Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Weird night

Storms threatened to end our ride tonight before it ever started. Bearing down from the northwest, a developing line of storms seemed certain to collide with the Bedford area, spread through Mitchell, and eliminate any possibility of cycling.

Nature, it seems, was toying with us.

As usual, the storm divided, bypassing Bedford altogether. Even Mitchell received precious little of the rainfall, and Highway 337 was only dampened. It was all bark and no bite.

Twelve of us showed up, not letting H20 stop us from having our workout. Sure, we had to abbreviate it somewhat, but in the end we all did ride.

There was no pace line. The distance was too short, the roads too wet, and the riders too indifferent to the situation to push our luck. It was a wise move. Nothing to be gained by a bad wreck on a meaningless night of training. Most everyone is tapering anyway, so the risk wasn't worth it.

Wendy's was delicious, as normal. We were even served in a very timely fashion. My guess is management was under scrutiny. I didn't wait more than three minutes for my fries. That, my friends, is a record for Wendy's Mitchell.

Short run tomorrow, unless I run with the girls. We'll see what happens!

Monday, July 30, 2012

Ran with the girls

I know I said I would take a break from running, and I guess I should add a caveat to that; I will take a break from competitive training. I needed to run with my girls this morning to help control the pace. WinD is on vacation, so the only person left for the job was me. We ran 6.5 miles, the first three faster than my fast girls wanted to go. Someone has to drag them!

After that it was to the gym, where I had a good lift. I tore it up. The place was a smoking ruin when I left, patrons huddled together and shivering, trying to comfort one another. It was awesome.

I took my awesome body to work, where the computers and network were completely unimpressed with my physique. There's a name for that condition, not being impressed with my physique... it's called "women". Therefore I will now rename my lab "Woman".

I found a way to work around the limitations five techs created on Friday (who by the way were trying to solve problems, not create them). Still, it won't work in a lab setting. The problems will have to be resolved, or I'm going to be in a world of hurt.

Just got the tweet - Cicero Triathlon swim is cancelled. Not that there was ever any doubt it would happen, but it's clear this race was never meant to be this year. I hope you folks have a backup race picked out. Columbus this Saturday would be a great alternative.

Pace Line Tuesday tomorrow!

Sunday, July 29, 2012

A different mindset

It's weird to be in recovery phase at the end of July, but here I am. For years I've gone through August before the break, and even then it was a small one. Often I'd have a marathon lined up for late October/early November, so there wouldn't be much time to relax. Not so this year. I'm coaching again.

Our practices officially begin Wednesday, and from that point on, they come first. I won't quit training altogether, but it will get curtailed extremely. I'm thinking riding after practice until daylight savings is over, then limited running. This will give my hips and calves a long time to recover, something they've not had in years. It can't hurt.

Changing topics a bit, here's a great big shout-out to Rand for winning his first 5k. Is it an ominous sign it was the "End of Days" 5k? Will there be a plague of locusts now? I dunno, but he seemed pretty happy today. Maybe he likes locusts.


Thursday, July 26, 2012

Much needed rest

My hamstring did not like the run last night, so I am not running again until Saturday. After that, I don't know when I'll run again. It might be weeks.

This is the perfect time for a break, I think. Girls Cross has started, my racing season is over, and I'm feeling drained. Time to rest.

Leisa and I will get out and ride some, and I will make a couple more Tuesday pace lines, but beyond that I think I'm going to enjoy the relaxed approach for a while.

Went to work today - got a mess there. Five techs in a room and not one of them can sort out why the wireless doesn't work. There's a joke in there somewhere, I just can't figure it out. All I know is it's on me.

Daughter #1 is moving back in for the next school year. This will bring challenges, but I miss her a bunch. Here's hoping it goes smoothly.

Tomorrow is the Girls' Cross carwash. Whether or not we make money is not important - I want the girls to bond. Let's have a good day!

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Huge pace line night

If I counted correctly, there were sixteen riders starting tonight, including more women than ever before. Kathy, Arlene, WinD, Lori, Jamie, and Leisa all took part. It was a cool thing to see.

Many of us are coming off a weekend of strenuous activity. Allen and Strunk did RaIN; Jimmy, WinD, and I did the Red Eye Relay. With that many riders feeling less than peak, and with the near 100-degree start, there wasn't a great deal of enthusiasm for going especially hard.

Lori, Jamie, and Leisa turned before Lost River Hill and headed back for the brick - a walk in Spring Mill. Arlene, Kathy, and WinD turned at Bromer, and pushed the pace coming back in a psuedo-pace line (they were packed, if not three inches apart). That left the men to carry on to the tree.

As usual there were two groups. Well, three if you count DfO, who shot off before we even organized. He called out, "Catch me". We did.

The first group left, leaving John T. and Jimmy with me. We planned to ride 25 mph, and if things weren't going well when we caught the other group, we'd join them. I was going to take long pulls (John T. suggested I pull all the way).

After a minute or so we began our chase. The wind was indeed favorable, and the agreed upon 25 mph was easy. EASY. Still, I said 25, so I was going to stick to that. Before long it became apparent the other group was leaving us. They were soon out of sight, something I couldn't have.

