The Pleasure of Pain

Bob Arnold of DRJ Racing. Bob had a 'yard sale' during the Castlewood Race back in early May and returned from the hospital to finish his race promoter responsibilities. Tough guy! During my pre-race warm-up, I actually passed Bob on his bike as he was leaving the course following his crash. I remember thinking to myself, "crap, this is my first race and if this course is chewing up riders like this, I'm going to get my a$$ handed to me!"

My crash Tuesday night seemed minor at the time. My elbow took the brunt of the impact, but now my right shoulder is quite sore and hurts like hell anytime I raise my arm. It's funny how we injure ourselves, notice the obvious cuts and areas of bleeding, but then later find out we've injured a less obvious part of our body. This seems to be the case in my crash. My elbow has two gashes and really doesn't hurt that badly. However, my shoulder is without a blemish and hurts! Go figure.

Am I skipping the race this weekend because of my injury? Hell no! Why not? Look at Bob. He didn't quit? Yes, his race result was a DNF. However, he returned from the hospital to finish his responsibilities promoting the race and ensuring everyone had a great experience (including this rookie.) In my book that's as tough as it gets. I'm starting Saturday in pain, racing in pain, and finishing in pain.

.....And then I'm going to have a cold beer with my racing buddies!

CamelBaks

I decided to ride the GORC Lost Valley group ride last night. Since I haven't been on the Gunnar in a week, I thought it would be good to work on my bike handling in preparation for this weekend's race. The group was a mix of singlespeeders, racers, and enthusiast level riders. I also saw Steve O'Neal, whom I met at the Castlewood race a couple of weeks ago. I loaded up with the CamelBak Rogue and decided to roll out with the singlespeed & racer 'dudes'. I put in some hard road miles over the holiday weekend, so I planned to take it a little easier during this ride. The group of 12 of us rolled out and took it fairly easy until the first extended climb of the evening. At that point, the guys on the single speeds started to notch up the pace and away they went. I just didn't have the legs for the paced climbing (I did a hill workout the prior day) and was fine watching them roll out of sight. Steve and another rider (Brian) stayed back with me and we enjoyed rolling along the trails at a good pace.

After taking one of the fireroad decents at a very fast pace (I think I hit 30mph at one point) we then headed back into the singletrack to make our way back to the cars. As we hit the singletrack, we could hear other riders throughout the woods. At one point, we passed our original group as they were bombing down the hills we were climbing. They were still maintaining their good tempo and having a blast. This was my first time to ride the Lost Valley trails, but I was comfortable enough to lead our group of 3. As I was riding, I was really enjoying the trails and noting how well they were laid out. I kept thinking this was exactly what I was looking for in tonight's ride -- picking a line, carving the turns, and using my body to guide the bike versus jerking it through the turns. I was in the groove and kept thinking I was becoming one with the trail. As we neared an upcoming switchback, I again heard another group of riders coming and reminded myself to be on the lookout for "riders up." Maybe the brief mental distraction took me out of the zone, because as I set-up for the exit of the switchback I crashed. I feel like a rock rolled out from under my front tire and the next thing I know is I'm driving my right elbow into the rocks like a WWF wrestler attempting an elbow smash to the head of an opponent. After smashing my elbow, I then flipped onto my back and thanks to my CamelBak, I feel like I avoided driving rocks into my back. Luckily, I wasn't seriously injured and finished the ride without any further issues.

Steve and Brian were good riding companions and I look forward to keeping up with the mountain biking and meeting more good people like them. As it turns out, Steve knows a lot of folks I know and lives very nearby me. We'll hookup for some rides at Chubb and the 'wood in the near future.

So, about that CamelBak. I was wearing my smaller Rogue pack versus the larger Mule. Perhaps I should look for one like this fella is wearing?

