The race is over and I, as many before me have stated, have a greater appreciation for what it is to race the Ironman World Championships. The race is on another level from every aspect. While I didnt have the race that I am capable I could I have enough respect for the sport, my competitors and the race to finish even if it meant walking in the dark.
Before the race I felt really good about my preparation leading up to the event and was feeling as though a top 20, and possibly a top 15, was well within my reach if everything went to plan. Needless to say it didnt. I will spare the details of the swim and sum it up by saying I need to figure out how to stave off leg cramps in the water.
Exiting the water in just over 75min doesnt do much for the morale but I am used to racing from behind and was ready to go for broke on the bike to make up some time. I was ticking off the miles quite easily on the way out to Hawi and felt great. By the turn around I was on pace for a 4:45 bike and still had enough in the tank for the way back to Kona. My Quarq Cinqo powermeter was working flawlessly and my avg wattage was exactly where it needed to be. Then, after turning back on the Queen K the wheels came off. I had been feeling really good but realized I hadnt eaten enough and quickly downed my whole bottle of nutrition. This brought me back to normal but at that point it was probably too late. I tried to maintain an even tempo into the headwind around Kohala but I my energy was just not there. I had no fatigue in my legs but just wasnt able to get the power to the pedals. Just past the airport the wind turned to a cross and the speed came back a little but it was a little too late with only 5 miles to T2.
On the run I got a little caught up in the excitement and ran the first 5k in just over 18 min- WAY too fast. By mile 4 I was walking. I have had issues in the past with asthma but hadnt experienced any for the entire season so I didnt pack my inhaler. Mistake number...I lost count. The rest of the run turned into a walk/run between aid stations. I was able to run until my body's need for oxygen surpassed my lungs limited ability to supply it.
As I stated earlier I now have a greater respect for this race. I didnt have the race I wanted but can make no excuses for my performance. I will leave Hawaii knowing what I need to do to come back and race well. To those with aspirations of competing in the IMWC remember that just getting here is an accomplishment but now that I have there is a score to settle.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Kona at last
After almost a day of sitting in airports, automobiles and cramped airline seats we finally arrived in Hawaii last night and I cant convey how good it feels to be here. It has been a long time since last Sept when I initially qualified for the race at Ironman Wisconsin. Being here after an already great season of racing is, for me, the cherry that tops my sundae. Of course I am not taking the race lightly and have done all I can to get myself ready for what is the greatest test an Ironman can face.
To be here racing this time (I have been here during the race 3 other times) seems almost surreal. I appreciate the level of stress one feels when arriving and can understand why I see so many people on Alii drive running WAY faster than they should be. It is the check and re-check of the body systems so you don't lay in bed at night wondering if you are actually ready. I am not going to follow suit by sprinting up and down the hills on Alii trying to show the other competitors how fit I am but it will be tempting.
Today was just an easy swim and some last minute shopping for the necessary supplies that one inevitably forgets to pack. A short bike ride and 15-20 min run this afternoon and then off to Splash and Dash to watch my young friend Molly start what will assuredly be a long career in Triathlon. Watch out ladies 10 years from now she will be a force to be reckoned with. At the tender age of 5 she is already a fierce competitor. Good Luck Molls!
To be here racing this time (I have been here during the race 3 other times) seems almost surreal. I appreciate the level of stress one feels when arriving and can understand why I see so many people on Alii drive running WAY faster than they should be. It is the check and re-check of the body systems so you don't lay in bed at night wondering if you are actually ready. I am not going to follow suit by sprinting up and down the hills on Alii trying to show the other competitors how fit I am but it will be tempting.
Today was just an easy swim and some last minute shopping for the necessary supplies that one inevitably forgets to pack. A short bike ride and 15-20 min run this afternoon and then off to Splash and Dash to watch my young friend Molly start what will assuredly be a long career in Triathlon. Watch out ladies 10 years from now she will be a force to be reckoned with. At the tender age of 5 she is already a fierce competitor. Good Luck Molls!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Aero watts. Aero whats?
When I first heard that Gear Grinder was working with Blue Cycles and new Blue Triad purchases came with wind tunnel time I got really excited. We are always looking for ways to go faster on the bike and improved aerodynamics equate to free speed so I jumped at the chance to get in the tunnel to see what improvements could be made. So thanks to Blue Cycles and Chance Regina for making this happen.
