Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
The Next Big Race, TWAF Part Deux
So DEA and I have decided we needed a new challenge. Something to get us motivated or maybe even a little bit scared so we would be riding with some purpose this season. After scouring the race schedules looking for such an event we have decided to take a shot at the Wilderness 101. The race says it's "The Wilderness 101 is an ultra endurance 101 mile backcountry mountain bike race." With that many miles and over 10,000 feet of climbing it looks like DEA and I are in for a long day in the saddle.
Race ElevationSince it is January here in New Hampshire it is not optimal bike riding season. With temps in the teens and winds in the 20+ mpg neighborhood, its not so lycra friendly out. So until things warm up some more most of the early training will be of the indoor variety.
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifCourse Map
JJ
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
15- Really?
In a couple weeks I'll be riding in my 15th rendition of the 24 Hours of Great Glen. I'm not 100% sure about this, but I think that may be a record of some sort. The only race I've missed was the original, and I'm not sure if all of the first year riders are still racing. Maybe I'll get a cupcake out of the deal!
Anyway I am teaming up with JJ and a couple other miscreants and riding in the 4 person team category this year. The solo gig is fun, but it isn't racing (at least at my fitness level) it was more go out and ride a bunch and just survive, oh and sleeping is ok.
This year I'm coming in with the worst fitness I've had in quite awhile, so I'm hoping course knowledge and 20+ years of racing experience will help me through so I don't hold up the rest of the team too badly! With that said I am really starting to get excited for the race and to hang out with old and new friends and just enjoy the weekend. It truly is the highlight of my summer each year.
So for those who find this blog as they search for information about the 24HOGG- here is my advice- sign up and have a blast. For those who are already signed up- I look forward to riding with you in a couple weeks! For everyone else- ride on.
DEA
Anyway I am teaming up with JJ and a couple other miscreants and riding in the 4 person team category this year. The solo gig is fun, but it isn't racing (at least at my fitness level) it was more go out and ride a bunch and just survive, oh and sleeping is ok.
This year I'm coming in with the worst fitness I've had in quite awhile, so I'm hoping course knowledge and 20+ years of racing experience will help me through so I don't hold up the rest of the team too badly! With that said I am really starting to get excited for the race and to hang out with old and new friends and just enjoy the weekend. It truly is the highlight of my summer each year.
So for those who find this blog as they search for information about the 24HOGG- here is my advice- sign up and have a blast. For those who are already signed up- I look forward to riding with you in a couple weeks! For everyone else- ride on.
DEA
Thursday, July 07, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Tuckerman Inferno Bike Leg 2011
This is my first race report in a long time. My last official event I believe was the 2009 24 Hours of Great Glen. Due to recurring shoulder dislocations and the related significant discomfort and instability that accompany your arm falling off repeatedly I decided to get it fixed. So last April I had my shoulder reconstructed and they installed a couple of anchors and some bailing wire and tightened it up nice and snug. I was off the bike for the most part for a couple of months but had decided to avoid trying to do any competitive riding for the season and heal. After a successful (defined as lack of major injuries) winter ski/snowboard season I was going to race again.
My first event of the season was riding the bike leg of the Tuckerman Inferno Pentathlon. The Pentathlon is made up of 5 separate events or legs: 8.3 mile Run, 6 mile Kayak, 18 mile Bike, 3 mile Hike in to Tuckerman Ravine, and a 1 mile Ski in the bowl.
Inferno MapWe put together a team from work to do the Inferno as we have for the past few years, last year I was one day post-op. The race benefits the Friends of Tuckerman Ravine which "seeks to preserve and protect the unique alpine and sub-alpine eastern slopes of Mount Washington NH and work in partnership with the US Forest Service to sustain the traditional uses of this distinctive area.”
The bike leg is the middle leg with the first two legs being the run then the paddle followed by the final two legs being the hike into Tuckerman Ravine and then the final leg of skiing a GS like course to the finish line. With our 5 team members its basically a relay race which there were also tandem teams and a select bunch of freaks doing all 5 events solo.
Our Team got together after work on Friday at Flatbread Pizza for race registration and then some free pizza and beer(not free). Registration was nice and quick this year this gave us plenty of time to check out some photos from the race course setters who had spend the day up in Tuckerman Ravine laying out the ske leg of the event. It looked like one of those perfect warm sunny days up in the bowl.
After plenty of carbo loading I went home to sort out the race gear and lots of clothes as the weather for the next morning was pretty suspect. The next morning was chilly. It was in the mid 40's at 7am when I got up. Nice thing was the running leg had just started at 7 as well, glad I wasn't running. I figured I had about 2 hours to get to the exchange point and get warmed up. I had some breakfast, got dressed and packed some clothes for post-race since it finished in a very different place from the start.
