Late season snow at Killington keeps the snowboard action going right into the heart of road biking weather. After a nasty start to the week, Spring finally arrived with clear skies and temperatures in the 70's. However, the Snow and Trail Report that arrives on my Inbox keeps telling me that Killington has the best Spring Skiing and Riding conditions ever! While I am itching to get the mileage I need on the bike, it is hard to pass up on one more last run down the slopes.
Friday was a home office day, but I needed to get an overdue 60K service on the Subaru. Donna brought me back from the Dealership in Troy and I started to dig into the office work that has piled up while driving 1200 miles this week. Not wanting to have to drive me back to Troy in the afternoon, she comes into the office asking me if I intended to get a bike ride in today. I said yes, of course, look at this weather. She replied, I got an idea for you, then. Why don't you ride your bike to Troy and you can bring the bike back with you. She started to make all kinds of arguments to make it a decision that would not tie her up. But before she could get any of them out, I replied immediately that it would be a great idea, and said I would. She kept making her points, but I stopped her and said I would do it.
Earth Day used to be a big event back in the 70's. I can remember the first one in 1970 when I was a Sophomore in High School. My parents rode their horses down to the school and in the Parade that was held in town. Vietnam war protesting took a back seat to Environmental Marches - over 100,000 people marched in NYC. Today, I think we are in better shape, but probably heading in the wrong direction with ethanol. Well, at least I did my part today, saving a trip to Troy on my bike.
The weather was great and I had a strong tailwind to boot. I used the ride to get out the cobwebs of a few days of inactivity since last weekend. Hitting the hills hard, and driving long Tempo bursts I had the heart rate into the 160's on several occasions, with many more longer periods in the 150's. I averaged 140 for the ride. I took my Taganouk Tangle route down along the Hudson River, then up to Schaighticoke and then down along the east side of the reservoir. Route 7 was not fun as the large tractor trailers whizzed by feet from my left shoulder. I got there in about 1:45, averaging over 19 MPH for the 35 mile trip. Just as I arrived they were closing out the paper work, so I was heading home in no time.
One reason I wanted to ride so much on Friday was so I could go snowboarding on Saturday, then ride again on Sunday. When talking with Eric G about getting a new product in at the Plants I recalled that we never got together this year to ski / board together as we had planned at the beginning of the year. I asked if he wanted to go, and he called back later with clearance from his wife. We met early so we could get the best conditions, and hit the K1 by 8:45. We were not disappointed! The early morning conditions were ideal. I steered us over to Bear Mountain first figuring it would warm and soften there first. We took a run down Bear Claw and Wildfire, then headed to the top of Skye Mtn, doing Cruise Control and others. We eventually worked over to the Canyon and North Ridge and finally Chute and Mousetrap. After a short break we went to K1 again and did the dd's that were nice and soft, even did a run at the trees along Double Dipper. Finally our legs ran out of steam around 3 pm and we headed back to the car fully drained and satisfied. Neither of us had ever skied / boarded this late into a season before. It was great!!
The combination of a long driving week, a good bike ride and then a long day in the deep soft snow on the board took its toll. I did some work on the bikes in the morning - finally taking the studded tires off the Epic, changing wheels so the Cannondale now has the Ksyrium Elites with the 11-21 cogset and the Y-Foil, now off the trainer, has the Cane Creek Aeroheads with the 11-23 cogset. After lunch I took a good nap and then headed off on the Cannondale at about 4:30. I was definitely in Recovery Ride mode, and wore the Heart Rate monitor to make sure. I did the whole ride except maybe 10 minutes in the aerobic zone and averaged 125 for the ride. Staying away from climbs takes some planning in this area, so I figured a route out of Greenwich, up to Cassyunna, then over to West Hebron, back along Black Creek and the Battenkill. What a beautiful day - light breeze, sunny and temperature in the high 70's. The trees are still bare so you can see far into the woods and fields are only getting the early loads of manure on the sandiest fields.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Battenkill-Rubaix Lives Up To Namesake
Our little local race, named after the Paris - Rubaix race held on the same weekend, has grown-up in its third year. With over 1000 entrants it is now the largest Pro-Am race in the Northeast and the fastest growing. With 55 miles of hills in farm country and 25% dirt as our 'pave' the course attracts all categories. The roads are the magnet pulling in all these cyclists - and these are the roads I get to ride outside my doorstep all the time!
