Whiteface Uphill Bike Race - Five Minutes Apart, One Second Togther

Hot and humid weather at the start turned to fog and mist at the finish; the ride down was in a pouring rain with thunder and lightning, but the Whiteface Race was a good day for both of us.

Donna and I did a lot of training together for this race. We did our hill intervals on Willard and Summit climbs. I would always pull ahead of Donna and circle back to cheer her on. My training was impaired by the ankle and my work schedule and Donna's by her hectic schedule. I noticed that she was getting closer and closer to matching my efforts as we got closer to race day.

Day of the race was very hot and humid with chance of severe thunderstorms late in the day. The race starts at 5:30 with waves going off in five-minute intervals. Close to 300 racers were gathered at the start. We warmed up for about 15 miles and then waited for all the preceding waves to go off. Donna's wave was five minutes before my "old men's" wave, the last one. I cheered as she started off in the bright hot sun.

The five-minute wait seems to last longer. Eventually the gun goes off and you have to start. The effort is pretty evenly distributed the whole 8-mile trip up the 8% on average slope mountain road. Which means, you have to start right off the bat by pushing it. The wait to start works against me every time because it is tough to turn it on right at the get go. I have a 25 sprocket on the back with the 39 low crank, so had to go there right away and only once or twice can i click it up one or two gears. My splits the first couple of miles are pretty good, so I was feeling encouraged. This is my fourth time doing the race, so I should learn that the early good news means bad news later. Mile 4 was a good split too, so I look at the heart rate monitor and I am staying around 168 most of the time.

By mile 6 I start receiving the bad news from my quads, back and ribs. Heart rate is still up there in the 165 range, but I am losing ground on the splits. I was heading for a 1:10 time, but that is slipping away. You can start to hear the announcer and the cheers from the finish at this point, yet there is much more work to do. I pass a couple of women and wonder how Donna is doing. I thought I might of seen her a couple of times when you can see far enough ahead.

Final push for the end and the fog is thick and air much cooler with some wind. The rain starts coming down hard the final 200 meters and the finish crew is scrambling for cover. I was unsure exactly where the finish line was in the confusion. But, finally it was over as there was no more up to go. I gasped and struggled to regain some dignity wiping foam and sweat from my face. I kept pedaling through the tunnel of the monument and there was Donna sitting huddled frozen Georgia mountain style. I asked what her time was and she says 1:15:09. I had my time at 1:15:48, but was not sure if I had it right in the confusion at the end.

Times were less important right now, getting off the mountain was paramount. Because, the sky lit up with lightning and thunder sent everyone scrambling and the wind and rain started to unload. After getting some food and Gatorade I tried to convince Donna we needed to start riding down. She thought we were not yet allowed, but from previous experience, I knew we were allowed to go. Finally we started, but this time we were not allowed to pass the traffic jam of cars and bikes that were going as slow as their brakes would allow. The road was flooded with runoff and the visibility was near zero. The ride down was almost as painful as the ride up. Our shoes were water logged as was the rest of our bodies. Forearms and hands grew numb with the effort of holding the breaks so the bikes would stay slow enough against the pull of gravity to stay in place behind cars and bikes.

Finally, we were off the mountain and at the car changing out of our wet heavy clothes. We made our way over to the picnic and consumed the food in large gulps under the cover of tents in the pouring rain. The Stewart's ice cream topped off the meal. We were soon on our way home with another exhilarating mountain cycling experience.

Later that week I was off in western NY and checking email, but decided to see if the results of the race were posted yet. I opened up the overall results of the 240 riders and found my name, and Donna's right next to each other:

171 Paul Mang            Toronto        ON  46 M  170 1:25:14  171 1:15:14   
172 Kevin McNamara       Barre          VT  45 M  171 1:25:21  172 1:15:21   
173 Kurt Ruppel          Greenwich      NY  55 M  194 1:30:28  173 1:15:28         
174 Donna M Ruppel       Greenwich      NY  44 F  173 1:25:29  174 1:15:29   
175 Gaetan Duperron      Montreal       PQ  37 M  135 1:20:54  175 1:15:54   
176 Joseph Whiteley      Pleasant Valle NY  49 M  176 1:26:14  176 1:16:14

Even though we started in waves five minutes apart and never even saw each other during the race, we completed the course in ALMOST exactly the same time -- only one second apart!! I burst out in laughter and sent the results to Donna in an email. She looked at the email and results after I left a voice mail. You can tell we trained together for the race. People not knowing we were in different waves would think we rode together and then I jumped at the finish line to just nip her, male pride intact. Donna's theory is that we had the same time exactly and they had to separate us by one second, because the system is not designed to take a tie. This is obviously female folly. In any case we make a great team and it shows in the results.