And surprisingly, they are not morbidly obese...

http://www.baraskit.se/random/archive/24/bicycle_lift2.html

I saw this link posted on GORC's message board today. At first I thought, are you kidding me? Pedal up the hill like you're supposed to! Then I looked at the photos and realized two things. First, the people using the lift are overall in decent shape. No McFast food munchers here. Secondly, I realized without the lift a fair number of these folks might decide to drive a car, thereby getting them off of a bike seat. That's not a good thing. Perhaps we need more focus on how to we get people away from their unhealthy lifestyles. More bike paths, bike racks, pedestrian friendly environments. An interesting thought.

And Heeeee's On It!

Tom Carnegie. THE voice of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. IMS in May used to come alive with Tom's baritone voice. Why? I can try to explain, but if you've never been to the track to hear Tom say those four magical words I'd never do him justice. He had it all. Inflection, simplicity, delivery. Jack Buck once said something along the lines of "the announcer shouldn't overshadow the player." Tom Carnegie lived by those words. No flash, no pomp. Just told you what was happening on the track.

Keep in mind, Tom wasn't the reason to watch the race. The networks had their 'stuffed shirt announcers' who covered the race. Tom added to the already frenzied environment which existed at the qualifying sessions, practice laps, and the all important, "Bubble Day." As spectators watched cars on qualifying laps launching out of turn 4 and heading for the start finish line, many have fond memories of Tom saying "and heeeeeeeeee's on it!"

Memorial Day is supposed to be in rememberance of those who served in the armed forces, but I always link the weekend to the race and Tom Carnegie was an integral part of the Indy 500 for me.

The Whole Story

Another funny exchange today on STLBIKING's message board. http://stlbiking.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7194&st=0

The initial post was valid and addressed a point of view regarding bicyclists ignoring traffic signals and potentially endangering themselves and others. Somehow the thread got hijacked to the point of it becoming a 'discussion' of evolution versus creation, man vs. God. Since today was the Friday before a holiday weekend, it was a little slow at work. I read a lot of the posts, laughed a lot more, and finally decided maybe "Pot Hole" failed to report the entire story. Perhaps the riders he witnessed were 'obeying' traffic signs like the one shown here. Who knows? Anything is possible. Don't believe me? Then you haven't read the message board lately.

Happy Birthdays and Congratulations!

Two good friends of mine celebrated their 50th birthdays yesterday. Jerry "Orzie" Orzano and Jeff Hunt each turned 50 on Monday. My wife, Jennifer, and I helped Jeff celebrate a little early this past Friday night. On Saturday night, we attended Orzie's 50th at his house with his sisters and his family. He put together a very good night complete with great friends, fantastic fish tacos and some BBQ, and icey cold beers!

HAPPY 50th Orzie and Jeff!

Congratulations to Scott Thompson for his completion of the 400km on Saturday. Scott, I wish I had the focus to have joined you. You're enjoyable on or off the bike! Go bang out that 600k and qualify for PBP! Then we'll discuss whether or not we enter a road bike race towards the end of the season.... more on that later.

Keith Dudding, you've notched another century. Regardless of how you stack up the miles, you're tapping them out with some regularity now! I'm tickled to see another friend become hooked on cycling and I hope we can get out for some long rides together soon. You're going to be serious competition soon. (Good luck to Devon and the 4x800 team at state!)

Biking & Life... I need some change!

The 400km brevet was this past Saturday. I decided against the 400km, as well as the upcoming 600km, due to my renewed interest in mountain biking. Honestly, I was getting tired of the really long-distance rides (eventhough I thought I could tackle the entire brevet series this year.) Most importantly, I simply didn't like how I felt on my road bikes which were ill-suited for those distances. I've got a new Gunnar Sport coming in which will be my new long-distance bike, but until it arrives and is built up, I'm sticking to rides of 100 miles or less.

I did ride 55 miles this past Saturday and rode at an average just under 19mph. That included some serious hills (which I actually climbed respectably) and several sprint intervals. Overall, I felt very good on the ride and will now start to shift my focus towards some hard 90 minute sessions on the mountain bike in preparation for the Matson Trail race on 6/2.

