Happy Halloween! I'm taking the kids out for trick or treating tonight....maybe I should dress up as a MTBer and get some candy too?
Got some more riding in.....a really good ride yesterday. Very windy but had the tailwind all the way home and was really flying. I'm having trouble getting in long rides though....yesterday was 3 hours and that is about as long as I've been able to get. Bad weather, other obligations have cut down on the time. But I've started the gym so hopefully that will help. Focused on my legs but will do upper body to balance it out.
I'm anxiously waiting for sponsor responses these days. Sent all the proposals out mid September so they should be coming soon.
Steve
Monday, October 31, 2005
Saturday, October 22, 2005
The weather outside is brutal. I am determined to get back out on the bike as much as possible for base training but the weather isn't helping. Case in point this morning. Wake up at 7am. Still dark out. But dry. Have beakfast and check the temperature. 2 degrees. Pretty cold but I've got the gear. Rain supposed to hold off until Noon. Head out around 8am. A fair bit of wind making it quite chilly but I can take it. Then it starts to rain. Heavy rain. I am 40km away from home. Luckily I have a tail/crosswind. Made it home in a little over an hour, but I am drenched, especially my feet. They are frozen solid. Soak in the bath for 30 mins but still chilled.
I hope the weather gets better!
I hope the weather gets better!
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Training has begun
I have ridden my bike much over the past month or so. Trying to just take it easy and re-motivate for the 2006 season. The weather hasn't been that great which makes it difficult to get started but I am officially off. I got my gym membership squared away and will be spending lots of time there doing plenty of different things. I've built an entire training schedule for the next 11 months so it will be interesting to see how well I stick to it. If I can keep close I should definitely seem some improvement for next year.
I've sent out my sponsorship proposals already (done about a month ago) so now it is more of a waiting game. I am anxious to get things organized on that end as it makes a difference on planning some of my races for the new year. I still plan to focus on endurance races, but will also participate in some standard races and maybe even a road race. This was one place I was lacking this past year.....just not enough actual racing under my belt. Nothing simulates racing like racing....you just give a totally different effort from when you try to copy race conditions while training.
Did my first workout with weights last night and boy are my legs sore. I've got a session booked with a trainer next week to hone in my plan to make sure I'm doing the right things for my plan. I know what I want to do and areas I want to improve but need someone to build a proper plan for me so I don't overdo it too much.
Today is a rest day and then back out for a road ride tomorrow. Those are becoming more challenging with the short days and cool mornings....but I'll live with it.
Steve
I've sent out my sponsorship proposals already (done about a month ago) so now it is more of a waiting game. I am anxious to get things organized on that end as it makes a difference on planning some of my races for the new year. I still plan to focus on endurance races, but will also participate in some standard races and maybe even a road race. This was one place I was lacking this past year.....just not enough actual racing under my belt. Nothing simulates racing like racing....you just give a totally different effort from when you try to copy race conditions while training.
Did my first workout with weights last night and boy are my legs sore. I've got a session booked with a trainer next week to hone in my plan to make sure I'm doing the right things for my plan. I know what I want to do and areas I want to improve but need someone to build a proper plan for me so I don't overdo it too much.
Today is a rest day and then back out for a road ride tomorrow. Those are becoming more challenging with the short days and cool mornings....but I'll live with it.
Steve
Sunday, September 25, 2005
Race Report: Pauls Dirty Enduro 100K
Hello all....a race report for the enduro race Pauls Dirty 100. It is a great race I have done a few times which raise money for the Canadian Mental Health Association. It is held at Ganaraska Forest near Peterborough and is a single 100km loop through the forest. Now lets get to the race.
The race was to begin at 8:00am for the 100K racers (there were also 15km, 40km, & 60km events) so that meant an early wake up for me at 4:30am. After packing all my stuff, picking up my friend Dave and driving there it was 7:00am. It was freezing cold in the morning but I knew we would warm up once we got riding, but I still had on arm warmers, knickers, and a vest. 8am rolled around and after forgetting to put on my transponder and holding up the race start we were off.
The first 15km were a little challenging with a lot of climbing (a theme for the race). I was hoping things would smooth out so the speed would pick up. My wish came through and after I shed my vest I was flying in some of the sweetest singletrack ever. The kind were you never have to touch the brakes, but are in the big ring with swooping corners. It was truly amazing. I started thinking to myself...."Steve, you are really moving, your conditioning must be better than you thought after taking the month of September off, before beginning the training season all over again in October". Little did I know.
After picking off a bunch of riders in that singletrack I hit the first checkpoint, but just blew through as I still had lots of fluids. That is when the course became much more difficult. Not particularly technical, but the climbing was unreal. I'm a decent climber but it was starting to wear on me. I was definately looking forwad to the next checkpoint which brought us back to the parking lot and I could replenish my e-load, CarbBoom gels, and get some solid food. It seemed to take forever to get there and I kept thinking that this felt like the longest 60km (we did a 60K loop and a 40K loop) in awhile. When I finally caught site of the main camp I was happy and stopped at Checkpoint #2. I asked one of the volunteers to confirm our distance so far (no computer on my bike) assuming she would say 60K. Nope, we had only done 40K. Guess how long that took! This will give you an idea of how much climbing there was. It took me 4 hours to do 40K. That 10KM/H. I was not a happy camper. All I could think was this thing was going to take me over 10 hours to complete if the course continued on its trend. I thought about packing it in a that point, but I was determined to finish.
After stocking up on supplies I headed back out to do the 60K loop. With my trusty MP3 player continuing to crank out the tunes I tried not to be too bored. So far I had been riding on my own and it wasn't much fun. This was the low point of the race for me. I kept thinking about how long it would take me to finish which was depressing. Plus the climbing was wearing on me and I was desperate to have some company. I started walking a lot of climbs due to lack of motivation as was generally down in the dumps. Then they came. While walking up one of the climbs 2 riders past me....a guy and girl who I thought were a couple but turned out not to be....he was just trying to pick her up I think :-). They seemed to be doing a good pace so I started riding with them. It was wonderful. For the next 3 hours or so we rode together. One dicey moment came on a downhill where I was behind the girl. We were in a section where they were bunch of large sinkholes, some covered with bridges, some not. I always would give her room on the downhills and it was a good thing this time. It looked as though we were going to rollover a bridge but it only covered half of the sink hole. She wasn't prepared for this and literally her bike dropped straight in the hole and she did a superman landing on the far side of the hole. Luckily she was okay. And luckily I left enough room to hit the brakes otherwise I would have landed right on top of her!
Soon after this they asked me to lead the group for awhile. I had my second wind and unintentionally pulled away. Our paths did cross one more time at one of the checkpoints but I didn't really see them until after the race. I was on my own again but felt good and tried to push the pace. I had left my hydrapak at the car after 40K as my back was really sore, so I had to stop at each checkpoint to fill my bottles. My whole body was starting to ache (except for my legs), particularly at my shoulders and my triceps. As everyone knows what goes up must come down and my arms and shoulders were taking a beating from it.
After the last checkpoing I was only about 15km from the finish. I was excited but then the course punched me in the gut again. More climbing. Not too many short steep climbs, but long climbs. I think the last one was about 20 mins of non stop climbing. I was determined to ride it all, knowing I was so close to the finish. I managed to do it and soon after the finish was in sight for which I was thankful.
I finished the race in 8 hours and 19 minutes, so the 2nd 60K loop took less 4.5 hours which was a little better than the first 40K. Having some other riders definitely helped. I grabbed a bit of food, won a prize (framed picture of an NHL goalie) and then got on my way. Overall the race was a good one with perfect weath and the course was in prime condition. Everyone who knows Ganaraska knows there is a lot of climbing....I hadn't been there for a couple of years and it was a shock to my system. I made it through though. I don't have any idea where I placed (not on the podum...I know that) and was too tired to check.
I think this will be my last race of the season. As mentioned, I've taken most of September off the bike with the exception of a few fun rides with friends. I've needed to give my body a chance to recover from some of the injuries sustained earlier in the season. I'll begin my training program all over again in October, with my goal being to be in the best shape ever for the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo (Arizona) in February.
Many thanks goes out to my sponsors for the 2005 season. Turner Bikes (www.turnerbikes.com), www.Gearsracing.com, Rudy Project (www.rudyprojectusa.com) Glasses and Helmets, CarbBoom gels (www.carbboom.com), Kenda Tires (www.kenda.com), and CatEye (www.cateye.com) lights. Your assistance is greatly appreciated and I have had lots of opportunitys to talk up your products. I look forward to working with all of you again next year!
Steve
The race was to begin at 8:00am for the 100K racers (there were also 15km, 40km, & 60km events) so that meant an early wake up for me at 4:30am. After packing all my stuff, picking up my friend Dave and driving there it was 7:00am. It was freezing cold in the morning but I knew we would warm up once we got riding, but I still had on arm warmers, knickers, and a vest. 8am rolled around and after forgetting to put on my transponder and holding up the race start we were off.
The first 15km were a little challenging with a lot of climbing (a theme for the race). I was hoping things would smooth out so the speed would pick up. My wish came through and after I shed my vest I was flying in some of the sweetest singletrack ever. The kind were you never have to touch the brakes, but are in the big ring with swooping corners. It was truly amazing. I started thinking to myself...."Steve, you are really moving, your conditioning must be better than you thought after taking the month of September off, before beginning the training season all over again in October". Little did I know.
After picking off a bunch of riders in that singletrack I hit the first checkpoint, but just blew through as I still had lots of fluids. That is when the course became much more difficult. Not particularly technical, but the climbing was unreal. I'm a decent climber but it was starting to wear on me. I was definately looking forwad to the next checkpoint which brought us back to the parking lot and I could replenish my e-load, CarbBoom gels, and get some solid food. It seemed to take forever to get there and I kept thinking that this felt like the longest 60km (we did a 60K loop and a 40K loop) in awhile. When I finally caught site of the main camp I was happy and stopped at Checkpoint #2. I asked one of the volunteers to confirm our distance so far (no computer on my bike) assuming she would say 60K. Nope, we had only done 40K. Guess how long that took! This will give you an idea of how much climbing there was. It took me 4 hours to do 40K. That 10KM/H. I was not a happy camper. All I could think was this thing was going to take me over 10 hours to complete if the course continued on its trend. I thought about packing it in a that point, but I was determined to finish.
