Double Nought Seven

How's this for the face of suffering?

2011-05-18T14:21:00.001-07:00

I darn near drowned this weekend

2011-05-16T13:23:00.000-07:00

So about two months ago I decided to do a triathlon just for kicks, I mean my bike is pretty strong, I can still run at least one six minute mile once every three months for work, so what the heck, there were no crits to do so I signed up. Knowing that swimming does not come easy to me, my game plan was to train for the swim a bit and get a wetsuit. So, I swam THREE times to prepare and actually swam 75 yards non stop on one of them so, yeah I am prepared! Everyone says that wetsuits make you more bouyant and you can swim faster and you know what it does make you go faster, for a bit. So here goes the story.

Got the wetsuit on Wednesday, went to the lake and got some help putting it on as they are tight, I mean real tight and even constrict your breathing (not good). I got in the lake and swam for a minute and said okay this is great, I am fast! Well I was for a minute!

Saturday dawns and I set up my transition area, seeing how everybody else put the their numbers on the bike and shirts, how they laid out their shoes and stuff. We hit the water (no I did not warm up I wanted to save energy). First fifty yards, I am thinking, "man I am fast, I am passing people, second fifty yards okay maybe I better flip over on my back for a minute but keep pushing! Make the turn and keep going, now 150 yards out and I am thinking this is not good, people are passing me now as I alternate laying on my back, get to 200 yards and see if there is a handle on the bouy so I can take a break as I am having trouble staying afloat, make the turn and fell the panic coming on, start looking for the safety kayak, thinking I may need to get a tow in but the banks are lined with spectators and that would be a walk of shame on I got to shore. Relegated to alternating dog paddling with resting on my back, get about 50 yards from the finish and if I stretch I can get a toe in the mud, so I bounce my way to the swim finish, as I get out of the water I look at the garmin, my heart rate is at 205! I am gassed but stumble jog to the bike, I am 170th out of 205 coming out of the water. Get on the bike after the slowest transition you can imagine, I am shook and blown up already. Get on the bike and start out somewhere around 179th. It's a hilly course and starts out with two climbs, I know this route so I hold a little back but am passing people. I pretty much have to stay to the left as I am passing people steadily as we go up and down over these rollers. I was miserable and hurting badly but still trying to hold back. I was 36th after the bike so that tells you I did a lot of passing! I am 39th out of the transition as I seem to have trouble putting on my shoes and have to sit down to do it, no fine motor skills left! I start the with a cramp in my side, I am trodding along, getting passed by a few more people and ma now getting to feel maybe a bit better. One miule left to go and it starts with a hill that's a quater of a mile. I open it up and pass and pass. End result 4th in age group, missing 3rd place by less than 30 econds and 1:45 down on second, I lost taht much time in transitions alone! 34th overall which I am fairly pleased with. Considering as one point in the race that I was seriuosly looking for a way out due to a pretty severe pani attack if drowning and that swim absolutely devastating me, I guess I cannot complain. I still think I could of won it. Oh by the way, both anecdotal evidence and recent magazine articles say that wetsuits will make you faster and I agree they do, but what I did not know was that they restrict your movement and cannot actually cause you problems. That was a lesson learned!

How should I do intervals

2011-03-16T06:15:00.000-07:00

Well, I just downloaded the Garmin and some interesting things are revealed. My ride on Monday which averaged 19.7 for the 25 miles had an average heart rate of 149, but I only busted 160 on the heart rate monitor twice and both times it went to right about 170. In other words a tempo ride but not quite hard enough to be a tempo ride. Now compare that with the race this past Saturday in which I averaged a heart rate of 167 and had 7 elevations of around 180, I think I need to work on top end. The sad thing is I really did not feel like I was hurting in the race, I felt great! Considering it's rare when I have been riding by myself to go deep, I think to have averaged 167 is pretty damn good and it may also explain that why once I was blocked in I could not cover the gap at the end.

So, although I want to win this Saturday, thinking about the races I have scheduled in May, I am going to do intervals today, take tomorrow off in Germany and then do about 5 sprints on Friday to wake up the legs. Sunday's race will be all about surviving and trying to stay in with the lead group as there is a bunch of climbing involved to include one 5 miler towards the end.

Thanks for the feedback guys, I do know I learned who is strong last weekend, so I know who to mark this weekend which should help, so rather than worrying about everyone, I know which wheel to follow. This should greatly relieve the pressure of trying to monitor everyone. The race is not until 2:40 on Saturday which sucks since I'll have all morning to deal with the adrenaline. I may race next Saturday as well and if anyone wants to bring a spare mountain bike with them, I could be convinced to do Farmington as well. The interesting thing about the bikes is that on the road, I corner very well and typically yell at people to quit braking yet fall off a mountain bike all the time. Food for thought.

Poor Tactics, but very pleased with my fitness!

