FW Moritz State Championship 2008

Wow, what the heck am I THINKING? Good LORD it was hot today. Well, maybe not as hot as Saturday, but still plenty hot, even at 9am. I thought I was actually racing a pretty good race – staying near the back, moving up every once in a while, surging, coasting, holding my line as best I could (someone has GOT to remove those city-reflector-thingys… they’re too easy to hit). But after 50 minutes I STILL got popped. To make myself feel better, there were over 70 starters, and less than 24 finishers, but MAN ALIVE this stuff sucks.

You know, I preach not looking at HR that much, but knowing from some experiences, I know that in extreme weather conditions, like 80% humidity and a heat index in the freakin’ 100’s, that an HR strap can help determine whether you’re at your limit or not. WELL, within about 30 seconds of the start of the race, I was in the mid 180’s, and it just stayed between 183 and 195 the whole time. I could NOT cool down. I could NOT back off. I thought MAYBE I could hang on and let others get popped, and then do something, but about 40 minutes in, I decided I’d had enough of it, took a 1-lap flyer, and enjoyed my moment in the sun. Then, sadly, I was all used up. I got a nice push from someone, but it was to no avail.

Strangely, I rallied after maybe 30 seconds, but by then the pack was too far gone. I did 2 more laps just to make it an even 50 minutes, but pulled myself out.

Crits SUCK.

Tenzing Crit – May 25th

Well, this one went better. I finished 22nd, and was actually able to make some moves and play a little with moving up and back. The wind was howling out of the South, and the course went clockwise, so as you moved around to the finish line, you went from having it directly in your face, to slowly moving across your left shoulder, to a slight, slight tailwind. Once again, it was HOT. And once again, about 20 minutes in, I started having some hyperthermic reactions, and once again, my HR was in the stratosphere. However, I kept my head down, stayed in the drops, handled the chicane better, and with two laps to go, I took a hard 1-lap pull that eventually got me reeled in.

So, with about 500m to go, I was in 5th place, and we were eyeing each other as we went, but just as I was hitting the cranks to try and accelerate away and make some vain effort at placing in the Big Show, I got swarmed from the left (early, I thought), and got boxed in. I was able to make it further, and passed some slower riders, but in the end, it was all for a pack finish.

Nuts.

Average power was down somewhat from the ride yesterday, but the effort was pretty much the same, even though it was 60 minutes instead of 75.

Sometimes I wonder why I do this, and then I remember that this is actually training for what I’m hoping is a peak at the race in Oregon in a few weeks. Hopefully I’ll adapt to the heat and humidity, and hopefully it will be cooler up there.

Mirage Crit 2008

Well, damnit, I missed it again. Another DNF. I prepped as best as I could for this one – warmed up with my ice vest, kept a bag of ice on my neck as well, and on my back for the entire time I was racing (it was a small bag), and I still DNF’d after about 40+ minutes. I just don’t know what to do any more. Heck, just FINISHING the thing would be nice. After all, I’ve only done that ONCE.

It’s my own fault, not adapting to the heat, and then going out too hard, too early. It is what it is. I mean, my numbers were all good – I just missed the cut!

I’m hoping that tomorrow’s Tenzing Crit, which will happen at 11am, will be slightly better. Wish me luck.

Bring On Summer!

I love summer! I love the beginning of summer, when you can walk outside, and everything’s green, and the temperature is JUST RIGHT, and you can take your dog for a walk with your wife and just enjoy living. I love the people that it brings out, I love the sun, I love the shade, and I especially love the riding. I remember when I first moved here, in 1980, and there was a 103 day heat wave, and people were basically dying, but for me it was perfect. I think the saddest day is when a blue Norther comes through in late Fall, and you know you’re going to be wearing winter gear when you’re outside. It won’t stop me from riding, but it’s just not the same.

I spent Friday in Midland, working with the shop there to get their iBikes up and running, and made it back on the last seat of the Southwest flight to Dallas. The Richardson Wild Ride was starting at 8:00 the next day, so I got up and did the 40-miler, just to get a little ride in, and then came home to do stuff with Amy around the house. In the mid-afternoon, we took Shadow down to the Fair Park area, and had some professional photos done of her with Amanda Jones. THAT was a blast. Then it was off to an Irish Pub to congratulate Kelly Devlin on her Graduation. Her mom has two Bostons, so we got to show off the dog a bit. We entertained Tom & Nancy from Frisco that evening, and walked up to Cafe Madrid for Tapas. Good food, great evening outside, just kind of all was right in the world.