I'm digging the new focus on mountain biking. As I have said before, I don't know why I don't do more offroad. I love the challenge which comes in the climbs, as well as the focus on the downhills. After talking with Pfoodman a little more over the weekend, I've even more stoked at the challenges ahead of me. (Thanks for the advice, Ralph. I'm sure I'll be drawing on your experiences more and more.)

Work has been busy and it's about to get much busier. I've got a lot of traveling coming up in June and then a little time before we head over to Europe with the family. I'm hoping all of the activities at work are leading to some positive changes. Who knows, though. The best I can do is give it 100% and pray.

Fatal error???

My computer died this past week. I knew something was wrong, but I didn't know it would be this serious. What's wrong? Who knows. Just doesn't power up. Good battery and good a/c power, but when you press the power button, nothing happens. Oh well, thankfully my 2-year extended warranty had 30 days left on it. I had the hard drive backed-up and shipped it off for repairs. I'm hoping the whole shebang is toast and I get a new computer. Right, like that will actually happen.

Perhaps the photo above was a better solution??

Fast Mondays

Last night was my first night out to the Mueller Monday night ride. I decided at the last minute to ride, so I grabbed my Bianchi Veloce and headed out. I arrived just in time to air up the tires and jump on the bike as the main group headed out. I talked with Jim Varney for about 60 seconds as the group headed for the Elm stop sign. As the group accelerated out of the intersection, I recall thinking "oh, crap! this is going to hurt" and I also remembered this photo of a rocket bike thinking, "I'd have a hard time staying in the pack even with a rocket bike!"

I watched as the pack sprinted out at a 33mph clip leaving me and several other riders off the back within a matter of seconds. Without being properly warmed-up, I was busting at 28.5mph and learning very quickly I was going to get caught in "no man's land." Determined to make this a strong ride, I made a decision that I use the ride as a chance to run sprint intervals. Each group between me and the leaders became a 'town sign sprint.' I slowly picked off riders of lesser speed, not in an attempt at bravado, but rather for the fitness benefits. I continued to do this for the rest of the ride until I got reeled in by a pack of 5 riders (three of whom I had passed on my own.)

We finished the ride strongly and overall had a pace of 21mph for the evening, which included a considerable amount of time coming home into a direct headwind. It was a great ride with almost perfect weather.

The Other Side

Here's me at the start in the center of the photo (#201) silver helmet and black jersey. Not exactly a hole-shot!

Here's me at the finish line. I was gassed!

It's over but it ain't done. I have seen what's on the other side of the wall and I liked what I saw. Interesting view and I want more. What was it? Let me say this, it's everything about why I push myself to ride long-distances and something to feed my sense of accomplishment and competition all rolled into one. That's right, a big ol' blender full of pain, suffering, and mental focus swirled at a high rate of speed with your body tossed right into the mix.

The call to the line, the sound of the starter's horn followed by the sounds of riders' shoes clicking into the pedals, the rush of adrenaline, the whirlwind of bodies, the racing of your heart, and the keen focus on the trail reached out ahead of you. Add to that the never-ending changes in your riding experience. Rocks, roots, ruts. Water, sand, mud, dirt. Hills, valleys, dips. Twists and turns. Banked, off-camber, up, down. Singletrack, doubletrack, fireroad.

I'm hooked. Why? I'm not sure? I'm going to ponder this for few days, talk with a few people to determine what I'm getting myself into.

At the end of the day, I finished 7th in the Beginners 35+ class out of 16 riders. I was in 6th spot with an eye on 5th until I decided to head off course during a fast hairpin decent. I'm lucky I didn't have a bad wreck at that spot, but it did gap me from 5th place. It also allowed the then 7th place rider to close the gap into me and later pass me on the next climb. I ended up missing a shift on a hill climb (rookie mistake) and dropped my chain on a key part of a climb a little later. Overall, a much better result than I expected.

And I liked it a great deal. I think one key reason is that my family got to experience it with me. My wife and two children cheered me on today. They never see me ride the brevets and the brevets take me away from them for a long time and that's not something I like. Let's see if I can stay on the other side.

Is it time to break through the wall?

