When a fan lets you down.

...heartbroken, bewildered, downtrodden, frustrated... what the hell was going on?   I stepped onto my indoor bike rollers for one of my high aerobic tempo workouts, and couldn't get past the first 5 minutes.  Confused, I wondered if I had finally reached an overtrained state.  Maybe I had been riding high on a fitness peak that was now over... maybe I was catching a cold...  not sure, but this was troubling... I started to reconsider my race calendar and even wondered if maybe I should back off on my cycling a bit by re-prioritizing my life, as this sort of let down wasn't enjoyable...

I decided to try another workout with shorter intervals... crap, I couldn't hang with my previous speed benchmarks for this one either...  I went up stairs, leaving the pain cave behind... and did a 'last chance' workout on my poser upright stationary bike.  What a let down.

Alas, the next day, I decided to try again... I couldn't let it end like that... As I started the warm-up I just happened to notice that the fan door on my Krietler Roller Killer Headwind system was opened slightly more than where I usually have it (which means more 'wind' resistance)... Ha!  My fan door was open during the last workout... it wasn't me that sucked, it was my fan!  My confidence rebounded, but then I became a little embarrassed that I let myself mope around for 24 hours, having misdiagnosed the situation completely. 

- Roller Racing -
Well, nothing really noteworthy is happening within the indoor time trial scene as of yet.  I did go up to Cedar Rapids and entered another race that is part of the roller race series.  I need to compete in at least three races in order to qualify for the roller race championship series.  Not many people are really showing up to race against as far as Cat 1,2,3's go, but I still enjoy having some winter races to look forward to and find it rewarding to battle against Greg Harper's killer headwind/fly-wheel roller set-up.

Thanks to the diligent record keeping/results uploading of the Iowa Bike Racing Association and event organizers, I can enjoy being currently ranked number 1 in the nation as a Category 2 Individual Time Trialist.  I am the only one with results in 2011 but I can still have fun atop the USA Cycling leaderboard while it lasts.  In fact, all the Iowa racers who have competed in a roller race are 'leading the nation' right now. I hung on for 22nd out of 425 Category 2 racers in 2010... maybe I can get a few more points and crack the top 10 for 2011.  They award state/national championships with more points, so those interested in their national ranking would want to make sure to participate in those events.

Me and Vern Rotert (race organizer) during the awards podium of the Cedar Rapids roller Time Trial, that took place at  Hall's Bike Museum.

Velosport Iowa Racing is having a roller race Sunday, February 6th at the Trek store in Davenport that will be noteworthy.  There should be several guys from the American Equity Race Team in attendance, as well as plenty of club members.  Lou Waugaman is poised to do something 'special' on the rollers.   Should be a good time socializing, racing/training prior to the Super Bowl later that day.

2011 Bishop/American Equity Racing Calendar

This schedule is a work in progress and I retain the right to change my mind as desired but I thought it might be of interest to share how my ideal racing season might pan out this year.

Rolling Pressure

My legs didn't quite want to cooperate with what needed to be done in order to get the fastest time of the day at the Harper's Cycling Indoor Roller TT that I participated in on Saturday, but I did end up getting a first place finish in the Cat 1,2,3 division.  Ok, I was the only one who entered, but when it comes to rollers, showing up is a huge part of the accomplishment.

Travis Jass and Simon Carl (both Cat 4's) posted very strong times of 5:13 and 5:10 respectively, prior to my attempt.  Between those two numbers and the current season benchmark of 5:08.5, I had a lot of numbers floating through my head as I began to pedal.  I thought about all the cat 1,2,3's in Iowa that weren't here and/or choose to ignore roller racing all together and I was a little envious of their sage wisdom with respect to ego defense.  The bar had been set at 5:10.2 for the day... man that was going to take something special.

Well, I posted a 5:16.9, which is a very respectable time, just hard for me to completely be thrilled with, considering that I have posted faster times in previous seasons and even earlier this year.  I really just overshot my limit on that particular day by aiming for too ambitious of a result, and ended up holding on for dear life, as my cadence slipped gradually throughout the effort.
 