I got to the exchange site which was a parking lot near Humphrey's Ledge along the Saco River in North Conway. I parked and got my bike set up and started to warm up by riding up and down West Side Road trying to get loose. The weather was getting cooler by the minute and it was now getting quite breezy. I met up with a teammate as I awaited the arrival of our kayaker. With the high water levels this leg was going pretty fast. I had planned to take off my jacket before starting but then decided to leave it on as it was now closer to 40 and getting colder. He came around the bend and I jogged to my bike and awaited the tag. The tag happened and I was off. The first four miles or so are relatively flat, mainly rolling hills but nothing too bad. So after a stretch along the Saco River you cross and make a turn North towards Glen Ledge. This turned out to be the most difficult section of riding with areas over 16% of steepness.
I hit the top of the Glen Ledge climb at just under the 30 minute mark which was a slight improvement by about a minute and a half over my last time racing this event. Problem is the descent is not much better than the climb. It is even steeper as it is in excess of 19% and but at least the road has been resurfaced and isn't in as poor shape with frost heave damage as it used to be. As a result of the general curvyness of the road (and my chickeness) you cannot just let it go and fly down the mountain. I was basically white knuckleing it.
Inferno ElevationI made the turn onto Rt 16 in Jackson, NH and headed North towards Pinkham Notch. I was about 10 miles from the finish or so at this point. It was still getting colder and the wind was still increasing which now was going to be more of a problem as this section of road was more exposed.
The race info tells you that the bike portion is 18 miles with 2,000 feet of climbing. Well my gps begs to differ, and so did my legs. From the beginning of the race my heart rate was pretty much pegged. Every time I looked down I could see it in the high 160's or 170's. The last 4 miles or so are a steady climb at 7%+. I was very glad I had kept my jacket as the wind was now up and it felt very much like the temps had slipped down into the 30's. I grabbed an Accel gel as I was feeling a little bonky and continued on
Soon I was at Dead mans Curve and almost to the top of the climb. I had just passed a couple more people and was fighting to catch a guy who had passed me earlier. The last mile or so is basically flat so it was a good sprint to the exchange. As I approached the line my teammate was ready to tag so she could start the hike. I rode in and got off my bike and chatted with our runner and paddler who did the first two legs as they were ready to hike up into Tucks and watch the final legs. I was cooked and getting cold fast so there was no way I was hiking up to the base of the headwall.
So my goal was to beat my time from 2 years ago when I finished with a 1:24:45 total time. I was pleased with the 1:18:58 that I finished with as I cut over 5 minutes off my previous time. The ride turned out to be 18.6 miles and almost 2,400 feet of climbing. Below is the rest of the data from the Garmin Edge 305.
Summary Data
Time: 01:18:58
Distance: 18.61 mi
Elevation Gain: 2,367 ft
Maximum Ascent Grade 16.1%
Maximum Descent Grade -19.4%
Heart Rate Data Avg Low High
Heart Rate (%max) 91 73 97
Heart Rate (zone) 5.1 3.3 5.7
Heart Rate (bpm) 171 138 183
First race down and the next is about 5 weeks out. Another Road race Hill Climb TT event, Crank the Kanc.
JJ
Monday, May 23, 2011
Crank the Kanc
Team Weak and Feeble has been rather Weak and Feeble in the blogging department, our apologies to the three people who read this.
It's been awhile since the TWAF crew got together for a riding event. The TWAFHFFPF was missing TWAF regular JJ (and missing sometimes TWAF rider NK). Before that we were missing riders at Porky Gulch meaning the last time we had a TWAF quorum was at last years 24HOGG.
Maybe the fact that the three of us- JJ, A1 and myself all toed the line for CTK means good things for 2011? Hmmmm, maybe. That being said A1 and myself both proved a bit slow in the race, but considering the riding we've been doing I think that is ok.
Personally this was an interesting ride. I went into it with close to a two week "rest" period. I'm trying to sound pro- as it wasn't really rest as much as it was not doing anything involving a bike. There are many reasons for that- some good, some not so good- but the reality was I knew I was relying on residual fitness from ski season and hoping my experience with riding and racing for the last 20+ years would keep me from completely blowing up.
I started with the idea that it was a ride, not a race. That sounds good in theory, but it is a race. I had a number pinned on and there was a clock on either end of the course. Plus there were other riders out there- some fast some slow, some just like me. All this meant that the "ride" soon became a race. Once the race was "on" I just put my head down and tried to go as hard as I could without blowing up- which went well. I averaged 182bpm and topped out at 201bpm in the finishing kick, meaning for me I don't think I had much more to give out there- for that I am very happy. What I'm not so happy about is that that effort didn't yield a much faster time- but that has to do with my weight and lack of training this year. My hope- that next year I can replicate that effort but be racing at 190lbs instead of 209- that would knock a huge chunk of time off- I'd put that at a 1:20 time instead of a 1:34.
