This post to help others that are riding in the 2013 edition of the Dakota Five-O. This years course will be run backwards from normal. I pre-rode the course after driving home from Montana at the end of July. These will be basic notes, ask me any questions here or on Facebook.
To preface this report, I had driven about 10 hours through Montana the day prior and another 3.5 hours the day of this ride. My nutrition seemed right, so that didn't seem to impact the ride. It was a little warmer than normal, since I had been in MT for the previous two weeks, the elevation was not likely a big impact. I was riding my Salsa El Mariachi Ti with a 34t front and 11-34 rear 9-speed cassette.
The short summary is that I was in 1st and 2nd gear for the majority of any uphill riding (maybe due to sitting in the truck for 13hrs). During the ride, I felt like I was at about 80% of race effort and was constantly thinking that I should gear down to a 32t for the race. However, after reviewing the Strava data, I was actually at a pretty low HR. I wouldn't hold too much weight to the comparative KOM ratings as not many people have ridden the course in this direction. I think that under race conditions that the 34T will be just fine. There are a few spots that the 32t might help relieve some pressure, but at an overall cost of speed. The 34t just forces me to race faster.
In summary, a full suspension might be nice as the course seemed rougher in this direction. I also noticed the rocky ridges more. For me a double of 32/36 with 11-34 on the rear would be perfect. But, I run a hardtail and 1x9 :) So...I'll likely stick with the 34t and hope that the race pace puts the gearing more into my comfort zone.
The Strava file: http://app.strava.com/activities/70826119
Some detailed thoughts: (mileage and elevation are close approximations)
I started at the Tinton Trail singletrack trail head. So I had skipped riding the initial gravel climb
(3.2 miles and approx 690 feet of climbing).
Climb #1 is up Tinton Trail, across the gravel road and up the double track. Nothing extraordinary about this section. But probably more climbing than expected. (5.2 miles, 1050 feet climbing for this section only)
The Bacon Station climb is as hard as expected. Initial singletrack is surprisingly rideable, but rocky sections make you dismount and walk several times. The climb actually goes past the bacon station a little ways. (2.3 miles, 850 climbing for this section only)
To me the key is to remember that at this point of the ride, you will be at approximately 13.2 miles and near 2600 feet of climbing (that includes the gravel road start stats).
The "unnamed road climb" in Strava is the fast double track downhill that is near mile 30 of the normal course. This was a little different than expected. Not as steep as I expected, but still hard due to trail conditions. For this section alone, you will climb 575 feet in 2 miles.
At the 16 mile point of my ride, the stats show a little over 3100 feet of climbing (make that 19.2 miles and close to 3800 feet of climbing from the start). That is a lot of the climbing for the 1st third of this race!
The next section to note is called "Cringle Connection" and "Taco Alley" under the normal course direction. This is the section of what I remember as cow trail through the scrub trees. Lots of big rocks that we ride over and down, now much flow in the normal direction. Again, many short walking sections in the reverse of the course. Lots of potential mud here if it rains as the cows really churned up this part of the trail. Lots of alternative paths to take as well. The main trail is pretty obvious, but the cows are making more and more options. Still some good climbing through here.
The climb from the above referenced section to the top (Old Baldy Trail head) is not as bad as you would think. On the normal race loop, this is the fun downhill after checkpoint 2. I would have thought this was steeper, but it went fairly quickly (despite me having to herd cows off the trail).
So now you are at the top of the course (normal checkpoint 2). Mileage should be near 25.5 and 4875 of climbing (including gravel road from the start). You would think that the majority of the rest of the course is downhill, right? Not so fast....
I was probably most surprised by the slow going on the second half of the course. The rock gardens and climbing sections keep the speed surprisingly slow. I was by myself, so I wasn't pushing any of my limits, but it didn't feel like there were too many sections to really push it on the upper sections. I had to bail out on my ride at the location of the normal first feed zone/checkpoint. From the top to this section it was 11.7 miles and still had 1250 feet of climbing. Some really fun sections and some spots that I wish that I had a full suspension bike.
Like I said, I had to bail on the funnest section of Tinton Trail downhill as it was getting dark. I remember that section having 2-3 more climbs as well, but nothing sustained.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Getting revenge at Syllamo's Revenge
This season is not anything like last year. The weather has been harsher, my training has not been as dedicated, but my overall fitness and times seem to have been feeling better than 2012. Maybe I was more over trained last year, maybe I've carried more fitness into this year. Whatever it is, I'm starting to believe that I'm in better shape than years past and that is good.
Regardless, I still went into May 18th's Syllamo's Revenge 50 mile MTB race with a lotta doubt. Last year, this was a big goal race and I completely blew it. This year, I wanted to improve, but really didn't think that I could meet last years goal of 5hrs 15min. I went into this years race just wanting to do better, hoping for a 5:30 and wanting to have fun.
Jason Dal and I loaded up on Thursday afternoon and drove down to Mountain View, Arkansas. Home to the race. I made a navigational decision error and it took longer to drive down than it should have. We pulled into our cabin near 11pm and after unloading, decided to have a few beers to unwind. It was a long and winding road to get into town and after all, I was trying to have more "fun" this year.
Just after lights out, the skies opened up and it down poured. Really heavy rain for most of the night. I wouldn't think much of it until later the following day.
Friday morning, we walked across the courthouse square to find some breakfast. The small diner was full of locals and I'm sure we stuck out like sore thumbs. No matter, the food was good and we ate enough to be able to skip lunch and pre-ride the course at mid-day. This was when both Jason and I had our eyes opened to the slipperiness of the Ozarks stone. We had ridden the opening climb to the singletrack and on the shorter, power climbs over rock, you could not keep the rear wheel from spinning. There was even a short section of off camber rock that was hard to just walk across. It wasn't looking good for race day if the course stayed this wet. Jason was questioning if he should switch tires to a more aggressive knobby that he had brought along. But, I was stuck with what I had - Specialized Renegades. Semi-slick knobbies that were perfect for dry days, but seemed to be completely wrong for the slick rocks.
After the pre-ride at the start, we drove to the opposite side of the course to test the tires on more rocks. We dropped the air pressure and that seemed to help. This part of the course was also drier. I had no choice, so I thought positive thoughts and told myself that the rocks would be slick for everyone and that I could out ride the others though this stuff (positive reaffirmations, by Tom Anderson).
We were able to meet up with Jim and Sally Logan for a pre-race dinner and good company. I had another couple of beers that night, breaking my promise to abstain before the racing. A semi-early bedtime and we were up on Saturday for the race. Last year, we had stayed at a hotel and the poor breakfast choices where the beginning of my demise. This year, the cabin allowed us to make our own breakfast and I think it really made the difference. Eggo's are not likely the best choice, but it was easy carbs and calories for me to digest about 2hrs prior to the 7:30 start. Jason and I arrived at the start early and I took my time suiting up. I didn't want to spend too much time aimlessly riding around. I did get about 10min of warm-up in and figured that the approx 3/4 mile long opening climb would be my warm-up. It also fit into my plan of starting slow this year so I wouldn't blow up like last year.
