Running needs to become a priority. If i repeat i enough times, hopefully i'll actually believe it and make it so. I showed up early, set up transition and began wandering around transition.
It was good to see all the faces of the PULSE Mission Bay Training Group wandering around, some nervous, some tired, all smiling and excited. Everybody would have a great day.
Swim (500m)
i lined up by some fast swimmers and figured i'd go for it from the get go today and see what happens. I managed to hold onto the first set of feet for 20meters or so before i was off the back. Another set of feet wasn't too far off, so i made an effort, bridged the gap and would sit there for the majority of the swim. I pushed a solid effort, and before i realized i was approaching the final turn and last 100 meters of the swim. I was breathing hard, and the effort was evident.
T1
a quick run up and through the transtion area, Mike Kelley is just getting ready to head out on the bike. I had some issues in transition, taking the wetsuit off, putting cycling shoes on, sunglasses, helmet, race belt. ready to go. slightly slow, but done nonetheless.
Bike (15km)
Being the 4th wave off, there is a long line of carrots up ahead, time to start catching up. Bike feels good initially, legs complained a bit going over the first overpass, and i responded appropriately - shift to a harder gear. It usually takes a bit of a hard effort before my legs start to come around. I wiggle through the sea world parking lot enjoying the turns and accelerations and am spit out onto the faster section of the course.
Another gear up, and more speed. It takes me almost 4 miles to catch Mike Kelley, but if happens, i reach over and give him a "good game" slap, this time i'm able to keep everything and don't miss a bit on the bike. Fiesta island is fast and i'm enjoying pushing a big gear, then i come around the back side and get a bit of a headwind, things slow a bit, but continue on. To this point i've passed 3 or 4 guys in my division.
My legs start to feel a bit better and are going well, 3 miles left, some wigglies, the overpass, and then coast down into transition 2. I pass Kariem, he's smiling and having a blast. In August when he got his bike and decided to get healthy, he was having trouble riding 4 miles from home to work, he ran a mile as fast as he could, it took him 13 minutes, just over 2 months later, he's completed his 1st tri, i'm pretty sure he averaged better than 12 minute miles for 3.1 miles, he's lost 30 pounds and is excited to continue with his new found lifestyle.
I pass 1 more guy in my division in the last 1/2 mile of the bike. I dismount, get caught behind a guy at the dismount line, and am into T2.
T2
This goes much more smoothly, I get off the bike, rack it, drop my helmet slip into my shoes, and am off. I know there is at least 1 runner coming for me, no time to waste.
Run (5km)
I start out pretty good, a little conservative, just because i'm not sure how my legs are going to respond to a fast effort, it's been a while since i did any speedwork, and i haven't run in almost 2 weeks.
legs feel ok, so i pick it up a bit, there are still a good number of people in front of me, so i start picking them off. I run by a couple people i know, and exchange a quick hello. Just over 1 mile into the run, i see Victor coming the other way, that's good, he started 5 minutes ahead of me. Then i come around the corner and see i've still got a bit of running to do to get up to where i saw Victor. I also get a chance to look back and see the orange jersey, i passed at the end of the bike, running steadily behind me, even closing a bit.
Lovely, it hurts, and now i get to run a bit harder. the good news is this was the easiest portion of the race. there are a couple more little turns and wiggles that offer me an opportunity to get a status check on the orange jersey, he's hanging right there about 20 seconds back. I push pretty good over the overpass, after this, it's downhill, i let it go a bit, he's still holding steady.
coming around to the final climb up, if i can get to the top of this last overpass before the orange jersey, i can likely hold him off through the finish. There's no looking back, just running now. I get to the top, and let gravity take me back down to the final 0.1 miles. Time to pick up the pace, my legs turn over a bit quicker, and threaten to give out, even get a bit soft on a couple steps. I can see the finish chute, and know it's time to start racing. Again i quicken and go see how long i can hold this.
I cross the line with the orange jersey behind me. turns out he was 10 seconds behind me. He definitely made me run hard.
AFTER
I had a good time, and was able to see many of the PULSE Mission Bay Triathlon Training group come across the line. All but 1 of the participants started and finished the triathlon. That 1 particant was extremely sick the week or so leading up to the triathlon. Another of the participants was diagnosed with thyroid cancer less than a week before the triathlon. She decided to come out and participate regardless. She finished and was extremely pleased with her accomplishment on the day.
We gathered at the PULSE tent and exchanged stories about how much fun it was and how everybody felt and their thoughts. It was a good start to a good day.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Iroquois Trails 100 (i mean 50)
An interesting day in my experiment to find my running legs, and see what it's like to be a professional athlete, traveling all over to race.
I got up early, Melissa and Phil drove me to the start. The good news is the weather was a bit warmer than it had been the previous nights, so i was ok with long sleeves, a hat, and gloves.
GATHERINGS LOOP
Run started at 5am, and was a nice comfortable start. My legs felt pretty good to start out. it's an easy flat mile, then about 1/2 mile climb to the top of the ski lift, and down. I opt to take the descents slower than usual in hopes of preserving my legs. legs still feeling good as i come back into the gatherings/start area.. i get rid of the long sleeve shirt, hat, and gloves and am on my way again.
GATHERINGS To PIPELINE RD
the next 6.3 mile section, this is a fun section, some technical portions with lots of tree cover before being dumped onto a road for the last mile. I'm still running conservative and enjoying it. weather is warming up, but in the tree cover, it's a bit chilly for my short sleeves and shorts. the next aid station comes fairly easily, legs still good.
PIPELINE RD LOOP
the next 5.4 mile section is a good bit of fun, spending a fair amount of time in the tree coverage. no issues, food is coming in good. i feel good, the bean and cheese burritos seem to be doing the trick. this 5.4 miles takes 1:04 (11:40 min/mile). so far things are very consistent, and i'm feeling good.
PIPELINE RD To GATHERINGS
time to head back towards the gathering, the same section as the previous 6.3 miles, in reverse. on the way back, it's starting to warm up, and i'm feeling pretty good, i hold a slow steady pace, hoping to conserve for the later miles.
GATHERINGS To GREEK PEAK
i get another bean and cheese burrito, some roctane, refill my pockets and water, and am off again. heading out towards daisy hollow rd for the out and back. the first section is a 3.7 mile jaunt, the majority of which is spent climbing the 800 feet up to the top of the ski resort. My legs are feeling good, so i run anythign that is relatively flat, and have a good section.
GREEK PEAK To ROCK PILE
i eat a little, refill my water bottle and am off again. At this point, the fatigue begins to set in. There is a good amount of downhill, which i try to run at a comfortable pace. despite how gradual the uphills are, i find myself walking. as quick as the highs come, so come the lows. i do what i can to run, but my legs are tired and beginning to rebel.
ROCK PILE To DAISH HOLLOW RD
i eat some food and drink a bit, trying to get nutrition and and snap out of the slump i'm quickly sinking into. I'm slogging along at a poor impression of a shuffle, and there is no sign of reprieve to come. Things are slightly better, but that's primarily due to the course trending downhill through this section.