I was still on the front, so I set my mind to closing it down before I got off. I lifted the pace a little, listening for complaints from behind. None came. More and more it lifted, still no complaints. Still, the other group was out of sight.

When we got to Lost River, we finally caught sight of them across the valley floor. I was certain we could catch them, though it wouldn't be easy. If we pressed across the valley and took the hill hard, we'd be pretty close, if not past them. Through the valley we held nearly 30 mph, and still they were nearly atop the hill before we entered it.

We took Lost River Hill at over 20 mph, topping at 21, and down into aero we went, the pursuit fully engaged. I could see that, whoever was on the front, the pace was being driven. We were being held at bay by some aggressive riding. But it wasn't over yet.

Into the last hill, it was only a matter of time. I could see the gap closing, could feel the line ahead drawing closer, and we drove up the last hill over 20 mph again. At this point they had 50 yards. We topped 30 mph, and still the gap closed slowly. I now knew we would overtake them right at the sprint break line. I wanted to use that point to skit by at the call, avoiding anyone jumping on.

Too bad Mike spotted us so far out. He kept looking back timing the jump so that as we went by, it was child's play to jump on. A couple of others went as well.

I was on the front in the final stretch, 32.9 mph, pressing in a steady fashion. This time I had no doubt someone would go by. Who? John T. answered with a slow but steady approach, then pass. I started to put in a harder effort, then Dan went by as well. That was that. I was done. That's pretty much my top speed, even with a tail wind. I didn't really fade, I just couldn't go faster.

We finished at 22:13, a very good ride given the start was very tame. There is little doubt we'd have broken 21:30 if we'd gone after it earlier. Coulda Shoulda Woulda.

We topped it all off with a sub-par service at Wendy's, but a great time of fellowship. It was super to have the wives along, and I hope it's something we continue moving forward.

Ride Data

Monday, July 23, 2012

Still suffering

Let's face it, Red Eye Relay was a race effort for me. My left hamstring assured me of that fact in today's run. My shoulders are still sore, and if I remember correctly, I didn't run on my hands. That kind of pain only comes with a very strenuous effort.

We did 5 at Jimmy's, and I am proud to say I coasted. Hey, with the 12 miles I ran Sunday morning, I'm sitting on 17 miles of my 25 on Monday! Right now I don't see a run in my future tomorrow after the ride, but you never know.

Actually, my line of thinking is I'll really take it easy from here until school starts. I have no races left, I have a busy season coming, and this is my last chance to relax for a bit. I don't need to double, other than wanting to, so maybe I will, maybe I won't. Probably as often as not the weather will determine what I do. One-hundred-five degrees? No double today. Seventy-five degrees? Maybe a triple.

Pace Line Tuesday is tomorrow. Oh boy!

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Magic Mike, Pappy D, and the Mud Dogs

Our unlikely troop of runners gathered at the Upland Brewery on West 11th Street in Bloomington late yesterday afternoon, ready tackle the annual Red Eye Relay. This event features 104 miles of running, broken into almost two dozen stages shared by up to nine runners in the open division. Our official members were WinD (team captain), Miller, Wes, Rachel, Jessie, Jimmy, and IronBill. Bo and Scott were designated floaters, covering for those unable to complete their segments of the relay.

With two vehicles in SAG, we were able to adequately cover the needs of all our runners. Rules stated we needed to have a trailing vehicle on our runners at all times, and believe me, when it got dark, you needed it. This race winds out of Monroe County into Morgan County, turning south only after reaching as far north as Martinsville. It passes through Brown County State Park, and I don't think I have to tell you what that means - hills!

Jessie and Scott started us out. Scott, the resident elite ultramarathoner he is, was going to run several of the legs with the runners so folks wouldn't have to run alone. This was awfully nice. Wes also contributed several extra legs, though he would later pay a price for it.

Jimmy, Jessie, and I had the most to worry about. Jessie hasn't run much at all this summer, practically nothing in fact. I haven't been much better, and Jimmy no more than me. My weekly mileage is 20-25 miles, purposely limited to allow my hips and calves to heal properly. While it's been an effective way to recover, it is a poor way to train for an all-night relay where you run multiple times with a short time span.

Jessie had no trouble. Jimmy had some hamstring trouble coming in, and aggravated it on his first leg, casting his further participation into doubt. This spelled disaster, because we had a time limit to finish, and WinD's original schedule had been quite aggressive. Under the best of conditions we would be pressed to meet the times. It was far from likely we would meet it now.

We were a little behind when I took the arm band for my first run, but decided, "What the heck!", and set out to make back some time. The segment was short, relatively flat with one longish hill. Scott and Bo were alongside, and with the conversation rolling freely, we flew through it. When we were done, we'd done a great deal to bring the schedule back.

Everyone zipped through their first segments, save Miller, who wouldn't get to run until past midnight, after my second run. We had picked up steam, and we were actually creeping ahead of schedule. Scott had run every leg so far, but when it came time for Miller to run, he took a break.

It was simple; Miller is a killer. He was going to tear it up, and everyone knew it. Muncie had not been the race he wanted. He'd been sick. He was due for a hard effort, and he didn't disappoint. He lit the road with burning heels, kicking up sparks with each powerful stride. And it was a tough one too. Some of the roughest hills of the course were on Miller's path, and he didn't blink.

