Ankle continues to improve, getting stronger with greater range of motion. So, I ventured out on the mountain bike and Donna and I both signed-up for the Whiteface Mountain Uphill Bike Race, coming up shortly on June 14.
I have purposefully stayed off the trails until the ankle was in better condition. No sense in cutting my recovery short when I can ride on the road and the trails were muddy and full of turkey hunters. But the trails are drying out, and turkey season is now over, so to move things along I went out on our home trails for a good ride.
Our home trails are one reason we have not moved from our present location. A half-mile down our road begins a 6-mile network of trails that are a result of years of 2- and 4-wheeler, snowmobile, and motocross activity. They include a short stretch of recently added single-track, some rocks and roots (but not much compared to other sites), a few short, step climbs - but mostly flat, a challenging motocross racing track, a heart-pounding G-drop, long open field runs and plenty of fast twisty trails through the mostly pine woods. When I go "end-to-end and back again" it is a 12-mile, ~1:20 workout/ride.
Depending on what I want to accomplish, I can go slow and steady (usually doesn't happen), spend time doing intervals on the motocross course, which I run backwards (to the direction the motocross bikes run) , and is a great way to get the heart rate up, or just cruise it as fast as I can go- which is usually what I do, and what I did this time. Result of this ride on the home trails was a new eagerness to go on some group mountain bike rides, and assurance that the ankle will withstand the jolting of some rougher trails.
At the same time, Donna and I have been talking about doing the Whiteface race together. I have encouraged her to do the race, knowing she would enjoy the challenge and do well. Last year I did the race and she did a hike and then we stayed at a B+B in Keene Valley. This year we are both registered for the race and we are looking for a place to stay. I have begun (way too late) to get some good climbing rides in. Friday morning of this week I awoke to 65 degree temperature with sunny weather and the prospect of rain and hot weather later, as well as an appointment with Donato and varied work commitments filling up my day. It was a no-brainer -- I was on the bike rolling out of the driveway at 7:45 am. My goal was to get some climbing in on Willard Mountain, which is home to a local Ski Mountain only 8 miles from our door. My usual "Willard ride" is to go into Greenwich, then up a small climb on Burton Rd. to warm up, then the big climb up Interval Road, which is about 400 feet of elevation gain in about a mile of riding. I then go down on Vly Summit Rd. to Rt. 40 in North Easton, and climb back up the other way. Then repeat. And repeat again, and again, if the legs can handle it. Then it is a 8 mile ride back by way of town to warm down.
Looking for a new version to spice up the ride, I decided to get to the top, go down to Route 40, but then climb past the turn for the Ski area, all the way to another high spot on Vly Summit Road (550 feet over 2 miles). Then go down to Rt. 74, and go over to Herrington Hill Road, which is a steep, long climb (550 feet over 1 1/2 miles) on a well-packed dirt road that takes you back to the ski area a different way. My legs and time only allowed for one set of each climbs, but it was enough to get in 30 miles and about 2200 feet of climbing, before a late breakfast.
The climbing I just started doing should have been done three weeks ago to properly prepare for the Whiteface Race, but that will have to do. Donna and I will have fun challenging ourselves on the 8 mile, 8% slope race in less than 2 weeks!
Showing posts with label MTB ride. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MTB ride. Show all posts
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Winter Riding Countinues
A mix of activities to keep in shape, continued progress on knees and winter Ridn makes January an eclectic mix. Swimming and spinning are keeping the heart and muscles strong. Winter riding in the woods on the studded-tired mountain bike and snowboarding make up the ridn.
Dan's Saturday morning spin class remains a routine for Donna and I. We get up not too early and still are at the Y in time to get signed-up for a bike. Dan is good at visualizing rides and makes the workout fun. Donna and I then head for the (Un)common Grounds coffee shop for breakfast.
This Saturday I doubled-up and went to Grafton in the afternoon to ride with the Capital Group at the WinterFest. We had 15 riders and challenging snow conditions for a great 2+ hour workout. The group stayed together going over Water Tower and Little Johnnies trails, then 8 of us rode RPI to the other end of Long Pond. We returned the length of Long Pond on the ice, dodging ice fisherman and ice holes all the way back to the beach area.
I have managed to get to Killington a couple of Fridays to enjoy excellent conditions up on the mountain. The base was solid enough to remain after a serious thaw and enough new and man-made snow has been added on top. The last time there I stayed over on Killington, Skye and Bear Mountains until my legs gave out. Cascade was in great shape with soft bumps and Skyehawk too. Later in the day as the soft stuff hardened, my legs gave out -- it was a long trip back over to the car at K-1.
A mountain bike ride on the home trails where I had to stay balanced enough to stay within 8-inch wide ATV tire tracks with 4 to 12 inch walls on the side was a fun challenge last Sunday. With the wind chill in the single digits, I had on the flat pedals in order to wear hiking boots. As a result I was warm, but the pedals kept hitting the side of the tracks. Still a great workout and fun to be in the woods under these conditions.
A trip is being planned to California next month in conjunction with work. I hope to ride some of the routes of the professional bike race Tour of California with a coworker, and then go up to Tahoe to do some snowboarding.
Dan's Saturday morning spin class remains a routine for Donna and I. We get up not too early and still are at the Y in time to get signed-up for a bike. Dan is good at visualizing rides and makes the workout fun. Donna and I then head for the (Un)common Grounds coffee shop for breakfast.
This Saturday I doubled-up and went to Grafton in the afternoon to ride with the Capital Group at the WinterFest. We had 15 riders and challenging snow conditions for a great 2+ hour workout. The group stayed together going over Water Tower and Little Johnnies trails, then 8 of us rode RPI to the other end of Long Pond. We returned the length of Long Pond on the ice, dodging ice fisherman and ice holes all the way back to the beach area.
I have managed to get to Killington a couple of Fridays to enjoy excellent conditions up on the mountain. The base was solid enough to remain after a serious thaw and enough new and man-made snow has been added on top. The last time there I stayed over on Killington, Skye and Bear Mountains until my legs gave out. Cascade was in great shape with soft bumps and Skyehawk too. Later in the day as the soft stuff hardened, my legs gave out -- it was a long trip back over to the car at K-1.
A mountain bike ride on the home trails where I had to stay balanced enough to stay within 8-inch wide ATV tire tracks with 4 to 12 inch walls on the side was a fun challenge last Sunday. With the wind chill in the single digits, I had on the flat pedals in order to wear hiking boots. As a result I was warm, but the pedals kept hitting the side of the tracks. Still a great workout and fun to be in the woods under these conditions.
A trip is being planned to California next month in conjunction with work. I hope to ride some of the routes of the professional bike race Tour of California with a coworker, and then go up to Tahoe to do some snowboarding.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Warm October Riding Turns Frigid in November
Donna and I continue to get great rides in as the summer-like weather persists into October. The CycloCross bike gets into gear when the temperature dips into the 20's. Art's annual Lake Desolation mountain bike trek provides a great birthday present.
Despite being out in Minneapolis for two weeks, October riding was again record-setting. For the third straight month I have set combined mileage records for all bikes, this time at 350 miles. Mostly road riding, but now that the weather has turned in November I have tuned-up the Lemond Propad and will work my 21-mile, 5-Hill, 30% dirt circuit ride as a way to stay in descent shape. The "5-Hill" ride never takes me more than 5 miles from home and provides at least 6 or 7 opportunities to get the heart rate above 150 bpm. Being that close to home gives me the confidence to go out in nasty weather - I could bale at any time and get home in a hurry.
The ride is a challenge to get done in less than 1:20. I start up Louse Hill, then down to 74, turnaround and go back up the other side of Louse Hill. That gets the heart started after a 10 minute warm-up. Then a pretty long cruise on pavement down Hogsback. I always head to the Battenkill damn at the Paper Plant and then turn around and go back up Hogsback. Down the dirt cork-screw called Old Schylerville Road, and turn around and go back up. I then head for the Fairgrounds for off-road soft grass riding which gets the heart rate up using different, non-climbing muscles. Three of the 5 hills are on dirt; the last hill is up the river past Booth's farm and then across Hand's flat field -- and head for home.
I was hoping that Art G would lead a ride on the trails around Lake Desolation again this year. Last year we did the ride in late November and it was a killer. We had some real hammerheads pushing the pace the whole time and I was totally exhausted by the time we finished. When I got the email notice, I was relieved to see that "no hammer sh#t this year" in the ride description. I tried to get Donna to go, but she had a hockey game that evening and did not want to waste her legs before hand. The best part was the ride was on my birthday! As I packed up to leave I looked at the temperature and it was 18 degrees! This ride is notorious for its deep, mud infested, ATV-made water holes. No matter how cautious you are, you WILL get wet. So, I packed the SealSkin waterproof socks and headed out the door.
Seven riders showed up at the Stewart's in Middle Grove. We parked at the cemetery to gear up and headed off to run into ATV-powered hunters within the first mile. No problems, but it was a reminder why we did not wear any white clothing. My all-white Epic bike hopefully would not draw any rifle fire. This ride has lots of long climbs with baby-head and larger rocks - also long descents with the same obstacles. The leaves are all down, hiding the dangers below, but allowing you take chances you probably would not ordinarily make.
The first stop after a heart-pounding series of climbs is an old abandoned graphite mine. The office building now only is a skeleton of formed concrete with trees growing out at all angles. Art gave us some of the history of the mine and some local that invented the bomb site for the first A-bomb. This RPI person perished in an off-road accident that his buddy survived but was trapped for 48 hours. We continued negotiating the rocks and mud holes for the next 3 hours. On the way out Art located the mine shaft and
we were able to enter the mouth. The shaft goes flat into the side of a hill for over 1500 feet, but we only were able to get in a few feet before the water inside was too deep.
Finally we came back to rest at the cars parked by the cemetery. As the picture indicates "rest for the weary!"
A good start to winter riding season. Today Mount Snow had its earliest opening day ever with top to bottom skiing and riding. Killington will open next week. We have had some snow at higher elevations, but plenty of cold weather for snow making. Maybe the next post will include the first snowboard session of the season.
Despite being out in Minneapolis for two weeks, October riding was again record-setting. For the third straight month I have set combined mileage records for all bikes, this time at 350 miles. Mostly road riding, but now that the weather has turned in November I have tuned-up the Lemond Propad and will work my 21-mile, 5-Hill, 30% dirt circuit ride as a way to stay in descent shape. The "5-Hill" ride never takes me more than 5 miles from home and provides at least 6 or 7 opportunities to get the heart rate above 150 bpm. Being that close to home gives me the confidence to go out in nasty weather - I could bale at any time and get home in a hurry.
