300SE
Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Sublimity Road Race
Pissed, disappointed, trashed, confidence, impressed, surprised. A bunch of different thoughts to express this race for me.
Pissed - that I totally cramped up with only about 5 miles left. Didn't have any Hammer products so I really missed those eudrolytes. Oh well, live and learn.
Disappointed - I jumped on a two guy break on the first lap. Ivan and Sal -a couple of Finnagens guys I knew were strong based on a fellow team-mates scouting report. I didn't know the course so I backed off halfway up the steep hill - didn't realize that it ended in 500m and a long downhill after that. That was the winning break. Probably a good choice - first lap and I probably don't have the legs to hang with those guys just yet. I was bummed when another team-mate flatted at lap 1.5 - he was busting them up at the front!!!
Trashed - Wow, that was a tough course. AC intervals on rollers are more fun than on a trainer. 25% of my race was in zone 6 - ouch. I felt good on those hills (probably another reason my legs ceased up at the end).
Confidence - I'm slowly building some confidence in this group. These guys are much more experienced than I am, so I'm happy when they aren't pissed at me for screwing up a line - so far so good. Legs felt pretty good in the hills until the end - I'm pretty sure that was due to not enough calories during the race.
Impressed - Ty had the strongest pull of the day by the entire group on lap 3. Jeff, another team-mate, is way strong - awesome 3rd place result for his first race in quite 9 years (I'm guessing he has alot of race experience in those legs). 2nd race with a breakaway on lap 1 that sticks the entire race - these guys know how to sustain a break. Way cool to see my buddy Evan (Capitol Subaru) with a huge gap on the 1/2 field as we road back - guess he did that for a few laps.
Surprised - I felt like I was DFL when I crossed the line all by myself - my legs were devastated. Just got to remember..... when you're suffering so is everyone else so don't give up.
I believe the consensus of most people was that was one tough course. Take a peek at all the DNFs on the results - ouch!!!
Looking forward to BBWC (Banana Belt World Championships) in March. Let the fun continue.
Pissed - that I totally cramped up with only about 5 miles left. Didn't have any Hammer products so I really missed those eudrolytes. Oh well, live and learn.
Disappointed - I jumped on a two guy break on the first lap. Ivan and Sal -a couple of Finnagens guys I knew were strong based on a fellow team-mates scouting report. I didn't know the course so I backed off halfway up the steep hill - didn't realize that it ended in 500m and a long downhill after that. That was the winning break. Probably a good choice - first lap and I probably don't have the legs to hang with those guys just yet. I was bummed when another team-mate flatted at lap 1.5 - he was busting them up at the front!!!
Trashed - Wow, that was a tough course. AC intervals on rollers are more fun than on a trainer. 25% of my race was in zone 6 - ouch. I felt good on those hills (probably another reason my legs ceased up at the end).
Confidence - I'm slowly building some confidence in this group. These guys are much more experienced than I am, so I'm happy when they aren't pissed at me for screwing up a line - so far so good. Legs felt pretty good in the hills until the end - I'm pretty sure that was due to not enough calories during the race.
Impressed - Ty had the strongest pull of the day by the entire group on lap 3. Jeff, another team-mate, is way strong - awesome 3rd place result for his first race in quite 9 years (I'm guessing he has alot of race experience in those legs). 2nd race with a breakaway on lap 1 that sticks the entire race - these guys know how to sustain a break. Way cool to see my buddy Evan (Capitol Subaru) with a huge gap on the 1/2 field as we road back - guess he did that for a few laps.
Surprised - I felt like I was DFL when I crossed the line all by myself - my legs were devastated. Just got to remember..... when you're suffering so is everyone else so don't give up.
I believe the consensus of most people was that was one tough course. Take a peek at all the DNFs on the results - ouch!!!
Looking forward to BBWC (Banana Belt World Championships) in March. Let the fun continue.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Cherry Pie Road Race
Cherry Pie is always the race to kick off the Oregon road racing season. Well, I decide to join a couple teammates in the Masters 40+ Open field since Portland Velo was well represented in category 4 . I was quite nervous about this decision after looking at some of the names pre-registered in this group. Basically, many of these guys were Cat 1-2 racers in their younger years. My plan to was to "hang in" and learn from the experience.
Dave was my only teammate in the race and he is a well experienced racer from California. During the rollout, Dave says "follow any break with ZTeam and Hutchs" since they had the biggest team representation. I don't think either of us expected a 2 man break on mile 2 would hold. But the "big dog" Karsten from Z team and a Hutchs guy were there. Perfect tatics since the 2 big seems just hung out on that first lap.
I just "hung out" the first lap towards the back. I was impressed with the "steady wheels" in this group. I didn't notice any close calls and folks were friendly. I got to get the scoop on the season of Velo TV from Sal as we chatted in the back. I climbed the hill just fine on the 1st lap and was feeling very good after lap 1. I noted that Dave was racing very smart in the front - 6 to 10 wheels back and not doing too much work.
Lap 2 I decided to get up front and "hang out" with Dave. It was relatively easy to move around this pack with only ~30 folks. Towards the front, I got "caught up" in cat/mouse games at the front. What the hell, it was fun. Dave and I were jumping on attacks, closing gaps, and did a couple attacks ourselves. The Z Team and Hutchs boys were chasing down every attack - perfect "decoy" tatics. So, we tried to get some other teams in breaks, but it wasn't happening.
My key error during the race was chasing down a 3 man break on the last lap with about 5 miles to go. I caught them and then "paid the price" as I slipped off the back with 4-5 other guys as the pack surged. Nice timing, Paul!!!!
