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
Monday, February 28, 2005
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
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