I am quite certain I will be able to improve my 3 race average throughout the season as my results usually improve as spring approaches.  I will tweak my training plan just a bit to acknowledge that there is some room for improvement.  I hope to shave off a few seconds at the next event that happens this Saturday up in Cedar Rapids.  I will at least have 'fun' trying.

Pre-Season Racing has begun



Lou wins first Roller Race of season.

Greg Harper spins it out.

 

The 2011 DMOS Valley West Wipeout Roller Indoor Time Trial occured last Sunday.  So, the bar has been set by fellow teammate Lou Waugaman (American Equity Cycling) who won the event with an impressive time of 5:08.5.  Having never raced on rollers before, he spent time finding the right gear, getting balanced, etc, so I imagine he will improve upon this powerful mark Feb. 6th at the Velosport/American Equity Race  (Davenport Trek Store).



Also of note, Greg Harper set the bar for the 40+ category by winning with a time of 5:51.3 and Simon Carl (DMOS) won the Category 4 race by beating roller strongman Travis Jass with a time of 5:13.4. 



In other news, Tony Nichols just joined up with the American Equity racing team for 2011.  He is a strong Cat 2 and very accomplished as a cyclocross racer.

The Harper's Cycling Roller Race is this weekend.  I hope to swing on over and test my pre-season fitness.  Come on by and join the folks in my hometown of Muscatine.

Iowa's Indoor TT Scene

If you are a bike racer in Iowa looking for a little motivation to fuel your winter training efforts, participation in the 2011 Al Kreitler Memorial Killer 2-Mile Roller Races might be just what you are looking for.

Each race features a $260 prize list and an opportunity to keep in touch with your fellow cycling acquaintances while evaluating your training efforts based on your finish time...


A picture from the 2009 Harper's Cycling Roller Race that includes John Sulzberger (left) and myself.


There are 7 races this year:
Jan.9th - Valley West Des Moines Wipeout - Valley West Mall
Jan.15th Sat. - Harper’s Cycling & Fitness Rollerhead 2 Miles - Muscatine, IA
Jan. 22nd - Rollin’ the Rapids - Gold Pointe Fitness Club, Cedar Rapids
Jan. 23rd. - Fort Dodge Tri Sport Rock & Roller Race - Shimkat Motor Company
Feb. 6th - Velosport/American Equity - Davenport Trek Store
Feb.12th. - Bickel's Killer 2-mile Roller Race - West Burlington, IA
Feb.27th - Ames Assault Roller Race - Bike World of Ames

In addition to a shot at winning a few bucks, you also get your name entered into a drawing for a set of Krietler Rollers after you enter 4 races.  At the end of the year, medals are awarded as this is part of the Iowa State Championships Series.  These medals serve as points for the IBRA's team competition that compiles results from all of the various racing disciplines throughout the year.

If you want to take a look at the top end of the results, Bike World of Ames has a great Roller Race Page that compiles stats and gearing charts.

 
I will be racing a few of these as my schedule allows.  The first race of the series is unique in that it takes place in the Valley West Mall in Des Moines.  You can get your shopping done between races and enjoy confusing passers-by who have no idea what you are doing nor why you are doing it...

2009 Valley West Wipeout - West Des Moines, Iowa

American Equity's New Team Member

We added a seventh member to the elite American Equity Racing Team... JJ Bailey.  From Lou Waugaman's Blog Entry...

"JJ Bailey USAC cat 2 - Over the past several years JJ has been tearing up the triathlon scene culminating in his win at ITA World Championships. He has also been a regular in local and regional cyclocross racing. He is the founder of one of the largest athletic coaching companies around called Zoom Performance. JJ's is an "all-arounder" but his main strength is in timetrailing where he is a state champion. This season JJ will focus his efforts on the road and cyclocross for American Equity Racing. "

That's a pretty sweet addition...  read  Lou's Post, for his perspective on the team's 2011 rundown.

We have had several meetings in which we worked out a team budget, racing calendar, team kit/bike design, sponsors, training camp,  etc.  We spent quite a bit of time talking about socks, but that will happen during the off-season... I am impressed with how effectively this team is able to communicate.