Last year, I got a terrible position on the starting line. This year, I barged my way up to about the 3rd row on the outside. My goal was to go into the singletrack about 40 or 50th position out of the approximate 300 starters. The problem with this course is that after the opening climb, the course turns right and into single file singletrack. No real passing spots, unless someone makes a mistake. Last year, I pushed into the top 20 and paid for my efforts. This year, I was hoping to get some slower people in front of me so my efforts would be regulated by them. The race director blew his whistle and off we went. I went about 80% up the opening climb. Just at the top of zone 4, maybe zone 5. It was hard to let the front group go, but I was betting that half of them would blow up. A second group formed behind them, and then the group that I was leading. We were are the top in short order and we headed into the singletrack. I'd guess that I was in 50th to 60th at this point and pretty happy that I hadn't burned any matches yet.
The first 15 miles to checkpoint #1 is very technical riding. The wet rocks made it even worse. I held back from those in front of me and let them make mistakes. This allowed me to see a potentially better line and to ride past them. I took my time and metered my efforts. I kept telling myself that it was a very long day and to relax. Some of the sections were too wet to ride and a short walk was in order, but I as able to ride the vast majority of this section (surprising, given my tire choice). Many times, others would gladly step out of the way just to see you attempt to ride a section. Congratulations were given when you made it, which gave me extra incentive to ride the sections clean. I pulled through the checkpoint in 1hr 43min, which was ahead of my goal time of 1:45. I was feeling good and happy that I wasn't worn out. I had the volunteers fill up a water bottle (I was using a camelback) and I was quickly off. I had passed a good 20 or more people to this point and figured I was in about 30th.
The next section heads to a rocky overlook. Lots of slow, rock crawling type riding. The last half has several downhills and the rocks are not as bad. I had an aggressive time goal for this section, but last year I cooked myself trying to descend too quickly. I also remembered that the few climbs on this section are tougher than they should be. I kept telling myself to "be smooth" and to save energy for the climbs. More people were passed and I was actually enjoying myself. Last year, this was the section that I began to bonk. This year, I came through slightly faster, but in better shape. My goal was 1:15, I came through at 1:11. I was 6min ahead of my overall goal pace and started to think that my 5:30 goal was easily obtainable. I had the volunteers fill my camelback with water for me, while I gulped down 1/2 a bottle of Heed and filled it to the top for the rest of the trip. It was getting hotter and I didn't need to cramp on the upcoming climb.
The long slog up to check point #3 was mostly a walk for me last year. This year, I couldn't believe how short the climb was. I think that I may have actually held back a little too much here. Still, I was surprised to pull into the check point in 1hr. A full 33min faster than last year! Walking vs. riding was the obvious difference, but also knowing the overall course and what to expect really helped. At this point, I was a good 15min ahead of my goal and excited to finish the race. The last section is fast and flowy if you are reasonably fresh. I still had no idea of where I was placed in the race, but was riding with some faster guys.
I grabbed some more water and took off fast for the last section. I was chasing a guy through here and every time I was getting closer, he would find another gear and pull away. I was mostly just trying to maintain a smooth pace and it was getting harder. I think that my efforts over the course of the day were about perfect. Near the end a guy came from behind and I was determined to not let him pass. We were racing at short course speed and passed a few guys. I kept thinking that the final climb and then downhill to the finish were near, but after a few sections, I let him pass. Resolving to myself that I was mistaken and that the downhill was still a few miles away. I settled back into my pace and 10min later the downhill arrived. There was no way that I could have kept that pace with him, but we had fun encouraging each other on while it lasted.
I finished in 5:17 and got a cheer from Ryan Feagan (who had finished 5th overall in 4:53). I think he was as surprised as I was with my finishing time. The funniest part was when he noticed my poor choice in tires and shouted out again that I was nuts for running them. Funny, after the initial hour, I don't think they made a difference, good or bad.
I cooled down some, showered and changed and grabbed a beer and a chair, settling in to wait for Jason and other friends to finish. It took longer for Jason and I ultimately found out that he had "burped" his tires 2x in the first 90min and finally had to put a tube in. Then his cleat moved on him and he had to walk over a mile. He was able to fix it and finished, but at least an hour past his goal (which was obtainable for him).
At this point, no results were posted yet. I wasn't worried, I had the race that I wanted and was happy. I figured top 8 in age group and top 25-30 overall (based on previous years times). It wasn't until Jason went to look for his result that he told me that I had finished 18th overall and 3rd in age group (40-49). Yahoo!!!! I had no idea that I was that far forward. Amazed and elated.
I picked up a cash payout and this fine looking trophy, then Jason and I went back into town to celebrate. The celebration didn't last too long. The day caught up to both of us and after some BBQ and a few beers, were were in bed early. Waking up at 6am, we decided to get on the road ASAP and beat the impending thunderstorm home.
Thanks to my family who supports me in my racing and thanks to Jason for the road trip. Also a big thanks to Greg, Sterling and the gang at Rasmussen's Bike Shop. Always there for me with support, parts and good natured ribbing. It was a blast and I'm already looking to next year to see if I can improve on this results.
Thanks to "CommieBiker" and Arkansas Outside for the photos. They are appreciated.
2013 stats:
to chk1 157avg heart rate 1:42.45
to chk2 150avg heart rate 1:11.33
to chk3 153avg heart rate 1:00.33
to finish 147avg heart rate 1:17.55
total moving time 5:09.29; total time of 5:16.49
total avg heart rate 152
max heart rate 176
z1 0:14.44
z2 0:54.14
z3 1:22.59
z4 2:03.50
5a 0:31.50
5b 0:07.59
5c 0:01.11
Regardless, I still went into May 18th's Syllamo's Revenge 50 mile MTB race with a lotta doubt. Last year, this was a big goal race and I completely blew it. This year, I wanted to improve, but really didn't think that I could meet last years goal of 5hrs 15min. I went into this years race just wanting to do better, hoping for a 5:30 and wanting to have fun.
Jason Dal and I loaded up on Thursday afternoon and drove down to Mountain View, Arkansas. Home to the race. I made a navigational decision error and it took longer to drive down than it should have. We pulled into our cabin near 11pm and after unloading, decided to have a few beers to unwind. It was a long and winding road to get into town and after all, I was trying to have more "fun" this year.
Just after lights out, the skies opened up and it down poured. Really heavy rain for most of the night. I wouldn't think much of it until later the following day.