2011-03-14T09:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, I am disappointed in my finish, but have to be pleased with how I felt out there. So, here we go, on the drive down, I was suffering from major adrenaline dumps, I knew I had the fitness, knew I was strong, and was so excited, I kept dumping adrenaline which is not good. Arrived around 11, got my number, pinned it on the BikeChain.com jersey and tried to calm myself. Talked with some peoiple and an hour out did a few laps on the course, basically a two turn course both have slight climbs leadinto them and the one before the finish was after a long drag into a major head wind. My thoughts were, okay, nobody is breaking away into that wind by themselves. Get in a good warmup and head to the line, so amped my resting heart rate was just over a hundred. We start off and into the first turn and who's in front pulling the pack? Me. Okay, don't be stupid, I think so I fall back to third wheel, still eating a fair amount of wind as it's an oblique wind and we are'nt echeloning (sp?). I pretty much stay fopr about two laps until a guy comes by and I jump on his wheel, so now 2nd wheel and eating wind, my thoughts were (ain't nobody gonna get away on a solo from me), we come through again and all the sudden I am pulling the pack again? I look over and ask if anybody but wants to pull through and sit up. All the sudden a wiry dude goes, I jump on third wheel again and this guys is hitting the gas repeatedly trying to break the field, he sits up after a lap and again I pulling or second wheel. Then dude goes again and gets maybe thirty yards, I waiting for someone to go get him as we head uphill into the wind, the dude has put another 15 to 20 meters on us, so I jam hard inside go over the caution bumps on the shoulder to pull around everyone and hammer the guys down, I look back and all I did was pull everyone with me. So, I breathe for a second and thenm dig myself up the hill and through the turn trying to break away. As I head into the wind, I realize the wind is going to hurt too much so I sit up, we hear two laps to go and keep in mind I have been on the front or near it the whole damn race! One lap to go and I figure okay, hide the first half, then go in the last turn. SO, we head into the wind people start moving forward , I hear a crash to my side and rear, a group starts to hammer out and I am blocked inside?, I wiggle around and there is a gap already, crank it alway the way up but cannot close it, I sit up a hundred meters out as I can probably only catch two or three at most and it ain't worth the effort.

End result, 14th, but finished in the pack, spent the majority of the race on the front and controlled the race, stupid tactics, I should have hid the whole time like I had planned then exploded at the end in the sprint. Instead, I worked the whole time, got blocked in due to my own poor positioning and then did not have enough in the tank to cover the gap. I was just too amped up.

I did not do the Perry Roubiax on Sunday as I was sitting in my hotel room and realized, I spend so much time in hotels cause of work, nobody came up to do the race, so I talked to the promoter and asked for a credit for another race and he said yes so I headed home. Spent yesterday working on sprints. Today was only 25 miles, but averaged 19.7 with 1200 feet of climbing, could have been much faster but I kept finding myself in that no mans land of 85% LT which is comfortable but either too hard or too easy for a specific workout so I kept slowing down. So, that means I am ready for real intervals. Again, I am bummed about my placing, but excited about my fitness level. This Saturday I am going to play smart and just sit in, let some body else do some work!

Bike Chain Posse are either snobs or bitches!

2011-03-05T12:38:00.000-08:00

Okay, it's been a while, time for a little venting and explaining of the title of this post. Back in the day, us MTBers were looked down upon by the roadie crowd, I can remember walking in Tec's years ago and being ignored as I was not in the cool loop of roadies. Over time not only did mountain biking gain acceptance, it increased in popularity to the point where several pro roadies made the transition. IN my mind, the magazines putting more of an emphasis on downhilling, the televising of downhill racing or 4 cross, or dual slalom (which were at one time the side events of an mtb weekend) mountainbiking lost it's focus and we have seen a dwindling of the base of riders. For example, 10-12 years ago, every event even those in Tally, looked like the BUMP with hundreds of competitors. These days, the big pack rides are road rides, the big races where you must sign up as soon as online registration is open are the norm in road racing and the mountain bikers (Bike Chain Posse) protect and justify their fragile egos much the same way as the roadies did during mountain bikings golden era. Do I ride road primarily now, yes I do, but I have raced mountain bikes and shown up to be at a race with my friends and family with no sleep, no miles in my legs and over the last couple of years, with an inability to do anything but play pinball with the trees, bridges and rocks on the course. BUt still I do it! I do it for the camraderie, for the fellowship and for the laughs. I may not have much success, but the memories and the experiences were priceless.

So now that I am racing primarily road, I find a race that is equidistant from me and the Posse, has several miles of dirt to satisfy your need to get dirty and go over bumps and these are the responses I get. My bro-well between parenting, business, drinking beer, eating sour patch kids, collecting stuff in my garage and in my car, I can't train and just don't have the time, Cuz-, well ya know, I used to be fast, but I ain't right now so I can't get out ther and take an ass whooping, BW-well my thong got wrapped up in Big Jim's thong on our sleepover we did a couple of weeks ago and it made my throat sore when I woke up the next morning. Big Jim-Look, it was a big enough adventure for me to do a sleepover with a Big Worm, I just cant handle the stress of actually being in a pack of riders, what if my thongs shows? Mackeral......I'm in love with a non Whittington. Silk-I wish I had a big worm, but all my virillity goes to being the baddest mountain biker in Tally, why would I leave my comfort zone? Berg and Zach, I think Bieber might be on TV that night. As for Terry and Mingo, I am not gonna mess with you guys, I just think the opportunity to take your boys and have them watch crit races for about 5 hours on a beautiful Saturday afternoon with the constant buzzing of the pack coming by every minute or less, followed by a wild race on Sunday is something they may just enjoy.

