Pwned!!

The current day "medieval torture device." Tonight, Mr. Kinetic strung me out like clothes on a line, and I loved every minute of it. Well, maybe not every minute of it, but I do understand that training hard requires suffering and acclimating your body to the pain and discomfort that forces other people to stop pedaling and give up. It's easy to say your going to work through the pain, but much harder to actually do it. I'm trying to work through the threshold. Now I know what Pfoodman (http://www.theralphaccount.blogspot.com) meant when he once told me he never wanted his fitness to get below the level wherein he'd have to repeat the base required to compete at higher racing levels.

Sunday is done and in the books and means absolutely nothing when I get back on the bike. The next race isn't handicapped by our past results.

Race Prep

Last week, I started a new process of taping a bible verse to my bike for inspiration during a race. Here's the verse I included last week:

Isaiah 40:31
but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.

I put my trust in the Lord and prayed before the race for safety and courage to ride with my best efforts and the Lord blessed me. I prayed immediately after crossing the line as thanksgiving to Him and for safety and healing of the riders involved in the crashes.

This week's verse is:

1 Chronicles 16:11
Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.

It's All Downhill From Here!

The morning was cold and the roads were wet.
The course was prepped, the field was set.
Along we rolled as the nerves were high,
90+ riders battling thigh to thigh.
Bottles were dropped as the pave was rough
but the banging of brakes, enough is ENOUGH!

Most of the experience and speed came to the front
oh to ride tempo and race safely is but a want.
Hold back the reigns but keep the pace slightly high
while planning my strategy as the miles roll by.
Before long there's a crash within shot of my ear
re-alerting my senses that danger is near.

I look for my friends and they are in sight
cranking and biding their time 'til it's right.
I want to move up but Aggro say's not yet
we've got a ways to go before the table is set.
Back in the fold, as more wheels we did suck
dodging the potholes and wishing for luck.

The tarmac tilted upward as the tempo grew swift
right as the lactic acid arrived and asked for a lift.
A climber I'm not, but the hills should be brief
keep hammering your legs and wait for relief.
As our group neared our 'summit' I almost got gapped
but when I looked back their elastic had snapped.

No one on our wheels our group was now fifteen
roaring through the final miles as a 30-legged machine.
We were cruising along like a train with a caboose
as one rider sprinted free and then all hell broke loose.
Within 1 mile now and the school was in sight
as someone yelled out "slow riders on the right!"

The chaos was beginning as battle lines were drawn
as this was not to be a finish missed by a yawn.
Drew found an opening and took off like a jet
Getting on his wheel would be my best bet.
We burst for the line four riders in mass
I was there first, as my competitor I did pass!

The Cat 5 40+ winner was most certainly me
but two other riders made me number three.
As we sorted out the results I suddenly learned
that my elapsed time was the fastest one turned.
The Lord blessed me and kept me for that I know
and I give all honor to Him and thanks as I go.

http://www.ultramaxtri.com/results/08_Froze_Toes/08_Froze_Toes_Bike_Race.pdf

Thanks to everyone who has helped me prepare for the new season. Especially my wife and kids for letting me train as much as I have. Thank you. You're very special to me.

We're off to a good season, but let's just hope it's not all downhill from here!

End of Story

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Feeling Strong?

Check out my buddy, Scott Thompson's new blog http://www.ultrascott.blogspot.com

If Scott ever asks you out for a ride or a run, it may be a good idea to pack a change of clothes because you could be gone a while. Don't worry, the conversations will be so enjoyable the time will pass quickly. He's one guy who doesn't leave anything on the table and I love the times I get to ride with him. Unfortunately, it's not often enough.

An Unfair Advantage???

If you know me, you know I'm a sucker for bike bling. Mall-cruising, credit-card laden, rich-people-wanna-be teenagers have nothing on me. If it catches my eye, it's going to end up on one of my bikes. Some of my acquisitions help, most don't. Some cost a lot of money, others are throw-aways. However, on Sunday, I fixed my mind on something new.

Listening to our Pastor's sermon on Sunday I was convicted by the simple message being communicated to our congregation. Trust God. Why? His power is immeasurable and His grace is unbelievable. He can be the source of your renewal. Our strength. As I let these thoughts seep into my thick brain, I felt like God can be a source of power for me in my times of weakness while I'm on the bike. I decided I was going to take a short bible verse and tape it to my top tube during every race this year. God's words will be my new racing bling for this year. In Him I will trust and in Him I will renew my strength.

Here's the verse for this weekend's race:

Isaiah 40:31
but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.

Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme change

Another week of training, working, and family life. What's to say? My work life is good, my family is healthy, and training was light this week. With the exception of Thursday's rest day, I trained everyday albeit they were easy days. However, the easy workouts are coming to a close. Beginning with yesterday's workout which included a 30 min time trial, I'm beginning a period of a higher volume/intensity training marked with my first road race on Sunday, February 24th and my first sport class mountain bike race the following weekend.

