Arizona 2011 Spring Training Vacation...

Due to the generous hosting offers provided by  TJ Tollakson and Lou Waugaman, I couldn't resist participating in a spring training vacation that occured in Tucson, Arizona, now dubbed the "Winter Training Capital of the US".  I can completely understand why... the weather was great and there were lots of challenging ride and terrain options, not to mention an impressive assortment of regional pro/Cat 1 cyclists to train and race against.  My favorite endurance coach (Coach Troy) also lives here, though I didn't see him out and about...

I hopped out of my rental car and right onto my bike when I arrived Thursday evening. I tore off towards 'Gates Pass' as Paul Deninger gave me directions and thought I could make it by dark. Nope... in my haste I totally got lost and couldn't find my way back to TJ's in the dark... Well, I thought about going into town to rent a room until daylight, but ultimately found my way back by asking directions. Good thing, because the Tucson Bike Classic was the very next day.

Me and Paul chilling out after the Stage 2 Road Race



TJ and Paul getting ready to ride down the road to the Stage 3 Circuit Race

-MT. LEMMON-
After the weekend of racing, Paul was suggesting that he needed to leave soon to keep his marriage in tact.  Well, climbing Mt. Lemmon is usually a part of any Tucson training experience, so Paul, Carson, and I elected to take our tired legs up the peak on Monday, a couple of days earlier than planned.  Ok, this was ill-advised.  Three Iowa guys rolling up a 24 mile long mountain pass with 50mph gusts and a winter storm advisory at the top of the hill.  Of course, I really didn't have all these details as I headed out the door.  Paul suggested I bring a base layer, as I was only wearing a jersey and shorts (hmm, I guess it might get a bit colder at 8000 feet). 

There were a series of 'bad ideas' that were made on this journey.  The first one was the decision to go up the mountain today in the first place. The second one was to ride our bikes to the base.  We went right through town, which was stop and go, with high traffic.  This took us about 90 minutes. Finally we arrived at the base of the mountain.

Part of the mountain range that surrounds the Tucson area. The town of Mt. Lemmon is up there somewhere.

I started off at a comfortable pace, enjoying the fact that I had no idea what I was in for.  Carson was using a power meter to keep his wattage in line, and Paul felt that I was going a bit too fast, so we all three quickly ended up riding up the mountain at our own pace by ourselves.

It was a rather enjoyable ride at first, with lots of breathtaking vistas.  Unfortunately, at about 5,000 feet the winds started to pick up and I began to experience waves of doubt.  At 6,000 feet I had to bust out my arm warmers as it was getting very cold.  I thought that this was all part of the experience, so I kept climbing.  There was a place at the top called the 'Cookie Cabin' and I had promised myself I would make it to the top to get one of their giant cookies. (I did it all for the Cookie).

A plate-sized cookie from the Cabin.

Ok, the wind and cold were practically knocking me off of my bike as I got to the 8000 feet markers and noticed piles of snow along the sides of the road.  "Where was Mt. Lemmon?  Did I go to far?  Why I am decending if I am at the top?  It is freaking cold!"...  I deliberated what to do for a few minutes, when I saw another fearless rider approaching... It was Carson and he looked determined to conquer this mountain.  Well, I was all in now, so I followed Carson until alas we made it to the small town of Mt. Lemmon.  The temperature was 38degrees... Ok, that explains why I was feeling so bewildered.  I wasn't wearing nearly enough gear for these conditions. 

We warmed up by the fire inside the Cookie Cabin as I contemplated my options.  I gingerly chewed on a giant chocalote chip cookie and Dr. Pepper while I thought things through... crap, aside from calling my mom for  a ride (embarassing) we really didn't have any options.  The only way home was back down the mountain.  Are you kidding me?  Ok, there was no choice.  So we walked out into the cold brisk air, as they began to close up early due to the winter storm advisory. 


The Cookie Cabin (except pictured on a nice sunny day... it wasn't nearly as inviting when I saw it)

Going downhill only compounded the wind chill situation.  Oddly enough, there were points when I had to actually pedal just to get my speed up to 16 mph due to the 50mph wind gusts that were making even riding downhill a struggle.  When the wind let up, I could get the bike rolling along at up to 40mph, but I didn't trust my hypothermic mind to keep my balance and depth perception in check so I took it easy.  My whole body was shivering and my teeth were chattering.

Fortunately, the temperature was rebounding quickly, as every minute brought me closer to the base of the mountain, where people were enjoying a spring-like day.  Well, Paul turned around before the summit, for obvious reasons, so he didn't quite get the cookie.  I didn't see anyone else on the way down... Duh, all the locals knew better than to ride their bikes up Mt. Lemmon today.  Going through town on the way home was indeed a 'death march' for me.  I bonked hard and finished the 90 mile day practically walking my bike home.

