30 June 2011

ride | commute

What an interesting ride I had today.

I met some of the usual crowd for the early Tuesday/Thursday hot lap around Mercer Island and it turns out one of them had brought along a friend. Turns out this friend is the owner of Elite Cycling & Fitness in Miami and boy did he have a lot of opinions on stuff and things to say.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

As I headed out my legs were tired! I guess all that mountain biking last night was more strenuous than I thought. And of course I left the house kind of late so had to hustle across the bridge. Yep, headwind. I showed up at the start pretty winded and luckily had a minute or two to compose myself before the main bunch rolled up and we headed out.

There were two people in the group that I had never seen before, a man and a woman. As everyone stopped to say good morning the man said something to the woman and she rolled off getting what I assumed was a head start. Totally logical as the first thing we do is a hill and the pace can be somewhat excited.

As we got half way up the hill there is a flat section and we were about 50' behind the woman at this point. The man bridges the gap to the woman, talks briefly and then as we ride by he hits the front and pushes the pace leaving her behind. As I passed her I slowed and asked if she was part of our group to which she replied with something vague that I don't recall right now.

I made contact with the bunch by the top and rolled up next to the man and asked him, "Is that your friend back there? Should we wait for her?" He replied, "That's my wife."

ASIDE - I always find it interesting when people reply to the part of the question I thought was totally ancillary to the main point which in this case was why the hell are we dropping your friend, I mean wife!

I figured it was none of my business so got stuck in and tried to enjoy the ride. It was soon obvious that today this man and I were the two strongest riders, the pace would slow when someone else was on the front and speed up when one of us (especially this man) was on the front.

Long story short we finish our hot lap dropping one person and regroup to chat at the bike trail by the east channel bridge.

The guys were doing the usual chit-chat and the friend of this man throws out the nugget that it's no wonder said guy is so strong because, "He's a four-time Olympian, I guess he forgot to tell you that."

Nice.

Nothing quite like the guy that drops another guy's name or credentials without solicitation. And really, in hindsight that kind of set the mood for the ride back.

On our way back we pick up the man's wife and I happen to end up next to him when he starts talking. "Is that your race number?" he said indicating the WSBA number on my frame. Yes I say, they give us an annual number in Washington. "Do they still run that series down at SIR? I always thought that was not done well. I remember having to pay $8 (which was a lot of money back then) and not getting any season points or prizes or cash. I mean, why not give out a t-shirt at least? Athletes love t-shirts and some form of recognition would have been nice." Gosh I explained, they sure do still have that series and they do have season points and they do pay out each race. "In Miami they know how to promote a race. You can just ask companies to donate product and it costs them like $50 for a pair of wheels and that makes the racer want to come back. Good promoters can make a killing and I know a guy that quit his day job because his series was so successful." I replied that the promoter of the Pacific Raceways series still his his day job at Boeing and I sure wish it was that easy to make money… "Well I'm not sure what the racing scene is like up here these days but in Miami it's huge. People probably are not doing it right. You should give all the money back to the racers, they are just being greedy if they don't pay out. As a professional athlete it's not fair when you can't make money racing your bike." I admitted that racing is probably much bigger in Miami and CA than in WA and tried to point out the seeming contradiction between paying out all your earnings and making big bucks but as you can probably imagine the conversation went downhill fast. From what I recall it ended up with this guy pointing out to me that promoting races 'works' in Holland so it should damn well work here. I tried to counter with the anecdotal evidence that cycling is nothing but a leisure activity in the good old US Of A and other than a tiny minority of the population no one is riding their bike more than (maybe!) five times each year.

It was useless. In short order he suddenly drifted back and that abruptly ended our chat. But here are some reasonably accurate quotes I do recall.

  • "I've been in the biz."
  • "I own a bike shop."
  • "I've been a professional athlete."
  • "I used to race with Kenny Williams."
  • "I've done triathlons."
  • "I don't corner like most people, I start wide and then cut in."
  • "It's not fair if you can't earn money racing your bike."

Sigh.

By the time we separated in the paceline and ended our conversation I'm sure he must have thought I was just as big of an a-hole as I thought he was. Probably some justice in that actually.

After a few miles he said something about, "having to find some golf balls" or something and pulled over. His wife privied us that this was code for, "I have to take a leak." and so at that point I just kept on riding. The last thing I wanted was to be associated with a guy that pissed on some Mercer Island mailbox when the driver/rider relationship on the island is so tenuous already.

The rest of the ride home was fun. :)

Sleep 5
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast 4:30 AM - cereal
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food ride - large bottle w/2 scoops HEED and one tablet Nuun
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day ride - 6:30 AM
Workout Type  
Weather upper 50s, dry, cloudy, windy
Course  
Distance ride - 30 miles
commute - 9 miles
Time  
Power  
Results  
Equipment ride - Road Bike
commute - Town Bike
Clothing bib shorts, Craft short sleeve undershirt, short sleeve jersey, arm warmers, cap

29 June 2011

core | Duthie Hill MTB Park

Wow… I have been hearing about Duthie this and Duthie that for years now and finally made it out there. Duthie Hill is all it's cracked up to be. It's absolutely, positively one of those places you want to have a GoPro camera so you can shoot movies like this. Or this. Or this (just much higher resolution).

This mountain bike skills park is just that. Oh sure, you can get a workout in if you want but only the easy trails are suitable to extended efforts. The rest is all drops, burms, ramps, bridges, tight corners, etc. I guess there is a pump track if you wan to work your upper body…

I met Greg K and James B at the park. It was the first time for all of us and we are all committed to coming back ASAP.

DISCLAIMER - Greg sent directions to the mail parking lot. I did not follow them and instead just drove to where I knew one entrance was. This resulted in us not hooking with James for at least 30 minutes. To his credit he waited. I'm an idiot and will not make that same mistake again.