DAISY HOLLOW RD To ROCK PILE
my dad, Phil, and Melissa are here to cheer me on and see if i need anything. i take another bean and cheese burrito, a pita and some hummus. i need something to try and get my legs moving. Things are going downhill and getting very slow. i have a few spots on my feet that are rubbing, so i get some duct tape and start wrapping my feet. Then i'm back off on my way. not really any improvement, i spend much of this section walking and when i do attempt to run, it's very slow.
ROCK PILE To GREEK PEAK
quite the suprise at rockpile, Phil and Melissa have made the trek to the aid station and are waiting when i get there. more hummus and pita, bean and cheese burrito, some coke, and i'm back on my way. Still slow going and no sign of improvement.
GREEK PEAK To GATHERINGS
at greek peak, i think my dad is there, Melissa, Phil, and Tracy shows up before i head out again. some coke, a little liquid and i'm back out to head down to gatherings. At this time, i feel like i'm making good time, and seem to be running fairly well. Then again it is pretty much downhill. i get into gatherings and am greeted by Phil, Melissa, and Tracy. i get some food and lay down. it's time to take inventory, i just ran the down from greek peak, far more downhill than climbing, and i held a 12:25 pace, just 25 miles earlier i ran the route in reverse (a much more challenging route, and held an 11:21 pace). my legs are tired, i'm walking a lot. my intention is to come out and become a better runner. if i'm not running, i'm not going to get better at it. walking doesn't make a good runner.
i opt to drop from the run. i lay there for a while before heading back to the hotel and showering. Then it's back home, still in time for dinner. See how things go in a couple weeks at mission bay triathlon.
I got up early, Melissa and Phil drove me to the start. The good news is the weather was a bit warmer than it had been the previous nights, so i was ok with long sleeves, a hat, and gloves.
GATHERINGS LOOP
Run started at 5am, and was a nice comfortable start. My legs felt pretty good to start out. it's an easy flat mile, then about 1/2 mile climb to the top of the ski lift, and down. I opt to take the descents slower than usual in hopes of preserving my legs. legs still feeling good as i come back into the gatherings/start area.. i get rid of the long sleeve shirt, hat, and gloves and am on my way again.
GATHERINGS To PIPELINE RD
the next 6.3 mile section, this is a fun section, some technical portions with lots of tree cover before being dumped onto a road for the last mile. I'm still running conservative and enjoying it. weather is warming up, but in the tree cover, it's a bit chilly for my short sleeves and shorts. the next aid station comes fairly easily, legs still good.
PIPELINE RD LOOP
the next 5.4 mile section is a good bit of fun, spending a fair amount of time in the tree coverage. no issues, food is coming in good. i feel good, the bean and cheese burritos seem to be doing the trick. this 5.4 miles takes 1:04 (11:40 min/mile). so far things are very consistent, and i'm feeling good.
PIPELINE RD To GATHERINGS
time to head back towards the gathering, the same section as the previous 6.3 miles, in reverse. on the way back, it's starting to warm up, and i'm feeling pretty good, i hold a slow steady pace, hoping to conserve for the later miles.
GATHERINGS To GREEK PEAK
i get another bean and cheese burrito, some roctane, refill my pockets and water, and am off again. heading out towards daisy hollow rd for the out and back. the first section is a 3.7 mile jaunt, the majority of which is spent climbing the 800 feet up to the top of the ski resort. My legs are feeling good, so i run anythign that is relatively flat, and have a good section.
GREEK PEAK To ROCK PILE
i eat a little, refill my water bottle and am off again. At this point, the fatigue begins to set in. There is a good amount of downhill, which i try to run at a comfortable pace. despite how gradual the uphills are, i find myself walking. as quick as the highs come, so come the lows. i do what i can to run, but my legs are tired and beginning to rebel.
ROCK PILE To DAISH HOLLOW RD
i eat some food and drink a bit, trying to get nutrition and and snap out of the slump i'm quickly sinking into. I'm slogging along at a poor impression of a shuffle, and there is no sign of reprieve to come. Things are slightly better, but that's primarily due to the course trending downhill through this section.
DAISY HOLLOW RD To ROCK PILE
my dad, Phil, and Melissa are here to cheer me on and see if i need anything. i take another bean and cheese burrito, a pita and some hummus. i need something to try and get my legs moving. Things are going downhill and getting very slow. i have a few spots on my feet that are rubbing, so i get some duct tape and start wrapping my feet. Then i'm back off on my way. not really any improvement, i spend much of this section walking and when i do attempt to run, it's very slow.
ROCK PILE To GREEK PEAK
quite the suprise at rockpile, Phil and Melissa have made the trek to the aid station and are waiting when i get there. more hummus and pita, bean and cheese burrito, some coke, and i'm back on my way. Still slow going and no sign of improvement.
GREEK PEAK To GATHERINGS
at greek peak, i think my dad is there, Melissa, Phil, and Tracy shows up before i head out again. some coke, a little liquid and i'm back out to head down to gatherings. At this time, i feel like i'm making good time, and seem to be running fairly well. Then again it is pretty much downhill. i get into gatherings and am greeted by Phil, Melissa, and Tracy. i get some food and lay down. it's time to take inventory, i just ran the down from greek peak, far more downhill than climbing, and i held a 12:25 pace, just 25 miles earlier i ran the route in reverse (a much more challenging route, and held an 11:21 pace). my legs are tired, i'm walking a lot. my intention is to come out and become a better runner. if i'm not running, i'm not going to get better at it. walking doesn't make a good runner.
i opt to drop from the run. i lay there for a while before heading back to the hotel and showering. Then it's back home, still in time for dinner. See how things go in a couple weeks at mission bay triathlon.
| AS# | Aid Station | Section Mileage | Overall Mileage | Section Time | Overall Time | Section Pace | Overall Pace |
| 1 | Gatherings | 5.7 | 5.7 | 01:05 | 01:05 | 11:24 | 11:24 |
| 2 | Pipeline Rd | 6.3 | 12.0 | 01:14 | 02:19 | 11:44 | 11:34 |
| 3 | Pipeline Rd | 5.4 | 17.4 | 01:04 | 03:23 | 11:51 | 11:40 |
| 4 | Gatherings | 6.3 | 23.7 | 01:18 | 04:41 | 12:22 | 11:51 |
| 5 | Greek Peak | 3.7 | 27.4 | 00:42 | 05:23 | 11:21 | 11:47 |
| 6 | Rock Pile | 4.3 | 31.7 | 01:11 | 06:34 | 16:30 | 12:25 |
| 7 | Daisy Hollow | 5.2 | 36.9 | 01:15 | 07:49 | 14:25 | 12:42 |
| 8 | Rock Pile | 5.2 | 42.1 | 01:34 | 09:23 | 18:04 | 13:22 |
| 9 | Greek Peak | 4.3 | 46.4 | 01:17 | 10:40 | 17:54 | 13:47 |
| 10 | Gatherings | 3.7 | 50.1 | 00:46 | 11:26 | 12:25 | 13:41 |
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
IM Wisconsin
headed down to transition area around 4:30, put my nutrition on the bike checked tire pressure, finalized preparations and made a couple bathroom stops before making my way down to the swim entrance.
Sara's family was out to support her, and i would ride her skirt tails in and enjoy their cheers of encouragement as well. got in the water around 6:55, and made my way towards the front a bit wide.