While I'm certainly looking forward to the races, I've got to say I'm a little disappointed by my TT results yesterday. I went out with the mental image of riding like Mr. Cancellara
but ended up riding more like this chap
I had hoped for a faster average speed, but it just didn't happen. I'm not going to share my speed with you, but let's just say you wouldn't be too impressed. I'm not really looking for excuses, but rather trying to understand what happened. Was it the wind? The cold weather? The multiple layers of clothing? Not enought rest? Didn't eat right? Drink properly? Go out too hard? Not hard enough?

I'll talk with Andy and evaluate where I'm at. I guess I'm not trying to be fast right now, so I'll take what comes. One a side note, one positive out of yesterday is that the new Giant TCR Composite road bike felt awesome. I've made a few tweaks to the set-up and I think I've got it dialed in just right. The bike is light (16.85 pounds), stiff, but comfortable and compliant. So Lance, perhaps you're right, "It's not about the bike!"

Covered Bridge Ride (aka Lessons in Humility)

We came, we saw, we conquered.

Kent, Rich, and I (later joined by Bert) took on the famed Covered Bridge ride on Saturday. I had heard stories of the famed ride and in fact lived many, many years ago in the general vicinity of the legendary route, but never turned a pedal onto it's tarmac until yesterday. The day started rather benignly as we rolled from the Paradise Valley floor towards High Ridge. As you can see from the elevation map, those aren't just subdivision or town monikers, but rather aptly named geographic formations. The climb from the valley is a long drawn out climb which doesn't punish you all at once, but slowly extracts it's pain in the form of lactic acid. On this ride, it's not the only climb to do so.

As we got into High Ridge, we began working a series of rollers which were either good for taking at a solid cadence or on the attack. Nothing too severe, but again, more taxing efforts for your legs (catching a theme here?) Kent told me we'd only have 3 stop lights on the ride and we'd already passed 2 of them, so the traffic was light and the scenery was nothing short of amazing. Say what you want about the majesty of the mountains or the beauty of an ocean sunset, but the rolling terrain of Missouri always captures my heart. The heavily wooded countryside, open fields, meandering waterways, and brilliant blue skies let me know this countryside will always be my home.

Riding with Kent and Rich, and me for that matter, there is never a shortage of friendly attacks or jumps to keep the pace from getting too mundane. Early in the ride, I was feeling good, was comfortable on the climbs, so I decided to do a little work at the front. What I didn't know was the terrain to come. Kent and Rich were licking their chops and preparing themselves for the homeward bound climbs. We rolled into Covered Bridge and decided to take a quick break to refuel and answer nature's call. Rich simply couldn't get enough fuel, so even when asked to pose for a picture, kept his chocolate Hammer gel flowing.

Here's Kent and Rich discuss life and it's issues in the shadows of our destination, the Covered Bridge.

After a little refueling, it was time to begin climbing. Now, I'm not making excuses, but I've never been a big fan of stopping during longer rides. I guess it's due to the fact that I warm-up slowly and once I cool back down slightly, I don't feel comfortable on the bike again for 30 minutes or so. Well, that's a bad recipe for what laid before me. As you roll out of Goldman (thriving metropolis which is home to the Covered Bridge) you immediately begin your ascent to the heavens. Over the next 20 miles, you're greeted with seemingly endless climbs. I did okay on the first long climb, but I could feel my left calf cramping ever so slightly. As we neared the top, I eased off a little and tried to stretch out my legs while on the bike.

Rolling down the very fast descent of Old Lemay Ferry Road, we hit a short section of flatter pavement and Kent decided to drop the hammer and when the pace shot north of 30mph, Rich and I decided we'd save a little for the next climb. Kent was flying up the road (later he added that was his plan for being able to take the steep upcoming climb at his pace.) It really didn't matter because the next climb (in Antonia as we crossed Highway M) blew all three of us up pretty good. We looked like climbers strung out across the face of Mt. Everest making our assault on the summit. I cursed my aching legs and back and for the first time in a long, long time actually gave a thought to stopping and walking up the hill. This hill had my number and it was punching it without mercy. I felt like I was pedalling sandbags, as my legs swelled with lactic acid. At one point, I decided to downshift, stand on the pedals and then upshift trying to ease my cadence with a little pain induced speed. This climb makes you suffer and suffer I did.

As we got to the top and turned onto Four Ridge Road, I recall thinking to myself, "well the tough climbs are over, so get into a good cadence and take this ride home." Nice thought, but I couldn't seem to clear my legs of the lactic acid. They continued to feel heavy and when we picked up another ICCC rider, Bert, the pace quickened. I immediately sat-up. We were 2h45m into the ride with another 30-45 mins to go and I thought the downhills won't come soon enough. I wasn't bonking, but my legs were not responding. Rich ended up sitting up and waiting for me and brought me back to the others. Thanks, Rich!