The trails are marked like ski runs with easy, medium, difficult and most difficult signs that are also color coded. After riding three 'easy' trails it is abundantly apparent that my skillz suck. Big time.

ASIDE - there was one time when I was chasing Greg and James and passed a guy on a full-suspension bike with platform pedals (the norm here) because he clipped out and dabbed and I managed to stay on. He noticed my fully rigid single speed bike and said, "Oh no, you're putting me to shame!" But that was just one time.

Here is just one example of what happened. We found this trail that descended down a ravine. The trail would ride up one side, send you around a banked corner and then off a ramp back down into the ravine. Repeat. You could almost coast up each side and the corners were banked and I was able to ride the drops and ramps on my rigid bike. It probably lasted 10 minutes. When we got to the bottom I was sporting a perma-grin and announced, "One more time!" So up we rode and did again. At the bottom of the trail James shouted, "And again!" Which of course we did. That could have gone on all night.

For all the descending there are of course equal amounts of climbing but the steep bits are short and the trails are VERY well designed so you get numerous respites and never blow yourself out. This park is designed to hone and refine, not wear you out.

At one point we found this line with BIG gaps and burms that were four feet tall! James and I had to ride/hike to the top and give it a go. No, we did not hit the gaps but we did roll through all the burms. One word: fun. FUN. F U N.

This is also where I had my one fall. Ironically enough it was trying to rude up something instead of down. I skinned my left knee but it was not any cause for concern.

To my delight I was able to ride way more ramps and drops than I thought! There was one section of trail where James was behind me and twice remarked how impressed he was that I was able to clear some drops on my fully rigid bike. I did scare myself once or twice but not too much. And I have never ridden wood ramps like this. It's the closest I have ever been to North Shore style riding.

There were a few times that I felt my tires bottom out and others where they were squirming quite a bit on the banked corners but I never got a flat so it was all good.

This was a blast. I recommend you grab your mountain bike and run, don't walk up to Duthie Hill and ride. Thank you Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance for making it happen.

Sleep  
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day core - 6:00 AM
ride - 7:15 PM
Workout Type  
Weather upper 60s, mostly sunny, dry
Course
plank 3 min, 2 min each side
back extensions 3 x 40
clam knee lifts 100 each leg
side leg lifts 100 each leg
twisters 50 each side
leg extensions 100
push-ups 25
Distance 10 miles
Time 1:59
Power  
Results  
Equipment Mountain Bike
Clothing bib shorts, Craft short sleeve undershirt, short sleeve jersey, cap, long finger gloves

28 June 2011

ride | Pacific Raceways CR

Sometimes you get lucky!

The weather forecast for today was anything but confidence inspiring but it was dry in the AM so I snuck in a quick ride and then the rain held off in the PM for our race. Nice. To top it off I managed to get in the break at Pacific Raceways and this time (unlike last week) I had company in the form of Nikos M who was very willing to work. Even nicer. Lastly I had lots of teammates at the race! For a change my van was packed and seven of us in the Masters field - holy cow.

As I was getting ready to head out this morning I checked the weather online and it said 60 degrees! That was all I needed to start (for the first time this year?) my ride with no knee or arm warmers. One thin undershirt and a wind vest in my pocket and I was out the door.

I met the usual crowd on the Mercer Island lid including Jim K and Charlie D who are always great to hook up with. Last week the pace was relatively sedate on this ride but this week I had very little confidence that it was going to stay dry (meaning I would not race in the evening) so I decided to go a little harder. I kept the pace high on the first hill and upped the tempo a little each time I got to the front.

As we approached the 'hill' I passed the group and got on the front and pulled into it. Jim came by me strongly on the climb and kept right on going over the top so I had to scramble a bit for wheels and ended up fourth in line breathing pretty darn hard!

I put in one more good pull and then tried to lead out the sprint but a car pulled out right in front of us so we all had to slow way down and opted to roll across the line easy in the interest of safety. Oh well, someday they will finally close Mercer Island to cars. :)

This Time Charlie and one other guy were up for riding back around the island instead of heading straight back so we chatted and thoroughly enjoyed the spectacular morning. Charlie told me about a mini vacation he had taken in Glacier National Park and he had gone there on the train! It sounded really, really fun. It has been along time since I took a train any significant distance…

While at work I kept getting calls from teammates who wanted to race tonight and since the weather held it was a big, fat go! This is exactly what I got this massive, ridiculous van for - to carpool to events. I always feel like a total idiot when I end up driving it alone. So in attendance we had Dave H, Greg K, Steve O, Ryan D, Dean J, Gabe T and Jeff D. Fantastic.

ASIDE - I was warming up with Gabe before the start and he still seems pretty intimidated by criteriums/circuit races. I tried to give him some advice but then never saw him during the race itself. It's too bad as he has such incredible enthusiasm for cycling and racing and training but you just can't spoon feed the experience, the light needs to go on for that stuff to stick. And I'm NOT saying Gabe is dumb or anything… [Martin may have just gotten himself into trouble here] I just wish my teammates would not get so intimidated by the pack and ride with confidence.

Other riders of note also in attendance were the wonder twins from Starbucks (Sean P and Mark M), Matt H, Nikos M and Brian G (Garage Racing), Erik O (Cucina Fresca) and Tom H (Old Town Bicycle) who is one of the nicest, smartest and fittest 50+ guys you will ever meet. Today was favorite course down here - down the switchback. I was very much looking forward to this. With this many teammates in the field our only 'plan' was to try and place two riders in each move and to stack any break as much as possible. Go.