After stocking up on supplies I headed back out to do the 60K loop. With my trusty MP3 player continuing to crank out the tunes I tried not to be too bored. So far I had been riding on my own and it wasn't much fun. This was the low point of the race for me. I kept thinking about how long it would take me to finish which was depressing. Plus the climbing was wearing on me and I was desperate to have some company. I started walking a lot of climbs due to lack of motivation as was generally down in the dumps. Then they came. While walking up one of the climbs 2 riders past me....a guy and girl who I thought were a couple but turned out not to be....he was just trying to pick her up I think :-). They seemed to be doing a good pace so I started riding with them. It was wonderful. For the next 3 hours or so we rode together. One dicey moment came on a downhill where I was behind the girl. We were in a section where they were bunch of large sinkholes, some covered with bridges, some not. I always would give her room on the downhills and it was a good thing this time. It looked as though we were going to rollover a bridge but it only covered half of the sink hole. She wasn't prepared for this and literally her bike dropped straight in the hole and she did a superman landing on the far side of the hole. Luckily she was okay. And luckily I left enough room to hit the brakes otherwise I would have landed right on top of her!
Soon after this they asked me to lead the group for awhile. I had my second wind and unintentionally pulled away. Our paths did cross one more time at one of the checkpoints but I didn't really see them until after the race. I was on my own again but felt good and tried to push the pace. I had left my hydrapak at the car after 40K as my back was really sore, so I had to stop at each checkpoint to fill my bottles. My whole body was starting to ache (except for my legs), particularly at my shoulders and my triceps. As everyone knows what goes up must come down and my arms and shoulders were taking a beating from it.
After the last checkpoing I was only about 15km from the finish. I was excited but then the course punched me in the gut again. More climbing. Not too many short steep climbs, but long climbs. I think the last one was about 20 mins of non stop climbing. I was determined to ride it all, knowing I was so close to the finish. I managed to do it and soon after the finish was in sight for which I was thankful.
I finished the race in 8 hours and 19 minutes, so the 2nd 60K loop took less 4.5 hours which was a little better than the first 40K. Having some other riders definitely helped. I grabbed a bit of food, won a prize (framed picture of an NHL goalie) and then got on my way. Overall the race was a good one with perfect weath and the course was in prime condition. Everyone who knows Ganaraska knows there is a lot of climbing....I hadn't been there for a couple of years and it was a shock to my system. I made it through though. I don't have any idea where I placed (not on the podum...I know that) and was too tired to check.
I think this will be my last race of the season. As mentioned, I've taken most of September off the bike with the exception of a few fun rides with friends. I've needed to give my body a chance to recover from some of the injuries sustained earlier in the season. I'll begin my training program all over again in October, with my goal being to be in the best shape ever for the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo (Arizona) in February.
Many thanks goes out to my sponsors for the 2005 season. Turner Bikes (www.turnerbikes.com), www.Gearsracing.com, Rudy Project (www.rudyprojectusa.com) Glasses and Helmets, CarbBoom gels (www.carbboom.com), Kenda Tires (www.kenda.com), and CatEye (www.cateye.com) lights. Your assistance is greatly appreciated and I have had lots of opportunitys to talk up your products. I look forward to working with all of you again next year!
Steve
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Been taking it easy the past while with rides every few days. Kind of using this as my down time before I start the whole crazy training thing again. I've got some new ideas for a training program which should really help my fitness. One of my other goals is to keep the winter weight off (and maybe drop a few pounds too)....I really have to watch my diet. Being on the road for work doesn't help much when I'm looking for cheap and easy food to get. Usually its all bad.
Working on the whole sponsor thing again. Some have a deadline of September 15 (for the following season) which is crazy. I'm looking for some very specific stuff. Hopefully I will be able to provide more of an update as this process moves forward.
I'm still mulling over doing a couple more races. Specifically the Ontario Enduro Championships this weekend and Pauls Dirty 100 a couple of weeks later. I think both will depend on the weather and how I am feeling. I'm more interested in the 100k event as I have a craving for singletrack these days and there's nothing like 100k of riding to quench that craving.
Steve
Working on the whole sponsor thing again. Some have a deadline of September 15 (for the following season) which is crazy. I'm looking for some very specific stuff. Hopefully I will be able to provide more of an update as this process moves forward.
I'm still mulling over doing a couple more races. Specifically the Ontario Enduro Championships this weekend and Pauls Dirty 100 a couple of weeks later. I think both will depend on the weather and how I am feeling. I'm more interested in the 100k event as I have a craving for singletrack these days and there's nothing like 100k of riding to quench that craving.
Steve
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
I've done a few rides since the 24 Hour race just to get my legs moving. My shoulder is still sore but seems to be getting better every day which is a good sign. I went for a wicked MTB ride yesterday for about 3 hours. A ride into my parents place and hit up the singletrack following the Don River. It was in fantastic shape and I had a ton of fun riding which is the whole point, right? I managed to clean the lower half which doesn't happen very often, but when I hit the upper half it was a different story. This area is very steep and quite technical. I can handle moderate technical trail but this particular area was super steep up and down with several bridges which always make me nervous. I ended up walking a few sections just to be safe, but overall I had a blast. It really reminded me how fun MTBing is, considering how much time I have spent on the road bike this year.
Just to give you an idea of the split in mileage between the two up to the end of August:
MTB - 568km
Road - 7773km
Quite a difference huh! I need to ride my MTB more....to increase my technical skills and learn how to ride faster on singletrack. I'm not a super fast guy, just usually a consistent one. Guys I can drop on the road where it is all fitness kill me in the single track. I really have try riding once or twice per week to work on these areas.
My friend Dave just sent me his race report from the 24 hour. He did a good job and came third in the race (he was in 1st until a "bike issue"). The most important thing I took from that report is having a solid crew and listening to them no matter what. Case in point, Dave crashed with 3.5 hours to go in the race. He was in first place. He thought he bent his fork. He ends the race. Turns out the fork isn't bent. Now any seasoned 24 hour rider knows one is not thinking straight after 20 hours of riding. Your mind and eyes are playing tricks on you. Which is why you need to listen to your crew. (Dave, this isn't directed toward you!) I know I have trouble doing it....particularly when they are telling me to go out for another lap when I don't want to. So unless you are badly injured or have a catastrophic mechanical you just need to do as your told!! Hopefully I take my own advice next year. :-)
Steve
Just to give you an idea of the split in mileage between the two up to the end of August:
MTB - 568km
Road - 7773km
Quite a difference huh! I need to ride my MTB more....to increase my technical skills and learn how to ride faster on singletrack. I'm not a super fast guy, just usually a consistent one. Guys I can drop on the road where it is all fitness kill me in the single track. I really have try riding once or twice per week to work on these areas.
My friend Dave just sent me his race report from the 24 hour. He did a good job and came third in the race (he was in 1st until a "bike issue"). The most important thing I took from that report is having a solid crew and listening to them no matter what. Case in point, Dave crashed with 3.5 hours to go in the race. He was in first place. He thought he bent his fork. He ends the race. Turns out the fork isn't bent. Now any seasoned 24 hour rider knows one is not thinking straight after 20 hours of riding. Your mind and eyes are playing tricks on you. Which is why you need to listen to your crew. (Dave, this isn't directed toward you!) I know I have trouble doing it....particularly when they are telling me to go out for another lap when I don't want to. So unless you are badly injured or have a catastrophic mechanical you just need to do as your told!! Hopefully I take my own advice next year. :-)
Steve
Saturday, August 27, 2005
24 Hours of Albion, Hot Summer Nights
We'll that was a race for the books! I went up to Albion Hills on Friday to set up camp but didn't get very far when the worst storm of the summer rolled through. Wind, rain and lightening made for a spectacular storm, but left worries about the condition of the course for the weekend. Well, Chico Racing (www.chicoracing.com) did a specatular job and the course was phenomenal.
The 24 Hours at Albion is the 2nd largest event (1800 riders) of its kind in North America (its sister event, 24 Hours of Summer Solstice in June is the largest with 2400 riders) and is a top notch event with tons of stuff to do when you are not racing. Bands, movies, kids race, BBQ etc along with the laid back style make the event lots of fun. As usual the race began at Noon, but no Le Mans start (hooray!). We did a short start loop and I could tell I didn't have the power in my legs I did in the June race. My friend Dave (who was the best solo rider there) left me in the dust shortly after the start and I just settled in to my own race. The course was in good shape....a little slick in the rooty sections but very tacky everywhere else which made things fun. There were a lot of short power climbs which took their toll, but also some fun swoopy single track which you can really rail. The course was about 17km long and the fast guys were doing it in about 1 hour with averages being in the 1:10 to 1:20 range.
I settled into a steady rythm for the afternoon, keeping my laps times remarkably consistent. It was around 7:30pm when I had to take a break to try and rectify my neck and back situation. My legs felt very fresh, but my lower back plus my shoulders were quite sore. I went over to the massage area and they went to work. After a few minutes I felt my back crack and new that at least my lower back would be better now! My masseur went to work on my shoulders and did a fantastic job, but there was one area that wasn't going to be solved by the massage. It was the should I injured in my crash in June and I was just going to have live with it.
After slowly changing into some fresh riding clothes I headed out for my first night lap. My Cateye Stadium 3 lights did a great job lighting up the trail but the bike was still flying around on the roots which were very slick from the dew (there was a lot of humidity that day/night). After whacking my bad shoulder on a tree during this lap I decided that I was better off packing up for the night, rather than risking more injury to my shoulder.