The Velosport Club is thinking about putting on a USAC race or Grand Fondo type Race/Rec event as a fundraiser.  It was mentioned that the Quad Cities Criterium might be up for grabs... hmm, I suggested that they move it to Davenport, IA and add Brady Street Hill to the course... man that would be sweet.

Here is a sneak peak at the bike some of the members of the of the American Equity team will be riding...

New Iowa Bicycle Racing Website

The Iowa Bicycle Racing Assocation has a new website.  I just learned about this today, so sorry if this actually isn't breaking news. 

Well, if you like to follow Iowa Bike Racing, this site will be the place to be.  Looks like there will be results, a calendar, links to photos, forums and more.  I would recommend bookmarking it accordingly.

So, I will start organizing my 2011 race calendar using the info on this site(though I am sure the calendar isn't going to finalized until early next year... i.e what about the State Crit Champs, Eagle Point Crit, Scott County Park Series, etc.). 

It was also fun to check out the 'results' section to see a recap of the 2010 State TT Championship.

I am glad to see some new energy directed towards Iowa's online racing presence. Thanks to the IBRA for their efforts.

NOTE: Some links to regional Iowa Racer Websites (blogs, etc)  might be a nice addition, imo.

Sugar, Sugar, Sugar...

SUGAR BURNER- Exercising at too high of an intensity too often teaches your body to burn sugar for energy.  That is why people often rationalize the concept of lower intensity base mileage as an appropriate component of an effective training strategy (longer, slower rides that use a mixture of carbohydrate and fat w/o going anaeorbic) .  I can definately say that my high intensity training tendency does make me somewhate of a sugar burner.  I often bonk on the longer early spring rides/races until my body relearns its ability to use fat as an energy source.  Not sure I have the mental fortitude to pedal slower and longer during the early season, but I am going to try and mix up my workouts a bit.

SUGAR ADDICTION- Ok, once I learned that consuming too much sugar was bad for your skin (wrinkles, etc.) my vainity trigger was tripped, and I seriously contemplated giving up sugar.  Additionaly, I know it plays a role in thickening of the blood, making one more susceptible to heart disease, and obviously makes keeping a healthy race weight more of a challenge. 

So, I actually cleaned out my pantry of all sugary items and experimented with not eating sugar.  I then researched sugar withdrawal sypmtoms to realize that my newly formed depression and lack of energy were actually part of the process.  Nope, I'm out, not a good time to be depressed and tired... I will try again at a later date.  I can say that sugar is everywhere.   After I cleaned out my pantry I didn't have anything left to eat... This is a life changing endeavor, it can't be taken lightly and needs to be carefully planned.  What about my GU and energy drinks/bars?  Can sugar really be avoided?  Probably not, so I just switched from Cocoa Pebbles to Wheaties, that is a good start for now.

SEASONAL SUGAR - There sure is a lot of sweet temptations this time of year.  I was recently reminded that the vast majority of weight that people gain each year is between t-day and new year's day.   So many parties and desserts, not too mention the cold weather adjustment... Ok, so far so good.  I haven't really gained much winter weight yet, so I am simply focusing on keeping my fitness in check until January 1st.  At that point, the racing season will seem much closer and the increased training load and motivation will make my weight much easier to control.  Sweet!

Team Announcement - American Equity

I am happy to announce that I have elected to undertake a new challenge within the world of competitive cycling by accepting an invitation to join an Elite Cat 1,2 team for 2011.   The team is called American Equity and will include a 6 man squad of well-established riders.  The roster includes Jeff Bradley (former pro-cyclist, Tour De France participant, Team 7-11, olympics, etc.), TJ Tollakson (current pro-triathlete), Paul Deninger (multilple state TT champ, coach, cat 1), Lou Waugaman (Cat 1, multiple Kent Park winner, numerous wins, etc.), Carson Christen (Exercise Physiology Grad Student, Snake Alley Cat 3,4 winner, Endurance Coach, etc.) and myself.  If you ask me, this team is going to be ridiculously strong.

I had a taste of racing in Cat 1/2 events in 2010, and noticed many more team tactics.  I am excited to see how I can be of help to team focused initiatives rather than being a solo rider. 