Ryan took off 200 m from the start and lasted 3/4 of a lap and then we rode two of the slowest laps I have done here in ages. Perhaps it was a good thing because on lap two I was not concentrating and totally dorked up my line on the descent practically running myself of the road on the first tight corner! :( That got my heart beating quite a bit quicker.

ANOTHER ASIDE - it seems that  - to the promoter's chagrin - there is a wreck on this course almost every year. I do not want to be part of that statistic. And it's too bad really as this descent is not that technical. The only problem is people trying to go down at a speed that is too much for them which is what happens when you are in a race and trying to keep up unfortunately. Too bad for me as this statistic prevents the promoter from using this course very often and I love it.

After those three initial laps the pace picked up and the attacks started to fly. I went once, Greg went once, Dean went once, Dave went once, I went again and this time about eight riders came along including Greg, the two from Starbucks and Nikos; I was stoked! This, I thought, was THE move. With all this power how could it not be?

But… like in so many cases half of the break did not commit to the move and the pack chased hard and the result was the back of the break was reeled in by the front of the pack just as we started the climb after being away for just 3/4 of a lap.

I looked back and although the pack was catching us it was also pretty strung out. Knowing that you don't get as much of a draft on the climb and that the pack would (hopefully) be tired from chasing and that you sometimes just need to go again I carried on and went hard on the uphill. Nikos was the only one to come with me and by the top we were away.

I put in a good effort right away to hopefully establish a gap and then we swapped pulls. Small groups are super in terms of smoothness and it was great riding with Nikos. He knew to always pull off to the outside of the corner and to do so before he blew himself up so we kept our pace pretty high for the next two laps to and solidify our advantage.

Then we got the prime bell. I turned to Nikos and told him I had no interest in contesting the sprint and would rather keep working to try and stay away and he agreed. Nice. As it turns out I was in front for the prime.

Primes can either make the bunch speed up if the break appears catchable or slow down if it's obvious that no points or prizes are up for grabs. Lucky for us today was the later. We pushed through this lap and dramatically extended our gap.

From here it was three laps to go. I was a little stronger on the flats but even though Nikos appeared to be tiring some he was always able to ride up next to me on the hill. For the most part I felt pretty good, maybe it was just because I was trying to use the smallest gear possible (53x23) on the hill and still go fast. With about 3/4 of a lap to go I thanked Nikos for his efforts and he reciprocated. He even offered to let me take the win in return for my work in the break. What a classy move. We rode the last hill side-by-side and then I eased ahead for the win. I think Rory M said something like, "What, no sprint?" Thanks you Nikos! Thank you teammates!

That's two good rides here in two weeks. A nice confidence booster.

Ryan also posted a write-up of tonight.

Sleep 6
Waking HR  
Body Weight 8:00 AM - 176
Body Fat 8
Breakfast 4:30 AM - cereal
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food ride - water
race - small bottle with half tablet of Nuun
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day ride - 6:30 AM
race - 7:00 PM
Workout Type intervals
Weather race - upper 60s, partly sunny, dry, wind at the start fading towards the end
Course race - counter-clockwise down the 'S' turn
Distance  
Time  
Power  
Results  
Equipment Road Bike
Clothing race - bib shorts, Craft short sleeve undershirt, short sleeve jersey, cap

27 June 2011

core | commute

Today was an interesting day in terms of weather. It was warm all day and at 3:30 PM it started to rain but by the time I left work (4:30 PM) the ground was 90% dry and it was super muggy. The ride home was quite pleasant actually and so I went the long way.

Sleep  
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day core - 6:00 AM
Workout Type active recovery/easy ride
Weather  
Course
plank 3 min, 2 min each side
back extensions 3 x 40
clam knee lifts 100 each leg
side leg lifts 100 each leg
twisters 50 each side - 10 lb.
leg extensions 100
push-ups 22
Distance 16 miles
Time  
Power  
Results  
Equipment Town Bike
Clothing  

25 June 2011

Tiger Mountain ride

Yeah for dirt!

This morning I connected with Tony B and we got an early start at Tiger Mountain. Based on my last experience here you don't want to arrive too late or you are out of luck regarding parking. We arrived pretty much at the same time, aired up the tires and headed out.

On the agenda today were two laps. It was pretty wet so you guessed it, we both fell but at least only once each.

To add some variety Tony suggested that we head out on the Timber Trail and then climb to the summit from the north on the Crossover Road for the start of our first lap so since I Love the Timber Trail I was totally on board.

Did I mention it was wet? Maybe it's because my skills suck or that I have a fully rigid bike or that these trails have tons of roots at odd angles but I was moving sideways like crazy and just five miles in all that caught up with me and I went down. Luckily it was a soft fall and other than a scrape on my shin dirty clothing was the only result.

Once up on the Preston Railroad Trail there was a lot of standing water. As we descended some sections were like riding through a small creek. I was really happy I had the forethought to bring along a front and rear fender! At least it was not cold. In fact, the temperature was quiet nice.

Tony is the better descender for sure but he was having some issues with his rear wheel (it was out of true) and his rear brake (it was rubbing) so I was climbing faster. Luckily this was a social ride and NOT a race so we stopped once to enjoy the view, twice to eat and once to try and fix his bike. No worries.

The climb to the summit is f'ing step! I had to keep my arms straight and just use them as hooks as they were not strong enough to muscle my bike up the hill.

During the first lap I was gripping my bars way too tight and my hands got sorta sore. During the second lap I finally relaxed and it was much better. During the first lap Tony also had his get-off. We were approaching a drop-off and I was in front. Knowing I was going to launch into outer space if I attempted this I dismounted and moved aside. Tony slowed down too much and tried to finesse it; in the process he slid out and went sailing down the mountain instead of into the hill. Ouch. Thank goodness he was alright and his bike was no worse for wear.

