September Cycling - Spectacular!

A record-setting month of road riding results from great weather and many group riding opportunities. September weekend schedules are full of multiple choice opportunities that Donna and I take advantage of.

After the Mohawk-Hudson Cycling Club (MHCC) century ride brings in the month, there are many other longer-distanced and hilly rides on the club schedule. With the great weather it is sometimes hard to commit to just one. Bash-Bish Falls and the Sacandaga Reservoir rides on consecutive weekends were challenging 60+ mile hilly rides done at an 18+ MPH pace. We revisited the Alternate Plan B ride up in the Adirondacks with a smaller group and at a slightly slower pace and Donna was able to see what a great ride it is.

Crossing Stewart's Dam --->

Donna and I did our own rides too. The Cambridge Valley Cycling Club (CVC) had it's Fall Foliage rides, followed by the Tour de Farm - a tour of local farms that have sold development rights to ASA, a farmland preservation group. We did these rides from home, on our own schedule and following our own route. On Saturday we did a hilly 50 mile course that hooked us up with three guys that were on the last 10 miles of their century. On Sunday we did a 35-miler from home that was even hillier, making the start and first stop at Ziehm's dairy farm, and then returning home. We drove back to Cambridge to check in and eat some good food.

Donna headed for home -->

All-in-all, I logged 475 miles on the road, a record for September. At the same time I am having my shoulder (the one that I separated on my first century in 2000 and re-injured on a July hike off of Big Slide Mountainn) worked on by an Active Release Technique (ART) chiropractor. So far - so good, but painful to get started breaking up old scar tissue and adhesions.

If this weather holds up, October can be just as good as September for all kinds of riding. I will likely head into the woods for more Mountain Biking now. In fact, tomorrow Donna and I are headed to Millstonehill Inn, a Lodge in the middle of 30 miles of single track built on the old granite quarries near Barre, VT, for a two-day get away.

Recovery Takes Over From Racing

Racing takes a back seat to recovery as my ambitions write checks my body can't cash. Road riding and mountain biking events midweek tell me it is time to recover and not race on the weekend. After four races in since the middle of April and three in four weeks, it was time to back off.

Wednesday's CVC ride last time was a casual affair with plenty of opportunity to test yourself against fast riders, but also time to wait for the slower ones. So, I was expecting to be with the slower riders this time since I was still feeling the effects of Blackfly and Whiteface Races. Well it was a different ride this time. The pace was fast, the climbs were many, and the waiting did not happen for me. We climbed nearly 2000 feet in a little over 21 miles, so at more than 80 feet per mile it was a hilly ride by anyone's standards. The "kids" and other faster riders were in attendance and the slower riders elected to do another ride, but I did not realize that until we were well under way. As a result, I was dropped on every climb and got to feel what it is like to keep going when someone else has been doing the waiting. It was a good ride, and the ego hurt more than the body, but it was a sign to me that my body probably was not yet fully recovered from racing.

However, the week was young and the spirit still strong, so my plans for a big event were on at this point for the weekend. Donna and Alix were going to be away and I had charge of the house and four dogs. There was a MTB race on Sunday I could do and Donna would be home in time to care for the dogs. If that didn't pan out I could still do a long road ride or explore the trails at Spier Falls and be home in time.

But first, to start things off, I had a choice of doing a Time Trial practice with the Cambridge group or a Mountain Bike at Grafton State Park with the Capital Gang on Friday. Since I already embarrassed myself with the Cambridge group, and it was a threat to rain, I picked the Mountain Biking. As I pulled into the Grafton parking lot it was evident a downpour had occurred -- the parking lot was a lake. Additionally, it was windy and cool - around 60 degrees. But seven of us showed and we did a long ride on some good trails. I felt good and strong on the climbs and enjoyed the challenge of negotiating the difficult roots and rocks in the slippery conditions. Towards the end of the 2:20 ride, as the light waned the rocks got more difficult as we ended the ride on Water Tower trail. I slipped off a long, sharp, slippery, three-foot high knife of a rock and tipped over to my right. Unfortunately, my foot had not yet cleared a tree close to my right, so my foot remained hooked around the tree as the rest of my leg, body and bike tumbled off the knife edge. Result: right knee twisted.