As mentioned in previous blogs, I have been anticipating the race for some time. I had to enter in November to avoid getting shut out like last year. The first year Donna and I showed up race day and entered! Many of the categories were sold out by January now that the race is so popular. Anticipation should have meant I trained well for the race, however, the winter weather has not cooperated. By not cooperating I mean that not only has riding been difficult in the cold/wet weather, but my other Ridn has lingered later into the season. The day before the race Donna and I boarded at Killington all day.
I did get to ride some in California two weeks ago. And, last weekend I hit some of the race course hills on short but very hilly (+90 feet per mile) rides to get my legs used to the effort and to scout out the condition of the roads. The condition of the roads changed late in the week as we were hit with a good snow storm for April (hence the trip to Killington). But race day weather cooperated with no precipitation and only a 10-15 MPH wind with temperatures in the high 40's - spring-like for this year!
I was very relaxed at the start as I found my Cat 5 45+ group of 49 riders. I was not able to get into the Masters 50+ group because I did not get a Cat 4 License. But I did talk to Art G as he was staged to go off 5 minutes after me. I told him he would pass me at some point.
The group held together until we hit the first dirt climb on Bog Road. The 8% grade dropped a few and the pot holes took out some. I was in the middle of the pack when I looked down and saw my rear water bottle jump up and hit my leg as I bounced in a pot hole. I also watched helplessly as the bottle careened off to my left. No chance to stop without causing a major pile-up, so I pedaled on. I immediately knew this was going to be a problem towards the end of the race. I was already concerned that I was short of liquids with only the two bottles and no one in the feed zone to hand me one. I put that in the back of my mind and focused on the positive of having to carry less weight up Juniper Hill.
I struggled to catch back on to the lead pack as we made the turn onto Route 22 and headed into Salem. Drafting through town allowed me to get my heart rate down and to fish out a Cliff Shot for the upcoming climbs. The paved climb sorted some riders out, but I managed to stay in contact. As we hit the dirt and the severe 18% pitch of Juniper I was shocked to see riders up ahead walking their bikes up the hill! Could it be that soft? I pedaled on confident that I have climbed this hill in these conditions before. But it did take a lot out of me! I recovered on the rollers and crossed the bridge onto 313. As I did, a few trains of riders flew by me. I was upset with myself for not having the energy or anticipation to catch on. I knew we would be riding into the head wind all the way to Cambridge.
I caught onto the third group of about 7 riders that came up from behind and we got a good pace line going. After taking two turns at the lead I was recovered and wound up going off the front after the third pull. Here I was again, all alone pushing into the wind. As I got into town another rider was riding with me, number 394, and we wound up doing a two up ride all the way to Meeting House. It was fun to share pulls with him and we definitely helped each other out. With the many Categories out in staggered starts and no way to determine from the Number which category each rider was in, it was hard to tell if you were cooperating with people you were racing against or not. With the lead groups long gone, it did not matter much.
As we started up to Meeting House Art G passed me. I caught back and reminded that I told him that he would pass me. We then struggled to the top and hit the dirt. The Meeting House climb also took people off their bikes. I got over in pretty good shape, but not over extended, as I knew Becker loomed not too far in the distance. Becker was a killer, like it always is. The road was softer than usual and again people were walking. I passed Art back for good there and raced through the potholes. As I hit the small rise at the end of Becker I shifted to the small ring while I was still crossed over on the 18 in back and the chain dropped as a result. I hopped off the bike and quickly got the chain back on, but as I did, my legs seized in cramps. The water shortage was beginning to take its toll.
It is a lucky thing that I put Gatorade and water in each bottle at the start, as opposed to my usual practice of water in the front and just Gatorade in the back. Even though I was stuck with one bottle (front) it was Gatorade. I was at about 1/3 of a bottle now. The Cliff Shots were working well as I could feel a boost after chewing them. The honey - water mix was all gone too. I stood up and pumped up the Intervale rises and then flew down the descent. As we turned onto 74 I hooked up with about 5 other riders and we got a good pace line going all the way into Greenwich.