At dawn I was up again riding, planning another 3 laps or so before the finish. I managed to get those 3 laps in and even engaged in a battle with another solo rider on the last lap for position (although we didn't know it at the time). Unfortunately that was for a whoping 19th place. Oh well, it was still a good race and I kept consistent lap times throughout the race which was a positive sign. Perhaps if I rode through the night I would have had a high position (based on my consistent lap times) but I didn't and it is easy to say "if, if, if...." I will use this for motivation to train for next year and build on the huge base I created during this season.
I need to get some rehab for my shoulder as it is just not healing as well as I would like. I'm not sure if I will race any more this year....maybe one or two low key events just for fun such as the Enduro Cup or a 100km event. Then it is back to the road and gym to build up over the winter for next season. I need to focus on learning how to peak for events....I did a great job for the June event and a terrible one for the August event. I thought about a coach but I like to do my own thing and probably just need to stay focused on the intensity throughout the summer and not just until June.
Hopefully I will get back to updating this blog more frequently. I need to figure out my sponsor situation for next year and whether to focus on MTB again or a combination of MTB and Road. I've begun to really enjoy road riding, but this past 24 hour race reminded me of my passion for mountain biking (esp. since I have done very little of it this year).
Thanks for reading!
Steve
The 24 Hours at Albion is the 2nd largest event (1800 riders) of its kind in North America (its sister event, 24 Hours of Summer Solstice in June is the largest with 2400 riders) and is a top notch event with tons of stuff to do when you are not racing. Bands, movies, kids race, BBQ etc along with the laid back style make the event lots of fun. As usual the race began at Noon, but no Le Mans start (hooray!). We did a short start loop and I could tell I didn't have the power in my legs I did in the June race. My friend Dave (who was the best solo rider there) left me in the dust shortly after the start and I just settled in to my own race. The course was in good shape....a little slick in the rooty sections but very tacky everywhere else which made things fun. There were a lot of short power climbs which took their toll, but also some fun swoopy single track which you can really rail. The course was about 17km long and the fast guys were doing it in about 1 hour with averages being in the 1:10 to 1:20 range.
I settled into a steady rythm for the afternoon, keeping my laps times remarkably consistent. It was around 7:30pm when I had to take a break to try and rectify my neck and back situation. My legs felt very fresh, but my lower back plus my shoulders were quite sore. I went over to the massage area and they went to work. After a few minutes I felt my back crack and new that at least my lower back would be better now! My masseur went to work on my shoulders and did a fantastic job, but there was one area that wasn't going to be solved by the massage. It was the should I injured in my crash in June and I was just going to have live with it.
After slowly changing into some fresh riding clothes I headed out for my first night lap. My Cateye Stadium 3 lights did a great job lighting up the trail but the bike was still flying around on the roots which were very slick from the dew (there was a lot of humidity that day/night). After whacking my bad shoulder on a tree during this lap I decided that I was better off packing up for the night, rather than risking more injury to my shoulder.
At dawn I was up again riding, planning another 3 laps or so before the finish. I managed to get those 3 laps in and even engaged in a battle with another solo rider on the last lap for position (although we didn't know it at the time). Unfortunately that was for a whoping 19th place. Oh well, it was still a good race and I kept consistent lap times throughout the race which was a positive sign. Perhaps if I rode through the night I would have had a high position (based on my consistent lap times) but I didn't and it is easy to say "if, if, if...." I will use this for motivation to train for next year and build on the huge base I created during this season.
I need to get some rehab for my shoulder as it is just not healing as well as I would like. I'm not sure if I will race any more this year....maybe one or two low key events just for fun such as the Enduro Cup or a 100km event. Then it is back to the road and gym to build up over the winter for next season. I need to focus on learning how to peak for events....I did a great job for the June event and a terrible one for the August event. I thought about a coach but I like to do my own thing and probably just need to stay focused on the intensity throughout the summer and not just until June.
Hopefully I will get back to updating this blog more frequently. I need to figure out my sponsor situation for next year and whether to focus on MTB again or a combination of MTB and Road. I've begun to really enjoy road riding, but this past 24 hour race reminded me of my passion for mountain biking (esp. since I have done very little of it this year).
Thanks for reading!
Steve
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Previous race, upcoming race
I haven't posted since my last race in the middle of June.....well, because I am just about finally recovered from it. I wish I could say it took me a long time to recover as a result of the hardest effort I have ever put in, resulting in a win.....but sadly that is not the case. I arrived on the morning of the race to light showers (it had been raining most of the week) getting my pit set up in a primo spot right on the course. I was feeling awesome after having a good taper and just felt like I was ready to dominate. I had my prerace pasta breakfast about 2 hours before the race began and just chilled out. After a short warm up I headed down to the start line. At this race there is no lemans start.....just a traditional race start with people on their bikes which suits me just fine. I was about 1/3 from the front and was off to a comfortable start. Everything is pretty slow for about 10 minutes as the field sorts themselves out. Once things were strung out I really started motoring. I was feeling great and riding about 3rd in the solos. I actually thought to myself...."man we are going fast, faster than normal"....but I was feeling good and not overextending myself. I figured it was just that I was in good condition and since I didn't have a lot of time on my mountain bike I just wasn't used to the speed. We continued along into the newly cut section of the course. It was in much better shape from the rain compared to the pre-ride when it was very soft and sandy. I was pleased and had just made it through a section I was having difficulty with during the pre-ride. I think my confidence was a bit too high. I came around a corner and was going down a steep hill with a bit of a compression dip. I was looking ahead at the small rock garden ahead looking for my line when I hit the dip.....I didn't have my weight back far enough and over the bars I went. Actually I stayed attached to my bike. I went straight into the rock garden and landed on my head and shoulder. I lay there a little dazed (still clipped into my bike) and tried to assess the damage. The worst thing was my shoulder. So bad in fact, I couldn't put any pressure on it to push on the ground to get up. I knew it wasn't my collarbone but I was having a lot of trouble moving my arm. Another rider kindly helped me get sorted out and I was on my way. Only problem was I couldn't hold onto the bar with my right hand. I knew my race was done. As I watched all of my competition pass me for the next 15 minutes I could only think what could have been. The best shape of my life only to crash 40 mins into the race by a stupid mistake on my part. I got myself back to the start/finish and went to first aid. They put me in a sling and sent me to the hospital thinking I either separated my shoulder or broke my scapula. Luckily, after 6 hours in the ER, I had no broken bones....just severe deep tissue bruises and an sprained shoulder. I am now fully recovered (still some occasional stiffness) and have been riding a fair bit on the road.
This weekend I am going to race in an 8 hour MTB race at Hardwood Hills. I'm not sure how I will do....don't think I'm quite in the condition I was in June as I am rebuilding towards another 24 hour in mid August. So this race will be more of a training race than anything. Then I will take 4 days off to go camping with my family. The following weekend will be highlighted by another 8 hour ride (not race) followed by 2 weeks of long, high intensity training. Then I will taper down to be ready for the 24 hour where I hope to seek revenge.
I hope to post a report shortly after the 8 hour.
Steve
This weekend I am going to race in an 8 hour MTB race at Hardwood Hills. I'm not sure how I will do....don't think I'm quite in the condition I was in June as I am rebuilding towards another 24 hour in mid August. So this race will be more of a training race than anything. Then I will take 4 days off to go camping with my family. The following weekend will be highlighted by another 8 hour ride (not race) followed by 2 weeks of long, high intensity training. Then I will taper down to be ready for the 24 hour where I hope to seek revenge.
I hope to post a report shortly after the 8 hour.
Steve
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Long time, no blog
So I've been neglecting the blog lately....to busy with work and riding. So here is what has happened since late April:
Had two bouts of illness - a cold and an upper respiratory infection - a real drag on training
Big crash on the road while doing a group ride...bike unscathed, concussion for the rider :)
Much work on my climbing...but still needs improvement
My longest training ride ever - 7.5 hrs / 220km
A ton of long rides - over 3000 km in May and start of June
One thing I've been lacking lately is riding my mountain bike. As a matter of fact, I've only used it 3 times since the 24 hour race in February.
I've been feeling pretty good during my rides lately....less and less fatigue when doing back to back to back 100km+ rides. I've even done a few 2 a day rides.
My first big race of the year is on June 18/19 for the 24 Hours of Summer Solstice which is in Ontario, Canada. The race is sold out and there are an expected 2500 riders. There will be about 50 solo riders (that is the max they allowed) and there should be a ton of competition to make things interesting. I have several friends also doing solo so I'll be in competition with them as well as the rest of the field for a good position.
I'm in taper mode right now, but I don't like to ease up too much. Seems like my body prefers to ride everyday vs taking days off. Trying to just cut down on the mileage so I am still riding on my same schedule, but just shorter distances. I'll be taking a few forced days off next week (Monday & Tuesday), do about 3 hours on Wednesday, Thursday off, and about a 60-90 minutes on Friday just to keep my legs fresh. Then race on Saturday.
The long range forcast for the race is rain on the Saturday, sunny on the Sunday, but significantly cooler than the heatwave we're having right now. Let's hope the rain goes away and the temperatures warm up a bit. Last year the night time was in the low 40's which was a bit too cold for me. Particularly when you are starting and stopping (for food)....the sweat gets cold fast!
I'm planning to preride the course this weekend. I've heard there some new singletrack which is very technical. I'm not sure if they'll put it in on race day as the organizers need to cater to the average rider which might not be able to handle the new track.
I might post one more time before the race....otherwise watch for a race report the week after the event.
Cheers!
Steve
Had two bouts of illness - a cold and an upper respiratory infection - a real drag on training
Big crash on the road while doing a group ride...bike unscathed, concussion for the rider :)
Much work on my climbing...but still needs improvement
My longest training ride ever - 7.5 hrs / 220km
A ton of long rides - over 3000 km in May and start of June
One thing I've been lacking lately is riding my mountain bike. As a matter of fact, I've only used it 3 times since the 24 hour race in February.