One by one we started on our next segments, fatigue setting in a bit more with each journey. Good fortune did shine on us in a major way - the temperatures dropped into the lower 60's, making running much easier. That isn't to say we didn't sweat - ask anyone who wore a vest or headlamp after me! But it was manageable.

Staying up all night, driving down gravel roads, eating a variety of snack, exercise, and junk food, listening to the car radio, the snores of sleeping runners in the back seat... it's an experience. Things went surprisingly well, for the most part. We never had anyone lost, thanks to the experienced team members. Still, when sleep runs short and so many people are crammed together in tight spaces, there will always be moments of friction. They came, they passed, and we laughed about them later. Who am I kidding? I'm still laughing about them.

We didn't win, I'm sad to report. We didn't even podium. Who cares? This is an experience race, much the way Boston was this year. It's something any endurance athlete ought to experience once in their careers. I don't know that I will ever do it again (getting too old to stay up all night!), but I'm glad I did it. WinD did a great job organizing us (for all the grief we gave her over the schedule, she actually called it pretty close).

Runner of the night? Had to be Scott. Sixty-two miles run, all at a metronomic rhythm defying logic, machine-like. Runner-up was Miller. He took an impromptu change to schedule and was "gifted" with a hellish 2.5 mile category 1 climb late into the relay. Scott knew the course, and recommended walking. (Word to the wise: if an ultra runner with the pedigree of Scott says walk, walk) Miller ran it, all the way to the thin-air top. Never mind a swarm of bees attacked him on his first run, and he was anesthized with Benedryl, he did it anyway. Lesser humans might have begged off, but not Miller.

Moment of regret: my "Magic Mike" dance. I have a feeling I'm going to hear about this one. Forever.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Funny thing happened at the speed workout...

Did you hear the one about the guy who was pushing a stroller in the speed workout? He dominated all the other runners, leaving them by 10 seconds every quarter? Here's the punch line - he was running a fever when he did it. (ba-dum, PSHHH!) Crazy crap, that.

For myself, the heat is doing me in. I was toast after the run, and after today's ride, I was even toastier. I couldn't believe it when I saw Kathy, Jimmy, and Galloway pulling on their shoes for a run afterward - and Kathy had already run 10 miles! I felt bad about it until I got home, weighed myself, and realized I'd lost a ton of weight again. A run would have been out of the question.

I'm relieved my racing season is over, if the truth be told. Things are becoming too complicated schedule-wise, and I don't plan to spend what's left of my summer stressing over it. Might as well enjoy the time I have left and focus more on the girls. Anyway, the one race I did was a great one, so it's not a bad way to go out. I'm sure Galloway would agree with me on that philosophy. ;)

We're going to swim tomorrow at 8 AM. The girls will be there, but there's more than enough room. There will be a ride that follows (and I will be going SUPAeasy). I have to be ready to be stressed Saturday night.

Yuck!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Unusual pace line

First, I want to apologize to John T., Miller, and Jimmy. I broke protocol tonight without warning, and for that I am sorry. It wasn't without reason, which I will explain.

Today's weather could best be described as volatile. With temperatures nearing 100, dew points in the upper 70's, and high humidity, it wouldn't take much to make something bad happen. That something did happen in the form of daytime heating of the Earth's surface, creating columns of air rising quickly, dragging the moisture-laden air with it. Since it is rising so fast, the column of air soon reaches altitudes where the air temperature drops dramatically. Here's the important part - once the air cools below dew point, the moisture has to condense into clouds, which quickly thicken into the large thunderstorms. The formula is simple; superheated, moist air + sunshine = pop-up thunderstorms. The higher the dew point and outside temperature, the more violent the storm.

Whew!

Before we even started the ride, the pop-ups were happening all around us. There was even a severe thunderstorm warning issued just northeast of us. I warned the group to be on the watch, because we could easily get caught out. After all, it was about an hour to the turn. These storms can come out of nowhere in 20 minutes.

We did manage to get all the way out to the tree, and turning around, it was obvious we'd probably get caught. The whole northern horizon seemed to be tinged dark, the northeast being the worst. Still, we had to go back that way to get to the cars. There wasn't any time to waste.

We had a dozen riders for the pace line, and eight went with the first group. Miller, John T., Jimmy, and I went after, though we didn't wait as long this time. The weather was closing in.

Since we left early, we caught them early. Actually, we caught up with Dan first. Jimmy pulled first for a couple of minutes, well I might add (24-25 mph) despite the winds that swirled capriciously from all directions. I was next, and while on we caught Dan, probably right before Bromer. I was holding the 25 Jimmy set, and called for Dan to get on. Why? The weather. I didn't like the idea of him getting caught out alone. If he could be encouraged to get on, we might be able to get him back to the first group.

Unfortunately he couldn't hold on. I pulled until we topped the first hill, leveled out, brought the pace back up, then tapped. As I passed back I spotted Dan. He wasn't that far off, and I made the snap decision to go back and try to bridge him up. I just couldn't leave him out there. Weird thing though... and I didn't realize this until later... I didn't notice DfO wasn't on, and honestly, I didn't even see him behind Dan.