We made one final pit stop in High Ridge where it turns out we saw riders from several other teams rolling through. Here a couple of the Dent Wizards are taking a break from the outbound climbs. Bert, who joined up with up later in the ride is on the left.

After topping off the fuel, we pacelined very quickly down back down to the valley floor. We were rocking and rolling and since there was little to no traffic around us, we were using every square inch of our lane of pavement. This was by far the most enjoyable part of the ride as the pace was quick, my legs were responding, and we all seemed to be having fun. As we neared the bottom of a very fast downhill section, I was following Kent through a sharp corner when we discovered some golf ball sized rocks in the middle of the lane, I barely caught the edge of one and was amazed I didn't end up wadded up on the side of the road. Following the corner, Kent and Bert immediately jumped and at first I decided to let them go, but then decided to chase. I caught up with them and then kept pouring it on. I felt great and was actually going to come around them, but thought we had a little farther to go and eased off. As we rounded the bend fifteen seconds later, I realize we were back near our starting point.

All in all, it was a great ride. Good Christian fellowship and healthy doses of humility and suffering. I'm starting to look forward to my weekend thrashings at the hands of stronger riders. Each week I'm reminded of how far I've progressed but just how much farther the road leads outward and upward. I appreciate the opportunity to ride in those groups and thank each one of them for their teaching, guidance, and support.

Romans 5:3 "Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perserverance."

Sheldon Brown

Sheldon Brown 1944-2008



Sheldon Brown passed away on February 3rd. If you've ever searched the internet for obscure bike related parts or to get answers on how to calculate 'gear inches' you've encountered Sheldon Brown's Harris Cyclery website. I'm sure Sheldon's insights have helped more people than I could ever imagine. I know on more than one occassion I've used Sheldon for both parts and enlightenment.

May God's comfort and grace hold Sheldon's family and friend's as they mourn their loss and may Sheldon find eternal rest in God's love.

Best of the Bowl

In my humble opinion the big ad agencies were beaten at their own game. This Doritos commercial was funnier than anything else I saw and I'd suspect a whole lot cheaper to produce. What's not to like? A cheesy product so good a life-sized rodent would resort to physical harm to get more!

But I guess in the interest of fairness, I'd have to say my second favorite commercial was done in support of Bridgestone tires.



This one was funny on a couple of levels. First, the sight of Alice Cooper and the python in the middle of the night (highlighted by his 'eyes of darkness'). However, the driver's reaction at the sight of Richard Simmons was nothing short of brilliant. Well done.

Intervals & Donuts

Intervals. Is there a cyclist out there who looks forward to interval workout day? I don't. Must be the fight or flight response internally wired into our bodies. I can always hear the little voice from the dark recesses of my brain having an argument with my muscles.

Brain: "You are going to do these because they make us faster."
Muscles: "If you like pain so much, why don't you commit yourself."
Brain: "I am commited."
Muscles: "No, you're not. You don't understand commitment. You're like the chicken, not the pig, when it comes to breakfast. You see, the chicken is involved, but the pig is committed!"
(Why do I hear the voices of Cartman and Kyle from South Park reading those lines??? Man, I'm glad today is a rest day!)

Last night was 'cruise interval' night. 90mins on the trainer with 4 x 6min intervals done between heart rate zone 4-5a with 2 minute recoveries. During each 6 minute interval, alternate 60 secs in a hard gear and 60 seconds in a 'normal' gear while maintaining a constant cadence. I had a good workout. My legs really opened up as the intervals went on and I actually contemplated adding on another interval. Shut up, stupid brain.

As I cooled down, I started a DVD I had loaded in before my workout, "Tour de Donut: Gluttons for Punishment." .www.tourdedonutmovie.com
A documentary by Steve Kelly & Jim Klenn of Tim Ranek and crew's attempt to win Staunton's farcical adaptation of the Tour de France. What a trip! I was laughing out loud at several elements of the event. I've seen the movie before, but it has been a year or so. I think the most outrageously funny part of the movie is the scene of Tim getting ready to blow chunks with a donut still firmly held in one of his hands.

Ride (and eat) until you puke...well, 50% of that statement could be similar to interval training.

Does this describe you???

"I'm never the first one to do a breakaway but I'm always the first to try and catch the break."

A fellow bike racer shared this phrase with me today. It immediately resonated with me. Maybe there's a little porch hound dog in all of us. Laying out on the porch just protecting the turf until some enticing bumper rolls by....and the chase begins!!

Be Careful Who You Listen To!