I've been feeling pretty good during my rides lately....less and less fatigue when doing back to back to back 100km+ rides. I've even done a few 2 a day rides.
My first big race of the year is on June 18/19 for the 24 Hours of Summer Solstice which is in Ontario, Canada. The race is sold out and there are an expected 2500 riders. There will be about 50 solo riders (that is the max they allowed) and there should be a ton of competition to make things interesting. I have several friends also doing solo so I'll be in competition with them as well as the rest of the field for a good position.
I'm in taper mode right now, but I don't like to ease up too much. Seems like my body prefers to ride everyday vs taking days off. Trying to just cut down on the mileage so I am still riding on my same schedule, but just shorter distances. I'll be taking a few forced days off next week (Monday & Tuesday), do about 3 hours on Wednesday, Thursday off, and about a 60-90 minutes on Friday just to keep my legs fresh. Then race on Saturday.
The long range forcast for the race is rain on the Saturday, sunny on the Sunday, but significantly cooler than the heatwave we're having right now. Let's hope the rain goes away and the temperatures warm up a bit. Last year the night time was in the low 40's which was a bit too cold for me. Particularly when you are starting and stopping (for food)....the sweat gets cold fast!
I'm planning to preride the course this weekend. I've heard there some new singletrack which is very technical. I'm not sure if they'll put it in on race day as the organizers need to cater to the average rider which might not be able to handle the new track.
I might post one more time before the race....otherwise watch for a race report the week after the event.
Cheers!
Steve
Sunday, April 17, 2005
The latest
Been awhile since my last update. Things have been really busy lately with work, but I've been able to get in some quality riding lately. Did an awesome road ride today. It is a group ride called the Donut Ride. It is one of the oldest rides in Toronto and starts from what used to be a Donut shop. It quickly heads North out of the city and into quieter roads. With it still being early in the road season a lot of people come out.....like over 100 riders. I would say there was about 120 riders today. You feel like you are in the peleton of a Pro Tour race. Only problem is you get riders of varying abilities which makes things sketchy at times. The group usually stays together for the first 30 minutes while we head out of the city and then things really open up. Guy (and some gals) are trying to show off their early season fitness. I managed to hang on to the main pack doing 45km/h until we hit the big climb of the day. It is probably 10kms of a gradual 5-6% grade but I am just not a great climber due to my body structure. I'm a big boy designed for power climbs, sprints and pacemaking. As soon as a long uphill comes I'm toast. Anyways as usual I fell off the back which is okay with me and hooked up with another group more my speed. After the climb we hit the midway point of the ride and the point where we take a brake a Mama's bakery. Everyone takes a bathroom break and fills up on pastries which gives a chance for the group to reform. Then were off again. This is where I started to feel really good. The group was cruising along at about 40km/h when we needed to make a right turn onto a busy road and then a quick left. Unfortunately there was a lot of traffic which slowed some people down an dsplit the group into two. Anyone who has done group riding knows it can be tough to bridge to a peleton with the slow half of riders of about 60 people. I was stuck at the front of the second group and really wanted to get back to the main pack. I dropped the hammer and for the next 20 mins clocked about 50km/h hoping to get some assistance with the pull but there were no takers. I finally took a look back to see what was going on behind me and to my surprise I only had about 7 guys still with me. Pack #2 had disintegrated. I led all the way back to the main group feeling really good. After another 30 mins the main pack slowly parted ways to head home. This left my friend Mark and I wondering about Chris who was along for the ride. We pulled over at a bus stop and sat waiting for about 20 mins before he finally showed up. In that time many riders passed by who were originally part of that ride. I'd say only about 30 people actually finished in the main pack. Probably my strongest ride of the year so far. If I could only become a better climber!
Training camp is coming next week for 12 days so hopefully I can build on my fitness, work on my climbing, and drop some weight. The goal is to put in about 1200kms+ or at least 50 hours of riding. I'll post after the camp to report my results!
Training camp is coming next week for 12 days so hopefully I can build on my fitness, work on my climbing, and drop some weight. The goal is to put in about 1200kms+ or at least 50 hours of riding. I'll post after the camp to report my results!
Saturday, March 26, 2005
Kaboom!
Well, it happened. Went on another 100km+ ride yesterday and my rear wheel finally had it. I managed to make it home but my wheel sounded awful. I pulled it completely apart last night and greased everything I could. Put it back together and took it for test spin. Same thing. So it has to be the bearings. This morning I put it on the roof of the car to take it to the shop and then noticed one of the nipple holes has a crack in it. So that wheel is completely fried. I told the shop I need it back by next weekend or they'll have to lend me a wheel to use. We'll see.
Steve
Steve
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
It's been awhile since my last update. Training has been coming along a little slower than I would like. I wake up to go out and there's always a bunch of snow on the ground! It is getting frustrating and I've had it with the trainer. I've put on my regular road tires now so I don't want to chew them up on the trainer. I have been able to get out for many 100km+ rides recently so that is always a good thing. My time right now for a specific route I do which is 102km is as fast as I was doing it last summer so I'm feeling like my fitness is ahead of last year. As I build up to my training camp in mid April things should be really good.
My biggest problem right now is the rear wheel on my bike is just about ready to fall apart. It makes a terrible racket as I am riding. I've pulled the whole thing apart, lubed and reassembled without much luck. I think the bearings might be done. I bought my road bike (Specialized Allez Elite w/ Alex A-Class 330 wheels) last April and I have about 6000km on the bike so I guess the wheel is just worn out. The bike is great, but the wheelset is kind of cheap. I think I will pick up a new set very soon. Any recommendations from anyone? I don't want to break the bank....I'm looking to spend around $500-$600.
Adios!
Steve
My biggest problem right now is the rear wheel on my bike is just about ready to fall apart. It makes a terrible racket as I am riding. I've pulled the whole thing apart, lubed and reassembled without much luck. I think the bearings might be done. I bought my road bike (Specialized Allez Elite w/ Alex A-Class 330 wheels) last April and I have about 6000km on the bike so I guess the wheel is just worn out. The bike is great, but the wheelset is kind of cheap. I think I will pick up a new set very soon. Any recommendations from anyone? I don't want to break the bank....I'm looking to spend around $500-$600.
Adios!
Steve
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Welcome to Miami
Just back from my trip to Miami for a little fun in the sun and relaxation. Really it was a business recognition trip for the top sales people at my company so there was a lot of things going on the whole time.
I won't bore everyone with too many details, but I will say Miami is one helluva interesting place! If you like people watching this is the place to be. I managed to get in about 90 minutes of walking on the beach each day. My legs are actually quite sore from that walking as walking on a beach is much different than on pavement. My neck also got a good workout from checking out the sites on the beach. Let's just say there was lots of silicon getting a tan.
Temperatures were warm...about 80 d F. I was able to do an Everglades Adventure which was cool riding on an airboat and seeing aligators in the wild. I also managed to get in a round of golf, shooting an excellent 83 (on a par 72) especially since I only get in about 5 rounds a year now (I used to play a lot more in my mid 20's).
The airlines managed to lose my luggage again, this time it was American Airlines. That's twice in 2 weeks I've had luggage lost.
The weather here in Oakville is damn cold so I am going to delay the start of big mileage until next week when the weather warms up.
Steve
I won't bore everyone with too many details, but I will say Miami is one helluva interesting place! If you like people watching this is the place to be. I managed to get in about 90 minutes of walking on the beach each day. My legs are actually quite sore from that walking as walking on a beach is much different than on pavement. My neck also got a good workout from checking out the sites on the beach. Let's just say there was lots of silicon getting a tan.
Temperatures were warm...about 80 d F. I was able to do an Everglades Adventure which was cool riding on an airboat and seeing aligators in the wild. I also managed to get in a round of golf, shooting an excellent 83 (on a par 72) especially since I only get in about 5 rounds a year now (I used to play a lot more in my mid 20's).
The airlines managed to lose my luggage again, this time it was American Airlines. That's twice in 2 weeks I've had luggage lost.
The weather here in Oakville is damn cold so I am going to delay the start of big mileage until next week when the weather warms up.
Steve
Monday, February 28, 2005
Recovery from the race and the flu
Recovery has been very interesting since I came home from the race. Wednesday night I came down with a nasty case of the flu. Really nasty. I was in bed all day Thursday and most of Friday trying to get better. Not the kind of illness you want to get just after racing when your body is already run down. I started to feel better Saturday, just in time for the rest of my family to get the flu. I barely slept Saturday or Sunday night taking care of everyone. Needless to say I feel really run down and I have done no riding or any other excercise since returning from Arizona. I might try to spin on the trainer for a bit in the next day or two since riding outside will be impossible due to the snow storm we'll be having for the next few days. Oh well. Just resting is a good thing anyways.
I'm off to Miami/South Beach on the weekend for a 4 day mini holiday. This is a recognition event for work and I'll have a bunch of friends going down so it sounds like it will be a huge party the whole time! Not sure if I'll be able to handle too much of that....I need to get some quality relaxation! I get to pick from a bunch of activities....I'm going on an Everglades Adventure on one of those boats with the big fan on the back that skims across the water. It sounds like a lot of fun. The next day I was planning to go deep sea fishing, but I don't want to ruin the evening in case I get sea sick, so I opted for a relaxing game of golf. It will be a short trip but hopefully the weather will be warmer and sunnier than in Arizona. I can't wait!
When I get back from that trip the heavy training will begin....hopefully getting long hours in the saddle (as long as the weather is reasonable). I need to step up the mileage and get some longer intervals going than what I have been doing. I also plan to focus on my climbing which is a weakness right now.