The gun went off, and the day's effort was underway. I put in a fair effort for a few hundred meters to work my way up towards the front of the pack and avoid much of the chaos. I settled into a good comfortable pace. The swim was fairly open, not much to mention, very little of the typical ironman battling. I wasn't able to find a pair of feet at all during the first lap. On the second loop i was able to find a pair of feet and enjoyed the benefit of the draft. On a couple of occassions i bridged up to a faster pair of feet. I came out of the water feeling pretty fresh and anxious to get on the bike and see how my back and leg where going to hold up. b pretty typical swim for me.
Transition in Wisconsin is entertaining, we exit the water, run ~150 yards, then proceed up 3 stories on the car ramp to the changing area and bikes. I jogged comfortably up the ramp and into the changing area, put my shoes on, sunscreen, helmet, race number, and off to find my bike. T1 0:6:13
The plan for the bike is to sit back, and hope to avoid the tightness and cramping i had in Canada. Things started out ok, not too crowded, a couple groups of cyclists which i proceeded to work up through. I had just over 2000 calories on the bike, a bit more than in Canada. The course was a suitable course, i sat up on the climbs and kept the effort to a moderate level. I could feel some tightness in my back and leg, but with the help of ibuprofen and some steady pacing i kept this from becoming too problematic. nutrition was good through mile 85 or so, then it became apparent, i was going to run low, so i began grabbing bananas from the aid stations. i heard sara's family several times on the bike course.
I slowed a bit on the 2nd loop (miles 40 - 83) and a bit more from 83 to 112. After completing the 2nd loop (mile 98ish), i made the turn back towards transition, and sat back a bit to let a couple guys ahead of me do the work. After several minutes of this, i decided i could push the pace a bit more, and passed them, i would be alone until mile 105 or so, when 2 other cyclists came around and i hung with them into T2. Bike 5:17:49 (21.14mph).
Transition 2 went pretty smoothly and quickly, we ride up the ramp again. It felt good to get off the bike, and i was ready to see what my legs had left in them. I quickly put my running shoes on, grabbed my nutrition, salt and amino tablets for the run and was out the door. T2 0:2:26
The run, will this be as miserable as 2 weeks prior? not so, i came out feeling pretty good, not going too hard, holding a steady pace with a decent effort, but not all out. I was able to hold this effort for the first 6 or 7 miles then things slowed pretty significantly. My legs got heavy, and i came close to walking a couple of times. Shortly after mile 12, i saw Sara on her way out for her 1st loop. I figured i was roughly 1 mile behind her, and should be able to make that up by mile 18 or so. Things got pretty bad for a bit, i was tempted to walk, and actually did for 10 or 20 yards a couple of times before pushing through it. After getting more food in, and a couple bathroom breaks, i was able to pick up the effort again, and again saw Sara on her way back from one of the out and back's (this is around mile 21).
I decided it's time to go, just over 4 miles to catch her, i quickened my pace, short quick steps, easy gear, 4 miles, just ofer 6km, i can do this. After about 1 mile, i caught another glimpse of Sara, she was definitely closer, so i put in a little extra effort, i caught her between miles 23 and 24 for me. At this point i ran with her for a bit, we walked through the aid station and continued walking to the next aid station. She opted to take a bathroom break, so i wished her well, and began my final push to the finish. Run 4:20:23 (9:56 / mile)
Not my best showing, but i'm definitely content with it under the circumstances, let see if this lights the fire again? I had a good time, and enjoyed most of the race. I was happy i had an opportuntity to run for a bit with Sara, and see her finish. a good race and good time all around.
Sara's family was out to support her, and i would ride her skirt tails in and enjoy their cheers of encouragement as well. got in the water around 6:55, and made my way towards the front a bit wide.
The gun went off, and the day's effort was underway. I put in a fair effort for a few hundred meters to work my way up towards the front of the pack and avoid much of the chaos. I settled into a good comfortable pace. The swim was fairly open, not much to mention, very little of the typical ironman battling. I wasn't able to find a pair of feet at all during the first lap. On the second loop i was able to find a pair of feet and enjoyed the benefit of the draft. On a couple of occassions i bridged up to a faster pair of feet. I came out of the water feeling pretty fresh and anxious to get on the bike and see how my back and leg where going to hold up. b pretty typical swim for me.
Transition in Wisconsin is entertaining, we exit the water, run ~150 yards, then proceed up 3 stories on the car ramp to the changing area and bikes. I jogged comfortably up the ramp and into the changing area, put my shoes on, sunscreen, helmet, race number, and off to find my bike. T1 0:6:13
The plan for the bike is to sit back, and hope to avoid the tightness and cramping i had in Canada. Things started out ok, not too crowded, a couple groups of cyclists which i proceeded to work up through. I had just over 2000 calories on the bike, a bit more than in Canada. The course was a suitable course, i sat up on the climbs and kept the effort to a moderate level. I could feel some tightness in my back and leg, but with the help of ibuprofen and some steady pacing i kept this from becoming too problematic. nutrition was good through mile 85 or so, then it became apparent, i was going to run low, so i began grabbing bananas from the aid stations. i heard sara's family several times on the bike course.
I slowed a bit on the 2nd loop (miles 40 - 83) and a bit more from 83 to 112. After completing the 2nd loop (mile 98ish), i made the turn back towards transition, and sat back a bit to let a couple guys ahead of me do the work. After several minutes of this, i decided i could push the pace a bit more, and passed them, i would be alone until mile 105 or so, when 2 other cyclists came around and i hung with them into T2. Bike 5:17:49 (21.14mph).
Transition 2 went pretty smoothly and quickly, we ride up the ramp again. It felt good to get off the bike, and i was ready to see what my legs had left in them. I quickly put my running shoes on, grabbed my nutrition, salt and amino tablets for the run and was out the door. T2 0:2:26
The run, will this be as miserable as 2 weeks prior? not so, i came out feeling pretty good, not going too hard, holding a steady pace with a decent effort, but not all out. I was able to hold this effort for the first 6 or 7 miles then things slowed pretty significantly. My legs got heavy, and i came close to walking a couple of times. Shortly after mile 12, i saw Sara on her way out for her 1st loop. I figured i was roughly 1 mile behind her, and should be able to make that up by mile 18 or so. Things got pretty bad for a bit, i was tempted to walk, and actually did for 10 or 20 yards a couple of times before pushing through it. After getting more food in, and a couple bathroom breaks, i was able to pick up the effort again, and again saw Sara on her way back from one of the out and back's (this is around mile 21).
