The sleep deprivation training is going well. The 5:00am wake-up is getting me ready for the coming months.
On Wednesday I did another pre-dawn 'cross session. The overnight rain greeted me like a cold shower as I headed out of the house. It was a test of motivation, but at that point I was awake and setting up the trainer wasn't happening.
After blindly rolling the singletrack into Rockburn I set up shop under the weak glow of a curbside streetlight. The portable PVC barrier is working out much better than the wooden barriers that I stashed in the park last year.
I worked on some downhill turns into the barrier. The wet grass sketched me out a little at first, but after a few reps I got more comfortable carrying some speed through the turn as I was stepping through for the dismount.
So far, my technique is feeling pretty smooth, but I know it's important to really drill the skills to make them automatic. Silky transitions quickly turn to shit late in a race when you've got that ferrous taste on the roof of your mouth.
I finished up with a couple of road starts to piss off the legs and remind them what it's like in the opening moments of a race. Ouch.
Last night we had a team meeting to work on logistics for our race. Promoting a race involves A LOT of little details and hassles, but it's also very rewarding when your event comes together and people enjoy the race. We've got a great crew of people that know how to work hard to get things done. And equally important they know how to keep things fun. That's a nice combo.
This morning I once again dragged my tired ass out of bed before dawn to hit The Morning Ride for some punishment on the so-not-flat roads of Ellicott City. The group was pretty big and everyone took some digs to ensure that the pain was shared by all.
When time is tight and you have priorities aside from the bike you take what you can get...and for me that's the early rides. Aside from the waking up at 5am part, it's a damn fine way to start the day.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
I'm developing a taste for worms
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
counting down
So we're having a baby in 8 days. Wow.
After many months of training and getting our gear prepped we are ready.
Car seat, crib, diapers, wipes, bottles, tubulars glued on the stroller stroller, etc, etc....all done. We can't wait to meet him next Wednesday.
He's in there and running out of room. When he stretches or moves around you can see the belly poke out. Cool.
Since I'll be a bit busy for a while I've been working hard to get ready in advance for whatever my season ends up being. Last night the workshop was filled with the scent of Mastik One as I got the first layer of glue on a couple of sets of wheels. More gluing tonight and I think I'll open a window this time.
I've also been doing an early morning group ride that hits some prime Ellicott City hills with vigor. I can get more quality intervals with a small group than I can when riding alone. Plus, closing gaps and taking fast pulls should help out with some speed work that I don't necessarily get when I'm out on the mountain bike. Doing a fast ride at dawn is a harsh way to wake up, but it's always good to deposit some suffering in the memory bank before the season starts.
Doing most of my riding in the early morning gives me more family time. This is an amazing time in terms of language development. Thor is pretty fired up that he can communicate effectively. Before he would get frustrated if he couldn't get his point across. Now he can put together some pretty interesting sentences and convey what is on his mind. Last night at Frisco Burrito he made sure the kitchen could hear his request (demand) for "CHIPS! GUAC! BLACK BEANS!" over and over. Frisco has good food and a killer beer list. Check out the list here.
He's getting pretty handy to have around. Now I can sit back and drink a beer while he mows the lawn.
On to the other countdown. We're only 33 days from Charm City 'Cross. This is our third year and I think we're getting the hang of putting on a high quality race. This year's event will be the best yet.
Last year fatmarc was a worthy adverary. Now he's now a teammate...as is E-Town. We have some guys that are going to rock the B races and I don't know if anyone will be having more fun. I'm really excited about our team this year.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Charm City 'Cross T-39 days
39 days until Charm City 'Cross
Bernie, Auer, and I did some course recon. yesterday evening. The entire region has been in a drought for months and it shows. The ground is rock hard and bumpy. We're going to need to sharpen the course stakes in order to get them in the ground...seriously. I hope we get some rain in the next month.
I was rolling on a set of clinchers pumped up to almost 50 psi to avoid flatting and the ride was not pleasant. Riding this course on 34mm tubies at 30 psi was pretty smooth (and fast) last year. It would suck on skinny tires pumped way up. You'd be doing more bouncing than rolling.
We have done some tweaking. Most importantly, the start will be different. Our goal is to have a start that doesn't immediately bottleneck and string out the field 20 seconds into the race. While a front row start will still help you should be able to move up from further back on the first lap. I expect some good group racing dynamics, but far from a grass crit.