Following a business discussion with someone at work today, I was told to not lose any more weight. The reason? My face would look too gaunt. While I thanked the person for noticing, I asked why do you think my face will become too thin? Her response was sort of matter of fact, "well if you try to lose too much weight your face will get too thin and that doesn't look good." I was puzzled by that statement. In fact, it really made no sense to me. (Suffice it to say, I know I need to lose another 10-15 pounds. Diminishing as it is, a spare tire doesn't lie.) I know she didn't mean any harm by her statement, but her I wondered how many people don't take the right steps because of bad advice.

As I thought about her advice, I recalled having a document filed away somewhere which was filled with all sorts of 'bad calls.' After much searching, I found the document and have posted some of them for your reading pleasure. Some of them just leave you scratching your head. Enjoy!

"Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau."
-- Irving Fisher, Professor of Economics, Yale University, 1929

"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
-- Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943

"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home."
-- Ken Olson, president CEO and founder of Digital Equipment Corp, 1977

"This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us."
-- Western Union internal memo, 1876.

"The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a 'C', the idea must be feasible."
-- A Yale University management professor in response to Fred Smith's paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service. (Smith went on to found Federal Express Corp.)

"We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out."
-- Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962.

"So we went to Atari and said, 'Hey, we've got this amazing thing, even built with some of your parts, and what do you think about funding us? Or we'll give it to you. We just want to do it. Pay our salary, we'll come work for you.' And they said, 'No.' So then we went to Hewlett- Packard, and they said, 'Hey, we don't need you. You haven't got through college yet.'"
-- Apple Computer Inc. founder Steve Jobs on attempts to get Atari and HP interested in his and Steve Wozniak's personal computer.

"Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You're crazy."
-- Drillers who Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill for oil in 1859.

"Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value."
-- Marechal Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, Ecole Superieure de Guerre.

"Everything that can be invented has been invented."
-- Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899.

"The abdomen, the chest, and the brain will forever be shut from the intrusion of the wise and humane surgeon".
-- Sir John Eric Ericksen, British surgeon, appointed Surgeon- Extraordinary to Queen Victoria 1873.

"640K ought to be enough for anybody."
-- Bill Gates, 1981.

2008 Tour de Fenton

After Thursday night's snowfall, I had a choice to make.

Option A:



My thoughts of Option A:



The option of getting outside the house was the clear winner. Teammates, Kent Johnson, Theo VandeVelde, and Rich Pierce



all met at 9am this morning while the temperature was still below freezing for a little fun on the bikes. Three of us decided on cross bikes, while Rich brought the 29er with cross tires. He can keep that bike rolling, too. Reminder for me, however is that the next time I head out with some Cat 3 dudes, I need to get my head around what's fun to them could be a tougher ride for me. Actually, the ride was exactly that, fun. Yes, it was tough in places, but overall it was a very good workout.

We rolled the roads towards Lone Elk park by taking an off-road bypass to route ourselves under the highway. The roads were fine and extra volume from the cross tires was nice for comfort's sake, but certainly made for tougher pedaling at tempo. We worked our way down to Chubb and practiced our snow-covered trail riding skills.



At the first railroad crossing we determined we were overdressed and stopped to adjust our layers.


The view down the tracks was something to behold for sure.


Riding the snowpacked trails was quite difficult. In fact, considerably more difficult than I had imagined. It's as if you're climbing a never ending hill on marbles. We found the best riding was through the virgin snowfall, but on the trail it was hard to find. Climbing was truly a feat and most of the steep stuff left us walking.

We continued to roll the roads for the next park, Buder, and from there we'd head towards George Winter Park and the climbs back to our cars. All in all, it was a great day and much more enjoyable than being shackled to the trainer.

Tomorrow, will definitely be back outside.

It's not nice to fool Mother Nature

Look, I'm not trying to fool Mother Nature. It's not like I presented her with some emulsion of saturated fat and tried to pawn it off as sweet creamy butter. And who believes Mother Nature is the vindictive type? Isn't Mother Nature required to operate with some degree of benevolence? Surely, she knew I (as well as everyone else) was scheduled for some long rides this coming weekend. However, with 8+ inches of snow on the ground what are we supposed to do now? Mountain bike in the snow? Cyclocross bike on the roads? Cross country ski? Snowboard? Snowshoe? Snowmobile? Dog sled?

Wait, what about spending 6 hours on the trainer???

Ahh, the trainer. I've been told there's always a headwind on the trainer and that 'headwind' builds mental toughness. I guess I can buy into that logic, but hasn't everyone else (except Bugman) been shackled to a trainer during the crappy weather? So the fact that we're ALL building mental toughness means one thing, the races are going to be filled with mentally-twisted, overly-zealous, pave craved riders breaking away with every turn of the pedal. Sounds like fun to me.

So, I submit to you. Will sledding with the kids be a sufficient surrogate for a high quality 3 hour bike workout? What if I book-end each workout with a Mardi Gras and Super Bowl party? Now that's a training program no coach can argue with! Until he reads my blog, that is.