I decided it's time to go, just over 4 miles to catch her, i quickened my pace, short quick steps, easy gear, 4 miles, just ofer 6km, i can do this. After about 1 mile, i caught another glimpse of Sara, she was definitely closer, so i put in a little extra effort, i caught her between miles 23 and 24 for me. At this point i ran with her for a bit, we walked through the aid station and continued walking to the next aid station. She opted to take a bathroom break, so i wished her well, and began my final push to the finish. Run 4:20:23 (9:56 / mile)
Not my best showing, but i'm definitely content with it under the circumstances, let see if this lights the fire again? I had a good time, and enjoyed most of the race. I was happy i had an opportuntity to run for a bit with Sara, and see her finish. a good race and good time all around.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
IM Canada
started out as a good day, clear skies, mild temperatures and the promise of some heat for the run. got up ate a little, then headed down to transition area. lined up for the swim at the front:
the 1st couple hundred meters went well, stayed out of congestion and thought i settled into a good spot, shortly thereafter several groups swam over me and put me back in my place. i found a couple more congested sections, needed to re-adjust my goggles once before the turn around. after the turn around, things went well, everything was open, i found a pair of feet, sat on them, and began feeling strong. could have pushed more and swam a little faster, next time. Swim split 1:05:02
into transition some sun screen a little vaseline and onto the bike. 1st 4 miles seemed to go very quickly, at which point i decided to hold back until the 1st climb (~45 miles into the bike). i was in a big group of people for a bit, doing some back and forth. at the base of the first climb, things opened up, my legs felt good and i rode comfortably to the top. then began picking my way up through the riders.
at 70 miles i was feeling really good, and opened it up a bit more, this was a very fast section of the course, i put in a bit of time on the other riders. shortly thereafter, at about 85 or 90 miles, things went south, what's this back tightness, oh bother, that's gonna affect the next 25ish miles.
all the work i'd done up to that point began undoing, many of the riders i went by between miles 70 and 80 would pass me in the final 20 miles of the ride.
i struggled a bit up to the top of the final climb and couldn't seem to find either a comfortable position on the bike, or any power in my legs for the final section (predominantly downhill). bike split: 5:16:56
time to see how that shapes the run up to be. into transition, re-apply sunscreen, and hope things loosen up for the run. 3/4 of a mile in, nothing good is happening today, my legs are blasted, my back is tight, and quads are cramping. i laid down for a bit and tried to wait it out, a couple spectators came by and helped me rub things out a bit, then medical comes over. i'm doing all right, just taking a break, waiting for the cramps to subside. ok, back up and time to plod along. ate pretzels, drank gatorade, and kept thinking, 25 miles is totally fakable. turns out it is, but fake is very slow. i did what i could to feign running for the rest of it, many interesting thought running through my head.
"if this was a 2 loop course, i'd drop after the first loop"
"once mike comes along, i'll grab on and hold his pace as long as i can"
"irony: wishing so hard for the last 25miles of the bike to be off that cursed contraption and onto the run. only to get to the run and find out i'm bound to be stuck in slow motion for an insufferable duration"
i even tried to pace with passing runners, knowing they were going slowly, but there wasn't anything there, my legs weren't sore, they weren't beat up, just flat, rebelling. shortly after the turn around, mike was running by my side. we laughed about both our situations, but after a couple miles, mike was unable to bear my slowness, and had to leave me behind so he could minimize his suffering (i told you my pace was insufferable). run split 5:15:46
had i known it was that slow, i would have drug it out for another minute and 10 seconds and had the same run and bike split. maybe next time.
back to the drawing board. see what comes of the next event.
the 1st couple hundred meters went well, stayed out of congestion and thought i settled into a good spot, shortly thereafter several groups swam over me and put me back in my place. i found a couple more congested sections, needed to re-adjust my goggles once before the turn around. after the turn around, things went well, everything was open, i found a pair of feet, sat on them, and began feeling strong. could have pushed more and swam a little faster, next time. Swim split 1:05:02
into transition some sun screen a little vaseline and onto the bike. 1st 4 miles seemed to go very quickly, at which point i decided to hold back until the 1st climb (~45 miles into the bike). i was in a big group of people for a bit, doing some back and forth. at the base of the first climb, things opened up, my legs felt good and i rode comfortably to the top. then began picking my way up through the riders.
at 70 miles i was feeling really good, and opened it up a bit more, this was a very fast section of the course, i put in a bit of time on the other riders. shortly thereafter, at about 85 or 90 miles, things went south, what's this back tightness, oh bother, that's gonna affect the next 25ish miles.
all the work i'd done up to that point began undoing, many of the riders i went by between miles 70 and 80 would pass me in the final 20 miles of the ride.
i struggled a bit up to the top of the final climb and couldn't seem to find either a comfortable position on the bike, or any power in my legs for the final section (predominantly downhill). bike split: 5:16:56
time to see how that shapes the run up to be. into transition, re-apply sunscreen, and hope things loosen up for the run. 3/4 of a mile in, nothing good is happening today, my legs are blasted, my back is tight, and quads are cramping. i laid down for a bit and tried to wait it out, a couple spectators came by and helped me rub things out a bit, then medical comes over. i'm doing all right, just taking a break, waiting for the cramps to subside. ok, back up and time to plod along. ate pretzels, drank gatorade, and kept thinking, 25 miles is totally fakable. turns out it is, but fake is very slow. i did what i could to feign running for the rest of it, many interesting thought running through my head.
"if this was a 2 loop course, i'd drop after the first loop"
"once mike comes along, i'll grab on and hold his pace as long as i can"
"irony: wishing so hard for the last 25miles of the bike to be off that cursed contraption and onto the run. only to get to the run and find out i'm bound to be stuck in slow motion for an insufferable duration"
i even tried to pace with passing runners, knowing they were going slowly, but there wasn't anything there, my legs weren't sore, they weren't beat up, just flat, rebelling. shortly after the turn around, mike was running by my side. we laughed about both our situations, but after a couple miles, mike was unable to bear my slowness, and had to leave me behind so he could minimize his suffering (i told you my pace was insufferable). run split 5:15:46
had i known it was that slow, i would have drug it out for another minute and 10 seconds and had the same run and bike split. maybe next time.
back to the drawing board. see what comes of the next event.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Imperial Beach Tri
all in all the day was a successful stepping stone and confidence builder for canada. got to transition early picked out a spot near the bike out and made myself at home. Then waited around for the start. Trying new shoes, lets see how they are to get into on the bike.
The swim went well, I don’t remember a lot about it except I spent a lot of time going wide on the course, felt relatively comfortable the entire time and smooth. The one memorable moment, on my way in, I was picked up by a wave and dropped over the falls, nothing like a good spin cycle to get you ready to do some hard cycling. Looking up the beach, I see Mike Kelley, a typically strong swimmer, so I chase him up the beach and into transition. Swim split 0:9:44
Had a slow transition, some issues getting my wetsuit off, and too stubborn to sit down to take the suit off, lesson learned, wetsuit strippers are the way to go. Sunglasses, helmet, bike, onto the good stuff.
Got on the bike, and started my chase of mike kelley. I built some speed up to try and get into my shoes. Now let’s see how easy I can get into those fancy new shoes. Not so easy, the right one came off the pedal, luckily I was able to keep it on my foot, somewhat and keep cycling. Finally got my foot into the shoe, and a slightly easier time for the left foot. Looks like I’ll be running to the bike mount in my shoes at canada. hope that goes well.
Back to chasing down mike kelley. with both shoes on I can focus on the task at hand. it took me 1 or 2 miles, but I eventually caught him. He and J have this little tradition, everytime J catches and passes mike, he slaps him on the ass, a little “good game” gesture. Since J isn’t racing today, I figure it’s my place to keep the tradition. Mental note, it’s best to keep your hands to yourself on the bike (that’s probably why J catches mike on the run, it’s safer). I reach over and give him a good pat on my way by. Almost immediately my tire grabs and I find myself being violently re-directed to the left. Oh bother, this will be perfect, if I crash, I’ll need to peel myself off the ground and pass mike kelley again, that means another slap, and more potential for a crash. fortunately I was able to keep things upright and somewhat together. Back to cycling.