So, on Saturday instead of racing, or even riding, I was recovering. Intense I+I therapy (ice and ibuprofen), plus lots of recliner time with it elevated. By the end of Saturday the knee could bear some weight if I had on a brace and I took the dogs on a long slow walk. By Sunday the leg was responding nicely and I was able to do a 22-mile ride on the Lemond covering mostly flat terrain. Today the swelling is gone, but some pain remains. I just returned from an eleven mile ride with Donna on the road bikes - nice and easy and enjoyable.

A break from the race schedule always happens - if you don't plan it, your body will.

May Biking Is Best

Clear, dry and warmer weather means more biking and mid-week opportunities mean, that's right, more biking. Long days open up late afternoon rides. Donna and I have done great rides starting 5-6pm and getting back well before dark. With the Whiteface Uphill Race about a month away, I have started getting climbs in.

Willard rides are great for hill training. Donna and I can do them together and it works well because I can push it on a hill then catch my breath as Donna gets to the top - great interval work! Also, in only an hour and a half I can get a lot of effort expended. I like to go through Greenwich, then out on 74, turning right on Burton Rd, going past the former Leatherstocking Beef Farm, which is now an Episcopalian Church Retreat. The view to the east is inspring as you can see Rt. 74 falling away further and further below. I have small sprints at the begining and end of Greenwich and then as Burton climbs there are a couple of other set areas that I can push and hit high heart rates.

When you make the left on Easton Station Rd. it is a very gradual climb that you can either push or rest on. Finally, on the right turn on Intervale the feeling of impending doom fills your head, because the real climbing now starts. Intreval is really three climbs over about a mile. The first is long and increasingly steeper - finishing at about 18 percent. Then a brief decline and another short 15 percent section, then a long descent and a brief +20 percent push to the top.

Now the descent down to the Christmas Tree Farm and then Vly Summit Road to North Easton and Route 40. The usual time check is 43 minutes. Then turn around and start climbing back on the same route in reverse. The climb back is similar to the climb up - a three stage afair with breaks. The breaks let you push on the hill if you are up to it, so it can be a true interval workout or you can go at a steady pace for long climb effect.

The descent down the Intervale Road is a speed rush. I have hit >50 MPH on many occasions - a tailwind is needed for that. The return down Burton Road is a great way to on wind and stretch the back and legs. This is the classic "Willard 2X" ride. The 2X is that you climbed Willard twice. As we get closer to the Race I will up that to 3X, 4X and more by turning around after the Intervale descent. For a new wrinkle I may go down the dirt Harrington Hill Road and make that part of the routine.

Last Wednesday I joined the CVC Wednesday Ride. It was after Donna and I did a 35-mile out-and-back West River Road ride in the early morning. So, I was not planning on pushing it and did not know what to expect. The group was great - we had all levels represented and plenty of regrouping, so you can push and be pushed, and have time to recover. I will try to get to this ride when I have the Wednesday open.

On Friday I joined the MHCC mountain biking group ride for the first time of the season. For the first time riding Pittstown I am starting at Pittstown instead of dropping down from Grafton. We climbed up Zig-Zag then over onto Bonnie and Clyde then down the fire road to the parking lot. About 9 riders in all, it was good to get the balance and upper body work that only mountain biking gives you. Mountain biking is short hard bursts of climbing mixed with long climbing, so a great way to get better at climbing whether it be road or mountain. The rocks and roots were particluarly slippery on this ordinarily technical singletrack, so it was a great way to initiate the mountain biking for this season. The Epic performed well using all its travel; these trails are more suited to the Yeti, but it is still in the shop getting the fork serviced.