The A2 wind tunnel, located just outside of Charlotte, NC in Moorseville, is one of the leading wind tunnels for cyclists and triathletes in the country and my experience there made me understand why. The staff has hundreds of hours of experience working with cyclists and triathletes and that knowledge goes a long way when the subtlest changes can improve your wind cheating abilities or make riding downright uncomfortable.
My day started with a 3:00 AM wake up call and short drive to the Milwaukee airport for a 6:10 flight and connecting flight in Atlanta. I got to Charlotte ahead of schedule and made my way through baggage claim and grabbed my bike. It was going flawlessly, or at least I thought it was until I got to Budget, where I made my rental reservation, and there were no cars. I was actually 5th in line at that point and decided to cancel and try to get a car from someone else. Nope. No cars available at the entire airport. (However, at the Thrifty car rental office I ran into Dick Beardsley. I didn't know who he was at the time but he told me he was speaking at the ZAP Fitness camp in Blowing Rock, NC and I later looked him up. We struck up a short conversation and I was on my way. Had I known who he was I would have asked him for a ride.) It was now 12:15 and I had a 1:00 appointment to get to 45 minutes away. My only option seemed to be a taxi. I knew it would be expensive, and it was, but I had no other option if I wanted to keep my appointment. Ninety-five dollars later I was at the A2 wind tunnel and only 15 minutes past the hour. After putting my bike together and doing a short warm up we jumped right into the testing process.
The wind tunnel is a long corridor with giant airplane turbines at one end and intake vents at the other. In the middle was a Computrainer hidden within a round platform with four braces sprouting from the top. The platform rotated to simulate varying degrees of crosswind. Cameras are housed in each of the side walls and ceiling to capture video for later review.
A computer image is projected in front of the rider displaying all the pertinent information like speed, watts, aero watts (which is the amount of power it would take a given rider to pedal at a given speed, in my case it was 30 mph, which is pretty standard,) elapsed time and a few others. The output the rider is most concerned with is watts and aero watts. Each wind tunnel session is a series of short tests. The first few of the tests is to establish a baseline and get the rider antiquated with the process. Then each subsequent test is of a small change in equipment or position and each time you hope to see a lower reading of aero watts. Before each test a 'tare' sample is taken where you sit on your bike in the aero position absolutely still. Then the fans start up and the rider begins pedaling up to and maintains the predetermined wattage, usually just under threshold watts.
For my tests the first change was head position and this ultimately yielded the largest improvement in aero watts at 28. The other changes we played with were aerobar angle, aerobar height, aero pad width, which all told only gave me another 7 aero watts. The last run we did was with a different aero helmet that looked to be a better fit for my position and it was. All told I managed to save myself just under 10% at 30 mph, which anyone will tell you is huge.
When the testing session was over Mike Giraud, the bicycle specialist at A2, made me a DVD of the entire session including a spreadsheet with detailed information on the individual runs as well as 3-point video for each. I haven't had a chance to look over the DVD yet but am eager to see the videos of the different runs and see if there is an obvious visual difference in the positions I was in. From my perspective the new position felt different but not radically so.
At the end of the day the lesson learned was head position and helmet choice can potentially make the biggest difference overnight. Time can be spent to continuously lower the front end of your bike so the shoulders are parallel to your hips like the fastest ProTour riders you see, but for someone focusing on IM distance races that just isn't realistic. Don't forget the riders in the Tour don't have to run a marathon when their finished riding.
Although it was a long day (I didn't get home until after 1AM) and can be quite costly with bike expenses and cab fare I enjoyed my experience greatly. I would recommend it to anyone who is willing to spend the time and money to gain some headway in the largest battle we face when riding our bikes- the wind.
Also- Mike G. was kind enough to give me a ride back to the airport so I didn't have to shell out another Benjamin. So, thanks Mike!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Cold in Coeur d'Alene
The last time I sat down to write was after my lack luster performance down in Nola. While not fully redeeming myself I was able to come back from the worst Ironman swim of my life to post a solid bike and evidently save enough to snag the fastest run of the day (missing the course record by 87 seconds- too bad.Mission accomplished. Ironman CDA is now in the past, I qualified for the World Championships and now have a much bigger fish to fry.
