Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Getting Better, Going Longer on the Run

This is the first week since May I haven't taken any medicine to run. Things are slowly getting better, though there is the nagging plantar pain I can't quite pin down. I'm sure it's coming from the new bike somehow. Q Ring, new pedals, seat adjustment... one or all of them perhaps. Those are the most likely culprits anyway.

I've been thinking about last night's ride. The trend this summer has been to go east harder and harder each week (on 337). Last night we held a pretty even average both ways, going a bit faster out than back. I can't be sure what to attribute that to other than a slight wind which seemed to migrate from the southwest to the northwest. It didn't bother me on my pull on the front, but I can't speak for the other guys. I felt things were more or less neutral, at least as much as they have been in a few weeks.

The reason I have been mulling it over is because our two-way average was 25.1 mph for a total of 19 miles. If you could promise me I would hold that average in a triathlon I would eagerly accept it every time, as it would probably be the fastest bike leg in any race we do. While it's true we took a break halfway through this portion, the next question is whether or not we (I) could have turned right around and ridden the same speed back. Speaking only for myself, I think, for last night anyway, the answer would be yes.

Extending that idea a bit, it occurs to me this might be an interesting thing to try for all of us. After all, we have several Ironmen in the group; it seems logical that any sustained effort at speed might be exactly the type of sports-specific workout we need. If we started at the old 337 entry farther west, we could turn this into a 20-mile circuit that would give a true average speed, as all hills and wind conditions would be neutralized.

I propose we do just that. Next Tuesday, instead of turning left on 337, the men of the group (you decide if you are a man or a mouse) turn right and head to the true start. From there it's a time trial start (or pace line if you must). The idea is simple; instead of going full-out, establish an effort level you can sustain over 20 miles. The idea isn't to blow yourself up, instead try to get an idea of where your line is and learn how to ride right on the edge. Keep in mind this turns a 20-30 minute hard effort into more like a 50-60 minute hard effort, so early caution is necessary.

I realize this won't appeal to everyone. The weather will have a lot to do with your (my) willingness to give it a go. I'm laying it out here early enough for you to mull it over and consider if it fits into your training plan. If it doesn't, obviously you can stick to the normal, going out semi-hard and standing at the pee tree waiting for someone to make the call about what you want to do. ;)

I will say I'm about 90% certain this is what I will do. Join me if you wish, no hard feelings if you don't. I figure we'll finish around the same time regardless. 

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

No Top, No Doors - Look at Me!

Hot as it was tonight, there wasn't much wind, and it was enough cause for concern many of us wondered if we'd last the evening. Like a heavy quilt on a summer evening, it stifled enthusiasm to push too hard. At least, it did for me.

I went ahead and did the first pull on 337 because that's what I do, a bit slower than last week. It wasn't that I felt weak, but this week I wanted to have something left for the return trip. John T., Miller, Troy... they were all there, and it could be pretty hard for me if I let too much go on the way out.

We made 25.6 mph average on the way out. It wasn't full-out for me, and I'm quite certain the guys behind weren't taxed either. The sweat was beginning to build by the end, and when we stopped it got suddenly very hot. We refueled while the last few guys caught up. We also discussed the plan.

As before, no one really seemed up to push very hard. Troy took the first, held a moderate pace, handed to John T., who lifted it slightly, as did Miller, and finally as did I. Our overall average was 24.6 mph, giving us a round-trip average right at 25 mph. That's a pretty solid effort. For my part, I didn't feel particularly tapped, but I definitely didn't have a lot of top-end speed. The effort I could have sustained for much longer in both of my pulls, and I'm guessing I could have done the round-trip in alone in a similar speed.

Most of us found our way to Wendy's afterward, which is always a good time. We razz one another back and forth and generally just have a fun with it, though tonight was a bit special.

Roy asked for my help on figuring mileage on a century ride idea he had. He started rattling off the route road by road, but Roy's voice is, shall we say... monotone, and he tends to drop off in volume the longer he speaks. In the small crowd around the table, it soon came to the place where I could no longer hear him. First I deferred to Troy, who truly was the person that was better qualified to give the mileage in that particular area. Then I tried to get him to pause so we could work it out piece by piece, but in typical Roy fashion he just continued to talk as if I had said nothing.

What followed was actually my fault - I thought I could help him. I should have just shut up and stared out the window and when he was finished said, "Gee, I don't know." That would have satisfied him. It didn't matter to him if I could follow it or not, he was going to play that tape beginning to end, and if I couldn't understand him, well, that was my problem.

