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!

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

Cold snap in the training

The weather turned cool cold this week in Mississippi. Saturday was our first ever Hattiesburg Century Bike Ride. It was 4o degrees and windy. I am sorry to say that I was not looking for a fast, hard, cold or windy ride.  I skipped the ride.

I drank my coffee and then jumped on the trainer. I knocked out my 2 x 20 minute sessions and watch some TV on the internet. I rode for a total of an hour twenty. I only felt a little bit guilty.

Sunday was another story. I was looking for fast, hard, and cold – but this time running. I waited for the sun to rise and then hit the trace. The air was a brisk 36. I was dressed just right as I left the house which means that I was wearing way too much. I always just run in shorts but I had a compression sleeveless shirt with a long sleeved shirt on top. I also had a light pair of gloves and a beanie.

By mile 6 the sleeves would be pulled up and the gloves tucked into my waist band.

I headed out towards Epley – this is my 12 mile out and back. It is also a good portion of the Steam Whistle 12k which takes place on New Year’s Eve. Running towards Epley is uphill, slightly. During the Steam Whistle you are very ready to turn around.  I had planned on running my marathon pace + 30 seconds. I wanted a manageable, successful run. I found that since I have been running a lot of tempo miles at a 6:30 pace the past couple of weeks, I just might have reset my comfortable pace. I have been trying to reset my comfortable pace for some time. I joke about this all of the time like I can just will my easy pace to be 30 seconds faster than it really is, but maybe it is working (or the 30 degrees drop in temperature – will power or weather, whatever).

I started out on this slight uphill out portion of my 12 mile run. My pace came easy, too easy. I was running marathon + 20 seconds. For those just joining us, my hope to be marathon pace is 6:50 so I had planned on running comfortable at a 7:20 pace but I was running 7:14 for the first mile. Mile 2 was a bit faster at 7:10. Mile 3, 4 5 and 6 were all faster settling in at 7:05. At the turn around I started the slight downhill. It really is more of a mental downhill but it is there.

Since the pace (M+30) was blown out the water I went ahead and decided to keep the pace. The next 5 miles were all sub-7 or right at 7. This run was no longer near comfortable pace. On the other had it was also not in the red. I picked the last mile up to my tempo pace to see if I had it in the tank and clicked off a 6:26.

Moral of the story: The first cold days of the year are wonderful for a runner and miserable for biker.

The hardmen were missing.

I took Friday off from work and played on the coast. Jodie had some work to do and I took a couple of books. I enjoyed the nice weather. I sat on a bench in the shade for a couple of hours. I did take my bathing suit and thought about swimming. Unfortunately our beaches in Mississippi are not good for swimming. You can wade out into the water for a mile before the water gets deep enough to swim. Oh well, I did enjoy the water.

With rested legs I met the group ride on Saturday morning. Some of the usually suspects were missing. Some of the hardmen were missing from the ride. There was a chill in the air. I wore a pair of winter cycling gloves and my arm skins. I also had a sleeveless compression shirt underneath. I was cold for the first couple of miles. Others had on legs skins and jackets. It was about 60 degrees. It was not cold. We are just soft.

I warmed up soon enough. It felt cold in the shadows. With fresh legs I was able to give several hard pulls. I would pull until I blew up and then tuck back into the group. Nothing huge but I was feeling fresh.

Towards the end of the ride we went down a very long downhill. As you know, what goes down must go up. I found myself at the front of the group and I put in a hard effort. I wanted to complete at the top of the rise. Three fourths into the climb I hear Keith from behind. He said, “You dropped them all. We just have to keep it up to the end of this road.” I could hear the excitement in his voice. I was not trying to breakaway; I just wanted a hard effort. With the encouragement from Keith I dropped to a harder gear. I blew up about 10 seconds later. I told him to go on. Keith sped away as I dropped back to the group to recover. I was soon enveloped. I was still blown but just as I started to recover Raland took off in pursuit of Keith. I had nothing to respond with; Raland developed a gap too quick. I could not follow.

It was cat and mouse between Keith and Raland with the rest of the group following. Keith continued to get some separation and got some traffic between him and the chase group. This route ends with a series of hard climbs. The group was gaining on Raland but Keith was out of reach. I tried to drag myself to Raland wheel and was only successful after the last climb.

With the group splintered we eased up the pace and rolled home. I did have one last effort on the homestretch and came into the parking lot second behind Keith. He had a huge grin on his face. He said that I could not have timed it better for him to break away. He said that next time he would work for me. I told him congratulations but there was no stratigy behind the effort. It was luck. The rest of the group rolled in and we talked about bikes for a while. It was good fun.

After the ride I told the story to Jodie. She said that I was the Jensie. I wish. The next day I was at the bookstore and I saw that Velo magazine had a cover story on the hardmen of cycling. And low and behold who was on the cover.

The Ultimate Interval

Basically it is finding how much and how long you can sustain your maximum intensity on the bike.  You then do intervals at this intensity.  Would this be like Yasso’s on the bike?