As I rode onto Route 29 I realized that I now had a tailwind. I left the group behind and stayed ahead of them all the way to the Route 49 Feed Zone. I looked longingly at the people standing there with water bottles and wanted to just grab one and take off, but I was down to about 1/4 of a bottle and heading for the last climb. When the dirt rode rose my legs shut down. Ten miles to go and it was tough. Any pressure on the legs resulted in painful cramps. I even resorted to weaving back and forth on the steeper sections. Some riders were passing me, but most were in similar predicaments. As I got to the top I explained my problem to one rider who offered me his water. But I knew it was only 5 more miles and it was all descent and flat.
I flew down Joe Bean Road and turned onto the final stretch of road. A small rise in the road that I would normally just stand and pump over required me to shift into the small ring. And once again, I dropped the chain! I got off the bike and as soon as my feet hit the road all leg muscles contracted at once. I nearly went down. However, I got it together and got the chain on. As I started slowly pedaling I noticed the Cat 4 Women's car bearing down on me with a lone breakaway rider following. About 1k back was the pack of about 6 chasers. They flew by and about a mile later I coasted across the finish line.
I finished in 3:12 while the Cat 5 45+ winner clocked in at 2:50. I finished in 19th place, but more importantly -- I finished! Art G hit the line about 2 minutes later, so while he did pass me (and had a faster time) at least I stayedout in front of him again. It was not long until I found Donna at the finish line and got refueled and rehydrated. We watched some Category sprints and I stayed and watched the Pro finish. The leader crossed the line and celebrated too soon, getting nipped at the line. Overall, another great race effort day and the first race of the season is history.
As mentioned in previous blogs, I have been anticipating the race for some time. I had to enter in November to avoid getting shut out like last year. The first year Donna and I showed up race day and entered! Many of the categories were sold out by January now that the race is so popular. Anticipation should have meant I trained well for the race, however, the winter weather has not cooperated. By not cooperating I mean that not only has riding been difficult in the cold/wet weather, but my other Ridn has lingered later into the season. The day before the race Donna and I boarded at Killington all day.
I did get to ride some in California two weeks ago. And, last weekend I hit some of the race course hills on short but very hilly (+90 feet per mile) rides to get my legs used to the effort and to scout out the condition of the roads. The condition of the roads changed late in the week as we were hit with a good snow storm for April (hence the trip to Killington). But race day weather cooperated with no precipitation and only a 10-15 MPH wind with temperatures in the high 40's - spring-like for this year!
I was very relaxed at the start as I found my Cat 5 45+ group of 49 riders. I was not able to get into the Masters 50+ group because I did not get a Cat 4 License. But I did talk to Art G as he was staged to go off 5 minutes after me. I told him he would pass me at some point.
The group held together until we hit the first dirt climb on Bog Road. The 8% grade dropped a few and the pot holes took out some. I was in the middle of the pack when I looked down and saw my rear water bottle jump up and hit my leg as I bounced in a pot hole. I also watched helplessly as the bottle careened off to my left. No chance to stop without causing a major pile-up, so I pedaled on. I immediately knew this was going to be a problem towards the end of the race. I was already concerned that I was short of liquids with only the two bottles and no one in the feed zone to hand me one. I put that in the back of my mind and focused on the positive of having to carry less weight up Juniper Hill.
I struggled to catch back on to the lead pack as we made the turn onto Route 22 and headed into Salem. Drafting through town allowed me to get my heart rate down and to fish out a Cliff Shot for the upcoming climbs. The paved climb sorted some riders out, but I managed to stay in contact. As we hit the dirt and the severe 18% pitch of Juniper I was shocked to see riders up ahead walking their bikes up the hill! Could it be that soft? I pedaled on confident that I have climbed this hill in these conditions before. But it did take a lot out of me! I recovered on the rollers and crossed the bridge onto 313. As I did, a few trains of riders flew by me. I was upset with myself for not having the energy or anticipation to catch on. I knew we would be riding into the head wind all the way to Cambridge.