Dan pulled himself onto my wheel, and we started out. The first group was tantalizingly close, and it seemed for a time we were going to get it done. Then suddenly the gap began to open again. I wasn't falling off, it picked up. At first I thought the two groups had merged, and I suppose in a way they had - Jimmy jumped out of one group and got on the other. The truth was Galloway took over the front, and from that point on catching Dan up was doomed.

Finally, at the top of the big drop, the writing was on the wall. Dan couldn't be pulled any harder, the first group was pulling away, and there was no way to catch them. Looking at the sky, I judged we were probably at least going to finish the pace line safely. We were about four miles out and moving well enough. I could also see John T. and Miller across the plain below, and wondered if there was any way I could chase them down. Worth a try.

I left Dan and set out. Glide down the hill, hit the pedals hard across the valley, time trial. It felt like Sunday all over again, with the hard pursuit of riders strung out ahead. I caught the first group on the climb out of the valley. They were in complete disarray as they rode uphill, and I swung far left and moved quickly past.

Over the top, I'd halved the distance, but time was running out. By the time I hit the rollers I'd halved the distance again, and it was becoming clear I would probably catch them soon. As we entered the early part of the final hill, I caught. I had a lot of smash built up in the chase, and as John T. had just tapped, I went by and yelled, "Latch on!". I pulled until the break hill, then continued on. Inevitably, Miller eased on by me, not needing to lay much out. I tried faintly to jump onto his wheel, but there was never any danger it would work. I carried 26.5 throughout the final stretch, and that was all I had.

Ultimately I failed to help Dan get back to the group, but I can say he got a good workout! I got a good one too - not the one I planned, but I worked pretty hard in the chase. We also all made it back to our cars just as the rain started to fall in the park. Naturally there was no run, so it was an early trip to Wendy's, where we sat down to our usual fare.

Jimmy is planning a big workout tomorrow. Can't say I'm looking forward to it, though I suppose I will do it. Ugh. ;)

Monday, July 16, 2012

Surprisingly sore before it was done

Yesterday's race wasn't long, under an hour, and the legs were short. So why do I ache so much today?

Dan, Galloway, and I met at the Lighthouse this morning after practice, riding the usual. We didn't ride hard at all, which was lucky for me. The morning was already humid, and before long the air became pretty warm. We were fortunate enough to find the table back inside Huck's, so we spent a few minutes cooling down before heading back home.

The run later was pretty sticky, too. We weren't horribly slow, but things are definitely harder when it gets this hot. For my part, I just want to run comfortably at this point. Five miles seems to be my limit before things really ache, and you know something? I've enjoyed a summer of not aching after every run. Five miles will do for me, thankyouverymuch.

I was going to swim, but on my way there my back really started to hurt. I simply watched John T. and relaxed for a bit. After that, I went and lifted. I know, it doesn't make sense in print, but in action, it does. I can limit my motion in lifting a lot better than I can in swimming, so no spasms occurred.

Tomorrow we ride pace line, then run. Hopefully Leisa's bike will come in and I'll have time to set it up. It'd be cool to have her along!

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Buckhead Triathlon

I was beginning to think I wouldn't do a triathlon this summer due to circumstances, which would have been a shame given I'm riding better now than ever before. Sure, my running is awful, but I really wanted to test my bike in a race environment. The window of opportunity for Cicero is narrowing if not already shut.

That all changed Tuesday when Arlene came to the pace line ride. I found out she was doing a triathlon today, and it was a race I'd watched last year and wanted to do this year. Thing was, I thought the race had already happened, so I wasn't looking for it. Imagine my happy surprise when I found out the truth.

I tried to get others to go, but I'm no Jimmy; the Bedford roster would be limited to Arlene and myself. Really, as far as triathlons go, this one has its strong points. First is the parking. You park right next to the transition area. Right. Next. To. It. The swim is downriver, with the current. The bike is as flat as you could realistically find. The run course is pretty in places, and quite flat. So, for those of you who passed... sorry!

The bad end of the race is some aspects of the organization. It was a clumsy start to the swim, for instance. The Olympic distance event started across the river in Kentucky, and there was trouble getting the ambulance to the right place(!), and the orange buoys had to be moved over and again before the start. The swim start was time trial fashion, which was fine, but the river was shallow and the buoys were too close to shore. The run had multiple ink markings on the road, and since there weren't humans located in all the critical confusion points, well, confusion occurred.

I made some decisions from the start. First, I was there to bike hard, period. If I did well in the swim or run, that was okay, if I didn't, that was okay too. The bike was the whole race to me. For that reason, I self-seeded myself in the front wave, but started at the back of it. The logic was simple; I would be ahead of most of the plodders behind me, but since I was in the fastest wave, I didn't want anyone swimming up my back. The channel was narrow, so this had a great chance of happening. I passed people all the way and was never passed in the swim. I had a clear line, no difficulties at all. This was a good decision.

I went with socks, because once again, I wanted to bike great. It cost me a little in transition but I feel strongly it was the way to go. I had the misfortune of being in the absolute worst spot of transition, the farthest point away from the exit, due to my late entry. Oh, well. Bike time didn't start until I was out of T1, what did that matter?