The ride is a challenge to get done in less than 1:20. I start up Louse Hill, then down to 74, turnaround and go back up the other side of Louse Hill. That gets the heart started after a 10 minute warm-up. Then a pretty long cruise on pavement down Hogsback. I always head to the Battenkill damn at the Paper Plant and then turn around and go back up Hogsback. Down the dirt cork-screw called Old Schylerville Road, and turn around and go back up. I then head for the Fairgrounds for off-road soft grass riding which gets the heart rate up using different, non-climbing muscles. Three of the 5 hills are on dirt; the last hill is up the river past Booth's farm and then across Hand's flat field -- and head for home.
I was hoping that Art G would lead a ride on the trails around Lake Desolation again this year. Last year we did the ride in late November and it was a killer. We had some real hammerheads pushing the pace the whole time and I was totally exhausted by the time we finished. When I got the email notice, I was relieved to see that "no hammer sh#t this year" in the ride description. I tried to get Donna to go, but she had a hockey game that evening and did not want to waste her legs before hand. The best part was the ride was on my birthday! As I packed up to leave I looked at the temperature and it was 18 degrees! This ride is notorious for its deep, mud infested, ATV-made water holes. No matter how cautious you are, you WILL get wet. So, I packed the SealSkin waterproof socks and headed out the door.
Seven riders showed up at the Stewart's in Middle Grove. We parked at the cemetery to gear up and headed off to run into ATV-powered hunters within the first mile. No problems, but it was a reminder why we did not wear any white clothing. My all-white Epic bike hopefully would not draw any rifle fire. This ride has lots of long climbs with baby-head and larger rocks - also long descents with the same obstacles. The leaves are all down, hiding the dangers below, but allowing you take chances you probably would not ordinarily make.
The first stop after a heart-pounding series of climbs is an old abandoned graphite mine. The office building now only is a skeleton of formed concrete with trees growing out at all angles. Art gave us some of the history of the mine and some local that invented the bomb site for the first A-bomb. This RPI person perished in an off-road accident that his buddy survived but was trapped for 48 hours. We continued negotiating the rocks and mud holes for the next 3 hours. On the way out Art located the mine shaft and
we were able to enter the mouth. The shaft goes flat into the side of a hill for over 1500 feet, but we only were able to get in a few feet before the water inside was too deep.Finally we came back to rest at the cars parked by the cemetery. As the picture indicates "rest for the weary!"
A good start to winter riding season. Today Mount Snow had its earliest opening day ever with top to bottom skiing and riding. Killington will open next week. We have had some snow at higher elevations, but plenty of cold weather for snow making. Maybe the next post will include the first snowboard session of the season.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Ridn Takes A Plunge Downhill - For The Better
A new mountain bike for Alix, a new mountain biking experience for me and riding with family and friends make for record setting ridn in August.
Donna has wanted to get Alix a good mountain bike for quite awhile, but Alix has always been realistic about how much riding she would do. So, this time when Donna mentioned it, and she indicated excitement, we jumped on the opportunity. In a frenzied vacation day of on-line research and calling local bike stores we came up with a great bike for Alix. The Jamis Dakota female specific model is what we wanted, and Chris at Elevate just happen to have one on hand that was practically new since the
rider that had it crashed and cut her leg on the big ring within the first hour and she no longer wanted it. So, the very slightly used bike was available at a good price. The only question was fit; but after test riding at the Saratoga store, we were convinced it was a good deal on a great bike.
As soon as we were able to locate some mountain biking shoes we all went for a ride on the home trails. At first Alix had the common problem of locking into the Candy SPD pedals, but she had a blast riding the home turf. It was getting dark, but she insisted on taking on both sides of the road. I wanted her to experience the G-drop section of the trail on that side of the road. Next time we will hit the Motocross track.
Donna and I took some extra time off for the Labor Day weekend and on Friday I had time to clean and lube some of the bikes. While I was at it, I took out the Malolo snowboard and cleaned and waxed the board and lubed the bindings. As a result, I began to long for the slopes of Killington. I got online poking around the site and started looking at the mountain biking trail map. Since Donna had a ADK group hike planned for Sunday, I decided I would try lift-served mountain biking at Killington.
Saturday Donna and I decided to road ride to New Skete seminary. She had been reading a book on the monks of New Skete and how they train their German Shepard dogs. So, we decided it would make a good destination ride. At 20 miles each way it was a pleasant ride. Donna was ride leader and took us up the steep and long and dirt English Road on the way to Cambridge. She obviously did not know what I knew about the road up to the seminary! Once east of Cambridge, the road starts to kick up. Where the sign says turn left for New Skete it turns to dirt and turns to a 15-plus percent grade for about two miles. Needless to say, we felt the burn until we got to the top. The ride down was tough as the dirt road was full of pot holes. After stopping at Anthem Bikes in Cambridge to replace my lost CO2 dispenser we took our time and pedaled home.
Sunday morning I packed-up and set off for Killington, reminding me of the days I went up to the mountain to snowboard, except it was 70 degrees warmer! As I pulled into the K1 Lodge parking lot at 10:30 I was surprised to see so many cars with bikes out getting suited up. We are talking full face helmets and total body armor. I went in to purchase a lift ticket and was reassured by the ticket seller there was plenty of trails that do not require a stunt man's bravado. In fact he selected a first run that would progress me from the easiest to the black diamond single track; and if I wanted more, there were double diamond trails to try; and if I was still looking for more he told me to come back for directions to some secret stash.
I talked to a couple getting ready next to me in the parking lot who each had Yeti 575's. We compared notes on our Yeti's and turns out he works at a certified Yeti dealer in Milford, NH (www.603sports.com). We would meet up again at lunch time and they gave me some good advise on which double diamonds to try (34 and 21). I am quite sure I talked to the same couple last winter. They have both summer ($99) and winter season passes. We talked dogs as they had a nice standard poodle that waited patiently in their truck. I also ran into some mid-20's couples on trail 14 that were playing on a tree stunt. One of them pointed to my bike and said, "nice bike!" I said thanks and then looked at his ride - he was also on a Yeti 575. We compared bikes and agreed Yeti's were special.
The riding was amazing!! I quickly progressed from the easiest to the moderate single track, and in the middle of the first run got on the black diamond single track trails 6 and 9. After that first run on the Skye Peak (east) side I hooked over on 7 towards Snowdon and Ramshead Mountains. There a tangle of beautiful, steep and rocky black diamond single track trails made for two more fun-filled runs. Each run takes about 45 minutes, with stopping only to catch your breath, build your nerve, or relieve your aching-from-braking hands and arms. After the third run, also on the Snowdon side I rode to the Subaru and had a tailgate lu
nch in the warm shade. After lunch I tried the double diamond trails and 34 was fine, but 21 forced me to get off and walk a bit. The last run - sixth of the day, and my feet, legs, hands, arms and shoulders were all tired and going to be sore, so I packed it in. It was 4 pm and with a solid four hours of riding in, I was more than happy and satisfied. I gained a new respect for Downhillers - not only does it take nerve and skill, but also stamina and strength. I was thrilled to have a new type of ridn to do!
When buying Alix's shoes at Rick's bike store her friend Paul noticed her. He works at the bike store and is an avid mtb'er. Next thing I knew all four of us were heading down to Grafton for a ride on the trails there. Paul is a remarkably skilled rider and fun to be with. He was quite excited to have Alix as a potential riding partner, even though he told her he was interested in riding with me. We rode Spruce Bog - Chet Bell - Little Johnnies - Water Tower trails. All of which contained some technical rocky and rooty sections that both Alix and Donna did very well with. Paul was amazing us with his riding abilities. He pulled a wheelie the length of the beach as Labor Day onlookers hooted and hollered.
Donna unfortunately twisted her ankle during a fall on Spruce Bog. Her Time pedals do not release well and when she tried Alix's Candy pedals, she could not believe how easily they released. What you don't know can hurt you - and not knowing any better, she thought all pedals released as hard as her Time pedals. We ordered a set of Candy-C pedals off eBay that night!
As I tallied the August training log mileage, the combination road and mountain bike miles was an all-time high for August at 495 miles. More importantly, the riding I have been doing this summer has been the most fun and rewarding yet as I am getting more family and friends to enjoy it with me and I learn to enjoy new types of bike ridn.
Donna has wanted to get Alix a good mountain bike for quite awhile, but Alix has always been realistic about how much riding she would do. So, this time when Donna mentioned it, and she indicated excitement, we jumped on the opportunity. In a frenzied vacation day of on-line research and calling local bike stores we came up with a great bike for Alix. The Jamis Dakota female specific model is what we wanted, and Chris at Elevate just happen to have one on hand that was practically new since the
rider that had it crashed and cut her leg on the big ring within the first hour and she no longer wanted it. So, the very slightly used bike was available at a good price. The only question was fit; but after test riding at the Saratoga store, we were convinced it was a good deal on a great bike.As soon as we were able to locate some mountain biking shoes we all went for a ride on the home trails. At first Alix had the common problem of locking into the Candy SPD pedals, but she had a blast riding the home turf. It was getting dark, but she insisted on taking on both sides of the road. I wanted her to experience the G-drop section of the trail on that side of the road. Next time we will hit the Motocross track.
Donna and I took some extra time off for the Labor Day weekend and on Friday I had time to clean and lube some of the bikes. While I was at it, I took out the Malolo snowboard and cleaned and waxed the board and lubed the bindings. As a result, I began to long for the slopes of Killington. I got online poking around the site and started looking at the mountain biking trail map. Since Donna had a ADK group hike planned for Sunday, I decided I would try lift-served mountain biking at Killington.
Saturday Donna and I decided to road ride to New Skete seminary. She had been reading a book on the monks of New Skete and how they train their German Shepard dogs. So, we decided it would make a good destination ride. At 20 miles each way it was a pleasant ride. Donna was ride leader and took us up the steep and long and dirt English Road on the way to Cambridge. She obviously did not know what I knew about the road up to the seminary! Once east of Cambridge, the road starts to kick up. Where the sign says turn left for New Skete it turns to dirt and turns to a 15-plus percent grade for about two miles. Needless to say, we felt the burn until we got to the top. The ride down was tough as the dirt road was full of pot holes. After stopping at Anthem Bikes in Cambridge to replace my lost CO2 dispenser we took our time and pedaled home.