To the outsider, this exchange was just funny. Roy has a particular inflection to his voice that is just deadpan funny. So when he chastised me for not letting him speak uninterrupted (which would have been useless, but okay, point to Roy) and offered ever so condescendingly to repeat it for me I kindly retracted my offer to help. If I'm so dumb, my input wouldn't be valuable anyway, right? :)

I can't say who won that exchange - Roy wound up answering his own question (he usually does), but it did provide some entertainment for the rest of the table. It was all in good spirit, no hard feelings at all.

The jab of the evening easily went to John T. We were talking about cars and the subject of Jeeps came up. We talked about colors, engines, and many other aspects of Jeeps. Allen made a comment about he didn't get the "Jeep Thing", to which I agreed, he didn't. I thought I had him - and then John T. got me.

"No doors, no top, look at me!" says John T.

I started to respond, but you know what? Sometimes you have to let a comment sit alone with no follow-up. It was a great moment, and it was his. The Great Sage Galloway taught me this, and tonight he was certainly right.

Only two Tuesdays left in my summer. I'm going to miss it!

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Whatever happens, keep going

I've often said some of the best workouts happen when you feel awful. This was the thought I carried with me to the ride. The morning run had been very tough despite perfect running conditions. My legs just felt blown. Undoubtedly a result of the century ride two days ago, along with a weekend of shortened sleep. No matter how it happened, or why, I felt awful.

Eleven guys showed for the ride tonight. Troy, John T., Roy, Allen, Jimmy, Scott, Miller, Galloway, Jimmy Dean, and myself made the effort, the highest number we've had all summer. This would give us at least two strong riding groups, depending on what we decided to do.

To that end, the weather made the choice for me. I knew a hard ride into the wind was out of the question; I didn't have the legs for that. I could give going hard on the way out a try. My plan was to push hard going out, and if I had anything left, make an effort for the way back. One step at a time on this day!

It wasn't easy going out, even with the wind. As I suspected, the legs simply wouldn't push very hard. We made great time, but I sure had to work for it. I know it was just me, because the guys behind barely broke a sweat. No matter. I had a hard effort, and that was what I wanted.

What I didn't want (or expect) were the scorched lungs at the county line. That hasn't happened before (at this point), and I wondered if I would be able to push at all on the way back. Troy started talking about going very hard, and I knew then if he did, I was going to get dropped. And that would be okay. I warned the guys to not wait on me if I fell off. They laughed. If only they knew!

Scott took the first pull, and at first I thought the end would come for me right away. He was pulling 27 mph, and the way the line was forming, I couldn't catch a draft. That was leaving me out there on my own (effectively), and the thought of trying to make that speed into the wind seemed hopeless. It didn't take long for the speed to start to drop to a more reasonable 22-24 mph, which I could sustain even without a draft. Scott's pull was long, perhaps too long, because he was pretty flat by the time he came off. Next up, John T. If he went hard, Scott might be in trouble.

John T. resumed the 22-24 mph Scott had for the most of his pull. This was a long pull, perhaps the longest of our group. I was comfortable but worried - Troy came next. And the timing would have him on during Lost River climb. Could be bad!

Indeed Troy did get that hill. He didn't blast it though. The wind really was pretty tough on the front end, and it curtailed speed for everyone all the way back. Troy did a solid job, then tapped at the top of the climb.

Miller's turn was next. He took us through the rollers at a slightly faster clip than the others (no surprise there) and tapped in time to give Jimmy the last hill. Jimmy tried to carry his smash over the last climb, and in that wind did a great job of it. Then he continued on - I wondered if he would hand over for the last bit - and waited for the pass that would surely come.

The guys didn't disappoint. First Troy, then John T., then Miller, then Bartley... I had no intention of trying. I was second in line, and since I couldn't see behind, I risked crashing with anyone right behind me on the pass. Besides, I hadn't any draft to speak of the whole way back. I didn't have much in the tank to try to out sprint those guys.

Turns out Troy made his move too soon, Bartley made his too late. Miller nipped John T. by a hair in the end by drafting until the last second. Troy's early move meant he was nothing more than the launching pad for the other guys to sprint. Bartley failed to catch the wheel of the train soon enough, and as a result never really got on. Timing is everything!

I thought the hard part of the ride was over, and in truth I was looking forward to cruising in. It was not to be. It seemed, for one reason or another, we kept yo-yoing across one another. First Scott would pass, then the other guys, then I'd think, "If they can do it, so can I!", and I'd go. Funny thing is, the more we did it, the stronger I felt. Each acceleration got easier than the one before. In the end I felt better than when I began the ride, something I definitely did not expect.