The second lap was much more enjoyable. I was loosening up, my bike handling had improved some and the sun was starting to come out. As we rolled into the parking lot most everyone else was just getting started or had started riding a very short time ago - that always feels good.

Tony is fun to ride with.

Sleep 6
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast 5:15 AM - cereal
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water, 3 mini/sample size Clif Bars
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 7:00 AM
Workout Type run ride, big gear intervals
Weather upper 50s, calm, dry sky, wet ground, cloudy at start, sunny at finish
Course classic Tiger loop
Distance 25 miles
Time 3:29
Power  
Results  
Equipment Mountain Bike
Clothing bib shorts, Craft short sleeve undershirt, short sleeve jersey, arm warmers

Technorati Tags:

24 June 2011

core

I had plans to go out for drinks after work but they kind went south… Unfortunately for me I took the bus so I would not be saddled with a bike and so didn't even get in a commute. Oh well.

Sleep 7
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 6:00 AM
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course
plank 3 min, 2 min each side
back extensions 3 x 40
clam knee lifts 100 each leg
side leg lifts 100 each leg
twisters 50 each side - 10 lb
leg extensions 100
push-ups 25
Distance  
Time  
Power  
Results  
Equipment  
Clothing  

22 June 2011

core | commute | track race

The wind was blowing just a bit today… Riding the track outdoors is sometimes tricky as you can't push a big gear into a headwind so ideally you start small and then go slightly larger when the wind dies.

Unless you are lazy like me and just use the same gear (49x14) all the time.

Which reminds me of those times I have been on those death march rides. You are totally blown, your brain is barely working and you have to climb one more hill before you get home. because it's too much effort to even move a finger you don't shift down and you end up over geared which sounds ridiculous but I guess it's surprising what the brain will justify when you are suffering and in massive glycogen debt.

In the morning Shelley and I did our core routine and then I hopped on the townie for my usual plunge through the Interlaken ravine to work. I do love that commute.

At the track the weather was looking kind of dramatic and the wind was blowing a bit so warming up was not easy. On the home straight you were struggling and on the back straight you were coasting. This was when I realized I should change gears but true to form I didn't. Dumb. I should at least try it out to see if my theory about this is correct or not.

Once again they ran the masters first and since there was only one group of Cat 4 riders we finished in record time - I'm talking 8:00 PM! That has never happened before.

We started out with a 10-lap scratch race. I tried to make a move but ended up following wheels all the way to the end. Kyle F (Garage Racing) was out for the first time tonight and after complaining about not getting a warm-up he won. Typical.

Next up was a miss and out. This used to be my least favorite event until I figured out how to ride them. Not so bad now. Assuming you use your BRAIN which I did not. A Garage rider broke away about half way in. I hang tough and with three of us left (there were really four but I was not using my BRAIN) I figure, "I'm safe, this is the neutral lap before the sprint…" Then they call my name and I'm out. What made it even funnier is I'm holding up my hand and asking why I am getting pulled. No brain, none at all.

The last race was a 5x5 points race. My goal was to get away and I did a couple of times with others but it never amounted to much and I think the best I did was 3rd place in one sprint.

Fun but I do NOT feel fast.

Sleep 5
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food track - large bottle w/2 scoops HEED and 1 tablet nuun
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day core - 6:00 AM
track - 7:00 PM
Workout Type  
Weather track - mid 60s, partly sunny, dry, wind at first and then calm at the end
Course
plank 3 min, 2 min each side
back extensions 3 x 40
clam knee lifts 100 each leg
side leg lifts 100 each leg
twisters 50 each side - 10 lb
leg extensions 100
push-ups 22
Distance commute - 9 miles
track - 29 miles
Time  
Power  
Results  
Equipment commute - Town Bike
track - Track Bike
Clothing track - bib shorts, Craft short sleeve undershirt, short sleeve jersey, cap

Technorati Tags: ,

21 June 2011

ride | Pacific Raceways CR

Having not ridden much lately and having gone hard on Sunday I wanted to open my legs up some before the race tonight. Lucky for me there is a group that rides around Mercer Island every Tuesday and Thursday morning. Great..

Depending on who shows up to this ride it can be anything from just fast paced to an all-out ride of attrition. Since I was not going to instigate anything today and since the usual strong man was not in attendance we were treated to a very pleasant pace for a change. My day was getting even greater.

I took short pulls and tried to be conscious of not mashing/spinning and then at the end I wound it up and won the tennis court sprint. Greater just got perfect.

On the way home Jim K and Charlie D and I chatted it up and Charlie told me about a phenomenal cycling vacation he took recently. I am resolved to get to Europe and do that sometime…

By the time the afternoon rolled around it was nice and warm - love that! I don't excel in the heat or anything but I sure like it. In other words you won't find me complaining when it tops 80 degrees in Seattle.

ASIDE - I always want to slap those that do complain. Hello people, what has our weather been lately? And how often or for how long do we get this? The answers are crap, not very, not very and shut your face. And don't even get me started about those that complain about snow and ice.

Tonight we were scheduled to ride my second favorite course at Pacific Raceways which is when we actually stay on the entire course and don't use that ridiculous, treacherous escape road. It isn't like the hill is any longer, you just don't get such a running start at it. The road surface is a million (no, I'm not exaggerating) times better and I just like the flow more. I got in the usual lame-ass warm-up riding in slow circles on the flat parking lot and then it was time to go.

In attendance tonight were Dave H, Greg K, Ryan D and Dean J from FareStart p/b Cobalt Mortgage and most of the usual contenders like Erik O (Cucina Fresca), Kerry F (Wheelsport Cycling), Nikos M (Garage Racing), Chandler L (Audi), Mark M (Starbucks), etc., etc. Good times.