This week I will be enjoying everything I didn't enjoy, in any appreciable volume at least, for the last few months. Then it will be back to training table and a little diet restriction, because I may have gotten away with a 180 lbs frame in 50 degree weather but in Kona Madame Pele wont show me the same gratitude. Its freakin' HOT!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
One in the bag
I recently did the New Orleans 70.3 race and have only one thing to say about it- good to have one in the bag. I wasn't really expecting to have a breakthrough race with the way my early season training has gone but the result always seems to sting a little more when you know it could have been better.
It was my first time to New Orleans and from the moment we landed I would never have thought the whole city was under water such a short time ago. Kudos to all the people who got this city back on its feet. I am now a big fan of Nola, as the natives call it. The people are beyond friendly. We asked someone for directions and got a 15 minute explanation of the best way to go (it took 15 minutes because we had him repeat it 4-5 times.) The city just had this great vibe to it.
Back to the race...
The swim was in Lake Pontchartrain, which from the shore looks like a Great Lake or Ocean, its enormous. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the water. My expectations were that it would be pretty shitty water but it wasn't. It didn't even taste that bad.
The swim was point to point and there was a short bus ride from transition to the park where it started. We skipped the massive line of people waiting for the bus and jogged to the park. I didn't have much time to warm up because of poor planning but didn't care all that much. I jumped in and took a few strokes before the announcer cleared us out for the formal proceedings. After the national anthem we were escorted back into the water for the start. The gun went off and I swam as fast as I could to try to stay in the wake for as long as I could. That lasted about 300 M and after that I was by myself. I can never really tell when there are others around me in the swim. Some people pick their head up and look back at their competitors but I know better than to look back- all my competitors are in front of me. About half way through I noticed that I was being pushed out toward the buoys so I meandered my way back toward the shore. I could feel my right hand locking up as if it was cramping but wasn't. I lost power on my right side because my hand wouldn't stay straight. The last buoy was still pretty far ahead of me, which was a disheartening feeling. Head down, kick, rotate, pull, repeat. There was a short jetty before the last buoy and another 50 M to shore. Coming around the jetty my hand scraped across some sharp rocks and my hand split open, although I didn't realize it at the time. I took a gander at my watch and to my dismay I was well over 30 minutes. I was slightly pissed off and charged through transition trying to make up for lost time. I got to my bike threw on my helmet and went.
My legs were stiff starting out and I knew better than to try to push through it. The lactic acid gods don't like it when you try to do that. I kept the gear light and tried to get the blood circulating in my legs again. After about 2 miles I began to pick off all the women who passed me on the swim (they started 2 min back.) The course was mostly flat save for a few overpasses and was completely closed to traffic. Nice work Bill Burke! The road surface was great and the wind was fairly calm, which made for a fast day. There were a few turn arounds on the course that allowed me to see how far ahead the lead rider was. Chris Lieto was out front by about 12 min after 40 km. I was a little surprised but shouldn't have been as he is one of the fastest cyclists out there. I worked my way through the slower pro men and by the second turn around moved my way up into the top 20. Then the wind picked up and not in our favor. I didn't have a computer on my bike so I had no idea how fast I was going but went from a 53x14 to a 53x17 and a much lower cadence. That's when I really started to feel my WI roots. My back was beginning to show signs of my lack of mileage on the bike. I was forced to stand every 5 or so minutes to stretch- not good. I was able to rally in the last 5 miles knowing that the end was near. My hopes of a 2:10 bike were gone, however.
The second transition went off without a hitch. I did have to put socks on my wet feet, which is always a treat but I got off quickly. As I was working my way through the racks of bikes I heard the announcer say I was 18 minutes down on the leader Lieto. 18 minutes! WTF! Early season race I told myself and kept going.
I was fully expecting to experience some Achilles pain from the start of the run but it actually felt good. I clipped off the first mile just under 6 minutes and thought this might not be as bad as I expected. Then I started feeling the heat a little as it was pushing 85 degrees and I had the wind to my back. After that everything seemed to fall apart. My left quad was dead and every stride felt like a stab wound. I tried to keep my spirits up but that only lasted until mile 7 when my Achilles started to hurt. I walked through that aid station and decided to live to fight another day. From then on my only goal was not to walk for the remaining 6 miles. My pace slowed to 7 min/mi and that's all she wrote. To my surprise I was able to catch 3 more pros in the last 4 miles without even trying. The finish was at Jackson square, pretty much the epicenter of the French Quarter. It was an amazing place to finish. The crowds were 3+ deep for at least 1/2 mile from the line. My last memory of the race was zipping up my jersey before the line, as any good professional would do. :)
It was my first time to New Orleans and from the moment we landed I would never have thought the whole city was under water such a short time ago. Kudos to all the people who got this city back on its feet. I am now a big fan of Nola, as the natives call it. The people are beyond friendly. We asked someone for directions and got a 15 minute explanation of the best way to go (it took 15 minutes because we had him repeat it 4-5 times.) The city just had this great vibe to it.