All of you have probably watched at least one nascar race on TV, watching a crit is way more exciting, being in it is like being a racer, rubbing elbows, jockeying for rank. The race on Sunday will be sedate, it will be safe for all of you, even if your thong shows. Quite being a bunch of snobbish, little boy bitches and join me next weekend in Perry. I have been talking to ya'll about this race for over three months and none of you bitches have gotten up the nut for it. Bring your kids, crits are exciting to watch and even more fun to be in. I am doing one for sure, I may double on Saturday if I feel good. Sunday, I will just sit in. Enough the "We're mountain bikers", no your not youre cyclists, open your minds!

Oh by the way, Wednesday, did 40 miles, 2000 feet of climbing, 19.1 mph average to include the warmup all by myself, got the garmin to prove it. Come get some............................bitches

Oh That hurt!

2011-02-28T06:30:00.001-08:00

Well, got back in town on Saturday afternoon after a long week of altitude training, too late to get out on the bike. So, Sunday morning I awoke with a sore neck, a bit of too much wine head and an eagerness to test myself on the Airport ride. The ride started out mellow for the first 10 minutes, then TT1 (mainly Phil) decides to tkae a dig at the front and it's a quick 30 second sprint. I am staying in the top 10 of these hundred odd riders so I am getting a bit of wind. So thirty minutes in, we stop at the nature break, you can see several people going up the road to get a head start of what we all know is soon to come.

We head off, I see Phil and a teammate come by and start picking off singles off the front. Well, I think, I want some of that so I bridge and a few seconds later, Phil puts the hammer down! There are four of us and I am sitting on, heart rate going up as he pushes the first hill and all of the suden we are going by little groups like they are standing still. Phi comes off the front, we slow just slightly and the main closes it upas we approach another climb. Hmm this is hard but I am staying seated as several around me are out of the saddle up these climbs. We start the climb up to the first KOM/sprint, I don't contest it as we have a longgggggg way left to go. Around the corner to the next sprint and I am near the front but again don't contest it, I think I could have but I would have been done for the day. At the split< I am feeling pretty good and fairly confident as we start the hilly section. Through the hills I am hurting but recovering, till we get to the KOM and oh does that hurt (later found out average for that hilly section to include a wait at two stop lights, plus slow to a crawl for two railroady tracks was 24 mph). After the KOM I think okay, I am hurt bad but still here, just stay on!

We make the last climb onto HWy 29 and oh man they are whipping it up! The Garmin says 32 mph and stays there! How in the world are these guys working through on the front? I am just trying to survive! (average for the next 15 miles 29.3 mph). Oh thank god we are slowing down a bit as the last 10 miles is a sedate 24.5 mph. 70 miles in 2 hours and 29 minutes! I get to the car and am whipped but I made it. Woke up this morning slightly leg tired, lower back sore and trying to psych myself into getting on the bike for a couple of hours. I have to keep telling myself that riding with these guys (several pros, 1's 2's and 3's) learning from them, covering the digs of guys like Phil should be giving me confidence that I am getting faster. My numbers sayy I am, I guess we'll see in two weeks. I have a final training block this week from now till Wednesday evening when I head to Nigeria, back on Saturday. Thinking about heading to Albany this weekend to race, not sure if I want that far of a drive after just getting off a long plane ride. Anybody doing that race?

The End Result

2011-02-14T14:05:00.000-08:00

So, Saturday I showed up for the LBS ride, it was cold, around 28 degrees, only one other guys showed up so I waved goodbye and got back in the bed. Around noon, I got out and did 40, not hard but not easy, probably all wrong heart rate wise and I did keep telling myself to slow down but waht ya gonna do?

Sunday I am at the Airport ride, we roll and I am feeling good, my legs are a little tired and actually a little sore but I feel good, about five miles into it, I have moved forward, catching the wind at around 25mph when lo and behold, I have a mechanical. I am frustrated and head home. Fix the bike with a little ingenuity (I hope it's fixed) but while I was waiting for my repair to dry, I could not get on the bike.

So today, I decided to open up the throttle and test myself. End result, 19.8 mph for 25 miles, 1200 feet of climbing, windy (big head wind on the way back in), warm-up time, stop signs included, yes I threw up a little bit from the effort. The funny thing is I did not push the hills really at all until I turned into the wind, then I had to push everything just to keep moving forward. The garmin graph shows peaks and valleys with my heart rate until I got into the wind, then just goes high and stays there. I attribute this to alot of hard work and to Optygen, this stuff does let you work harder longer. I did not blow up, did'nt even come close, was it hard, yes, very hard ride but I had more in the tank Two more days of riding, one plyometric work out left till I go to Milan Italy on Wednesday, kinda psyched about that trip. Now, who's in for the Perry race? I already have a room booked at the Hampton and got two beds. Come on Bike Chain, represent!