Speaking only for myself, I got what I needed from the workout, and then some. I hoped to have two strong segments on 337, which happened. I also wound up finishing with a bit more confidence than I carried in, proving my opening point.

I'm not sure about my crank setting yet. Mitigating circumstances such as the wind make it difficult to accurately compare efforts so far, but my guess is it was likely the right adjustment to make. Sooner or later we'll get a more neutral day to try this, and then I'll have a clearer picture...

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Being IronBird Deckard

There was a movie a few years back titled "Being John Malkovich". It was filmed from the viewpoint of a person inside Malkovich's head, sort of an omniscient observer to all of his thoughts and sensory input. It seems an interesting way to go for this post, so I'll give it a shot. I invite you to be that omniscient observer in my head!

Man, I don't want to do this ride. I mean, I really DON'T want to do this. Why am I, anyway? I won't be racing anymore this season. Training is going to get very limited soon. Why is 100 miles today important?

It's not. So I won't. I'll just go 75. That will give me my minimum of 125 miles for the week. I went a little longer on the runs, so my plan to go more run/less ride is already in play. Yup, I'll just go 75.

Maybe I'll just go 43. That would give me 100 miles, which would be plenty. Yeah, if I start to feel bad, I'll cut it way back. No reason to pound now.

Oops, better take it easy. Something tells me today isn't going to go well. Better ease back, try to keep the sweat level down. Spin, spin, spin. No hard climbing, nothing to prove...

Wish I could get lost in some thought. My head seems all over the place here. What's the theme for today? What problems do I need to sort out while I'm out here? Geez. Only holding 16 mph. I'd better think of something; at this rate the ride is going to take over 6 hours.

That wind from the southwest is pretty strong for this early in the day. Unusual. I hope that long line of storms stretching across the middle of Illinois and Indiana doesn't drop south. By the time I see it, it would be too late to do anything about it. Could be pretty rough, too. Atmosphere has to be pretty unstable to generate a line like that without the heat of the day.

Where to go... I'm alone, so I could take 60 to Campbellsburg. But where from there? Palmyra? Seems like a bad idea going southeast with a strong southwest wind. Maybe I could drop more south, hit 337, then head east to Salem. It's still southeast, just not as much. Man, I just don't have any appetite for that today. And I really don't want to do loops between 337 and Campbellsburg. Absolutely heinous way to get 100.

Hey... what if I take 60 to Ann's Birds, cut south, but instead of turning on 337, cut across and continue south to Paoli? It's early on a Sunday, and I've barely been passed by anything yet. If I could get there, I could try 150 to French Lick. Sure, I'll have to get on 145 and head toward Tell City for a few miles, but that's a ride I've not done yet. Plus I really want to try 150.

Finally, something I can get excited about!

Okay, I've passed Mt. Pleasant, and I've come to the T. Odd... I don't remember it like this. No matter. I have to turn right to go toward Paoli, and at worst this will dump me out on 37. It's just a little ways away from here...

Okay, I'm getting concerned. Better stop and look at Google maps. (stop bike) Hey, that's highway traffic right through those trees. That's 37 right there I bet! Yup, Google confirms. Now to make my way through town...

I ran the Paoli 5k years ago, and I know there's a road that would allow me to avoid the town circle, but for the life of me I can't remember it. Better to stick with what I know. I will ride the circle. Traffic's light anyway, so it's only a matter of climbing another hill.

Wow, only 30 miles in and my saddle is bothering me. My feet too. Still don't have this new bike dialed in. I might have to look at my old saddle and replace this new one. Don't have an answer for the pedals. I tried my old shoes, and it still hurt, with the added bonus of being much more difficult to clip out. Not what I want for a safe ride.

Okay, I've rolled the dice. Leaving town speed limit is 35 mph through construction, so though it's narrow, it's slow. Church traffic has passed through, so this shouldn't be too dangerous. The trick is to hit the turn and be back through here before church lets out. That may be rough given my slow progress. Lord, I really don't feel very strong right now.

Hey, 150 is gorgeous after about 3 miles. The road is paved from here on and is smooth as a baby's butt. I even have an extra lane in places, as the lanes are not yet opened to traffic. YES! Mark this down as one of my new favorite roads. Buttah Boulevard! No real climbs to speak of, and when this gets done there'll be no reason to avoid the Paoli/West Baden connection.

Pain under my right foot is really starting to be a problem. I don't know how long I can hold aero between the saddle and the clips. Only comfortable position seems to be sitting up, and with this headwind that really slows me down. Just gonna have to tough it out.