Back to the race...
The swim was in Lake Pontchartrain, which from the shore looks like a Great Lake or Ocean, its enormous. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the water. My expectations were that it would be pretty shitty water but it wasn't. It didn't even taste that bad.
The swim was point to point and there was a short bus ride from transition to the park where it started. We skipped the massive line of people waiting for the bus and jogged to the park. I didn't have much time to warm up because of poor planning but didn't care all that much. I jumped in and took a few strokes before the announcer cleared us out for the formal proceedings. After the national anthem we were escorted back into the water for the start. The gun went off and I swam as fast as I could to try to stay in the wake for as long as I could. That lasted about 300 M and after that I was by myself. I can never really tell when there are others around me in the swim. Some people pick their head up and look back at their competitors but I know better than to look back- all my competitors are in front of me. About half way through I noticed that I was being pushed out toward the buoys so I meandered my way back toward the shore. I could feel my right hand locking up as if it was cramping but wasn't. I lost power on my right side because my hand wouldn't stay straight. The last buoy was still pretty far ahead of me, which was a disheartening feeling. Head down, kick, rotate, pull, repeat. There was a short jetty before the last buoy and another 50 M to shore. Coming around the jetty my hand scraped across some sharp rocks and my hand split open, although I didn't realize it at the time. I took a gander at my watch and to my dismay I was well over 30 minutes. I was slightly pissed off and charged through transition trying to make up for lost time. I got to my bike threw on my helmet and went.
My legs were stiff starting out and I knew better than to try to push through it. The lactic acid gods don't like it when you try to do that. I kept the gear light and tried to get the blood circulating in my legs again. After about 2 miles I began to pick off all the women who passed me on the swim (they started 2 min back.) The course was mostly flat save for a few overpasses and was completely closed to traffic. Nice work Bill Burke! The road surface was great and the wind was fairly calm, which made for a fast day. There were a few turn arounds on the course that allowed me to see how far ahead the lead rider was. Chris Lieto was out front by about 12 min after 40 km. I was a little surprised but shouldn't have been as he is one of the fastest cyclists out there. I worked my way through the slower pro men and by the second turn around moved my way up into the top 20. Then the wind picked up and not in our favor. I didn't have a computer on my bike so I had no idea how fast I was going but went from a 53x14 to a 53x17 and a much lower cadence. That's when I really started to feel my WI roots. My back was beginning to show signs of my lack of mileage on the bike. I was forced to stand every 5 or so minutes to stretch- not good. I was able to rally in the last 5 miles knowing that the end was near. My hopes of a 2:10 bike were gone, however.
The second transition went off without a hitch. I did have to put socks on my wet feet, which is always a treat but I got off quickly. As I was working my way through the racks of bikes I heard the announcer say I was 18 minutes down on the leader Lieto. 18 minutes! WTF! Early season race I told myself and kept going.
I was fully expecting to experience some Achilles pain from the start of the run but it actually felt good. I clipped off the first mile just under 6 minutes and thought this might not be as bad as I expected. Then I started feeling the heat a little as it was pushing 85 degrees and I had the wind to my back. After that everything seemed to fall apart. My left quad was dead and every stride felt like a stab wound. I tried to keep my spirits up but that only lasted until mile 7 when my Achilles started to hurt. I walked through that aid station and decided to live to fight another day. From then on my only goal was not to walk for the remaining 6 miles. My pace slowed to 7 min/mi and that's all she wrote. To my surprise I was able to catch 3 more pros in the last 4 miles without even trying. The finish was at Jackson square, pretty much the epicenter of the French Quarter. It was an amazing place to finish. The crowds were 3+ deep for at least 1/2 mile from the line. My last memory of the race was zipping up my jersey before the line, as any good professional would do. :)
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Ready...set...