Sunday morning I packed-up and set off for Killington, reminding me of the days I went up to the mountain to snowboard, except it was 70 degrees warmer! As I pulled into the K1 Lodge parking lot at 10:30 I was surprised to see so many cars with bikes out getting suited up. We are talking full face helmets and total body armor. I went in to purchase a lift ticket and was reassured by the ticket seller there was plenty of trails that do not require a stunt man's bravado. In fact he selected a first run that would progress me from the easiest to the black diamond single track; and if I wanted more, there were double diamond trails to try; and if I was still looking for more he told me to come back for directions to some secret stash.
I talked to a couple getting ready next to me in the parking lot who each had Yeti 575's. We compared notes on our Yeti's and turns out he works at a certified Yeti dealer in Milford, NH (www.603sports.com). We would meet up again at lunch time and they gave me some good advise on which double diamonds to try (34 and 21). I am quite sure I talked to the same couple last winter. They have both summer ($99) and winter season passes. We talked dogs as they had a nice standard poodle that waited patiently in their truck. I also ran into some mid-20's couples on trail 14 that were playing on a tree stunt. One of them pointed to my bike and said, "nice bike!" I said thanks and then looked at his ride - he was also on a Yeti 575. We compared bikes and agreed Yeti's were special.
The riding was amazing!! I quickly progressed from the easiest to the moderate single track, and in the middle of the first run got on the black diamond single track trails 6 and 9. After that first run on the Skye Peak (east) side I hooked over on 7 towards Snowdon and Ramshead Mountains. There a tangle of beautiful, steep and rocky black diamond single track trails made for two more fun-filled runs. Each run takes about 45 minutes, with stopping only to catch your breath, build your nerve, or relieve your aching-from-braking hands and arms. After the third run, also on the Snowdon side I rode to the Subaru and had a tailgate lu
nch in the warm shade. After lunch I tried the double diamond trails and 34 was fine, but 21 forced me to get off and walk a bit. The last run - sixth of the day, and my feet, legs, hands, arms and shoulders were all tired and going to be sore, so I packed it in. It was 4 pm and with a solid four hours of riding in, I was more than happy and satisfied. I gained a new respect for Downhillers - not only does it take nerve and skill, but also stamina and strength. I was thrilled to have a new type of ridn to do!When buying Alix's shoes at Rick's bike store her friend Paul noticed her. He works at the bike store and is an avid mtb'er. Next thing I knew all four of us were heading down to Grafton for a ride on the trails there. Paul is a remarkably skilled rider and fun to be with. He was quite excited to have Alix as a potential riding partner, even though he told her he was interested in riding with me. We rode Spruce Bog - Chet Bell - Little Johnnies - Water Tower trails. All of which contained some technical rocky and rooty sections that both Alix and Donna did very well with. Paul was amazing us with his riding abilities. He pulled a wheelie the length of the beach as Labor Day onlookers hooted and hollered.
Donna unfortunately twisted her ankle during a fall on Spruce Bog. Her Time pedals do not release well and when she tried Alix's Candy pedals, she could not believe how easily they released. What you don't know can hurt you - and not knowing any better, she thought all pedals released as hard as her Time pedals. We ordered a set of Candy-C pedals off eBay that night!
As I tallied the August training log mileage, the combination road and mountain bike miles was an all-time high for August at 495 miles. More importantly, the riding I have been doing this summer has been the most fun and rewarding yet as I am getting more family and friends to enjoy it with me and I learn to enjoy new types of bike ridn.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Two Rides a Week and 50 Degrees Apart
A large charity ride in the Adirondacks is followed by a sparsely attended Bruce ride, with solo mountain biking during the week between.
Donna and I wanted to do the Ididaride charity event starting in North Creek last year, but opted out at the last minute due to questionable weather and Donna was not sure she could handle the 75-mile, 6000 feet of elevation course. This year Donna trained and rode with the 2nd annual Ididaride in mind. The ride raises money for preservation of Adirondack wilderness space, so our trails are kept away from ATVs and bull-dozer like snowmobile groomers. About 80 to 90 people paid $55 each to ride this y
ear.
The weather this year was ideal for riding - in the 50's, some clouds and no wind. Not a typical August day as arm warmers and wind vest were worn all day. Donna rode along some friends from her work that were riding tandem and enjoyed the draft they provided. I rode with them for about 5 minutes, and then started chasing down bikes that started ahead of us or that pulled out to the front. With the great weather and beautiful course, I was enjoying catching on to pacelines and talking with people. After coming back once to make sure Donna was okay, I set out to find the leaders.
The course is the opposite-but-equal-to ride companion of the Teddy Ride. Both start out in North Creek. The Teddy Ride loops 80 miles to the north; the Ididaride loops
75 miles to the south through Speculator an
d Indian Lake. The roads are wide and shoulders well maintaine
d, unlike the Teddy Ride roads. As I worked up towards the front, the pacelines I joined were each a little faster. Just before getting into Speculator I joined what I assumed to be the leading pace line. We worked together well. On the first major climb I slowed down and let them pull away. Over the next 5 miles I slowly pulled them back in. I was gaining on the descents and long gradual climbs. Finally about 5 miles from Indian Lake I caught and eventually dropped them.
I confirmed with the guy manning the aid station that I was the first one there. He said he was struggling to stay ahead of us as he set up each station. I learned that he finished 12th overall in the Jay Challenge - quite a feat! I then stopped at the Stewarts and decided to wait to see if Donna or others I knew (Art, who started late) would catch up. I talked with two couples from Quebec riding Harley's who had all kinds of questions about my bike. After 30 minutes I was cooling down too much, even after drinking a coffee, so decided to go the last 20 miles to the finish. About 13 of the last 20 miles are all downhill, so it was a fun cruise back to the car. Donna and the others soon arrived and we enjoyed a great meal put on by The Inn at Gore Mountain. We had fun talking with Art and Gary and others.
During the week I did some solo mountain biking at SMBA and our home trails. The trails everywhere are dry and very fast! The Yeti needed to have the brake lines bled and refilled with oil, so I dropped the bike at Elevate and took the Epic over to SMBA. They have been busy building new trails that I had fun exploring. It is hard to believe, but I think the last time I was there was on my birthday back in November! I need to get there more because these trails are some of the best in the northeast. At home it has worked well to use the lights and go later in the day. If I start now at 7:30 it is just starting to get dark. In the woods you need the lights right away. I did one good effort in the middle of the week going from end to end and then back again using the loop across the road. The 1:40 ride at very high speed was a great workout. The next day I followed Donna as she ran about 5 miles, so that was a slow paced but fun evening. Night riding is great - the shadows darting away from you look like animals running in the night. Even though you know this, you sometimes get startled by reflex. The mountain lion sightings don't help the imagination either.
One week after the 50-degree cool Ididaride ride, I rode down to Schylerville to join Bruce on one of his MHCC group rides into Washington County. As I headed down the road at 8:45 in the morning, the sweat immediately started pouring off my face. This was on the downhill ride to Schylerville! As I pumped up the short hill to the school I quickly got out of breath. When I stopped in front of Bruce and the one other rider crazy enough to head out on a 70-mile, 6000-foot excursion in the 90+ degree / 70% humidity day, I told him we are going slow today.
However, we started out fast as usual along west River Road. As the hills started we still kept a pretty good pace. Before long the sun burned through the thick, heavy haze, but the humidity remained. It was getting brutal. Our other rider was out on his first Quick-level ride and had never done anything longer than 50 miles. This was not a good day, route or pace for him to start. So, we sent him down Route 40 to wait for us at a Stewart's while Bruce and I did the first of the big climbs. As we headed to the second big climb, Street Road, we both decided we had enough. We did lesser hills until we met back up with Mike in Argyle and then skipped the Summit Lake climb and headed back an easier way.
I managed to keep well hydrated and did not get muscle cramps. I was taking in extra electrolytes by downing Rolaids for magnesium and calcium, and getting sodium from 4X GU and Margaretta Cliff Shots. At the last stop I downed a cold V-8 and water. However, the heat was accumulating and my core temperature was rising. I was good until about the last 5 miles, after Bruce and Mike turned right for the bridge over the Hudson and I turned left to climb up Hogs Back to home, I started to get bad stomach cramps. In fact my stomach was bloating! My body had shunted all blood away from the gut to my extremities to cool. As a result, the guts stop moving. The warm Gatorade was expanding in my stomach and nothing was moving out.
After a shower and cooling off by the fan and air conditioner, along with some cool water, my stomach returned to normal. The effort in the heat did take a lot out of me, so a good recovery / rest day is needed. What a difference the week made - from 50 to 100 degrees! What a difference making your body work in the heat versus having ideal conditions.
Donna and I wanted to do the Ididaride charity event starting in North Creek last year, but opted out at the last minute due to questionable weather and Donna was not sure she could handle the 75-mile, 6000 feet of elevation course. This year Donna trained and rode with the 2nd annual Ididaride in mind. The ride raises money for preservation of Adirondack wilderness space, so our trails are kept away from ATVs and bull-dozer like snowmobile groomers. About 80 to 90 people paid $55 each to ride this y
ear.The weather this year was ideal for riding - in the 50's, some clouds and no wind. Not a typical August day as arm warmers and wind vest were worn all day. Donna rode along some friends from her work that were riding tandem and enjoyed the draft they provided. I rode with them for about 5 minutes, and then started chasing down bikes that started ahead of us or that pulled out to the front. With the great weather and beautiful course, I was enjoying catching on to pacelines and talking with people. After coming back once to make sure Donna was okay, I set out to find the leaders.