JJ rode a great race and set a personal best for himself on the course. As my wife said before the race "he's been working out a lot," which was in response to my hope to be within 10 minutes of his time. I think she was assuming I'd get whooped by a whole lot more (thanks honey ;) )
The bike ran well, but I really am starting to notice how outdated my gear has become. My steel frame and aluminum wheels- oh my! I saw more carbon out there than you'd see on a F1 paddock. That's ok- I like my ride, comfy and predictable.
Here's to a good year. Here's to some epic adventures out on the roads and trails. Here's to a 2011 cycling season where we have great tales to tell and the top level of the sport gets the veil of secrecy ripped off and they start on the path to reform.
Ride on.
DEA
Thank you to Mrs. JJ for the photos!
It's been awhile since the TWAF crew got together for a riding event. The TWAFHFFPF was missing TWAF regular JJ (and missing sometimes TWAF rider NK). Before that we were missing riders at Porky Gulch meaning the last time we had a TWAF quorum was at last years 24HOGG.
Maybe the fact that the three of us- JJ, A1 and myself all toed the line for CTK means good things for 2011? Hmmmm, maybe. That being said A1 and myself both proved a bit slow in the race, but considering the riding we've been doing I think that is ok.
Personally this was an interesting ride. I went into it with close to a two week "rest" period. I'm trying to sound pro- as it wasn't really rest as much as it was not doing anything involving a bike. There are many reasons for that- some good, some not so good- but the reality was I knew I was relying on residual fitness from ski season and hoping my experience with riding and racing for the last 20+ years would keep me from completely blowing up.
I started with the idea that it was a ride, not a race. That sounds good in theory, but it is a race. I had a number pinned on and there was a clock on either end of the course. Plus there were other riders out there- some fast some slow, some just like me. All this meant that the "ride" soon became a race. Once the race was "on" I just put my head down and tried to go as hard as I could without blowing up- which went well. I averaged 182bpm and topped out at 201bpm in the finishing kick, meaning for me I don't think I had much more to give out there- for that I am very happy. What I'm not so happy about is that that effort didn't yield a much faster time- but that has to do with my weight and lack of training this year. My hope- that next year I can replicate that effort but be racing at 190lbs instead of 209- that would knock a huge chunk of time off- I'd put that at a 1:20 time instead of a 1:34.
JJ rode a great race and set a personal best for himself on the course. As my wife said before the race "he's been working out a lot," which was in response to my hope to be within 10 minutes of his time. I think she was assuming I'd get whooped by a whole lot more (thanks honey ;) )
The bike ran well, but I really am starting to notice how outdated my gear has become. My steel frame and aluminum wheels- oh my! I saw more carbon out there than you'd see on a F1 paddock. That's ok- I like my ride, comfy and predictable.
Here's to a good year. Here's to some epic adventures out on the roads and trails. Here's to a 2011 cycling season where we have great tales to tell and the top level of the sport gets the veil of secrecy ripped off and they start on the path to reform.
Ride on.
DEA
Thank you to Mrs. JJ for the photos!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
ElevationMonday, April 11, 2011
Saturday, April 09, 2011
Friday, April 08, 2011
The snow is melting, I hope...
Over the winter I ordered a new Salsa Spearfish frame. Unfortunately I learned that it was so popular that there were none left for any team riders. So I was left with the quandry of waiting to see if a frame showed up at some point during the season or make alternative plans.
What I decided to do was to take a look at Niner bikes. They have been known as innovators of the 29er bike segment and since that's what I like I decided maybe a Niner frame was a good place to start. After talking to some folks who know bikes I settled on a Niner Jet 9 frame.
Jet 9
Rumor has it that the UPS Man, aka Santa has delivered a nice sized cardboard box to the office so I think that the frame had landed. Guess I have this weekend to begin the build process.
So with the addition of a new bike to the stable I am going to have to thin the heard and sell my Salsa Dos Niner as a complete bike. Here's a pic of it on the roof of the car.
It is a large sized frame with no dents or dings or damage, Rock Shox Reba Race fork, Salsa Delgado wheelset, Sram X9 drivetrain, Avid BB7 disk brakes, Salsa cockpit, Tektro carbon brake levers and WTB saddle. Great soft-tail ride, efficiency of a hard tail with a bit o squish on the back end as well. Let me know if you are interested. dennis.morgan2(at)gmail.com
JJ
What I decided to do was to take a look at Niner bikes. They have been known as innovators of the 29er bike segment and since that's what I like I decided maybe a Niner frame was a good place to start. After talking to some folks who know bikes I settled on a Niner Jet 9 frame.