Its been a while since my last post. I think I need to engage in some new and exciting activities so I have something good and interesting to write about other than whether I used peanut butter or cut up a banana in my oatmeal this moring (I did both today folks, how's that for variety.)
My first race is days away and I have to say it really doesn't feel like anything special. I'm not sure if it is because this will be the earliest I have raced in my entire life or because knowing my fitness level isn't 100% I am not putting much pressure on myself to perform. Whatever it may be doesn't matter too much right now. I know I will be plenty amped when I see the likes of Chris McCormack, Craig Alexander and the rest of the elite company racing. At this point I just hope to not embarrass myself too much in my first race back as a pro. Based I where I ended last year with my swimming and cycling I am pleased. My early season, and lingering, injury has, however, put a little damper on my spirits concerning my running ability. Thankfully for me it is a strength of mine so I may be able to fake my way through a little bit. Time will tell.
The good news is I received my new bike from Blue and from the rides I have done on it for the past week I am quite pleased. They really did a great job on their triathlon flagship, the Triad. The only complaint I have so far is it doesn't match our team kit. Otherwise the bike is great and Chance at Blue did a great job getting it to me in time for this race. So a special thanks to Chance for his troubles. I even asked him last minute to switch out my crank (I have been experimenting with a 170mm with positive results) and he got that done too. I did have to assemble the bike myself and it took around 4.5 hours but I wanted to make a few component changes so it worked out in the end.
Quick Movie Review
Monsters vs. Aliens + (good way to distract yourself on the trainer, not an instant classic though)
I love you, Man! ++ (funny and truthful)
Doubt ++ (powerful film)
Milk +++ (great acting)
Last house on the left + (story was decent, acting was mediocre but what would you expect)
Watchmen + (maybe better if I knew the story before)
Echelon Conspiracy - (rip off of Eagle Eye)
Butterfly Effect: Revelation - (should have picked something else)
Knowing + (interesting premise, lame alien interactions)
Zack and Miri make a porno ++ (funny, definitely worth seeing)
Nick and Nora's infinite playlist ++ (I'm a fan of Michael Cera- one funny guy)
Im out!
My first race is days away and I have to say it really doesn't feel like anything special. I'm not sure if it is because this will be the earliest I have raced in my entire life or because knowing my fitness level isn't 100% I am not putting much pressure on myself to perform. Whatever it may be doesn't matter too much right now. I know I will be plenty amped when I see the likes of Chris McCormack, Craig Alexander and the rest of the elite company racing. At this point I just hope to not embarrass myself too much in my first race back as a pro. Based I where I ended last year with my swimming and cycling I am pleased. My early season, and lingering, injury has, however, put a little damper on my spirits concerning my running ability. Thankfully for me it is a strength of mine so I may be able to fake my way through a little bit. Time will tell.
The good news is I received my new bike from Blue and from the rides I have done on it for the past week I am quite pleased. They really did a great job on their triathlon flagship, the Triad. The only complaint I have so far is it doesn't match our team kit. Otherwise the bike is great and Chance at Blue did a great job getting it to me in time for this race. So a special thanks to Chance for his troubles. I even asked him last minute to switch out my crank (I have been experimenting with a 170mm with positive results) and he got that done too. I did have to assemble the bike myself and it took around 4.5 hours but I wanted to make a few component changes so it worked out in the end.
Quick Movie Review
Monsters vs. Aliens + (good way to distract yourself on the trainer, not an instant classic though)
I love you, Man! ++ (funny and truthful)
Doubt ++ (powerful film)
Milk +++ (great acting)
Last house on the left + (story was decent, acting was mediocre but what would you expect)
Watchmen + (maybe better if I knew the story before)
Echelon Conspiracy - (rip off of Eagle Eye)
Butterfly Effect: Revelation - (should have picked something else)
Knowing + (interesting premise, lame alien interactions)
Zack and Miri make a porno ++ (funny, definitely worth seeing)
Nick and Nora's infinite playlist ++ (I'm a fan of Michael Cera- one funny guy)
Im out!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Training in the San Diego sun...Installment 1
I had the privilege of training in San Diego for a few weeks with a friend of mine from Mt. Horeb, Will Smith. Initially we were going to go to Boulder to get out of the Wisconsin winter because we had a place to stay for free but when a similar opportunity presented itself we ditched the Boulder idea. The tickets out there ended up being pretty cheap which made for a fairly inexpensive trip.