Self Doubts and nervous

2011-02-11T13:23:00.000-08:00

Well, I am freshly back from Germany, kinda tired and feeling lazy, I did get a good workout in while I was over there but also feel the legs still need recovery.

So, after last Sundays major bonk, I have had my mind full of doubts and really lacking in confidence in my abilities to keep up on the long ride with the Cat 1 and 2''s that are driving the front of the pack. On the way home i stopped by my LBS and after just that one ride with them two weeks ago, they recognized me and asked me if I was going to come out tomorrow morning AND gave me props by saying how strong I was. That helps a little.

So, the game plan is 40 tomorrow, not hard, well not too hard, come home, eat good food, rest, eat more good food before bed and then Sunday get back out there and prepare mentally to be so strong that on the final 20 miles which is flat but averages 28 to 29 mph, to be in the front and actually pull through or go with a break. That's the plan, look for the report as to what happens Sunday evening. ONly a month till the Perry race, come on guys!

The Bonk and thanks for the feedback

2011-02-07T11:55:00.000-08:00

Since NO ONE commented on my last blog, I guess I am writing this so that I can go back and review it to see how I felt. Oh well, here goes.

So, I had work training all week long, lots of pt, shooting and fighting , plus the trainer two nights meant that Saturday, I awoke drained and somewhat sore. Got a call about meeting one yound dude at the LBS once the rain stopped, so at 5 till one we are pulling out and hear that two guys are heading out themselves from the BMX track which is about two miles away. So, I told the kid to hang on and did a 25 mph TT to meet up with those guys (not smart without a warmup) So we joined them and lo and behold, they are heading South into the hills. After the first two get your heart rate maxed out climbs (about 7 miles in) young dude and I had dropped the other two. So, we spect the remaining 33 miles waiting in between bouts of playing KOM. Needless to say hti swas a bit more than I desired. So, home, eat, rest , make dinner (Thai salad) and sleep.

Sunday morning arose, at start time it ws a blamy 33 degrees and a bit windy. The airport ride started out sedate, I did not mind, cause I was not feeling too good. the legs seemed sluggish and although I had a good breakfast, I was already feeling hungry. After the nature break, I moved way forward, like top 15 in this 100 rider group, up the first climb and I am at the sharp end of the stick, go through the turn into the sprint staight away. I am easily sitting in, working hard but easy enough, decide at the last minute to make the turn to go long and here where it goes bad. The average for the next 15 miles is 24.5, which does not sound bad excpet I started in the back, there were lots of turns (hence sprint back on) and lots of HILLS, I mean big HILLS, I am overheated (too many clothes), not drinking enough and have no food. At around 48 mile, the wheels come off, I slow to a miserable 14 mile per hour average and am looking for a stop and rob, wondering if they will take my watch as collateral. I have blown up before, as a matter of fact, I am kinda known for it. But never have I felt like that , just absolutely no energy, begging for someone to stop and put me in the back of their truck and gice me a ride, scouring the ground for Gu packet remanants maybe someone had left. The horror! Anyway, lesson learned. Today is a rest day, getting ready for work now. Does anybody read this?

Weekend Ride Report

2011-01-30T10:32:00.000-08:00

Well, something seems to be working, maybe the weight workouts, maybe the Optygen, maybe the lack of nicotine as I am now over a week clean. Before I get into the rides, Big Jim, you're strong and you know it, you have good skills in the pack, come to the Roubaix, I think you'll be pleased with your result and I think you will understand why I like it so much.

Okay, Saturdays ride, it was a cool 33 degrees at 8 am, it was a shop ride, but a hilly ride which I needed and the guys who worked there said they were going to take it easy, they pointed out a guy on a Scott Addict and said if anyone wants to go longer or fast he's the one to mark. So we started out sedate, small group of around 12 but what you gonna do. We cruised for about 15 minutes to the first hill and one guy was pulling at around 18 to 19 but seemed to be faltering up this hill so I Came around and said hop on as I put it to just over 20 up the remaining part of the hill, I satyed on the front for a few minutes and let Scott rider pull through, what? we were down to 4 riders at this point and decided to keep it rolling along, we take turns pulling through and again it seems who ever is one the front at the beginning of a climb falter so I would pull through, 15 miles in and I note we had dropped another rider so I asked Scott dude if we should sit up to let the guy back on and he said sure. Once the guy got back on I put the hammer down, well not really,, hard but manageable. As we crested, I looked back and realized we had dropped Scott dude and the other guy so it was just the two of us. We hit a steep 11 percenter and I did not want to get out of the big ring and while trying to find a lower gear, I popped the derailuer cable so ouch, now I am in the 11 with only the two front chainrings to choose from. Next thing you know, I am riding off the front on each climb as I play fixie rider! About that time we run back into the rest of the riders as they took as shorter loop, I pull them around for a while and finally break everyone but Scott Dude and one other, we finish it up and I feel good!