I felt pretty traumatized Tuesday morning, as we headed out for an early morning group ride that ends up  at Gates Pass.  Once I got warmed up, however, I really enjoyed this ride, and especially enjoyed being able to hold my own up the peak as part of the leading group of finishers.  Later that day we met up with TJ to do a mellow ride... I would suggest that this was on the "road to nowhere" (watch this video and find out where the 'road to nowhere' actually leads... it is quite the climactic revelation).


See, I told you that video had a thrilling climax... Anyway, Wednesday it was time to succumb to the accumulating exhaustion and have a rest day.  I hiked up behind Lou's house and recorded a panorama.


Thursday was one of my favorite rides as we elected NOT to do Mt. Lemmon as originally planned, and rather tried out the Madera Canyon Loop.  My legs felt great after the rest day, and I enjoyed some spirited tempo riding, climbing, and general meandering around as we put in another 100 mile day.

I decided to go up Gates Pass for a solo ride on Friday.  You just don't get climbs like this in Iowa, so I wanted to take advantage of one of my last chances to ride in Arizona.

Saturday morning was the famous 'Saturday Shootout'.  There were well over 150 people that participated in this ride (I guess it peaks at over 200 at times).  There is a 'B' ride that started a bit earlier that added another 75 or so.    It was fun to ride in such a large group.  And this is a training ride filled with mostly Cat 1,2,3's and a few regional pros, so the pace is quick and at times aggressive.  Teammate TJ Tollakson, went to the front with his TT bike and set a brisk tempo.  He is a pro-triathlete, so he takes advantage of this opportunity to have a motivated LT workout.  Lou rocked up one of the King of the Mountain sprints in the top position as usual. He became quite respected down there, as he was always leading the pack at the designated sprint points.
 

Carson, TJ, Lou, Me, and Paul right after Tucson Stage Race.

Well, I had a good vacation and glad that I chose to experience some new things.  I am a stronger rider, not to mention a wiser man.

Next up is Hillsboro Roubaix.  Lou's Blog has a nice preview.

Tucson Bicycle Classic Report

I hopped off a plane, and into the frying pan, as I participated in the 25th Annual Tucson Bicycle Classic.  I couldn't resist entering this race, as it seemed really well put together, and a great chance to compete in my first stage race.  Having said that, I was a little apprehensive about how little outdoor training milage I had accumulated and how this might effect my ability to compete against Arizona Cat 2 racers.

-STAGE 1: TIME TRIAL-  The TT was a short prologue, at 3.2 miles along a loop that starts with a descent and then ends with a some steep inclines.  It was hot but also extremely dry.  In fact, there was very little sweating going on in Arizona, the perspiration evaporated almost instantly. The race had a real-deal start house and a guy who counted us down by putting his fingers in front of your face... the same as a pro-tour TT, so I was impressed.

 I really enjoyed not dripping with sweat, however the downside became apparent after a couple of minutes into the race.  ...my throat was so dry... I was afraid to swallow, fearing I would choke on my own tongue. 

I wasn't able to have my full TT set-up with me, however I felt I could grind out a respectable time.  I was racing against 44 Cat 2's, and there was no where to hide... either I was going to sink or swim... Fortunately, I ended up with a respectable time that put me in 16th overall and just 8 seconds outside of the top 10.  I felt good about this result, especially considering some of 'home-court' advantages.

-STAGE 2: 80 MILE ROAD RACE- On Saturday we did 4 laps in the middle of the desert... no sweat, literally (I still can't get over that).  It seemed like this wasn't a day to get any time back, as the breaks traditionally get caught.  There were time bonuses for the top 3 finishers, however, so the General Classification was bound to adjust.  The yellow jersey rider did a great job of staying attentive.  About 1 mile in, I regret to report that I almost got dropped.  The group hit the gas hard right after a set of horrific railroad tracks.  Ok, this might be a long one...

I got a feel for things, and stayed with the group without incident the rest of the race.  A break did get away, but was brought back towards the end of the race.  I really was feeling good towards the end of the race, as others seemed to be finally showing signs of fatigue.  I felt out things on the front, but ultimately opted to roll through the race finishing with the same time as the peloton.  I actually moved up two spaces on the GC, so things were looking good for Sunday.

-STAGE 3: 45 MILE CIRCUIT RACE- We were set to do 8 laps,  as I rolled off, again not really sure what to expect.  Today was the day to make things happen, with respect to bettering general classification times.  It was predicted that there would be a break today, so I hoped to get into it.  To that end, I jumped to the front early in the race as the attacks were being made. 