This was my second time in San Diego, the first being last year for work and it was just like I remembered- sunny, and warm. The day we got there I was dressed like a person who just came from subzero temps in WI and soon after landing I had to strip off most of what I was wearing to stop the pleasant lather I was working up.
At the airport we experienced the common, odd stares from the majority of onlookers as we wheeled our bike cases through away from baggage claim. It never ceases to amaze me how few people have seen, or know 'what could possibly be in those big boxes?' I am going to start telling people that it is a chemistry set or telescope for looking at other universes because the following conversation would be much easier than explaining how a bike could fit in something 'so small.' I digress.
We did run into a fellow cyclist who offered to abandon his wife and rent a bike to come riding with us. This gentlemen was also kind enough to puff up his chest and tell us all about the days when he used to race against Dave Scott, Scott Tinley, and the boys. He was ranked 15th back then and time trialing was his specialty. He puffed his chest up further when he told us how he liked to try to 'tear the cranks off the bike every time he rode it.' As you can imagine we were both floored by his impressive accolades and quickly bid he and his amber tinted glasses farewell before we could no longer hold back the laughter.
The riding in San Diego county is some of the best I have seen. If you want to ride the flats it is as easy as staying on the coast and bobble-heading your way from beach to beach. If you want hills just head inland and if you want mountains they have those too. The weather there is unreal, enough said about that (it was 13 degrees here today.) The traffic may concern some people and the amount of bicycle related deaths is also a concern but when you put that many people on the road I wouldnt expect there to be any less (I am not trying to be insensitive just logical.)
The first few days were spent off the coast riding up and down the smaller 1 to 3 mile climbs enjoying the warm spell that hit Southern Cali. I would say I enjoyed it too but developed a few pretty bad saddle sores after the first 90 mile day and suffered with it the whole way through. The first Saturday we were there we set out with a local cycling club called Celo (like the instrument) for about 35 miles before turing off and heading to Mt. Palomar. The group ride was more of a social event than a ride. During the first 2:30 hrs we only covered 33 miles. My undercarriage has never hurt so much in my life. It was like sitting on tacks- OUCH! After the hard section of that ride, which amounted to a 300 M climb that all the people who had been sitting in the whole ride tried to come to the front for, we turned off and headed to Palomar. Finally I started actually pedaling my bike so all the pressure wasnt directly on the two nagging pains I was riding with. We stopped for a drink refill and a quick snack at this Indian Reservation gas station and WHEW! did it smell like bleach. I think there must have been a gallon of it on the floor just fuming up the whole place. My eyes began to water and I headed for the door- MONSTER in hand, of course. We downed our drinks and mounted our bikes with the mountain in plain view. It was a daunting formation of scarce trees and naked rock covering the entire horizon. We finally started the acsent and it was anything but easy. My legs were fresh because most of the riding I had done was coasting in a group of chatty Cathy's. Twenty some switchbacks later and I found myself at the top of what seemed like the world, in So Cal at least. It was amazing being on top of a mountain and looking at the entire Pacific Ocean. I had never seen the ocean from a perspective like that before and it was something I will never forget. The ride was just over 120 miles that day and I wasnt ready for it, but it was still fun.
More San Diego stories to come...
This was my second time in San Diego, the first being last year for work and it was just like I remembered- sunny, and warm. The day we got there I was dressed like a person who just came from subzero temps in WI and soon after landing I had to strip off most of what I was wearing to stop the pleasant lather I was working up.
At the airport we experienced the common, odd stares from the majority of onlookers as we wheeled our bike cases through away from baggage claim. It never ceases to amaze me how few people have seen, or know 'what could possibly be in those big boxes?' I am going to start telling people that it is a chemistry set or telescope for looking at other universes because the following conversation would be much easier than explaining how a bike could fit in something 'so small.' I digress.
We did run into a fellow cyclist who offered to abandon his wife and rent a bike to come riding with us. This gentlemen was also kind enough to puff up his chest and tell us all about the days when he used to race against Dave Scott, Scott Tinley, and the boys. He was ranked 15th back then and time trialing was his specialty. He puffed his chest up further when he told us how he liked to try to 'tear the cranks off the bike every time he rode it.' As you can imagine we were both floored by his impressive accolades and quickly bid he and his amber tinted glasses farewell before we could no longer hold back the laughter.
