On Friday some of us drove to a trail system an hour northeast of Fayetteville. The trails were surprisingly dry, with some loose large gravel on a few of the corners. Obviously a bit of it was washout, but it was a good day to ride.
Caleb's bike hates him, and we had to stop after a few miles to fix his cleat, which had dropped a bolt. Once we pulled him out and wrenched down the remaining bolt, we discovered Duncan was missing his headset topcap. Yeah, bummer. So we tightened down the stem bolts and let er rip.
There was a sweet stream crossing thanks to all the rain from Tuesday, and Billy didn't quite have the right tires on for the loose stuff, so I was fastest on the day. Scurvy was on me on the climbs, and Stewbot would catch up on the descents, but I kept it quick and had a good time hosing Duncan in some of the corners. Mitch's legs were totally fried from the day before, but he stuck it out and had fun.
After the main loop, there's an out and back with two lollipop trails, and we got split into two groups somehow. Scurvy, Billy, Duncan and I kept going, and Stewbot, Mitch, and Caleb went back to the van. We didn't know they had gone back, so Duncan and I rode one of the loops backward to look for them. It was way fun trying to drop Duncan. He's really starting to get the hang of mountain biking, but he still rides on the bike instead of controlling the bike in its entirety. He will be fast once he figures out some handling things, though. Scurvy and I think he needs a singlespeed.
I'm feeling really strong this year, which is odd. I only went to indoor two days a week, didn't lift, and the only other big changes I've made are dietary. Granted, I eat a lot better than in years past, and I pretty much don't drink, but even I'm amazed at how strong I felt on the climbs Thursday and on the trails Friday. I won't be racing collegiate road much, so hopefully I can stay on form til summer when I can get to some WORS events.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
Big climbing day
Yesterday was rough one. Probably top 3 hardest days on the bike in my time riding. We did 27 miles from Kingston to Jasper, and then came back. The route out included two category 2 climbs and some wide-open, fast descents. It was going to be an epic day.
I rode out with the fast kids and got dropped half way up the first climb. I caught them on the descent as we regrouped at the only turn of the route. We waited for some of the other kids to show up, and pacelined it across the valley flats to the bottom of the second big climb on the outward route.
The second climb wasn't bad until my bars came loose in my stem. I pulled up along Sherve, borrowed his multi-tool and kept riding while fixing the loose bolts. After I got it fixed, I attacked and dropped my group, chasing Jorgen Devon and Pat.
Once on top of the hill, we rode along the ridge and I got closer and closer to Devon on the descents, but he'd drop me on the flats. We were pretty evenly matched on the climbs. I pulled him within 15 feet on some of the big corners of the descent into Jasper. The Madone descends so well, and I got some good practice accelerating out of corners.
We refueled in Jasper and waited for some of the other kids to show up before heading back. On the climb out of Jasper I stuck with Scurvy and Rambo (a.k.a. Stovetop) for a while and then we dropped Scurvy. Stovetop and I caught Billy a little later and I won the sprint for the town at the top of the climb out of Jasper. We soon came on Burban and The Todd working on Todd's tire. It was shredded, so we kept riding and told the van to pick him up.
On the descent we dropped Stovetop, and I saw Pat sitting on one of the tight switchbacks taking pictures of people descending. He blew a tire and taco'd his wheel, so the day was finished for him. On the flats after the descent, I sat in behind Burban and we passed Kari and Megan before approaching the 2.3-mile category 1 climb.
This was the big climb of the day. I dropped Burban immediately and Stovetop quickly caught up. We rode together and found Sam (who was pretty bonked) and then my food kicked in.
I attacked and stayed away until arriving at Kingston again. The rolling hills on top of the big climb were brutal, but I descended as fast as I could and kept it in the big ring the entire time atop the mountain. With enough food, I was feeling good. I knew there was one more small climb into Kingston, so I used my Gu and stayed ahead of Stovetop. It was a good day.
I was fried last night and we returned to Wes's BBQ for dinner. I had a double bacon cheeseburger and some fries. Then I had a BBQ chicken sandwich. And two sodas. Awesome!
Today we're going mountain biking all day. Metal.
I rode out with the fast kids and got dropped half way up the first climb. I caught them on the descent as we regrouped at the only turn of the route. We waited for some of the other kids to show up, and pacelined it across the valley flats to the bottom of the second big climb on the outward route.
The second climb wasn't bad until my bars came loose in my stem. I pulled up along Sherve, borrowed his multi-tool and kept riding while fixing the loose bolts. After I got it fixed, I attacked and dropped my group, chasing Jorgen Devon and Pat.
Once on top of the hill, we rode along the ridge and I got closer and closer to Devon on the descents, but he'd drop me on the flats. We were pretty evenly matched on the climbs. I pulled him within 15 feet on some of the big corners of the descent into Jasper. The Madone descends so well, and I got some good practice accelerating out of corners.