Sunday arises with me with a hangover from a party, a little leg tired but it is warm outside, I had fixed (well thought I had but found out I could not go into the three smallest cogs) my rear derailuer. The ride starts out sedate and there must have been 150 people out due to the warm weather. To the first break it was comapratively easy with a few accellerations. After that, I was having trouble due to a lack of gears, we head up the first climb (kom) and the subsequent turn and sprint, I note after the climb I am fine heart rate and leg wise but am in trouble as I am spun out. We make the rurn and I am turning what has to be 140 to 160 rpms to stay on and in. Based on this I decided to do the short ride and soon found myself in 3rd wheel on a slight rise into the wind and was hurting pretty bad. We make the turn with me thinking maybe I went to too hard yesterday. We start on the long drag back (about 18 miles) and it goes crazy, alot of peopel keep attacking, then would get pulled in , kinda like a crit, as soon as the attackers were pulled in another would go. This would not be a problem, but since I was trying to hide, I was in the yo yo section, having to jump and sprint to close gaps, over and over I am spinning the gears I do have out, covering break after break. After one, I find myself not being able to hide and do a few turns through the front, we're whittling the pack down and people are going off the back like a bran muffin and a cup of prune juice! I am fussing cause every time I would pull through it seemed like I am on an uphill section, people won't pull through and your forced to close the gap. I keep wondering when I am going to fall off the back and considered it, but each time I find new legs, I chck out the garmin on my pull through to make sure I maintain a steady pace and we are pulling through into the wind on risers and 26 and 27, again gaps open and I am spinning out like a madman to get up to 31 and 32 mph to close gaps. I finish with the big boys, knowing I did not hide and that I certainly did my share of work with out a full set of gears. It felt like I had just finished a crit! I would like to start going for the sprints but two issues. First off, in the drops but out of the saddle, the Somec is twitchy and I have trouble holding a line so I need more practice, second, I think right now, for the next month, fitness wise, I am gaining more by working on the front. It takes a huge amount of muscular endurance and to sit up there and pull through and not alot of people do it for long, then fade back in the pack to hide, so I think these efforts, especially having to close gaps not long after having pulled through are great fitness raisers. Yesterdays climbs gave me confidence, today's ability to suffer and then still spin up to a crazy cadence to close gaps when others are not willing and not blow sky high are good signs of where I am heading! Oh, did I mention that I only took one day off the bike this week? And that Friday's ride albiet only an hour long was pretty darn fast and hard and hilly? What do ya'll think? How about a little feedback?

Airport Ride and why the Roubaix!

2011-01-24T13:35:00.000-08:00

Okay, so there may be some light at the end of the sore legs saga. Yesterday I did the airport ride, I am gonna cover how it went down and try and make those of you resistant to road racing understand the coolness of this stuff.

So, I awoke around 6:30 am, temperature a balmy 25 degrees, had a great breakfast, reflected that I was on day 4 of no Copenhagen or other nicoteen products. Dawdled around till it got close to time to go only to realize I could not find my wind blocking tights. Well this is gonna suck as it's still around freezing! Make the drive up in time to put on my sidis, pull down my booties and strap on the helmet and head to the line. Looks like a good crowd, not hure but say around 80 or so. And we're off, seems like the guys are frisky already, decent accelerations but no bid deal as we head out of town, what's this after about two miles here comes several of Phil's TT1 boys all kitted up and bringing a bit of good morning heat. Now, it's roughly 33 degrees, we are doing 27 to 28 mph in between stoplights, gonna be a fun day. Its' kinda squirrely here towards the back of the pack and I am getting a little aggravated so, take a peek at the HR and realize I am feeling pretty good, so I decide to eat some wind as I crank on the pedals and move to about 7th or 8th wheel, just far enough forward to feel some effort. We hit the nature break area with an average of around 22mph with all traffic lights so pretty fast. We take back off and I know that soon we'll begin the series of climbs that lead to the right hand turn that leads to the first sprint. If I am caught out here I may never get on and typically it's where the ride explodes for the first group to get dropped. So, through each climb I move forward, of course the sprinters are moving forward as well and it's really heating up, we make the turn and off like a rocket, I stannd for three revs, then sit down and power up, okay, watching the heart rate creep, I am still with the lead group, okay heart rate about 175, thinking, "I could contest this sprint". But wiser heads prevail and I just sit, as we approach the split, I want to go long but don't have confidence in my legs so, I take the short route, we regroup after I pull a bunch up to those who went off on the sprint and some who skipped the nature break, so I am kinda tired but surviving. We hit the long 2o mile section of road that is bascially flat to uphill and in to the wind. A couple of guys are working and I am sitting back just watching running about 7th wheel but letting them work back in. At a light a couple complain so I tel the, "I got no problem working through, set up the line and talk to people. So, we ended up with about 14 of us working through while the other 26 set back and ley us pull through. It hurt, my heart rate was sky high, but I worked. We came up the next sprint (4 miles to the finish), a couple of guys who had been hiding decided to come forward to win the sprint so we had all out craziness for the next 100 meters, no I did not win, just happy to be sitting in on that one considering I was already feeling it. So we reform and again us 14 workers are going and we decided to really put on the heat, next thing you know, we have a gap and are gone! 42 miles, 1 hour 50 minutes total time, high of 36 degrees, windy. Come get some of that boys.

