Sunday, January 16, 2011

endurance training thoughts

So I hosted the Gravel Between the Lakes ride yesterday, passed out early and am not up at 3:20 sunday am, yay. More ride details about that soon...

but anyway, I've been perusing the internets reading blogs, earthriders and mtbr, searching for new fun things. But anyway, I've noticed some things reading around, and this thread in particular: http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=678665 It got me thinking about writing this post.

I can't believe the regimented training that some people have for still mediocre results. I think this guy has the best training plan.

Go ride your bike, a lot. And if it doesn't feel tough, go harder. If you're about to explode back off a little. Listen to your body. People make long events out to be something crazy...well ya they are cause those unexperienced people start out like damn fools and cramp up 1.5 hours into a 6 hour race. I learned that the hard way thoughout the last couple years. I now think I have plenty of 3/6/12 hour and gravel metric century(+) racing/riding experience to offer these tips for anyone who thinks they want advice.

1) Seriously go ride your bike a lot. Road, MTB, Gravel, long, short, whatever you can do, go do it. Kind of leads in to the second point:

2) Commute. You don't realize (and I still don't consciously a lot of times) how good of a base that commuting will give you. Plus it gives you experience at having to ride at different times of the day, when fresh and when tired, with/without lights, etc. I don't even think of it as riding anymore, but I bet on an average week I commute at least 50 miles a week just going to/from classes, getting groceries, going to the bike shop, doing laundry, etc. Add this into my actual "riding" and there's lots of weeks I'm pushing 200+ miles a week. However, this leads into the third point:

3) Listen to your body. If your thirsty, drink (you should be drinking 3-5 oz of water every 15-20 minutes anyway) If you're hungry eat. If you're tired back off the gas a little (unless you're almost finished). If you do do 200+ mile weeks, give your body a rest day or two. There was one time this past summer I realized I had ridden about 900 miles (end of August) that past 4-5 weeks during a lot of good weather and a 12 hour and 5 hour mtb races thrown in. I consciously took a few days off the bike (other than to/from class of course) to let my legs recharge. This is huge and I think helped me big time at the last 3 hour race at swope where I got 2nd.

4) Ride with people faster than you. It really does make you a better rider, they're faster for a reason.

5) Vary your rides. I can't believe how many people go out and ride the exact same thing every time they go out to ride. I vary my intensity from 20 minute dirt track race pace to 1.5 hour cross country race pace to 12 hour race pace. They're all very different and make a good cyclist. Don't ride the same loops on the trails or roads. Explore a new gravel or "b" road if you're out in rural America.

6) If you are riding single speed/fixie on longer rides, gear easier than you normally would. Sure pushing a 34-18 on singletrack is ok for an hour or two...try it for 12.

7) and the biggest thing, HAVE FUN ON YOUR BIKE. If it's not fun, why are you doing it? Personally I have fun on my bike, period. I do plenty of things to try and make myself suffer, but I still always come out having a smile and a good time.

oh yea...and I'm doing dirty kanza this year in the duo class with my boy clay wells...100 miles of flint hills gravel in kansas summer, you bet.

clay and I doing some trail work at swope last spring...


peace and riding!!!!!

Friday, January 14, 2011

Grote Prijs Shawnee

So I raced cyclocross last Sunday...final cross race of the year in the KC area...it went alright, I was on a fixie. I finished in 6th...5 people ahead of me, 5 people behind me. Seems that middle of the single speed pack is where I live in cx right now...better aerobic fitness would put me in the top 3 I'm pretty sure.

So it was stupid cold outside and gearing yourself was of utmost importance...I went with thermal tights, leg warmers, arm warmers, a thermal long sleeve shirt and my summer colavita kit. It turned out to be a good choice, not hot, not cold...good.

So we were on the line and BK and I were the only ones who went on the whistle...it was weird. We hit the holeshot probably 20 feet in front of anyone else and bk started to just put it down hard the first lap...halfway through the first lap and I ate shit on one of the slick off-camber corners (not being able to coast really sucks in cx) so I got passed by 3-4 guys there and was sitting back in 4-5th...After one lap BK was way ahead of everyone so I just decided to try and maintain my spot and get top 5.



Chris Hudson eating it on the same corner I did.

I had my mid-race blow up and dropped back to 8th with 9th and 10th right behind me. Suddenly there were only 2 laps to go and I was hurting...but fought through. I started to pull away from 9th and started bridging 6th and 7th...on the final lap I caught 6th and 7th about 3/4 of the way through the course and pulled some sneaky fixie trix on an inside corner before the last barriers to pass 7th and then used magical barrier skills and the maddest spinning sprint I've ever had to beat out the other guy for 6th at the line (I clipped him by about 3 inches DanO said).

I then immediately skid stopped and puked along the side of the finishing area. It was a good final cx race.

So, cross this year was hella fun...I always knocked it for the $:time ratio, but you definitely get your monies worth, plus some at most races. I'll be back next year with the pake ripping some more ss action, maybe here, maybe alburquerque...to be determined still...

and I know this race report is kind of late and pointless, but I had so many great photos from the gravel grinder the day before that I wanted you to baste in those for a few days.

peace and riding!!!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

riverside-waldron gravel grinder

Just pictures...15 of them, thats 15,000 words right?


















peace and riding!!!

Monday, January 3, 2011

last week...

so after I left arkansas I went to Potosi, Missouri for a week of work on the Beryman Section of the Ozark Trail. With 4 other manly men, we rerouted crappy fall line trail into sweet hand bench cut singletrack. It was a good week in the woods doing lots of trail building, very fun.

NYE was mainly uneventful. I slept until 10:00 pm then woke up and went to an amigo's loft in city market. jaegerbombs and bombay sapphire...enough said.

Sunday I went out to beloved swope to do some scouting/work with craig and travis Phase 4 has a lot better layout now in a few sections that should help the long term sustainability and the flow. It's gonna be fast as shit ripping the north side of the hill.

other than that, i am in a hate-hate relationship with umkc right now. So glad I (might) graduate in May.

gravel grinders, street cred, track racing series...that's whats up for some futureness.

peace and riding!!!