Find your T-Max -

1. Determine Your Peak Power Output. Using a power-measuring device from PowerTap, Polar, SRM or CompuTrainer, begin riding at 100 watts. Increase power by 30 watts every minute until you reach exhaustion. Laursen deemed test subjects fully exhausted when they could not keep their cadence above 60 rpm. You can use that benchmark, but let's be honest, you'll know when you're done. The number of watts you produce just before collapsing is your peak power output, or PPO.

2. Find Your T-Max. Rest for a day or two. Again using a power meter, ride at your PPO until you can no longer sustain that level of output. The amount of time you can hold your PPO is your T-Max. For most of us, that's between four and six minutes.

3. Calculate Your Ultimate Interval. Multiply your T-Max time by 0.6. This is the work phase of your interval. Double the work phase to set your recovery time between efforts.

4. Try It Out. The original study prescribed eight hard efforts. But if you'd rather avoid losing your lunch, start with two or three intervals. Do two sessions a week, with at least two days of rest or other easy riding between. Add one interval to each set every week until you achieve five or six intervals per workout. Build up to eight if you can.

If You Can't Measure Power Though the results likely won't be as dramatic as with a power-based T-Max Interval, Laursen says unplugged cyclists can reap some of the benefits by performing 2:30-minute intervals at 95 to 100 percent of max heart rate (the point at which you cannot speak), followed by recovery to 60 percent of max, or until you can speak in full sentences. Do two to six sets twice a week, with at least two days of spinning or rest between.

Read the entire article at bicycling magazine.

Big Dam Bridge Century Ride

The weather could not have been better for the Big Dam Bridge Century Ride.  This post will be more of a short review of the event rather than a detailed report of my riding the Big Dam Bridge Century.

We arrived in North Little Rock in the early afternoon.  I had noticed that my seat bag was extremely worn and actually just hanging on by a tread.  It was time to check in for the event and look around the expo.  Although the expo was small there were two shops swapping their wares.  I was able to find a seat bag, some lobster-claw winter gloves and a Leopold Trek jersey.  The prices were fair.  I got everything that I needed.

Check in for the event was quick and easy.  We were not able to pick up a packet for a rider that was unable to make the event.  Photo ID’s were checked.

The following morning we rode to the event start.  It was just a short ride across the bridge and took just a few moments.  There was a chill in the air but arm warmers and jackets were not necessary although I saw many riders who thought otherwise.

Big Dam Bridge

Charles, Terry and I went out together. Unbelievably, Charles was pushing the pace from the beginning. I guess the cool weather filled him with bravado. Terry and I just held back knowing that it was a long day. We knew that Charles would be successful but wondered how much suffering would take place in the later stages of the ride.

Charles settled down around the 20-mile mark. We were being passed by small pelotons. I decided to jump on the tail of one. However, this group soon slowed. I decided to go around and ride at a tempo pace.

I was bridging gaps constantly. The ride had broken up into hundreds of small groups of riders. I would pass one group and then try to catch the next. Starting at a moderate pace for the ride meant that most of the fast riders were miles ahead. I was not being passed by anyone.

Then, during a particularly long stretch, a solo rider passed me. He had a team jersey on and was riding just a hair faster then I. I jumped on his wheel and we chased down the next pack. We started to fade and I took the lead. When we got to the pack, I slowed to catch my breath. I was thinking that riding a hard tempo at mile 30 of a century was probably the smartest strategy. The ride told me nice pull and that he had flatted early on. He was trying to catch his group. He told me to come along for the ride. We rode hard for another couple of rides and caught his group. He was obviously the strongest of the group. I decided to continue on my own.

My first stop of the day was at mile 35. I used the facilities, refilled the water bottles and ate a couple of PB&J squares. The aid stations were run very well. While I was in line for the bathroom, a volunteer came up to hold my bike for me while I did my business. Wow, curb service.

Charles and Terry soon arrived and we continued onward. Since the last tactics worked out well I decided to continue to ride tempo and take big rest breaks at the aid stations. For me this would be a great workout of hard efforts followed by long rests. Just about perfect.

The ride started to get hilly and I was still passing tons of people at the back and middle of the pack. The last rest stop before the ‘mountain’ was at mile 62. I stopped to wait for Charles and took a long rest. I ate some more, used the bathroom and refilled the water bottles. These are very small towns in north central Arkansas but the entire communities came out. The junior high school cheer squads were loud and proud.

After an extended recovery, we started again. I attacked the mountain. It was a little over 4 miles of climbing. I was in my lowest of low gears and pulling hard but it was not the hill was not insurmountable. When I got to the top, there was another aid station. This station was also packed with cheer squad volunteers. They quickly ran over to you and asked if they could fill your water bottles or get you something to eat. It was awesome.

Kings of the mountain!

The rest of the ride was supposed to be downhill. Not true. Although there were some steep descents, the ride was anything but downhill.

We stopped for one more aid station at around 90 miles and then I took off for the hotel. Although I was not overly fatigued, I was ready for the ride to be over.

Our hotel was half a mile before the finish. I pulled into the parking lot and abandoned the ride. I wanted the first shower. I cleaned up, poured a beverage and headed out to the finish line.