Friday morning, we walked across the courthouse square to find some breakfast. The small diner was full of locals and I'm sure we stuck out like sore thumbs. No matter, the food was good and we ate enough to be able to skip lunch and pre-ride the course at mid-day. This was when both Jason and I had our eyes opened to the slipperiness of the Ozarks stone. We had ridden the opening climb to the singletrack and on the shorter, power climbs over rock, you could not keep the rear wheel from spinning. There was even a short section of off camber rock that was hard to just walk across. It wasn't looking good for race day if the course stayed this wet. Jason was questioning if he should switch tires to a more aggressive knobby that he had brought along. But, I was stuck with what I had - Specialized Renegades. Semi-slick knobbies that were perfect for dry days, but seemed to be completely wrong for the slick rocks.
After the pre-ride at the start, we drove to the opposite side of the course to test the tires on more rocks. We dropped the air pressure and that seemed to help. This part of the course was also drier. I had no choice, so I thought positive thoughts and told myself that the rocks would be slick for everyone and that I could out ride the others though this stuff (positive reaffirmations, by Tom Anderson).
On the initial fireroad climb, 8-12% grade
The first 15 miles to checkpoint #1 is very technical riding. The wet rocks made it even worse. I held back from those in front of me and let them make mistakes. This allowed me to see a potentially better line and to ride past them. I took my time and metered my efforts. I kept telling myself that it was a very long day and to relax. Some of the sections were too wet to ride and a short walk was in order, but I as able to ride the vast majority of this section (surprising, given my tire choice). Many times, others would gladly step out of the way just to see you attempt to ride a section. Congratulations were given when you made it, which gave me extra incentive to ride the sections clean. I pulled through the checkpoint in 1hr 43min, which was ahead of my goal time of 1:45. I was feeling good and happy that I wasn't worn out. I had the volunteers fill up a water bottle (I was using a camelback) and I was quickly off. I had passed a good 20 or more people to this point and figured I was in about 30th.
The next section heads to a rocky overlook. Lots of slow, rock crawling type riding. The last half has several downhills and the rocks are not as bad. I had an aggressive time goal for this section, but last year I cooked myself trying to descend too quickly. I also remembered that the few climbs on this section are tougher than they should be. I kept telling myself to "be smooth" and to save energy for the climbs. More people were passed and I was actually enjoying myself. Last year, this was the section that I began to bonk. This year, I came through slightly faster, but in better shape. My goal was 1:15, I came through at 1:11. I was 6min ahead of my overall goal pace and started to think that my 5:30 goal was easily obtainable. I had the volunteers fill my camelback with water for me, while I gulped down 1/2 a bottle of Heed and filled it to the top for the rest of the trip. It was getting hotter and I didn't need to cramp on the upcoming climb.
Jason working his way along a side hill ridge
The long slog up to check point #3 was mostly a walk for me last year. This year, I couldn't believe how short the climb was. I think that I may have actually held back a little too much here. Still, I was surprised to pull into the check point in 1hr. A full 33min faster than last year! Walking vs. riding was the obvious difference, but also knowing the overall course and what to expect really helped. At this point, I was a good 15min ahead of my goal and excited to finish the race. The last section is fast and flowy if you are reasonably fresh. I still had no idea of where I was placed in the race, but was riding with some faster guys.
Sally through #1 of two creek crossings, they were refreshingly cold!
I grabbed some more water and took off fast for the last section. I was chasing a guy through here and every time I was getting closer, he would find another gear and pull away. I was mostly just trying to maintain a smooth pace and it was getting harder. I think that my efforts over the course of the day were about perfect. Near the end a guy came from behind and I was determined to not let him pass. We were racing at short course speed and passed a few guys. I kept thinking that the final climb and then downhill to the finish were near, but after a few sections, I let him pass. Resolving to myself that I was mistaken and that the downhill was still a few miles away. I settled back into my pace and 10min later the downhill arrived. There was no way that I could have kept that pace with him, but we had fun encouraging each other on while it lasted.
I cooled down some, showered and changed and grabbed a beer and a chair, settling in to wait for Jason and other friends to finish. It took longer for Jason and I ultimately found out that he had "burped" his tires 2x in the first 90min and finally had to put a tube in. Then his cleat moved on him and he had to walk over a mile. He was able to fix it and finished, but at least an hour past his goal (which was obtainable for him).
At this point, no results were posted yet. I wasn't worried, I had the race that I wanted and was happy. I figured top 8 in age group and top 25-30 overall (based on previous years times). It wasn't until Jason went to look for his result that he told me that I had finished 18th overall and 3rd in age group (40-49). Yahoo!!!! I had no idea that I was that far forward. Amazed and elated.
I picked up a cash payout and this fine looking trophy, then Jason and I went back into town to celebrate. The celebration didn't last too long. The day caught up to both of us and after some BBQ and a few beers, were were in bed early. Waking up at 6am, we decided to get on the road ASAP and beat the impending thunderstorm home.
Thanks to my family who supports me in my racing and thanks to Jason for the road trip. Also a big thanks to Greg, Sterling and the gang at Rasmussen's Bike Shop. Always there for me with support, parts and good natured ribbing. It was a blast and I'm already looking to next year to see if I can improve on this results.
Thanks to "CommieBiker" and Arkansas Outside for the photos. They are appreciated.
2013 stats:
to chk1 157avg heart rate 1:42.45
to chk2 150avg heart rate 1:11.33
to chk3 153avg heart rate 1:00.33
to finish 147avg heart rate 1:17.55
total moving time 5:09.29; total time of 5:16.49
total avg heart rate 152
max heart rate 176
z1 0:14.44
z2 0:54.14
z3 1:22.59
z4 2:03.50
5a 0:31.50
5b 0:07.59
5c 0:01.11
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Colorado Training Camp
I haven't been as diligent as I had hoped on keeping this blog semi current, but with the cold, rain and lack of racing, I haven't had much motivation for posts. Since my last race report, I had the option to race Sylvan Island, but the potentially poor weather and a last minute bartering with my family kept me away. Instead, I opted to join some friends for a week in Colorado at the end of April. The original plan was to drive to Denver on Monday, hop in an RV and head south to Pueblo for a few days and then inland to Salida for a day and then onto Buffalo Springs. Six guys in a rented RV, mostly camping in primitive spots. It would have been entertaining to say the least!
However, the fickle weather changed our plans. In fact, it was snowing in Denver the day we left and our local guy made the call to head to Fruita. Just in case the pass closed, he hightailed it out of town in front of us.
The final two hours were some shaky driving, but we made it outside of Eagle and camped for the night. We woke to blue skies and snow. The weather warrior seemed to be a good omen for the future.
We packed up and headed towards Fruita. Riding in Rabbit Valley the first afternoon:
The 2nd day was at the famous Loma Exit trails (also called Kokopelli Trails):
30min from this photo, Jason and I would be on the trails pictured below him (Steve's Loop, I think also called Handcuffs)
Post ride beverages with my college roommate, Mike.