The bike went well, took a little while before I found my groove, and in the last 10k a couple other participants in my division came up to me and started the pass and slow down game. I went by them twice, the 3rd time they passed me, I was content and let them go. My legs felt good, and I was confident I’d be able to run a stronger run than either of them was up for on the day.
Shoes off (much easier than shoes on while riding) and preparing for a fast transition to make up for the earlier debacle. Not to mention if’ I’m very efficient, I can be in and out of transition before either of the 2 cyclists in front of me get onto the run course. Bike split and 2 transitions: 0:26:18
I had a good transition, both of the cyclists where in behind me getting out of transition, now to see how the run is coming. I started out very strong on the run, see if anybody felt like pushing the pace. About 1 mile into the run, I caught up to Sara, gave her a little pat, and continued charging hard. At the turn around, I could see other the 2 dropping back. Now it’s just me to push it. I pushed through the finish, felt strong coming across the line, and like I may have been able to eak out a little more speed, but not much. Run spilt 0:16:56.
looks like I’ve still got some speed in my legs, the book is closed, time to see what happens in Canada. My biggest challenge is to race smart.
The swim went well, I don’t remember a lot about it except I spent a lot of time going wide on the course, felt relatively comfortable the entire time and smooth. The one memorable moment, on my way in, I was picked up by a wave and dropped over the falls, nothing like a good spin cycle to get you ready to do some hard cycling. Looking up the beach, I see Mike Kelley, a typically strong swimmer, so I chase him up the beach and into transition. Swim split 0:9:44
Had a slow transition, some issues getting my wetsuit off, and too stubborn to sit down to take the suit off, lesson learned, wetsuit strippers are the way to go. Sunglasses, helmet, bike, onto the good stuff.
Got on the bike, and started my chase of mike kelley. I built some speed up to try and get into my shoes. Now let’s see how easy I can get into those fancy new shoes. Not so easy, the right one came off the pedal, luckily I was able to keep it on my foot, somewhat and keep cycling. Finally got my foot into the shoe, and a slightly easier time for the left foot. Looks like I’ll be running to the bike mount in my shoes at canada. hope that goes well.
Back to chasing down mike kelley. with both shoes on I can focus on the task at hand. it took me 1 or 2 miles, but I eventually caught him. He and J have this little tradition, everytime J catches and passes mike, he slaps him on the ass, a little “good game” gesture. Since J isn’t racing today, I figure it’s my place to keep the tradition. Mental note, it’s best to keep your hands to yourself on the bike (that’s probably why J catches mike on the run, it’s safer). I reach over and give him a good pat on my way by. Almost immediately my tire grabs and I find myself being violently re-directed to the left. Oh bother, this will be perfect, if I crash, I’ll need to peel myself off the ground and pass mike kelley again, that means another slap, and more potential for a crash. fortunately I was able to keep things upright and somewhat together. Back to cycling.
The bike went well, took a little while before I found my groove, and in the last 10k a couple other participants in my division came up to me and started the pass and slow down game. I went by them twice, the 3rd time they passed me, I was content and let them go. My legs felt good, and I was confident I’d be able to run a stronger run than either of them was up for on the day.
Shoes off (much easier than shoes on while riding) and preparing for a fast transition to make up for the earlier debacle. Not to mention if’ I’m very efficient, I can be in and out of transition before either of the 2 cyclists in front of me get onto the run course. Bike split and 2 transitions: 0:26:18
I had a good transition, both of the cyclists where in behind me getting out of transition, now to see how the run is coming. I started out very strong on the run, see if anybody felt like pushing the pace. About 1 mile into the run, I caught up to Sara, gave her a little pat, and continued charging hard. At the turn around, I could see other the 2 dropping back. Now it’s just me to push it. I pushed through the finish, felt strong coming across the line, and like I may have been able to eak out a little more speed, but not much. Run spilt 0:16:56.
looks like I’ve still got some speed in my legs, the book is closed, time to see what happens in Canada. My biggest challenge is to race smart.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Flagstaff barnburner - Steep learning curve.
so i regularly ride 80+ miles on my tri bike with no problems, how much worse can it be off road on a cushy mountain bike? and by the way, mountain bike fit is important, it's not so much just eh that's pretty close. maybe it is, but my eh wasn't even in the ball park.
lined up at the start, the rain has stopped, there are roughly 150 people waiting to make the 200yard run to our mountain bikes and begin the first of 4 laps (some would have 1 - 3 teammates, some owuld do it solo, and some with even more issues than i've found will do it solo on a single speed mountain bike: choose gearing wisely).
the dash to the bikes is slippery and great for clogging cleats. grab my bike and off i go. lots of kicking and cursing to clear the mud from the cleats before i can clip in.
all right this is fun, the course is fully muddied up my tires are clogged and mud is taking over the bike. i settle into a comfortable pace fully aware this will be a long day. i quickly notice the seat seems a bit low, i'll fix that after the first loop.
LOOP 1
the plan - go easy and see what the course looks like - the reality, i rode way above my head very early, had a great lap, some good findings and managed to stay upright. the entire course was fire roads, some skinnier than others, but no real single track, 2 longish kind of steep climbs, the first comes after a fast fun downhill section, it lasts about 1.5 miles, and climbs from 7400' up to around 7900. then there is a good downhill section (dropping down to 7250' over 3 miles) through some tight turns and through a near constant rock garden, lasting about 2.5 miles. leading into the 2nd climb: 3.5 miles taking you from 7200' up to 7900'. then you get to cruise through a fast pretty simple (translation point the bike down and don't hit the brakes) downhill section: ~1mile coming down from 7900' to 7650' ish.
on the way up the first climb (roughly 13 miles into the ride), i was hungry and thirsty. luckily i was smart enough to pack all the nutrition i could possibly need for the day in my camelback. the irony: despite my dragging knuckles, my arms are not as long as a typical apes, and i can't easily access anythign in my camelback without stopping. and since i'm racing, stopping isn't really in the cards.
well, i'm going up hill, so nows a great time to try this, i manage to take my camelback off, swing it around to the front and open the pouch. i transfer several items to my jersey pockets. still haven't fallen, nor have i stopped pedalling. now i need to close it up and swing it around to the back. nothing special, works, i'm still climbing and upright. that's good.
Up to the start of the 2nd climb, i was going back and forth with some fast riders, then it dawned on me, i have 3 more of these things to do, i've ridden my moutnain bike for a total of 4 times since getting it in february, for a total of maybe 80 miles, never more than 25 miles in one sitting? perhaps it's best to sit back nad let them go.
coming into the start finish area, there 3 things i need to address, the seat must be raised, food must consumed, and transfered from my camelback to my jersey pockets. sara is there cheering me on and enjoying the sun.
i raise my seat a good 2 inches. and am back out on my way.