The course is the opposite-but-equal-to ride companion of the Teddy Ride. Both start out in North Creek. The Teddy Ride loops 80 miles to the north; the Ididaride loops
75 miles to the south through Speculator an
d Indian Lake. The roads are wide and shoulders well maintaine
d, unlike the Teddy Ride roads. As I worked up towards the front, the pacelines I joined were each a little faster. Just before getting into Speculator I joined what I assumed to be the leading pace line. We worked together well. On the first major climb I slowed down and let them pull away. Over the next 5 miles I slowly pulled them back in. I was gaining on the descents and long gradual climbs. Finally about 5 miles from Indian Lake I caught and eventually dropped them.I confirmed with the guy manning the aid station that I was the first one there. He said he was struggling to stay ahead of us as he set up each station. I learned that he finished 12th overall in the Jay Challenge - quite a feat! I then stopped at the Stewarts and decided to wait to see if Donna or others I knew (Art, who started late) would catch up. I talked with two couples from Quebec riding Harley's who had all kinds of questions about my bike. After 30 minutes I was cooling down too much, even after drinking a coffee, so decided to go the last 20 miles to the finish. About 13 of the last 20 miles are all downhill, so it was a fun cruise back to the car. Donna and the others soon arrived and we enjoyed a great meal put on by The Inn at Gore Mountain. We had fun talking with Art and Gary and others.
During the week I did some solo mountain biking at SMBA and our home trails. The trails everywhere are dry and very fast! The Yeti needed to have the brake lines bled and refilled with oil, so I dropped the bike at Elevate and took the Epic over to SMBA. They have been busy building new trails that I had fun exploring. It is hard to believe, but I think the last time I was there was on my birthday back in November! I need to get there more because these trails are some of the best in the northeast. At home it has worked well to use the lights and go later in the day. If I start now at 7:30 it is just starting to get dark. In the woods you need the lights right away. I did one good effort in the middle of the week going from end to end and then back again using the loop across the road. The 1:40 ride at very high speed was a great workout. The next day I followed Donna as she ran about 5 miles, so that was a slow paced but fun evening. Night riding is great - the shadows darting away from you look like animals running in the night. Even though you know this, you sometimes get startled by reflex. The mountain lion sightings don't help the imagination either.
One week after the 50-degree cool Ididaride ride, I rode down to Schylerville to join Bruce on one of his MHCC group rides into Washington County. As I headed down the road at 8:45 in the morning, the sweat immediately started pouring off my face. This was on the downhill ride to Schylerville! As I pumped up the short hill to the school I quickly got out of breath. When I stopped in front of Bruce and the one other rider crazy enough to head out on a 70-mile, 6000-foot excursion in the 90+ degree / 70% humidity day, I told him we are going slow today.
However, we started out fast as usual along west River Road. As the hills started we still kept a pretty good pace. Before long the sun burned through the thick, heavy haze, but the humidity remained. It was getting brutal. Our other rider was out on his first Quick-level ride and had never done anything longer than 50 miles. This was not a good day, route or pace for him to start. So, we sent him down Route 40 to wait for us at a Stewart's while Bruce and I did the first of the big climbs. As we headed to the second big climb, Street Road, we both decided we had enough. We did lesser hills until we met back up with Mike in Argyle and then skipped the Summit Lake climb and headed back an easier way.
I managed to keep well hydrated and did not get muscle cramps. I was taking in extra electrolytes by downing Rolaids for magnesium and calcium, and getting sodium from 4X GU and Margaretta Cliff Shots. At the last stop I downed a cold V-8 and water. However, the heat was accumulating and my core temperature was rising. I was good until about the last 5 miles, after Bruce and Mike turned right for the bridge over the Hudson and I turned left to climb up Hogs Back to home, I started to get bad stomach cramps. In fact my stomach was bloating! My body had shunted all blood away from the gut to my extremities to cool. As a result, the guts stop moving. The warm Gatorade was expanding in my stomach and nothing was moving out.
After a shower and cooling off by the fan and air conditioner, along with some cool water, my stomach returned to normal. The effort in the heat did take a lot out of me, so a good recovery / rest day is needed. What a difference the week made - from 50 to 100 degrees! What a difference making your body work in the heat versus having ideal conditions.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Ti Ride and Grafton Tour
A unique out-and-back ride on Lake George and giving a co-worker a tour of Grafton provide enjoyable change of pace to riding in August.
Donna and I have noticed the "Ti RIDE" advertised in the Adirondack Sport and Fitness monthly newspaper for a couple of years now. The tour boats running out of the southern Lake George village have only one trip per year where they take a boat all the way up to the northern tip of the lake at Ticonderoga. On this occasion they allow cyclists to drop off a change of clothes and picnic lunches on the boat in the morning. You can then cycle up to Ticonderoga, meet the boat when it arrives at 11 to 11:30, then take the two-hour cruise back to the village of Lake George.
This year we planned well in advance and did the ride. It was not easy to get motivated to get up at 5 am on a Sunday morning after a hard work week, but we did. We packed the car with our bags of clothes and lunch and drove off with Alix in charge of the dogs until 5 pm. We got to the docks at Lake George before 7am and dropped our stuff in the bow of the Mohican and parked the car. There were many cyclists already underway. By the time we got on the road it was 7:30 or so.
Donna and I have done the 10-mile run, one-way 4th of July running race up Route 9N from Lake George Village to Bolton Landing several times. So, we know this stretch of road very well. The traffic was light on the Sunday morning. As soon as we passed the finish of the 10-mile mark and got past Bolton Landing, the road started to climb. This first hill was just a primer for the real tester - Tongue Mountain, which starts at mile 20.
Just before the climb we met and rode with a biker from Schenectady - Dave K. We had a chat and started to work on the climb. It was a good climb with some stretches pushing 15 percent, but on average 9-10 percent for two miles. I did not feel well as I started the harder effort, but Donna did great. We were all together for most of the climb, but separated out towards the top. The best part was the descent! With a wide road, little traffic and big sweeping turns I felt confident and wanted the rush. So, at the top I put it in the big ring and pumped to 30 MPH on the top and let 'er rip.
My intention was to not have to scrub any speed for the whole two-mile plunge. However, as I got through the first few turns and approached a tighter curve I looked down at my speedometer. It read 51 MPH so I felt compelled to shave off a just a little speed in order to not lean too hard or cheat too far into the other lane. It was a great ride, very similar to going down from the top of Neil's Gap into Helen, Georgia - that descent is 7 miles long! We stopped and talked at the bottom. Dave K rode up and took this picture as we looked out at the mountains across the lake.
Donna and I have noticed the "Ti RIDE" advertised in the Adirondack Sport and Fitness monthly newspaper for a couple of years now. The tour boats running out of the southern Lake George village have only one trip per year where they take a boat all the way up to the northern tip of the lake at Ticonderoga. On this occasion they allow cyclists to drop off a change of clothes and picnic lunches on the boat in the morning. You can then cycle up to Ticonderoga, meet the boat when it arrives at 11 to 11:30, then take the two-hour cruise back to the village of Lake George.
This year we planned well in advance and did the ride. It was not easy to get motivated to get up at 5 am on a Sunday morning after a hard work week, but we did. We packed the car with our bags of clothes and lunch and drove off with Alix in charge of the dogs until 5 pm. We got to the docks at Lake George before 7am and dropped our stuff in the bow of the Mohican and parked the car. There were many cyclists already underway. By the time we got on the road it was 7:30 or so.
Donna and I have done the 10-mile run, one-way 4th of July running race up Route 9N from Lake George Village to Bolton Landing several times. So, we know this stretch of road very well. The traffic was light on the Sunday morning. As soon as we passed the finish of the 10-mile mark and got past Bolton Landing, the road started to climb. This first hill was just a primer for the real tester - Tongue Mountain, which starts at mile 20.
Just before the climb we met and rode with a biker from Schenectady - Dave K. We had a chat and started to work on the climb. It was a good climb with some stretches pushing 15 percent, but on average 9-10 percent for two miles. I did not feel well as I started the harder effort, but Donna did great. We were all together for most of the climb, but separated out towards the top. The best part was the descent! With a wide road, little traffic and big sweeping turns I felt confident and wanted the rush. So, at the top I put it in the big ring and pumped to 30 MPH on the top and let 'er rip.
My intention was to not have to scrub any speed for the whole two-mile plunge. However, as I got through the first few turns and approached a tighter curve I looked down at my speedometer. It read 51 MPH so I felt compelled to shave off a just a little speed in order to not lean too hard or cheat too far into the other lane. It was a great ride, very similar to going down from the top of Neil's Gap into Helen, Georgia - that descent is 7 miles long! We stopped and talked at the bottom. Dave K rode up and took this picture as we looked out at the mountains across the lake.
Donna found a Monarch butterfly laying eggs on a milkweed here and she kept it in a lunch bag inside her jersey all the way to the end. We hooked up with another rider and I pulled us ahead of a good tailwind the rest of the way to the Baldwin docks in Ticonderoga. We were early arrivals and as we waited we jumped in off the docks and enjoyed the warm water of Lake George. In all about 60 riders were taking advantage of the cruise. All 60 bikes were carefully stowed away in the bow of the ship and we enjoyed at beautiful ride down one of the most scenic lakes in the world on a clear blue day.
Marty has only recently taken up mountain biking and I have enjoyed introducing him to the sport. He is quite skilled on the technical terrain for not having a lot of experience. He has gone with me all three years to the Kingdom Trails at our Sales Conference. The last time was on his new K2 bike and it was down to just the two of us. The year before we injured one of our suppliers who was a good road biker. Marty has a great set of trails near his home in Stowe that we rode together with Paul. So, I was anxious to show him what we had at Grafton.
We started on Spruce Bog, which is normally wet and sloppy, but was dry and not slippery. Once I saw he could handle that mess of roots and rocks, even under these ideal conditions, I knew he was in good shape. We then climbed to the Fire Tower, came down through Chet Bell and Little Johnnies and ended the 2:20 ride on Water Tower. It was fun to lead someone new through these trails. Next time I will take him to SMBA or Spier Falls.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
August Outings and Work Schedule - the good and bad of summer ridn
A classic Adirondack road ride with MHCC, vacation time with Donna and night time trail rides balance off long work week that leaves me too weary to ride as much as I want on the weekend.
The 'Teddy' ride is short for Teddy Roosevelt, and is what we call the 80-mile, 6000-foot of elevation ride 'around the block' from North Creek to Blue Mountain Lake to Long Lake and back through Newcomb and Minerva - four right-hand turns, two roads. TR made the trip when he was VP and then had to high-tail it back to Washington DC when McKinney was shot. The first 13 miles are all up hill, followed by Adirondack rollers, and the 8 miles from the last stop in Minerva are all down hill. It was good to get back to doing a ride that would challenge me in length and intensity. While the Teddy ride is listed as 'tour-paced' it is really done more quickly than that. This year we averaged a little over 18 MPH. I have seriously bonked on this ride in the past having eaten bad Combos (pretzel/cheese snacks that I now avoid like the plaque) at the Long Lake Stewart's. I have also seen other good riders bonk on the ride, and this year was no exception. It is easy to start off hard thinking all the climbing is in the beginning and then not have enough in the tank to finish off the ride. That is the case especially for me. I always start fast and hard and then hang on to finish. But, I have learned to overcome this natural tendency, especially on the Teddy Ride.