I'm entering the world of competitive bicycle racing tomorrow with my first mountain bike race. In the grand scheme of things, it's nothing really. Just more time in the saddle. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that my wife and kids will be there, I could enter and finish and no one would be the wiser.

In the back of my mind, however, I think the world will be different after tomorrow. I'll either discover racing is my next addiction or I'll determine for me, biking is more about the lifestyle and the health benefits, not the competition. Truth be told, I've got a feeling I'm going to 'enjoy' the punishing aspects of racing. Especially, mountain bike racing.

Mountain biking has always been a love for me. It's the form of riding that brought me back into the sport after a 15 year hiatus. All of my fond memories of pain and suffering were done on a mountain bike. Yes, I've had my share of aches and pains on a road bike, but I have to say, with road biking, I always feel like I can turn the pedals. In other words, on a road bike I'm just battling my body. Mountain biking demands the rider battle his or her body, as well as the terrain. In road biking, downhills offer some time to rest, not in mountain biking. Downhills in mountain biking mean time to make up ground and close gaps.

So, where does my future lie? Who knows. One thing is for certain. Come 2pm tomorrow, the wall will be broken and I'll have a much better idea of what's on the other side. (Hint: I think my Gunnar Rockhound 29er is looking to spend more time with me.)

Bonkfest 2007

Cinco de Mayo. To me, it felt more like Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead.) It was time for the 300km. How did I do, you ask? They say a picture tells a thousand stories. Let's just say it was a long day on the bike. Actually, we finished the ride in 14h 24m, which was 5h 36m ahead of the cutoff time for the day and put us in the middle of the field for the finishers.
Randonneuring is about the ride, not your finishing spot. However, I'm a competitive person. You put me on a bike with other lycra-clad folks and I start sizing up who's got the legs to put down the hammer. Suffice it to say, Saturday wasn't my day and this week's mountain biking race is not looking good either!

As I've mentioned before, I rode the day with my buddy, Scott Thompson. Keith Dudding, my Edwardsville friend, also showed up for the 5am rollout. Here's a shot of Keith:


Here's a shot of Scott and me (I'm on the right):

Our 5am rollout was quite surreal. A 300km bike ride is a frightening distance to biker and non-biker alike and the blanket of fog enhanced that feeling. I used two Cateye HL-520 lights (you can barely see them under my handlebar bag) and they provided more than enough lighting for the morning. In fact, I felt like I was lighting up too much road. (I'm not sure that's possible, but it did feel that way.) I will use that same set-up on the longer distances, where there will be significantly more time to ride in the darkness.

We kept a decent pace throughout the morning averaging somewhere in the 16-17mph pace. Scott has completed an entire brevet series before, so I tend to let him lead the way and set the pace. Let me correct you right now. That doesn't mean I wheelsuck him for 187 miles, but rather let him dictate what speed will allow us to finish with some sense of dignity.

Riding along we passed the standard towns, Pocahontas, Breese, and Albers. The first checkpoint of the day was in Breese. All checkpoints, usually held in local gas stations / convenience stores, require riders to stop in to have their brevet card filled in with their arrival time at the checkpoint. The convenience store clerks handle this duty without complaint. Heck, in some cases, I think they like seeing a different clientele. Our stopping by the stores gives them stories to tell for days, or at least until the next brevet ride. I'm sure they're saying things like, "Hey Fred, did you see the crust of salt on that fat guy's face! He's still gotta ride another 150 miles! Heck, he doesn't look like he'll make it much past County Road 6!" On this day, Breese dealt me my first blow. A rather large, handwritten sign proclaiming "Rest rooms out of service." Change of plans. Randonneurs need to be ready for anything, should always be prepared. Not this guy. A non-functioning restroom was more than I could take. I needed to press on and it wasn't because the road was calling my name. Rather it was the roadside was calling my name.

Scott and I marched on through the familiar roads on route to our second checkpoint, Okawville. On the 200km, this stop signals less than 60 miles in your ride. The gas mart is stocked fairly well with sandwiches and carb laden goodies. I generally munch down a Hostess pie of some sorts. However, today I was going with the ham and cheese and a soda.

