Tour d'Oconee - Tame The Lion!

The Lion

We left in the pouring rain at 4AM from Hattiesburg.  We were off to visit our friend whom had moved to Georgia.  The forecast called for rain the entire weekend and during the entire 62 mile ride. 

The rain let up a few hours into the drive and by the time we had made it to Watkinsville the sun was out and the weather was perfect.  We ate a quick lunch and went for a quick 20 mile tune up ride.  After the ride we made our way to the Terrapin Brewery!

Brewery

Hopzilla

The crew

Twins?

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This was a hilly area.  Of course, everything is hilly when you live in Mississippi. 

Although this was just a ‘ride’ it took off at 27 MPH – and that is not an exaggeration.  Our goal for the ride was to try and hang onto the front group as long as possible.  I am the weakest of our little group but I am pretty good at dodging the wind (I <3 drafting!).

But I was out of position, in the front middle section of the riders (not the racers).  The group accelerated and took off quick.  I was red lined from the first 10 seconds of the ride just trying to bridge the gap.  It took me a couple of minutes but I was successful!

Right after I was on the back of the front pack they made a hard right turn.  The pace line was like a slinky I was off the back again.  It took almost everything but I battled back to the tail end of the front pack.

But too many matches had been burned too quickly.  I was blown up, failing back and loosing ground rapidly.  This was at mile 6.  Bear in mind, that this was a 62 mile ride.

I ascertained that I was in ‘no man’s land’ and there would be few riders around me of a while.  I rode solo for a couple of miles – still working hard but not red lined at 27 MPH. 

A couple more guys popped off the front group and drifted back.  I was able to regroup with 4 others.  Later another joined our second tier group.

Since we would be with each other for a while we introduced ourselves to each other.  I was from MS, Bill was traveling from FL to New England, Chris, Johan (from Germany) and Jason were locals.

We took turns at the front and made good time.  While the front group made zero stops on the ride we decided to take on water at mile 30ish – I also need to pee like a race horse.

This was a hilly, windy ride and as the miles at intensity racked up I could feel the fatigue.  I was not alone.

On a particularly long hill as Bill and I crowned the apex we looked back.  Jason and Johan were near but Chris was not to be see.

Bill asked aloud, “Where is Chris, the guy in yellow?” 

Johan replied in the best Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonation that I have ever heard, “He has capitulated!” I laughed out loud.  That is the best term for dropping off of a bike ride!

ca•pit•u•late (kəˈpɪtʃ əˌleɪt)
v.i. -lat•ed, -lat•ing.

1. to surrender unconditionally or on stipulated terms.

2. to give up resistance; yield: to capitulate to someone's pleas.

Lance and Keith stayed with the lead group until mile 15, Sam until 40 and Raland the entire ride!

Race Shape for Strava

I went for a run with Lea and John Mark on Tuesday.  Last semester we ran a lot together but this year, do to scheduling conflicts and injuries, we rarely got together – just to make it clear, I’m still running most everyday at lunch.

But Tuesday we headed out on the trace for a comfortable, conversational run.  As we headed out, John Mark mentioned that he had created a new running Strava segment on the trace – his nemesis hill.  To be fair, it really is not much of a hill but – it is a hill.  He baited us.  He told me that I had the KOM and Lea was just behind me.  As we approached the start line I could not help it.  I started to pick up the pace.  We only knew that the end was at the 7th street tunnel.  I took off, slowly.  Lea could not help but follow.  It just happens, you can’t help it – you have to take up the challenge.  Once I heard Lea behind me I picked up the pace.  The segment is only 0.6 miles @ 0.7% grade.  But at full speed it was a very hard effort.

Since Lea entered the segment just after me I knew that I had to ‘beat’ him by a few feet.  I was running hard and fighting gravity as best as I could.  He was just behind me.  I wanted to put a surge or two in but I was unable to attack.  The segment ended up in an all out sprint and I finished a few feet ahead of Lea. 

Neither one of us had clicked off a lap or anything, we just ran.  I uploaded my run gps file after lunch.  It was a hard effort but I had to wait for Lea to upload his file.  He texted me a short time later.  I had ended up beating him by 1 second!  I told him that since this was a new segment that we would be lucky to hold in the top 5.