We had a good group of 16 riders at the start. Two decided to turn back at Blue Mountain Lake, which is the last chance to go back without going all the way. We spread out pretty thin as everyone finds their own pace on the long climb to Indian Lake. After a quick re-group at the Stewart's, it is off to Blue Mountain Lake where we are supposed to regroup again and then climb up the shoulder of Blue Mountain and ride the rollers to Long Lake. The weather is perfect with little wind and crystal clear blue skies. I stopped at Blue Mountain Lake, but only Bruce and Skip and a couple of others did, the riders ahead went through and the riders behind were way behind.
Bruce and I stayed together and worked together all the way to Long Lake. I like this stretch of the road the best. The rest stop at Long Lake is an extended lunch stop. I now eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a cup of coffee instead of the dreaded combos. The protein and fat and caffeine get me through to the end as long as I take in some GU around an hour after we start again. Another traditional stop is at the Newcomb gazebo overlooking many high peaks. I could see Algonquin and it is fun to know that I hiked to that high peak. I try not to think about the knee pain associated with the hike. One last stop at a shade tree along the road
in Minerva and we wait for the ones that are struggling. The one bonker this year is a young rider just starting out, same as last year. Both are in excellent shape, just need to learn the art of fueling and portioning out their energy, which comes with experience. The last stretch from Minerva to North Creek is a blast. All the rollers have longer downhills than uphills and the momentum carries you over the rise each time. I wind up leading the pack home again on this stretch with a good pace - not too fast so we stay all together and not too slow to enjoy the roller coaster effect. We get into the park and chow down on Hand melons I brought thanks to Alix and other goodies. Another great Teddy Ride!
Donna and I took vacation time but did not plan any trips. With dogs and Alix it is a chore to get away. So, we just planned to ride from home or take short trips and then ride. We did both. Our short trip was to Schroon Lake where we rode the 26-mile road around the lake -- the same route they run a marathon on in the fall. Starting at the southern boat ramp we worked our way clockwise around the lake. The start up the west side was on busy Route 9, so it was not that great. But when we made the turn over the top of the lake, the road became very interesting. Sharp steep hills and curves were the order of the day as we made our way all the way back to the start. Lots of steep driveways down to interesting waterfront homes. Donna and I were both getting pretty tired on this short ride, so we knew the hills were taking a toll. Also, I looked at my thermometer on my bike computer and it read 98-degrees! So, that was certainly a factor as well. We drove to the Country Store in the village of Adirondack and bought and inhaled some turkey sandwiches and then drove to a state park and swam and slept - a great day!
The time off was good to do these rides and to rest. However, work had to start again too soon. And the schedule and miles made it hard to get in good riding during the work week. This week was so bad that the riding I had planned for Saturday, a Bruce ride or the Mountain Biking Festival at Grafton, both were left unattended as I rested and caught up on paper work. During the week I did manage to get in a road ride with Donna after working out in central NY on Wednesday and a night ride on the home trails after a long day in Connecticut, so it was not a total flop of an August good weather week. Tomorrow we have a ride planned where we meet the steamship Mohican in Lake George, drop of a change of clothes and lunch on the boat and then ride the 40 miles up to Ticonderoga where we will board the boat and cruise home. Should be fun.
The 'Teddy' ride is short for Teddy Roosevelt, and is what we call the 80-mile, 6000-foot of elevation ride 'around the block' from North Creek to Blue Mountain Lake to Long Lake and back through Newcomb and Minerva - four right-hand turns, two roads. TR made the trip when he was VP and then had to high-tail it back to Washington DC when McKinney was shot. The first 13 miles are all up hill, followed by Adirondack rollers, and the 8 miles from the last stop in Minerva are all down hill. It was good to get back to doing a ride that would challenge me in length and intensity. While the Teddy ride is listed as 'tour-paced' it is really done more quickly than that. This year we averaged a little over 18 MPH. I have seriously bonked on this ride in the past having eaten bad Combos (pretzel/cheese snacks that I now avoid like the plaque) at the Long Lake Stewart's. I have also seen other good riders bonk on the ride, and this year was no exception. It is easy to start off hard thinking all the climbing is in the beginning and then not have enough in the tank to finish off the ride. That is the case especially for me. I always start fast and hard and then hang on to finish. But, I have learned to overcome this natural tendency, especially on the Teddy Ride.
We had a good group of 16 riders at the start. Two decided to turn back at Blue Mountain Lake, which is the last chance to go back without going all the way. We spread out pretty thin as everyone finds their own pace on the long climb to Indian Lake. After a quick re-group at the Stewart's, it is off to Blue Mountain Lake where we are supposed to regroup again and then climb up the shoulder of Blue Mountain and ride the rollers to Long Lake. The weather is perfect with little wind and crystal clear blue skies. I stopped at Blue Mountain Lake, but only Bruce and Skip and a couple of others did, the riders ahead went through and the riders behind were way behind.
Bruce and I stayed together and worked together all the way to Long Lake. I like this stretch of the road the best. The rest stop at Long Lake is an extended lunch stop. I now eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a cup of coffee instead of the dreaded combos. The protein and fat and caffeine get me through to the end as long as I take in some GU around an hour after we start again. Another traditional stop is at the Newcomb gazebo overlooking many high peaks. I could see Algonquin and it is fun to know that I hiked to that high peak. I try not to think about the knee pain associated with the hike. One last stop at a shade tree along the road
in Minerva and we wait for the ones that are struggling. The one bonker this year is a young rider just starting out, same as last year. Both are in excellent shape, just need to learn the art of fueling and portioning out their energy, which comes with experience. The last stretch from Minerva to North Creek is a blast. All the rollers have longer downhills than uphills and the momentum carries you over the rise each time. I wind up leading the pack home again on this stretch with a good pace - not too fast so we stay all together and not too slow to enjoy the roller coaster effect. We get into the park and chow down on Hand melons I brought thanks to Alix and other goodies. Another great Teddy Ride!Donna and I took vacation time but did not plan any trips. With dogs and Alix it is a chore to get away. So, we just planned to ride from home or take short trips and then ride. We did both. Our short trip was to Schroon Lake where we rode the 26-mile road around the lake -- the same route they run a marathon on in the fall. Starting at the southern boat ramp we worked our way clockwise around the lake. The start up the west side was on busy Route 9, so it was not that great. But when we made the turn over the top of the lake, the road became very interesting. Sharp steep hills and curves were the order of the day as we made our way all the way back to the start. Lots of steep driveways down to interesting waterfront homes. Donna and I were both getting pretty tired on this short ride, so we knew the hills were taking a toll. Also, I looked at my thermometer on my bike computer and it read 98-degrees! So, that was certainly a factor as well. We drove to the Country Store in the village of Adirondack and bought and inhaled some turkey sandwiches and then drove to a state park and swam and slept - a great day!
The time off was good to do these rides and to rest. However, work had to start again too soon. And the schedule and miles made it hard to get in good riding during the work week. This week was so bad that the riding I had planned for Saturday, a Bruce ride or the Mountain Biking Festival at Grafton, both were left unattended as I rested and caught up on paper work. During the week I did manage to get in a road ride with Donna after working out in central NY on Wednesday and a night ride on the home trails after a long day in Connecticut, so it was not a total flop of an August good weather week. Tomorrow we have a ride planned where we meet the steamship Mohican in Lake George, drop of a change of clothes and lunch on the boat and then ride the 40 miles up to Ticonderoga where we will board the boat and cruise home. Should be fun.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Easy Spinning July
Knee injury makes progress and then returns with a hike in the Adirondacks. Biking is a cure but at a more relaxed pace than I am used to, which provides surprising benefits.
Slipping and falling on a slippery rock while mountain biking at Grafton left my knee in pretty bad shape. But, it returned to good working order in short order after biking on the road. So good that I agreed to do a hike with Donna - big mistake! The hike I agreed to was a 7 mile walk up Stratton Mountain. The hike we wound up doing was a 9 mile climb over the Brothers and Big Slide, an Adirondack 4000-footer. Donna's brother called the morning we were taking off and told her about his planned hike which started with the hike we did. So, we would meet them on the way up instead of going over to VT. Which worked out well.
We caught Kevin, Luke and his two buddies on the ascent of the first Brother and stayed with them until we started over towards Big Slide. Then we separated as they were moving pretty slow due to their large overnight backpacks. It started to rain pretty good and the climb to the peak of Big Slide was done in a downpour. The downpour would last the rest of our trip. The climbing part is the easy part for me. The descent is the killer. Every step puts pressure on both knees that just drives the pain home. With slippery conditions, it is even worse. We hit a bare, slick rock section that was ice-like. Even being extra careful, I managed to fall heavily on my right elbow which pushed my arm up into my shoulder, resulting in a partial separation or tear in the A-C joint.
After eight hours of trudging through the trail, we returned to the car. Kevin and his group were to go up a couple of more High Peaks before camping that night, but we were sure that did not happen. As it turned out, they just made it down low enough to camp in a lean-to after peaking on Big Slide, and then trudged out themselves the next day. Needless to say, now both my knees and shoulder were hurting. Muscle soreness, since I am no longer running, also was an issue for a few days. The joints were to be a longer lasting issue.
However, after a couple of days recovery, I was out on the road bike. Last month (June) I set a record for Mountain Bike miles at 103, mostly due to the Black Fly Challenge. In July, I pretty much stick to the road, doing 13 rides averaging 34 miles each with still a couple of days to go. I am 43 miles short of a record July road mileage, so will have to see if I can work that in tomorrow.
The riding I am doing is at a much slower pace due the joint tenderness. Donna and I have ridden together more than ever this month and it has been great. I still get a good workout because I can hit the hills hard and then wait at top or circle back. Once in awhile I will time trial out ahead and then again wait or circle back. Going slower has allowed for faster recovery, so more rides. Also, new routes are ridden when someone else picks the roads. We have been taking turns "leading" the rides.