Where did the road go? Am I in West Baden already? Wow, that was fast! Right at 38 miles, and French Lick is right at 39. I see I'm at almost 40 as I leave the southeast end of French Lick on 145. That means about 21 miles of 145 before the ride ends. That should get me down to Patoka Lake, which is pretty. Too bad I have a couple of harsh climbs into the wind before I get there.

This didn't seem so hard the last time we were here... oh wait, I hadn't ridden 45 miles by this point, and we had a tailwind. Yeah, now it makes sense. What's that noise? (looking up to my right) Oh, that nest Allen spotted last time... those aren't eagles, they are ospreys! I'll have to remember to get a picture when I come back through.

Uh-oh, this hill is long. Fun going down, not so much going up. It seems to keep going, going, going. The other side looks like it will be a similar distance up. Man, I don't feel up for this at all. I feel so slow. It's getting hot, too. Should I turn? I could pancake out here. Don't be a wuss. If you do, you do, but you're going straight ahead. Pansy.

Well, perfect. Here I am at 49 miles, and I sit atop the largest hill yet, the drop down to Patoka Lake, and it looks like I'll just get to the bottom and have to turn around. Fate can't be that cruel. It can't be that long. I know I'll get to cruise a bit along the lake before I turn. I just know I will.

Okay, I won't. Figures. The second the hill bottoms out, the Garmin hits 50 miles. Just my luck. I suppose I could carry on a bit, but that line of storms up north was serious. We are going to get storms today, it's only a matter of time. On top of that, I have to beat the church traffic off 150 or I could be in big trouble. No choice. I have to turn back now.

I can't believe this hill is really one mile long.

Hey wait, it's not so bad. Looks like I'm getting that tailwind I hoped for. Finally, something breaking my way! It sure is hot though. Losing the headwind for the next 50 miles might be harder than I thought.

Okay, get back to West Baden and you could eat. I saw McDonald's. That's where I'm going. No glorified bologna sandwich for this manly man. Burger, fries, and endless Diet Coke. That's for me!

Ow, my feet really hurt. At least I can move around on my seat to ease my saddle. I'm trapped with these clips. Reminds me of my first Ironman. Feet hurt so I picked up my feet to relieve the pressure, and immediately got debilitating cramps inside both thighs. Definitely don't want that to happen! Shouldn't though... been taking Enduralytes and drinking plenty of Gatorade. I should be good. Sure is warm, though.

Hmm. Shorts don't look snowy. Shirt is soaked though. That's a lot of sweat. My arms are also soaked, and I can feel my helmet is about to shed sweat onto my sunglasses. This could wind up pretty tough.

I'm making great time here. I've averaged over 22 mph over the last 10 miles. That's quite a wind. It's stretching the flags out. No wonder it was so slow coming out.

McDonald's! Gotta eat fast.

Chick at the counter tries her best not to look at my outfit. Impossible. The "click-click" of my shoes on tile demand an inspection. "I know, I know" I say to her. Eyes up here, young lady!

Refueled, supplies replenished, now for the 40 miles home. Only 40 miles. I look forward to 150, I just wish I could skip the rest. My M&M stash is ready to go somewhere after 80 miles, just got to lay down and go smooth until Paoli. Gotta beat the church traffic. Should have just enough time to do it.

Oh man, this road is sweet! 24 mph? Mostly flat and fast, cyclists are going to crawl all over this.

Okay, now to get through Paoli. Two big climbs, then a right turn just outside of town. Get there, then cut back a bit. Really starting to get hot out here.

Do I remember the exact way back? I think so; doesn't really matter much. I'm in no danger of getting seriously lost. Would like to keep it close to the same path, so calculating the distance along the way will be easier. I may have to make adjustments later.

Alright, back to Mt. Pleasant, and really cruising along. 22-23 mph going straight north with a strong tailwind, dancing the line between pressing hard enough to make my feet hurt and light enough to keep the sweat down.

Crossing 337, it's time for M&M's. I'll eat a few now, saving the rest for later if I need them. I just need enough protein/salt/sugar to get me in. Wait, is that the "Dachshund of Doom" ahead? Dangit, the kids are playing in the street in front of the house. The dog is sure to get all protective now and chase me down the road. And here I am without pepper spray! Where did I lose that anyway?

Oh good, the owner ran over and grabbed the dog's collar. Thank you!

Back in Lawrence County, less than 17 miles to go, and it's looking good. I'll take 60 back to Meridian despite the headwind mainly because I'll make better time. Weather is an issue now. Those storms could appear any time. The clouds to the west are beginning to show the first signs of developing weather.

Will I have to go Rabbitsville to get the miles, or do I have enough to cut over to 37? I need about a mile of leeway to do the highway path. Again, that's the better way to go if possible because of the tailwind. Looks like I have enough, so that's what I'm doing.