Soggy Start in Seaside, CA

Rain returns with a downpour as we watch the teams set up in Seaside, CA for the start of Thursday's stage down the Pacific Coast Highway. Donna asked me to get a picture of George Hincapie and Barry's favorite rider is Jens Voight. As if on cue, as Barry and I stood by the Team High Road bus, George just about runs into Barry as he rides up and dismounts his bike! Then we walk a few feet away to the CSC bus and there is Jens sitting in the passenger seat - Barry walks up next to the window and I snap the classic tourists photo. We were able to get close to and see Levi Leiphiemer, Chris Horner, Tom Boonen, Paulo Bettini, Fabian Cansellera, Bobby Julich and many others. The rain really came down at the start, and we were soaked, but not nearly as bad as the riders as they set off for their 130-mile race down the wind-blown coastal highway.

Barry and I drove around some of Monterey and then headed down Highway 1 to find the Bixby Bridge. We crossed over and pulled over to look at an amazing double rainbow over the bridge. For Barry this was the highlight of the trip - he has had the photo of the peleton crossing the bridge up on his office wall since last November. We drove back six miles and geared up for a short, but cold, windy, scenic, strenuous and memorable 12-mile ride.

As we approached the bays that cut into the coast the off-shore wind comes at you after being whipped around the back of the river canyon that made the bay. The result is an amplified wind and rain mix that can come at you in any direction. Combined with the descent coming into these bays and the climb coming out, both of which could have you in a low gear and standing and holding onto the bars for dear life just to keep forward progress, made for a calorie depleting ride.

Finally we get to the Bixby Bridge. The ride over the span was amazingly wind free. The climb up to the rest area was a wind tunnel experience. We returned with the help of the wind we just pushed so hard against. It was nice to have the propulsion, but it was erratic and you still had to struggle to keep the bike upright.

We took photos at the bridge and then continued back to the car. Fifty-five minutes of riding that seemed like a full day. We did a total of 1900 feet of climbing in just 12 miles! Immagine how much climbing and how hard to battle the wind, rain and cold for 130 miles of racing (not riding). A new respect and awe was created today for the racers we have been watching.

Mules Make for Great Climbing

Day two of the Tour of California turned out to be a rainy day. Barry and I decided from the weather report to sleep in and go to Santa Rosa for the start, and then see if it cleared off for a ride later in the day. We slept in too long and missed the start, and it never cleared off, or warmed up, enough to entice us to ride. We instead drove around the Napa Valley and scouted some roads up and down the mountains. One road we took, Los Alamos Rd., was amazing in its steep switchbacks and views, but it turned out to dead end at a State Park. We drove up and over Trinity Pass and then stopped at a bike store in Santa Rosa. It so happened the biker out on a break in today's stage, taking enough mountain points to get (and keep) the King of the Mountains jersey, Scott Nydam, lived a couple of blocks from the store. The store was full of people watching and cheering him on.

Day Three of our race to follow the race started with a two-hour drive from Sebastipol to near San Jose. We parked our car about two miles up Calaveras Road near a golf course and geared up for the long day ahead. We warmed up with a descent down to the valley and then found our way over to Rt 130 which climbs up to the top of Mt. Hamilton. It is about a 4000 foot elevation change from the valley floor to the top. Turned out to be about a 20 degree change in temperature, too. The climb from the start of Rt. 130 is about 18 miles long. From my reading I knew that in order to bring up all the materials to build the original observatory at the top, they used mules. So, the road was built to accommodate the climbing ability of mules. Mules can not haul much if the slope is greater than 6 to 8%. So, the road at 6 to 8% has to be long, but not steep. Long it is! Most climbing I have done is 8 to 12 miles of hard effort, so it was difficult to judge how hard to go without blowing up before the end. I got into a good rhythm at about a heart rate of 150 and decided I could hold that pace -- about 9 miles per hour, so it would take two hours to do the climb to the top. All these calculations made in the first couple of miles held true.