The team is well sponsored, specifically by American Equity and Trek  (also Dunn Bros Coffee, Outdoor Innovations, Extreme Bodyshaping, and more TBA).  It is a priviledge to actually be recieving financial incentives based on having earned an invitation to race for this team.  All of the hard work literally is paying off.  Additionally, the team is planning a spring training camp in Arizona which should be a great new experience and a nice break from the cold.

I wouldn't have been able to upgrade all the way to Cat 2 without the guidance of the gang that meets at Harper's Cycling in Muscatine for Tuesday night training rides, so a huge thanks to everyone who has ever showed up and encouraged the friendly battles.  Specifically Greg Harper, Joe Mann and Bill Ford gave me great guidance while serving as mentors and role-models.  Hopefully they will encourage my continued interest in competitive cycling at this level by including me in future rides.  Also thanks to the Melon City Bike Club for supporting local cycling initiatives.


The Tuesday night gang (not pictured Mike Doyle, Bob Hayes, Jeff Hunt, Tim Armstrong, & misc. local athletes).

 Things are going to get interesting...  I will have a whole new perspective to share with readers of this blog.  I hope to continue to support midwest competitive athletics by providing race reports and personal insights.  I appreciate the race promoters, competitors, sponsors, and fans whose passion provide me with this healthy outlet.

2010 Year in Review

Before I unveil my plans for 2011, I thought I would take one last look at some of the highlights of 2010. 

-ROLLER RACES-

Actually, 2010 didn't get off to that great of a start.  I had set the record for the fastest 2 mile Roller TT the previous season, but ultimately had to surrender this accomplishment as several guys actually surpasssed my mark, beating the 5 minute barrier (Loomis, Rewerts, Cassady) .  I had good results for the most part.

-SPRING RACING-

I'm not much of a cold weather racer, and it showed in 2010. I was a husky 172 lbs as I entered the racing season. I felt impotent as I trolled around during the first race of the year at Scott County Park.  Things began to improve a bit as I had a strong race at the 2010 edition of Kent Park...

I enjoyed a renewed sense of determination, as I rode near or at the front of the group most of the race.



Finally, for the Cody Race Series #2, the arm-warmers came off and I was able to actually bring it all together as I rode off in the winning break with Bryan Moritz and Dan Galles.

 -IOWA CITY RACE WEEKEND-


After winning the Cat 3 Time Trial on Friday, and finishing mid-pack at the RR, I was hoping to tear it up at Sunday's Criterium in downtown Iowa City.  Unfortunately, I got involved in an accident on the downhill section, and hit a wall so hard that it broke my helmet...


-STATE FAIR CRIT-

I was deligthed to have had a great day of racing at the 2010 State Fair Crit.  I won the Cat 3 race with a solo victory and later went on to finish in the 6th paying spot in the Cat 1,2,3 race.  The course had a punishing hill that suited me well.  Below is a clip from the Cat 3 race that shows the gap that I created, successfully holding off the entire field despite their best efforts to catch me.

-MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND 2010-

I had good results Memorial Day Weekend.  I finished in the leading chase pack of three guys at the Cat 3 Snake Alley Criterium for a fourth place result.  I also won the Cat 3 Melon City Criterium.  This was an awesome accomplishment for me.

 -IOWA STATE CAT 1,2 CRIT CHAMPIONSHIPS -


I upgraded to Category 2 during the middle of the season, and was pleased to be a competitive presense in the State Criterium Championships.

 - SQUAW CREEK PARK CRITERIUM-

This course had a significant uphill section, so I was right at home racing competitively against some of the best Cat 1,2 racers in the state.  (NOTE: Please don't confuse 'competitively' with 'intelligently')

-BBQ BLUES WEEKEND-

I had a great time at the Clear Lake Race Weekend.  The Master's Crit was brutal as Team Zealous ended up sweeping the podium and I finished 5th.   I finished within the payouts of the Cat 1,2,3 Crit and the RR later in the weekend.

-IOWA STATE CAT 1,2 ROAD RACE CHAMPIONSHIP-
I was thoroughly prepared for this race, hoping for a hot and brutal race of attrition.  Unfortunately, it ended up being wet, cool and lethargic due to the weather.  Oh, well, I used that fitness the following week and was still able to finish with the field in 8th place ...