Day 3 was at the Lunch Loops at Grand Junction: (group photo)
Then, what I thought was some of the best riding around. Buffalo Pass, just south of Evergreen, Colorado. Long sweeping trail lines, lots of pine forest and then through massive burn areas. Great trails, great views.
Nice camping location, right off the trail:
Cool hidden restaurant/bar:
Bonfires, camping, lots of beer and buddies. We rode somewhere near 120 miles, climbed over 13k feet and were out and on the bikes around 20hrs, all in 5 days. I still gained weight....
More pics here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/22166623@N08/sets/72157633360043071/with/8690380095/
However, the fickle weather changed our plans. In fact, it was snowing in Denver the day we left and our local guy made the call to head to Fruita. Just in case the pass closed, he hightailed it out of town in front of us.
The final two hours were some shaky driving, but we made it outside of Eagle and camped for the night. We woke to blue skies and snow. The weather warrior seemed to be a good omen for the future.
We packed up and headed towards Fruita. Riding in Rabbit Valley the first afternoon:
The 2nd day was at the famous Loma Exit trails (also called Kokopelli Trails):
30min from this photo, Jason and I would be on the trails pictured below him (Steve's Loop, I think also called Handcuffs)
Post ride beverages with my college roommate, Mike.
Day 3 was at the Lunch Loops at Grand Junction: (group photo)
Then, what I thought was some of the best riding around. Buffalo Pass, just south of Evergreen, Colorado. Long sweeping trail lines, lots of pine forest and then through massive burn areas. Great trails, great views.
Nice camping location, right off the trail:
Cool hidden restaurant/bar:
Bonfires, camping, lots of beer and buddies. We rode somewhere near 120 miles, climbed over 13k feet and were out and on the bikes around 20hrs, all in 5 days. I still gained weight....
More pics here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/22166623@N08/sets/72157633360043071/with/8690380095/
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
The graphs below are from www.trainingpeaks.com; which is the site that I used to plan and track my training. The first chart is my progress in 2012. You can see three distinct Base phases (where the yellow and pink lines are far apart). Those were the long rides that I did in January through early March. The fourth spread is the first Build phase. And the blue line is the gradual build in fitness. Now remember that the lines are all relative. I don't think you can say that a blue line of 70 in 2012 means that I was more fit when compared to my blue line of 50 in 2013. I don't know enough about that line or have enough years with this site to really determine if that is true. Also, all of the blue dots are rides. The higher the dot, the higher the intensity of the ride. 2012 was all according to plan.
 |
| 2012 Training Peaks Fitness chart (1/1/12 to 4/15/12) |
The next chart is for the same time period in 2013. You can see that I didn't get the same Base fitness rides in and that they were not for the same longer (two weeks) periods. However, (and it is hard to see on these pics) the blue dots are trending higher. In other words, the rides that I have done, have been more intense. So not the same amount of hours or miles, but slightly higher intensity. This makes sense from just comparing what I perceive last year was, compared to this year.
So what does this all mean???? I'm not really sure. I do know that I felt better at Swanson at a higher heart rate and for a longer period of time. I also know that my performance fell off at the 3 hour mark (indicating lack of base). Either way, I need to work with what I have and move forward. Syllamo 50 is in a month and I have a few more weeks to add the the base while keeping some intensity rides up. I likely won't know how it all works out until about the 3 hour mark of Syllamo on May 18th.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Psycowpath #1 - Swanson Marathon Race Report
Wow! This one created so much confusion for me that I don't really know where to start. It might take a second post to sort out, but here goes:
The opening race of the mountain bike season was this past Sunday at the Swanson Shoot Out, race #1 of the Psycowpath series out of Omaha. As noted two posts back, I haven't had the same amount of training as last year. Of course, it has been a colder winter, so maybe everyone would be in the same boat. As I drove to the local Hy-Vee for a pre-race breakfast, I actually had thoughts on how bad this race would go and what I could do to salvage the rest of the season. Maybe all racers are full of self doubt, it seems like a common thread among other race reports. But I was just sure that with the lack of training and more specifically the lack of concentrated base training that I'd blow up early in this race.
Jason, Jeff and I carpooled together and arrived with plenty of time to get a good parking spot, take our time kitting up and placing our coolers in a prime spot for mid-race replenishment. We hopped on the bikes and pre-rode a portion of the course. Just last Thursday, I had installed new Specialized Renegade tires and moved my gearing back down to a 34T in the front (I run a 1x9 setup). I only had the chance to ride singletrack once prior to the race (Friday night), so I was happy to feel pretty good during the warm-up and course recon.
Ryan Feagan and Daryl gave the last minute instructions and we all lined up for the start. Now I should explain that I had peeked at the start list Saturday night. I saw 3 top Cat1 riders, and 2 other marathoners that had beaten me previously. I also figured that a few other fast people would show up for morning registration, so with my self doubt firmly embedded, I was thinking that a 10th place would be a decent start to the season.
I have no idea what changed my mind, but I decided "F-it" and took the front row with Kent McNeill, Cam Kirkpatrick and Kevin Limpach (the fast Cat1s). At the whistle we took off hard and Jim Winklepleck came streaking around us. I settled into 5th spot (behind the four mentioned) and off we went. I could hear others behind me, but I made the snap decision to stick to Cam's wheel as long as possible and hopefully build a lead on those behind me. Outta sight, outta mind...and hopefully recover enough to hold off a few of them by the end.
Lap 1 ends and I'm still there, lap 2 and Cam is slightly outta sight of me when he must have hit something. He is dusting himself off from what looked like a hard crash and gets back on after letting me by. Cool! I'm in fourth, but say it's just temporary until he comes back around me. I hold him off for lap 3 and on lap 4 we catch Kevin. He is obviously trying to stretch his back out. I begin to wonder if these guys have gone out too hard? Maybe they aren't invincible.
We finish lap 5 just after the Cat1s have started. I stop for water bottles and Cam goes by (I think it was lap 5). I hear the Cat2s start just behind me and I try to hold them off as long as possible. Eventually, the leaders catch me and I let them by, finally settling into a group more of my marathon speed. I figure that Cam wouldn't let that happen to him and will now be gone. I'm racing for fourth and keep looking over my shoulder.
Nothing spectacular really happens during the rest of the race. My laps were consistent until the last 3. Lap 9 finished at 3:50, so I knew that I had to go onto lap 10. Pride kept me pushing as hard as possible, I wanted to keep all 10 laps under 30 minutes and I didn't want to get lapped by the marathon leader. I finally finished the 10 laps in 4:15.47. Good for what I figured was 4th place out of 34. It wasn't until later that I learned that Cam also had to pull out early (also back problems?). I was handed a very unexpected 3rd place.
Sorry for the lack of pictures, I know these posts are boring with all words an no pictures. I'll work on that.