One thing I did to relieve strain on the knees was installing a 12-25 cassette on the Cannondale. With the 50/34 crankset, the effort needed to get up and over steep inclines is much reduced. Also, I have been doing more time trial riding on flat roads - getting the cob webs off the Y-Foil. Finally, last Friday, I got back into the woods and did an intermediate ride with the Grafton group. New tires on the Epic have reduced the chance of slippage on rocks. It was a mistake to go so long with the worn out tires I was running. I now have to get a new set for the Yeti.
With quite a few vacation days on the book for August and September, we have a great opportunity to get some good riding in. We have a couple of Adirondack long group road rides planned, along with a ride from Lake George to Ticonderoga, returning by boat. Playing around on the home trails has inspired me to use the great opportunity of getting out in the woods at home for workouts - even using the lights to get rides in. Who knows, maybe I can get Mountain Bike race-fit for one of the fall races.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Rest, Then Ride - a Knee Cure ?
Twisted knee takes longer to mend than anticipated; a 30-mile, flat and fast ride moves it to ride-ready state.
After the initial swelling went down, the knee seemed to get worse. Bone-on-bone pressure would not let me walk without discomfort and any twist or side pressure was painful. I stopped all riding except very light stuff - which actually opened my eyes to the pleasure of just going places on the bike. I rode the Epic at a very easy pace on the home trails and then met Donna up on Route 40 as she returned from a Willard workout. Then, after a full moon rising over Willard Mountain dog walk, I rode into the moon lit night to watch the fireworks from the Elks Club. The planets and moon and lightning bugs were all the fireworks I really needed. After circling the large sweetcorn field behind Hand's the fireworks started just after 10 pm. I was riding as slow as I could go, even just had on sneakers. It was a memorable night of wandering in the night on a bike and being treated to natural and man made fireworks.
My knee just kept getting worse with all the rest. I became despondent thinking that all year long I wait for the good weather of summer, and then when the weather is absolutely spectacular, I am 'resting and recovering' instead of riding. Which is fine, except the knee is not responding. I start thinking about knee replacement for the future and wonder if I will get to do the activities I want to do later in life - hiking the ADKs with Donna and ridn - snowboard and bicycles, and start getting depressed.
In order to keep some level of aerobic condition I decided swim at the Y. A good set of laps for 45 minutes one afternoon provided a boost to the spirits and condition. The next day the knee felt no better or worse and I just decided to ride the bike to see where I was at. I selected about as flat a route as possible from home. Out past the fairgrounds, down to Thompson and out Route 4 along the Hudson - against a strong head wind. I felt good and strong and though I did not want to push it, wound up averaging about 19 MPH into the wind. I turned at the 15 mile mark and then took it easy with the help of a tailwind. I was a bit uncomfortable and had to take out the foot and flex the knee a few times on the way back. Took a side detour along the river at Fort Miller. Taking it very easy on the climb back up Booth's hill and returning to home, I felt good. I iced the knee and took ibuprofen after eating a light meal before bed.
Waking the next morning I forgot about the knee when I walked around the house. Then I remembered and was amazed that there was absolutely no pain when I walked. I felt good enough that later in the day I mowed the backyard. I decided that was enough of a push this early, but I am encouraged. Today I will do another similar type of ride to see where I am at. Hopefully, Donna and I will do some riding or hiking over the 4th of July Holiday.
After the initial swelling went down, the knee seemed to get worse. Bone-on-bone pressure would not let me walk without discomfort and any twist or side pressure was painful. I stopped all riding except very light stuff - which actually opened my eyes to the pleasure of just going places on the bike. I rode the Epic at a very easy pace on the home trails and then met Donna up on Route 40 as she returned from a Willard workout. Then, after a full moon rising over Willard Mountain dog walk, I rode into the moon lit night to watch the fireworks from the Elks Club. The planets and moon and lightning bugs were all the fireworks I really needed. After circling the large sweetcorn field behind Hand's the fireworks started just after 10 pm. I was riding as slow as I could go, even just had on sneakers. It was a memorable night of wandering in the night on a bike and being treated to natural and man made fireworks.
My knee just kept getting worse with all the rest. I became despondent thinking that all year long I wait for the good weather of summer, and then when the weather is absolutely spectacular, I am 'resting and recovering' instead of riding. Which is fine, except the knee is not responding. I start thinking about knee replacement for the future and wonder if I will get to do the activities I want to do later in life - hiking the ADKs with Donna and ridn - snowboard and bicycles, and start getting depressed.
In order to keep some level of aerobic condition I decided swim at the Y. A good set of laps for 45 minutes one afternoon provided a boost to the spirits and condition. The next day the knee felt no better or worse and I just decided to ride the bike to see where I was at. I selected about as flat a route as possible from home. Out past the fairgrounds, down to Thompson and out Route 4 along the Hudson - against a strong head wind. I felt good and strong and though I did not want to push it, wound up averaging about 19 MPH into the wind. I turned at the 15 mile mark and then took it easy with the help of a tailwind. I was a bit uncomfortable and had to take out the foot and flex the knee a few times on the way back. Took a side detour along the river at Fort Miller. Taking it very easy on the climb back up Booth's hill and returning to home, I felt good. I iced the knee and took ibuprofen after eating a light meal before bed.
Waking the next morning I forgot about the knee when I walked around the house. Then I remembered and was amazed that there was absolutely no pain when I walked. I felt good enough that later in the day I mowed the backyard. I decided that was enough of a push this early, but I am encouraged. Today I will do another similar type of ride to see where I am at. Hopefully, Donna and I will do some riding or hiking over the 4th of July Holiday.
Monday, June 25, 2007
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.
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.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Adirondack Mountain Weekend
Another Weekend, another race - this time Whiteface Mountain UPHILL Bike Race. Donna and I made a weekend of it as she did an ADK A+ rated hike up and over Ester and Whiteface while I rested up and warmed up and then raced up the 8-mile road to the summit of Whiteface. Mid-week I enjoyed a great Mountain Bike ride in the Norhteast Kingdom of VT during our June Conference. We ended the weekend staying at a great and peaceful B+B in Keene Valley.
Hill training on Willard and developing a better power to weight ratio were benefits of putting the Whiteface Race on the schedule. As a result my time continued in a pattern setup back in 2004 when I first did the race. My time then was 1:08. I missed in 2005, but rode again in 2006, two years later, and 2 minutes slower at 1:10. In 2007 the pattern of losing 1 minute per year continued as I clocked in at 1:11, which put me at 28 out of 41 in the 50 to 59 age group and 166 out of 245 riders overall.
After last weeks race the only riding I did before this race was a 3:40 ride covering about 25 miles of beautiful Vermont single track at the Kingdom Trails. Marty and I were the only ones taking advantage of the mountain biking paradise at our disposal. We took a lift in a pick-up so the first 2 mile climb on the highway was avoided. After dropping us at the campground, the Trail Director gave us directions for a great loop. We would climb up the right side of the toll road, then drop down Dead Moose Alley, then climb up again about 1/2 way until we hit the CCC road over to the ski area, dropping down the J-Bar run, which is the best single track I have ever been on! Then it was up to the start of Moose Alley that drops all the way down to the river. White School takes you back to the start. The weather was great and I could go hard and then wait for Marty - getting good interval workout and enjoying the scenery.
I have developed a routine for driving up to the race, resting and then warming up before starting the race. This year I park again at the Post Office and took a nap in the shade. As I was waking up a car pulled into a space near mine and starting setting up. I looked at the car and it was a Toyota Supra Turbo - 1991 with 191,000 miles on it, so I had to tell him about Jesse's Supra. Tom and Bridget were from Rochester and he had a beautiful Titus frame built up with mountain bike components. The handlebar had bar ends that formed 'antlers' to the inside and had bar end shifters on them. He had back issues and had the bike custom fitted and built. Tom is a 9 year veteran of the Mt. Washington climb, but doing Whiteface for the first time. We had a good time talking and Bridget offered to take a jacket up to the top for me. I got about an hour of riding before the start and then waited for the 'real' start with Tom and other older riders.
Each year the first two miles are a killer. I get to start in the last wave, 15 minutes behind the first wave, so the warm up fades and the body needs to kick in again when the gun goes off. I used the 34 x 11:21 gear combo and was in the 21 most of the time. When I checked back in my training log I saw that last year I had the 11:23 sproket on. This year's gearing had locked me into grinding hard and not spinning. The thought has been that if I have lower gears available I will not spin fast enough to keep the speed high enough. But, I thought I had used the 11:21 last year. The down side is when you are locked into the lowest gear right from the start, with the ability to shift higher only coming after the 5 mile mark when the road levels off some from the 8% average grade, it plays with your head.
Donna cheered all of us on from the hood of her Crown Vic at the 4-mile mark. She told me I was looking good, but I answered, "I don't feel good!" Actually, I was just starting to feel better. In fact I stood and passed several riders that had fallen off the wave ahead of me just after passing Donna. The course eases up just a tad at the Toll Station and then goes back into the 8-10% grade until the 5.5 mile point. I passed a few riders that had mechanical and physical issues before catching some that had fallen off the earlier waves.
With about 1.5 miles to go you can see the top, and it is always a mental anchor. It is hard to believe I am going to pedal up to that point in the time that is left. I have the computer set to give me the race time and distance, but did not look at the time until I had only a few minutes left. I did look at the miles as I climbed. At this point I always struggle to keep the effort high enough. I use the heart rate monitor to make sure I am pushing hard enough, but not too hard. The right amount of effort is between 160 and 165 beats per minute (bpm). If I go harder, I will blow-up; lower and I will regret not going harder. I looked at the monitor at this point and saw that I was doing 157, so I tried to dig harder. Lower back pain has kept that from happening at this stage the last two times and this time is no different. Standing and sitting helps and eventually you start to hear the cheering of the crowd at the finish.
The finish is always around one more bend in the road than I think it is. As a result when I hear the crowd I push to over 170 bpm and can not sustain it. But, it serves the purpose of passing a few right at the end. As I finally do round the last turn the road pitches up to make you really work to hit the finish. It is a long straight climb and now you can let it all out. Heart rate topped out at 175 as I hit the finish line with several riders that see-sawed back and forth with me the last mile or so. The worst part is that you immediately have to dismount the bike and walk in the order you finished so they can properly record your placing.