-IOWA STATE TIME TRIAL CHAMPIONSHIP-

I was thrilled to have accomplished one of my main goals for 2010... winning the Iowa State TT Championship with a time of 51:47.

-BIG CREEK ROAD RACE-



You gotta love being in the winning break!

 -EAST VILLAGE CRIT-


My road season ended on a high note, as I raced aggressively at the Cat 1,2 East Village Criterium, finishing 6th overall.

-2010 CYCLOCROSS-
Oops, missed out on that...  I signed up for a Tuesday class, and that really did have a big impact on my ability to focus on racing at that point.  I will try again next year... maybe.

Other highlights include wininng the 2010 ABR Illinois State Road Championship as well as the 2010 QCBC 20k TT Championships. Additionaly for 2010, I went up to Wisconsin for Superweek and the Tour of the Dairyland and got some great experience, though I wasn't specifically successful.


I archived a lot of results from the races I entered, on the RESULTS ARCHIVE page at http://www.muscatinecycling.com/. 
 
2011 is going to be huge for me (at least in theory)... but I can say that I was very satisfied with how 2010 went, and rewarded by my decision to include bike racing as a major part of my liesure time.

The Battle Lines are being drawn...

After this weekend two important things will have happened...

1) My official 'off-season' training program will start (yeah, I found my bikes, that was a close one)
2) I will have attended a meeting that may be the begining of a whole new chapter in my bike racing story..

The battle lines are being drawn, the opposing forces are preparing their war plans, it's going to be an epic feud, with blood, sweat, and tears... I plan on being one of the last men standing (pedalling?)...

Check back in to see what transpired...

New scientific data accumulating devices

As the weather turns colder and daylight shorter, my heart begins to warm, knowing that the winter training season is about to begin.  Not doing cyclcross hasn't been as troubling as I thought, however I do get a bit nervous thinking about my fellow cycling competitors getting this added bike fitness.

My fears are about to subside, as after Jingle Cross Rock (t-day), the season shifts back to my domain.  In fact, I have just invested in some new training tools, as my cousin Kelly Addink hooked me up with some equipment from Vision Fitness.  I am planning on taking my scientific training apporach to a higher level of meticulous experimentation.  For example, I finally have access to my wattage/power statistics with my new upright bike, and am excited to experience how this will guide my training intitiaves and progressive workload strategies.

Hopefully everybody is enjoying a great cyclcrosss season... beware, however, I am hiding in wait... plotting a viscious spring assault.  Specifically, I will be targeting those who critique me for my 'weaknesses'.  Not going into detail there, but thanks for the motivation, as 'overcompensation' has become one of my favorite training themes.

Trying something new...

Ok, it is not so much what I AM doing, but what I am NOT doing... which is racing cross this year.  Feels odd, but I have some areas of my life that I neglected over the spring/summer from all the training I did.  I feel like the work was totally worth it, and now it is time to enjoy my accomplishments, and get caught upwith some other things.

I really did have a bad experience at the first cross race of this year, bobbers CX.  It was cold and crappy and so was I .  Just not meant to be this year.
Specifically, I have been working on launching a new website for my freelance video production company Dreampost Media Services.  Of interest to cyclists, I posted a clip from the 2008 Melon City Criterium.  This clip features yours truly commentating, and the "DOMinator" (dominic moraniec) winning the cat three event. I originally broadcast this on Muscatine Cable.  Check it out.

I am staying in shape, and back to my old pattern of building upper body muscle... yes, I will probably frantically try and get rid of it this spring, but I can't help looking 'normal' and possibly more appealing to the female species for a few months.

Once I get back at the cycling training, my focus will be on building the most expansive VO2max possible within my genetic limitations.   I will be using every scientific training methodolgy I can think of to accomplish this goal. 

Please excuse a slight break in the frequency of my posts. I will ramp it back up this winter as I begin training for 2011.

FALLing

Hmm, not much going on... I finally got some breathing room today at work. I actually took a deep breath and enjoyed the feeling of having gotten my life caught up.  I think the recession is over... seriously, people are starting to feel comfortable about spending money again, and this means I am busier, and eventually richer.  I really do think the economic situation was caused by the gas prices shooting up to $4.00 a few years ago.  It just took awhile to have its effect.  People drove just as much, only had less money because they were spending $80 at the pump.