I caught onto the third group of about 7 riders that came up from behind and we got a good pace line going. After taking two turns at the lead I was recovered and wound up going off the front after the third pull. Here I was again, all alone pushing into the wind. As I got into town another rider was riding with me, number 394, and we wound up doing a two up ride all the way to Meeting House. It was fun to share pulls with him and we definitely helped each other out. With the many Categories out in staggered starts and no way to determine from the Number which category each rider was in, it was hard to tell if you were cooperating with people you were racing against or not. With the lead groups long gone, it did not matter much.
As we started up to Meeting House Art G passed me. I caught back and reminded that I told him that he would pass me. We then struggled to the top and hit the dirt. The Meeting House climb also took people off their bikes. I got over in pretty good shape, but not over extended, as I knew Becker loomed not too far in the distance. Becker was a killer, like it always is. The road was softer than usual and again people were walking. I passed Art back for good there and raced through the potholes. As I hit the small rise at the end of Becker I shifted to the small ring while I was still crossed over on the 18 in back and the chain dropped as a result. I hopped off the bike and quickly got the chain back on, but as I did, my legs seized in cramps. The water shortage was beginning to take its toll.
It is a lucky thing that I put Gatorade and water in each bottle at the start, as opposed to my usual practice of water in the front and just Gatorade in the back. Even though I was stuck with one bottle (front) it was Gatorade. I was at about 1/3 of a bottle now. The Cliff Shots were working well as I could feel a boost after chewing them. The honey - water mix was all gone too. I stood up and pumped up the Intervale rises and then flew down the descent. As we turned onto 74 I hooked up with about 5 other riders and we got a good pace line going all the way into Greenwich.
As I rode onto Route 29 I realized that I now had a tailwind. I left the group behind and stayed ahead of them all the way to the Route 49 Feed Zone. I looked longingly at the people standing there with water bottles and wanted to just grab one and take off, but I was down to about 1/4 of a bottle and heading for the last climb. When the dirt rode rose my legs shut down. Ten miles to go and it was tough. Any pressure on the legs resulted in painful cramps. I even resorted to weaving back and forth on the steeper sections. Some riders were passing me, but most were in similar predicaments. As I got to the top I explained my problem to one rider who offered me his water. But I knew it was only 5 more miles and it was all descent and flat.
I flew down Joe Bean Road and turned onto the final stretch of road. A small rise in the road that I would normally just stand and pump over required me to shift into the small ring. And once again, I dropped the chain! I got off the bike and as soon as my feet hit the road all leg muscles contracted at once. I nearly went down. However, I got it together and got the chain on. As I started slowly pedaling I noticed the Cat 4 Women's car bearing down on me with a lone breakaway rider following. About 1k back was the pack of about 6 chasers. They flew by and about a mile later I coasted across the finish line.
I finished in 3:12 while the Cat 5 45+ winner clocked in at 2:50. I finished in 19th place, but more importantly -- I finished! Art G hit the line about 2 minutes later, so while he did pass me (and had a faster time) at least I stayedout in front of him again. It was not long until I found Donna at the finish line and got refueled and rehydrated. We watched some Category sprints and I stayed and watched the Pro finish. The leader crossed the line and celebrated too soon, getting nipped at the line. Overall, another great race effort day and the first race of the season is history.
Race Ready After Late Season Killington Powder
Another snow dumping at Killington, this time April 12th, makes for an interesting choice: do I save my legs for the long awaited Battenkill-Rubaix Race, or enjoy a rare gift from Nature? Donna had me take a vacation day on Friday before the B-R race so she could work me around the house and I could take the day off before the big day. However, when we looked at the snow fall report from Killigton, things got a little more complicated. I mentioned that we could go up to the mountain for a last day of snowboarding, but she dismissed the thought as we went to bed. The seed was planted, however. The final 'fertilizer' was the mention that my the $39 Buddy Ticket was back into effect for my All East Pass until the end of the season. That one did it - the two of us could spend the day on the best snow of the season for $20 each!
We left around 9 am and we were riding the K1 Gondola at 10:30. The snow was deep DEEPer DEEPEST yet of the season! We road the Great Northern to warm up then played on Chute and Bunnybuster for awhile. Donna's legs tired as it was only her third time of the year and then I explored some of the black diamonds that had enough cover to ride on for the first time. Finally I went up to Rime and East Fall and ventured off on Ridge Run and others. The woods looked inviting, but lacking the experience, I stayed with the great soft bumps of the other trails. Next year's goal is to get comfortable riding in the glades. It was a great day and as I did the last run to meet Donna at the car at 3pm, I felt a few muscle twinges and then I remembered - bicycle race tomorrow!!