Now the reason I like this stuff, is you have to think, you have to strategize, you don't have to be the strongest, but you gotta ride smart, on this ride, I chose first to not get dropped, second I chose to work which I needed versus sitting in and waiting for the sprints. Next week, I may hide until it's time to sprint, this stuff is fun guys, now sign up for the Roubaiz and lets have BC go and control a race!

Okay, I need some Advice..and you guys better come do the Perry

2011-01-17T16:02:00.001-08:00

Okay, I am already signed up for the Perry Roubaix and I hope you guys all come up and race. I am probably going to be racing the weekend before it in Albany as well.

Now, the reason for the advice. I know I am not overtrained as my heart rate if anything has lowered over the past three months. The problem is my legs, as soon as I start putting the heat to the pedals, they ache and burn like fire. It's not lactic acid (I think). More of a deeper searing pain, it's truly my limiting factor right now. Heart rate is not an issue, my legs just don't work. They have been this way for say a month now. I am finally past the heavy strength building part of my leg workout now. Ended up with the last week with 8 plates aside on the leg press for 6 reps followed by plyometric jumps for 10 reps. Three to four sets of those, followed by leg extensions and leg curls then 30 to 45 minutes on the spin bike with three sets of four minute intervals at 95% of mhr (or in other words till I slobbered) Again, the heart rate was'nt the problem, It was the muscle pain when came to completing these. Last week I dropped weight down and did sets of 40 reps followed by jumps, then the spin bike, My need of advice, is......will this leg pain pass? Thinking back of previous training, knowing me, I typically lost power after a hard effort and just tried to survive from there which is why I am trying to be stronger. My wattage is around 220 for a 45 minute ride at 130 to 140 bpm, again , the legs hurt by the heart rate is comfortable. I can hold 400 for around two to three minutes (have'nt really tried to hold it longer or go harder as I am still working on base mainly) So for Silk, the question would be last year you said something about holding 280 for like an hour or two, what percentage of heart rate was that? I know I am stronger now, the 220 at an aerobic heart rate is very good for me, two years ago this time of year that number would be around 170-180 on the same trainer, so I am know I am stronger. Today was two and half hours of cold wet miserable outside hill riding and it sucked, my legs hurt, at times I felt very fast, at other times I wanted to park it halfway up the hill, total climbing was just over three thousand feet according to the Garmin. Oh, the Somec is good for about two miles per hour faster average up climbs that are say half a mile long, but I do not like those Speedplays.

Okay guys, I know ya'll want to hear about Amsterdam, New Years eve was crazy, this past Saturday night was crazy, lots of beer that's for sure and that's all I am saying! Ghana sucked, I did not take the Malaria pills so I am hoping I don't get it. Now I am trying to get serious. Current weight.......188. I am on a diet, now please give me some advice and sign up for the race!

Me Legs!!!!!!!!

2010-12-23T12:08:00.000-08:00

Well now, me thinks this weight work and plyometric jumps has destroyed me legs! My goal of 60 miles per day has foundered. Combination of cold, windy weather in conjunction with legs that ache has made for quite the difficult rides. I could only do 40 today, with 2145 feet of climbing, 500 of which came in the first 4 miles, all of it short but steep (Garmin says 14 to 16% grades). After that warm-up, riding into a fierce head wind, me legs were on fire. It's interesting as I felt the limiting factor, even when I pushed the pace was the pain or fire in me legs versus anerobic debt. Then again, my max heart rate for the day was only 166, so as you can tell, I did not push. Again, tough day, elevation change on the garmin graph was kinda cool.

Headed to Munich x-mas day, then Amsterdam on new years eve, might not train that day!

Calling all MTBers!

2010-12-21T14:59:00.001-08:00

Alright, here's the deal, the Perry Roubaix, as in Perry Georgia, is the weekend of March 12. So for all your mountain bikers, come out and do this ride, fight your way in the pack, we'll BW to move people out of the way and then BC will bring the freight train!

Seriously, I hope you guys take a look at this and consider doing it. Has several miles of dirt road on each lap, so you'll get your fill of that, the rest of the time just sit in and hang on.

So, training is going so so, my back injury kind mellowed out last week, so I did the weight/plyometric workout last week with what I thought were good results. Yesterday, I went back in and since I have forsworn squats, went realllllllllll heavy on the leg press. Did four sets on the leg press with the box immediately following each set, did extensions and leg curls and then on the way to the airport, my back quasi seized. Flew to DC by way of Florida, spent the night and just flew back. Having trouble picking up my back pack so I may have a problem. We'll see after I get off the trainer about an hour and a half from now. It's supposed to be mid fifties tomorrow and Thursday and they are my days off, so my goal is 60 miles each day. That's a slow 60 miles, so figure somewhere around 3:20 to 3:30 on the bike. Most of my time on the spin bike or trainer has been spent keeping the heart rate at the top end of the aerobic level, with occasional 2 to 5 minute runs as hard as I can go. But the total of each time on the trainer has not been over an hour and a half so my weekly totals are not that high. I have focused on power working on my cadence ( actually think I spin too high a cadence). Between traveling, cold weather, back pains, chores and such it's been a struggle to maintain a consistent schedule of training.