That's when the AZ training kicked in and I organized a 3 man rotating paceline to catch the pack. 30 seconds pulls for a 10 minutes of threshold intervals. We did it. That was the victory of the day. Of course, I had nothing left for the hill, but I didn't care. I was able to "hang with" the pack until the finish.
Now I remember why I spend time on the trainer at 5am - thanks Cherry Pie. :-)
The local Corvallis newspaper did a story.... Sweet Ride
OBRA results posted at OBRA (at least I wasn't DFL).
Dave was my only teammate in the race and he is a well experienced racer from California. During the rollout, Dave says "follow any break with ZTeam and Hutchs" since they had the biggest team representation. I don't think either of us expected a 2 man break on mile 2 would hold. But the "big dog" Karsten from Z team and a Hutchs guy were there. Perfect tatics since the 2 big seems just hung out on that first lap.
I just "hung out" the first lap towards the back. I was impressed with the "steady wheels" in this group. I didn't notice any close calls and folks were friendly. I got to get the scoop on the season of Velo TV from Sal as we chatted in the back. I climbed the hill just fine on the 1st lap and was feeling very good after lap 1. I noted that Dave was racing very smart in the front - 6 to 10 wheels back and not doing too much work.
Lap 2 I decided to get up front and "hang out" with Dave. It was relatively easy to move around this pack with only ~30 folks. Towards the front, I got "caught up" in cat/mouse games at the front. What the hell, it was fun. Dave and I were jumping on attacks, closing gaps, and did a couple attacks ourselves. The Z Team and Hutchs boys were chasing down every attack - perfect "decoy" tatics. So, we tried to get some other teams in breaks, but it wasn't happening.
My key error during the race was chasing down a 3 man break on the last lap with about 5 miles to go. I caught them and then "paid the price" as I slipped off the back with 4-5 other guys as the pack surged. Nice timing, Paul!!!!
That's when the AZ training kicked in and I organized a 3 man rotating paceline to catch the pack. 30 seconds pulls for a 10 minutes of threshold intervals. We did it. That was the victory of the day. Of course, I had nothing left for the hill, but I didn't care. I was able to "hang with" the pack until the finish.
Now I remember why I spend time on the trainer at 5am - thanks Cherry Pie. :-)
The local Corvallis newspaper did a story.... Sweet Ride
OBRA results posted at OBRA (at least I wasn't DFL).
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Mt Lemmon Video
Here's a video on the ride on Mount Lemmon.
I purchased the GoPro camera at Interbike last year. This was the first time I used the handlebar mount. Heidi mounted her camera on the helmet. She did a great job editing the video - that's wear all the work is done. She has a blog on WEND magazine which is totally worth checking out.
I purchased the GoPro camera at Interbike last year. This was the first time I used the handlebar mount. Heidi mounted her camera on the helmet. She did a great job editing the video - that's wear all the work is done. She has a blog on WEND magazine which is totally worth checking out.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Cycling House - Day 5 - Madera Canyon
Earlier in the week there was talk about attending the weekly Saturday ride in Tucson called "The Shootout". This is a long standing ride were local cyclists and visiting pros "lay it down" in the early morning when the streets are empty. Our group wasn't even thinking about this ride after conquering Mt Lemmon yesterday.
We headed out to Madera Canyon. We took the shuttle to get on the south side of town and unloaded at a local gas station. We rolled out downhill straight into a strong headwind and stayed as group. We made a brief stop at the gelato shop before the climb.
We rolled out as a group and the climb started at a 1-2% grade. I threw out a "flyer" and held off a short solo break to get things rolling. I sat up and the chase group of 5 caught me and I jumped on the train. It was a worthy group and we did a rotating paceline for a few miles before I decided to save some for the rest of the climb. We made a big gap on the rest of the group.
I stopped at the van to top off the water bottles and watched 4-5 people catch up and pass on by. Owen was taking photos and got a couple that will definitely be on computer desktop for awhile. "Looks like I got some work to do to catch up", I said. Owen gave me the thumbs up to get it done. I held a sub threshold pace for 3-4 miles to catch them. I knew I had to do it before it got steep.
The road started to head up after I caught them. It was a "solo" hill for all of us. We all had 5 days of long rides in our legs and the road started to pitch up 10-15%. Everyone has their own method of keeping the cranks turning over on that type of climb. As I turned one corner I saw a fellow lounging on the deck of a bed and breakfast enjoying the sun. I was thinking, "that's what I really should be doing". However, the road kept climbing up.
I thought I was going to fall over at one point as the road got to it's steepest point. I made it around the next corner and saw Owen waving with the camera in hand. YES, the finish was in sight and that gave me the strength to stand on the pedals and finish it off for a few good photos.
We all gathered at the top - totally exhausted and so glad that was over. We refilled the bottles and put on the arm warmers for the decent down the hill. We all decided to end the ride at the gelato shop. The last stretch of the week. That meant..... GAME ON again.
The quick decenders headed down the hill and topped speeds at 53mph. I hit about 46mph in the steep section. I caught up to a couple guys when things started to flatten out at the 2-3% grade. One of the Cycling House boys blew by us after a few minutes. I knew that was the wheel I needed to catch. I jumped and punched those pedals to grab his wheel. I hung on and enjoyed the wind break for awhile as I catched my breath. We then started trading quick 30-60 second pulls. The power meter went from 340W at the front down to 100W when in the slipstream. We were making progress on the 2 guys ahead of us and we tried our best to catch them before the gelato shop. We didn't get them but it was a great effort to end the day. It was good to hear they were burying themselves to try to catch the group ahead of them.