We refueled in Jasper and waited for some of the other kids to show up before heading back. On the climb out of Jasper I stuck with Scurvy and Rambo (a.k.a. Stovetop) for a while and then we dropped Scurvy. Stovetop and I caught Billy a little later and I won the sprint for the town at the top of the climb out of Jasper. We soon came on Burban and The Todd working on Todd's tire. It was shredded, so we kept riding and told the van to pick him up.
On the descent we dropped Stovetop, and I saw Pat sitting on one of the tight switchbacks taking pictures of people descending. He blew a tire and taco'd his wheel, so the day was finished for him. On the flats after the descent, I sat in behind Burban and we passed Kari and Megan before approaching the 2.3-mile category 1 climb.
This was the big climb of the day. I dropped Burban immediately and Stovetop quickly caught up. We rode together and found Sam (who was pretty bonked) and then my food kicked in.
I attacked and stayed away until arriving at Kingston again. The rolling hills on top of the big climb were brutal, but I descended as fast as I could and kept it in the big ring the entire time atop the mountain. With enough food, I was feeling good. I knew there was one more small climb into Kingston, so I used my Gu and stayed ahead of Stovetop. It was a good day.
I was fried last night and we returned to Wes's BBQ for dinner. I had a double bacon cheeseburger and some fries. Then I had a BBQ chicken sandwich. And two sodas. Awesome!
Today we're going mountain biking all day. Metal.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
75 miles in 5 hours
Today we split into two groups for an LSD (long, slow, distance) ride. The rout turned out to be under heavy construction, so some of it sucked big time. However, the rest of it was pretty nice as we came through the Wedington recreation area. My legs felt good, but my neck and shoulders were pretty sore by the end of it. There were some small hills and some great fun descents, but the traffic was too heavy until we got onto hwy 16. Then the roads were smooth, the traffic was low, and the scenery was beautiful.
Eastern Buffet for dinner. Brilliant.
Tomorrow is supposed to include some brutal hills. I'm looking forward to it.
Eastern Buffet for dinner. Brilliant.
Tomorrow is supposed to include some brutal hills. I'm looking forward to it.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Rain and a haircut, no ride
The rain started before the sun came up and it hasn't stopped since. First we drove around and hit up the grocery store, bike shop, and movie theatre to check times.
Then we came back to the hotel for some lunch and while others did homework, the rest of us headed off to see Horton Hears a Who. It was a good movie, which I probably would have appreciated a little more were I between three and eight years old. Our group had the highest average age. Probably the oldest median and mode ages as well.
Then I cut my hair. No joke. Duncan had a clippers but forgot the extensions, so it was all or nothing. I couldn't figure out how to get a mohawk going, so this was the result:
Tomorrow we're driving to some big nasty hills. Now that the shampoo budget just got smaller, I won't mind the heat under my helmet as much. Keep the rubber side down.
Then we came back to the hotel for some lunch and while others did homework, the rest of us headed off to see Horton Hears a Who. It was a good movie, which I probably would have appreciated a little more were I between three and eight years old. Our group had the highest average age. Probably the oldest median and mode ages as well.
Then I cut my hair. No joke. Duncan had a clippers but forgot the extensions, so it was all or nothing. I couldn't figure out how to get a mohawk going, so this was the result:
Tomorrow we're driving to some big nasty hills. Now that the shampoo budget just got smaller, I won't mind the heat under my helmet as much. Keep the rubber side down.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Recovery day
Needless to say, I slept pretty well last night. Breakfast included Waffles and OJ. Today we woke up at eight and were on the road at nine. The rain that was forecast never arrived. Neither did the turn onto highway 264, so we asked the Shell station about directions. We were already about 20 miles out, and they told us if we followed the route they gave us, it would be 14 miles back.
After another 10 miles we found ourselves at the start/finish of the Hell's Kitchen road race in Hogeye. It was another 15 miles into town.
54 miles with the fast(er) group made me want to take a nap, so I did. I woke up with Jameson offering a chance to get some dinner. Billy, Steph, Devon, Duncan and I went to Wes's BBQ. Double bacon cheeseburgers with fries and a drink were $6. Best deal of the trip? I think so.
Tomorrow is still supposed to be a bust, so we're gonna take it easy and get some rest and homework in.
After another 10 miles we found ourselves at the start/finish of the Hell's Kitchen road race in Hogeye. It was another 15 miles into town.
54 miles with the fast(er) group made me want to take a nap, so I did. I woke up with Jameson offering a chance to get some dinner. Billy, Steph, Devon, Duncan and I went to Wes's BBQ. Double bacon cheeseburgers with fries and a drink were $6. Best deal of the trip? I think so.
Tomorrow is still supposed to be a bust, so we're gonna take it easy and get some rest and homework in.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Hell's Kitchen Road Race
HKRR this morning: 20 miles in the cat 5. One lap. Two big climbs. 65 rider field.
Sat in at about 20 position for a few minutes while Jorgen sat up front and tested the field with some good pace setting. We kept it together until the first slight climb, when we pinched off a few of the riders who didn't train in the off-season.
Climb 1: I was feeling good, so I attacked. Nobody responded for a moment, since Jorgen was on the front. He blocked for a minute til others tried to chase. I was away for about 5 minutes, but then I hit a headwind and couldn't increase my gap. I got pulled in but sat in at about 8th.