Ryan started things off by pulling us around for a bit and I for one appreciated it while my legs warmed up. Then there were a few moves off the front which contained Greg. Once he was right in front of me trying to go away and when I looked back everyone was glued to my wheel so I just slowed down… and away he went. It's interesting how some people are afraid to close a 10-20 foot gap when we are only going 22 mph. And of course I don't literally mean interesting, more like 'amusing'.

One of the breaks that got away included Dave and Kerry and it looked fairly good so I got a little worried that the race was once again up the road without me. I certainly don't mind playing the domestique - I like it even, especially when the person you are working for can deliver - but tonight I was hoping to be IN the break.

And then Dave crashed. Damn. I guess wheels got crossed and it was just terrible to see him on the ground after having had such a bad wreck just nine days ago at the Capitol Stage Race.

The break did not have a big gap and around this time I was trying to initiate something past the top of the hill. Twice Chandler and I got away with other riders but each time I would pull, Chandler would pull and then the next guy would soft pedal. Shoot.

ANOTHER ASIDE - people seem so afraid to commit to a move! I'm certainly not Go's gift to racing tactics but it seems to me that the first rule of breaking away is you need to go hard at first to establish the gap. Then you can tone it down some and establish your tempo. The break is pretty much guaranteed to fail if only two guys work and four sit on. And here's a tip when racing with Martin - I'm happy to work! I just need some help. I would always much rather get 2nd or 3rd or 4th (or whatever) in the break than hope the planets will align or the entire field will flat so I have a chance in a bunch gallop to the line. So c'mon, work with me. I will not try to drop anyone even if I could because I NEED THE HELP.

With 5.5 laps to go the move Chandler and I were in was just getting caught after we passed the start line and I kind of eased off the front one more time and this time no one came with. Chandler was right behind me and yelled, "Go!" so I did. Chandler is pretty race savvy so I respect any opportunity he points out and put my head down.

For the next couple of laps I got watch Dave sit on the ground half way down the descent. As I went by I gave him the thumbs up/down sign and he responded with thumbs up. What a hard man. I would be sulking and licking my wounds and my thumb would be down. Way down.

I established a gap pretty quickly. I guess the field had been chasing for some time already and I had teammates in the pack which must have helped as well. Looking at my clock I knew I had about 5-6 laps to go so I was metering my effort to some degree but I also know that if I didn't go as hard as I could I would not survive out here. It sure would have been nice if I could have had just one person for company but that's the breaks. Pun intended.

Another nice thing about this course is you never really need to look behind you as the corners offer you plenty of vantage points where you can see your pursuers. As you climb the hill you can see the switchback below you, as you round the corner at the top of the hill you can see people cresting the hill and as you start the descent you can see people approaching the descent. Bottom line is I had a good idea of how I was doing all night. And honestly it kept changing. Sometimes I was this close to being out of sight and then they would reel me in some. In other words I had to stay on the gas. Ouch.

A couple of years ago (maybe three?) I switched from using a 12-23 cassette to a 12-25. With this combo I never need to shift out of the big ring at Pacific Raceways no matter what the course. Even today, I was able to stay in the saddle using the 53x25 on the climb (not an ideal combo I know but hey, this is a race) and not blow my legs up. In the pack I would use the 53x23 (still in the saddle) when the pace ramped up or the 53x21 if I had to get out of the saddle and match an acceleration. Bottom line is I could never go back to using a 12-23. A bonus of keeping it in the big ring is when you hit the top you can shift in the back only to accelerate and so don't risk throwing your chain off.

With three laps to go I was Jonesing for the 2 Lap card big time but of course I knew it was not coming based on the elapsed time. In case anyone cares, the full loop - no matter what the route - takes us about five minutes to complete so if you heard Rory say that we are riding for 1:10 and your cyclometer shows you have raced for one hour we have two laps to go.

I had a small cheering section at the top of the hill which was very nice. With two laps to go I was trying to squeeze every ounce of benefit from them that I could! As I started the descent with 1.5 laps to go there were three riders off the front of the main bunch chasing hard and closing. As I went up the switchback with one lap to go they were getting closer and I was fading. With 3/4 of a lap to go Kerry caught me. In the process he had dropped his companions and damn if he didn't make it look easy.

YET ANOTHER ASIDE - people, this guy is strong! If you want to place well you could do a lot worse than sticking to his wheel.

Kerry rested for a bit and then we kept trading pulls. And I knew I was doomed.

FYI - I had been managing to ramp it up to about 27 mph on the flats and I hit 32 mph on the descent and that is what it takes to stay away. When I started to struggle with 26 mph on the flats with two to go I knew the cavalry was coming.

I knew I was toasted so pulled Kerry into the hill and then he rode away for the win. I gave a desperate glance back and saw a Garage jersey rocket out of the bunch and start to gain on me FAST. I got out of the saddle but had to sit back down almost immediately (hate it when that happens). It was Nikos. Even though he was tying up I was worse off and he beat me by about 20'. That was an impressive effort.

After crossing the line I was so out of breath! Guys were rolling up to congratulate me and I could hardly respond. I needed another lap of the flats just to ensure that my calves didn't cramp.

After the race Greg, Ryan and I went out for beers and food. Good times were had. That was a good effort but obviously I needed help. I will try again so hopefully someone else is there next time.

Sleep 6
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food ride - water
pre-race - large bottle w/2 scoops HEED and 1 tablet nuun
race - water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day ride - 6:30 AM
race - 7:00 PM
Workout Type race
Weather race - low to mid 70s, sun, dry, light wind
Course race - clockwise up the switchback
Distance ride - 22 miles
race - 28 miles
Time ride - 1:13
race - 1:10
Power  
Results Masters
1st prime - pack
2nd prime - pack
finish - 3rd
Equipment Road Bike
39/53, 12-25
ride - Neuvation wheels
race - Mad Fiber wheels
Clothing race - bib shorts, sleeveless undershirt, short sleeve jersey, cap

20 June 2011

core | commute

Shelley and I did our core thing this AM and then I got to ride my bike to work. Yes. Sometimes it's the little things.