Next post will be on theories as why my body was actually ready for this effort (despite the best efforts of my mind).
The opening race of the mountain bike season was this past Sunday at the Swanson Shoot Out, race #1 of the Psycowpath series out of Omaha. As noted two posts back, I haven't had the same amount of training as last year. Of course, it has been a colder winter, so maybe everyone would be in the same boat. As I drove to the local Hy-Vee for a pre-race breakfast, I actually had thoughts on how bad this race would go and what I could do to salvage the rest of the season. Maybe all racers are full of self doubt, it seems like a common thread among other race reports. But I was just sure that with the lack of training and more specifically the lack of concentrated base training that I'd blow up early in this race.
Jason, Jeff and I carpooled together and arrived with plenty of time to get a good parking spot, take our time kitting up and placing our coolers in a prime spot for mid-race replenishment. We hopped on the bikes and pre-rode a portion of the course. Just last Thursday, I had installed new Specialized Renegade tires and moved my gearing back down to a 34T in the front (I run a 1x9 setup). I only had the chance to ride singletrack once prior to the race (Friday night), so I was happy to feel pretty good during the warm-up and course recon.
Ryan Feagan and Daryl gave the last minute instructions and we all lined up for the start. Now I should explain that I had peeked at the start list Saturday night. I saw 3 top Cat1 riders, and 2 other marathoners that had beaten me previously. I also figured that a few other fast people would show up for morning registration, so with my self doubt firmly embedded, I was thinking that a 10th place would be a decent start to the season.
I have no idea what changed my mind, but I decided "F-it" and took the front row with Kent McNeill, Cam Kirkpatrick and Kevin Limpach (the fast Cat1s). At the whistle we took off hard and Jim Winklepleck came streaking around us. I settled into 5th spot (behind the four mentioned) and off we went. I could hear others behind me, but I made the snap decision to stick to Cam's wheel as long as possible and hopefully build a lead on those behind me. Outta sight, outta mind...and hopefully recover enough to hold off a few of them by the end.
Lap 1 ends and I'm still there, lap 2 and Cam is slightly outta sight of me when he must have hit something. He is dusting himself off from what looked like a hard crash and gets back on after letting me by. Cool! I'm in fourth, but say it's just temporary until he comes back around me. I hold him off for lap 3 and on lap 4 we catch Kevin. He is obviously trying to stretch his back out. I begin to wonder if these guys have gone out too hard? Maybe they aren't invincible.
We finish lap 5 just after the Cat1s have started. I stop for water bottles and Cam goes by (I think it was lap 5). I hear the Cat2s start just behind me and I try to hold them off as long as possible. Eventually, the leaders catch me and I let them by, finally settling into a group more of my marathon speed. I figure that Cam wouldn't let that happen to him and will now be gone. I'm racing for fourth and keep looking over my shoulder.
Nothing spectacular really happens during the rest of the race. My laps were consistent until the last 3. Lap 9 finished at 3:50, so I knew that I had to go onto lap 10. Pride kept me pushing as hard as possible, I wanted to keep all 10 laps under 30 minutes and I didn't want to get lapped by the marathon leader. I finally finished the 10 laps in 4:15.47. Good for what I figured was 4th place out of 34. It wasn't until later that I learned that Cam also had to pull out early (also back problems?). I was handed a very unexpected 3rd place.
Sorry for the lack of pictures, I know these posts are boring with all words an no pictures. I'll work on that.
Next post will be on theories as why my body was actually ready for this effort (despite the best efforts of my mind).
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
My first MTB race of the year is this weekend at the Nebraska Psycowpath series. They do a fantastic job with the organization and the courses. So they attract a pretty large crowd. They also have a "Marathon" class which is an additional format (on top of the normal XC races).
The marathon races last for 4 hours, but if you complete a lap prior to the 4 hour mark then you can go for another. Most laps/first racer wins. Thus it can become a race of attrition, pacing and strategy (so you don't have to go out for that extra lap after the 4 hour mark). I wasn't the fastest in this group last year, but I was the most consistent and won the series. I had 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 10th for my placings in the six races. I'm not feeling as strong as last year for this first race, I don't really know what to expect. I'm sure that the competitive juices will start flowing on the starting line, I just hope that I don't blow-up.
My bike is still in winter mode. In the next few days I need to put the suspension fork back on, switch out the front chain ring and chain. Replace some worn out bearings and check other vital parts. This is not something that you normally do just before a race. I hope that I can get it done on Thursday and then ride the bike Friday and Saturday to shake out any bugs.
Lastly, I was hoping to have my tires last the month of April before replacement. On tonight's ride I noticed what looked like something stuck to the tread. When I stopped, I found a bubble start to push-out from between the treads. Basically a start to what ended up happening to me two years ago in the picture below. I guess I need to replace those before this weekends race as well (at least I found it now).
The marathon races last for 4 hours, but if you complete a lap prior to the 4 hour mark then you can go for another. Most laps/first racer wins. Thus it can become a race of attrition, pacing and strategy (so you don't have to go out for that extra lap after the 4 hour mark). I wasn't the fastest in this group last year, but I was the most consistent and won the series. I had 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 10th for my placings in the six races. I'm not feeling as strong as last year for this first race, I don't really know what to expect. I'm sure that the competitive juices will start flowing on the starting line, I just hope that I don't blow-up.
My bike is still in winter mode. In the next few days I need to put the suspension fork back on, switch out the front chain ring and chain. Replace some worn out bearings and check other vital parts. This is not something that you normally do just before a race. I hope that I can get it done on Thursday and then ride the bike Friday and Saturday to shake out any bugs.
Lastly, I was hoping to have my tires last the month of April before replacement. On tonight's ride I noticed what looked like something stuck to the tread. When I stopped, I found a bubble start to push-out from between the treads. Basically a start to what ended up happening to me two years ago in the picture below. I guess I need to replace those before this weekends race as well (at least I found it now).
Monday, April 1, 2013
1st Quarter 2012 vs 2013
Compared to last year, this year has been very odd for me and my training. Not necessarily due to the colder weather this year, but it seems due to motivation. As an example:
Total Hours Miles Strength (included in total hours)
2012 142:45 1349 25:45
2013 84:15 1028 3:15
The really odd part is that I seem to be carrying a lot of my fitness from last year. I know that I don't have the same strength or the same endurance base, but the longer rides do feel pretty good right now. Obviously, I haven't done the same hours, some due to skipping out on the P90X program that I did last year. I didn't realize until I pulled this data, how close I was on the miles.
Oddly, CIRREM (February, 2013) went fairly well. After a decently hard start for the first 20 minutes, Jason Dal and I settled into a medium pace. I stayed with Jason until about the 3/4 mark and then went hard for the last hour. Chasing down several rabbits and coming in at a decent time. Could I have went faster? Maybe....I probably could have been faster by another 10 minutes overall by being more consistent in pace. But maybe since I went easy in the middle, that certainly gave me more at the end.