LOOP 2
this was probably the most arduous loop of all. i'm back out the suns out trail is dry, my back is tight (bike fit is important), ass hurts (seat choice is important), and my legs are a bit tired. so i ease back on the pace a bit. nothing exciting on this loop, i vow to not walk any portion of the course, other than the mandated barn traversal, and keep my head down. i start thinking, how the hell do people ride like this for so damn long?
then i think back to a conversation juan and i had. i commented on needing aeorbars for my mountain bike since the course was pretty non-technical (mostly fire roads). i'm looking ahead, its nothing but dirt road, my legs are displeased, and i'm riding sittin up right, and the best part, my small chainring is innaccessible, good thing i don't need 27 gears, because i've been reduced to 18 (middle and big ring work up front, all 9 work in the rear).
click click click, wait, i have an idea, i can't pedal worth a damn right now, my back hurts, my ass hurts, and i'm used ot riding for hours on end in a tt position. f- it. here goes. i rest my elbows on the bars and start spinning a way. all of a sudden, i'm pushing into the big ring, starting to hold a decent pace. getting a good flow, legs are coming around (sort of). other than few sketchy moments on some of the washboard sections. this aero thing seems to be working (mental note, train like you race).
i do this on pretty much anything that isn't a steep climb, overly rocky, or downhill. it saves my legs a bit, helps my ass and back and keeps me going. this loop, i'm eating and drinking regularly. i'm figuring out on long stuff, if you don't have it in you, or you get that feeling that it's justnot there, i start eating and drinking. everytime i've started this, within 20 - 30 minutes, i feel things come back around.
by now the trail is dry, the sun is coming out, and i'm making my way over the 2nd climb and back into the start finish again.
another pleasant greeting by sara. this time i've got 2 thigns to address: raise the seat (yep, 2 inches wasn't enough), raised it close to another 1". more food in my belly, the juggling of food from my camelback to my jersey pockets. get this damn long sleeved thermo shirt off so i can stop sweating so excessively. and i'm off. sara mentions 1/2 way there, i hang my head, chuckle, and respond, might be a bit more than 1/2 way depending on how thigns go this round. it's now 11:11, that leaves me 4:49 until cut-off, the 1st 2 loops were done in 4:11, should be ok for the 9 hour mark.
LOOP 3
more thinking, mmm, there's an interesting concept, the end of the transition/handoff area is stocked wiht coolers and all sorts of crap from other people doing the solo ride.
yoou mean i odn't have to carry everything with me on every loop? sometimes i really believe i'm dumb as a gorilla (probably dumber, when was the last time you saw a gorilla pack food for a long trip?). damn even a gorilla knows you can restock food periodically. oh well, shite, i haven't refilled my camelback since starting, how long has it been, how much fluid does it hold 100 oz, times 4 divided by 3. i ran out of fingers. did i mention my feet hurt now too? these 8 year old shoes are in need of replacement.
back to the liquid math. so 100 oz is 4 water bottles, just over 4 hours at elevation i should probably drink more than 1 bottle an hour, but i'm feeling ok and still have some left. there is a self service aid station at around mile 10 which i will stop and restock - gatorade/water and powerbars/gels.
i get there, grab 2 power bars (these things are pretty tasty after sufficient warming), 2 gels, fill my camelback with gatorade and water (which i still haven't emptied yet) and am on my way.
i soon catch up to another rider (doing the solo single speed). i manage to pick the 1 tight spot in this 3 mile descent to try and squeeze by. of course i don't bother mentioning my intentions, as my front wheel is passing his seat, i see we are choosing the same line. big rock to my left, big single speed rider to my right. oh yeah, this has ground in dirt goodness written all over it.
i try to squeeze left without hitting the rock, then realize though we aren't physically touching, there is a lot of overlap on our bars. ooooh f--- bars touch riders go down. i'm not 100% sure what happened, but something like this is what i've figured:
our bars touched pulling me into him and him into me, my bikc went down first pulling him on top of me. i slid a bit, as did he. when the dust settled, i looked over apologized for the dumb-ass move, and asked if he was ok. he said he was all right, but was opting to just lay there for a bit. i laughed and responded likewise.
i remember crashing a lot when i first started riding mountain bikes, i don't really remember it hurting quite this much. i used to be pretty good at crashing, and avoiding potential breaks. however based on my abrasion patterns, i landed in a good fashion to break a collar bone. good thing i got that milk on the way out here. after laying around for a couple mintes, simon and i got up dusted some crap off. he asked how my bike was, i said its fine, i'll ride and see how it goes.
over the remaining 40 miles, i discovered my rear derailleur seems to have bent, and my bars twisted as a result of the crash. not too bad, i was able to ride both of them in that fashion the remaining 40+/- miles.
something happened on that crash, once i was back on the bike, there was a fire burning, and time to be made up, i took off at a good pace, and started pulling people back. simon and i traded back and forth for the rest of the loop (he would go by me on the climbs, and i'd go by him on the descents). i told you i'm a knuckle dragger, don't learn my lessons.
just starting the 1st climb, my left quad threatened something awful to cramp up and render itself useless. i off loaded a lot of the effort to my right leg and drank a bunch of gatorade. i attribute this tightness to crashing hard on that side and getting a charlie horse. it lasted through the 1st climb and most of the 2nd, then would subside and not return.
back in for the 3rd time, more food, from the camelback to my jersey pockets and back on my way. this loop felt the best, except for the donation to kaibab national forest.
LOOP 4
all right, last go round, fake it till you make it. nows the time to see where you really want to be. i passed by simon on my way out of the solo alley (he was getting stuff from his cooler). damn i have some learning to do.
back on the trail, i came out pretty fast, and feeling pretty good. good days and bad days, high points and low points, that's what it comes down to, and managing them appropriately. i passed 3 or 4 people on the last loop and felt solid, except for a couple sections.
about 4 or 5 miles into the loop, i went by one guy, got inot my tt position and kept cranking it out. my legs seemed to take a break. what the hell? i felt sluggish, after several minutes of this, i looked back, and he was nowhere to be found. did i make a wrong turn? surely i can't be riding this strong. i kept going, just make it to the top of the what the ????
an elk ran across the road in front of me. those things are ginormous. honestly bigger than my truck.
the 1st climb, then i get a downhill and some reprieve (sort of). i eat and drink pretty regularly, am feeling pretty strong. so i keep laying it down and seeing where i'll get caught.
the last climb, ok, it's time to go, one decent effort gets me over the top, then i can relax for a bit and finish it off. i manage to get over the top and piont and go.
a speedy descent a fast turn, and 1 mile left. hooray finish line.
what i learned on saturday:
lined up at the start, the rain has stopped, there are roughly 150 people waiting to make the 200yard run to our mountain bikes and begin the first of 4 laps (some would have 1 - 3 teammates, some owuld do it solo, and some with even more issues than i've found will do it solo on a single speed mountain bike: choose gearing wisely).
the dash to the bikes is slippery and great for clogging cleats. grab my bike and off i go. lots of kicking and cursing to clear the mud from the cleats before i can clip in.
all right this is fun, the course is fully muddied up my tires are clogged and mud is taking over the bike. i settle into a comfortable pace fully aware this will be a long day. i quickly notice the seat seems a bit low, i'll fix that after the first loop.