I soon met up with Charles and Terry and we made our way to a steak house for a reward.

We had a great time. I would highly recommend the Big Dam Bridge Century Ride to anyone looking for a fun day in the saddle.

Zen in the art of bicycle maintenance.

I had two full days of riding this weekend (plus a little bit of running). We also were caught in the rain on Sunday. We raced the storm back to Sumrall and we were able to hang out under the shelter for 30 minutes or so while the worst of the storm passed. Good times.

I also was able to perform the following maintenance on the bike this weekend.

1. New cables – check

2. Remove fork and clean bearings, etc. – check

3. Install new chain – check

4. Install new cassette(12 – 27) – check

Riding along this morning in silence knowing I have an extra gear to go to for next weekend’s hilly century – PRICELESS.

That looks like a mountain towards the end.

King of the Mountain Epley Challenge

We were headed to the coast early Saturday morning for some back to school shopping. No, not for children but for us. Anyway, this meant I would have to skip the 7:00AM Winn Dixie ride. Now, I really like this ride. We got a good 50 miles last Saturday. Instead, I jumped on the 6:00AM Jackson Station ride, or more appropriately the B-team ride.

Lance, Robin and JD were there sporting the jersey. I felt left out; I left my jersey at home. I was wearing a plan Jane red jersey. We headed out on the trace. We were looking for 30ish miles.

The pace was reasonable as we left the trace towards Canebrake. This is not my favorite route. There can be a lot of cars even in the morning. This Saturday it was not bad. We were talking and jockeying for position but it was a true warm up. I was not sure if I was up to the task of what was to come. I had run on the trace at lunch on Friday and rode after work on Wednesday on the ‘race’. This has been the hottest week of the year and I have been feeling it.

Back on the trace we made our way towards Epley. We all knew what was in store. Fortunately we stopped for water at the station. I desperately needed to use the can. I have been trying to hyper hydrate and the results are many pit stops. We also ran into some other friends just starting their ride. We talked them into the “King of the Mountain” Epley Road Challenge. We have been doing this ride for a couple of years now. It is a 10 mile out and back hilly route. The 5 miles out are mostly downhill and, you guessed it, mostly uphill back.

I used to be a contender on this ride. I have a power to weight ratio that suits me better on this ride than some of the true powerhouses. Not only that, I tend to draft well. I have won this a couple of times but the others have gotten stronger.

Today, this would be a hold on type ride. Tuesday I had gotten dropped on the group ride and I predicted more of the same. After I had refuel (replaced liquids) we attacked the course.

Funny enough, Lance let Robin take the lead and then said to me that we should take it easy the whole way out. That lasted about 30 seconds and Lance jumped around Robin and sped off. We let him go for a minute or two.

I could not let him go. I did not want to do the work but I was not about to let Lance just take the ride. I accelerated up to my LT pace and pursued. I quickly closed some of the gap but I was not able to completely bridge the gap. The next thing I know is that Robin comes roaring by me. It took everything to jump on his wheel but we were able to bridge the rest of the gap.

We all rode together for a little while and then Lance was off again. This time I was able to bridge the distance solo. I asked Lance if he wanted to work together and he said sure. I knew this was a deal with the devil. I was sure that once I gave a decent pull I would be done and not able to stay attached.

I tried to keep some in the bank as I gave a quick pull but as soon as I was done Lance took over. I am pretty sure that he tried to drop me but I was able to hang on, barely. My heart rate was bumping way into the red zone while drafting. I was not going to let myself be dropped in no man’s land.

However, at the turn around I saw that Robin and Jason M. (from the other group) were right there. I probably should have just backed off and saved a match or two.

We did the 90 degree turn around and regrouped. Some of the others had dropped off a bit but it was very close to just starting off again. It was Lance, Robin, Jason and I as we headed back to the Station.

There was some posturing but the pace quickly resumed. We all took a couple of pulls and dueled for supremacy. It was a fast sprint up and down the hilly course. I never really took a hard pull but I did attempt a couple of feeble breakaways just to be reeled back in as quickly as I left. On the last hill I was second position behind Lance. This was exactly where I wanted to be. It was a fast pace but I thought if I timed it right I might be able to make a break for the top. From out of nowhere, Jason comes screaming past me. I really did not even know he was with the group. Jason has gained a lot of speed in the last year. He was riding flat out. I hesitated for a moment but knew I had to make a jump for it.

Briefly it flashed in my mind that Jason was going to be King of the Mountain on his very first ride with us – wow, props. I jumped on his wheel and charged up the hill. I was waiting for him to blow up. I still hugged the wheel. This is a long hill and I did not want to explode myself. Jason did not blow up. I was going to have to pass him. I moved left and stood on the cranks. I was full gas. I was on the pedal. I made the pass but I was not finished. I continued up the hill as hard as possibly could. I was going to win this thing.

Just then I say Robin’s wheel come up on my left. There would be no letting up and taking victory. It was a dead even sprint to the line. But there really is not a line. The ending is somewhere near Epley Station, maybe the parking lot. We continued to battle. Neither one of us was going to give in. We would race until we fell over.