Fantastic week of riding. No doubt the most hard miles I've done in a week. Should be an excellent base for the rest of the season.
Totals for the week.....
Elevation: ~21,000 feet
Ride Time: 15.5 hours
Distance: 260 miles
We headed out to Madera Canyon. We took the shuttle to get on the south side of town and unloaded at a local gas station. We rolled out downhill straight into a strong headwind and stayed as group. We made a brief stop at the gelato shop before the climb.
We rolled out as a group and the climb started at a 1-2% grade. I threw out a "flyer" and held off a short solo break to get things rolling. I sat up and the chase group of 5 caught me and I jumped on the train. It was a worthy group and we did a rotating paceline for a few miles before I decided to save some for the rest of the climb. We made a big gap on the rest of the group.
I stopped at the van to top off the water bottles and watched 4-5 people catch up and pass on by. Owen was taking photos and got a couple that will definitely be on computer desktop for awhile. "Looks like I got some work to do to catch up", I said. Owen gave me the thumbs up to get it done. I held a sub threshold pace for 3-4 miles to catch them. I knew I had to do it before it got steep.
The road started to head up after I caught them. It was a "solo" hill for all of us. We all had 5 days of long rides in our legs and the road started to pitch up 10-15%. Everyone has their own method of keeping the cranks turning over on that type of climb. As I turned one corner I saw a fellow lounging on the deck of a bed and breakfast enjoying the sun. I was thinking, "that's what I really should be doing". However, the road kept climbing up.
I thought I was going to fall over at one point as the road got to it's steepest point. I made it around the next corner and saw Owen waving with the camera in hand. YES, the finish was in sight and that gave me the strength to stand on the pedals and finish it off for a few good photos.
We all gathered at the top - totally exhausted and so glad that was over. We refilled the bottles and put on the arm warmers for the decent down the hill. We all decided to end the ride at the gelato shop. The last stretch of the week. That meant..... GAME ON again.
The quick decenders headed down the hill and topped speeds at 53mph. I hit about 46mph in the steep section. I caught up to a couple guys when things started to flatten out at the 2-3% grade. One of the Cycling House boys blew by us after a few minutes. I knew that was the wheel I needed to catch. I jumped and punched those pedals to grab his wheel. I hung on and enjoyed the wind break for awhile as I catched my breath. We then started trading quick 30-60 second pulls. The power meter went from 340W at the front down to 100W when in the slipstream. We were making progress on the 2 guys ahead of us and we tried our best to catch them before the gelato shop. We didn't get them but it was a great effort to end the day. It was good to hear they were burying themselves to try to catch the group ahead of them.
Fantastic week of riding. No doubt the most hard miles I've done in a week. Should be an excellent base for the rest of the season.
Totals for the week.....
Elevation: ~21,000 feet
Ride Time: 15.5 hours
Distance: 260 miles
Friday, February 06, 2009
Cycling House - Day 4 - Squeeze the Lemmon
Yesterday was a well needed "rest day" in preparation for today. We rode 2 hours and took a nice endurance pace ride in the sun. Fanastic accomplishment since typically someone throws down a couple attacks during a group recovery ride. However, we all knew the next day was a big climb, so we took it mellow. Dinner was red meat and red wine followed by a kick ass mountain bike video - The Collective. A very "pro" recovery day.
Today's goal was Mt Lemmon. The "crown jewel" of long climbs in the Tucson area. Needless to say, it didn't dissappoint. Starting in the desert at ~2500' covered with cactus and climbing 21 miles at 4-5% to an alpine forest even with some snow at ~8100'.
We rode about 10 miles out to the base of the mountain. And that's where I threw out the book on good hill climb strategy of "don't start out to hot and build up". I hadn't completed a good 20 minute threshold test in over a month and I was feeling good, so what the hell. What an AWESOME location to do a hard interval. I knocked out a personal best (303 W), so I was happy with that.
Well, of course I was alittle concerned about "blowing out" to early. I was drinking my liquids and sucking down my "fuel" and it never happen. I was really happy with that.
The temperature dropped considerably after the Windy Point visitor center. Damn, it was getting cold. Kept on pedaling and saw the boys hanging out at the support van at the top. A welcome sight since the van had all the warm weather gear for the ride down.
I turned on the camera mounted to the handlebars (link to video coming later) and we sped down the hill. Totally awesome descent.
An EPIC ride here in the valley of the sun. I can really get used to this!!!!!
Ride Time: ~4.5 hours
Distance: 63 miles
Elevation Gain: 6786 feet
Saturday is another day with a good climb...... Madera Canyon
Today's goal was Mt Lemmon. The "crown jewel" of long climbs in the Tucson area. Needless to say, it didn't dissappoint. Starting in the desert at ~2500' covered with cactus and climbing 21 miles at 4-5% to an alpine forest even with some snow at ~8100'.
We rode about 10 miles out to the base of the mountain. And that's where I threw out the book on good hill climb strategy of "don't start out to hot and build up". I hadn't completed a good 20 minute threshold test in over a month and I was feeling good, so what the hell. What an AWESOME location to do a hard interval. I knocked out a personal best (303 W), so I was happy with that.
Well, of course I was alittle concerned about "blowing out" to early. I was drinking my liquids and sucking down my "fuel" and it never happen. I was really happy with that.
The temperature dropped considerably after the Windy Point visitor center. Damn, it was getting cold. Kept on pedaling and saw the boys hanging out at the support van at the top. A welcome sight since the van had all the warm weather gear for the ride down.