It was great fun to pass and be passed by other riders. Some would pass and then fall back, others I would pass and then they would whirl by, others kept about the same gap behind our ahead of you. No cheering crowds on the mountain today, we were climbing what would be the descent of today's race. We needed to get to the top before they closed the road and made us wait on the side. It was close, I got to the Lick Observatory and a large cop standing in the middle of the road said in a deep, calm voice, "your ride is over." I hit my stop watch and it just turned 2 hours! There were a couple dozen other riders off to the side filling their water bottles and now the pressing issues were: keeping warm, when would the racers come.

First keeping warm. I saw a road to the right and going up further. It lead up to the very top and was the Lick Observatory. The building was open, heated and had a bathroom. Also, it had a great view of the twisting snake of a road we had just climbed. I spotted Barry making one of the final few hairpin turns, so knew he would be along shortly. I went in and warmed up, filled the water bottle and then someone said the race is five minutes from going through.



Unkown rider keeping warm by laying across the hood of running Forest Ranger truck as Donna and I did at Tour of Georgia several years ago -------->


We were just a couple hundred yards on the descent side of the KOM mark. It was about 10 minutes until the caravan started to come through. Then we spotted three riders, but no motorcycles. It was Tyler Hamilton and two other Rock Racing riders. They were barred from racing due to doping allegations, but were riding the whole Tour race course for training. The crowd cheered and hooted as they recognized Tyler who wore no helmet and was putting on his wind jacket as he went by. Now the race leaders were coming through with the usual gang of motorcycles and team cars - there was enough of a gap on the main peleton to have some team cars up there. When the main group went through it was crazy - they were battling for position on the descent, putting on their jackets and the team cars were passing each other right in front of us taking up more than the width of the road. The last riders huffed and puffed through in the next 15 to 20 minutes as we all got colder and colder.

Now the first priority was to warm up before the long descent. Still no sign of Barry - he had to be up here somewhere. I went back up to the Lick Observatory and you could still see the riders descending down the twisty road. Back into the heated area -- and a bonus, they opened up the other building which had a few radiators pumping out heat like crazy! Off came my shoes and socks to warm and dry. Sitting on the radiator we all talked about what we just watched and how cold the 40 degree air was going to feel screaming down the road at 30 to 40 miles an hour for the first 10 miles. One by one we each left as now it was also a balance of having enough food in you to last until getting back to the car.

One more last look for Barry, but not too long as I wanted to keep the warmth I had accumulated to shield against the cold that was coming. I figured he got stopped just short of the top and now was going down, not having the benefit of the heated buildings. The descent was great and it was not long until the air warmed up. You could get up to 40 MPH but all the turns made it more like 20 to 35 most of the way. Not having my own trusty CAAD 4 bike and wheels, I was cautious taking the turns at high speed. The brakes and tires seemed to hold, as long as my arms could be held steady against the need to shiver. As I warmed up and learned the limits of the Trek 1600, it became easier to take turns at higher speeds. It is not often you can spend an hour on a bike, going 20 to 40 MPH and not have to peddle - only steer and break. There was more time to see the views as we climbed as opposed to negotiaing the curves on the way down. But on the way up I did not want to stop in order to keep a good rhythm and pace going. So I stopped on the descent several times to take photos and take off the jacket on the last third of the descent.

View from Mt Hamilton Road about 1/4 way up looking towards San Jose ---->

Finally, at the base of Rt. 130 I spotted Barry waiting for me. We high-fived and chatted about what we just did and witnessed. It was a fun flat ride over to Calaveras Road, but not before we had to stop and watch the last rider come through the finish circuit. The two-mile climb back to the car was a reminder of what we had done for 18 miles earlier in the day. The day's total was 50 miles and 5500 feet of climbing, and many good memories.

Tour of California - Riding to the Pacific

For the second time in three years I am off to ride parts of the Tour of California professional bike race and be part of the cheering crowds at the tops of the peaks and starting lines. This time I have a partner - Barry, who I met at a Cargill meeting in Minnesota. We found out we shared a passion for both riding and following professional cycling. When I told him about the trip I did in 2006, and my plans for 2008, he wanted in. Since Donna will not leave Alix and the dogs to others, it is great to have someone to share the experience with.