LOOP 1
the plan - go easy and see what the course looks like - the reality, i rode way above my head very early, had a great lap, some good findings and managed to stay upright. the entire course was fire roads, some skinnier than others, but no real single track, 2 longish kind of steep climbs, the first comes after a fast fun downhill section, it lasts about 1.5 miles, and climbs from 7400' up to around 7900. then there is a good downhill section (dropping down to 7250' over 3 miles) through some tight turns and through a near constant rock garden, lasting about 2.5 miles. leading into the 2nd climb: 3.5 miles taking you from 7200' up to 7900'. then you get to cruise through a fast pretty simple (translation point the bike down and don't hit the brakes) downhill section: ~1mile coming down from 7900' to 7650' ish.
on the way up the first climb (roughly 13 miles into the ride), i was hungry and thirsty. luckily i was smart enough to pack all the nutrition i could possibly need for the day in my camelback. the irony: despite my dragging knuckles, my arms are not as long as a typical apes, and i can't easily access anythign in my camelback without stopping. and since i'm racing, stopping isn't really in the cards.
well, i'm going up hill, so nows a great time to try this, i manage to take my camelback off, swing it around to the front and open the pouch. i transfer several items to my jersey pockets. still haven't fallen, nor have i stopped pedalling. now i need to close it up and swing it around to the back. nothing special, works, i'm still climbing and upright. that's good.
Up to the start of the 2nd climb, i was going back and forth with some fast riders, then it dawned on me, i have 3 more of these things to do, i've ridden my moutnain bike for a total of 4 times since getting it in february, for a total of maybe 80 miles, never more than 25 miles in one sitting? perhaps it's best to sit back nad let them go.
coming into the start finish area, there 3 things i need to address, the seat must be raised, food must consumed, and transfered from my camelback to my jersey pockets. sara is there cheering me on and enjoying the sun.
i raise my seat a good 2 inches. and am back out on my way.
LOOP 2
this was probably the most arduous loop of all. i'm back out the suns out trail is dry, my back is tight (bike fit is important), ass hurts (seat choice is important), and my legs are a bit tired. so i ease back on the pace a bit. nothing exciting on this loop, i vow to not walk any portion of the course, other than the mandated barn traversal, and keep my head down. i start thinking, how the hell do people ride like this for so damn long?
then i think back to a conversation juan and i had. i commented on needing aeorbars for my mountain bike since the course was pretty non-technical (mostly fire roads). i'm looking ahead, its nothing but dirt road, my legs are displeased, and i'm riding sittin up right, and the best part, my small chainring is innaccessible, good thing i don't need 27 gears, because i've been reduced to 18 (middle and big ring work up front, all 9 work in the rear).
click click click, wait, i have an idea, i can't pedal worth a damn right now, my back hurts, my ass hurts, and i'm used ot riding for hours on end in a tt position. f- it. here goes. i rest my elbows on the bars and start spinning a way. all of a sudden, i'm pushing into the big ring, starting to hold a decent pace. getting a good flow, legs are coming around (sort of). other than few sketchy moments on some of the washboard sections. this aero thing seems to be working (mental note, train like you race).
i do this on pretty much anything that isn't a steep climb, overly rocky, or downhill. it saves my legs a bit, helps my ass and back and keeps me going. this loop, i'm eating and drinking regularly. i'm figuring out on long stuff, if you don't have it in you, or you get that feeling that it's justnot there, i start eating and drinking. everytime i've started this, within 20 - 30 minutes, i feel things come back around.
by now the trail is dry, the sun is coming out, and i'm making my way over the 2nd climb and back into the start finish again.
another pleasant greeting by sara. this time i've got 2 thigns to address: raise the seat (yep, 2 inches wasn't enough), raised it close to another 1". more food in my belly, the juggling of food from my camelback to my jersey pockets. get this damn long sleeved thermo shirt off so i can stop sweating so excessively. and i'm off. sara mentions 1/2 way there, i hang my head, chuckle, and respond, might be a bit more than 1/2 way depending on how thigns go this round. it's now 11:11, that leaves me 4:49 until cut-off, the 1st 2 loops were done in 4:11, should be ok for the 9 hour mark.
LOOP 3
more thinking, mmm, there's an interesting concept, the end of the transition/handoff area is stocked wiht coolers and all sorts of crap from other people doing the solo ride.
yoou mean i odn't have to carry everything with me on every loop? sometimes i really believe i'm dumb as a gorilla (probably dumber, when was the last time you saw a gorilla pack food for a long trip?). damn even a gorilla knows you can restock food periodically. oh well, shite, i haven't refilled my camelback since starting, how long has it been, how much fluid does it hold 100 oz, times 4 divided by 3. i ran out of fingers. did i mention my feet hurt now too? these 8 year old shoes are in need of replacement.
back to the liquid math. so 100 oz is 4 water bottles, just over 4 hours at elevation i should probably drink more than 1 bottle an hour, but i'm feeling ok and still have some left. there is a self service aid station at around mile 10 which i will stop and restock - gatorade/water and powerbars/gels.
i get there, grab 2 power bars (these things are pretty tasty after sufficient warming), 2 gels, fill my camelback with gatorade and water (which i still haven't emptied yet) and am on my way.
i soon catch up to another rider (doing the solo single speed). i manage to pick the 1 tight spot in this 3 mile descent to try and squeeze by. of course i don't bother mentioning my intentions, as my front wheel is passing his seat, i see we are choosing the same line. big rock to my left, big single speed rider to my right. oh yeah, this has ground in dirt goodness written all over it.
i try to squeeze left without hitting the rock, then realize though we aren't physically touching, there is a lot of overlap on our bars. ooooh f--- bars touch riders go down. i'm not 100% sure what happened, but something like this is what i've figured:
our bars touched pulling me into him and him into me, my bikc went down first pulling him on top of me. i slid a bit, as did he. when the dust settled, i looked over apologized for the dumb-ass move, and asked if he was ok. he said he was all right, but was opting to just lay there for a bit. i laughed and responded likewise.
i remember crashing a lot when i first started riding mountain bikes, i don't really remember it hurting quite this much. i used to be pretty good at crashing, and avoiding potential breaks. however based on my abrasion patterns, i landed in a good fashion to break a collar bone. good thing i got that milk on the way out here. after laying around for a couple mintes, simon and i got up dusted some crap off. he asked how my bike was, i said its fine, i'll ride and see how it goes.
over the remaining 40 miles, i discovered my rear derailleur seems to have bent, and my bars twisted as a result of the crash. not too bad, i was able to ride both of them in that fashion the remaining 40+/- miles.
something happened on that crash, once i was back on the bike, there was a fire burning, and time to be made up, i took off at a good pace, and started pulling people back. simon and i traded back and forth for the rest of the loop (he would go by me on the climbs, and i'd go by him on the descents). i told you i'm a knuckle dragger, don't learn my lessons.
just starting the 1st climb, my left quad threatened something awful to cramp up and render itself useless. i off loaded a lot of the effort to my right leg and drank a bunch of gatorade. i attribute this tightness to crashing hard on that side and getting a charlie horse. it lasted through the 1st climb and most of the 2nd, then would subside and not return.
back in for the 3rd time, more food, from the camelback to my jersey pockets and back on my way. this loop felt the best, except for the donation to kaibab national forest.