The sweat was dripping and flying off of my face. The legs were burning. My eyes were fixated on our front tires. Robin was closing the distance but my wheel was barely staying in front.

I had heard something by Dr. Noakes (the author of  Lore of Running) on a podcast a few weeks back. To paraphrased, he said that in any closely contested race, any race where the athletes were separated by a few feet at the finish line that the non-winner had chosen to lose. He elaborated that nothing biological would prevent someone from giving everything they had for longer. The non-winner succumbed to the discomfort.

Robin must have heard the same quote. Neither of us was going to lose. Just then a truck started approaching from a side street. Robin called out car left and we both conceded the victory simultaneously. Robin was gracious and said that since he called out first that I won the King of the Mountain Epley Road Challenge. I’ll call this one a tie.

We pulled into the parking lot both cross eyed from the effort. Waited a minute for all of the others (which meant that there were puddles of sweat under our bikes) and then had a leisurely ride back to Jackson Station.

Racing bikes with friends on a Saturday morning, not much better!

Sunday afternoon cycling

This is how I watch cycling.

Breaking away–The Echelon

Many of the strong riders were out of town last weekend, either racing or recovery. I sent a quick email the night before to see who would be at the Saturday group ride. There was not much of a response but there was enough to get me to load up the bike in the truck.

I knew that Ron from the coast would be there. We happen to ride the same bike and work in the same industry. I held his wheel quite a bit up the hills at Red Bluff last year and he invited me to participate in my first crit.

When I got to Winn Dixie Dennis and Baron were also present. The temperature was (and continues this week) to be unseasonably cool. It was not cool enough for arm warmers but considering the temperature was in the 90’s last weekend it was a wonderful reprieve.

I have not been south of town since last year and I do not know the routes well anyway. However, I did have a route saved from last year in my Garmin 305. I loaded up the route and we headed out. I route in question was 47 miles. I really did not need directions; Dennis knew the way and no turns were missed.

Although the temperature was pleasant, the same could not be said for the wind. Baron was racing the next day and dropped off pretty quick. Therefore, this left the three of us to the blustery ride. Do not get me wrong, the ride was awesome. The day was beautiful.

What the wind did do is allow us to practice forming a breakaway echelon. Similar to a pace line but much faster rotation. It was three of us circling constantly; only taking the full brunt of the wind for a few seconds. We rotated in a clockwise fashion meaning that we passed the lead rider on the left (this is dictated by the direction of the wind). As soon as there was room, the lead rider said clear and you moved to the right. You only backed off the pace for a split second and then yelled clear as the next rider moved in front of you. You then jumped on the wheel of the rider to your left. A full revolution was completed in about 5 seconds. This allowed us to go several miles faster than if we were solo or even in a formal pace line. Unfortunately, we were not very smooth. Every time someone jumped on the wheel in the draft there was a surge. We rode along in the echelon for several minutes. The thousands (hundreds) of surges took their toll. It was hard to ride in the echelon mentally and physically.

Straight Echelon

Crosswind Echelon

A better explanation from another blogger:

The simple, straight echelon is somewhat similar to a simple pace line, in that there are two lines of racers. However, the first difference is that there is no distinct pull by the lead racer…he comes into the wind and rotates off (into the direction of wind). The second difference is that the lead racer rotates off and into a line of receding riders. An echelon places the lead rider in the wind for only moments.  The rates of movement for the two lines is also different. The line going up is slightly faster than the line going back; the idea is to keep the rates constant.

It was a beautiful day for a ride.

Riding through the ride

Our local race is the Mighty Magnolia.  Like many races, t is sprint distance and starts in a subdivision for the swim.  The bike  winds around the subdivision and then ventures onto public roads.

For the flat countryside of Mississippi the cycling portion of the race is challenging.  For the rest of the country you could call it rolling hills.  I have biked this course dozens of times.  Towards the end of the bike leg the tendency is to start shutting it down preparing for the run.   And once you turn back to the subdivision you really start spinning easy.

I am always surprised how just how far it is from the entrance to the subdivision to the transition area.  Mentally, the bike portion is over.  Although it does not seem like it is very far to the transition; the time adds up quickly.  Most people shut the bike down once they leave the public roads.  They spin easily; they start preparing for the run. 

However, they lose minutes of time.  They are taking it easy and resting on the bike.  This is a sprint triathlon – there is no time to rest on the bike. 

Leaving T2 they are a minute or two behind of where they should be.  No big deal?  How hard do you have to train; how hard to you have to race to gain 2 minutes in a 5k?  Just to let you know, 2 minutes off of your 5k times is 38 seconds per mile – try subtracting that off your next tempo run – not easy stuff.

So what should you do?  You must race the bike course until the bike course is over.  Pretend that the end of the bike is just past the transition area.  Only start scrubbing speed when you see the volunteers telling you to SLOW DOWN (always be safe).  Then hop off the bike, transition to the run and then get up to speed.

It is better to take the first mile of the run a bit slower, to legs your legs come back, then it is to give up the time on the bike.  Think about it, most of us run that first mile too fast anyway.  So take it a hair slower. 