There is another BIG storm on the way for today and tommorow, so snowboard riding may not be over yet for the 06-07 season!
We left around 9 am and we were riding the K1 Gondola at 10:30. The snow was deep DEEPer DEEPEST yet of the season! We road the Great Northern to warm up then played on Chute and Bunnybuster for awhile. Donna's legs tired as it was only her third time of the year and then I explored some of the black diamonds that had enough cover to ride on for the first time. Finally I went up to Rime and East Fall and ventured off on Ridge Run and others. The woods looked inviting, but lacking the experience, I stayed with the great soft bumps of the other trails. Next year's goal is to get comfortable riding in the glades. It was a great day and as I did the last run to meet Donna at the car at 3pm, I felt a few muscle twinges and then I remembered - bicycle race tomorrow!!
There is another BIG storm on the way for today and tommorow, so snowboard riding may not be over yet for the 06-07 season!
Sunday, April 8, 2007
California Ridn, Part Deux
Work in Sacramento area was combined with a re-visit to San Fransisco on bike and a club ride in the foot hills of the Sierra Nevada's. After returning home from Reno when I combined the Western Dairy Conference with some great snowboarding in the Tahoe area, I returned home expecting to get some road riding in to prepare for the upcoming Battenkill-Rubaix. However, the winter would not quit and the work piled-up, so bike riding was limited. I did get in some great season-ending runs in at Killington, enjoying the soft bump riding on the deep powder.
At first Russ and I planned on doing some skiing/snowboarding on the weekend before our week of seeing farms and working with the Pac Coast consultants. However, I saw how little snow they had in Tahoe and decided we would bike instead. We rented Trek 1500's from a huge bike store in Folsum, CA which is at the heart of the American River trail system. There were plenty of bikes available - these cost only $20/day. We got up Sunday morning and took the bikes to Sausillito near where I had stayed last year during the Tour of California trip. We rode in over the Golden Gate bridge on a crystal clear, windy, but not too cool day. Russ did not pack a wind jacket so he suffered some going into SF, but when we got to Fisherman's Wharf he bought a tourist jacket for the return trip. After about 4 hours we returned to the car and toured the Presideo by car and then had dinner at a restaurant overlooking SF Bay as the moon rose, the sun set and the lights came on in the city (Otis Redding and Journey songs came to mind).
Monday we worked with Joey and returned back to our Stockton hotel in time to take the bikes out again on the local trail system. This was fine for a spin until we hit the poorer section of town. The glass in the bike path made flatting an inevitable risk, so we turn around before we got to the end. In all a little over an hour ride.
I searched the Internet for local club rides and could only find morning rides during the week. I did not give up easily, however. Going through the usual password / user name nightmare of joining Yahoo Groups in order to get into the Stockton Bicycle Club message board to search for any chatter about routes that I could locate on Mapoint. About 20 messages down I see "New Tuesday Evening Ride" posted. After reading the announcement, it appeared that I had my ride! It started from Valley Springs, which I knew would only be about 20 miles from where we would be at the end of the day. So, we dropped our car with the bikes at Farmingdale and then picked it up at the end of the day. We had a great day of farm visits with Joey. Then it was off to the ride. Joey and Russ decided to golf. We found the start of my ride and the golf course was right next door.
After resting for about 45 minutes, the first riders arrived in the parking lot. We chatted as we geared up and before long the others arrived. In all about 7 riders headed out on a moderate hilly ride in the beautiful area around Valley Springs. We rode about 25 miles in all with great views and a curvy descent that got interrupted slightly by a group of turkeys. At one point the ride leader and I were at the front when a Jack Rabbit darted out in front of us. He said it was rare to see them in the non-roadkill state. As usual, the group was extremely friendly and inquisitive about the riding back here in NY. I found Russ and Joey just as they were finishing up and we headed back to Stockton.