The first day we met up at the Sacramento airport, rented a Rav 4 and loaded our gear. I brought my snowboard stuff so I can perhaps make a trip to the Sierras at the end of the week, before I start working for Cargill out here. We found a good, inexpensive motel near Folsum where we rented our Trek 1600 bikes and then set off for Sausillito. The day was to get the bikes checked out and to get our bodies somewhat used to riding after our long winter hiatas from riding on the roads. We repeated a trip I have done twice before, last time with Russ back in April. Parked the car and took the bike path to the Golden Gate, then over to Fisherman's Wharf and back across again. This time we made a left and took the nice two-mile, 800-foot climb to the top of the road that overlooks the bridge and the city. The climbing legs woke up and Norm and Dan's spin classes apparently paid some dividends.

After spending the night in Sebastipol, we set off to get a first look at the race. From my scouting here two years ago I was able to make a great route of about 40 miles and 5000 feet of climbing. We went down to the quaint village of Occidental nessled in the redwoods. Then climbed a little on Bittner Rd before taking a screaming descent down Joy road - aptly named. Now we were down to the main road to Bodega Bay - Pacific Coast Highway 1. But after only a mile or two we took the cut across behind the town of Bodega Bay called Bay Hill Road - a narrow, twisiting four mile paradise with huge eucholptus trees. The views up into the valleys was only surpassed by the first glimps of the Pacific ocean as you take a turn through the trees. We come back out on PCH only about a mile ahead of the turn up famed Coleman Valley Road. This is the King of the Mountain point of today's race and we are there about 1 1/2 hours ahead of the race leader.

I first experienced Coleman Valley Road two years ago after I watched the race up by Sebastipol. I meet Charles, a local painter and cyclist, there and he took me down this road and I returned to Sebastipol the way we came down to this point today. The road climbs from sealevel to about 1200 feet in about 3 miles. The KOM point is only 1.6 miles in and at about 800 feet. There were many cyclists making the climb and lots of spectators trying out there cow bells and cheering us on. This is one of the highlights of riding race routes on race day. It took me about 15 minutes to get to the KOM point. So, from experience, that told me the racers will do it in about half of that time.

Barry and I found a good spot a couple hundered feet from the KOM mark and began to shiver and wait. The clouds were heavy enough to block the sun and the wind off the ocean was just enough to keep you from staying warm. We huddled close to the ground and survived until the race arrived. Cows came out to see what all the fuss was about and then finally the race leader - off the front by 11 mintues came up to us. The rest of the peleton was pretty much together and hot in persuit. You could see they were suffering as the riders pumped past us. Barry picked out Jens Voight (his favorite), Tom Boonen and others. No one waited around long after the sweeper passed and the cyclists were about spit in half, each going a different direction. Our direction involved a little more climbing, which helped us warm up.

The ride back was amazing. We once again decended into the town of Occidental and found a festival of cyclists there. Two years ago, when I arrived in this village after the long climb up Joy, the place was abandoned and I was hypoxic and lost - finally going the long way back. This time I knew how to get us back on Occidental Road and after a short, steep climb it was a great decent and roller coaster of fast hills all the way back. Barry and I were all smiles as we made the turn to take us back to the hotel. In the hot tub we talked with three guys down for the race and riding from Oregon and others. Soon we were tabled up to some more great Mexican food at the restaurant next door.

Tommorow looks like rain, so we may just watch the race start in Santa Rosa, and the ride in the afternoon if it clears off.

September Cycling - Spectacular!

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

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

Crossing Stewart's Dam --->

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

Donna headed for home -->

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

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

Soggy But Successful Century

Dry, hot and humid weather turns to cool and rainy just in time for my annual 100-miler club ride. The first weekend after Labor Day is the traditional scheduled time for the Mohawk-Hudson Cycling Club (MHCC) century rides. This year marked my sixth MHCC century since taking up cycling in 1999, and in total 9.5 Century Rides have provided some memorable cycling experiences.