Even if you slow down by 30 seconds a mile (which is huge) you still saved 90 seconds over the lollygag on the bike.  Let the fast parts be fast.

TIPS:  Riding through the ride

1. don’t kill it at the end of the bike
2. don’t take it easy at the end of the bike
3. ‘ride through the transition area’ – don’t stop riding the bike until you start running the run.

MS Heat Tri Clinic-The Bike

I woke up at 5AM on my own with no alarm.  Talk about routine.  I wish I could sleep in sometimes.  We got to the clubhouse and racked our bikes.  You had the choice of a 20 mile, 30 mile, 40 mile friendly or 40 mile peppy.  You signed up for the race ride that you wanted the night before.  The speeds for the friendly ride were to be 16 MPH and the peppy ride more like 20 MPH.  I knew these were lies.

transition

The Bike Rack supplied mechanical support.

After the bikes were racked I went inside and grabbed some coffee.  It was much needed.  I was very tired from the day before.  Breakfast was soon served and we loaded up our plates.  I talked with some of the athletes that I had met the night before.  While still snacking the coaches took center stage to discuss the mornings topic:

“There’s More to Bike Training than Simply Riding”

The first part of the lecture was all about hills.  That is a sore subject here in Mississippi.  You see, you have to go and find most of the hills.  Oh, we have a few but they are not everywhere.  When I lived in Indiana (believe it or not but the southern part of the state is VERY hilly – it is not just corn fields) it was often stated that it is not a hill unless it has a name.  For example, Bear Wallow, Breakfast / Lunch / and Dinner and numerous other monikers.  By that definition, the only true hills that I know around here are red and white bluff.

But anyway, the bullet points for riding (tackling as I like to call it) are:

1. relax your body
2. stay aero as long as possible – basically, if you can feel the wind then stay aero.  Your chest acts like a parachute.
3. standing can be more powerful but it is less efficient.  It also uses different muscles so it can be beneficial.  Small athletes are better at standing – less weight to support.
4. divide the hill into thirds and pace yourself.  The first third should not be any harder effort than on the flats.
5. power over the hills and get back up to speed as quick as possible – don’t stop at the top of the hill.
6. train what you race – if you are going to a hilly race then train on hills – pretty simple but you would be surprised.

We mounted up by group and hit the road. Grabbed a water bottle.  Took a group picture.

All 3 Sports was a sponsor of the clinic. You could grab water or Infinit.  I took the calories.

The ride took off and Justin Daerr was leading our group.  The pace was brisk.  Nothing major.  However, once we turned onto a main road the speed increased.  I was on my road bike.  If you remember I had a crash last month and I was ridding with a bunch of people that I do not know.  I was on a wheel but I was cautious.  The pace line was like a slinky.  I stayed in about 4th position.  The pace was still brisk or comfortably hard but nothing major.  We soon turned across the reservoir and straight into the wind.  We had been instructed to stay in groups of 5 so that automobile traffic could pass easily.  I let the first group go ahead and started following at a good distance.  Nick (from TX) was pulling at this point and at a good pace.  But, as happens in these rides, it was not fast enough.  Nick was soon overtaken.  The next rider got a gap on us of about 100 feet and then promptly exploded.  Another rider went around us.  It happens.  However, we were able to bridge the gap.  We were now on the Natchez Trace.  This is the part of the ride that the Heat Wave is on (I’m already signed up by the way).  It is deceptive.  You are flying and thinking you are strong but it is all down hill.  Very soon the some of the riders in the first group (which we had caught) turned around.  Some continued on.  I looked at my cyclometer and we had already gone 20 miles.  I made a u-turn.  Now we were riding uphill.  I was in fourth position.  The rider in third was starting to fade and a gap was developing.  I made the decision to bridge the gap and stick with the front runners.  There were three of us, Tyler from Jackson and John from Hattiesburg.  They were both on their race bikes.  I was on the road bike and continued to enjoy the draft.  I did not take many pulls but when they started to fade I jumped to the front to keep the pace high.

Gordo on the 30 mile ride

At some point John dropped off and it was me and Tyler.  A few miles later, from out of nowhere John bridged the gap.  He had been working hard.  Next Tyler dropped off.  Now it was me and John.  John was still putting up a fight but he was pretty cooked at some points.  We passed the 20 miler group on the way back, but not knowing the area we stopped at the last turn to make sure we were on the right track.  At this point Tyler flew by.  I jumped and made a hard sprint to grab his wheel.  We were now all back together and trading pulls.  I was fresher than the others, thanks to the free ride.

I pulled into the transition but my running shoes were inside.  My T2 times was slow.  John had taken off for the 4 mile run.  Once my shoes were on I decided to try to run John down.  He had a pretty good lead on me but I was closing the gap.  I was having a good time just playing.  I caught John about a quarter mile from the turn around aid station.  We ran for a bit together.  I dropped John at the aid station.  I wanted him to come with me, but …

After the ride and run I was pretty spent.  It was a challenging ride and a challenging run.  The ride averaged just over 20 MPH and the run was just under 7 minute miles.

Hot and sweaty

I changed clothes quickly and then I discovered the pool.  It was cold – perfect for recovery.  I did not get in all of the way but it was nice lounging around after the ride.