In this case two little things were me doing more  And it was sunny out.

Sleep  
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day  
Workout Type  
Weather upper 60s, sunny, dry, light breeze
Course
plank 3 min, 2 min each side
back extensions 3 x 40
clam knee lifts 100 each leg
side leg lifts 100 each leg
twisters 40 each side - 10 lb.
leg extensions 100
push-ups 25
Distance 9 miles
Time  
Power  
Results  
Equipment Town Bike
Clothing  

19 June 2011

Carnation TT #3

Incredibly this was my first time participating in any of the Carnation Time Trials… I guess by this time of year I am usually not so hyped on a solo effort but man are these well run and the prizes are good. And, I know all the courses because I have ridden these roads countless numbers of times.

Having done pretty much squat for the last several days I was either going to be well rested and able to push myself hard or feel somewhat blocked. In the end it was mostly the later. But in honesty it was probably not because of a lack of recent riding and more because of a lack of any serious or event-specific training lately.

ASIDE - I am a huge proponent of doing what is fun. If you like participating in recreational rides like centuries, go for it. If you like trying to drop your friends on training rides, get it on. If you like riding the dirt, go mountain biking. The only problem is doing whatever you want will not net you the best race results; that takes some dedicated effort and some specific training. On the upside doing what you want does lead to good work (racing in this case) life balance.

Yesterday the weather was utter crap. Okay, it could have been colder but still… super wet.
Today we lucked out. I still got sprinkled on and many of the roads were damp but it was not cold and I did not get soaked. And it was dry and pleasant at the finish. I can live with that.

I had volunteered to help with setup in exchange for my entry fee so that meant showing up at the start at 5:30. That's early even for me as it meant waking up at 4. Corrie M and Nikos M and I threw a ton of signage into my van and off we went to mark the south half of the course. Things were going swimmingly until we got to Fall City. The instructions said to flag 308th but both Corrie and Nikos knew that in years past the course had turned on 324th. What to do? We opted to follow the directions and not assume we knew better. I was very careful to make sure that the 1 km to go sign really was 1 km from the finish line… nothing worse than that 1.5 or 2 km kilometer!

We got back to the school (registration, results, etc.) and I asked Neal G if 308th was really the right street and wouldn't you know it, it was not. Oh well, I'll wager a race with no problems has never been staged so Chance R and I got back in the van and gunned it back down the loop which took us past the finish.

The tent was gone. WTF? We had just set it up, did it get blown off the road or something? There was zero wind - someone had stolen it. What a bummer. Since there was nothing we could do we just corrected the signage and headed back to the school. Neal already knew about the missing tent and was pretty bummed. All it takes is some catastrophe like this and all your proceeds vanish. Then a stoke of luck - the local police had found the tent and it got returned. Thank goodness. Whoever took it must have dumped it in short order. Jerks.

With all the extra driving around I managed to get in a 25 minute warm-up on my trainer before it was time to pack up and head to the start. At least that is what I thought… Neal had told me that he was going to "send me off" 15 minutes before my start time. Since my entry was totally last minute I guessed that this meant he was going to squeeze me into the start order and that I needed to be at the start by 9. Not so. When I rolled up the start order was just as advertised and what Neal meant was he was going to tell people to head out to the start (which was about one mile out of town) 15 minutes prior to their start. Live and learn.

Back to my warm-up, it did not feel very good. I kinda dorked around in relatively easy gears for about 15 minutes trying to get psyched up and then put in some half-hearted efforts that were supposed to be about 60 seconds but only ended up being 30 at most and finally just climbed off. I swapped my wheels, put on my shoe covers and helmet and hit the road.

Since I did get to the start early and since it had taken less than 10 minutes to ride there and since I just realized I had forgotten the pre-race piss it was back to the school I went. Mission accomplished I finally headed out to the start for real.

I was last. And I mean I was the LAST rider to head out. Who was in front of me? The Cat 1-2 men. That pretty much translates to no carrot for Martin.

Still, I was in a pretty good mood. The weather was cooperation as well as could be expected today, I was not cold by any stretch of the imagination and even managed to joke with the official as he was counting me down. And off I went.

As we were setting up Nikos had told me that a good time for him was about 1:02 and a not so good time would be about 1:05 so since the course was 27 miles long I knew that if I could maintain 27 mph that I would have a good time. Naturally at the start the juices are flowing and 27 mph was no problem at all but I did hold back some on purpose to avoid blowing up prematurely.

The biggest hill is very close to the start. And the biggest descent is right after the hill. Then there are a few 'rollers' (pretty small really) and then it's basically flat for the last 15 miles. The first corner was no problem. The second one snuck on my and I slowed down way too much. It was downhill and slightly off-camber and the last thing I wanted to do was bite it. Then I think you don't turn at ALL for like 10 miles… Finally heading north towards the golf course you make a few tight turns and here I slowed too much again as there was mud on the road. In hindsight I could have gone faster in all the corners.

Riding alone is interesting. Some people can really focus and dig deep. I fall into that category sometimes but I also fall into the category that gets distracted easily. As I was riding south on Hwy 203 I kept marveling at how freaking green it was and I also kept thinking about the MTB trails that are supposed to be out here. Not that I was off in la la land but my focus could have been sharper for sure.

Finally, as I approached Fall City I saw someone in front of me; that helped. I caught them (a woman) at the traffic circle just across the bridge from Fall City. Heading north along W Snoqualmie River Rd I saw another rider (Audrey B). Knowing I was nearing the finish and with this carrot in front of me I was able to turn it up a little. I passed Audrey with about 3 km to go and tried to keep accelerating but that last km is every so slightly uphill and I think I was only able to shift once - like from my 15 to my 14 I think.