I turned on the camera mounted to the handlebars (link to video coming later) and we sped down the hill. Totally awesome descent.
An EPIC ride here in the valley of the sun. I can really get used to this!!!!!
Ride Time: ~4.5 hours
Distance: 63 miles
Elevation Gain: 6786 feet
Saturday is another day with a good climb...... Madera Canyon
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Cycling House - Day 2 - Gates Pass
Yesterday after the ride of course my legs felt like rocks. Good thing we had a fanastic dinner to help the recovery process. We also had a living room discussion about nutrition on the bike. This was led by Russell Cree of Upper Echelon Fitness. Cycling House has Hammer Nutrition as a sponsor and have the products we can try out. The key tip I learned was to separate your fuels: hydration, electrolytes, and calories. The cool thing was being able to put the learning into action the next day during the ride. I thought it worked well.
Today we headed to the east side of town for a ride on Gates Pass. Tucson streets are a big grid with strip mall after strip mall. So, luckily we loaded the van to cross that mess.
We started the ride as a group and then the road headed up to Gates Pass. That's when the hammer was thrown - hell with the warm up. BigRing Ben lead the charge up to the top and finished very strong. I had to taper off with about a 1/4 mile to go and the top in sight since my voice of reason said "Zone 6 this early in the ride might not be a good idea". We descended a killer decent - one of those you wished was alot longer.
We did some loops on the other side that included alot of rollers. The decents were fast and we "spun out" the chain as we reached 40mph+.
At one point we did an out and back road on some rough pavement. We looked down at our power meters and said "wow, 25mph and only 60W". We all knew the ride back was going to be bruttal with numbers like that when the tailwind became a headwind. It was time for a SST (sweet spot training) ride back in the wind and up the road.
We stopped for water and got back on the bikes to head back on the steep side of Gates Pass. I was feeling alittle weary all the sudden, so I grabbed that "fueling" bottle of Hammer Perpetuem and took a few long pulls. I was feeling much better at the base. Pull off a strong climb, but I just couldn't hold onto BigRing's wheel once again (must have been all that pulling at the front I was doing during the day).
Once again a fantastic day on the bike. Tomorrow is "planned" to be an easier ride since Friday and Saturday are the big climbing days.
Distance: 50 miles
Elevation Gain: 4100ft'
Ride Time: ~3 hours
Today we headed to the east side of town for a ride on Gates Pass. Tucson streets are a big grid with strip mall after strip mall. So, luckily we loaded the van to cross that mess.
We started the ride as a group and then the road headed up to Gates Pass. That's when the hammer was thrown - hell with the warm up. BigRing Ben lead the charge up to the top and finished very strong. I had to taper off with about a 1/4 mile to go and the top in sight since my voice of reason said "Zone 6 this early in the ride might not be a good idea". We descended a killer decent - one of those you wished was alot longer.
We did some loops on the other side that included alot of rollers. The decents were fast and we "spun out" the chain as we reached 40mph+.
At one point we did an out and back road on some rough pavement. We looked down at our power meters and said "wow, 25mph and only 60W". We all knew the ride back was going to be bruttal with numbers like that when the tailwind became a headwind. It was time for a SST (sweet spot training) ride back in the wind and up the road.
We stopped for water and got back on the bikes to head back on the steep side of Gates Pass. I was feeling alittle weary all the sudden, so I grabbed that "fueling" bottle of Hammer Perpetuem and took a few long pulls. I was feeling much better at the base. Pull off a strong climb, but I just couldn't hold onto BigRing's wheel once again (must have been all that pulling at the front I was doing during the day).
Once again a fantastic day on the bike. Tomorrow is "planned" to be an easier ride since Friday and Saturday are the big climbing days.
Distance: 50 miles
Elevation Gain: 4100ft'
Ride Time: ~3 hours
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Cycling House - Day 1 - Saguaro Park
I arrived at the Cycling House in Tucson on Monday evening. Great 3000+ sqft house in NE Tucson area at the base of the mountains. Desert, coyotes, and ALOT of cactus. The trip started great with an awesome salmon dinner. We reassembled the bikes and got them ride ready.
Our hosts include a few national pro road and mountain bike racers. So, these guides are more than worthy and full of knowledge. I just hope to gleam a small amount of their "tricks of the trade" this week.
Tuesday started with a nice breakfast and we rolled out. We headed SE through town and out to Old Spanish Trail Road. We made a brief stop and started the climb for the day. It started out with an attack from a couple boys blowing out the cobwebs. 5 of us started a rotating paceline to catch them and we were making good progress.
Then, the wind started to blow. A headwind. A good 20-30mph at times. Our paceline broke up and Ty and I were exchanging pulls into the wind. I think we were holding our own very well since we kept pace with the boys up the road that included the legs of one of the national pros pulling the train. We turned the corner for another mile of climbing and the headwind turned into a nasty cross wind. Whoa, that breeze can blow you over when you have the 32mm wheels.
We regrouped and the top and had alittle re-fueling break and headed down the hill. I'm not sure if it was the smooth wind, the tail wind, smooth road, or a combination of them all - but we were smoking. I'm not sure if a 20 minute threshold pace going downhill was the best idea since we have 4 more days of riding, but DAMN it was fun.
We finished up with an 8 mile loop in the Saguaro National Park . Wow, what a beautiful ride. 1 way traffic with rollers and alot of prickly cactus on the side.