Lounging at the pool

Me and Tyler lounging by the pool

Lunch was served soon after.  Next was afternoon sessions for training for short course or HIM & IM.   I’ll have to save all of these TIPS for another post.

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After dinner the coaches had another session and then Gordo had a book signing for Going Long: Training for Triathlon's Ultimate Challenge (Ultrafit Multisport Training Series).

How cool is that!

Once we got home, Jeff, Kendrick and I had a beer and talked some more shop.  However, we were even more tired.  We turned in much earlier than the night before.

Trainer breakthrough equals dead legs

As the weather has turned awesome (highs in the mid 80’s) I have been upping the volume on the weekends.  This past weekend was the biggest in a LONG time.  Not only did I volunteer at races for a total of 7 hours I also got some real training in.  Some of it was intensity and some of it was volume.

Anyway, doing so I have been taking Monday’s off from training.  Well, you know, taking days off like most of us which means that I swum in the pool (4 x 500) and then did a recovery trainer ride.  I almost never do the recovery rides but the legs were still feeling tired.

And you know what, the legs were dead when I started the easy recovery trainer ride but by the time the 45 minutes had clicked off the legs were much better.  I felt better for having done the ride then having the complete rest.  Recovery rides are something that I recommend to others but I have rarely taken my own advice.  This was a lesson learned.

And it was a good thing that the legs were feeling better.  I dialed up a hard trainer session for Tuesday morning.  I have been noticing that I have been having trainer session breakthroughs each week – but only on Tuesdays.  The rest of the trainer sessions end up being failures.  I dialed up a 2 x 20 minute session.  I added 10 watts to my last successful workout.  I had failed on this workout twice before.

To put this in perspective I have been able to increase my 2 x 20 minute repeats and 4 x 10 minute repeats each of the past several weeks.  I have also failed a fair number of times.

This time I was successful.  This workout is hard but it is not just muscular adaptations – I am getting better at doing the workouts.  I have increased the workload on the 2 x 20 minute repeats by 15% in about a month.  I am pumped to start seeing progress again.

After the trainer session, the legs were tired and achy at the office.  I was not sure about the lunch run.  I need the running volume since Boston is looming over my head.  I have been doing quarter mile walking warm ups as I make my way to the trace.  Once on the trace I set the GPS watch to only show heart rate.  Since I am simply trying to build volume am not worried about pace.  I kept the heart rate in the recovery zone.  The legs were dead for about the first half mile and then they loosened up.  The run became comfortable. 

I like runs like these because I feel I can run forever.  However, six miles was enough for today.  The heat was on in Mississippi and I am not fully acclimated yet – the mid 80’s has sprung up on us rather quickly.  I finished the run with a comfortable heart rate and the 6 miles clicked off at a hair under 8 minute miles.

I have been happy with all of my workouts this week.

1. The shoulder did not hurt in the pool
2. The breakthrough trainer session
3. The comfortable recovery run (whose pace was a little quicker)

Weekend teaser – guess who I am meeting this weekend?

Finally, finding some intensity

This was a full weekend.  Friday night I helped with the timing for the Irish-Italian Fest 5k Race.  There were 298 participates.  That is a HUGE race around here.  Saturday morning I ran the timing for the Shamrock Duathlon.  A much smaller turn out but being a duathlon there was more set up and take down.

Saturday night I attended the Irish-Italian Festival and met up with friends from the running club, the beer club and work.  It is interesting to see how these diverse circles of people interact.

There was also a mountain bike race an 1/8 of a mile from my house on Sunday morning.  I had to pass on this race.

On the training front, everything is getting back to ‘normal’.  I had an excellent trainer ride on Saturday morning prior to the duathlon – 3 x 6 minutes @ HARD EFFORT.  After the duathlon I hit the trace for an afternoon run.  I was tired and I was glad to just get a few miles.  At the two mile point I ran into Becky and Susan from the pacers.  They were on their bikes getting some miles.  We chatted for a bit and then I headed home.  This would be a 4 mile run.  However, I decided to put some intensity into the last mile.  Since I knew that I would be disappointed with only a 4 mile run I race the last mile at ‘race pace’.  Watching the 5k on Friday night I really wanted to race.  But with the back and lack on intensity I did not believe that I could have put up a decent effort.  On this Saturday afternoon last mile run I was able to throw down a sub-6 mile (about 5:56).  This is the first mile at intensity in forever.  It felt good.  It was hard.  The body hurt.  But …

183 beats per minute for 5 minutes during that last mile!  Now I just need to link another 2.1 miles at that speed for a 5k PR!

But it was not the shoulder or the back or any of these extraneous body parts that hurt.  It was the legs that were the limiting factor – just as God intended.  I have been running my miles for the past few weeks and feeling dejected because I could not run long, hard or fast.  Something was hurting on each of these sessions.  Finally, the legs are getting worked!

Sunday morning brought a 12 mile endurance session.  The temperatures in South Mississippi are showing spring time (80’s).  The run was difficult since I have not been running long but I am able to tap into my base.  The mileage will build this week and I will be ready for an ‘uneventful’ Boston marathon.  The good news is that with the limited mileage I won’t have to taper for the race.  That will be less time lost!