A mere 30 seconds after feeling like you are going to explode and collapse, you feel great again. In fact better than great, y
ou feel awesome! I get back on the bike and slowly roll up to the end of the road and look out over Lake Placid and the rest of the mountains. Soon the cool air on top and the soaked clothes combine to make you very cool. I get some water, Gatorade, bananas and oranges and then start looking for Tom and Bridget. Before I find them, I spot Dan, who leads our winter spinning class, crossing the line. After I get my jacket and talk briefly to Tom I start the descent - the funnest part! You hit 40-plus MPH really easy and there are large pot holes that can throw you down if you are not careful. After stopping a couple of times to admire the mountain top views I start really going fast. The last 4 miles are great as there are fewer potholes and turns to worry about so you do not have to scrub off any speed. Finally I get down to the car after hitting a 48 MPH max speed for an extended time. I change at the car and then drive over to find Donna at the post race dinner. We found John from last week and Dan and visited after we ate.
Donna was also pretty spent after her strenuous hike, so we both welcomed the comfort of the Trails End Bed and Breakfast in Keene Valley, about a 20 minute drive from the race finish. We quickly showered and hit the large comfortable bed in our large and airy room. Great place and breakfast in the morning was only surpassed by the post-breakfast nap until the 11 am check out time forced us to leave. A great finish to a great weekend. We drove home after stopping at Chapel Pond to look up at the great rock ledges.
Hill training on Willard and developing a better power to weight ratio were benefits of putting the Whiteface Race on the schedule. As a result my time continued in a pattern setup back in 2004 when I first did the race. My time then was 1:08. I missed in 2005, but rode again in 2006, two years later, and 2 minutes slower at 1:10. In 2007 the pattern of losing 1 minute per year continued as I clocked in at 1:11, which put me at 28 out of 41 in the 50 to 59 age group and 166 out of 245 riders overall.
After last weeks race the only riding I did before this race was a 3:40 ride covering about 25 miles of beautiful Vermont single track at the Kingdom Trails. Marty and I were the only ones taking advantage of the mountain biking paradise at our disposal. We took a lift in a pick-up so the first 2 mile climb on the highway was avoided. After dropping us at the campground, the Trail Director gave us directions for a great loop. We would climb up the right side of the toll road, then drop down Dead Moose Alley, then climb up again about 1/2 way until we hit the CCC road over to the ski area, dropping down the J-Bar run, which is the best single track I have ever been on! Then it was up to the start of Moose Alley that drops all the way down to the river. White School takes you back to the start. The weather was great and I could go hard and then wait for Marty - getting good interval workout and enjoying the scenery.
I have developed a routine for driving up to the race, resting and then warming up before starting the race. This year I park again at the Post Office and took a nap in the shade. As I was waking up a car pulled into a space near mine and starting setting up. I looked at the car and it was a Toyota Supra Turbo - 1991 with 191,000 miles on it, so I had to tell him about Jesse's Supra. Tom and Bridget were from Rochester and he had a beautiful Titus frame built up with mountain bike components. The handlebar had bar ends that formed 'antlers' to the inside and had bar end shifters on them. He had back issues and had the bike custom fitted and built. Tom is a 9 year veteran of the Mt. Washington climb, but doing Whiteface for the first time. We had a good time talking and Bridget offered to take a jacket up to the top for me. I got about an hour of riding before the start and then waited for the 'real' start with Tom and other older riders.
Each year the first two miles are a killer. I get to start in the last wave, 15 minutes behind the first wave, so the warm up fades and the body needs to kick in again when the gun goes off. I used the 34 x 11:21 gear combo and was in the 21 most of the time. When I checked back in my training log I saw that last year I had the 11:23 sproket on. This year's gearing had locked me into grinding hard and not spinning. The thought has been that if I have lower gears available I will not spin fast enough to keep the speed high enough. But, I thought I had used the 11:21 last year. The down side is when you are locked into the lowest gear right from the start, with the ability to shift higher only coming after the 5 mile mark when the road levels off some from the 8% average grade, it plays with your head.
Donna cheered all of us on from the hood of her Crown Vic at the 4-mile mark. She told me I was looking good, but I answered, "I don't feel good!" Actually, I was just starting to feel better. In fact I stood and passed several riders that had fallen off the wave ahead of me just after passing Donna. The course eases up just a tad at the Toll Station and then goes back into the 8-10% grade until the 5.5 mile point. I passed a few riders that had mechanical and physical issues before catching some that had fallen off the earlier waves.
With about 1.5 miles to go you can see the top, and it is always a mental anchor. It is hard to believe I am going to pedal up to that point in the time that is left. I have the computer set to give me the race time and distance, but did not look at the time until I had only a few minutes left. I did look at the miles as I climbed. At this point I always struggle to keep the effort high enough. I use the heart rate monitor to make sure I am pushing hard enough, but not too hard. The right amount of effort is between 160 and 165 beats per minute (bpm). If I go harder, I will blow-up; lower and I will regret not going harder. I looked at the monitor at this point and saw that I was doing 157, so I tried to dig harder. Lower back pain has kept that from happening at this stage the last two times and this time is no different. Standing and sitting helps and eventually you start to hear the cheering of the crowd at the finish.
The finish is always around one more bend in the road than I think it is. As a result when I hear the crowd I push to over 170 bpm and can not sustain it. But, it serves the purpose of passing a few right at the end. As I finally do round the last turn the road pitches up to make you really work to hit the finish. It is a long straight climb and now you can let it all out. Heart rate topped out at 175 as I hit the finish line with several riders that see-sawed back and forth with me the last mile or so. The worst part is that you immediately have to dismount the bike and walk in the order you finished so they can properly record your placing.
A mere 30 seconds after feeling like you are going to explode and collapse, you feel great again. In fact better than great, y
ou feel awesome! I get back on the bike and slowly roll up to the end of the road and look out over Lake Placid and the rest of the mountains. Soon the cool air on top and the soaked clothes combine to make you very cool. I get some water, Gatorade, bananas and oranges and then start looking for Tom and Bridget. Before I find them, I spot Dan, who leads our winter spinning class, crossing the line. After I get my jacket and talk briefly to Tom I start the descent - the funnest part! You hit 40-plus MPH really easy and there are large pot holes that can throw you down if you are not careful. After stopping a couple of times to admire the mountain top views I start really going fast. The last 4 miles are great as there are fewer potholes and turns to worry about so you do not have to scrub off any speed. Finally I get down to the car after hitting a 48 MPH max speed for an extended time. I change at the car and then drive over to find Donna at the post race dinner. We found John from last week and Dan and visited after we ate.Donna was also pretty spent after her strenuous hike, so we both welcomed the comfort of the Trails End Bed and Breakfast in Keene Valley, about a 20 minute drive from the race finish. We quickly showered and hit the large comfortable bed in our large and airy room. Great place and breakfast in the morning was only surpassed by the post-breakfast nap until the 11 am check out time forced us to leave. A great finish to a great weekend. We drove home after stopping at Chapel Pond to look up at the great rock ledges.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
May Wrap-up
Memorial Day Weekend provides a memorable end to May. A 62-mile, 5000-foot climbing ride in the Adirondacks on Saturday, followed by Donna and I teaming up for the Saratoga Duathlon on Sunday, and a mountain bike ride up the 11 mile Kelly Stand Road in Vermont privided an opportunity to go hard at three disciplines / bikes in one weekend.
Saturday's MHCC group ride led by Art G., called "Team Guerrilla Road Ride, Alternate Plan B (TGRRAPB)," was the first "Quick Ride" of my cycling life back in 2000 and I have returned every year since. The first ride was with my old FujiClub 12-speed and I was very nervous not knowing any of the riders. I had no idea what a ride of that length or amount of climbing would entail. I even did not know what to bring along in terms of repair tools, food, etc. I strapped my large handlebar mounted pack on and loaded it up with spare parts and tools! At the last minute, after I saw that the rest of the riders had tiny saddle bags, I ejected my 5 inch adjustable wrench. I kept up with the pack of 15 or so riders the first half of the ride, but paid the price the second half with cramps. I limped in many minutes after Art had provided a wheel to bring in an overweight guy that was behind me with 10 miles to go.
Since that first ride I have learned a great deal on how to eat and train. We have had as few as 7 riders on cold, rainy days and set the record for the most riders this year due to the great weather at 32. The second year of
riding TGRRAPB I learned about over-hydrating. I just drank water and wound up cramping again, even though in better shape, due to diluting out my electrolytes. After this lesson I always carry one bottle of water and another of sports drink and alternate drinking from each. The third year I learned how eating too many carbs and not enough protein induces insulin to drain all of your circulating blood sugar leaving you without fuel for muscles. At the half way point we stop usually for about 20 to 30 minutes at a country store in Adirondack for a rest stop. The picture shows us a this year's edition. After devouring large amounts of GU and power bars and sports drink we started off around Schroon Lake. After about 20 minutes my legs seized up on this ride for the third time in a row. By the fourth year I finally completed a TGRRAPB in good shape. I now pack a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for my longer rides and can eat it with confidence even at a long stop knowing that the protein and fat will prevent the insulin surge.
The long climbs and descents and smooth Adirondack roads twisting by lakes, rivers, streams and mountains make the TGRRAPB a must ride for every year. There is a core group of riders that returns year after year. Some are the same riders that do other Quick Rides and others I only see on this ride. This year we had a fellow that claimed to be an American European ProTour rider. He had a beautiful Team Phonak BMC team issue bike and told great stories about riding for Landis and others on the Phonak team. We always stay and eat some cake that Art's wife provides and talk about the ride and other things as we recover. The group this year was pretty unanimous in thinking our ProTour rider was spinning a tall tale on us.
The last three years I have gotten myself into the shape and have the experience to do the ride well without needing lots of recovery time. In fact, I have done it knowing I will be doing a 20-mile time trail the following day teaming up with Alix or Donna in the Saratoga Duathlon. The first year Alix and I managed to run-ride-run to first place in the mixed team division. Alix ran a good first 5K and I used my Trek Y-foil to advantage and completed the 4-lap, 5 miles per lap course in about one hour. The result was that Alix was the first women to start the second 5K run and she held her position through to the finish. She brought the crowd to cheers as the first women finisher - she said it was awesome! That first year Donna did all three legs and placed first in her age group.
The second year the race grew in size and Donna, Alix and I failed to repeat our first place finishes, but we still were respectable. I finished 16th in the field of 200 for the bike leg portion of the race, which I thought was good. It is great fun to pass riders and move so fast through the field. The Y-Foil is such a fast bike being all carbon and DuraAce components. The aerobars with bar end shifters allows you to stay aero the whole time. The course is flat except for a short climb at the end of each lap. Once you figure the right gearing, you get into a pattern that repeats lap after lap. I watch the computer and time each lap trying to bring in negative splits. If you stay under 15 minutes per lap you are going over 20 MPH. The previous day's ride is either a good warm up or a drain on leg power or both!