Huh. Figures. Get to the highway and the wind has shifted. It's now out of the northwest and is no help at all. Too late, I am committed here. Besides, I'll make over 20 mph average, and that's still faster than the other way. Just not as fast as I hoped.

One more climb - the Cut. I can do this. Slowly, sitting up, spinning, but I'm going to make it. No hurry. The clouds are certainly showing rain is on the way, but not before I'm in. I'm golden now. Just a matter of how much I need to add to get 100.

Hmmm. This is looking pretty close. My markers are all showing just a hair shy of 100 when I get to the gate. I'll drop down the alley a bit if I need to.

Hurray! 100 miles as I cross my garage door. No extra needed. Waitaminnit. I hit 100 miles almost exactly on a new course - no small feat. Man, I'm good!

So the 17th Century passes. I'm hot. Gotta clean this equipment up. Thirsty. Diet Coke time. Man, I'm hot. Let's check the weather and see what the conditions are... oh, 91 degrees, high humidity and dew point, real feel 101 degrees. Yeah, that explains it. Glad I started early!

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Quantifying Quality

Is there any road in the southern half of the state that isn't under construction or limiting traffic? Gee whiz, driving to Paoli should never be this hard... or French Lick for that matter... of course, safety bugs that can't come within 10 mph of speed limit exacerbate the problem...

Allen, Scott and I drove down to French Lick to do the Allen "Dream Ride". Well, maybe not dream ride, but it's one he's talked about for a long time. Today, we ticked that off the bucket list. It was a good ride - for most of it, anyway.

Highway 145 is a super 2, so there were was plenty of shoulder to ride. The down side was it was pretty trashed, at least in the early phase. Shredded tires, glass, you name it, the shoulder was covered. I figured it was only a matter of time until one of us flatted. We actually got a lot farther along than I expected before it happened.

The wind was shifting, not too strong, but favored us mostly on the way out. Allen took charge right away and was pulling us along over 20 mph. When I noticed this I figured a few things:

  1. We had a tailwind;
  2. We were going downhill, and;
  3. It was going to be a tough go getting home. 
The downhill question was raised a few times throughout the ride. Allen's argument was Patoka Lake would be at Ohio River level. Mine was it couldn't be, else the water wouldn't flow there. He would not be moved, at least early on. Events later would prove me right. 

The terrain is beautiful. The ride cleaves Hoosier National Forest vertically, and a nice view of Patoka Lake can be had. Beyond that was view after wonderful view of the area's natural beauty. Truly, one couldn't ask for a much prettier ride. There were hills, though nothing really steep. They were long though, and this began to wear on Allen as the day went on. 

As for Scott and myself, we were the Q Men. Scott had his Rotor Q Ring installed yesterday, and he noticed right away how the legs didn't develop lactic acid on climbs. It's just easier. Bad news for Allen, as he was forced to rely on talent alone to get him to the tops. 

We meandered around Tell City looking for a place to eat. Allen wanted Subway, so after a while we finally found it. This added a bit to the ride, nothing significant - unless you were really getting tired by the end. We probably took half an hour to get our food and eat it, then it was time to return.

This is the part where elevation came back. It seemed all we did was stair-step back to French Lick. One hill after another, after another, after another... Allen held together pretty well until around mile 70, then the wheels came off for a while. I had been on the front since we left town, and we'd made decent time. I was trying to be a wind break, though I possibly did more harm than good. For my part the wind didn't bother me at all and I was cruising. It was out there, for sure, it just didn't bother me. I'd say the same for Scott. 

We had planned to stop at a gas station around 30 miles from the end, but Allen wanted to keep going. We all had enough fluids and supplies, so we kept at it. Other than the bad section of shoulder going into (and out of) Tell City, this was the hardest part of the ride. Not because of terrain, or temperature (that was perfect!), rather trying to find a speed to keep everyone together. Allen had bonked a bit, stopped talking, so it was hard to figure out how to help. He eventually came out of it after a bit, and we picked it up for a while. 

Right at the end the bad was coming again, but at the very least the terrain had flattened for good, so it wasn't hard to keep going at a moderately decent pace. I was getting hot spots on the balls of my feet and tender areas I won't mention. Scott looked unfazed. 

After finishing, we went to the burger place Allen wanted to visit and had supper. It was a decent meal, on par with Buffalo Wings & Rings. I'd probably eat there again if ever I visit French Lick.

It was a good day all around. It had challenges, but it also had a lot of reward. I don't know if I'll do that particular course again any time soon - an hour travel just to get started is a downer - however there were parts that were simply gorgeous.