By the time I crossed the finish line I was hauling! And there was an intersection just 110' away, yikes! Normally I like to coast, relax, shut my brain off and catch my breath after finishing a TT, not this time. I had to hammer the brakes to avoid flying into the street and getting t-boned by a car. Good times. I actually had so much momentum that although I slowed and avoided traffic (I almost had to pull a foot out of my pedal) I didn't quite some to a stop and after the car passed I drifted out and and turned right to start my ride back to the school.

As I rolled back to the van all my muscles started to tighten up - it has been too long since I raced a TT, especially one this long. By the time I got in the van to drive home my glutes were in f'ing knots! What a bizarre feeling. Once I got home I had to squat and hold it to stretch them. [Queue funny/sarcastic response…]

This is a pretty good course. At this time of day on a weekend there is not too much traffic on Hwy 203 and there was virtually none on the other roads. It is perfect for the rider that can peg it and hold it or simply a huge motor like the guy (John M) that beat me by a few seconds.

Congratulations to John (the guy that beat me by a few seconds), Alex R and Chandler L (under one hour baby!) for great rides.

Sleep 4
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast 4:30 AM - cereal
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food 1 hour prior to race - sips of HEED
20 minutes prior to race - gel
small bottle w/1 scoop HEED and half a tablet of nuun
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 9:15:30 AM
Workout Type race
Weather upper 50s, some drizzle, mostly dry
Course pretty flat, good pavement, the corners were only sketchy because they were wet
Distance 27 miles
Time 1:02:35
Power  
Results Masters 35-49
5th
official results
Equipment Time Trial Bike
42/55, 12-23
Zip disk, tri-spoke front
Clothing Craft short sleeve undershirt, long sleeve skinsuit, Lycra shoe covers

17 June 2011

core | commute

Shelley and I busted out our core routine and then it was such a nice day for a ride that I took a longer way home.

ASIDE - thinking of all the cool places I have explored by taking detours on the way home makes me realize that I'm really glad I'm not such a slave to routine.

ANOTHER ASIDE - apparently I can't just 'do' something, I have to 'bust' it. Such is the life of an aging hipster wannabe.

Sleep  
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day core - 6:00 AM
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course
plank 3 min, 2 min each side
back extensions 3 x 40
clam knee lifts 100 each leg
side leg lifts 80 each leg
twisters 40 each side - 10 lb.
leg extensions 100
push-ups 22
Distance 12 miles
Time  
Power  
Results  
Equipment Town Bike
Clothing  

I meant October 21...

Funny how short the attention span of the average American is.

Not long ago people were anxiously awaiting the end of the world – at least according the families I heard interviewed on NPR – (or obliviously watching shite television depending on your level of awareness) waiting for the rapture that was promised to arrive on May 21 2011.

may21

May 21 came.

And went.

And nothing much happened as far as I could tell.

You gotta love the explanation of the delay; and of the whole 'rapture' thing really.

Basically it amounts to you don't know, only we know. And those words you have been using? The ones like 'earthquake' and 'rapture' and whatever else we decide is relevant? Yeah, they don't mean what you thought they did. I'm right, you are wrong, neener neener.

Pretty easy to win an argument if you write the rules is all I gotta say.

What I wouldn't have given to be able to conduct follow-up interviews with all the families that timed their budget so ALL money would run out exactly on 21 May. I heard people proudly extol their checklists.

  • Savings all used up? Check.
  • Quit your job? Check. I mean c'mon people, earning more money when the end is so near would just be 'greedy'.
  • All material possessions given away? Check.

I wonder how this manner of misleading people is any different from some sort of financial swindle like a pyramid scheme or Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme. I suppose there was no financial requirement to believe Harold Camping; in fact he didn't seem to care much one way or the other what you thought. After all, there wasn't any way that he could grow those that would be raptured as the selection process was 100% in god's hands. Feel like repenting? Go for it, ain't gonna help you tho.

And besides, I firmly believe you can only protect people from themselves so much.

Maybe it's a good thing we can remember anything (read: hold a grudge) too long or Mr. Camping would would be in big trouble.

and the flavor of the month is... The Gay

Did you know that Cupcake Royal features special flavors every month? I did not.

Now that I know they do it seems so obvious. Feature something special, make it colorful, maybe even theme it with current events and boom, mo' money.

Seeing as Cupcake Royal is a Seattle company and seeing as June is pride month it seems so logical that the featured flavor would be something relevant.

the_gay

I'm just wondering how you order this flavor, do you say, "I'll take a dozen of The Gay."? Perhaps if you know the person working behind the counter you could wink and say, "I'll take a dozen Gays..." What about, "I'll take The Gay." Anyway you slice it, this has got to be a lot of fun.

Speaking of mo' money, I'm not afraid to admit that this is one of my favorite songs. And, I can't think of a gayer anthem to sample so bonus extra credit to me for me adhering to the theme of this post.

Technorati Tags: ,

16 June 2011

core

Almost put a big "X" in the zero column today but my core routine came to the rescue.

Sleep  
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 5:30 AM
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course
plank 3 min, 2 min each side
back extensions 3 x 40
clam knee lifts 100 each leg
side leg lifts 80 each leg
twisters 40 each side - 12 lb.
roman chair knee lifts 3 x 40
push-ups 20
hip abductors 3 x 30 - 100 lb
Distance  
Time  
Power  
Results  
Equipment  
Clothing  

15 June 2011

core | track race

Working out with your wife = good times.

Great weather at the track = arguably even better times.

This morning Shelley and I did our core routine again and boy did I need it. Good thing we both have messed up backs and so get to spend all this quality time together. Not.