We're changing a bit of the field section to hopefully force more of a run. The rest of the changes will be minor. The track will be fast, with 4 dismounts per lap. There will be fast, swoopy turns and there will be some slower technical turns. Our goal is to have a course that encourages hard racing, rewards cyclocross skills, and achieves a smile-inducing level of flow. Here's my tip. Run tires that can handle bumpy ground and corner on grass at speed.
Registration is up on Bikereg. Do us a favor and pre-register! Thank you.
For a taste of last year's event check out Peter Nicoll's Charm City episode of Cross Talk.
Friday, August 10, 2007
cyclocross by moonlight (seeing stars)
portable PVC hurdle in my pack
dismount
remount
over and over
in the meager light on either side of sunrise.
I was pretty fired up by this skills session.
How many people are crazy (dumb) enough to do
cyclocross drills at the ass-crack of dawn?
I felt superior momentarily.
And then I did some gravel surfing...
On my face.
Ouch.
That turned my smile into a frown.
All good.
It makes me look tough.
Or it makes me look like I don't know how to ride my bike.
Helmets are getting expensive.
But given the alternative I suppose they are pretty cheap.
In any event, I can't afford to keep buying a new one every week.
I just picked up this beauty at lunch today.
I'm hoping for some fatmarc mojo with the pink lid.
Thanks to Greg at Mud and Cowbells for the pvc hurdle inspiration/how-to!
His blog is a must-read for 'cross freaks.
Monday, August 06, 2007
I will take poo poo truck!
So my 2 year old is quite the linguist. His vocabulary is taking off and he's even putting together some full sentences. Clearly he's a product of his environment. 8-)
Some of the things he's said recently...
Dada crash bike, fall down. Ouch. Boo boo. (he knows)
I will take poo-poo truck! And pee-pee too. (while standing on top of his toy potty)
Bike race! Go fast! (every day during Le Tour)
Huuuuuuge poo. (every day)
Chips!
Guac!
Eaaaaaat!!!!!!! (he shares our love of Mexican food)
I will make cakes. (he mixes up a mean pancake)
Grandma truck, Mama truck, Dada truck (to be called truck is a high honor)
Here he is using a hammer to "fix" the bike that the Posner's gave him last year.
He really enjoys hanging out with me in the shop doing bike maintenance.
Monday, July 30, 2007
invisible man
I've been a bit out of commission, but I'm back. I was out on the afternoon of Sunday 7/29 on the cross bike looking to get in some miles riding the BWI Airport loop followed by a few EC Hills.
As I approached a (GREEN) traffic light just before reaching the bike path a car turned left in front
of me. Rather than go through their windshield I swerved and avoided
the head-on impact.
I narrowly avoided the car, but I lost traction while taking
evasive maneuvers. I was on a downhill and going reasonably fast. When my bike went out from under me I ended up sliding across the road on my back
slamming my head (helmet) into curb. My helmet is toast, but it saved
me.
The next thing I remember was 'waking up' in the ambulance on a back
board on the way to Shock Trauma.
I got the full Shock Trauma treatment....Shock Trauma "handshake" i.e. finger up the butt, x-rays, cat scan, etc. Luckily everything checked out and I was out of there in just under 4 hours. This morning I've got scrapes and bruises on my back and elbows, a sore neck, sore chest, and a headache.
I picked up my bike from the police the next day. Apart from scraped and misaligned brake levers the bike was fine. The police were nice, but not so helpful. I had hoped they would be able to answer some questions like did the driver stop? who called 911?, etc. No dice. The report had already been sent off to the archives at HQ. Now I'm paying $10 to request a copy.
I'm lucky that I'm ok. I needed a new helmet & cell phone, but aside from a temporary sore neck and chest I ended up no worse for wear.
Be safe out there and use your invisibility wisely. The world is full of asshole drivers.
Better yet, stick to the trails.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
huge balls
Vino has a huge set.
You can tell by the way he rides. He's not afraid to gamble in an effort to win. That's great on the bike, but off the bike it's just sad.
L'Equipe is reporting that he tested positive for homologous blood transfusion after the TT. It's shocking to think that a cyclist heading into this year's Tour de France would cheat in a way that they know is detectable. The dopers don't give a shit about the sport. They have no integrity. They have no conscience.
What good is a victory when you know that you have lied, cheated, and stolen to get it? And if you're only in it for the money there are a lot of much easier ways to make a lot more money. What a waste.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Sock Guy
Harshman and I got out for a ride at Avalon on Sunday afternoon.