Ultimately, I didn't quite have the high-end speed to hang on to the gaps, but I did give it a pretty signficant effort.  I had to re-group for a few laps and see if I could try something at the end. Ultimately, about 9 guys made up some time by finishing ahead of the main group.  I rolled in with the field... sort of felt anti-climatic, so I took off for some extra mileage up towards Gates Pass.

I ended up 19th out of 44 in the Cat 2 division.  The main point of entering this race was to gain some race-level fitness and experience to kick-start our training camp.  I can easily say this mission was accomplished.  What a great race.

Bishop Wind Tunnel Testing Center

Teammate Paul Deninger loaned me one of his Power Meters which means that I now have some truly significant data to analyze and train with.  In an effort to maximize the numerical information that I will be processing this spring, I decided to start construction on the Bishop Wind Tunnel Testing Center (BWTTC).

Considering that there are only a couple of wind tunnels in the country, I expect to be getting a lot of requests from fellow bike racers regarding the rates I will charge for use of the tunnel. 

The BWTTC in it's developmental stages.



I am using the A2 wind tunnel in North Carolina as a template for my Testing Center.

 I will try and do some updating regarding my Arizona Spring Training Camp experiences. The American Equity team is starting things off with a training race to help gain some of the fitness/experience you can only get from participating in a competitive situation.  If you are curious about how things are going, check out the race website's results page: Tucson Bicycle Classic.

Iowa Spring Classic Race Review

I braved some windy/cold weather conditions in and effort to kick off the 2011 road racing season at the Iowa Spring Classic, representing the 2011 American Equity Elite Racing Team.  The wind had a nasty bite to it, and really was noteworthy for all in attendance (in fact, they shortened the distance to 5 laps from 7, due to the weather).  I was encouraged to see a fairly large turnout in each of the races as I lined up for the Cat 1,2,3 event.

We ripped down the road with a tailwind to start things off in this event that included teammates from Bikes2You, Zealous Racing, Atlas, Mercy-Specialized, and a few solo riders, including myself.  Shortly after the start Lee Venteicher (Bikes2You) and Scott Robinson (Zealous) established a gap, facilitated by blocking from their teammates.  I patiently decided to wait this out, assuming this wasn't the winning move, though Lee and Scott did stay up the road for a very long time.

About half way into the race Andrew Fagersten (Bikes2You) unleashed an attack that seemed to start in the crosswind section and follow through to the tailwind.  I was near the back at this point, but recognized the seriousness of the situation and powered my way up through the ensuing gaps.  Soon it was just Andrew and Jerome Rewerts (Zealous) up the road and I was able to make contact.  I looked back to see a pretty significant gap.  The three of us organized to chase down the leaders. 

Slowly but surely, we caught Lee and Scott, as they hung on to our rotation (hmm, bad news for me... outnumbered).  Fortunately,  Lee and Scott were eventually dropped from the break, and the three of us continued to rotate through.  It was hard to decide how much effort to dose out, as I was not sure as to the situation behind us.

Lee V. tenaciously clawed his way back to within eye sight, which ended up being a very important development for Bikes2You.  Andrew dropped back, which sort of forced me and Jerome to do the work for the last portion of the race.  I tested his resolve by slowing down to a near standstill and he stuck to his strategy, knowing that Lee and him would have numbers if Jerome and I sat up.

The race paid back three spots, so things were looking good for me regardless.  I was the first to jump on the sprint to the finish.  I couldn't hear anyone behind me, so for a few fleeting seconds I thought I had the victory.  Unfortunately, Andrew excuted the game plan to perfection by taking advantage of his slightly fresher legs to come around me at the line.  He was gracious in acknowleding that me and Jerome were cordial regarding his tactic.  Well played by Bikes2You, and  congratulations to Andrew for excellent racing.

RESULTS

I feel good about this result, as the field was filled with some great riders, and my fitness seemed to be right on target.  It was fun to get back into things and see alot of familiar faces.  Things are only going to get more interesting from here, as the American Equity Team is poised for a rewarding 2011 campaign.

Time Trial Fitting Chronology

My cousin is an engineer at the Trek facility in Waterloo, Wisconsin.  This is a great coincidence and provides for some interesting seasonal conversations, and occassionally an opportunity to be a product tester.  This year, he asked me to test out some Race X-Lite TT Handlebars that he is helping to develop.  To that end, I spent some time installing the bars and fine tuning my TT fit. 