Elevation Gain: 3780
Ride Time: ~3.5 hours
Miles: ~60 miles
Personal Records: I'm sure everyone broke a couple today - must be the Vitamin D overload!
Created with flickr slideshow.
Our hosts include a few national pro road and mountain bike racers. So, these guides are more than worthy and full of knowledge. I just hope to gleam a small amount of their "tricks of the trade" this week.
Tuesday started with a nice breakfast and we rolled out. We headed SE through town and out to Old Spanish Trail Road. We made a brief stop and started the climb for the day. It started out with an attack from a couple boys blowing out the cobwebs. 5 of us started a rotating paceline to catch them and we were making good progress.
Then, the wind started to blow. A headwind. A good 20-30mph at times. Our paceline broke up and Ty and I were exchanging pulls into the wind. I think we were holding our own very well since we kept pace with the boys up the road that included the legs of one of the national pros pulling the train. We turned the corner for another mile of climbing and the headwind turned into a nasty cross wind. Whoa, that breeze can blow you over when you have the 32mm wheels.
We regrouped and the top and had alittle re-fueling break and headed down the hill. I'm not sure if it was the smooth wind, the tail wind, smooth road, or a combination of them all - but we were smoking. I'm not sure if a 20 minute threshold pace going downhill was the best idea since we have 4 more days of riding, but DAMN it was fun.
We finished up with an 8 mile loop in the Saguaro National Park . Wow, what a beautiful ride. 1 way traffic with rollers and alot of prickly cactus on the side.
Elevation Gain: 3780
Ride Time: ~3.5 hours
Miles: ~60 miles
Personal Records: I'm sure everyone broke a couple today - must be the Vitamin D overload!
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Rest Week Complete - Back to Work
I finished my 1st 4 week block of this "training plan" with a rest week. My first time trying a plan, and so far so good (I think). This 1st month has been focus on building a base. Mostly zone 2 rides and increased to some upper zone 3 (sweet spot) at the end of the 3 weeks. The workouts weren't really hard, but they were more consistent than I've done in the past. I was doing 7-8 hours on the bike each week. Much more time than last January.
One highlight of the month was a "break-through" for me on yesterday's team ride. I finally achieved a 4 digit number on my power-tap. Hit a peak of 1035W for a couple seconds. It wasn't even a real sprint - just "jumping up" to catch a guy off the front. I only hit ~875 last year at the peak on summer racing. It's not a big number for sprinter folks, but for me it was a step in the right direction. That strength class must be paying off.
I can start to see the benefits of rest/recovery. I definitely feel good on the Saturday ride after a mellow day on Friday after a week of workouts. I came across an article on Training Peaks that talks about form, fitness, and freshness. The first couple paragraphs get across the point and the rest is details about a charting function in their software.
February brings on the 2nd month of the plan. I'm tossing in a good Monkey wrench by heading to Tucson for a week long training camp at the Cycling House. So, I'll get in a week of major base miles. Looking forward to the good weather, long climbs, and hanging out with cycling friends and crew. The rest of the month starts to incorporate some shorter threshold (zone 4) intervals and mostly longer (2x20 minute) sub-threshold intervals. Looking ahead to March, this is all in preparation for the hard work in March and April (20 min threshold).
Sounds like the VeloVie bike was delayed due to painting and Chinese New Year. Hope to see it in the next couple weeks.
One highlight of the month was a "break-through" for me on yesterday's team ride. I finally achieved a 4 digit number on my power-tap. Hit a peak of 1035W for a couple seconds. It wasn't even a real sprint - just "jumping up" to catch a guy off the front. I only hit ~875 last year at the peak on summer racing. It's not a big number for sprinter folks, but for me it was a step in the right direction. That strength class must be paying off.
I can start to see the benefits of rest/recovery. I definitely feel good on the Saturday ride after a mellow day on Friday after a week of workouts. I came across an article on Training Peaks that talks about form, fitness, and freshness. The first couple paragraphs get across the point and the rest is details about a charting function in their software.
February brings on the 2nd month of the plan. I'm tossing in a good Monkey wrench by heading to Tucson for a week long training camp at the Cycling House. So, I'll get in a week of major base miles. Looking forward to the good weather, long climbs, and hanging out with cycling friends and crew. The rest of the month starts to incorporate some shorter threshold (zone 4) intervals and mostly longer (2x20 minute) sub-threshold intervals. Looking ahead to March, this is all in preparation for the hard work in March and April (20 min threshold).
Sounds like the VeloVie bike was delayed due to painting and Chinese New Year. Hope to see it in the next couple weeks.
Friday, January 23, 2009
VeloVie Review
The road bike I have on order finally got an official review. Looks pretty good. I especially like these couple of quotes......
"The 300 SE is basically what happens when you take the already buff Vitesse 300 and make it wash down a couple Viagra with a can of Redbull."
"But it’s definitely in the category of the type of bike best suited to merciless attacking and inflicting pain on one’s friends. "
Here's the link...... VeloVie300SE
Should arrive here in early February. Looking forward to it.
"The 300 SE is basically what happens when you take the already buff Vitesse 300 and make it wash down a couple Viagra with a can of Redbull."
"But it’s definitely in the category of the type of bike best suited to merciless attacking and inflicting pain on one’s friends. "
Here's the link...... VeloVie300SE
Should arrive here in early February. Looking forward to it.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Welcome 2009.....
I'm pumped for 2009. Like many people, I'm pretty happy to get 2008 done and over with. However, 2008 was pretty good for me in the cycling arena. So, a couple thoughts to cap off the year....