This was the first time we met up with Ray Derr, who was also riding his first 300km. Ray was riding with another gentleman, whom I didn't meet. They were sitting on the side of the gas mart enjoying a little late breakfast/lunch. Later in the day we'd see Ray again without his nameless side kick.

As we rolled out of Okawville, I noticed my back was really starting to bother me. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I rebuilt a stone wall in my yard and my back hasn't felt strong since then. I also felt as though I was really struggling with my bike. I was fighting some bad shifting issues and some of the gears I wanted to spin just weren't cooperating. Therefore, I was forced to either spin too high a gear, or spin too low a gear. I'm really more comfortable pushing a bigger gear and spinning around 80 rpms. Not making excuses, but trying to figure out what was wrong with me.

Overall, the day was a see-saw of feelings for me. At times, I was truly ready to call it a day. Why I kept going I don't know. Perhaps it was that I had no cell coverage and therefore calling my wife and telling her to come get me was out of the question. Maybe it was the fact that I was approximately 80 miles from home. I think the biggest reason was that I know some truly strong kids who are not quitters. Unfortunately, our good friends, Paul and Ann Murphys have a son who's dealing with leukemia and he's definitely not quitting! (Joe Murphy, you're a strong kid and an inspiration to many!) This is a bike ride, for heavens sake, this is something I get to do, not something I have to do.

My only other meaningful event of the day was as I was leaving a checkpoint, my front tire blew out. I'm just glad it didn't happen while I was riding, particularly down a hill, as I know I would have wiped out. After changing the tire and screwing around with my pump, I was able to get back on the road.

If you asked me at 150 miles, I was definitely not riding the 400km or the 600km. As we neared town, I determined I could do the 400km, but didn't let my friend, Scott know I was planning to do so. As I drove home, I determined that I felt too good following the 300km finish to not attempt the 400km. All things considered, I survived the Bonkfest. The last thing Scott mentioned to me was "See you May 19th!" That the date for the 400km. I've learned a long time ago not to question Scott. Scott, you were right again. I'll see you on the 19th!

Team Pfoodman/Wapiti

Pfoodman/Wapiti to host MS Team

Whether you are a seasoned veteran, just starting or simply wanting to raise the bar of fitness reinvention, this team is for you! All fitness levels encouraged to join in, newbies, seasoned cyclists, racers, all are welcome to participate in Team Pfoodman for the 2007 MS 150 bike tour and other charity events throughout the year.

• Committed* Team Pfoodman/Wapiti members will be treated to weekly organized team build-up rides for the MS 150 and join us in the VIP tent as a member of Team Pfoodman/Wapiti at the conclusion of Day #1 at the tour.
• Enjoy our version of periodical planning and strategy “meetings” at the Four Seasons Country Club Bar and Grill in Chesterfield featuring none other than Schlafly on tap.
• Benefit from training tips and proper technique instruction by local cycling self proclaimed egotistical hero’s and legends.
• Weekly training rides to be established of multiple distances for all events.
• Food, beverage, music and exposure to interesting folks, blathering bloggers and artists alike will gather for good causes and great fellowship.
• Train as a team to prepare and ride the MS 150 in September; a variety of distance goals suitable for all to aspire. The focus will be learning skills, proper nutrition, training technique and having fun. We will have elite riders on hand for those concentrating on racing, and the development of skills on and off road.

Team Pfoodman/Wapiti is established as a team for the MS 150 event in September. You can register for the event and join the team by following these three steps:

1. http://www.nationalmssociety.org/site/PageServer?pagename=BIKE_MOS_homepage
2. Click on the "Register Today" link
3. Go to the Search Teams section.
4. Enter "Team Pfoodman/Wapiti" and register.

If you are interested in more information about Team Pfoodman/Wapiti, please contact Jerry Orzano, team captain, at aorzano57@hotmail.com for more information.

*get a jersey, show up and train, do the minimum of day one of the tour.