Hell's kitchen: They call it that because there are three stages to it, each one steeper than the last. And everything goes to Hell once you get to it. Jorgen kept it going strong on the front, and some people tried to attack, but nothing stuck. Then after about 50 yards, everything blew up. There were people everywhere, we were catching masters and women 1/2/3 and I didn't know who was who. Keeping a high cadence, I went my own pace with a high cadence in a light gear. It got me quite a few places back, and once we got to the end of the climb, I was in a group of 5 with another group of 10 ahead of us.
Jorgen was still on the front of the lead group, and I gapped to them on the descent. Apparently people in Arkansas don't know how to descend very quickly. There were 8 or so of us once we got to the last little crest before the finishing straight.
Somebody attacked. It was a smart attack and he got a good gap very quickly. There went first place. Then I wasn't paying attention, and two more guys went in the final straight. 2nd and 3rd. I chased, nobody responded. 4th for Tink, 7th for the Norwegian who pulled the entire race.
DPalms won the 4s for the U of M. Steve Tillford won the pro/1/2.
Not a bad day. I want an upgrade. If we go to a crit later this week (Billy said we might drive to Oklahoma) I'll ask the official.
After the road race we showered up and went for a 2-hour MTB ride behind Wal-Mart with Nate, our favorite local. Caleb broke his chain on the long climb up and took a nap in the van while the rest of us went on ahead. Duncan and Mitch pulled off after the intro loop, and Paul ditched just before the advanced section. Scurvy, Nate and I went on ahead to
rip up some of the best and most constantly challenging trails I've ever ridden. You can't lose focus for one second or you'll plant your front wheel into a rock and go overboard.
Good time. I'm exhausted.
Sat in at about 20 position for a few minutes while Jorgen sat up front and tested the field with some good pace setting. We kept it together until the first slight climb, when we pinched off a few of the riders who didn't train in the off-season.
Climb 1: I was feeling good, so I attacked. Nobody responded for a moment, since Jorgen was on the front. He blocked for a minute til others tried to chase. I was away for about 5 minutes, but then I hit a headwind and couldn't increase my gap. I got pulled in but sat in at about 8th.
Hell's kitchen: They call it that because there are three stages to it, each one steeper than the last. And everything goes to Hell once you get to it. Jorgen kept it going strong on the front, and some people tried to attack, but nothing stuck. Then after about 50 yards, everything blew up. There were people everywhere, we were catching masters and women 1/2/3 and I didn't know who was who. Keeping a high cadence, I went my own pace with a high cadence in a light gear. It got me quite a few places back, and once we got to the end of the climb, I was in a group of 5 with another group of 10 ahead of us.
Jorgen was still on the front of the lead group, and I gapped to them on the descent. Apparently people in Arkansas don't know how to descend very quickly. There were 8 or so of us once we got to the last little crest before the finishing straight.
Somebody attacked. It was a smart attack and he got a good gap very quickly. There went first place. Then I wasn't paying attention, and two more guys went in the final straight. 2nd and 3rd. I chased, nobody responded. 4th for Tink, 7th for the Norwegian who pulled the entire race.
DPalms won the 4s for the U of M. Steve Tillford won the pro/1/2.
Not a bad day. I want an upgrade. If we go to a crit later this week (Billy said we might drive to Oklahoma) I'll ask the official.
After the road race we showered up and went for a 2-hour MTB ride behind Wal-Mart with Nate, our favorite local. Caleb broke his chain on the long climb up and took a nap in the van while the rest of us went on ahead. Duncan and Mitch pulled off after the intro loop, and Paul ditched just before the advanced section. Scurvy, Nate and I went on ahead to
rip up some of the best and most constantly challenging trails I've ever ridden. You can't lose focus for one second or you'll plant your front wheel into a rock and go overboard.
Good time. I'm exhausted.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Es No Bueno
We left the Twin cities yesterday at eleven thirty in the ay-emm for Fayetteville, Arkansas. 11 hours in the van, and one stop at a Bueno Taco later, everyone was ready to get out and move the legs. There's an NCAA track tourney in town, so the hotel is a little busy.
Beer prices on favorites like Fat Tire are notably lower than in Mpls. It's supposed to rain Monday and Tuesday, but the rest of the week (and Sunday) should be fine. We're rolling int he mid-upper 50s.
MY seat heights and headset (on the 85) got all wonkey in transit, so there will be some adjustment made. Today we plan on a trip to Fayetteville bike Co. the Wal-Mart, and then out to the race course, once The Tood wraps his bars.
Beer prices on favorites like Fat Tire are notably lower than in Mpls. It's supposed to rain Monday and Tuesday, but the rest of the week (and Sunday) should be fine. We're rolling int he mid-upper 50s.
MY seat heights and headset (on the 85) got all wonkey in transit, so there will be some adjustment made. Today we plan on a trip to Fayetteville bike Co. the Wal-Mart, and then out to the race course, once The Tood wraps his bars.
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