Anyway, everytime I have gotten some free time, I start considering training for cyclocross.  I have been merely maintaining my an active and healthy fitness lifestyle, not improving my cycling specific efficiencies. Feels like my cycling motivation is 'falling'.

Maybe it is wierd, but I love indoor training.  I am in the process of ordering a top of the line treadmill and exrercise bike.   I can't really justify training inside right now because it is too nice out.

I really do wonder if I am going to race anymore on my bike this year.  My cross bike sucks... I am sure of it.  The frame geometry is odd, the tires are too thin (28mm, while everyone else seems to be rolling on 32 or 35mm), the wheels aren't true, the brakes squeak, the power transfer is suspect...  maybe it is just the guy riding it.  I hop on other people's cross bikes from time to time, and they ride more like road bikes.  Mine seems to ride like a cross-trainer bike that my grandma would appreciate. I've seen pictures of me in races, I look goofy on that bike.  I raise the seat but it always lowers after a ride or two.

All for now... now back to enjoying my Fall.

Ego Defense Mechanisms

It was the father of psychology, Sir Sigmund Freud who originally coined the phrase 'Ego Defense Mechanisms'. Such concepts as projection, minimization, denial, sublimation, etc. are used to describe processes that have become a component of human behavior when an individual struggles to resolve the confilct between their perception of themselves and the apparent reality.

What?  Well, I guess this phenomenon just seemed relevant because my ego took a bit of a hit this weekend, and I have been utilizing ego-defense mechanisms to keep my motivations in check (the rest of this blog entry is text book ego-defense).  While I am still in good shape, my priorities have shifted away from bike racing(ego defense mechanism = rationalization) , yet I continue to race... basically setting myself perform below my potential.

So what?  Not having the time to train during the week lately (ego defense mechanism = distortion), what better way to keep in shape by entering races despite having concerns about readiness.

HARVEST HAMMER DUATHLON
So, I entered the Harvest Hammer Duathlon on Saturday.  I was very impressed with my 5k time of just over 19 minutes.  I had a great lead over most of the duathletes.  Yes, I have been running more, out of a desperate attempt to continue to execute training workouts that can be done in less time.  I felt way better than last year(ego defense mechanism = distortion).  However, duathlons aren't won with great runs, especially this one, because it only has one running segement, so it favors the strong cyclist. I took advantage of this last year to win the event(ego defense mechanism = compensation)  This year, however, my time was a full 3 minutes slower than last.  I have let my cycling power/strength slip, while my running specific cardio-vascular strength is very prominant(ego defense mechanism = delusional projection). 

Bryce Mead, a very accomplished racer was able to pass me about 11 miles into the 21 mile bike segment.  I couldn't catch up.  In fact, I suffered from the same exact cramp of my left calve muscle that I did last year.  This knocked about 30 seconds off of my time, as I soft-pedalled(ego defense mechanism = dissociation).  .  I felt disappointed with my result, since it was so much slower than last year, but inspired by how good the run felt(ego defense mechanism = distortion).

BOBBERS CX
On Sunday, I decided to enter a cyclocross race.  I am not fully comitted to racing cross this year, however, I suspect that I may get more interested in competing as my schedule gradually opens up a bit(ego defense mechanism = denial).   To that end, I didn't want to fall too far behind, so I decided to drive up to Corallville Lake to enter the Masters event.

The day was a bit cold, dreary and wet... but seemed quite fitting for a cyclocross race.  The whole race seemed to go in slow motion.  Slogging through the grass, mud and sand, racers were gradually slipping off  behind me or gaining ground on me up the road.  No attacking, just pedal at your limit and see where you end up.

I came in 5th, just shy of the money.  Really didn't feel that great about how the race went for me, but glad I participated, because I feel a little more prepared for future competitions(ego defense mechanism = delusion).   I guess it is all relative, as the guys who finished ahead of me are well respected and accomplished cyclists, so I really can't feel that bad about finishing behind them (ego defense mechanism = rationalization).