Juggling Act
26 Feb 2011 Leave a Comment
in MTB, Racing, Training Tags: MTB, Training
I decided a few weeks ago that I would stretch my racing experiences by competing at God’s Country Duathlon. I’ve always done a little running in preparation for cross season, but I’ve never done any real training. Last week, being 8 weeks from the race date, I decided to plan a training schedule. Somehow I have to mix running in with a heavy cycling load. I read a few blogs and Troy Jacobson’s web site, and settled on what seems like a pretty routine mix. I even have bricks on my calendar. woo-woo!
As I planned out the weeks leading up the race day, I noticed something concerning: the Ouachita Challenge, a 60-mile endurance MTB race in the hills of Arkansas, is the weekend before God’s Country. Is it possible to compete in an endurance event and turn around the next weekend for a short run/ride race? March could prove to be an interesting training month!
Dirty Kanza Training
12 Feb 2011 1 Comment
in Dirty Kanza 200, Gravel Grinder, Training Tags: Dirty Kanza, Gravel Grinder, Training
Today, while I was out on a 4-hour ride, my mind kept wondering back to Emporia. Last year was my first attempt at the Dirty Kanza, and the outcome wasn’t what I planned. My training last year consisted of a whole lotta miles at or just below threshold. In the 6 weeks before the event, I scheduled 3 centuries a week (Tue, Sat, Sun), with plans for each one to be at threshold. The other days of the week were 20-50 miles near recovery pace, with a shorter, more intense workout one day each week. Considering I didn’t finish, I don’t know if this was the right approach or not.
Fast forward to today. My mind was occupied with what went wrong. I settled on three key areas, each of which I plan to address this year:
- Nutrition. My plan last year was focused on eating enough calories every hour along with a steady stream of Cytomax, Gatorade, and water.
Changes for this year: less solid food, reduced carb intake, and closer focus on hydration. While searching, I found an article on Hammer that states the case very clearly: http://www.hammernutrition.com/hnt/1273/ - Pacing. Based on results from previous years, I wanted a pace that would bring me in between 14 and 15 hours. At the start, I watched as a big group shot off the front. The urge to go with them was pretty intense, but I sat down and rode at my own pace. Overall, I feel like my pace was good. At about the 20 mile mark, I let my pace rise several MPH–something about too many rabbits up the road–and while I never went into the red zone, I think that section was intense enough to put me in a deficit.
Changes for this year: Set it and forget it! I have to maintain my target pace no matter what’s up the road. - Equipment. I packed entirely too much sh*t last year. With rest stops around 60, 100, and 140 miles, there’s no reason to carry more than necessary.
Changes for this year: no camel back–two water bottles will suffice; no extra tubes–one tube and a patch kit (the Swalbe tires held up great!); no extra food–see number one! Last year I had gels, bars, and who knows what else to eat. This year I’ll carry bottles and a few gels. Equipment probably had the least to do with not finishing last year, but theres no reason to carry the extra weight.
As far as training goes, I’ll probably continue with the same basic program. In addition to upping the mileage as the date approaches, I’ll try to work in more miles on gravel. Last year, I had no idea where to find gravel roads. Thanks to Guru’s and other events in the area, I now have plenty of options.
Look for more posts as the big date approaches. See you in Emporia!
2010 CX Season. Over.
20 Nov 2010 Leave a Comment
in Cyclocross, Racing, Training
This past Sunday I raced the De Stad Cross Cup at St. Mary’s College. Just like every year, the course was by far the best of the season. A bit difficult due to soggy, power-tapping ground in a few spots but otherwise fun as hell. Chris has a knack for utilizing the campus to create a fun and challenging course. And those cobbles…
Despite a great start, I found myself only going backwards…and not caring about it. I moved up to 3rd wheel by the first turn, but two turns later, I let the next guy back pass me. And then the next. And then another. Half a lap in I realized I didn’t have any fight in me. D’OH! I twisted through the course, trying to make the most of it but I never really felt like racing. And that’s the real story.
I finished 9th; not terrible but also not as good as the previous races this year. Mentally and physically exhausted, I decided to take off Monday, and then I ended up taking off Tuesday, too. I rode for a little over an hour Wednesday morning just to get the legs going again, only to find myself fighting a stomach thing that afternoon. It still lingers today. I’m starting to realize that this–lack of motivation in the race, sore legs, low immune system–is my body’s way of saying, “take a break!” So today I pulled out the calendar to plan the end of the season. Problem is, the season ended without me really knowing it. Here’s how…
- Racing tomorrow (Manion’s Cross) is out after being sick all week
- No races next weekend for Thanksgiving
- The next race, the Boss Cross MO state race, is December 4. But, we’re out of town for a family function that weekend
- After that, the next race is 12/31.
Rather than take a break only to come back to race in frigid temps, I’ve decided to call it a season. I’m tired and my body is pushing back pretty damn hard. I plan to take next week off…just to make sure I’m over being overtrained, and then I’ll hit the weights. This isn’t how I wanted this year to go, but some times you just gotta go with the flow. Yes, I’m a dead fish.
The Hills Have Eyes
26 Sep 2010 Leave a Comment
in Bicycle, Cyclocross, Training
Last night was the Achluophobia Gravel Grinder, a night-time romp across gravel roads of eastern Kansas. Despite the name, no one was afraid of the dark. There were moments, though, when I began to wonder about fear of the dark, like rolling across an intersection and seeing an eerie fence with several bicycle corpses attached to it. How and why exactly were they there??? The rolling joke has something to do with banjos plucking away in the distant hay field and duct-tape underwear. While there were no “eyes” in the fields last night, there were a few “i’s,” as in intensity, during my workout today. Cheap name, but…
We were fortunate, too, that mother nature decided to play nicely. A line of downpours moved across the city just before the ride. I had the wipers on during the drive over, but by the time I arrived at the starting point, the only traces were cloudy skies and a chilly north wind. There was a small spot of drizzle an hour or so into the ride, but it wasn’t even enough to make the roads muddy.
The eight that showed up rode southward from 199th with a nice tailwind and the sun setting off in the distance. The route led us south, almost to Paola, before turning back to the north. It was about 18 miles to the turn, and the tailwind kept my attention! I was hopeful that it would subside before we turned north. But, alas, it was still blowing when we made the turn. With our slow-n-easy pace, it really wasn’t much of a bother, though. We cranked along, completing the 50-mile ride in just under 3 hours.
This was my first night ride, and I have to say, I’m hooked! Riding through the darkness brings a new level to bicycling. Dog chases bring on a whole new sense of urgency when you can’t see the enemy! And, the hills! It’s awesome to drop down an incline when you can’t see the bottom. Going up brings a new challenge, too, because with no view of the end, you can’t gauge your effort. As a result, I found myself riding a bigger gear with more effort on the hills. Granted, our pace was pretty slow so I wasn’t breaking any laws. But, I look forward to a fast night ride and the challenges of the hills.
Today, I decided to skip the local cross race, Manion’s Cross, and instead rode a pretty intense set of hill intervals. Needless to say, after grinding gravel for 3 hours last night and then hittin’ it today, my legs are pretty toasted. Not quite “race cooked” but close. The first Boss Cross races are next weekend, and I plan to be there!