The remainder of the trip was uneventful riding-wise. I did have to get a Turlock Plant shop guy to use a pipe wrench with a cheater bar to get my right Speedplay pedal off so we could have the bikes returned by Shelly on Friday. When I left the message about needing the bikes returned for us, she thought that "Kurt Russel" left the message, according to Rob. At first she was excited, then she realized this was a chore and Rob reminder her that he has to deal with this stuff the other 51 weeks out of the year.
We had a decent flight back, but when we returned to Albany the weather was still winter-like. Going from a week of 50-low, 75-high, no precipitation to snow, wind and 20-low, 40-high weather was not pleasant. On Saturday Donna and I took Alix to the airport to go to Ohio for the week. I picked up the CX wheel I needed to get spokes replaced on at Saratoga Bike and Board and later in the afternoon went on a hill-climbing 28 miler over some of the B-R course. I stayed pretty warm for most of the 1:30 ride, until the very end when the feet started to numb up. Hopefully my fitness and the weather will be suitable for the race next Saturday.
At first Russ and I planned on doing some skiing/snowboarding on the weekend before our week of seeing farms and working with the Pac Coast consultants. However, I saw how little snow they had in Tahoe and decided we would bike instead. We rented Trek 1500's from a huge bike store in Folsum, CA which is at the heart of the American River trail system. There were plenty of bikes available - these cost only $20/day. We got up Sunday morning and took the bikes to Sausillito near where I had stayed last year during the Tour of California trip. We rode in over the Golden Gate bridge on a crystal clear, windy, but not too cool day. Russ did not pack a wind jacket so he suffered some going into SF, but when we got to Fisherman's Wharf he bought a tourist jacket for the return trip. After about 4 hours we returned to the car and toured the Presideo by car and then had dinner at a restaurant overlooking SF Bay as the moon rose, the sun set and the lights came on in the city (Otis Redding and Journey songs came to mind).
Monday we worked with Joey and returned back to our Stockton hotel in time to take the bikes out again on the local trail system. This was fine for a spin until we hit the poorer section of town. The glass in the bike path made flatting an inevitable risk, so we turn around before we got to the end. In all a little over an hour ride.
I searched the Internet for local club rides and could only find morning rides during the week. I did not give up easily, however. Going through the usual password / user name nightmare of joining Yahoo Groups in order to get into the Stockton Bicycle Club message board to search for any chatter about routes that I could locate on Mapoint. About 20 messages down I see "New Tuesday Evening Ride" posted. After reading the announcement, it appeared that I had my ride! It started from Valley Springs, which I knew would only be about 20 miles from where we would be at the end of the day. So, we dropped our car with the bikes at Farmingdale and then picked it up at the end of the day. We had a great day of farm visits with Joey. Then it was off to the ride. Joey and Russ decided to golf. We found the start of my ride and the golf course was right next door.
After resting for about 45 minutes, the first riders arrived in the parking lot. We chatted as we geared up and before long the others arrived. In all about 7 riders headed out on a moderate hilly ride in the beautiful area around Valley Springs. We rode about 25 miles in all with great views and a curvy descent that got interrupted slightly by a group of turkeys. At one point the ride leader and I were at the front when a Jack Rabbit darted out in front of us. He said it was rare to see them in the non-roadkill state. As usual, the group was extremely friendly and inquisitive about the riding back here in NY. I found Russ and Joey just as they were finishing up and we headed back to Stockton.
The remainder of the trip was uneventful riding-wise. I did have to get a Turlock Plant shop guy to use a pipe wrench with a cheater bar to get my right Speedplay pedal off so we could have the bikes returned by Shelly on Friday. When I left the message about needing the bikes returned for us, she thought that "Kurt Russel" left the message, according to Rob. At first she was excited, then she realized this was a chore and Rob reminder her that he has to deal with this stuff the other 51 weeks out of the year.
We had a decent flight back, but when we returned to Albany the weather was still winter-like. Going from a week of 50-low, 75-high, no precipitation to snow, wind and 20-low, 40-high weather was not pleasant. On Saturday Donna and I took Alix to the airport to go to Ohio for the week. I picked up the CX wheel I needed to get spokes replaced on at Saratoga Bike and Board and later in the afternoon went on a hill-climbing 28 miler over some of the B-R course. I stayed pretty warm for most of the 1:30 ride, until the very end when the feet started to numb up. Hopefully my fitness and the weather will be suitable for the race next Saturday.
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