Jet 9Rumor has it that the UPS Man, aka Santa has delivered a nice sized cardboard box to the office so I think that the frame had landed. Guess I have this weekend to begin the build process.
So with the addition of a new bike to the stable I am going to have to thin the heard and sell my Salsa Dos Niner as a complete bike. Here's a pic of it on the roof of the car.
It is a large sized frame with no dents or dings or damage, Rock Shox Reba Race fork, Salsa Delgado wheelset, Sram X9 drivetrain, Avid BB7 disk brakes, Salsa cockpit, Tektro carbon brake levers and WTB saddle. Great soft-tail ride, efficiency of a hard tail with a bit o squish on the back end as well. Let me know if you are interested. dennis.morgan2(at)gmail.com
JJ
Monday, March 07, 2011
Bikes and snow
I rode my bike to work a couple weeks ago on a day that it seemed like a good idea. I froze my ass off and by the time I was ready to head home it was dark and I didn't bring my lights. So here my bike sites, propped up against my desk covered in all my snivel/cold weather gear waiting for the call to head home. It's now March and there is no way we will be riding in the woods any time soon, even after a weekend of heavy rain. We still have feet and feet of white stuff hiding out in the woods that will take weeks to melt away and then more time to allow things to dry out properly.
Hopefully temps start to rise enough for the road bike to get some use as I have a race only 5 weeks out and I don't think my 30 min. spin sessions are going to do the trick.
One good thing is I placed my order for a new frame.
Salsa Spearfish
Problem is availability is tight and it might be mid-summer before it arrives. Anticipation....
JJ
Hopefully temps start to rise enough for the road bike to get some use as I have a race only 5 weeks out and I don't think my 30 min. spin sessions are going to do the trick.
One good thing is I placed my order for a new frame.
Salsa SpearfishProblem is availability is tight and it might be mid-summer before it arrives. Anticipation....
JJ
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Monday, December 20, 2010
Another Great TWAFHGG In the Books
It was cold, but not too cold (mid 20's), the gravel roads were clear of snow (but not of ice!), the crew was eager (to get back and eat), and most of us (well maybe only me) had enough extra "padding" to ensure that we were going to stay warm for the duration.
Folks started showing up at around 9ish, well not really considering CW lives 40 feet away, so I guess he was there much earlier as I'm sure he slept in his own bed, but he was over the property line and in my yard around 9am looking to air up his bike. He knew where the pump was so off he went, only to return a short time later holding the torn off schrader valve in his hand.
Now if felt like a TWAF ride, as we had busted gear for me to fix! Of course I quickly realized I didn't have any schrader valve tubes and his bike is 8speed so I didn't have a wheel that would work. Instead we opted to just put him on another bike, this is exactly why having a quiver is so important!
Jon showed up a few minutes later and gets the award for the longest drive, making the trip from Waterbury, VT. We then had a few riders bail, Mike the Weeble took a fall on ice the night before that had him questioning his recently rebuilt shoulder (so he gets a pass) and Bishop bailed because, well we really don't know why but he did. However the crew had a final count of six, and the number six represented the final count of riders. No more than six, but certainly one more than five.....
The count was: Jon Conti, Alan Ashenfelter, Frank Ostrow, Chris Webb, Grady Vigneau, and myself. By about 9:50am we headed out and within 5 seconds a few people were cold. For those who haven't ridden a bike in cold temps the issue of windchill becomes apparent very quickly. Unlike Nordic skiing where you're upper body is actually doing some work, on a bike your upper body gets cold easily without making sure you've got ample wind protection. This is especially true with your hands and ears. The other spot that has a tough go- feet. Especially when you factor in you have shoes that have a metal plate, attached to a metal cleat, which attaches to a metal pedal. Let's just say someone should invent a "heated pedal" where the metal to metal isn't so cold- it would make for much more comfortable winter riding!
Our first crash of the day came about four miles in on a climb that had some ice hidden in the perfect spot. A few of us made it over barely, and then GV put a bit too much power to the rear wheel and slid out in fantastic fashion. It wouldn't be his only fall, and certainly not the only one to fall on the ride.
Up next to hit the deck was yours truly, again ice was the culprit as I took a quick trip to the ground and despite the pain my right knee was feeling, I was just glad the ice didn't give way under my heft as laying in water at that point would have really put a damper on the ride.