Either way, I will be toeing the line this weekend for the opening Psycowpath Marathon race. I guess I'll find out how things really are after this race.
Me at the end of the 2013 CIRREM, pushing it hard at the end.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Testing, testing
Thinking about firing this up again. Lots of training thoughts and ideas in my head, but lack of time has kept me from posting here. First up is to create a better looking layout and some test posts.
Then maybe some 2012 recap before the first races of this year.
Then maybe some 2012 recap before the first races of this year.
Friday, August 19, 2011
First day of school - 8th grade
The girls started 8th grade this past Wednesday. Top of the middle school heap. Thursday, August 18, 2011
Iowa State Fair
The girls on the Crazy Mouse rollercoaster
The Butter Cow
A mini butter cow
My ladies
Holly and her mom
Friday, July 1, 2011
Moab/Fruita pics
I finally got around to uploading the pics that Jacob took during the trip. Lots of good stuff. I've organized by day. Click here
Day one - just north of Moab at Baby Steps and Klondike
Day two - a new trail, Magnificent 7. Goes from Gemini Bridges area to Poison Spider
Day three - the Porcupine Rim downhill
Day four - Road 18 or Bookcliffs just north of Fruita, CO
Day five - (morning) Loma exit (Mary's Loop, Horsetheif, etc), west of Fruita
Day five - (afternoon) Ribbon and Lunch Loops near Grand Junction, CO
Day six - we hit Centennial Cone trail on Hwy 6, just west of Golden, CO
Day one - just north of Moab at Baby Steps and Klondike
Day two - a new trail, Magnificent 7. Goes from Gemini Bridges area to Poison Spider
Day three - the Porcupine Rim downhill
Day four - Road 18 or Bookcliffs just north of Fruita, CO
Day five - (morning) Loma exit (Mary's Loop, Horsetheif, etc), west of Fruita
Day five - (afternoon) Ribbon and Lunch Loops near Grand Junction, CO
Day six - we hit Centennial Cone trail on Hwy 6, just west of Golden, CO
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Steamboat Spring Break
A pic from day two of skiing with the family at Steamboat. Spring weather both days with slushy conditions each afternoon. Day off today, two more days of skiing left.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
CIRREM Race/Training(?) report
The third annual CIRREM gravel race was this past weekend. I had handy excuses the first two years, but thought that as long as the roads weren't muddy, I'd use this years race as a good long training session.
Kent and Jed put on a really good race and despite temps in the low teens a little over 100 people toed the line for 100k of gravelly goodness.
I lined up with some of my Rassy teammates and discussed riding together at a reasonable pace. However, once the group started I had this urge to push to the front. My hesitation in the first mile had me watching a lead group of over 30 pull away. I quickly thought of the benefits of drafting with a large group and put my head down hoping to catch them. However, after we made it to about mile 3 or 4, I realize it wasn't going to happen without blowing myself up.
I joined up with Jason Alread and Jacob Naumann (Rassy's riders) and we set a reasonable pace over the next 25miles of rolling hills. I could usually keep my heart rate at or below 140 and it was turning into a great early season training session.
The only issues that I was having was with my glasses freezing over and with my camelback freezing. I had the winter hydration tube, but after one drink it froze solid.
We stayed together until the check point that was near mile 30.
At this point, my pack was carrying 3lbs of water that I couldn't use (unless I stopped and drank from the screw top). I drank a quick glass of water and had two fantastic tasting cookies at the checkpoint. Jacob and I jumped back on the bikes under 5 minutes later and hit the road with the assumption that Jason would catch back up.
Kent and Jed put on a really good race and despite temps in the low teens a little over 100 people toed the line for 100k of gravelly goodness.
I lined up with some of my Rassy teammates and discussed riding together at a reasonable pace. However, once the group started I had this urge to push to the front. My hesitation in the first mile had me watching a lead group of over 30 pull away. I quickly thought of the benefits of drafting with a large group and put my head down hoping to catch them. However, after we made it to about mile 3 or 4, I realize it wasn't going to happen without blowing myself up.
I joined up with Jason Alread and Jacob Naumann (Rassy's riders) and we set a reasonable pace over the next 25miles of rolling hills. I could usually keep my heart rate at or below 140 and it was turning into a great early season training session.The only issues that I was having was with my glasses freezing over and with my camelback freezing. I had the winter hydration tube, but after one drink it froze solid.
We stayed together until the check point that was near mile 30.
At this point, my pack was carrying 3lbs of water that I couldn't use (unless I stopped and drank from the screw top). I drank a quick glass of water and had two fantastic tasting cookies at the checkpoint. Jacob and I jumped back on the bikes under 5 minutes later and hit the road with the assumption that Jason would catch back up.Jacob and I rode together for 20-30 minutes and were catching others often. Eventually, I found myself pulling away. I decided to put my head down and jump from rider to rider in front of me. I made a game of it and was enjoying it. A few of the hills were difficult, but mostly within a reasonably hard effort.
According to the stats, I passed somewhere around 17 people in the last half of the race, but around mile 54 (of 64), I started losing energy (no water and no food since the checkpoint). I maintained my pace and pulled a few more racers in. The final hills were the hardest as my gearing was tall and you couldn't stand without spinning your rear tire on the snow.
According to the stats, I passed somewhere around 17 people in the last half of the race, but around mile 54 (of 64), I started losing energy (no water and no food since the checkpoint). I maintained my pace and pulled a few more racers in. The final hills were the hardest as my gearing was tall and you couldn't stand without spinning your rear tire on the snow.I ended up finishing right at 5hours which was right at my goal time. My average heart rate for the 5 hours was 142, so the first half was nice and low and the second half was a solid tempo pace.
The finish party at the Cumming Tap was a blast. Lots of good company with the riders and everyone else that came out to join in the fun. Thanks to Bob for hosting us out there.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
New bike to start the season
I guess it's time to start blogging again. I'll start off with my purchase for the 2011 race season. Thanks to Rassy's for the sponsorship. They really get behind the sport.
2011 Salsa El Mariachi Ti
Reba fork with remote lockout
Salsa carbon bar
Salsa stem
Roval wheels
Fifteen G 34t crankset
Sram 990 11-34t cassette
Elixir brakes with carbon levers
I need to get it on a scale, but it appears to be near 22.5lbs with pedals. I'm looking at upgrading the seat and post and maybe lighter pedals.
2011 Salsa El Mariachi TiReba fork with remote lockout
Salsa carbon bar
Salsa stem
Roval wheels
Fifteen G 34t cranksetSram 990 11-34t cassette
Elixir brakes with carbon levers
I need to get it on a scale, but it appears to be near 22.5lbs with pedals. I'm looking at upgrading the seat and post and maybe lighter pedals.Sunday, November 28, 2010
20-30 new Flickr photos
Orlando Vacation, Oakley night cap cyclocross race, girls concert and my Movember stashe.