Perry Roubaix is an Omnium with a TT and a circuit race which you guys probably won't want to do but I plan on it. It's not that far from Tallahassee, has unique road course so you guys should come up and do it. I am planning on racing the following weekend as well. There is a an Omnium 10 miles from my house so I gotta do it. I have already asked for weekends off for those two. After that there is a Wednesday night Crit series I am hoping to do as well as a few other races. You guys come up and do the Perry and I will race the BUMP. Fair Deal?

I may have rui'nt myself!

2010-12-07T13:14:00.001-08:00

So, yesterday I decided to get my leg workout in, my back was tight to begin with I think from the 7 hour walk in Rome. But a good warm-up later and I am under the squat rack, two cadillacs a side, thento the jump box. ON the third set, something went terribly wrong. For the last few months, I have been dealing with a Sacrum Iliac joint problem on my left side, (imagine feeling a knife stab you about two incehs left of your spine, not to mention the pain radiating down to behind the lft knee), but I have just been working through it.b(Rule #5) style. Well I cured that problem yesterday on my third set, or rather I exchanged that for an excruciating pain in my right lower back. After about 15 minutes< I decided I better figure some way to get dressed and head to the chiropractor. It was funny, I could not carry my bag, could barely walk and thought Oh man I have to go to the range this week, fight on Wednesday PT test on thursday, some kinda fitness challenge on Friday and then drive to Tally for the Dirty. All this was in jeopardy last night, but today, the pain in my SI joint is back, my right side is sore, but I can walk, run if I need to and hopfeully baring a recurrence, will be there on Saturday. I think leg presses rather than squats for me from now on, that was major frightening. Dr, says do Yoga, so thats gonna be my new thing. Now I am going to go watch American Flyers which Deb got me for Hannaka!

So, will cross tires fit on the GT?

2010-12-02T05:56:00.000-08:00

Anybody got some used, smaller size cross tires? I figure I will borrow the GT from my dad versus putting the Pinarello on that much dirt. I checked it out this past weekend and the GT is fairly tight too so I am not sure cross tires will fit in the frame. I have a pass to go to the Dirty Ron, just need to decide whether to come in Friday night or Saturday morning.

I do have training next week which is going to include my PT test, a team fitness challenge, two days at the range and two days of fighting, so I'm not sure what kind of shape I'll be in for the Dirty Ron. If my little brother comes, we should make him a shirt to wear with the Logo, "I got dropped" across the chest, cause I think he would be. Message for WB, stay on that trainer dude, if you can stand the torture of it, you should come out much faster, you just won't be able to turn and you can reaffirm your name of Wrecking Ball! BW, get on the 17 day diet so that you can open up a can on everyone in the spring, in other words, put away the baked goods! Dude you have so much talent, ya just need to cut weight! Cuz, do you actually ride anymore or just do insanity in the living room while parenting? Then go out in the garage and look at your bikes?
Silk, anyone who can get so far ahead in a race that they take a break in the woods to allow their heart to reset is just a freak and I can't mess with you! JimGod, you're my hero! The quiet stud! Mingo, get some skinny tires, we are now in the upper forties category! RonD, glad to hear your green card got renewed, otherwise communicating with you might affectt my security clearance. Hey, what about the Eyetalian Stallion, yeah the Mackeral, aka pimp daddy, is he coming to the Dirty? Darien, please ride a bike with gears if you do the Dirty, even if you don't shift one time! It's humbling to ride with someone on a single speed. Kinda like the days of struggling up a road while BobGod wheelies up it beside you while talking in a normal voice!
Little Ball, Zach, you know your role in the Dirty, you young studs should be up front pulling us around!

Well, got to get on the trainer now before I head to Rome Italy where I will get sick tommorrow on Gelato, Expresso, Proscuitto and other O's.

My Legs Hurt and the cat walked in the paint

2010-12-01T05:44:00.000-08:00

No really, a can of paint spilled in the garage yesterday and at least one cat and one possum walked into and then all over the garage. I now have an art deco floor!

So, I've been riding, quite a bit actually. I excuse Terry for not being able to ride with me this past Saturday and Cuz since he was called out of town, but the rest of you have missed an opportnity to drop me again. I did the airport ride again this Sunday, for those not familiar, let me know and I will try and post a link. It's a road ride, very fast with two options, a 42 and a 70 miler. So far I stayed with the 42 and this past Saturday remembered what Friel said about group riding, so I got up front and rotated through for the last hour. Garmin says above on 160 for that last hour, It hurt, bad.

Yesterday I did legs, so ya'll try this workout, it's supposed to help with power and sprinting. 30 minute wamup on the trainer, squats 6@ 225 then immediately 10 plyometric jumps on to a 24 inch box. Did three sets of that, then three sets of leg presses for 6 at 450 followed by another 10 jumps on the 24 inch box after each squat set. Finished off with three sets of single leg extensions and three sets of single leg curls. My legs hurt and I have no idea how the trainer is going to be this afternoon. Headed to Rome tomorrow, time for expresso, gelato and vino!

Can anyone give me more info regarding the Dirty Ron? I have the 8th off and am ready for you guys to beat me up on the long ride.

Hey guys, Keith's been riding!