We soon made it out to Monk Road and everyone got their sweat going pretty good on the long grind up to the top where it meets Ben Hale. Of course, then you descend for about a mile on pavement so all that heat is quickly lost, and soon we had a few folks who were on the chilly side.
Up next was the climb to the top of Hawk Mountain. We made it about 3/4 of the way up before we ran into a serious ice flow that had us bush whacking to get up the mountain. Once in awhile we'd try to get back on the trail itself but it was pretty slick, AA took a nice slide that looked sort of fun it it weren't for the rocks that were poking through the ice that looked to do some damage if you hit them wrong. Needless to say Alan found a safe spot to get back OFF the trail and continued his climb. This flow was about 300 meters or so long and once we got past it we were able to remount the bikes and finish up the route to the summit. Once we got there everyone was pleased we had put in the effort as the views were excellent. We scrambled around on the rock for a bit, took some shots, and then suited back up for the final push home.
We opted for a secondary route down as we really didn't feel like dealing with the ice flow again. We took a route that JJ and I had scouted about a month ago, I was nervous as it was very wet then, but it wasn't that bad this time around. A snowmobile club had obviously been doing some trail work as there were a lot of branches and saplings that had been cut laying in the trail, which also meant a lot of little pungi sticks on the side of the trail. We took it easy on the way down, but we still saw CW go over the bars as well as GV hit the deck a couple of times. Let's just say the ground wasn't giving much, but fortunately neither of them were any worse off after their gravity check.
I had assumed that to be the last tough piece of riding, as the rest of the route was on gravel road or pavement, however the final stretch of gravel proved to be the diciest from my point of view as there were deep, frozen ruts that were having a good time trying to throw us from our bikes. While everyone stayed upright there were some pretty big sighs of relief when we got down to the pavement. From this spot we could look back up and see where we had just been up on Hawk Mountain, and while not a huge climb the way the elevation displays in front of you in the form of a cliff face it certainly looks impressive.
From here it was a paved cruise back to food and beer. The sole town line was snagged by the only one who knew where it was (me) and the final climb up Chadbourne Hill was a slow one as we worked our way up through campus trying to flatten the hill as best we could. In the end we had spent just over 2.5 hours out on the bikes, got over 1800 feet of climbing and logged a respectable 17 miles. The post ride feed of chili (thanks Jon), wings, beer and other good stuff certainly tasted good and felt well deserved.
Now winter can begin in earnest!
Ride on.
DEA
Thursday, December 16, 2010
TWAFHGGPF2010 Update
The TWAFHGGPF2010 is set for Sunday morning at 9:30 am (December 19).
Weather is looking good- low 30's maybe some snow.
For those who haven't ridden in colder temps here are some thoughts:
balaclava under the helmet is a good idea, or at least have one that maybe you stash in a pocket, but a hat is a must under your helmet.
warm gloves that provide dexterity- a good idea, lobster claw style mittens are the warmest, but at least something more than just a liner glove but not quite a full on alpine ski glove
FEET- don't try to pack too much sock into your shoes if it makes them tight as that will make your feet colder. A shoe cover is ideal- and the redneck solution is an old pair of wool socks that you don't mind sacrificing and wear them over your shoes. Maybe even a bread bag over socks sometimes works.
for legs, bike shorts as a base and then tights over them, what ever you'd wear XC skiing
Upper body- baselayer, an insulating layer, a vest and then a shell.
If you have a camelback style pack you can always pack an extra layer.
Now for bikes:
I currently have a bike for Alan to use and one for Fletcher to use.
If you need a bike let me know asap so I can try to work that out (Webb?)
This is a gravel grind, so you don't need some trick mountain bike. I'll likely ride a cross bike (looks like a road bike with bigger tires)- so if you've got an old Ross Mt. Shasta and the tires hold air and the chair still moves that could work. A true road bike won't work, but hybrids, fully rigid mountain bikes, etc will work fine. There will be points where you can take a shorter route home, so everyone should feel welcome regardless of fitness
Post ride- we'll be cooking up some wings, soups, I know Jon Conti is bringing Chilli. There will be some beverages provided but feel free to add to the selection!
My goal is for us to actually start riding by 10am, so showing up by 9:30 is a pretty good goal for everyone. Nick- if you come show up at 9am so we can get all your mechanical issues resolved before we try to ride ;)
Back to the post ride- I'm guessing we'll be out for about 2 hours. The over under on that, no idea. That doesn't mean we'll be riding the whole time as there is a lot of hanging out on route to let everyone gather. So for those who are either coming only for the post ride, or have kids or sig others who are coming for the post- I think a noonish goal works.
Parking- there is plenty of room on the grass to the right of the garage so park away!
Also feel free to invite others, the more the merrier.