How I plan to keep rest stops to a minimum

Today, I got an email from my friend and brevet buddy, Scott Thompson. Scott is a randonneuring hero in my book and just an all-around 'good guy.' I had emailed Scott yesterday asking if my estimated rest stop times looked right for tomorrow's 300km brevet. The photo on the right along with the comment "How I plan to keep rest stops to a minimum" is what I got back.

Tomorrow could be a long day depending on the winds and the rain. If the winds are light and the rain has stopped or is infrequent at best, we should do fine. However, any combination of the two may bid for a tough day. Scott and I met on what was the worst overall riding conditions I have ever been in. It was the "Flat as a Pancake" century in 2005. That day gave us weather in the 40's at the start with highs in the high 50's - low 60's during the ride. The rain, however, was the star of that day. We had light rains, heavy rains, torrential rains, and hurricane like rains at various times throughout the day. In fact, it was actually the remnants of one of the Gulf of Mexico's hurricanes that provided the weather for that day. I've often described it to non-riders as try riding 100 miles in a 50 degree car wash and you'll get the idea.

I'm excited about tomorrow. I've put fenders on the bike and I'm focused on the task at hand. Let's just see if the body and mind cooperate.

Carb loading time

It's two days before my 300km brevet ride and that means one thing, CARBO LOADING! The recovering 'fat guy' gets to eat some carb heavy foods and not feel guilty.

Food is an amazing thing. Unfortunately, as humans, I think we associate ourselves with the pleasure aspects of food more it than we recognize the fueling/life sustaining value it brings. Does that mean we're a country of pleasure seeking humans? I don't know. I do know that once I began to see food as a way to help my body versus feed my psyche, I completely changed what I shoved into my mouth. I still have days were I pig out, but let me say I'm much more conscientious about it. However, for the next three days (I also get to eat whatever I want when I'm riding 187 miles) I will look a lot like the guy in this photo. Buon appetito!

You gotta choose Fusz

We bought my wife a new Toyota Rav4 yesterday. Rob Roedel and the great folks at Lou Fusz Toyota made this the easiest transaction I have ever had purchasing a new vehicle. From the time we walked in the showroom to the time we walked out was right at 1h 25m. That's very fast in my opinion. The total negotiation time, 10 minutes. No games, no hassles, no "let me check with my manager" or "we're giving you a really good deal here" crap! Forthright, honest, human. Needless to say, we'll be back. We christened the vehicle last night with a trip to Ace Hardware and Fritz's Frozen Custard! Most importantly, we're no longer owners of a minivan!!!!!! While it was a great vehicle for traveling, it just wasn't much more than utilitarian in it's design.

What have I done???

Okay, I've finally gone off the deep end with this cycling stuff. Here is my event schedule for the next five weeks.

5.5 300km brevet
5.12 Mountain Bike race at Castlewood
5.19 400km brevet
5.26 off weekend
6.2-3 600km brevet

What the heck, I'm 42 and perhaps I should have done this much earlier in life. Truth be told, I was too busy doing everything but living a healthy lifestyle. Pedal or die you might say.

What do I have to do to put you in this car today?

My family and I tried to purchase a new car last night. My wife wants a new Toyota RAV4. After spending two hours at the dealer (only 30 minutes actually talking with a saleperson) we walked out. Jay Wolfe of West County is very proud of their cars. Just ask them! Want a fair trade in? Forget it. They tried to say our 2003 Grand Caravan needed a new steering rack in it after driving it around the parking lot. Folks this van has 49,000 miles on it and looks new. It's been serviced regularly and was just in the shop for a tune up before we drove to Florida last month. It steers fine and there are no vibrations, knocks, or noises when driving the vehicle.

I hate buying new cars. I hate the games, the stories, the "let me talk to my manager" responses. I simply want to know the price of the car, the value of my trade in, the BOTTOM LINE. State you price and let's all save each other some time. Oh and by the way, charging someone $199 for documentation fees is a complete joke. If I tried to tell a client, thanks for buying a $30,000 investment from me, now that will be $200 for us to send you your paperwork!!! FORGET IT!