The story of my demise! AKA BUMP death

2010-07-12T12:36:00.000-07:00

Hmmm, what to say............................ Okay, I was excited about the BUMP, visions of a podium danced through my head, I did my home work, knew the times I had to turn, training was right (albiet on the road), diet was right, rest was right, everything seemed to be good as I parked the car Saturday and met JimGod for a practice loop. I headed out slow as I really did not want to push, as JimGod and the local pros caught me and then sped off, I stayed with JimGod as we both agreed they were going a little harder than either of us wanted to do. Everything was fine, although I was having to push through the turns and downhills a little faster than I cared to kepp up with JimGod who will hereafter be referred to as JG in this post. The climb was fine, all middle gear and quite easy although I was beginning to feel the heat and humidity, across the top was cool, we both agreed Blood Rock was not worth a fall and after that bit of hike a bike, JG promptly disappeared. This did not bode well for me, but, I still felt good about the race.

So, Sunday comes, I eat right, stay cool and get in a decent warmup, the legs feel great, yesterdays loop had no impact. At the start JG goes like a bat out of hell and Mingo is not far behind, I sat in and end up last in the first group to hit the woods with a big gap to the second group behind us. Okay, that was a bit more than I wanted, but I am good, there is one rider between Mingo and I and a gap of maybe 5 seconds to JG, in other words right where I want to be! We get to the third turn in the woods and the dude in front of me misses the step up to the root, I am on his ass so we both go down (wreck #1). Stay calm, remount, let one rider go round and back on, stay calm and start closing back up, a few hundred yards later I am about two seconds behind Mingo again, I can see JG ahead and all is right with the world when my front tire washes out and I go skidding into the poison ivy. Okay, now I am pissed and slightly rattled, but back on and again closing the distance as we get to the first fire road, I can just see Mingo and shift to the big rind to try and close it down, so I am a little scraped up, dirty and for sure gonna have a poison ivey rash but no big deal, I work up the single track climb, go across the bottom and then where they have that concrete wash thing, I fall off again. Totally rattled, pretty much ready to say the hell with this, but plug and chug, get to the big climb, dowse myself with a bottle of water and start climbing, now passing people, then hurt a bit, then pass peoplem then hurt, this is not too much fun. Finally get that hell climb done and realize I have no idea how I am doing but know it's not too good. ON the flat across the ridge, come upon Mingo and see he's flatted, offer a tube but that won't work with his 29er. Get past Blood Rock with no one behind me, I mean no one.............................at the bottom of the down hill, I look back and it's like a train of riders who made up tons of time on me! Let about 9 riders go, then all of the sudden we are back on the sinlge track climb, a pro comes by doing their second half loop, I grab on his wheel and pass about 6 riders going up the hill, okay, i can do this, I can ride with this dude, I hang on, steadilly passing people, then we get to that new section of singletrack, I like to call HELL! It's off cmber, got roots, no significant climbs or downhills to get momentum, so, I fall again! Oh this just sucks I say, but let's just get it done and keep n pressing. So, I hit this rock thing and absolutely flat (I mean an immediate BANG flat). At this point I say piss on it, I ain't fixing it, I am just gonna walk it out, I am tired, I am hot and I am disappointed. So I take a piss, stretch a bit then walk for about 5 minutes, I ask somebody coming by and find out I got like two miles left, so I change out tubes, air it up and get back on. Getting a bit better now, looking to grab a wheel, just looking for the finish. As I start to come out of the woods, I see Mingo junior and tell him his dad flatted, I am speaking to him when my front wheel sllides out over a bridge, down again, ,my watch is in pieces as both side of the band break off from the impact, my foot is trapped between two planks on the bridge and riders back are trying to figure out how to go around as I study my leg, wondering how did I get it stuck in there and how do I get it out? Get extricated. get back on this torture machine, cross the line, head to the showers and get on the road. I apologize for not communicating to anyone, mountain bike riding was not fun that day, nor has it been for a while. As a matter of fact, I no longer own a mountain bike.

Since I moved back to Atlanta, I have spent the majority of time with Rachel and Rebbekah, trying to rebuild those paternal ties. The end result is that I have not exercised at all, no weights, no bike, no run, no nothing. This has resulted in a lower back with sciatic pain all along my left leg. Yesterday, I thought about my last pt test at work, realized that when they took my blood pressure right before it, I had already had a couple of dips of copnehagen, had a red eye from starbucks and still had 106/60. So, I got on the Pinarello, it's been an month and I was slow, I mean real slow, but I got in 20 miles. Today I hit the gym at work, that sucked too. I plan on racing again, starting next week, I will be pack fodder, may even get dropped for a race or two, but two more races and I upgrade to Cat 4.

Now, as for JG's post, he called it, my previous posts were all legit, USA cycling has my results, they are all legit. I can ride, I will continue to ride and yes race, but it won't be on a mountain bike. My hats off to JG, Mingo, Dairen and Little Ball for showing up, the rest of you can get bent cause you did not even throw your hat in the ring! Road ride T-Day morning, if you don't have a bike. buy one, if you can't afford a bike borrow one, I just sold a nice GT-R to my dad, the Pinarello stays with me, cause it's only got one speed........fast!