Questions?
Hope to see you there.
cheers,
DEA (sven)
Weather is looking good- low 30's maybe some snow.
For those who haven't ridden in colder temps here are some thoughts:
balaclava under the helmet is a good idea, or at least have one that maybe you stash in a pocket, but a hat is a must under your helmet.
warm gloves that provide dexterity- a good idea, lobster claw style mittens are the warmest, but at least something more than just a liner glove but not quite a full on alpine ski glove
FEET- don't try to pack too much sock into your shoes if it makes them tight as that will make your feet colder. A shoe cover is ideal- and the redneck solution is an old pair of wool socks that you don't mind sacrificing and wear them over your shoes. Maybe even a bread bag over socks sometimes works.
for legs, bike shorts as a base and then tights over them, what ever you'd wear XC skiing
Upper body- baselayer, an insulating layer, a vest and then a shell.
If you have a camelback style pack you can always pack an extra layer.
Now for bikes:
I currently have a bike for Alan to use and one for Fletcher to use.
If you need a bike let me know asap so I can try to work that out (Webb?)
This is a gravel grind, so you don't need some trick mountain bike. I'll likely ride a cross bike (looks like a road bike with bigger tires)- so if you've got an old Ross Mt. Shasta and the tires hold air and the chair still moves that could work. A true road bike won't work, but hybrids, fully rigid mountain bikes, etc will work fine. There will be points where you can take a shorter route home, so everyone should feel welcome regardless of fitness
Post ride- we'll be cooking up some wings, soups, I know Jon Conti is bringing Chilli. There will be some beverages provided but feel free to add to the selection!
My goal is for us to actually start riding by 10am, so showing up by 9:30 is a pretty good goal for everyone. Nick- if you come show up at 9am so we can get all your mechanical issues resolved before we try to ride ;)
Back to the post ride- I'm guessing we'll be out for about 2 hours. The over under on that, no idea. That doesn't mean we'll be riding the whole time as there is a lot of hanging out on route to let everyone gather. So for those who are either coming only for the post ride, or have kids or sig others who are coming for the post- I think a noonish goal works.
Parking- there is plenty of room on the grass to the right of the garage so park away!
Also feel free to invite others, the more the merrier.
Questions?
Hope to see you there.
cheers,
DEA (sven)
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
TWAFHGGPF2010 Just Days Away
It's that time of year again, when we pull out the bikes and go find gravel to ride all in the spirit of having fun with great friends.
For most of us we've made the switch from cycling season to ski season, and this ride on Sunday is a great way to celebrate the 2010 season, and to make sure our bikes are so covered with road grime that we'll never get them clean before spring!
The ride is set for Sunday, December 19th- (a day later than originally planned due to a conflict on Saturday). We'll leave from the Cole residence in beautiful North Bridgton Maine.
The route is still up for debate, the weather leading into the weekend will have a definite impact on where we go.
We'll plan on leaving by 9:30 a.m.
Hope to see you there.
For most of us we've made the switch from cycling season to ski season, and this ride on Sunday is a great way to celebrate the 2010 season, and to make sure our bikes are so covered with road grime that we'll never get them clean before spring!
The ride is set for Sunday, December 19th- (a day later than originally planned due to a conflict on Saturday). We'll leave from the Cole residence in beautiful North Bridgton Maine.
The route is still up for debate, the weather leading into the weekend will have a definite impact on where we go.
We'll plan on leaving by 9:30 a.m.
Hope to see you there.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Porky Gulch Classic
Porky Gulch Classic, the single greatest weekend of bike racing of the year. I didn’t have the week leading up to the PGC that I had wanted, as work was crazy, however I credit the PGC with helping me keep my sanity during that week.
For those who don’t know what the PGC is all about, here is the run down- it starts with a two mile time trial up the first two miles of the Mount Washington Auto Road- gaining just under 1200’ in two miles (after you get to ride back down as well), then later that same day you run a crit INSIDE Story Land- perhaps the most fun you can have on a bike. The following day the weekend concludes with a cross race up at Great Glen Trails. Three races over two days.
The race kicked off with the climb, with is done as a TT with 30 second intervals. I am not much of a climber so I look at the climb as my ticket to be able to race the crit later in the day. My goal was to make it to the one mile mark before getting passed by Pete Ostroski- who got third in the actual HillClimb earlier in the year and who also raced in the mountain bike World Championships this year. I used to be able to beat Pete, when he was like 10, but now he just crushes me (as well as everyone else)- but it is great to see a local kid having success on the bike (and skis). I made my goal, but only because the time gap between us on the starting grid worked to my favor! The crazy work week meant I didn’t swap out my crank for something a bit more hill climb friendly, so I ran my road set up (compact- so a 36x28) which worked but definitely found me weaving at times.