I also jumped on the Sunday group ride.  The crowd was a lot smaller than I would have thought but it was a good effort.  I was able to complete a couple of hard pulls.  The back only ached towards the end of each pull.  I was able to rack up 36 miles on the Sunday excursion.

This week I hope to get 3 sessions in the pool, several sessions on the trainer and a good bunch of miles on the run.  It should be a solid week

How to: Disposable Arm Warmers

Have you ever been lined up for a race and knew you were going to be cold but also knew that you did not want to wear more necessary – enter disposable arm warmers.

Running for breakfast

The temperature was in the low 50’s on Saturday. The group road bike ride was starting at 10AM. I wanted a few running miles before holding a wheel in the cool weather. I was planning on an easy 6 miles. At Clyde Station I ran into a Kevin. Kevin and I did NO70.3 together last year. I decided to grab a few miles with him. We chatted about training and upcoming races. The Mardi gras marathon will be Kevin’s first full marathon.


At about 4 miles into the run I ran into Sam, Robin, Dan and Steve. They were working on the tail end of a 10 mile run. I jumped on with them. There was more training and running talk. I knew that I was going to miss the group ride but I was okay with that.

We ended up at Sam’s house where he treated us to eggs, bacon, pancakes and coffee. It was such a get together. Believe it or not I did not eat too much – I still had to run home. We sat and talked for a while and then I headed home. I ended up with 11 miles for the morning.
Sunday I wanted to do my hard, long weekend run. The weather turned much cooler and the wind really picked up. I started out and wanted to turn back after the first quarter mile. I was cold and the wind was burning my face. For you Northern people- it was only like 45 degrees but I was cold. I persevered and got 12 miles for the morning – none of them fast. It was a comfortable run and I averaged right around 7:30 pace.

Just after lunch I met up with the guys for a mountain bike ride. There was a group road bike ride taking place at the same time but the cold temperatures and wind kept me away. An hour on the mountain bike friends proved just about right.

For the week, I ended up with 51 miles running and close to 3 hours on the bike.

The triathlete’s dilemma

For many triathletes the off season means getting back into the weight room and base building. This is a time to work on weaknesses and limiters. It has been a tough couple of months of fitting in 3 swims, 3 bikes and 3 runs. For me the off season means running – and lots of it. Ask the experts and they will tell you that an off season marathon does nothing for ironman – not to mention for sprint or Olympic distance triathlon. However, it is the premier running distance.
Last year I decided to put together a solid effort at the marathon. I had never run a marathon but I was determined to Boston Qualify. I went from a half marathon time of 1:37 and dropped it too 1:29:30 – A solid 7 minute gain. I got my BQ in my first and only marathon at Mardi gras with a time of 3:08:44 – evenly split mind you (1:34:00 / 1:34:44).

However, during that run period my cycling suffered. Looking at my triathlon races this past year my cycling did improve but it was incremental. Compared to my compatriots I lost time on the bike.
My dilemma is how much cycling can you do when you want to put up the best possible time in a marathon? I have been riding the trainer two mornings each week and then hitting the group ride on the weekend. The trainer sessions have been purposeful. I have been attempting to ride 2 x 20 minutes at FTP (functional threshold power). FTP is the maximal power that can be maintained for 1 hour. The 2 x 20 minutes sessions are based on a percentage of this FTP.
Being in Australia for the month of November I was not able to keep up with my bike fitness. In addition I also increased my run volume. I have been unsuccessful in my trainer sessions and seen little to no progress.

So back to the question at hand – How many times can you ride each week and still put together a PR marathon. Unfortunately the answer is zero.

Mountain bikes, road bikes, tempo runs and record highs!

I left work a little early on Friday. I had brought my mountain bike to work (in the back of the truck) and I was planning on meeting Matt and Raland for some trail riding. However, while at work I was joking around about stuff to take to Australia. My sister has mentioned that cigarettes are $17 a pack in Sydney. So I looked up customs to see how many I could bring into the country. Now, obviously I don’t smoke and neither does my sister or her family but …


Anyway, I could take 250 cigarettes plus one opened pack. I really was just joking around. However, while investigating customs I did notice that I need a visa for my trip next week. I think I remember looking this up months ago but …


I went to the visa site and it said that it could take up to two weeks to be processed – I am leaving this weekend! So I rushed home to apply for a visa – I needed my passport number and stuff. I filled out the form and paid my $20. A screen came up that said in very rare circumstances a visa could not be granted immediately and that I was one of these circumstance – great. My application had been forwarded to the, I don’t know, the Bureau of Visa and Kangaroos or something.


Well, I have learned that you cannot worry about these things. I put it out of my mind and hoped that it would not bother me all weekend. I jumped on my mountain bike and rode to the trails for the ride. Raland and I are very new to mountain bike riding but we have Matt to show us around. Matt rides a single speed, is quite accomplished and designed / created most of our mountain bike trails. Who better to show us around?