The riding in San Diego county is some of the best I have seen. If you want to ride the flats it is as easy as staying on the coast and bobble-heading your way from beach to beach. If you want hills just head inland and if you want mountains they have those too. The weather there is unreal, enough said about that (it was 13 degrees here today.) The traffic may concern some people and the amount of bicycle related deaths is also a concern but when you put that many people on the road I wouldnt expect there to be any less (I am not trying to be insensitive just logical.)
The first few days were spent off the coast riding up and down the smaller 1 to 3 mile climbs enjoying the warm spell that hit Southern Cali. I would say I enjoyed it too but developed a few pretty bad saddle sores after the first 90 mile day and suffered with it the whole way through. The first Saturday we were there we set out with a local cycling club called Celo (like the instrument) for about 35 miles before turing off and heading to Mt. Palomar. The group ride was more of a social event than a ride. During the first 2:30 hrs we only covered 33 miles. My undercarriage has never hurt so much in my life. It was like sitting on tacks- OUCH! After the hard section of that ride, which amounted to a 300 M climb that all the people who had been sitting in the whole ride tried to come to the front for, we turned off and headed to Palomar. Finally I started actually pedaling my bike so all the pressure wasnt directly on the two nagging pains I was riding with. We stopped for a drink refill and a quick snack at this Indian Reservation gas station and WHEW! did it smell like bleach. I think there must have been a gallon of it on the floor just fuming up the whole place. My eyes began to water and I headed for the door- MONSTER in hand, of course. We downed our drinks and mounted our bikes with the mountain in plain view. It was a daunting formation of scarce trees and naked rock covering the entire horizon. We finally started the acsent and it was anything but easy. My legs were fresh because most of the riding I had done was coasting in a group of chatty Cathy's. Twenty some switchbacks later and I found myself at the top of what seemed like the world, in So Cal at least. It was amazing being on top of a mountain and looking at the entire Pacific Ocean. I had never seen the ocean from a perspective like that before and it was something I will never forget. The ride was just over 120 miles that day and I wasnt ready for it, but it was still fun.
More San Diego stories to come...
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Wow! Winter is still here
I am growing tired of the white persistence in my front window view. I can tolerate many things- people, places, things, etc. I cannot, however, tolerate LONG winters. I have not run in 4 days and not swum in 3 days, all because I did not want to venture outside my doors because of the innclimate weather. Call me what you want (cussing aside), but I would have been enjoying a long bike and run had the snow and ice not seized the roads and left them barely drivable by car, let alone velocipede. I digress. I have been in a bit of a slump for the past few days. I am in the middle-zone between indoor training and the soon-to-be paradise of southern California. Some would be motivated by the fact that they will soon be riding and running, and swimming outside in short sleeved weather. I, on the other hand, find this troubling in the middle of January with at least 4 more months of cold, snowy, miserable days spent on the indoor trainer and treadmill. But I have an opportunity to transcend my training environment mediocrity and brush elbows with the worlds best. So I am taking it and will revel in it. When I get back I will try to imagine it never happened and I have been on the Computrainer and treadmill the whole time. Only I will have a nice tan.
Training has been going fair to mediocre lately. I have hit a little lull since my great ascension of Mt Evans last Sunday. I figured out that I am WAY ahead of where I need to be in January and burning out in June is not a goal of mine. So I have taken a half-step back from training and will go into S.D. well rested and ready for some long/easy miles in the mild California weather.
Today was somewhat special in that the Madison Bike Swap was going on at the Alliant Energy Center. I should have been smart and steered clear of this event like the bubonic plague, but alas I could not and went into it with an open mind and, unfortunately an open wallet. Damn! It was like a young child's first visit to Toys R Us. I saw it and wanted it. My first purchase was small- I found an awesome woven 'Silver' bar tape- that I just had to have. After that it was a mere formality. I bought everything that caught my attention; bars, cranks, brakes- I even talked my friend into a few purchases he did not really intend to make. Vicarious living! All in all I left with more than I intended on and felt guilty/smitten by the whole experience.
Training today was limited to a nice trainer ride and movie viewing- X2 The Last Stand and a little pyramid ride starting at a medium wattage and going up to AeT, then back down to Z1. I felt pretty good today despite having been on my feet all day and starting so late in the day. Tomorrow is a nice 90 min snowshoe and swim. More to come...