Steve
I'm off to Miami/South Beach on the weekend for a 4 day mini holiday. This is a recognition event for work and I'll have a bunch of friends going down so it sounds like it will be a huge party the whole time! Not sure if I'll be able to handle too much of that....I need to get some quality relaxation! I get to pick from a bunch of activities....I'm going on an Everglades Adventure on one of those boats with the big fan on the back that skims across the water. It sounds like a lot of fun. The next day I was planning to go deep sea fishing, but I don't want to ruin the evening in case I get sea sick, so I opted for a relaxing game of golf. It will be a short trip but hopefully the weather will be warmer and sunnier than in Arizona. I can't wait!
When I get back from that trip the heavy training will begin....hopefully getting long hours in the saddle (as long as the weather is reasonable). I need to step up the mileage and get some longer intervals going than what I have been doing. I also plan to focus on my climbing which is a weakness right now.
Steve
Sunday, February 27, 2005
Gears Racing Announces Mountain Bike Team For 2005
Mr. Mark S. Bonham, Chairman, and Mr. Kevin Wallace, President, of the Gears Racing Institute (“GRI”) are today very pleased to announce the composition of the Gears Racing Mountain Bike Team for the year 2005. The complete list of racers signed to the team is listed below.
“We welcome back several of our experienced riders to the team this year, and are pleased to announce new additions to the team”, stated Kevin Wallace. “The pool of talent we have attracted to GearsRacing is very impressive. Each of the riders has committed to the development-team concept that is unique to the Gears Racing Institute.”
As one of Canada’s first true development teams in the sport of mountain biking, management takes the objective of matching seasoned and experienced athletes with promising up-and-coming future stars on the racing scene through a mentoring program. The GRI is committed to nurturing Canada’s junior athletes in the formative stages of their careers as they develop into professional athletes. The goals of these mountain bike athletes include the desire to be selected for Canadian National Team projects, to represent Canada at international competitions such as the Olympic Games, or to be asked to join competitive Trade Teams.
“Our development program has worked very successfully in the past”, continued Kevin Wallace. “Over the last five years, we have helped teammate Kiara Bisaro achieve her goal of racing for Canada in the 2004 Olympic Games. Similarly, the team mentored Ricky Federau as he worked his way to Canadian National Elite Champion in 2004. Other graduates of the GRI program have met their development goals and have proudly moved on to professional trade teams. Now, the GRI is launching its program for the next four-year Olympic cycle. Part of this strategy is to return to the grassroots level to identify Canada’s promising athletes and help them develop as competitive racers.”
Gears Racing is proud to be sponsored by Shimano Canada, Specialized Bicycles, Sugoi, Michelin Tires, RockShox, Stoney Ridge Estate Winery, and Bonham & Co. Inc.The Gears Racing Institute is a specialist, non-profit foundation created to identify and develop world-class competitive cyclists for Canada.
Team RosterDivision/Name
World Cup:
Kiara Bisaro
Ricky Federau
National Espoir: Mark Batty
Junior Expert Women: Emily Batty
National Senior Elite: Sue Trimble, Andrew Watson
Provincial:
Derek MacNeil
Craig Hawkes
Sean Ito
Paul Skafel
Colin Reinholt
Steve Perkins
Gary Serra
Chris Bent
Dustin Miedema
Max Tompkins
Team Management:
Kevin Wallace, President
Ira Kargel, Vice-President
Ron Vanderleeuw, Team Captain/Head Mechanic
Ryan Hindmarsh, Training/Development Manager
“We welcome back several of our experienced riders to the team this year, and are pleased to announce new additions to the team”, stated Kevin Wallace. “The pool of talent we have attracted to GearsRacing is very impressive. Each of the riders has committed to the development-team concept that is unique to the Gears Racing Institute.”
As one of Canada’s first true development teams in the sport of mountain biking, management takes the objective of matching seasoned and experienced athletes with promising up-and-coming future stars on the racing scene through a mentoring program. The GRI is committed to nurturing Canada’s junior athletes in the formative stages of their careers as they develop into professional athletes. The goals of these mountain bike athletes include the desire to be selected for Canadian National Team projects, to represent Canada at international competitions such as the Olympic Games, or to be asked to join competitive Trade Teams.
“Our development program has worked very successfully in the past”, continued Kevin Wallace. “Over the last five years, we have helped teammate Kiara Bisaro achieve her goal of racing for Canada in the 2004 Olympic Games. Similarly, the team mentored Ricky Federau as he worked his way to Canadian National Elite Champion in 2004. Other graduates of the GRI program have met their development goals and have proudly moved on to professional trade teams. Now, the GRI is launching its program for the next four-year Olympic cycle. Part of this strategy is to return to the grassroots level to identify Canada’s promising athletes and help them develop as competitive racers.”
Gears Racing is proud to be sponsored by Shimano Canada, Specialized Bicycles, Sugoi, Michelin Tires, RockShox, Stoney Ridge Estate Winery, and Bonham & Co. Inc.The Gears Racing Institute is a specialist, non-profit foundation created to identify and develop world-class competitive cyclists for Canada.
Team RosterDivision/Name
World Cup:
Kiara Bisaro
Ricky Federau
National Espoir: Mark Batty
Junior Expert Women: Emily Batty
National Senior Elite: Sue Trimble, Andrew Watson
Provincial:
Derek MacNeil
Craig Hawkes
Sean Ito
Paul Skafel
Colin Reinholt
Steve Perkins
Gary Serra
Chris Bent
Dustin Miedema
Max Tompkins
Team Management:
Kevin Wallace, President
Ira Kargel, Vice-President
Ron Vanderleeuw, Team Captain/Head Mechanic
Ryan Hindmarsh, Training/Development Manager
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
24 Hours in the Old Pueblo Report
What a race.....I mean really what a race! Only in the sense that these were the toughest conditions I have ever endured racing my mountain bike. Read on.
I arrived in Arizona on Wednesday, got my bike assembled and had a great dinner. Thursday, Jim and I drove out to Tucson which is about a 2 hour drive so we could get a prime camping spot. The venue was supposed to open at Noon Thursday...we arrived at 12:20pm and there were a ton of people there already. We ended up getting a decent site about 75 yards from the course and set up camp. Just the tent and some chairs and then roped off the rest of the area we would need. Rain was in the forcast so we decided we would head back home and come back Saturday morning.
After listening to the pouring rain Friday night, we headed out about 6:30am Saturday morning and arrived at the course about 8:30am. It has also rained at the venue Friday night but the sun was breaking out and things were drying up very fast. I thought maybe things would be okay after all. We got the awning set up along with the rest of our stuff just in time for the rain to start. We had the usual Captains meeting at 10am and there was a special ceremony to honour Keith Bontrager which was cool. Meanwhile, it was raining throughout and the temperature was about 55 d F.
The course was about 25km long and had a mix of jeep road and single track. There was about 1300 feet of climbing per lap which consisted of one long arduous climb (about 8km total which was in the middle of the course) and one long ride down.
The race started at Noon....in the rain. We ran for about 1/2 mile, hopped on our bikes and started riding down an access road for about 10 mins. I was soaked within the 1st mile. Conditions were a little bit slick but it was kind of fun and wild. I felt pretty good and finished the first lap around 20th (out of about 80+ soloists) so I was quite happy. I had decided to pull a double lap at the start so instead of heading back to my pit I immediately left for another lap. I was already soaked anyways, but not too cold so it was a good idea. Conditions on the course had deteriorated quite a bit. With about 1500 riders these things can happen.
As the race progressed the weather worsened. The rain became heavier and the course was muddier. Like many other people, the biggest problem I had was with my bike. I had severe chain suck.....in general my drivetrain was shot. Mud was in every nook and cranny, shifting was horrible after the first lap....there is nothing more disheartening than the sound of mud grinding away at everything. Plus, my bottom bracket seized. Not what I was hoping for and that took a long time to repair. I’m sure every bike shop in the state of Arizona has a grin from ear to ear knowing how much business they are going to get from people ruining their bikes at this race. Some people even resorted to washing their bikes in what we called E Coli Pond. Keep in mind the race is on a cattle ranch and there were cow pies everywhere. A pond had formed in one area from all the rain....people were wading into the pond with their bikes to wash them off. Who knows what kind of bacteria was lurking in there. Needless to say I stayed far away from it.
The nightime hours brought even worse rain. I had parked my bike and lay in the tent listening to the torrential rain....and I am not exaggerating about how hard the rain was. At one point a runoff area on the course had 18 inches of water flowing through it. There was hail. There was fog. And there were heavy winds. The promoter of the race said he had never seen worse weather in the 10 years he has been organizing events. I personally have never raced for such a prolonged period of time in such weather. It was fun and awful at the same time.
When morning hit the weather finally began to clear. The mud thickened on the dirt roads a little bit which drained some energy, but the singletrack was like concrete and was awesome. I think I had the most fun on my final two laps. I put on the MP3 player to keep my mind off the conditions and thinking about how I was feeling. I was tired and some of the uphills were a grind but the flats and downhills were a blast. I had a little dual going with an Ellsworth rider for most of the lap. I passed them on the 7 bitches (7 steep up and downs one after another at the beginning of the course) and they hovered about 50-100 yards back for much of the lap. At the final 2km of climbing I only had about 10 yards to I dug deep and hammered the rest of the way. Once the climb was done the best downhill of the course was upon us....I put it in the big ring and flew down the last 3km of the course. I never saw that rider again. It was my 2nd fastest lap of the race.
I finished exactly at Noon and my final result was 29th place (out of about 80+). I would say I am pleased with my finish given that most of the riders were locals and in peak shape whereas I am in winter shape. However, I do feel my fitness is better than usual at this time of year. I could tell because I never had to walk my bike on the hills and never used the granny ring or the 34T Cog (w/ middle ring) the entire race. I was still even passing many people on my final lap which is always a good sign.
Many thanks go out to my sponsors: Gearsracing.com, Rudy Project, Carb Boom, Turner Bicycles, FSA, and Kenda. Their support is greatly appreciated!!
Oh ya, US Air lost all of my baggage, including my bike. Quite a bummer....I just hope I see them again sometime! I think it is all in Philly, but I'll have to wait and see.