LOOP 4
all right, last go round, fake it till you make it. nows the time to see where you really want to be. i passed by simon on my way out of the solo alley (he was getting stuff from his cooler). damn i have some learning to do.
back on the trail, i came out pretty fast, and feeling pretty good. good days and bad days, high points and low points, that's what it comes down to, and managing them appropriately. i passed 3 or 4 people on the last loop and felt solid, except for a couple sections.
about 4 or 5 miles into the loop, i went by one guy, got inot my tt position and kept cranking it out. my legs seemed to take a break. what the hell? i felt sluggish, after several minutes of this, i looked back, and he was nowhere to be found. did i make a wrong turn? surely i can't be riding this strong. i kept going, just make it to the top of the what the ????
an elk ran across the road in front of me. those things are ginormous. honestly bigger than my truck.
the 1st climb, then i get a downhill and some reprieve (sort of). i eat and drink pretty regularly, am feeling pretty strong. so i keep laying it down and seeing where i'll get caught.
the last climb, ok, it's time to go, one decent effort gets me over the top, then i can relax for a bit and finish it off. i manage to get over the top and piont and go.
a speedy descent a fast turn, and 1 mile left. hooray finish line.
what i learned on saturday:
- vocalize your intentions to pass
- pass with caution and make sure you are clear
- eat and drink often
- mountain bike fit is important - i will be fit on my mountain bike
- raising the saddle alleviates pain in the front bottom of the knee.
- raising it again alleviates the same pain
- specialized epic saddle is not made for 100 miles (perhaps the gobi is)
- dirt is really good at getting under my skin.
- wearing your new jersey for your first mountain bike race is an expensive mistake.
- road/dirt rash hurts more than riding 100 miles on a shitty seat with a poor fit.
timing estimates:
loop 1 - 1:55
loop 2 - 2:26
loop 3 - 2:20
loop 4 - 2:14
TOTAL - 8:45
Flaggstaff prep work
i began writing my account of the barn burner race, and rather than double it's length, i've decided to break out the warm up story.
So it seemed like a good idea: 4 x 26 mile loops = 104 mile mountain bike race, how else would one get started racing mountain bikes? truthfully, i'm really only racing myself, that's my story, i'm sticking to it.
the plan is simple, get all my shite together, meet sara at PULSE between 2;30 and 3pm, head out by 3:30. plans are a list of things that don't happen:
got down to PULSE a little before 3pm to pick up my bikes and crap and head out to flagstaff (8 hours of driving). race packet pickup would start at 5:30 saturday morning. no problem, i get out of here by 4 and over to flagstaff by 12 call it good, still get my requisite 5 hours of sleep.
juan starts asking questions, have you ever adjusted the pressure in your shocks? you going to bring spare tubes? do you have airlock tubes (tubes with sealant for flat protection)? my answers were very simple. no, should it? juan shakes his head and continues the battery of questions how much do you weigh, you gonna pre-ride the course? you gonna leave the reflectors on your bike, and the retard guard?
since it's now past 3:30 and sara is running late, i'm distracted, and before you know it, juan is going to town on the epic: changing tubes, airing up shock pressure removing reflectors all sorts of helpful crap. including shift adjustments (who needs 27 gears??)
sweet, juan has the mountain bike handled, it will be good to go, so i switch my attention my tri bike, gotta be ready for that nice sunday ride out in the northern arizona area. it's the only logical answer based on the proximity of my knuckles and the ground.
juan finishes up rides around and advises me to pre-ride the bike before the race and take a shock pump in case anything needs to be adjusted. i might drag my knuckles, but i'm not very good at lieing, so i tell him very simply. it's almost 5, i'm giong to sit in traffic get in around midnight sleep for a few hours wake up get my shit together and ride. test riding and adjusting. not going to happen. thanks for the advise and getting my bike set up.
Got into the race venue around 1:30am. parking and camping was easy to find. set camp, curled up and went to sleep. or so i thought. i'd wind up sleeping for brief periods of time before finally waking at 4am. after laying there contemplating the rain and coming race for almost 1.5 hours, i rolled out and headed over to registration.
perfect conditions, cold, rainy, muddy, and mountain bikes, the course is primarily fire roads. how bad can it be? i'd soon find out the importance of practicing how you plan on racing. my ignorance is far greater than i thought it could be, and much of that was pointed out during my pre-race prep - aka juan shaking his head on my i don't know? answers to his questions. Juan, there's a reason my knuckles are so damned callous. (juan probably saved my ass on this one).
got my packet and crap on my bike and in my camelback, i'm ready, one more trip back to the tent to rouse sara from her slumber as she requested. she walks back over to the start line and grabs a coffee.
by now the rain has started to subside, but there is a nice layer of mud which promises for an interesting start.
So it seemed like a good idea: 4 x 26 mile loops = 104 mile mountain bike race, how else would one get started racing mountain bikes? truthfully, i'm really only racing myself, that's my story, i'm sticking to it.
the plan is simple, get all my shite together, meet sara at PULSE between 2;30 and 3pm, head out by 3:30. plans are a list of things that don't happen:
got down to PULSE a little before 3pm to pick up my bikes and crap and head out to flagstaff (8 hours of driving). race packet pickup would start at 5:30 saturday morning. no problem, i get out of here by 4 and over to flagstaff by 12 call it good, still get my requisite 5 hours of sleep.
juan starts asking questions, have you ever adjusted the pressure in your shocks? you going to bring spare tubes? do you have airlock tubes (tubes with sealant for flat protection)? my answers were very simple. no, should it? juan shakes his head and continues the battery of questions how much do you weigh, you gonna pre-ride the course? you gonna leave the reflectors on your bike, and the retard guard?
since it's now past 3:30 and sara is running late, i'm distracted, and before you know it, juan is going to town on the epic: changing tubes, airing up shock pressure removing reflectors all sorts of helpful crap. including shift adjustments (who needs 27 gears??)
sweet, juan has the mountain bike handled, it will be good to go, so i switch my attention my tri bike, gotta be ready for that nice sunday ride out in the northern arizona area. it's the only logical answer based on the proximity of my knuckles and the ground.
juan finishes up rides around and advises me to pre-ride the bike before the race and take a shock pump in case anything needs to be adjusted. i might drag my knuckles, but i'm not very good at lieing, so i tell him very simply. it's almost 5, i'm giong to sit in traffic get in around midnight sleep for a few hours wake up get my shit together and ride. test riding and adjusting. not going to happen. thanks for the advise and getting my bike set up.
Got into the race venue around 1:30am. parking and camping was easy to find. set camp, curled up and went to sleep. or so i thought. i'd wind up sleeping for brief periods of time before finally waking at 4am. after laying there contemplating the rain and coming race for almost 1.5 hours, i rolled out and headed over to registration.
perfect conditions, cold, rainy, muddy, and mountain bikes, the course is primarily fire roads. how bad can it be? i'd soon find out the importance of practicing how you plan on racing. my ignorance is far greater than i thought it could be, and much of that was pointed out during my pre-race prep - aka juan shaking his head on my i don't know? answers to his questions. Juan, there's a reason my knuckles are so damned callous. (juan probably saved my ass on this one).
got my packet and crap on my bike and in my camelback, i'm ready, one more trip back to the tent to rouse sara from her slumber as she requested. she walks back over to the start line and grabs a coffee.
by now the rain has started to subside, but there is a nice layer of mud which promises for an interesting start.
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