Training has been going fair to mediocre lately. I have hit a little lull since my great ascension of Mt Evans last Sunday. I figured out that I am WAY ahead of where I need to be in January and burning out in June is not a goal of mine. So I have taken a half-step back from training and will go into S.D. well rested and ready for some long/easy miles in the mild California weather.
Today was somewhat special in that the Madison Bike Swap was going on at the Alliant Energy Center. I should have been smart and steered clear of this event like the bubonic plague, but alas I could not and went into it with an open mind and, unfortunately an open wallet. Damn! It was like a young child's first visit to Toys R Us. I saw it and wanted it. My first purchase was small- I found an awesome woven 'Silver' bar tape- that I just had to have. After that it was a mere formality. I bought everything that caught my attention; bars, cranks, brakes- I even talked my friend into a few purchases he did not really intend to make. Vicarious living! All in all I left with more than I intended on and felt guilty/smitten by the whole experience.
Training today was limited to a nice trainer ride and movie viewing- X2 The Last Stand and a little pyramid ride starting at a medium wattage and going up to AeT, then back down to Z1. I felt pretty good today despite having been on my feet all day and starting so late in the day. Tomorrow is a nice 90 min snowshoe and swim. More to come...
Sunday, January 4, 2009
New Year is HERE
The first week of the new year is now past and with that the first Monday is come. All the New Year's resolutions are probably starting tomorrow- because why start mid-week, right? I have never been a big NY-resolutioner. If you are going to do something why not just do it because you should, not because walls all over the world are sporting new calendars. Enough said about that.
I saw a good movie over the weekend. 'The Wrestler' starring Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei. Its one of those movies that you would never choose to watch without some serious selling from someone who has seen it, but its good. The storyline is pretty obvious from the title, its about professional wrestling. Mickey Rourke on his way down from a promising career as a B-class pro wrestler and Marisa Tomei (who would have thought) is a stripper in a club that Rourke frequents. Check it out when you can.
After a few days of easy swimming my body was ready for some serious punishment in the form of the Mt Evans hill climb. This is no ordinary Colorado mountain. It is a 27 mile Goliath with an average gradient of about 6%. The last four miles is a series of relentless switchbacks at over 14,000 ft elevation where each time around you are begging and pleading with the mountain gods to make the pain stop and the end come. The goal was to establish my current AeT (aerobic threshold) to base my next block of training on. I felt really good and rested and was able to put down a really good effort for the two hour climb.
I just finalized some plans to go out to San Diego for a few weeks of training with a friend of mine Will Smith. He arranged a place to stay and we found some really reasonable tickets so the whole dilly is going to be dirt cheap. We also have the opportunity to do some of our riding with Floyd Landis who will be prepping for the Tour of California. Floyd is said to be flying right now so we will only be able to do his easy days with him but it will still be pretty cool to ride with a former Tour winner. Thats all the news for now.
I saw a good movie over the weekend. 'The Wrestler' starring Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei. Its one of those movies that you would never choose to watch without some serious selling from someone who has seen it, but its good. The storyline is pretty obvious from the title, its about professional wrestling. Mickey Rourke on his way down from a promising career as a B-class pro wrestler and Marisa Tomei (who would have thought) is a stripper in a club that Rourke frequents. Check it out when you can.
After a few days of easy swimming my body was ready for some serious punishment in the form of the Mt Evans hill climb. This is no ordinary Colorado mountain. It is a 27 mile Goliath with an average gradient of about 6%. The last four miles is a series of relentless switchbacks at over 14,000 ft elevation where each time around you are begging and pleading with the mountain gods to make the pain stop and the end come. The goal was to establish my current AeT (aerobic threshold) to base my next block of training on. I felt really good and rested and was able to put down a really good effort for the two hour climb.
I just finalized some plans to go out to San Diego for a few weeks of training with a friend of mine Will Smith. He arranged a place to stay and we found some really reasonable tickets so the whole dilly is going to be dirt cheap. We also have the opportunity to do some of our riding with Floyd Landis who will be prepping for the Tour of California. Floyd is said to be flying right now so we will only be able to do his easy days with him but it will still be pretty cool to ride with a former Tour winner. Thats all the news for now.
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