My first 100-plus mile bike ride, or Century Ride, was in 2000, the day after my mother married Jim. I had just lost about 45 pounds from dieting mostly and had limited group cycling experience. My red FujiClub 12-speed bike had carried me many solo miles and I felt I was up to the challenge having logged the miles on our hilly roads. The day of the event was perfect weather-wise and I was caught up in the excitement of being in a group of over 100 riders all starting out on a day of adventure. As a result I found myself in the lead pack for the first ten miles as we curved around Saratoga Lake early in the morning. I was psyched to be up front with all those others trailing behind me. Soon the road started to kick up and the climbing started. I soon realized that the lead pack group was just soft-pedaling and chatting, and now the real riding started. Quickly I was all alone. I turned over the pedals at my own pace for awhile before a couple caught me from behind. We rode together the rest of the day. Unfortunately, at mile 65, as the women veered away from some gravel, I clipped her rear wheel and I went down over my handlebar hard. I had some deep cuts and a separated shoulder. But, the adrenalin was still working and I gutted it out until the end. We rolled across the finish line together. Donna and Alix had me at the Emergency Room getting stitches and x-rays before the day was over.

The initial century was, fortunately for me, the most eventful one. However, over the years I have had other things happen on the 100-milers that are worth noting. On one MHCC Century I again was stuck between the lead pack and the chase pack all alone. Probably due to hypoxia or just not paying attention, I made a wrong turn and became lost off the course. I wound-up doing an extra eight miles and had to stop at a Stewart's to get water. Another MHCC had me involved in a mass crash as the lead pack started to accelerate. The rider in back of me clipped my wheel as I had to brake for the rider in front of me. He went down and took about five others with him. He broke some ribs and was taken to the hospital. It was sickening to hear all those bikes go down in back of me. On a Tour de Cure Century ride Art G and I were having fun in the lead pack until a severe thunderstorm forced the event to be canceled when we were at the 50-mile mark. They trucked us and our bikes back to a school and Donna came and rescued me.

I have managed to do some century rides very well. In one Tour de Cure I got there late so started 10 minutes behind everyone, but managed to chase down all but three riders in the first 10 miles. I was in really good shape from training for the Tupper Lake Half Ironman that year, which would follow the century in three weeks. By the half way mark I had caught all but one rider and he finished just a few minutes ahead of me. On another MHCC ride I got in with a good group that pace-lined well and averaged over 20 MPH.

Recently, I have not had good luck in these century rides. I have eaten poorly or had back luck in choice of foods. You are taught, or soon learn, to not try new foods or drinks during events - experiment with them during training. Well, I ignored this common sense one year by trying some new energy drink they were handing out at the 50-mile rest stop and soon had an allergic reaction to it. Needless to say, I death-marched that one home. And just last year, at the 20-mile to go mark, I had severe muscle cramps and had to really go slow and stop to get it done.

So, this year I was determined to have a good century ride. The weather has been very hot and humid and dry. So, when I awoke to find it raining and 60 degrees, I was almost glad. I felt I could do better in the cooler conditions. The MHCC rides are held both Saturday and Sunday, so you can choose which day to go, or do both. On Saturday, a hot and humid day, they had 126 century riders. On Sunday, the day I chose, we had 12 riders! Not everyone likes to ride in the rain. Of the 12 riders about six of us formed a lead pack. One rider was out in front on aerobars and he dropped us at about the 35-mile mark, never to be seen again! The rain was steady until about 45 miles - when it poured. We made it to the 50-mile mark and dried off some, but it was in vain. Even if the rain stopped coming down, the rooster tails off the tires sprayed you anyway.

We were down to six riders in our pack and then we caught some other riders doing the metric century course (62 miles). When that course split off again we lost three of our century riders as they were too cold to go the distance. So it was down to myself, Brian - a terrifically strong rider who did the century yesterday, and Jim, a young racer on a cyclocross bike. We stopped at 82 miles to fill up the water bottles and Jim was shivering, so I knew he would be in trouble before the end. Brian and I were in good shape. I passed the spot where muscle cramps forced me off the bike last year and just whizzed on by feeling pretty good about myself. Jim dropped off towards the end but finished just a few minutes behind Brian and I. Good weather, smarter pacing, nutrition and better training paid off with a good strong ride for the distance this year. We averaged 18.5 MPH, which considering we could not ride on each others' wheel for fear of drowning in the spray, was pretty good.

There is another, more hilly, century being run right past our house at the end of the month by Cambridge Valley Cycling. I may be up to do that one this year as well.

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 lunch 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.

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 year.

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 and Indian Lake. The roads are wide and shoulders well maintained, 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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

Recovery Takes Over From Racing

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

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

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

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

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

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

May 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.