Click here.
Click here.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Mullet Classic (Ahquabi) Race Report
The final race of the IORCA mountain bike series was held at Lake Ahquabi near Indianola. We were treated to a beautiful fall day and the bikers came out in force. 155 riders showed up for the race and I have to think that this is a record turnout for an IORCA race. To top it off, we were going to have a mass start and run all categories together.
Rasmussen Team BS'ing before the start.
After the initial instructions, the entire group moved down the road for the start. I don't usually line up on the front row and didn't plan on it today, but I found myself between Cam and Tony with Jed next to Cam. To top it off, Jay Chesterman from Omaha, Basso, Vandelune, Alread and Blackford where on the second row. I briefly thought about swapping places with someone, but then thought "screw it". I figured that I'd go as hard as possible and ride a good line. In most of my races, I seem to start near 10th and then pick a few off at the end of the race. I wanted to see if I could hold the harder pace as long as possible. It was a 40 mile race, but even if I won my class, I couldn't win the overall series. I might as well try.
Cam leads the group over the slight bump to start the first lap. Tony is behind him and Jed is hidden behind Tony and to my left.
Jed goes rabbit on me over the hump.
After we started, I sprinted as hard as possible to the entrance of the narrow double track. I was fourth wheel going into it behind Cam, Jed and Tony. They were pushing hard, but I was holding on. We hit the first steep hill, which is maybe 200 feet and possibly 10% grade. I stood and pushed a higher gear and although I didn't get passed, I did lose some ground to the first three. On the fast section after the descent, Chesterman came around me. I kept him in sight for a bit and stayed 5th wheel up the second tricky and steep climb. At this point, Basso was screaming at me to keep it up. We were pushing hard and I think breaking away from those behind us. However, Pete destroyed the sidewall of his wheel and all I heard was the sound of a deflating tire and the end of his race.
At the start of lap 3, I was down in 17th place and could see about 8 riders in front of me. I began to pick them off one at a time and midway through lap 4 could finally see Jason Alread and another rider on the backside of the course. I pulled onto their wheel and recovered for awhile. It was Jason pulling the 2nd riders along and #2 looked at me and asked if I wanted by. I loudly announced my presence to get into Jason's head and told them I was happy sucking their wheels (probably 18mph through this section). I even gave Jason a hard time about his being too small to create a large enough draft for us. It was all in good fun.
It was all that I could do in not passing, but I wanted to be smart and save it for a pass that would stick. I waited until after the levy and north end bridge and jumped on the short hill afterwards. They couldn't respond and I was now in 8th or 9th place. That had to be one of the best moments of my racing season as I rarely have the opportunity to make a tactical decision and then to have it work.
Ahquabi is a fast course and Bruce B. worked his butt off to add a mile or two of singletrack to get it up closer to a 8 mile course.
Rasmussen Team BS'ing before the start. After the initial instructions, the entire group moved down the road for the start. I don't usually line up on the front row and didn't plan on it today, but I found myself between Cam and Tony with Jed next to Cam. To top it off, Jay Chesterman from Omaha, Basso, Vandelune, Alread and Blackford where on the second row. I briefly thought about swapping places with someone, but then thought "screw it". I figured that I'd go as hard as possible and ride a good line. In most of my races, I seem to start near 10th and then pick a few off at the end of the race. I wanted to see if I could hold the harder pace as long as possible. It was a 40 mile race, but even if I won my class, I couldn't win the overall series. I might as well try.
Cam leads the group over the slight bump to start the first lap. Tony is behind him and Jed is hidden behind Tony and to my left.
Jed goes rabbit on me over the hump. After we started, I sprinted as hard as possible to the entrance of the narrow double track. I was fourth wheel going into it behind Cam, Jed and Tony. They were pushing hard, but I was holding on. We hit the first steep hill, which is maybe 200 feet and possibly 10% grade. I stood and pushed a higher gear and although I didn't get passed, I did lose some ground to the first three. On the fast section after the descent, Chesterman came around me. I kept him in sight for a bit and stayed 5th wheel up the second tricky and steep climb. At this point, Basso was screaming at me to keep it up. We were pushing hard and I think breaking away from those behind us. However, Pete destroyed the sidewall of his wheel and all I heard was the sound of a deflating tire and the end of his race.
Not too long after that I was caught by several and decided to hold a medium pace so I could recover a little. I certainly felt like I went out too hard and that I had paid the price. I think that I came through the start finish in 13th place or so. I had to remind myself that many of those that passed me were the faster sport class racers and were racing fewer laps.
Lap 2 was more recovery and somewhere in here, Squirrel passed me. He left me with encouraging words and reminded me that it was a long race and that everyone was hurting. I took that to heart and waited until lap 3 to push hard again.
At the start of lap 3, I was down in 17th place and could see about 8 riders in front of me. I began to pick them off one at a time and midway through lap 4 could finally see Jason Alread and another rider on the backside of the course. I pulled onto their wheel and recovered for awhile. It was Jason pulling the 2nd riders along and #2 looked at me and asked if I wanted by. I loudly announced my presence to get into Jason's head and told them I was happy sucking their wheels (probably 18mph through this section). I even gave Jason a hard time about his being too small to create a large enough draft for us. It was all in good fun.It was all that I could do in not passing, but I wanted to be smart and save it for a pass that would stick. I waited until after the levy and north end bridge and jumped on the short hill afterwards. They couldn't respond and I was now in 8th or 9th place. That had to be one of the best moments of my racing season as I rarely have the opportunity to make a tactical decision and then to have it work.
I might have caught one or two others, but don't remember. I ended up 8th overall and 1st in the 35+ category. I was happy with the race and the overall season, but in the end Jason had a better season and pulled out the overall series win in 35+. Glad that it was a teammate and he's a good guy on top of that. I will be gunning for the title next year.
Take a Kid MTBing - V4
After two years of poor weather (V2 and V3) Take a Kid MTBing was finally given a perfect fall day. Central Iowa Trails Association (CITA) got the word out and the kids and parents showed up in force. This was, by far, our best turnout yet. We had 38 kids and 25 adults show up at Greenwood Park.
While sign up continued, the kids took to the mini-obstacle course like ducks to water. We didn't get the time to explain what they were working on, but it didn't matter, they had a blast on the "miniature skinnies".
We had a brief meeting and the group of older kids took off to J11 and Denmans. It is a short ride on the paved trail and then the dirt gets progressively harder. It is probably the best trail around to allow the kids to work on growing their skills.
While the bigger kids were out, the littler kids took their Striders out on roller coaster (yikes!). Don't worry, their dads were with them.