Much of the trail system at Avalon is on the steep slopes rising up out of the Patapsco River Valley. While there are some more gently rolling trails up over the ridge you're never far from a steep climb or a fast downhill. The terrain is varied and challenging. I love it.
Our ride on Sunday was pretty typical.
We rode up some trails that are usually reserved for riding down (see photo). This trail is steep & rocky, making it a ripper of a downhill and an ass-kicker of a climb. Ok, so we hiked up the worst part in the name of training for cyclocross.
Also typical was ChrisH having a mechanical. This time he destroyed his chain while powering up the steep water-bar climb. Lightweight SRAM 9-spd chains should not be run on singlespeeds. The spring on his single-ator also shit the bed. Basically, gravity became the bike's only source of locomotion.
I am going to take up a collection to encourage him to get a proper SS set-up (horizontal drops, no tensioner, and a beefy chain). If you would like to contribue parts or $ please contact me.
With his bike unridable we made a plan. I would ride an interval the 25 minutes back to my house to get my car. He would do a chainless downhill off the ridge and jog to the base of Lawyer's Hill Rd. His training plan has him running already so he went ahead and ran the length of Lawyer's Hill Rd. in his socks. Whoah!
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Friday, July 20, 2007
cool friends
Last weekend some of Melanie's girlfriends surprised her with a baby shower/tea party.
They even baked a cake...and not your run-of-the-mill tea party cake.
A pregnant mountain biker cake with mountains.
Yeah...she has some cool friends.
TGIF
Monday, July 16, 2007
gold amongst the junk
While organizing my workshop this evening I came across a tube of old posters.
Among the gems inside I found a few that I picked up in Zeddam 2006.
Fidea Team (multiple copies...I was definitely drunk and Fidea was hemmoraging swag)
Treviso 2008 Ciclicross World Championships
Hanka Kupfernagel pin-up. It's a keeper (for cyclocross obsessed freaks like myself). I need to clear out some wallspace for it. Or maybe I'll throw it up on ebay...I know a guy in NJ that would pay up for it!
I'll have to get the camera out soon so that I can post photos.
At least I'm enjoying the ride
Sometimes Wednesday intervals don't jive with Wednesday reality. That's the case this week so Wednesday intervals happened on Sunday. I hit a hard hour on the trails working on some explosive anaerobic power efforts. Ouch.
By the end my lower back was feeling it. Note to self...work on the lower back and hamstring stretching. I suffered, but I got in some good efforts and didn't feel as slow as usual. It was a good ride.
I even nailed the Landing Rd practice skinny that's been vexing me. I have no problem on the slightly downhill ramped direction thanks to momentum, but in the uphill un-ramped direction I'm off it as soon as I get on it. Last night I think I was too cooked from the ride to worry. Some things are easier when you don't think about them.
This is not a difficult obstacle. It's just that my ~freeride~ skills are non-existent. It's fun stuff though. Playing around on the easier stunts is a blast.
I'm slow and getting old but that doesn't deter me from enjoying the ride.
David Millar is doing a TdF diary at Bicycling. He seems truly repentant about doping and serious about helping the sport change. His tribute to Tom Simpson is worth reading.
USA Cycling Cyclocross categories are going to be really useful. There's so much overlap that essentially the races are still self-selecting, except for the Elite UCI events.
MAC UCI races:
Elite Men = Cat 1
Masters A = Cat 1/2/3
B Men = Cat 2/3/4
Masters B = Cat 2/3/4 (Should a Cat 2 be doing a Masters B race?)
C Men = Cat 4
Non-UCI races
Elite Men = Cat 1/2/3
Masters A = Cat 1/2/3
B Men = Cat 3/4
Masters B = Cat 3/4
C Men = Cat 4
In the MABRA races the Masters A's and Elite Men will be racing together. At 2006 Charm City Cross we had 37 Elite Men and 65 Masters A's. Assuming the same #'s that would make for 102 riders in that race. We had 93 B-men so maybe it's not as bad as it sounds. I guess they'd have to stagger the Elite and Masters starts.
To further get the 'cross juices flowing here's highlight reel of some crashes from the Cross Crusade.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
new configuration
Lovely afternoon for a cold beer...poolside.
I'm hitting the trails and then coming home to do just that before firing up the grill.
Husband, father, lifeguard, cook.
It's all part of the job.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
recovered but not rested
I'm coming off a rest week in which my legs took it easy but a nagging summer cold (cough) and crappy sleep led to poor sleep.