I arrived in Arizona on Wednesday, got my bike assembled and had a great dinner. Thursday, Jim and I drove out to Tucson which is about a 2 hour drive so we could get a prime camping spot. The venue was supposed to open at Noon Thursday...we arrived at 12:20pm and there were a ton of people there already. We ended up getting a decent site about 75 yards from the course and set up camp. Just the tent and some chairs and then roped off the rest of the area we would need. Rain was in the forcast so we decided we would head back home and come back Saturday morning.
After listening to the pouring rain Friday night, we headed out about 6:30am Saturday morning and arrived at the course about 8:30am. It has also rained at the venue Friday night but the sun was breaking out and things were drying up very fast. I thought maybe things would be okay after all. We got the awning set up along with the rest of our stuff just in time for the rain to start. We had the usual Captains meeting at 10am and there was a special ceremony to honour Keith Bontrager which was cool. Meanwhile, it was raining throughout and the temperature was about 55 d F.
The course was about 25km long and had a mix of jeep road and single track. There was about 1300 feet of climbing per lap which consisted of one long arduous climb (about 8km total which was in the middle of the course) and one long ride down.
The race started at Noon....in the rain. We ran for about 1/2 mile, hopped on our bikes and started riding down an access road for about 10 mins. I was soaked within the 1st mile. Conditions were a little bit slick but it was kind of fun and wild. I felt pretty good and finished the first lap around 20th (out of about 80+ soloists) so I was quite happy. I had decided to pull a double lap at the start so instead of heading back to my pit I immediately left for another lap. I was already soaked anyways, but not too cold so it was a good idea. Conditions on the course had deteriorated quite a bit. With about 1500 riders these things can happen.
As the race progressed the weather worsened. The rain became heavier and the course was muddier. Like many other people, the biggest problem I had was with my bike. I had severe chain suck.....in general my drivetrain was shot. Mud was in every nook and cranny, shifting was horrible after the first lap....there is nothing more disheartening than the sound of mud grinding away at everything. Plus, my bottom bracket seized. Not what I was hoping for and that took a long time to repair. I’m sure every bike shop in the state of Arizona has a grin from ear to ear knowing how much business they are going to get from people ruining their bikes at this race. Some people even resorted to washing their bikes in what we called E Coli Pond. Keep in mind the race is on a cattle ranch and there were cow pies everywhere. A pond had formed in one area from all the rain....people were wading into the pond with their bikes to wash them off. Who knows what kind of bacteria was lurking in there. Needless to say I stayed far away from it.
The nightime hours brought even worse rain. I had parked my bike and lay in the tent listening to the torrential rain....and I am not exaggerating about how hard the rain was. At one point a runoff area on the course had 18 inches of water flowing through it. There was hail. There was fog. And there were heavy winds. The promoter of the race said he had never seen worse weather in the 10 years he has been organizing events. I personally have never raced for such a prolonged period of time in such weather. It was fun and awful at the same time.
When morning hit the weather finally began to clear. The mud thickened on the dirt roads a little bit which drained some energy, but the singletrack was like concrete and was awesome. I think I had the most fun on my final two laps. I put on the MP3 player to keep my mind off the conditions and thinking about how I was feeling. I was tired and some of the uphills were a grind but the flats and downhills were a blast. I had a little dual going with an Ellsworth rider for most of the lap. I passed them on the 7 bitches (7 steep up and downs one after another at the beginning of the course) and they hovered about 50-100 yards back for much of the lap. At the final 2km of climbing I only had about 10 yards to I dug deep and hammered the rest of the way. Once the climb was done the best downhill of the course was upon us....I put it in the big ring and flew down the last 3km of the course. I never saw that rider again. It was my 2nd fastest lap of the race.
I finished exactly at Noon and my final result was 29th place (out of about 80+). I would say I am pleased with my finish given that most of the riders were locals and in peak shape whereas I am in winter shape. However, I do feel my fitness is better than usual at this time of year. I could tell because I never had to walk my bike on the hills and never used the granny ring or the 34T Cog (w/ middle ring) the entire race. I was still even passing many people on my final lap which is always a good sign.
Many thanks go out to my sponsors: Gearsracing.com, Rudy Project, Carb Boom, Turner Bicycles, FSA, and Kenda. Their support is greatly appreciated!!
Oh ya, US Air lost all of my baggage, including my bike. Quite a bummer....I just hope I see them again sometime! I think it is all in Philly, but I'll have to wait and see.
Thursday, February 17, 2005
2 days to go
Well, I'm sitting here in Arizona....weather is much warmer than home. The only thing I am worried about is the rain! Saturday is calling for some rain but I am hoping the weatherman is wrong. The good thing is the course is in the middle of the desert so rain is absorbed very fast.
My brother and I are going to drive down to the race venue to get our pit set up. There are no designated sites, it is just a free for all so you need to be there early to get a site right next to the course. We'll probably pre-ride a lap of the course which was shortened from 28km to about 24km....basically the lap is one big downhill then one looooong climb.
Watch for a race report on Monday or Tuesday.
Wish me luck!
My brother and I are going to drive down to the race venue to get our pit set up. There are no designated sites, it is just a free for all so you need to be there early to get a site right next to the course. We'll probably pre-ride a lap of the course which was shortened from 28km to about 24km....basically the lap is one big downhill then one looooong climb.
Watch for a race report on Monday or Tuesday.
Wish me luck!
Sunday, February 06, 2005
Gators and Fog
It has been a pretty busy week with some travel down to Tampa for business. The resort I stayed in was absolute massive with a ton of walking. It has 4 golf courses and one of them is used for the annual PGA Chrysler Event. I managed to sneak out of the meetings long enough to get in a round of golf on the PGA course. It was absolutely spectacular and I played surprisingly well for having rental clubs and not playing for 6 months. I shot an 89. Maybe if this 24 Hour racing thing doesn't work out I should become a golfer.......nah. The coolest thing of the round was seeing an alligator at the side of a pond, plus two more in the water. I kept my distance but they were massive!
I managed to use their Gym once and it was a bit of a disaster. It was a tiny hole in the wall with one exercise bike plus some weight machines. It was bloody hot in there and smelled really bad. I rode the bike for awhile and then did some leg curls and extensions. Big mistake. These machines were very cheap and I proceeded to bruise both of my lower chins. It made it very painful to walk around this huge resort.
The weather finally cleared up here in Oakville for the weekend so I took advantage. I managed to get in 2.5 hours of riding on Saturday and another 4.5 hours on Sunday. The Sunday ride interesting as there was a ton of fog. The temperature never warmed up enough to burn it off....in fact the further north I rode the cooler it became. It was so cold that the moisture on my Rudy Project glasses froze. It was a beautiful ride otherwise as all the trees and bushes were completely frozen with a layer of fine snow. By the last 40 minutes of the ride I was suffering pretty bad. I am sure it was a combination of some longer rides along with the chest cold I am fighting. I think I will take a few days off to get complete heathy. The 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo starts in 13 days and I need to be health for that race, although my expectations are not high....I am really hoping to just ride steadily and for as long as possible. I don't always make it through the entire night at this race because of my fitness level, however I have trained more this winter than many past ones so I hope I have the base to go long. I won't be too fast as I'm just at the tail end of my base training, just long and steady. We'll have to wait and see.
Steve
I managed to use their Gym once and it was a bit of a disaster. It was a tiny hole in the wall with one exercise bike plus some weight machines. It was bloody hot in there and smelled really bad. I rode the bike for awhile and then did some leg curls and extensions. Big mistake. These machines were very cheap and I proceeded to bruise both of my lower chins. It made it very painful to walk around this huge resort.
The weather finally cleared up here in Oakville for the weekend so I took advantage. I managed to get in 2.5 hours of riding on Saturday and another 4.5 hours on Sunday. The Sunday ride interesting as there was a ton of fog. The temperature never warmed up enough to burn it off....in fact the further north I rode the cooler it became. It was so cold that the moisture on my Rudy Project glasses froze. It was a beautiful ride otherwise as all the trees and bushes were completely frozen with a layer of fine snow. By the last 40 minutes of the ride I was suffering pretty bad. I am sure it was a combination of some longer rides along with the chest cold I am fighting. I think I will take a few days off to get complete heathy. The 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo starts in 13 days and I need to be health for that race, although my expectations are not high....I am really hoping to just ride steadily and for as long as possible. I don't always make it through the entire night at this race because of my fitness level, however I have trained more this winter than many past ones so I hope I have the base to go long. I won't be too fast as I'm just at the tail end of my base training, just long and steady. We'll have to wait and see.
Steve
Saturday, January 29, 2005
Outside at last and Video Games
Finally got to do a ride outside today for about 2 hour 15 mins. It seems like it has been forever since I've been outdoors and I have just been itching to do it. Riding the trainer indoors is just not as motivating. The weather was a little cold, about -5 d C, but much better than the -20 d C or worse we've been having for the past few weeks.
I have a conference for the next 4 days in Tampa which will be nice. Not much training as the days are very packed but at least the weather will be warm. I'll have to check out the gym to see if they have any bikes I can at least spin on a few times while I am away.
I'm not much of a video game guy but I have to give this one a plug. It's going to be one of the biggest games of the year. It is called Playboy: The Mansion (www.playhef.com). It is a Sim City type of game. Basically you are Hugh Hefner and just starting out. You build your publishing empire slowly and gain readers. The more readers, the more money, which means you can expand your Mansion and open up sections such as "The Grotto". You can even oversee photo shoots! It is out on X-Box, PS2, and PC. Why am I plugging this? My brothers company is the publisher of the game!
Steve
I have a conference for the next 4 days in Tampa which will be nice. Not much training as the days are very packed but at least the weather will be warm. I'll have to check out the gym to see if they have any bikes I can at least spin on a few times while I am away.