The course started in a slight grade down, hard left, then hard right turn, and after that, it was clear air until the turnaround. There were railroad tracks scattered across the course, some rough, and they would have to be crossed again on the return. I hit it hard, and from the start it was obvious I was going to dominate on the bike. I went by people hard, with 2-4 mph advantage on everyone. It reminded me of how Chicago went. We were warned at the beginning by a somewhat overzealous referee about drafting - there was no danger of a penalty here. I did have to pass a car or two that got onto the course, and they slowed me some, but overall I would say the traffic control was better than Cicero. There was a noticeable wind on the course as well, and it took a little off, but it wasn't a serious factor.

The run, the leg I dreaded most, really wasn't bad at all. It was flat, except for the short rise to get on the causeway, and somewhat pretty. It spends a great deal of time in the Falls of the Ohio park. The bad part was the turnaround for the sprint triathlon was marked in three different locations. Imagine the confusion. Since no one was standing out there to direct anyone, it's anyone's guess where people actually turned. I went to the furthest point, I know that. I wound up passing the same people again despite never being passed at any point in the race. It wasn't there fault, so no hard feelings.

The thing that did irk me a bit was the wrong turn I made. This was the result of bad markings and no one there to direct, and it took me a full block off course. It made no difference in the final standings, and since I didn't care about the run anyway, I won't worry about it.

I was 23rd in the swim, no surprise as I didn't push it. I thought I was 5th on the bike. I was 5th in the run. Finally, I was 4th overall.

Now I would be thrilled with those results, especially since I clocked 25.9 mph on the bike, the fastest official race time I've ever been given. But it got even better. Galloway, ever the club statistician, texted me that "25.9 was first on the bike"... I wondered what he meant. I had my printout, I knew what it said. I was driving, so I didn't explore any further. Then I got home. I checked on the computer, searched the results, and out of curiosity, sorted the results by bike (after all, who got #1 on the bike, and how fast were they?). Turns out he was right. There were glitches in the top three riding times, obvious they could not have beaten me. There was no #4 at all. If the results are ranked by bike speed, yours truly was #1. That really made my summer. I've won swim meets, I've won road races, but I've never won a bike race of any kind. Until today.

I met up with Arlene afterward, and we awaited the awards. It took a while, but they finally came. Arlene laid it on the rest of her age group, clubbing them like baby Harp Seals. We both won, making it a sweep for Bedford.

I also found out I was the 2nd Hoosier in the race, behind only the winner (who was just 19 years-old!).

I'm glad it's over, but I'm also glad I went. If I don't get to race again this summer, it's okay; I had one great one, and that's enough. 

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Just a ride, that's all

If I wondered how running twice in one day would feel, the answer wasn't long in coming - hips hurt today. I did 10 total miles yesterday, 5 in the morning, 5 in the afternoon, neither run hard at all. I've run all summer with practically no hip pain at all, and the secret ingredient appears to be shorter runs.

Today, Jimmy, Dan, Miller, and I met at Lighthouse for a short ride. Miller had to be back in a short time frame, so we didn't waste a lot of time anywhere. Yes, I still got my Diet Coke and Milky Way, but I ate and drank faster.

The only fast portion was the end. We hit 33 mph going north on 37, which was pretty good considering we had headwind. Miller rode to the side of me, refusing to accept the draft. Jimmy had no such qualms. Dan refused to play at all and coasted in the final 2 miles.

After lunch I went to the Girls' Club and helped assemble the plaques for Saturday's Limestone 5k. I cannot guarantee they'll stay together, as they are comprised of brass plates attached to limestone plaques via double-sided carpet tape. Maybe they will, maybe they won't.

After that it was off to the in-laws where I helped set up a router for their Internet AND helped square away some registration on my mother-in-law's new iPhone.

So now it's decision time. To do Buckhead or not to do Buckhead. I'm leaning towards... it won't be fast, but I would get some answers about the bike. 

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Two runs today

I've really tried to avoid running long all summer, but today I decided to see how my body would hold up to runs separated by a few hours. I'll have to do it next week for the Red Eye Relay, so I wanted a dry run. I have to say it went okay. Not fast, but okay.

The first run was with the girls' team this morning. We hit the railroad bed, and since we all stayed together, the pace was... pedestrian. Still, we were on the trails and moving. As unhealthy as we've been, that's actually a good thing. We did split the group up later, and WinD took the faster girls into the deep woods.

Later, I lifted, then met with the gang at Jimmy's. It was quite a bit warmer by then, but it didn't bother me much at all. We again ran rather slowly. Poor Jimmy was running late and only got to do a couple with us. It won't hurt him to rest some.

Tomorrow we ride from Lighthouse at 10 AM. 

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

The Brick, and where was Miller?

It was a light night tonight in terms of turnout - there was no Allen, no Mike, no Rand, and no Miller. We did have the addition of Arlene and Kathy (though it would have been nice to see Robin too).

It was cooler again today, the winds were light and out of the northeast. I would categorize them as favorable, though not necessarily overly so. It wouldn't cause any trouble for the ride at the least.