It was my first year road racing. I joined the road race team of Portland Velo and did a variety of races for the experience and training. I was fortunate to stay upright in all my road races - now that's an accomplishment in itself. I won a couple "hot spot" laps during the year on breakaways - one at Sunset Crit and one at PIR. My main goal was to use it to increase my fitness for cross......
Well, the cross season in 2008 was a major improvement from 2007. I raced the same category as last year - Masters C+. My results were much improved, so the road racing plan worked. A highlight was my first ever bike race victory at Krugers Farm Crit #1. That was really awesome to see my name at the top of the results list. I was in the top ten for the other 2 races in that series and got a 2nd place medal.
I was happy with my results in the Cross Crusade series in 2008. In 2007 I was placing 40-60th place out of ~130 riders in my race. In 2008, I placed 11th overall in the series for my category. The highlight was the Astoria Halloween weekend - two races and I place 5th and 6th place.
So, here we are in 2009 - the year of "change" and "yes we can". The PV team has partnered up with a local coaching service, Upper Echelon Fitness. I have no plans to hire a coach full-time, but we have monthly meetings with them to discuss topics. I plan to meet with the coach every 3 months to review my plan for 2009. Having a plan is my big change for 2009. A training plan that is consistent and with training blocks to "peak" for some key races. Talking to the coach just having a plan should help my results a bunch.
Goals for 2009.....
1) Number one goal.... have fun and be safe.
2) Develop and stick with a training plan to measure some results.
3) Training camp in Tucson Arizona - Cycling House. This will be a great way to get in some base miles and get a break from the Oregon winter weather.
4) Willamette Stage Race will be an "A" race for me. Not really to win, but to finish well. It will be my first stage race.
5) B races will be some crits and Mt Tabor throughout the road season. My training time and my interests direct me to the 1 hour races - similar to cross.
6) "A" cross race is Krugers Farm Crit Series. I debated over this series and Cross Crusade and decided on Krugers. It's a fun series, it suits my style, there's about 100 less people in a field, and they have cool medals. I plan to race Masters B+ during cross season.
7) Power goals (us engineers love numbers in our goals).....
5 sec: 1050W (got to break 4 digits on my power meter - really not my thing)
1 min: 540 W (biggest area of improvement, so I don't get dropped like a bag of rocks)
5 min: 400 W
20 min: 310 W (I was 290 peak in 2007, currently at about 285 now)
Here's to 2009. It should be a great "ride". Especially on my new VeloVie that shows up in the next few weeks (I'll post a photo when I have it ready - more sweet wheels and paint job).
It was my first year road racing. I joined the road race team of Portland Velo and did a variety of races for the experience and training. I was fortunate to stay upright in all my road races - now that's an accomplishment in itself. I won a couple "hot spot" laps during the year on breakaways - one at Sunset Crit and one at PIR. My main goal was to use it to increase my fitness for cross......
Well, the cross season in 2008 was a major improvement from 2007. I raced the same category as last year - Masters C+. My results were much improved, so the road racing plan worked. A highlight was my first ever bike race victory at Krugers Farm Crit #1. That was really awesome to see my name at the top of the results list. I was in the top ten for the other 2 races in that series and got a 2nd place medal.
I was happy with my results in the Cross Crusade series in 2008. In 2007 I was placing 40-60th place out of ~130 riders in my race. In 2008, I placed 11th overall in the series for my category. The highlight was the Astoria Halloween weekend - two races and I place 5th and 6th place.
So, here we are in 2009 - the year of "change" and "yes we can". The PV team has partnered up with a local coaching service, Upper Echelon Fitness. I have no plans to hire a coach full-time, but we have monthly meetings with them to discuss topics. I plan to meet with the coach every 3 months to review my plan for 2009. Having a plan is my big change for 2009. A training plan that is consistent and with training blocks to "peak" for some key races. Talking to the coach just having a plan should help my results a bunch.
Goals for 2009.....
1) Number one goal.... have fun and be safe.
2) Develop and stick with a training plan to measure some results.
3) Training camp in Tucson Arizona - Cycling House. This will be a great way to get in some base miles and get a break from the Oregon winter weather.
4) Willamette Stage Race will be an "A" race for me. Not really to win, but to finish well. It will be my first stage race.
5) B races will be some crits and Mt Tabor throughout the road season. My training time and my interests direct me to the 1 hour races - similar to cross.
6) "A" cross race is Krugers Farm Crit Series. I debated over this series and Cross Crusade and decided on Krugers. It's a fun series, it suits my style, there's about 100 less people in a field, and they have cool medals. I plan to race Masters B+ during cross season.
7) Power goals (us engineers love numbers in our goals).....
5 sec: 1050W (got to break 4 digits on my power meter - really not my thing)
1 min: 540 W (biggest area of improvement, so I don't get dropped like a bag of rocks)
5 min: 400 W
20 min: 310 W (I was 290 peak in 2007, currently at about 285 now)
Here's to 2009. It should be a great "ride". Especially on my new VeloVie that shows up in the next few weeks (I'll post a photo when I have it ready - more sweet wheels and paint job).
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Thankful for a "no-chain" ride today
Wow, I had a "no-chain" ride today. They don't happen very often, but when they do it's just like magic. Everything just clicks, your bike feels great, and your legs are turning those pedals like there is "no chain". The ride only lasted 2 hours, but I felt like I could just go all day long. Not sure what it was.....
- Maybe it was the great sunny crisp fall day.
- Maybe it was riding my road bike on the road and not a trainer for the 1st time in 3 months.