This year I felt really good after doing the TGRRAPB so I expected to do well in the duathlon. For the first time I am teaming up with Donna, instead of Alix. Donna tags me at the end of her 5K and I start running with the bike out of the transition area. She yells that she has set a PR for the 5K with her first leg time. OK - now the pressure is on; I better come through with a good effort to support her PR. Last year I averaged 22.3 MPH, so to go better I need to hit well under 15 minutes per lap. I started off and felt off. Legs felt ok, but my stomach was not right. I had eaten too much - taken in what I would normally do for a long ride, not a 1 hour hard effort. By the time I rounded the third corner I started bringing up breakfast. The first climb to finish the first lap and I was not pumping in the right gear - not going fast, others were passing me! My time for the first lap was 14:45 - not fast enough. After that lap I started to feel better.
As is often the case, I passed riders and the same riders would pass me back - each of us showing our own preferences for different parts of the route. By the third lap we are thinning out to be the same riders and only passing really slow riders. My lap times were getting better each lap. By the fourth lap I felt really good. My finishing pace was a new record for me at 22.6 MPH, which was good enough for 7th overall out of 150 riders. Donna ran another good 5K leg and we finished 4th out of 12 coed teams and only 25 seconds off of 2nd place. We enjoyed the great spread of food and each had messages at the end of the race.
On Monday we decided to take out the mountain bikes and explore a favorite road over in Vermont. The Kelly Stand Road is a dirt road that climbs for about 10 miles along side a beautiful tree-lined stream. People camp between the road and stream and there is little traffic. The road is only open in the non-winter months and connects Arlington to Stratton Mountain. The Appalachian Trail crosses the road at the 9 mile mark. At the 11 mile mark there is a historical marker where Danial Webster addressed 15,000 people in July of 1840 at the Whig Convention! It is hard to believe that this little traveled road in the middle of the Vermont forest would ever have had that many people on it. The climb is long and steady but never too steep. A good workout for sure and an awesome, long and fun descent. We ate some food down along the stream and then drove home.
Today, the last day of May, I did my first ride after the Memorial Weekend trio of rides. It was one of my usual routes out Lick Spring Road, up the Summit Lake climb (.5 miles, 250 feet), up north road, back to Greenwich. I decided to finish by going up Willard and then going home, since I am training for the Whiteface Mountain Uphill Bike Race in 3 weeks. At the top of Willard I see a CRBC rider heading down. I figured he was out alone on a training ride, beating the afternoon thunderstorms like I was. When I get to the Willard Ski Area driveway I see several cars, bikes and bikers milling about. I turned into the driveway and saw that these were more CRBC clad riders. One saw me roll up and said, "Hey, this isn't one of our guys." I asked who was playing in my neighborhood. He told me that they were filming a commercial for Litespeed bikes! Sure enough they had beautiful Litespeeds decked out in Zipp wheels. They said they had to take pictures here instead of Tennessee to keep for getting shot out on the good country roads. I warned them that getting shot was still a possibility here. He asked if I was just out for a ride and I told him I lived 6 miles down the mountain and I was finishing off a 40 mile ride. We talked about the Battenkill-Rubaix Race and I rode home. Once again I was reminded how special an area we live in - a road and mountain biking paradise that I hope the rest of the world only slowly learns about so it stays that way.
Saturday's MHCC group ride led by Art G., called "Team Guerrilla Road Ride, Alternate Plan B (TGRRAPB)," was the first "Quick Ride" of my cycling life back in 2000 and I have returned every year since. The first ride was with my old FujiClub 12-speed and I was very nervous not knowing any of the riders. I had no idea what a ride of that length or amount of climbing would entail. I even did not know what to bring along in terms of repair tools, food, etc. I strapped my large handlebar mounted pack on and loaded it up with spare parts and tools! At the last minute, after I saw that the rest of the riders had tiny saddle bags, I ejected my 5 inch adjustable wrench. I kept up with the pack of 15 or so riders the first half of the ride, but paid the price the second half with cramps. I limped in many minutes after Art had provided a wheel to bring in an overweight guy that was behind me with 10 miles to go.
Since that first ride I have learned a great deal on how to eat and train. We have had as few as 7 riders on cold, rainy days and set the record for the most riders this year due to the great weather at 32. The second year of
riding TGRRAPB I learned about over-hydrating. I just drank water and wound up cramping again, even though in better shape, due to diluting out my electrolytes. After this lesson I always carry one bottle of water and another of sports drink and alternate drinking from each. The third year I learned how eating too many carbs and not enough protein induces insulin to drain all of your circulating blood sugar leaving you without fuel for muscles. At the half way point we stop usually for about 20 to 30 minutes at a country store in Adirondack for a rest stop. The picture shows us a this year's edition. After devouring large amounts of GU and power bars and sports drink we started off around Schroon Lake. After about 20 minutes my legs seized up on this ride for the third time in a row. By the fourth year I finally completed a TGRRAPB in good shape. I now pack a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for my longer rides and can eat it with confidence even at a long stop knowing that the protein and fat will prevent the insulin surge.The long climbs and descents and smooth Adirondack roads twisting by lakes, rivers, streams and mountains make the TGRRAPB a must ride for every year. There is a core group of riders that returns year after year. Some are the same riders that do other Quick Rides and others I only see on this ride. This year we had a fellow that claimed to be an American European ProTour rider. He had a beautiful Team Phonak BMC team issue bike and told great stories about riding for Landis and others on the Phonak team. We always stay and eat some cake that Art's wife provides and talk about the ride and other things as we recover. The group this year was pretty unanimous in thinking our ProTour rider was spinning a tall tale on us.
The last three years I have gotten myself into the shape and have the experience to do the ride well without needing lots of recovery time. In fact, I have done it knowing I will be doing a 20-mile time trail the following day teaming up with Alix or Donna in the Saratoga Duathlon. The first year Alix and I managed to run-ride-run to first place in the mixed team division. Alix ran a good first 5K and I used my Trek Y-foil to advantage and completed the 4-lap, 5 miles per lap course in about one hour. The result was that Alix was the first women to start the second 5K run and she held her position through to the finish. She brought the crowd to cheers as the first women finisher - she said it was awesome! That first year Donna did all three legs and placed first in her age group.
The second year the race grew in size and Donna, Alix and I failed to repeat our first place finishes, but we still were respectable. I finished 16th in the field of 200 for the bike leg portion of the race, which I thought was good. It is great fun to pass riders and move so fast through the field. The Y-Foil is such a fast bike being all carbon and DuraAce components. The aerobars with bar end shifters allows you to stay aero the whole time. The course is flat except for a short climb at the end of each lap. Once you figure the right gearing, you get into a pattern that repeats lap after lap. I watch the computer and time each lap trying to bring in negative splits. If you stay under 15 minutes per lap you are going over 20 MPH. The previous day's ride is either a good warm up or a drain on leg power or both!
This year I felt really good after doing the TGRRAPB so I expected to do well in the duathlon. For the first time I am teaming up with Donna, instead of Alix. Donna tags me at the end of her 5K and I start running with the bike out of the transition area. She yells that she has set a PR for the 5K with her first leg time. OK - now the pressure is on; I better come through with a good effort to support her PR. Last year I averaged 22.3 MPH, so to go better I need to hit well under 15 minutes per lap. I started off and felt off. Legs felt ok, but my stomach was not right. I had eaten too much - taken in what I would normally do for a long ride, not a 1 hour hard effort. By the time I rounded the third corner I started bringing up breakfast. The first climb to finish the first lap and I was not pumping in the right gear - not going fast, others were passing me! My time for the first lap was 14:45 - not fast enough. After that lap I started to feel better.
As is often the case, I passed riders and the same riders would pass me back - each of us showing our own preferences for different parts of the route. By the third lap we are thinning out to be the same riders and only passing really slow riders. My lap times were getting better each lap. By the fourth lap I felt really good. My finishing pace was a new record for me at 22.6 MPH, which was good enough for 7th overall out of 150 riders. Donna ran another good 5K leg and we finished 4th out of 12 coed teams and only 25 seconds off of 2nd place. We enjoyed the great spread of food and each had messages at the end of the race.
On Monday we decided to take out the mountain bikes and explore a favorite road over in Vermont. The Kelly Stand Road is a dirt road that climbs for about 10 miles along side a beautiful tree-lined stream. People camp between the road and stream and there is little traffic. The road is only open in the non-winter months and connects Arlington to Stratton Mountain. The Appalachian Trail crosses the road at the 9 mile mark. At the 11 mile mark there is a historical marker where Danial Webster addressed 15,000 people in July of 1840 at the Whig Convention! It is hard to believe that this little traveled road in the middle of the Vermont forest would ever have had that many people on it. The climb is long and steady but never too steep. A good workout for sure and an awesome, long and fun descent. We ate some food down along the stream and then drove home.
Today, the last day of May, I did my first ride after the Memorial Weekend trio of rides. It was one of my usual routes out Lick Spring Road, up the Summit Lake climb (.5 miles, 250 feet), up north road, back to Greenwich. I decided to finish by going up Willard and then going home, since I am training for the Whiteface Mountain Uphill Bike Race in 3 weeks. At the top of Willard I see a CRBC rider heading down. I figured he was out alone on a training ride, beating the afternoon thunderstorms like I was. When I get to the Willard Ski Area driveway I see several cars, bikes and bikers milling about. I turned into the driveway and saw that these were more CRBC clad riders. One saw me roll up and said, "Hey, this isn't one of our guys." I asked who was playing in my neighborhood. He told me that they were filming a commercial for Litespeed bikes! Sure enough they had beautiful Litespeeds decked out in Zipp wheels. They said they had to take pictures here instead of Tennessee to keep for getting shot out on the good country roads. I warned them that getting shot was still a possibility here. He asked if I was just out for a ride and I told him I lived 6 miles down the mountain and I was finishing off a 40 mile ride. We talked about the Battenkill-Rubaix Race and I rode home. Once again I was reminded how special an area we live in - a road and mountain biking paradise that I hope the rest of the world only slowly learns about so it stays that way.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
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!
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!
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