We rode out leisurely, everyone chatting, not thinking much about what was to come. Practically everyone had either driven several hundred miles, participated in a hot event over the weekend, or both, so it was not likely to be a fast ride. On top of that, John T. was under the weather.

Kathy and Arlene rode to Bromer, then turned back. The rest of us made our way to the tree, stopped, and decided what to do. There was a bit of confusion at this point, as Jimmy assumed we'd all ride as a group, and I assumed we'd have two groups. I was perfectly willing to pull more in Miller's absence, so it was no big deal to go in a smaller group. The first group took off.

That's when I noticed there were only three of them. DfO stayed with us, making four in our group. Then I turned and saw John T. leaning over his bars. He told me then he wasn't feeling all that great. Glancing up, the other group was still getting organized by the start mark. "What the heck, let's just ride with them!", I called. And we set out to catch.

We reassembled within a mile, Galloway's surprised face turning just as I caught on, and Dan was still on the front. He pulled around 23-24 mph from what I could see. Strunk went next, and he did more or less the same. Galloway took his turn, a little faster 24-25. I called the numbers back to Jimmy, who was behind me, saying this would be my pace.

Galloway handed over atop the first hill (past Bromer), and I was on. This is an easy stair-step downhill, and I contained the pace. It was a glide really. I held a smooth pace until we hit the Lost River hill, where I tried to let the high speed from the hill slowly bleed down over the valley floor. By the base of the bridge hill climb I was at 25. I told Jimmy I would hand over after we topped, and that we would go smoothly up the hill.

The speed dropped to maybe 19.6, which was as fast as I dared push the group. I figured it would fragment a bit, we'd top, allow it to gather again, then I would tap. I was happily surprised to see the whole group intact and in a very organized line as we topped. That's the fastest we've ever taken the hill without losing anyone, I'm practically certain!

Jimmy took it from here. He did a great job maintaining the pace, and carried it through the last climb of the course. He beat himself up a bit later because he didn't stand on the pedals on the last climb, but he carried us over in a nice pace and didn't break up the group. I thought he did just fine.

John T. finally got his pull, a short segment to the break line. It actually wound up being a bit longer due to traffic - there was a car behind and a car ahead, so we had to wait before we could break. I was a bit worried the one behind would force us to wait too long, giving the true sprinters the edge (read: Jimmy).

I don't possess the explosive power of a Miller, and Jimmy was already on my wheel. There was no real chance to drop him at the start, because he would be watching for my move. The only thing to do was jump up on the pedals and hope for the best.

Pulling wide to the side, I went for it. I took it to 31.7 (last number I saw) and passed the line. Settling back down to aero, I looked under my right armpit (the best way to look behind while in aero) and saw a front wheel waving back-and-forth behind my rear wheel. Someone was there, probably Jimmy, and I had to decide what to do. The ride's pace had not been enough to hurt him, so he had plenty of gas. Should I let off the gas, feign weakness, and jump on his wheel when he passed, or should I put in another burst and try to break him outright? I went for the latter - and it worked.

For the last 100 meters I could look back and see no wheel. I had the gap I needed. First place! I looked back and was surprised to see who claimed second - Dan Dyke! Dan had managed to get Jimmy's wheel, Galloway was boxed in by Strunk, and that left the three of us duking it out. Jimmy was played out by my second surge, and Dan was there to clean up. Great job!

Of course we did the run afterward, followed by a nice meal at Wendy's. I wore my McDonald's into the store, tempting fate, and the result may be that I might have a line on a Wendy's jersey. More on that later.

Ride Data.

Run Data.

Monday, July 9, 2012

Back on the horse

Sometimes, when you take a beating athletically, your confidence suffers worse. That was certainly the case for me after Saturday. It was a rough day any way you slice it, and I couldn't see any way I would recover any day soon.

Yesterday's weather was God's way of saying I wasn't ready to train again. I'd planned to get out in the afternoon if I could manage it, but somehow the high winds, lightning, and rain prevented me from pushing my luck. I'm funny like that.

Today was another story. It was cooler, some 30 degrees less than the last time I was out, and the difference was miraculous. I felt like a completely new rider, and it was easy, so easy to go 30 miles. The time flew by, in fact. Dan, Galloway, and I met at Lighthouse and cruised the country lanes for a couple of hours. Easy-peasy. The run later in the afternoon was likewise easy, as was the lift. 


Consider, the run happened at 91 degrees, 70% humidity, 67 degree dewpoint. That should have been miserable, but it felt downright cool. How crazy is that? I think it speaks volumes. 


Tomorrow we go to Spring Mill. I think everyone is back, and additionally I think some of the women will be showing. It should be cooler again, with light northeast winds. I don't know how recovered everyone will be from the various efforts and vacations (or both!) we've all had, but it should be fun regardless. 


Run Data.


Ride Data.

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Hardest. Ride. Ever.

I could stop my post right there. What left is there to say?

The course wouldn't normally be hard at all - sure, there's the Clearspring Hill, but aside from that, there isn't much to hinder even a novice rider from going the full distance. Much of the ride is on level surface, interrupted by the occasional roller. Even those were spread quite far apart, enough so they really wouldn't be much trouble.

But there was the heat.