I spent Sunday afternoon out at TMS with two prospects, teaching them the in’s and out’s of wattage and the iBike. I think we were successful. The wind was pretty strong out there, so I don’t know how accurate the coast-downs were, but by and large I think the education is what is critical.

This weekend is a 3-day weekend of Crits, my first in several years. I’m confident in my fitness, but we’ll have to see how the racing goes on a day-by-day basis. I’m still not riding enough, but right now it’s all about writing and clients and multirider, so some things do take a back seat.

Maybe when I hit the lottery!

Cedar Hill Rally, Saturday May 10th, 2008

Things just keep getting better….

Remember how last month, I was pretty shaken by the results I got at Ft. Davis, and then sort of rallied to a good spot in the Muenster Rally, finishing 3rd? Well, after a week at  Camp Jemison in Moab, Saturday was pretty spectacular.

Amy and I arrived about an hour before the start, got registered, and then got our stuff all out of the Subaru. I was riding the Cervelo with the Quarq, and I had it pegged to the 705, and the PowerTap 2.4 as well, This was on the Aeolus 6.5 wheels, with Vittoria Open Corsa Pro’s, and I’d put Michelin Latex tubes in there as well.

Looking at the lineup, it was filled with heavy hitters. Brett Crosby, Chopper, Mike Brown, Mark Ross, Chris Hamilton, Chris Powers, Chris Kutach (lotsa Chris’s), a Spaniard from B & B, Ken MacLean from Tenzing, another two Tenzing riders, Jordan Chaney and Ben Sewell, to name just a few. Andrew Popsack of the Pirates, and myself, went out with the lead group, and we were NOT to be disappointed.

In the first 10 miles, I think there were 3 separate breakaway attempts, one that included me and the Spaniard. About 3 miles later, I went out and bridged to Brownie, Hamilton, a Tenzing rider, and myself, and we set up a strong breakaway that took about 7 miles to catch. Apparently at one point we were over a minute up,but Crosby, better known as “The Diesel”, pulled a group of 15 or so back up to us. I was recovering from that effort when Chopper, Hamilton, and the Spaniard went off the front, and got away. Mirage ended up playing defence, and since I was in Pirate gear, we weren’t able to work together too much. We kept it within 1:00, to 1:30, but never quite got ourselves in there to merge, though we were really getting close at mile 45 or so. That’s when we caught the Spaniard.

Brownie threw in some really hard efforts about then, along with Chris Powers, but this time I was actually able to stay within 3 bike lengths of them, and though we’d cracked about half the rest of the field, Crozzy, Brownie, Powers, Kutach, and some others were still there to provide the watt-power. I took a TON of hard pulls, and felt like we were getting closer. Powers rolled up to me about mile 52 or so, and said “If they get a light and we don’t, they’re gone.” I replied, “Man, I’m doing everything I can!”, and he chuckled and said, “Yeah, you really are!” So I took that as a compliment!

Then it happened. Around mile 54, just outside of the Venus Cement Plant, we were within 30 seconds of the 2-man break, when I suffered a complete blowout of my front tube. Latex tubes don’t really go flat – they’re always losing air to some degree. But when you get a puncture, it really does sound like a shotgun in the peloton, and it can be a risky venture to bring yourself to a safe stop. I was in the middle of the pack when I lost the tire, and it immediately blew the bead off the rim. I was worried that the tire might get wrapped around the fork or brake pads, so I threw myself back and began letting the bike slow down on its’ own, applying just the rear brake. I got a lot of “Wharton, hey, great ride man!” and “Sorry, Wharton, good ride!”, but for me, it was over. I told them thanks, fell back, and started replacing the tube.

It’s funny, when you’re on the sidelines after a 2 hr 15 minute beatdown and festival of speed. People ride by, ask if you’re okay, then roll on. They also chuckle and talk among themselves about SAG wagons, the hot dogs at the front, etc.

I started rolling out just about the time that Ben Sewell came by. We rolled in together, had a good time just talking, and I came across the finish line and in to the reception area to a sort of chorus of ‘attaboy’s and ‘holy crap, you were on fire today!’. So, it’s nice to feel some vindication. The training is going well, I’m more inspired than ever from the racing/training and fitness, and now I just hope and pray that I can actually make it work to the point where I have a good result in Oregon, and I also do well in some of the summer events down here in Texas. If not, well, it’s not the end of the world, but I have to believe that if I’m hanging and pushing the envelope in the company of some of the best riders in the state, that maybe, just maybe, I can pull off some strong finishes this year.