ASIDE - I frequently laugh when I think of all the stuff I have to do (core exercises, stretching, PT, massage, chiropractic) just so I can do the stuff I want to do. Like ride a goddamn bike. But I'm not bitter. Seriously; riding is still incredibly fun and it could be a lot worse. As in I couldn't ride at all. Count your blessings people.

At the track they mixed up the schedule and I like it! For a change the masters raced first and they did all the mass-start races early and then we raced the keirin. I approve.

Jim F (Keller Rohrback) was pretty much toying with us tonight. That guy not only has a super sprint, he can also turn on the style for a full 400 m.

We started out with an unknown distance which is a fun event. There is never a bad time to break away and that's exactly what Tom W did about two laps in. For sure that has become his signature move.

In the points race I got off to a slower start than I wanted but finally got away. I was chasing a Garage Racing rider and it took a bit for me to latch on but after I did we stayed away for two sprints. Nice. Then with just a few laps to go Jim rolls up and we are three. To his credit he did not contest the final sprint and I managed to get second. Not sure what my result was for the race.

In the keirin I was DFL in my heat so got to head home early. Sigh. I just have not trained these kinds of efforts or speed/cadence plus I suck at them. A winning combo for sure. With about two laps to go I moved up on the outside and tried to box in a couple of guys but when the motor pulled off I could only maintain my position for half a lap and then faded back.

Sleep  
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food track - large bottle w/2 scoops HEED and one tablet of Nuun
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day core - 6:00 AM
track - 7:00 PM
Workout Type race
Weather  
Course
plank 3 min, 2 min each side
back extensions 3 x 40
clam knee lifts 100 each leg
side leg lifts 80 each leg
twisters 40 each side - 10 lb.
leg extensions 100
push-ups 22
Distance 27 miles
Time 2:11
Power  
Results  
Equipment Track Bike
49 x 14
Zipp disk, Neuvation front
Clothing bib shorts, Craft short sleeve undershirt, short sleeve jersey, cap
Technorati Tags: ,

14 June 2011

ride | commute

Knowing that I was not going to be able to race tonight I decided to give that little bit of extra on the AM ride.

I guess I succeeded as I got a second hand compliment this afternoon Gentry M who said that someone else described me as, "having an extra gear". I'd by lying if I said these kinds of statements didn't lift my mood just a little.

I hooked with the usual morning east side crowd on the Mercer Island lid at 6:30 and we rolled out. Gentry established a stout pace right away on the first hill while complaining that his legs were fried from the weekend. Typical cyclists strategy: set the bar extremely low, let everyone else know how blown you are and then try like hell to drop all your friends. But that comes later.

I got in some good pulls and hung out on the front a little longer than usual on purpose.

As we rolled into the 'hill' about half way around Gentry took the front and not only went up the thing super fast but he also stayed on the gas over the top and managed to drop two people from our group in the process. It was a sterling effort for sure.

As we hit the twisties I was trying to keep the tempo high. I went through one corner and never stopped pedaling and as we scooted out the other side I noticed that someone behind me had coasted around the corner and thus opened a gap. That was two more people gone.

I finished it off with a hard leadout for the tennis court sprint (which I did not win) and felt like that I had indeed put in a solid effort.

From here we flipped a bitch and did the social thing back home.

ASIDE - I bet that for some (read: many) people training rides are they hardest they ever go. Dropping your friends seems like a sport that never grows old.

Sleep  
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food ride - large bottle w/2 scoops HEED and one tablet of nuun
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day  
Workout Type intervals
Weather ride - mid to upper 50s, dry, calm
Course  
Distance ride - 30 miles
commute - 10 miles
Time  
Power  
Results  
Equipment ride - Road Bike
commute - Town Bike
Clothing  

13 June 2011

core

Just checking the box after a weekend in the sun.

What I want to know is why was this the first sunny weekend we have been able to enjoy?

Sleep 6
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 5:30 AM
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course
plank 3 min, 2 min each side
back extensions 3 x 40
clam knee lifts 100 each leg
side leg lifts 80 each leg
twisters 40 each side – 12 lb.
roman chair knee lifts 3 x 40
push-ups 20
hip abductors 3 x 40 – 100 lb.
Distance  
Time  
Power  
Results  
Equipment  
Clothing  

Trials of Lance Episode 3: Lance and Fabiani on Web PR

.I am really starting to like TheThirdFrankie.

The Internet has so much to teach us. One lesson too often forgotten is that when you register one domain (like facts4lance.com for example) it might behoove you to also register some other common domains like .net and .org. Especially when it's so damn cheap and you are trying to bolster someone's public image.

WARNING – facts4lance.org is not safe for work. Unless your work is cruising that is

12 June 2011

Echo Valley MTB tandem ride

Yesterday was so much fun Shelley and took our tandem out and rode one lap of the Echo Valley 30/60 race course.

CIMG7320

What a blast! We were able to ride everything I rode the previous day and even tried the one section I had to walk – and might have ridden this as well – but I steered us off of the course. :( Dang.

We stopped a few times to enjoy the spectacular views.

CIMG7322
[Is that a stiff pose or what...]

The bike did great, what a fun machine.

CIMG7325

Once again I spazzed and did not reset my Garmin prior to starting this ride so the distance below is a couple of miles and a few minutes short.

Sleep 7
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast 7:00 AM – muesli, yogurt, banana, water
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water, Clif Bar
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 10:00 AM
Workout Type  
Weather 70, sunny, dry, calm
Course pretty smooth, mostly doubletrack
Distance 14 miles
Time 1:50
Power  
Results  
Equipment Ellsworth Witness
Clothing bib shorts, sleeveless undershirt, sleeveless jersey, cap

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