Early morning rides are another way I get more rides in this time of year. I did a Willard 2X ride this morning before heading off to Burlington to do a seminar for vets. Shorter days and colder weather of even a few weeks ago would have prevented the ride - now that May is here - a'ridn I go!

Spring Road Riding Takes Off

May weather turns warm and dry and with it an opportunity to kick road riding into higher gear. So far this year I have gotten in 22 outside road rides for 788 miles and 35,000 feet of climbing. Since the last day of snowbording, 311 miles on 8 rides for 13,505 feet of climbing.

More importantly than the statistics, it has been great to get out in the warmer weather and to not fight rain or snow. I really enjoy road riding this time of year. First it is a great weigh to shed those last 5 pounds off - you are out later in the evening with the later sunset and it just seems that the appetite is not as strong while the activity is greater. Then there is the ability to see far into the woods as you whirl by. The leaves are just starting to come out on the maple trees. The third thing is that the farmers finally are busy out in the fields and I get more time to work from the home office - and therefore more time to get rides in during the week.

Group rides are now on the schedule, so it is a great time to ride with others after the long winter of solo riding. Donna and I have done several good rides in the area. We also joined a Cambridge Valley Cycling (CVC) club ride on a (wet) Sunday. Last weekend I did a group ride with Mohawk-Hudson Cycling Club (MHCC), a "Bruce ride" which had 15 total riders and we went around Lake Luzerne from Skidmore. The weather was brisk but bright and sunny. The 53 mile loop included going over West Mountain Rd and Conklinville Dam.

This week Donna and I got in a good 26 mile ride on Monday, I plan to try out a CVC Wednesday ride, and I will get the mountain bike out for a MHCC group ride in Pittstown State Forest on Friday. We will see how much energy is left for the weekend. As the mountain bikers say, "ride-on!"

Boarding Season Wrap-up

A season of Snowboarding finally comes to an end. Starting on 12/15 and ending 127 days later, this was a great year to get fully into snowboarding. Twenty days out on the slopes in all, 10 at Killington and 5 at Mt. Snow - making the All East Pass a $25 per day bargain. Three days in California/Nevada (Mt. Rose, Squaw Valley and Northstar), along with a day each at West Mountain and Bolton Valley, make up the remainder of the days of carving and gliding.

Keeping a regular activity log makes it easy to go back and look at the statistics. The 20 rides I did this year represent 54% of the total snowboarding I have done in my life. This year I did 83 hours of snowboarding, which if I did 4 runs per hour and each run was 1/2 mile, would work out to 166 miles of snow riding! I went by myself a total of 11 times, and with others the remaining 9 days.

More importantly I have gained much confidence and fulfillment from learning a new activity and improving my skill level. To be outdoors for those 83 hours through the dark, cold winter was exhilarating and just plain fun. My goals were to get more skilled at making carved turns and to be more comfortable in the bumps and steeps and that was accomplished. Spending quality time with Donna, Alix and others was another benefit. But, also learning to enjoy and not be afraid to go it solo was a benefit. In the past I would just not go if no one else wanted to go with me. Now I enjoy the solo efforts as well as going with someone else or a group.

As the snow season leaves and the woods dry out, soon the mountain bike will replace the board. For the present road biking and training for upcoming events like the Blackfly Challenge and the Whiteface Uphill Bike Race take precedence. Donna and I joined a local club ride this past Sunday - the Cambridge Valley Cycling club. We had fun on a nice flat and fast 25 mile loop in the rain. After my 70 mile ride to the Bruce Ride on Saturday, it was just what I needed to keep getting in shape.

Last night Donna convinced me against my better judgement to go swimming at the Y with her after supper. I predictably broke out in my Grant's Syndrome hives. Oh well, I will learn to listen to my better judgement someday, but I always think I can get away with it because sometimes I do.