Upon closer examination, it was noticed that the segment did not really end until the other side of the tunnel.  Lea and I had walked this portion so even though we had the top 2 spots it was about 30 seconds slow.

John Mark later edited the segment to make it end before the tunnel – which I agree with – but, it stole my KOM by 2 seconds.

I put the segment into http://raceshape.com.  This site lets you look at the segments in closer detail.  It shows how a gap changes between two athletes.  The flat purple line in the graph is my pace on the segment.  The blue line is Lea.  Notice that at various points he was ahead (above the purple line) and behind (below the purple line).  In the last 5 hundredths of a mile Lea put in a surge and went from 1 second behind to 2 seconds in front.  That is how you steal a KOM.  Now I just need to drive out to the segment.  Put my bike on the trainer.  Warm-up for 30 minutes.  Then do an all out 0.6 mile effort collapsing upon myself to take back this KOM.

See for yourself here (this view shows Lea as the purple and me as the blue – I did not slow down at the end, Lea just sped up).

Rattler Ramble Trail Run

It’s been a long time…

At the end of October I was asked to help time a trail run near my house. Actually I was asked to time the race two days before the event. I scrambled some pacer friends, procured the club’s clock and decided to race the event. I hoped to finish high enough in the rankings to that I could race and time.

Since the race was just before Halloween I donned the banana suit. I figured that this would give me a pretty good excuse if some of the fast guys showed up for the race. I could always say that I was in a banana suit – what do you expect.

It was a brisk morning, I say brisk but it was really about 50 degrees outside. It was kind of cold standing around but definitely hot while running. I wore an extra-long sleeved shirt while we were milling about before the start of the race. I did get to use all of the banana puns (peel off the extra layers, timing splits, etc.). Funny stuff!

The race started on a slight downhill on a dirt road. I was running fast and wanted to stay at the front. However, there was a girl in front of me. She was running smoking fast down this dirt road. I glanced at my GPS watch and we were in the high 5’s (very high 5’s – like 5:55, but high 5’s none the less). I was not going to put in a pass – this was too fast for me. I fell in behind the girl and stayed about 10 feet back. I was going to stick to the pace as long as possible. Flashing through my mind was a race that had taken place the previous week where a girl won the overall with an 18 high something 5K. I was thinking that if this was that girl then I would have to let her go. Once again, the pace was too fast for me.

I looked at the watch again, we were already a half mile into the race but she was not slowing down. I stayed with her and thought negative thoughts. Something would have to give and soon.

We rounded a corner and saw a long gradual rise before us. Finally, the girl slowed down. She huffed and grunted that she had gone out too fast. I thought – no doubt! I was thankful for the reprieve.

I settled into a very hard but sustainable pace. The route was technical and had many switch backs. I was able to glimpse the second place runner.  I did not want to get into a sprint on these trails.  I kept the pace up sufficiently enough to take the win.

Not my fastest run by far but it was my best race in a banana suit!

TT 2012, sub-30 and a new PR

Okay, it has been about a month since the second TT.  If you remember, I did PR the first one with a 30:21 @ 23.33 MPH (for 11.85 miles).  I was also the first person about 30 minutes and the first person beaten by Donna (fast girl from the coast).

This time I arrived at the starting line on time.  We would line up in reverse order from our previous time (slowest to fastest).  As we were lining up I knew Donna would be right behind me.  I also knew that she was 26 seconds faster than me from the previous TT.  We stagger the start every 30 seconds.  I knew that she would be on my tail.

I had a strategy. I was going to use the Virtual Racer on my Garmin watch.  I have used the Virtual Partner (I call it my Virtual Nemeses) many times in running racers.  The Virtual Partner will run even splits.  This is great on a flat course but he will not slow down up hills.  It is simply an even pace.  However, since I had PR’d the TT and recorded the event with my Garmin I was able to load the event as a course.  I could now race against myself!  It will be in ‘real time’ and not just an even split.