Our final SAG in this 77-mile odyssey (I know the Garmin doesn't match up - I forgot to start it after a stop) came at mile 25. That's right, 52 miles without an official SAG. To say this is the most egregious oversight on what turned out to be the hottest day of the year is an understatement of monumental proportions. It turned what was a difficult course into a downright death trap.

There were only two additional places past the last SAG to stop and get anything in the form of support - Freetown and Cortland. If you bypass Freetown because of the promise of a roving SAG (we did), that would take you to mile 63 before Cortland. Sadly, the roving SAG never appeared (at least, not until the last 5 miles of the ride).

By the time we hit Cortland, the temperatures were 104 and above, the pavement was hot, and the air was becoming hard to breathe. Allen had looked bad for some time, with his riding shorts heavily frosted with evaporated sweat/salt residue and drawn features. He was also nauseous. I played it off as the banana he'd eaten at the SAG, but the truth was he was entering heat exhaustion. He was in trouble.

I wasn't much better. I was frosted too, and though not nauseous, the strain was becoming noticeable. I was beginning to wonder how I could ever make it back to Brownstown, and then we saw it - the wonderful blinker light at Cortland. We were saved. A/C, cold drinks, and a chance to sit down for a bit and cool down.

Once inside, the full extent of my danger became clear. I twisted my torso, and cramped hard, a sure sign I was completely dehydrated. The second sign was it sounded to me like my head was stuffed into a bucket. Everything was muffled. Oboy. We had 22 miles to go. This was going to be tough.

I downed two 20 oz. Diet Cokes, ate a Milky Way, bought a Gatorade, and hoped for the best. Allen looked a lot better, if not fully recovered from the stop. Rand was starting to struggle though, with a couple of stingers running from inside the knee to the groin on both legs.

For a while, it went okay. Inevitably, the heat took over again, and it was clear to me I needed to find the most direct path back to my car. I warned the guys we had at least one more climb to accomplish - the run in to Ewing. We'd have to struggle up the hill no matter what. Thankfully we had a detour that shortened the course, because I would never have made the total distance. The bad part was, once we hit that final hill, I was so out of it I shifted up to the big ring, and I just about collapsed by the top of the climb. I lost the others at that point, never able to regain them. They looked back, disbelief on their faces. Believe it. The end had come.

I've never had such a hard time loading equipment into a vehicle, nor have I ever been so thankful for an extremely effective A/C unit on a car. I teetered on the edge of collapse as the car quickly cooled, frigid air blowing across my bare, sweat-soaked chest. It was touch-and-go, but I eventually came to the realization today wasn't my day to die.

Allen said we'd all meet at Dairy Queen. I debated for a second, but decided it was smarter to get something in right then rather than wait. I sat with Allen, Strunk, Rand, and Brent for maybe 20 minutes before I realized there was more trouble ahead, and I'd better get moving. There was the small matter of a 30-minute drive ahead, and who knew if I could hold it together long enough to make it.

I did, but when I got out of the car, and immediate and severe hamstring cramp sent me to the floor. There I was, garage door open, me on my back, right leg propped up against the rear tire, head laying on the lawnmower, and mouth wide-open in a shrill, school girl scream. The neighbors must have thought I was insane. I was too cramped to reach for my phone, couldn't call Leisa for help (and what could she have done anyway?), so I was stuck there until I could relax myself enough to sit, then stand. Somehow I managed to unload the car of the essentials, drug myself inside, showered, then hit the sack.

I drifted in-and-out of fitful sleep, trying to pay attention to the Tour replay (exciting day, BTW). I also finally got a report from Miller on his race (28th overall, bad swim, bad run, great bike), and I could only assure WinD that any finish today, under these conditions, was a great finish.

Today wasn't a confidence booster, but it certainly didn't destroy my confidence, either. It was a tough day, period. I ran yesterday afternoon, a mistake, but aside from that, it was dumb to try to ride the full distance. It's simple - no matter how poorly the event was supported, we have to accept the responsibility of lining up when conditions were dangerous. Thankfully, we all made it out alive. I won't push my luck like this again this summer, once was enough.

Sleeping in tomorrow.

Ride Data. 

Friday, July 6, 2012

Back and beat

It was a great, if short, getaway. Leisa and I drove down to Asheville for a little Biltmore visit, along with some RNR together. I love my kids, but it's nice to get Leisa and travel alone. Sorry, kids!

The weather was much more pleasant there than at home. We saw lower 90's, which the locals abhorred, but they should appreciate what they have. I trained every day there, and though I was careful, there was never any great difficulty in getting it done.

In total I managed two rides and a run. The first ride was Wednesday, our first full day there, and it was a typical difficult mish-mash of roads in and around town. Asheville is not a town you want to train in... the roads are too busy, there are too many lights, and you are hemmed in on all sides by Interstates. This ride was not very much fun at all. I couldn't even collect data on it as my Garmin was dead. Turns out the charger doesn't work, only the USB connection to a computer. So, I rode with only the bike computer. It was 20 miles at a little above 15 mph, and with all the stop-n-go, that was pretty good.