- Maybe it was that the Beavers won a great football game last night by determination and not giving up in the last minutes when all looked doom and gloom.
- Maybe it was not having knobby cross tires under me.
- Maybe it was the 1st day my legs didn't ache walking up the stairs after my 1st "house of pain" strength class last week.
- Maybe it was not being in a race.
- Maybe it was my first road ride on my bike since a bike fit by Russell C. It felt like a rocket ship in the corners (he dropped my handlebars 8mm).
- Maybe it was my new road shoes feeling good and not getting cold toes.
- Maybe it was my PV kit - they are know to provide superhuman strength at times.
- Maybe it was riding some roads in my old stompin' grounds I haven't ridden for 6 months.
Maybe it was all of these, some of these, or just one. It doesn't really matter. The key was that I realized a "no-chain" day was happening and I just enjoyed the ride.
Have a great Turkey Day and remember there are always many things to be thankful for.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Crusade Finale
The final race of the Cross Crusade was at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Hillsboro. I'm guessing these fairground are just dying for some money, so they turn out to be easy venues for the organizers to setup. It was a "double points" race since it was the last one. I knew I had to do well and get some points this race since I was just out of the points the last 2 races.
I was expecting a flat power course since it was at the fairgrounds and that's what it was. The biggest elevation gain was the bark dust pile they had us ride over in front of the team tent. There was gravel roads, lots of bumpy grass, 1 barn, 1 set of six-pack barriers, and a rodeo pen. The rodeo pen was the highlight since it was full of mud and water. I ran it 3/4 way all the laps, just like everyone else. Luckily, it wasn't the 1/4 mile run that we did the other week at PIR.
I started in the 2nd row of the call up - an excellent spot. It was the same crew at the front of the line. It's fun getting to know these guys, chatting at the lineup, and racing them each week. We're in masters crowd, so all are 35+ probably have a real job, kids, etc. - just like me. Everyone is friendly and out to have a safe and good time racing hard. We're "weekend warriors" that train all week long for this stuff.
I was sitting nicely in the top 5 on the paceline the first part of the lap. I knew I had to "suck some wheel" and just hang in. I was feeling great. However, disaster struck at the first round of the barriers - I caught my foot and fell. Luckily, it was on grass and no pain so I got up and actually recovered really well. We had a good gap so maybe 1 guy passed me. I rode hard to catch up to the paceline and did it.
The 1st round on the rodeo pen was challenging. Rode about 1/4 way and then started running. I know the running is my weakness - I really can't train it much due to my knees. So, my plan was small quick steps and don't pass - just maintain. I did alright. Luckily it was just around the pen and not very far.
The second lap I was hanging with the top 5 crew. However, disaster showed up again after the rodeo pen. I remounted my bike and no chain - must have drop in the pen. Took me way too long to get it back on - a few guys passed me.
Third lap I was needing some recovery so I jumped on the wheel of a guy that passed me. I figured I was sitting in the top 15 at that point. I got some good rest, but probably alittle too much. We weren't making fast enough progress on the guys ahead of us. Third time in the pen and I heard/saw Denise and Luke and they gave me some needed inspiration. I felt good coming out of the pen since I didn't push it too hard running. It was 1 lap to go and it was time to lay down some hammer.
I was in the big ring (cross chaining 48x25) most of the race and it got me over the bumpy section well. I took 1 or 2 guys in that section. I think I got 2 other guys on the final lap. I finished hard as I could running in the pen 1 last time. My goal was to not let anyone pass me in there - goal accomplished.
I missed 10th place by 2 seconds and finished 11th with points. I guess I rested alittle too much that third lap.
Great photos at PDXCROSS. Yes, I'm in #10.
I was expecting a flat power course since it was at the fairgrounds and that's what it was. The biggest elevation gain was the bark dust pile they had us ride over in front of the team tent. There was gravel roads, lots of bumpy grass, 1 barn, 1 set of six-pack barriers, and a rodeo pen. The rodeo pen was the highlight since it was full of mud and water. I ran it 3/4 way all the laps, just like everyone else. Luckily, it wasn't the 1/4 mile run that we did the other week at PIR.
I started in the 2nd row of the call up - an excellent spot. It was the same crew at the front of the line. It's fun getting to know these guys, chatting at the lineup, and racing them each week. We're in masters crowd, so all are 35+ probably have a real job, kids, etc. - just like me. Everyone is friendly and out to have a safe and good time racing hard. We're "weekend warriors" that train all week long for this stuff.
I was sitting nicely in the top 5 on the paceline the first part of the lap. I knew I had to "suck some wheel" and just hang in. I was feeling great. However, disaster struck at the first round of the barriers - I caught my foot and fell. Luckily, it was on grass and no pain so I got up and actually recovered really well. We had a good gap so maybe 1 guy passed me. I rode hard to catch up to the paceline and did it.
The 1st round on the rodeo pen was challenging. Rode about 1/4 way and then started running. I know the running is my weakness - I really can't train it much due to my knees. So, my plan was small quick steps and don't pass - just maintain. I did alright. Luckily it was just around the pen and not very far.
The second lap I was hanging with the top 5 crew. However, disaster showed up again after the rodeo pen. I remounted my bike and no chain - must have drop in the pen. Took me way too long to get it back on - a few guys passed me.
Third lap I was needing some recovery so I jumped on the wheel of a guy that passed me. I figured I was sitting in the top 15 at that point. I got some good rest, but probably alittle too much. We weren't making fast enough progress on the guys ahead of us. Third time in the pen and I heard/saw Denise and Luke and they gave me some needed inspiration. I felt good coming out of the pen since I didn't push it too hard running. It was 1 lap to go and it was time to lay down some hammer.