I started out on the ride at a measured pace.  Quickly the nemesis got the jump on me.  What?  I struggle to even keep pace.  But I remained calm and waited for my legs to come back.  It was a hard effort but I was maintaining my previous speed.  I had done some quick math and I ‘needed’ to gain 20+ seconds from the previous ride.  I rounded up to 24 seconds (2 seconds a mile).  At the turn around I was not even close.  I was maybe a second or 2 faster – still a PR but not where I wanted to be.

On that back section I pushed hard and just on the edge.  I started to gain some time.  The only numbers displayed on my Garmin was the amount of time ahead (or behind).  I was not looking at speed or heart rate or anything.  The seconds ahead started to slowly increase. 

When I crossed the line I had given everything and I knew that I have achieved victory.  I had been chasing the sub-30 TT for a couple of years.  The bike set up was exactly the same.  In fact, all equipment was exactly the same.  This meant that I was truly faster than previous attempts (or at least I paced better).

I finished this TT with a new PR with a 29:46 @23.78 MPH.  Donna still beat me (she was 17 seconds faster).

So, for year to year results, I cut down my TT time from 30:32 to 29:46 (46 seconds and 0.6 MPH faster).

Second TT results can be found here.

TT 2012, new PR!

The first TT of the summer took place last Saturday.  Sure, I have ridden the TT course dozens of times this summer but they have usually been some combination of 30 minute repeats or combined with bricks.  Also, Saturday was the first time that I brought out the race bike.

The race bike has been mothballed since October (the Mighty Magnolia).  My cycling mileage is constant year over year but all mileage has been on the road bike.

Friday night I put my race wheels on the race bike.  The bike had been hung up with no wheels on it at all.  I puffed the tires up on the HED 3’s.  The bike still had the race number on from last year. 

I was not sure if I would be able to maintain an aero position for the TT.  30 minutes and change is a long time in a foreign position.

I had read the emails and set the alarm.  I got up early for the 7:00AM start – I rolled out of bed and down the street at about 6:40AM.  This would give me a few minutes to try the aero position and do a brief warm up.  I thought a few all out efforts (I call them striders in running).  I coasted down the hill and saw Raland, Butch and Matt.  They said I could have a go if I wanted to.  I’m sure I looked confused.

I got the time wrong.  The TT started at 6:30AM.  All of the riders were already on the course.  I stammered and said give me a minute.  I road towards Jackson Station for about 15 seconds and turned around.

I pulled up to the starting line.  I was offered a standing start (they would hold the bike while I was clipped in.  I declined.  I just clipped 1 pedal in and asked them to tell me when to go.  They counted me down and I took off.  I immediately lost a second or two fumbling with clipping in.

I have been riding with a power meter since October of last year.  I race wheels do not have a power tap.  This ride would be like all of my other time trials, by heart rate.

I started hard (but not too hard) and tried to keep everything at a slow boil.  Since I started about 10 minutes after everyone, the trace in my direction was empty.  At the turn around I think I was about 3 miles behind the last rider.  There were no carrots dangling in front of me and no one behind chasing.  I am not saying that would have made a difference, but I can be quite competitive.

This July (2012) compared to last May (2011) – disregard the calories.

I was 11 seconds faster (from 30:32 to 30:21).  This is a new PR for me!  The only think to note is that last year my heart rate average was 176 (MAX 187) and this year it was 172 (MAX 184).  Pretty close but … but I might have a touch more in the tank.  By a touch, I mean I really want 21 seconds!!!

I had planned on riding with the Roadie’s (Butch, Raland, Matt, etc.) after the TT.  I met them at 8AM at Jackson Station.  We went off and a sedate, relatively easy pace.  My legs were aching.  I knew that I would not be able to hang once the pace picked.  I turned tail and tail and decided to ride my own ride.  I rode an easy 25 miles.  Sometimes I actually surprise myself! It was a very good decision! 

Full results can be found at: http://hubcitycyclist.blogspot.com/2012/07/july-tt-2012.html .

My last years TT report can be found at: http://www.powermultisport.com/2011/05/time-trialing-in-mornings.html