While sign up continued, the kids took to the mini-obstacle course like ducks to water. We didn't get the time to explain what they were working on, but it didn't matter, they had a blast on the "miniature skinnies".
We had a brief meeting and the group of older kids took off to J11 and Denmans. It is a short ride on the paved trail and then the dirt gets progressively harder. It is probably the best trail around to allow the kids to work on growing their skills.
While the bigger kids were out, the littler kids took their Striders out on roller coaster (yikes!). Don't worry, their dads were with them.After an hour of riding the trails, we gathered back at the pond for the raffles. We first drew for the Schwinn MTB given to CITA by IMBA. Ingrid Collet was the lucky winner.
Little Callie Gibson had been trying out the demo Stider (donated by Strider) earlier in the day. The look on her face when she understood that she won, was priceless.
The day went by rather quick, but it was very satisfying for all involved.
Little Callie Gibson had been trying out the demo Stider (donated by Strider) earlier in the day. The look on her face when she understood that she won, was priceless.
The day went by rather quick, but it was very satisfying for all involved. Each of the kids went home with a water bottle from one of our sponsoring bike shops. Thanks again to:
Also thanks to Steve Fuller for his great photos of the event.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Chequamegon Fat Tire 40 - race report
Long overdue for this race report, but the memories still linger. I can't believe that when I lived in MN (94-98) that I never did this race (although we discussed it). Also can't believe that I've lived in Iowa for seven years and only been up there twice. That will be corrected from here on. The race, the weekend and the company all made it a memorable experience.
Jed G. and I left town on Thursday for the uneventful 7hr drive up north. I had secured a place to stay with a group of Rassy's guys and gals that have done this event for 10 years or more. They have a house that they rent in the start town of Hayward. It is a great location, on a lake and near a good restaurant. The start is less than a mile away as well.
We did a short pre-ride on Friday morning and the gang took me under their collective wings to show me the course and to point out the various items to watch out for in the first 5 miles. Our alarms were set for 4:30am in order to secure a good place on the start line. The majority of us did not have "preferred starts", so John N. made sure that we all got our bikes down to the line. Front row for John and I!
The sunrise over the lake on race morning.
After eating some breakfast and then lounging around, we finally kitted up and walked to the start line. When we had placed our bikes upside down on the start line we were the first row of maybe 200 bikes. However, this race had over 1800 starters and now the majority were lined up behind us.
The view of the bikes from the front row. 
1800 strong rolling down main street (parade speed). 
I started to pick groups of people off and tried to use my head on when to draft. We would have a good pack of guys together for 2-3 minutes and then a few of us would jump ahead to the next group. It went like this for the first 8-10 miles. Somewhere in there, we hit a gravel road and it felt like I went backwards. Several people would pass me and I just couldn't hold their wheel.
Jed G. and I left town on Thursday for the uneventful 7hr drive up north. I had secured a place to stay with a group of Rassy's guys and gals that have done this event for 10 years or more. They have a house that they rent in the start town of Hayward. It is a great location, on a lake and near a good restaurant. The start is less than a mile away as well.
We did a short pre-ride on Friday morning and the gang took me under their collective wings to show me the course and to point out the various items to watch out for in the first 5 miles. Our alarms were set for 4:30am in order to secure a good place on the start line. The majority of us did not have "preferred starts", so John N. made sure that we all got our bikes down to the line. Front row for John and I!
The sunrise over the lake on race morning.After eating some breakfast and then lounging around, we finally kitted up and walked to the start line. When we had placed our bikes upside down on the start line we were the first row of maybe 200 bikes. However, this race had over 1800 starters and now the majority were lined up behind us.
The view of the bikes from the front row.Shortly after 10am, we slowly rode away. The start line was a narrow two-lane street, but within one block we were on main street and it was four-lanes wide. John pushed forward, but I quickly got swallowed from the sides. Lesson learned for next year.
The main street roll out is controlled by two four wheelers. The mayhem wasn't as bad as I expected, but you had to keep your eyes and ears open to your surroundings.
1800 strong rolling down main street (parade speed).The first three miles are on pavement and the speed ramps up quickly after the first mile or so. With my high gear of 34x11, I quickly ran out of gears to keep up. I would jump on a wheel and then slowly lose them, look for another group and jump on their wheel. At the time I wasn't happy about the perception of losing ground, but in hindsight, it was probably for the best that I wasn't able to go 110% yet.
At three miles, we turn into Rosies field and the rest of the race is on dirt. The pics from Skinny Ski and others don't do it justice. I know that I was near the front of the field, but it sure didn't look like it at the time. If you look closely in the pic below, I'm on the right side and just in front of the guys painted like Kiss.
I started to pick groups of people off and tried to use my head on when to draft. We would have a good pack of guys together for 2-3 minutes and then a few of us would jump ahead to the next group. It went like this for the first 8-10 miles. Somewhere in there, we hit a gravel road and it felt like I went backwards. Several people would pass me and I just couldn't hold their wheel.I tried to recover for a 10 minutes and figured that my race would come around to me later.
At the mid-race checkpoint (actually 16miles), I was already 5minutes behind my goal pace. I knew that due to the wet course that the pace would be slower, but I was already disappointed. I figured that I'd have to have a strong second half to salvage a good result. 
I ended up finishing at 2:43.39, which was off my goal of 2:30. I suppose that part of that is because of the wetness of the course, but my time was still too slow. I believe that course knowledge would cut almost 5min of that result, the rest will come from better and more specific training.
At the mid-race checkpoint (actually 16miles), I was already 5minutes behind my goal pace. I knew that due to the wet course that the pace would be slower, but I was already disappointed. I figured that I'd have to have a strong second half to salvage a good result.The middle of the race is fuzzy, but I found 2-3 guys that all held the same pace and we worked well together. We kept the pace high and kept on reeling in others. By the time that I hit the Seeley Fire Tower climb, I was feeling much better. The guy in front of me firmly, but politely told the walkers to get out of our way. Surprisingly, they parted and frequently apologized for being in our way (love that about MTB racing), the two of us rode all three sections to the top and got a good applause for our efforts.
The rest of the way to the finish was an all out effort that never seemed to end. I did hate the last three or four climbs in the last mile, but now I know what to expect.
I ended up finishing at 2:43.39, which was off my goal of 2:30. I suppose that part of that is because of the wetness of the course, but my time was still too slow. I believe that course knowledge would cut almost 5min of that result, the rest will come from better and more specific training.My goal time was based on last year and I was shooting for top 200 men. I ended up 221st in men and 248th overall (singlespeed, tandem and women make up the difference). If I shave that 5min off, then I would have been in the 170s overall and 150s in men. That's my goal for next year.
Funny stats: plate number 248, finished 248th overall.......I was 224th fastest in the first split and 224th fastest in the last split.
I can't wait until next year and am already thinking of ways to get faster for this type of racing.
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