We finished up the climb, I was notably slow, but I was OK with that. The ride down was FAST. I’ve ridden down the road many times in this race as well as way back when I used to work there, and it still tweaks me out how fast you pick up speed and how hard it is to scrub speed on that hill. I will admit I much prefer descending the road on my mountain bike with disc brakes- it’s just I don’t like trying to ride that much heavier bike up the hill!
Once down everyone got warmed up again and we headed down to Story Land for the crit. The course is two parts- the long shot around the outside of the park, followed by the craziness inside the park. For the power riders they can make up time on the outside, but once inside it is nothing but cornering, braking, and accelerating. To say it’s been awhile since I’ve led a road race is a bit of an understatement. I think the last time I was at the front of a road race Bill Clinton was still the new kid on the political block. With that in mind when the cannon (literally) went off and I saw a chance to get the hole shot into the park I went for it and spent ALMOST the entire first lap at the front. Coming into the final few (10) corners of the first lap I skipped a pedal and had a couple of riders slip past me as we came back out to the start finish. They wouldn’t be the only ones to pass me, but they were the ones that bummed me out the most- more of a pride thing. I looked down at my Garmin and my heart rate was sitting in the mid 180’s. The adrenaline of leading the lap had me pretty jacked up and I knew that that effort was going to cost me. Over the next two laps I progressively lost positions until I was sitting more toward the tail end of the field. However it was about at this time when bodies started hitting the ground and it became a bit of a game of who could stay upright.
The last few laps we had formed up a small group, and a guy I’ve been racing with for a few years and I traded pulls and he was the guy I really wanted to “race”. I took over our small group with two laps to go and rode tempo for the second to last lap and then began to ratchet up the speed on the last pass across the front of the park- knowing that would be the easiest spot for him to get by me. Once inside I knew all I really had to do was go hard up Heidi’s Hill and then just hold on for dear life through the rest of the park. I was surprised when I opened a small gap on the climb and really just had to stay upright for the rest of the lap.
The Story Land crit is one of those races that you just get faster and faster each lap as you get to know the course and build confidence. It is also one where you legs and lungs are glad when it is over, but your mind still wants to go at it- cranking through corner after corner is just way too much fun.
Saturday was now behind us and all that was left was the cross race on Sunday.
As a guy who is really a weekend warrior these days, and one who thinks core work is something that is fun to talk about doing, but never finds the time to do, I’ve had (surprisingly) issues with my back over the past few years. That being said I hadn’t had many issues so far this season and maybe I got a bit cocky about being “over” my back issues. I’m not sure why I thought that, I know better, but I had thought it anyway. Well the cross race turned out to be the reality slap that I needed so that I can start talking about doing core work again.
The race began and the field broke into three groups pretty quickly. The fast guys, the sorta fast guys, and the not so fast guys. I was in the second group and actually felt pretty good. I was technically riding well and making up ground on the barriers and the run up that was rideable if you hit the line. I found myself near the front of the sorta fast guys group a number of times and even toyed with the idea of really upping the pace and seeing if I could bridge up to the other group, which looked to be up the course by about 20 seconds or less.
Just as I was imagining my inner Sven Nys putting the power down and bridging the gap I began to feel that awful feeling of my lower back starting to misfire. I was confident it wasn’t going to cramp and lock up, but I knew the power was about to spike- in the wrong direction. Within a half lap I went from being at the front of the sorta fast group, to the back of the sorta fast group, to dangling and riding the straight shots sitting up and trying to stretch out my back. I was pretty bummed as I had felt good, but I was also being pretty honest with myself about the fact that maybe it was time to stop talking about core work and to actually start doing some!
That little bit of a respite from going full bore was enough to keep me from locking up and actually by the last lap I felt about 80% again and chased back to the dangling stage for the finish.
It was then all over and my favorite weekend of racing was once again something that I was walking away with great stories and memories and great anticipation for the next year.
For those who haven’t raced the Porky Gulch Classic, I highly encourage it. It is fun, it’s down to earth and it is a weekend that will keep you smiling.
Ride On- DEA
For those who don’t know what the PGC is all about, here is the run down- it starts with a two mile time trial up the first two miles of the Mount Washington Auto Road- gaining just under 1200’ in two miles (after you get to ride back down as well), then later that same day you run a crit INSIDE Story Land- perhaps the most fun you can have on a bike. The following day the weekend concludes with a cross race up at Great Glen Trails. Three races over two days.