I was in the big ring (cross chaining 48x25) most of the race and it got me over the bumpy section well. I took 1 or 2 guys in that section. I think I got 2 other guys on the final lap. I finished hard as I could running in the pen 1 last time. My goal was to not let anyone pass me in there - goal accomplished.
I missed 10th place by 2 seconds and finished 11th with points. I guess I rested alittle too much that third lap.
Great photos at PDXCROSS. Yes, I'm in #10.
The Crusade is now over. I'm tired, so I'm glad I really don't have to race anymore. I'll probably do the USGP on 12/5-12/6 when the big pros are in town. But, it will be just for fun.
I'm very happy with the progress I made this year. Last year I was 40-60th place and this year I was competing for the top 10. My entire reason for starting road racing this year was to get better fitness for cross season. Well, I'd say it worked.
Road racing is fun, but there is no comparison to cross racing. Cross racing is an amazing scene in PDX. It is popular, fun, addictive, a great social scene after the race. You don't find that in any other bike racing. Yes, it can be a "zoo" out there, but as long as you remember it's for fun - you're going to have a great time and get a good workout also.
Next year, I plan to move up a category to the Master B. These are typically cat 3 road racers and much faster guys. They just started posting times the last few races. My times would put me in the 30-40 range. So, I know I'll need to work hard next road season. Cross is my motivation.
Keep the rubber side down.............
Monday, November 03, 2008
Barton Park EATS You Up
Well, Sunday was the 1st "official" cross race of the season since mother nature finally bestowed conditions worthy of a cross race. Wow, talk about a change to the racing.
I started the day with a pre-ride of the course prior to any racing starting. It had rained the evening before and there was standing water and the dirt sections were soft mud. The course is at Barton Park / gravel quarry next door. There is quite a bit of gravel roads, pavement in the park, single track, and the "pit". The "pit" is inside of the gravel pit and consists of gravel roads, 2 substantial run-ups, 1 straight steep ride down, and 1 off-camber squirrly ride down.
Well, I started at the front of the line today (with about 140 riders behind me - the largest field yet for Master C group). I "lit up" fast and led the group most of the 1st lap. I eased up after the road section since everyone was sucking my wheel and I "broke wind" for the top ten group.
The course was considerably different when we rode after ~300 racers in the previous 2 races. The mud was wetter/slicker and more exciting. A fellow fell right in front of me in the tight tree section. I couldn't avoid him and went down. Took me too long to get up and regroup. I probably lost about 15 spots. My brain wasn't quite in the race after that. I found myself hesitant and lost my "mojo". The rest of the race was "get this thing done" and keep safe.
A couple key lessons learned this race....
1) Don't lead the pack too early. It would make much more sense to pick the top 3 riders and stick with them at all costs. Let them "break the wind" since they are the top dogs. The key to these races is "hanging on" the 1st lap and then being strong the final laps. The race strings out after that 1st lap.
2) To have a top 5 finish, you need to avoid bad luck. However, that's not going to happen every race (especially in slippery conditions). That's OK. The key is to RECOVER from that set-back and get your mind back into the race as quickly as possible. I failed to do that on Sunday. My fitness wasn't the issue - my head was the problem.
Live and learn for next time.
The course got more slippery as the day continued. Looking at OBRA emails, there were 3 broken/separated shoulders and 1 guy got plastic surgery from that off camber descent. The descents on this course are always tricky. The key is to play in safe as possible in these "high risk" areas. Speedy recovery to those fallen racers.
Check out these great photos at pdxcross
I started the day with a pre-ride of the course prior to any racing starting. It had rained the evening before and there was standing water and the dirt sections were soft mud. The course is at Barton Park / gravel quarry next door. There is quite a bit of gravel roads, pavement in the park, single track, and the "pit". The "pit" is inside of the gravel pit and consists of gravel roads, 2 substantial run-ups, 1 straight steep ride down, and 1 off-camber squirrly ride down.
Well, I started at the front of the line today (with about 140 riders behind me - the largest field yet for Master C group). I "lit up" fast and led the group most of the 1st lap. I eased up after the road section since everyone was sucking my wheel and I "broke wind" for the top ten group.
The course was considerably different when we rode after ~300 racers in the previous 2 races. The mud was wetter/slicker and more exciting. A fellow fell right in front of me in the tight tree section. I couldn't avoid him and went down. Took me too long to get up and regroup. I probably lost about 15 spots. My brain wasn't quite in the race after that. I found myself hesitant and lost my "mojo". The rest of the race was "get this thing done" and keep safe.
A couple key lessons learned this race....
1) Don't lead the pack too early. It would make much more sense to pick the top 3 riders and stick with them at all costs. Let them "break the wind" since they are the top dogs. The key to these races is "hanging on" the 1st lap and then being strong the final laps. The race strings out after that 1st lap.
2) To have a top 5 finish, you need to avoid bad luck. However, that's not going to happen every race (especially in slippery conditions). That's OK. The key is to RECOVER from that set-back and get your mind back into the race as quickly as possible. I failed to do that on Sunday. My fitness wasn't the issue - my head was the problem.
Live and learn for next time.
The course got more slippery as the day continued. Looking at OBRA emails, there were 3 broken/separated shoulders and 1 guy got plastic surgery from that off camber descent. The descents on this course are always tricky. The key is to play in safe as possible in these "high risk" areas. Speedy recovery to those fallen racers.
Check out these great photos at pdxcross
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