I ran immediately afterward, and this time I took a little side road uphill into a small suburb. This was much better. Traffic was lighter, it was shaded, and it was actually a decent run. I had to finish it by running a little in town, and it was hilly, but it was worth it. The pace was actually a lot faster than I would have anticipated given how much I had to climb - over 200 feet in a little over a mile, for starters. That may not sound like a lot, but it is. The hills weren't any steeper than ours, only longer. Imagine the 37 road cut for over a mile, and you get the idea.

The next day I found the Blue Ridge Parkway. This was pretty dang cool. I was only on it for a total of 13 miles of the 21 I rode, but it was great. Shaded, winding, great views, and perhaps best of all, a flourishing outdoor community around it. This meant drivers were used to seeing cyclists on the road, and they behaved themselves. The result is a state highway that welcomes cyclists, and it was as smooth a surface as you could ever hope for.

Of course the downside was the climbing. There was plenty of that! Uphills were in the 8-9 mph range, downhills could have easily exceeded 50 mph if I'd allowed it. The roads were winding, and though I wasn't really afraid of the curves being too sharp, you can never be certain what's around the corner in the road. 40 mph was fast enough, and that's when I'd hit the brakes.

We'd originally planned to stay another day and drive home Friday, but since Leisa had hit everything she'd wanted to see, and since Louisville was a major obstacle (Interstate 65 bridge), I suggested we leave Thursday afternoon, timing it so we hit Louisville way after rush. This turned out to be genius for many unknown reasons.

  • The I65 ramp was closed, necessitating going into Louisville and crossing at the 2nd Street bridge. That would have been a disaster earlier in the day. 
  • Tennessee had halted all road work from Tuesday to Thursday to facilitate holiday traffic. We'd have been delayed incessantly today if we'd waited.
  • Lightning started a forest fire in the Smokies. We could see it from the road, and it was still burning out of control. The strong winds were threatening to carry it across the Interstate, which would have certainly closed it. 
  • The weather was turning awful, with severe storms pounding the area. It was a tough drive, but we got through.
We were home a bit before midnight, tired and glad to be here. I unpacked my luggage and went straight to bed, and even slept in this morning. 

Round Barn ride tomorrow. We're meeting at the Red Brick at 5:45 AM.

Today's Run Data.
Blue Ridge Parkway Data.
Biltmore Forest Data.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

We rode, then left

I had time for a short ride this morning before leaving for North Carolina, so I invited Dan and Galloway to join me for an early 20-miler. Though it didn't rain last night, the air was a lot cooler than the day before, perfect for a quick spin and back from Mitchell.

Dan seemed on his game again. He pulled us out to the turn, then we headed for 37. From there I brought us back to the 50/37 light, where we turned back to Dixie Highway and toward home. It seemed like we'd just started when we arrived back at my house.

We didn't leave quite as quickly as I thought we would. Family stuff and all, but I wish I'd have gone ahead and completed a short run. Next time I'll know.

The drive south wasn't too bad. The Ohio River Bridge is still down to one lane going south, and that caused a half-hour delay. We were slowed again once by construction and another by rain, but other than that, the trip was pretty smooth.

Things were closing up when we arrived, so we went to dinner and a movie. Texas Roadhouse was good. The movie, Spider-Man, maybe less so.

It's not that the movie wasn't well produced, cast, written, directed, or any of that stuff. I'd rate it top-notch in all those departments. In fact, the casting of Emma Stone as Gwynne Stacey was brilliant. The lead actor, and I admit I've already forgotten his name, just didn't pull it off for me. He was literally too... spidery. Angular, lean to nearly Auschwitz refugee proportions, it was too much visually. I'll admit, this is a problem only a comic purist would have - and to those that are, you understand how perfectly Toby McGuire was Spider-Man physically. The new guy was unsettling.

I'd still give the movie 4 out of 5 carBooms, if for no other reason than it eliminated the bizarre wrist web spitters of the Toby McGuire series. This one got it right... Parker, a science whiz, invents web shooters.

It's nowhere near The Avengers, but it's still good summer cinema. The characters have been introduced, now it's up to the writers and directors to develop the series to its potential.

Monday, July 2, 2012

Taking off, again.

Leisa and I will be leaving in the morning for North Carolina. We haven't visited the Biltmore Mansion in a while, and since this is dead week for high school sports, I have a little time to burn. It'll be a nice getaway.

The last week has been pretty awful. Daily temperatures have breached 100 since last Wednesday, and it appears they will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Lucky for me I'm not running so many miles this summer, because frankly, I wouldn't survive it. Even at 25 miles per week I'm beginning to feel the stress.

Galloway, Dan, and I rode this morning from Lighthouse. I can't say I ever got comfortable during the ride. Dan seemed to be pulling us, yet when the numbers came in, it wasn't as if he was pushing. That's taking nothing away from Dan, of course - he has improved a great deal since the beginning of the riding season.

Ride Data.

Galloway wanted a run afterward, and since I preferred to get it over with before it became much hotter, I went. It was only a 5k, but it was enough. Garmin had it at a perfect 3.1 miles, so you know it was longer. I'd call that an officially sanctioned USAT course!

Run Data.

We're doing a quick ride from my house in the morning, 8 AM, 20 miles. After that - NC!