I'm not much of a video game guy but I have to give this one a plug. It's going to be one of the biggest games of the year. It is called Playboy: The Mansion (www.playhef.com). It is a Sim City type of game. Basically you are Hugh Hefner and just starting out. You build your publishing empire slowly and gain readers. The more readers, the more money, which means you can expand your Mansion and open up sections such as "The Grotto". You can even oversee photo shoots! It is out on X-Box, PS2, and PC. Why am I plugging this? My brothers company is the publisher of the game!
Steve
Saturday, January 22, 2005
Tip #4 - Travelling with your bike
In less than a month I'll be leaving for Arizona to race in the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo. I've been there a number of times with my bike (plus a few other events such as the World Solo Championships) so I'm starting to figure out how to fly properly with my bike.
First thing is to get a good case. A hard case, not the soft ones. I use the Trico Sports Iron Case. Be very careful how you pack your bike. Take off the wheels (obviously), cranks, fork, rear derailleur. Wrap the fork legs and frame in insulation (I use plumbers pipe insulation tubing) to protect everything from getting scratched. Make sure everything is snug in the case and can't move around. Those airport baggage handlers typically are not too careful .
Make sure you bring enough tools to put your bike back together. Don't put too much else in the case other than your bike and a couple sets of tires. Most airlines have a limit of 70lbs or they won't take it. One time I put my lights and batteries in the case....needless to say I had to crack it open in the middle of check-in and carry them on the plane as I was over the limit. The biggest drag travelling with your bike is the cost....usually $50-$70 each way. I've heard of all sorts of tips to avoid this....like saying there is artwork in the case, or just bicycle parts. I worry about lying in case they search the case and the contents are different. That would make one suspicious.
Strangely I've rarely been searched. The one time I thought for sure was travelling from the 2001 World Solo Championships in Idyllwild, California. This was only the week after 9/11 had happened and security seemed to be tight. When I was coming home and in the San Diego airport I saw security going through everything including suitcases, golf bags etc. I figured I would be searched for sure with such a huge case plus 2 full hockey bags of gear. To my surprise the person at check-in took my bags right away and put them on the luggage belt. I asked why my stuff didn't need to be searched and was told "you don't fit the profile". I didn't know there needed to be a profile. Pretty disappointing to say the least to see this arrogance so soon after that tragedy.
Anyway, be prepared for anything and give yourself extra time at the airport with all of the extra stuff you'll be carrying.
First thing is to get a good case. A hard case, not the soft ones. I use the Trico Sports Iron Case. Be very careful how you pack your bike. Take off the wheels (obviously), cranks, fork, rear derailleur. Wrap the fork legs and frame in insulation (I use plumbers pipe insulation tubing) to protect everything from getting scratched. Make sure everything is snug in the case and can't move around. Those airport baggage handlers typically are not too careful .
Make sure you bring enough tools to put your bike back together. Don't put too much else in the case other than your bike and a couple sets of tires. Most airlines have a limit of 70lbs or they won't take it. One time I put my lights and batteries in the case....needless to say I had to crack it open in the middle of check-in and carry them on the plane as I was over the limit. The biggest drag travelling with your bike is the cost....usually $50-$70 each way. I've heard of all sorts of tips to avoid this....like saying there is artwork in the case, or just bicycle parts. I worry about lying in case they search the case and the contents are different. That would make one suspicious.
Strangely I've rarely been searched. The one time I thought for sure was travelling from the 2001 World Solo Championships in Idyllwild, California. This was only the week after 9/11 had happened and security seemed to be tight. When I was coming home and in the San Diego airport I saw security going through everything including suitcases, golf bags etc. I figured I would be searched for sure with such a huge case plus 2 full hockey bags of gear. To my surprise the person at check-in took my bags right away and put them on the luggage belt. I asked why my stuff didn't need to be searched and was told "you don't fit the profile". I didn't know there needed to be a profile. Pretty disappointing to say the least to see this arrogance so soon after that tragedy.
Anyway, be prepared for anything and give yourself extra time at the airport with all of the extra stuff you'll be carrying.
Snowstorms, MP3's, and RAAM
Well, like the rest of the Northeast U.S., Toronto is getting hammered by the big snow storm. I have shovelled twice (does that count as cross training?!) already today and I'm sure I will be out once more before the day is done. The temperatures aren't much fun either....it is supposed to be -40 d C with the windchill tonight....this afternoon it was a balmy -25!
As you would have guessed there hasn't been much outdoor riding lately. I think I have used my trainer more than ever before this month. It has become much more tolerable now that I have my MP3 although I'm having trouble downloading songs. For some reason some songs download and are 20 mins of dead air. I can't figure it out. Anyone have any tips?
I watched the two hour RAAM show this afternoon. It reminded me a lot of 24 hour solo racing except it is about 7 times harder. It seemed like a lot of the soloists went through the same struggles as 24 hour racers....nutritional problems, motivation, etc. Just on a larger scale. I was disappointed to see no coverage of the 2 person catagory as the owner of my team (Kevin Wallace, Gearsracing.com) and his riding partner won in a record time for the catagory. I guess because he is Canadian and the programming was NBC, they focused mostly on American riders.
Until next next time!
Steve
As you would have guessed there hasn't been much outdoor riding lately. I think I have used my trainer more than ever before this month. It has become much more tolerable now that I have my MP3 although I'm having trouble downloading songs. For some reason some songs download and are 20 mins of dead air. I can't figure it out. Anyone have any tips?
I watched the two hour RAAM show this afternoon. It reminded me a lot of 24 hour solo racing except it is about 7 times harder. It seemed like a lot of the soloists went through the same struggles as 24 hour racers....nutritional problems, motivation, etc. Just on a larger scale. I was disappointed to see no coverage of the 2 person catagory as the owner of my team (Kevin Wallace, Gearsracing.com) and his riding partner won in a record time for the catagory. I guess because he is Canadian and the programming was NBC, they focused mostly on American riders.
Until next next time!
Steve
Monday, January 17, 2005
Tip #3 - Cold weather riding
A bit of a delay since my last....work has been crazy. In case you were wondering what I do besides ride my bike, I work for a large IT company in sales and spend a lot of time on the road. Sometimes it makes it difficult to get out training so I always make sure if I am staying overnight there is a gym in the hotel. Family wise I am married with 2 kids who are just starting school. Needless to say I have a busy life!! Luckily I have an understanding wife about the training and I'll try to do as much training as possible in "off hours" for her. Meaning during the warmer months I am out by 6am riding and home before noon. Usually everyone is just dressed by then so it doesn't interrupt the normal day too much.
I've been doing lots of trainer and gym work this past week. Over the weekend I went for a long ride on the hardtail but stuck to the roads and city paths (which in many cases were a sheet of ice). About 3 hours riding. Luckily the ride was point (my house) to point (parents house) and the wind was at my back part of the way, otherwise I would have froze. The temperate was about -8 d Celsius, but -17 with the wind. It is amazing what a good set of winter riding gear can do.
Which leads me to the tip of the week. Winter riding. It is possible and I proved it with my ride over the weekend. The key is the right clothing. The most important place to keep warm is your head where you lose the most heat. I use a warm cycling hat (with a balaclava over top if it is really cold) and I am nice and toasty.
The other area most people have problems are their feet. Investing in a good pair of winter riding shoes is a must if you plan to do a lot. I have a pair of Sidi Storms. Make sure you get the winter shoes 1 size too big. You'll need the space by the time you put a pair of wool socks on and/or some neoprene socks. Over top of the shoes I use a pair of Pearl Izumi insulated shoe covers. That will keep you warm in the foot department. A last resort is to use the chemical foot warmers and put them in the bottom of your shoes. They work great but they can get expensive and you don't really need them except for extreme temperatures.
For your hands you can use just about any kind of ski gloves. I sometimes use Pearl Izumi AmFib lobster gloves and they are almost too warm! Otherwise a ski glove does the job.
Lastly your upper body and legs. The key is layering. You want your first layer to be sometime technical that wicks the sweat away from your body. Then a warm, insulated cycling jacket, and finally a windbreaker. Leg wise you don't always need as many layers. Because your legs are doing most of the work riding that is where the blood goes and it keeps your muscles warm. Usually a pair of insulated tights overtop regular cycling shorts will do the job. For the cold days perhaps some long johns, but that is about it.
Well only 33 days left under the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo. I am going to have to bring most of my winter clothes for this race. Last year it was around the freezing mark during the night. The desert is interesting that way. It just can't hold the heat from the daytime. Sometimes though you will ride through a warm pocket of air and it is such a relief....unfortunately it doesn't last long.
Until next time!
Steve
I've been doing lots of trainer and gym work this past week. Over the weekend I went for a long ride on the hardtail but stuck to the roads and city paths (which in many cases were a sheet of ice). About 3 hours riding. Luckily the ride was point (my house) to point (parents house) and the wind was at my back part of the way, otherwise I would have froze. The temperate was about -8 d Celsius, but -17 with the wind. It is amazing what a good set of winter riding gear can do.
Which leads me to the tip of the week. Winter riding. It is possible and I proved it with my ride over the weekend. The key is the right clothing. The most important place to keep warm is your head where you lose the most heat. I use a warm cycling hat (with a balaclava over top if it is really cold) and I am nice and toasty.
The other area most people have problems are their feet. Investing in a good pair of winter riding shoes is a must if you plan to do a lot. I have a pair of Sidi Storms. Make sure you get the winter shoes 1 size too big. You'll need the space by the time you put a pair of wool socks on and/or some neoprene socks. Over top of the shoes I use a pair of Pearl Izumi insulated shoe covers. That will keep you warm in the foot department. A last resort is to use the chemical foot warmers and put them in the bottom of your shoes. They work great but they can get expensive and you don't really need them except for extreme temperatures.
For your hands you can use just about any kind of ski gloves. I sometimes use Pearl Izumi AmFib lobster gloves and they are almost too warm! Otherwise a ski glove does the job.