The race kicked off with the climb, with is done as a TT with 30 second intervals. I am not much of a climber so I look at the climb as my ticket to be able to race the crit later in the day. My goal was to make it to the one mile mark before getting passed by Pete Ostroski- who got third in the actual HillClimb earlier in the year and who also raced in the mountain bike World Championships this year. I used to be able to beat Pete, when he was like 10, but now he just crushes me (as well as everyone else)- but it is great to see a local kid having success on the bike (and skis). I made my goal, but only because the time gap between us on the starting grid worked to my favor! The crazy work week meant I didn’t swap out my crank for something a bit more hill climb friendly, so I ran my road set up (compact- so a 36x28) which worked but definitely found me weaving at times.
We finished up the climb, I was notably slow, but I was OK with that. The ride down was FAST. I’ve ridden down the road many times in this race as well as way back when I used to work there, and it still tweaks me out how fast you pick up speed and how hard it is to scrub speed on that hill. I will admit I much prefer descending the road on my mountain bike with disc brakes- it’s just I don’t like trying to ride that much heavier bike up the hill!
Once down everyone got warmed up again and we headed down to Story Land for the crit. The course is two parts- the long shot around the outside of the park, followed by the craziness inside the park. For the power riders they can make up time on the outside, but once inside it is nothing but cornering, braking, and accelerating. To say it’s been awhile since I’ve led a road race is a bit of an understatement. I think the last time I was at the front of a road race Bill Clinton was still the new kid on the political block. With that in mind when the cannon (literally) went off and I saw a chance to get the hole shot into the park I went for it and spent ALMOST the entire first lap at the front. Coming into the final few (10) corners of the first lap I skipped a pedal and had a couple of riders slip past me as we came back out to the start finish. They wouldn’t be the only ones to pass me, but they were the ones that bummed me out the most- more of a pride thing. I looked down at my Garmin and my heart rate was sitting in the mid 180’s. The adrenaline of leading the lap had me pretty jacked up and I knew that that effort was going to cost me. Over the next two laps I progressively lost positions until I was sitting more toward the tail end of the field. However it was about at this time when bodies started hitting the ground and it became a bit of a game of who could stay upright.
The last few laps we had formed up a small group, and a guy I’ve been racing with for a few years and I traded pulls and he was the guy I really wanted to “race”. I took over our small group with two laps to go and rode tempo for the second to last lap and then began to ratchet up the speed on the last pass across the front of the park- knowing that would be the easiest spot for him to get by me. Once inside I knew all I really had to do was go hard up Heidi’s Hill and then just hold on for dear life through the rest of the park. I was surprised when I opened a small gap on the climb and really just had to stay upright for the rest of the lap.
The Story Land crit is one of those races that you just get faster and faster each lap as you get to know the course and build confidence. It is also one where you legs and lungs are glad when it is over, but your mind still wants to go at it- cranking through corner after corner is just way too much fun.
Saturday was now behind us and all that was left was the cross race on Sunday.
As a guy who is really a weekend warrior these days, and one who thinks core work is something that is fun to talk about doing, but never finds the time to do, I’ve had (surprisingly) issues with my back over the past few years. That being said I hadn’t had many issues so far this season and maybe I got a bit cocky about being “over” my back issues. I’m not sure why I thought that, I know better, but I had thought it anyway. Well the cross race turned out to be the reality slap that I needed so that I can start talking about doing core work again.
The race began and the field broke into three groups pretty quickly. The fast guys, the sorta fast guys, and the not so fast guys. I was in the second group and actually felt pretty good. I was technically riding well and making up ground on the barriers and the run up that was rideable if you hit the line. I found myself near the front of the sorta fast guys group a number of times and even toyed with the idea of really upping the pace and seeing if I could bridge up to the other group, which looked to be up the course by about 20 seconds or less.
Just as I was imagining my inner Sven Nys putting the power down and bridging the gap I began to feel that awful feeling of my lower back starting to misfire. I was confident it wasn’t going to cramp and lock up, but I knew the power was about to spike- in the wrong direction. Within a half lap I went from being at the front of the sorta fast group, to the back of the sorta fast group, to dangling and riding the straight shots sitting up and trying to stretch out my back. I was pretty bummed as I had felt good, but I was also being pretty honest with myself about the fact that maybe it was time to stop talking about core work and to actually start doing some!
That little bit of a respite from going full bore was enough to keep me from locking up and actually by the last lap I felt about 80% again and chased back to the dangling stage for the finish.
It was then all over and my favorite weekend of racing was once again something that I was walking away with great stories and memories and great anticipation for the next year.
For those who haven’t raced the Porky Gulch Classic, I highly encourage it. It is fun, it’s down to earth and it is a weekend that will keep you smiling.
Ride On- DEA
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