I have been racing long enough that I can occassionaly post retro-pics.  I was looking through older photos, to see how my TT position may have evolved:

The Dice 20kTT, May 2007, probably my first Time Trial... Yikes, there is plenty of room for improvement

I got a TT bike in 2008... Now I am starting to get serious.

My 2011 position is much more agressive and aerodynamic.  I am wearing the American Equity/Velosport 2011 Kit.

 GRAY AERODOME HELMET
The picture above also includes my new Gray Aerodome Helmet... I am really excited about how much more comfortable it feels compared to my previous helmet.  Even the chinstrap has a soft pad to insure comfort.  I want to be able to focus on my performance, not attend to nagging equipment issues, so this is appreciated.

BURLINGTON ROAD RACE
One of the races I am looking forward to is the 2011 Burlington Road Race, as part of the Memorial day weekend races.  Rumor has it that the Wapello Iowa has decided that they don't want cyclist in their town anymore, so the race directors are completely by-passing this location.  I believe this will make for a better race situation for everyone, actually.  Especially the Cat 3/4's and Cat 5's, who would have been in the Wapello-Burlington version of this event.  The end of this race was always hectic, with carnage every year at the sprint.  The race was always completely uneventful until the last mile, when the center-line rule was no longer in effect, and all hell broke loose...


2006 WapBurl RR: I am in the far left (yellow helmet), looking on as two DICE guys hit the deck...ouch.

Cold Weather Riding Scale

Maybe a little known fact about my cycling situation is that I have an aversion to riding in the cold weather... yes, this does make training and racing in Iowa a bit of a challenge in the early parts of the season. I thought I would share my unique approach to deciding whether or not to train inside or outside.

Well, despite adhering to my cold weather riding guidelines, I got nailed big time on Friday... The temperate was a real feel of 51, and I saw some kids running around without coats on, so I figured I would go for it (according to my scale, this was code 'Yellow').  All started out well, but about 2 hours in it started to rain... a cold, dreary downpour that included loud claps of thunder, an irritating head wind and a marked depression of my spirit.  Stubbornly I continued further from my house, determined to at least get in a 60 miler...  You know how this story goes... another 'character builder'... you put your head down and try to keep your mind off of the uncomfortable feeling of numb fingers, soggy toes, limited visibility, stiffening joints, profuse snot emissions, slippery roads, dangerous traffic maneuvering, etc.

I got home and thanked a higher power that the nightmare was over... Once I finally warmed up, about an hour later, a large grin overwhelmed my demeanor... I got some early season outdoor miles in... it always ends up being worth it.

Chasing CHILI...

Hmmm... doesn't everyone just love a nice hot, spicy bowl of chili after an intense, all-out, bone-chlling, heart-throbbing, knee-buckling, sweat-pouring, anxiety-provoking, adrenline-pumping, physically-demanding 4 mile run?  Apparently alot of people do, as this was theme of the Chili Chase 4 Mile that I entered on Sunday in Davenport, Iowa... run 4 icy miles in the freezing temperatures and then chow down some chili, washing it down with cans of busch light.

I do have some strengths, but the ability to eat a bowl of chili after an intense physical effort is not one of them. I watched in awe as over 350 people squeezed into the Duck Creek Park Lodge after the race and enjoyed the after party festivities which featured chili.  Why don't I have the inner strength to be able to eat a full meal right after a race?  Is this something I can train myself to be able to do?  The meal was part of the entry fee and yet I was unable to enjoy it. 

I couldn't resist entering at least one running race before I pushed my treadmill into the corner until fall, and this race was the one I had chosen.  I really wasn't feeling that confident as I lined up with around 350 starters, so I sort of hid about 1/3 of the way back from the front.  This decision haunted me the entire race, as I was blocked in for almost the first half mile of the race.  As I began to get some leg room, the course become very icy. In fact, at one point we were running single file, as there was only a 1 foot patch of dry road. I decided to run at this pre-determined pace rather than risk slipping on the snow/ice combo.

Eventually I was 'free to fly' and was happy to realize I had worked my way up to 12th place.  I had hoped to get into the top 10, and so I marked the next two runners up the road.  I made it to the 10th spot as we had less than a third of a mile to go, when somebody passed me... luckily I was able to pass another runner before the finish to maintain my position. (Chili Chase Results)

I will admit that I felt a little guilty about running instead of cycling that day, but I really do need to cross train during the winter months to keep from getting burnt out, and running seems to help my overall fitness.  Having said that, I now plan to shift my focus exclusively to cycling, as I have a training race coming up March 12th in Iowa City (The Iowa Spring Classic #2) and then a stage race in Arizona (really? that should be interesting)...