Lastly your upper body and legs. The key is layering. You want your first layer to be sometime technical that wicks the sweat away from your body. Then a warm, insulated cycling jacket, and finally a windbreaker. Leg wise you don't always need as many layers. Because your legs are doing most of the work riding that is where the blood goes and it keeps your muscles warm. Usually a pair of insulated tights overtop regular cycling shorts will do the job. For the cold days perhaps some long johns, but that is about it.
Well only 33 days left under the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo. I am going to have to bring most of my winter clothes for this race. Last year it was around the freezing mark during the night. The desert is interesting that way. It just can't hold the heat from the daytime. Sometimes though you will ride through a warm pocket of air and it is such a relief....unfortunately it doesn't last long.
Until next time!
Steve
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Tip of the week #2 - Training Camps
You've all heard about professional riders attending training camps prior to the start of their season. Usually they are in some exotic destination with warm weather and fabulous riding. I used to read about them and think about how great it would be to get 2 weeks of nothing but focused training in with no interruptions. Unfortunately for most of us it is too expensive travel for something like this, but you don't need to! Why not set up your own training camp with your base location being your house? This is what I have been doing for the past few years. I pick a 2 week period at least 1 month before my first race and start the camp (make sure you have some sort of base fitness already). I treat myself like I am a professional rider 24 hours a day. Typically I will try to get a good nights sleep. Eat a healthy breakfast. Go for a 5-8 hour ride. These rides are mostly long distance endurance rides with some occasional intervals sprinkled in. Come home and have a nap. Eat a good dinner. Prep for the coming season doing things such as: correspondance with sponsors, preparing strategies for upcoming races, preparing equipment, etc. Then it is too bed. The next day I'll start it all over again. Typically I will ride 2-3 days on (depending on mileage) and then one day off for rest/recovery. That rest day I might work in the garden, get a massage, go for walk or just enjoy a day off. Repeat this schedule for 2 weeks. The importance of this period is to put some strain on your body over and above what it is used to during normal training. Come race day your body will be better prepared for the rigours it will face racing your bike for 24 hours. It has worked for me and should work for you too!
Steve
Steve
Sunday, January 09, 2005
New Route
I spent the day today mapping a new route out for training rides on the road. I do a lot of riding on the road, about 2/3 is spent on the road bike. I don't do a lot of training on the MTB bike. Most of the MTB riding is either racing or going for fun rides with friends. The new route I mapped takes me about 120km which should take around the 4 hour mark, maybe a little more. With a family it is hard to get in rides much longer than this. When I do my training camp in late March or early April (weather permitting) I will try to do this ride 5 days a week with one of the days potentially being two times around this circuit. That will certainly build up my endurance, plus it will get me eating during the ride which will be good practice for race day.
During Winter training it is impossible to get in 4 hour rides with the weather. I can handle the cold weather with every part of my body but my feet. No matter what I do I can't keep them warm. Right now I wear Sidi Winter Shoes (one size too big) with wool socks, neoprene socks, and winter booties. I still get cold in below zero weather. Thus training rides don't last much longer than 3 hours (1:40 on the trainer today). This will keep my conditioning decent for the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo (www.epicrides.com) but by no means in winning form. It is just impossible to get that form unless I move to warmer climates!! I can't wait for my training camp! More on that in the next blog (Monday tips!).
Later!
Steve
During Winter training it is impossible to get in 4 hour rides with the weather. I can handle the cold weather with every part of my body but my feet. No matter what I do I can't keep them warm. Right now I wear Sidi Winter Shoes (one size too big) with wool socks, neoprene socks, and winter booties. I still get cold in below zero weather. Thus training rides don't last much longer than 3 hours (1:40 on the trainer today). This will keep my conditioning decent for the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo (www.epicrides.com) but by no means in winning form. It is just impossible to get that form unless I move to warmer climates!! I can't wait for my training camp! More on that in the next blog (Monday tips!).
Later!
Steve
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Rest day today
Went for another good ride yesterday. It was a little bit chilly, about -5 but I survived for almost 2 hours. My legs felt a little bit sluggish, probably from increasing the amount of riding I am doing. I'm going to take a recovery day today just to keep myself on track (plus it is damn freezing outside with ice on the ground).
The forcast doesn't look any better for the next few days....apparantly a big storm coming tomorrow so I will hit the gym instead of riding. Hopefully things clear for the weekend.
I'm thinking of adding another race to my calendar this season, specifically the 24 Hours of 9 Mile (www.24-9.com). The race looks pretty good. I got some good info from Jeff Kerkove (www.jeffkerkove.blogspot.com) about the race and it seems like it is pretty professional. The only thing holding me back is it is only 3 weeks before another 24 hour (24 Hours of Albion) race I have already entered. Last year when I did races 3 weeks apart I had a horrible 2nd race. I don't think I recovered properly. 4 weeks apart and I'm good to go. We'll see this year.
Later!
The forcast doesn't look any better for the next few days....apparantly a big storm coming tomorrow so I will hit the gym instead of riding. Hopefully things clear for the weekend.
I'm thinking of adding another race to my calendar this season, specifically the 24 Hours of 9 Mile (www.24-9.com). The race looks pretty good. I got some good info from Jeff Kerkove (www.jeffkerkove.blogspot.com) about the race and it seems like it is pretty professional. The only thing holding me back is it is only 3 weeks before another 24 hour (24 Hours of Albion) race I have already entered. Last year when I did races 3 weeks apart I had a horrible 2nd race. I don't think I recovered properly. 4 weeks apart and I'm good to go. We'll see this year.
Later!
Monday, January 03, 2005
Tip of the Week #1 - Nutrition
Every Monday I am going to try to post a tip about 24 Hour Solo MTB racing for all those people I know want to try one of these events but just are not quite sure yet.
Your body stores about 100,000 calories in the form of fat on your body (give or take). So you have plenty of fuel to get through a 24 hour period. During a race, don't be concerned about replacing every calorie you spend (probably 800+ per hour). Your body can only process about 300 calories per hour....much more than that and it just goes to waste and increases your chances of gastointestinal problems.
Went for another ride today....only just bit more than 2 hours. Felt great though. I ride specific routes so I know how long it should take me....that way I usually know how I am riding.
Later.
Your body stores about 100,000 calories in the form of fat on your body (give or take). So you have plenty of fuel to get through a 24 hour period. During a race, don't be concerned about replacing every calorie you spend (probably 800+ per hour). Your body can only process about 300 calories per hour....much more than that and it just goes to waste and increases your chances of gastointestinal problems.
Went for another ride today....only just bit more than 2 hours. Felt great though. I ride specific routes so I know how long it should take me....that way I usually know how I am riding.
Later.
Saturday, January 01, 2005
Happy New Year
Happy New Year to everyone!! I spent a fairly quiet New Year with my family. We went to the "family style" New Years party at East Side Mario's with the kids. They give out party favours, streamers, hats etc. to make it fun for the kids. Shrek was even there!
I went out for my traditional New Years Day ride this morning. It was a blustery 0 degrees, but about -7 with the windchill so I tried not to ride into the wind too much. I got in about 2h 40m of riding which was nice for a change. I felt pretty good actually. I hope to get in a lot more training now that I am completely healthy. I have been sick since the beginning of October when I got the flu shot. Strange how that happens!! With a non-stop cold, 2 bouts of strep throat, and a chest infection I was out of commission for quite awhile. About 8 days of training in each of November and December. Oh well, an extended rest phase. Back to the grind though.
My first race is the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo in Tuscon, Arizona on February 19-20. My conditioning is never great for this race. Training is so hard in January/February as the snow and temperatures are just insane in Oakville.
As I reflect on the 2004 Season a few stats for you:
7,871KM ridden/raced
387 hours on the bike
3 x 24 hour solo races
1 x 12 hour solo race
best race - 12 Hour Battery Burner
worst race - 24 Hours of Summer Solstice
For 2005 I am racing with the GearsRacing.com team which will be nice. I hope to race in at least 5 x 24 hour events and possibly a few regular races throughout the year. So far I am committed to the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo in February, the 24 Hours of Summer Solstice (largest 24 hour race in North America) in June and the 24 Hours of Albion in August. In May I will be doing either the Burn 24 Hour (North Carolina) or 24 Hours of Boyne (Michigan). Hopefully I will get one in on the August long weekend and perhaps one in September as well.
Off to watch a movie now and for tomorrow I'll probably just hit the trainer and then off to play poker and watch football in the afternoon.
Later!
I went out for my traditional New Years Day ride this morning. It was a blustery 0 degrees, but about -7 with the windchill so I tried not to ride into the wind too much. I got in about 2h 40m of riding which was nice for a change. I felt pretty good actually. I hope to get in a lot more training now that I am completely healthy. I have been sick since the beginning of October when I got the flu shot. Strange how that happens!! With a non-stop cold, 2 bouts of strep throat, and a chest infection I was out of commission for quite awhile. About 8 days of training in each of November and December. Oh well, an extended rest phase. Back to the grind though.
My first race is the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo in Tuscon, Arizona on February 19-20. My conditioning is never great for this race. Training is so hard in January/February as the snow and temperatures are just insane in Oakville.
As I reflect on the 2004 Season a few stats for you:
7,871KM ridden/raced
387 hours on the bike
3 x 24 hour solo races
1 x 12 hour solo race
best race - 12 Hour Battery Burner
worst race - 24 Hours of Summer Solstice
For 2005 I am racing with the GearsRacing.com team which will be nice. I hope to race in at least 5 x 24 hour events and possibly a few regular races throughout the year. So far I am committed to the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo in February, the 24 Hours of Summer Solstice (largest 24 hour race in North America) in June and the 24 Hours of Albion in August. In May I will be doing either the Burn 24 Hour (North Carolina) or 24 Hours of Boyne (Michigan). Hopefully I will get one in on the August long weekend and perhaps one in September as well.
Off to watch a movie now and for tomorrow I'll probably just hit the trainer and then off to play poker and watch football in the afternoon.
Later!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)