We rode all of the trails and had a great time. It was a little over an hour and only 10 miles. This was tough stuff.





When I got back home I checked on the visa – thank goodness it was processed and approved! No worries!


Saturday the group met up at Jackson Station for a morning ride. There was a good turnout of about 12 people. It was a pretty fast looking group. We headed out at a conversational pace. We jumped off of the trace at Clyde Station and made out way south towards Knight Road (part of the Mighty Magnolia Triathlon Course). There are a few hills out that way. I rode towards the front with Ed most of the ride. I was working on my steady state riding. I have been performing more 2 x 20 minutes at FTP on the trainer and wanted to test them out on the open road. I felt pretty solid. The ride was mostly at an easy pace but it was nice to get out in the country side. We ended up with 45 miles in about 2:30.

Sunday I woke up to a fast tempo run. I was not looking forward to this – it was going to be hard. I have a half marathon this coming weekend and I needed to test myself. A week is too short to build any real fitness. This was more for my state of mind. I planned 12 miles with the middle 10 miles at a fast pace. Two weeks ago I did a similar run with 10 miles and 8 miles fast. I wanted to duplicate that effort plus two miles. Once again this was going to be run by heart rate. My steady state hard LT effort heart rate is in the low to mid 70’s. I would keep it glued to the level. I checked the temperature outside and it was unseasonably warm – about 68 degrees and the humidity was … it was dank.  More record highs this week in Mississippi. 

I do realize how soon we forget – here I am complaining of the heat.  At least summer is over but it is supposed to be 92 tomorrow!

I only took a few cursory glances at my pace – my GPS watch was set to only display my heart rate. My legs were very tired from the biking the past few days. After the warm up mile I picked up the pace. My speed was in the good part of the 6’s. That was a good thing. However, I could really feel the temperature and the humidity. The last time I did this run it must have been 15 degrees cooler and much drier. The effort would be close to the same intensity but the speed would differ. And the speed did differ. I was about 20 seconds slower on the 10 fast miles than I was on the 8 fast miles at almost the same average heart rate.


I was pleased with the workout but not pleased with the speed. Running at my LT heart rate in the low / mid 170’s is hard work regardless of the speed. I just hope that for the half marathon on Saturday I can bring the speed. I am betting on a bump in performance from a short two day taper and hoping for a bump in performance with a drop in the temperature.

It won’t happen but I would love to be wearing a trash bag and freezing my butt off at the start of the Jazz Half Marathon!

Heavy breathing in the morning

I was reluctant to get out of bed for Friday’s Master’s Swim. Four thirty in the morning still comes by awfully early. I was not the only one having trouble. Everyone at the Friday session got their own lane. Now, normally in Friday we do a lot of drills and stuff. This session proved different. We got one of the hardest workouts yet. The main set consisted of 3 x 10 x 50 on 1:15 with 60 recovery.


Does that make sense? The main set consisted of 10 x 50 on 1:15 repeated 3 times with 1 minute rest between each group of 10. These were done at an all out pace – there would be 30 50’s all out (Coach Steve put me on 38 – 39).

The first 50 I did in the high 36’s. That would not be sustainable. I recovered with the 30 seconds rest and repeated the effort. Next was about 37 seconds and then they settled into the appropriate range. This was a demanding workout. At one put Coach Steve remarked on the panting that was taking place in the pool. He said, ‘I love the sound of respiration in the morning.’ This was an obvious reference to Apocalypse Now. I replied, ‘It smells like VICTORY!’ Yep – I will use this in the future.

The campus was closed to students for Fall Break and we were having a Fall Festival in my IT department. I am on the committee that helped to organize the event. We had a couple of games of flag football. Late in the day we played a lot of Bocce and threw the Frisbee around. I also got an hour of racquet ball in – there was not any run training but a lot of game playing.

I ended up not getting home from work until 1 AM – I was at campus from 5:30AM – 1AM. It was a long day. I woke up just in time to get dressed for the Sunday group ride. There was a good group of us and we did an easy 35 miles. After the ride I took a warm bath (I was cold) and then took a nap. We went to a friend’s house later that night for good food and drink. I had too much of both. This was another late night.

On Sunday I had planned a hard 12 mile run with 10 miles of the run fast. I headed out for the run at 10AM. I ran the first easy mile without trouble. When I went to pick up the pace I could not bring it. I was off of my paces. After half a mile trying to sort out the speed I turned around. It took me about another mile to screw my head back on straight. I decided to jump off of the trace and onto a trail. I was going to salvage the run. Although I did not meet my initial goals I did not shut it down. I ended up with 6 miles of trail running. I was able to turn the corner and turn a negative into a positive.

Sunday afternoon I had a meeting with the running club. I met up with Charles on the trace and we rode our bikes the 12 miles to the meeting. There was, once again, more good food and drink. However, this time I did not over indulge with the drink.

It was a busy fun weekend but now it is time to get back on diet and more diligent on the training.


UPDATE:  Boston Bound! 
Boston Athletic Association
Dear James:
Your entry for the 115th Boston Marathon has been received, and your spot in the race has now been reserved, pending verification of your entry and qualifying information.