The rest of the season awaits…. And my goal of 4.5 w/kg is edging closer.

Wow, lots to catch up on – first, Moab!

I can’t believe that I’ve been home a whole five days, but let me catch up on some things, and provide some links if possible.

Amy and I had so much fun last Fall, when we traveled to Girona with Marty Jemison Tours, that when we returned, we immediately began planning for another trip with them. Due to the dollar’s fall against the Euro, we pretty much ruled out another trip to Europe, but in a timely decision, Jemison started offering some domestic trips. When they offered up a week in Moab, Utah, we jumped at the chance. Our friend Chalmers went with us, and the three of us embarked on May 1st for some riding and adventure in the desert oasis.

Moab is really famous for its’ mountain biking, but Jemison is keen to open up the road riding options. Furthermore, the place is surrounded by National Parks and State Parks, and lots of public land, so while it’s popular, it’s also, well, pretty empty.

And BEAUTIFUL.

We did a short hop on the first day, riding out to a part of the Colorado River called “Potash”, which was fairly flat, and just followed the river. There were 11 of us in total, and Marty completely understood my need to ride at a higher tempo. With this elevation, and this type of catering, I was NOT going to let the opportunity slip through my fingers. So, I tempoe’d out, tempoe’d back, and met up with the crew before dinner.

http://picasaweb.google.com/Whareagle/MoabMartyJemison2008/photo#5197416409481801730

http://picasaweb.google.com/Whareagle/MoabMartyJemison2008/photo#5197415391574552498

http://picasaweb.google.com/Whareagle/MoabMartyJemison2008/photo#5197418488245973154

In the last photo, that’s John Hamann, owner of iBike. He came down to escape the cold and snow in Montana, and he and Jo Anne brought their bird, Einstein, seen here.

http://picasaweb.google.com/Whareagle/MoabMartyJemison2008/photo#5197413351465086754

So, we had a dinner afterward, made new friends, and planned out the rest of the week. I pretty much tempo’d most of it, and while the altitude hurt for the first few days, I did adapt pretty quickly. The fun part was just holding tempo, watching wattage, and then CLIMBING some of the REAL climbs. There was a great 20-minute climb out on the last long day, and there was a fantastic 5-minute effort at the very beginning of the day we went in to Arches National Park. I think I set some new PR’s, and the ibike/quarq/ptap combo really started working well for me. I think we got variation within 1% most days.

http://picasaweb.google.com/Whareagle/MoabMartyJemison2008/photo#5197424282156856050

http://picasaweb.google.com/Whareagle/MoabMartyJemison2008/photo#5197433262933472626

http://picasaweb.google.com/Whareagle/MoabMartyJemison2008/photo#5197652156772679522

The final two days, however, were just epic. Chris, one of the guides, stayed an extra day or two with us, and he took me on some of the famous mountain bike trails in the Moab area. I hadn’t been on a mountain bike in over 6 years, so I was nervous, but the rental that we got from Poison Spider was an Intense 5.5, and it had to be one of the most fun bikes I’ve ridden, ever. We did the Moab Rim Trail that overlooked the town, and then we did the famous Porcupine Rim, which had to be one of the hardest damned trails I ever rode. I liken it to riding over 8″ tombstones stacked in a 30 degree angle. It was RUGGED. I won’t say that I rode well (it was clipout city), but I did find my groove, and we used every inch of that travel as we descended down. I did finally end up doing a bunch of hike-a-bike, but in the end, the trail was perfect, and I will never, ever forget just how kick butt that ride was.

http://picasaweb.google.com/Whareagle/MoabMartyJemison2008/photo#5197762649101337810

http://picasaweb.google.com/Whareagle/MoabMartyJemison2008/photo#5197759797243052978

We returned home rested, adapted, tan, and ready for the next few weeks or months. THAT leads me to the second part of this blog, but I’l have to do some work first. I think I’m really getting stronger. We’ll see, but this was just what I needed.

Today is my anniversary with Amy. I can’t imagine life getting much better. Well, maybe it would if I hit the lottery, but since I don’t play the lottery, I can’t complain about that, either!