I hit the trails solo on Saturday without any expectations for how I would feel. Surprisingly I felt really good. The only time I didn't feel good was on the steep, rocky climbs over by Hilton/Hilltop. But the only time I ever feel good on those climbs is when I'm going super-ez. If you're riding a tough, technical climb with any effort your going to feel it.
I'll be happy when this late-night cough goes away so that I can actually sleep.
The wild blackberries are just starting to ripen up and they are plentiful this year.
Big pickings next weekend.
Friday, July 13, 2007
ramble on
Martin Dugard's blog on Active is great, as expected. He's got a great eye for interesting details and an ability to convey the feelings and experiences of following Le Tour in words.
I'm a bit late on this, but A-shiz gave me the head's up that Cyclocrossworld has Dugast Rhino's and Typhoon's in stock. They won't last long. I don't need any more tires so have at 'em. They are worth the $$$. Sell your car and buy some.
If I ever hit it big I'm building a cyclocross bike park. It'll have a permanent multi-configuration cyclocross track, a skills area, and maybe a fountain of chocolate pudding. There will be a permanent maintenance staff to handle landscaping and turf repair. There will be a set of 'euro-stairs-to-nowhere'...not to mention the bike wash, locker rooms, showers, childcare, and cafe. For the centerpiece I'll hire some Dutch artisans to build a windmill.
Big shout-out to Sally at Stellina Sport for going 'above-and-beyond' to make sure that I get a new der. hanger for my Alan Cross Ultral before the season gets going! Stellina Sport (based in Richmond, VA where I grew up) took over the Alan USA business and they are great people to deal with.
My shimano mtb/cx shoes are pretty cooked. These are a few years old and I'm out of the loop on what's out there so I'm looking for suggestions on a good shoe for 'cross.
This weekend is over-scheduled so I won't be making the Fairhill Classic, an excellent mountain bike race and the scene of multiple calamities for me last year. I will get out on Rita for miles of singletrack smiles both Saturday and Sunday. Some day, some year I'll get a result at Fairhill...some day, but not this Sunday.
Bon week-end et Vive Le Tour!
Thursday, July 12, 2007
demolition
The Park demolished the jumps & stunts on the 'Lewis & Clark' trail yesterday. This photo shows the carnage of one of the jumps.
I only hit a handful of the easier jumps and a few of the less-sketchy skinnies. I was way too chicken to hit this step-up gap jump...but I enjoyed the challenge of learning how to ride the free-ride stuff. Oh well. Large-scale unauthorized traibuilding is whack.
There's an effort to get some official IMBA built goodies at Avalon. That would rock, but I'm not holding my breath.
I rode my 'cross bike for the first time since Nationals earlier this week. Initially I was just going to tool around Rockburn since I'm on a rest week (and I'm nursing a summer cold). However, it felt so good to be on the bike that I crossed Landing into Avalon to shred some singletrack.
It was all good for a few minutes until I punctured my front p.o.s. Tufo tubular on a root. The sealant tried to plug the hole, but it had been in there since September and was probably pretty dried up.
I rode the slowly deflating front tire for a couple of miles, making haste to get back home, but it didn't hold. I ended up having to shoulder the bike and run/hike the last mile and a half back to my house. That led to nasty blisters on each heel. Ouch.
At least I got my first 'run' of the year in. The rest of my running will be done in the appropriate shoes.
And the Tufos will be peeled off the rims and replaced with more pimpy treads handmade by Francois Marie!
Friday, July 06, 2007
Le Tour
Le Tour begins tommorow. Regardless of the doping drama the race is still a HUGE spectacle and immensely entertaining.
Check out Martin Dugard's wonderfully written blog at Active. With a mix of 3 parts travelogue and 1 part race coverage it conveys the feeling of physically being at the Tour, following the circus.
The race goes up the col d'Aubisque during stage 16. This photo is of one of the tunnels on the Aubisque. This is the 'easier' side...well not that easy because you first have to climb the col de Soulor. It's a beautiful climb and a treacherous descent. Exposure is common and guardrails are not. Throw in sheep and horses wandering onto the road and the fog common to the area and the sketch levels goes way up.
This year the race goes up the harder side with a rare finish at the summit. This is the last mountain stage of the race so it could be exciting, unless someone already has the race locked up.
I've really got the jones to get back over to follow the race. It's an experience of a lifetime on many levels. Mel and I went in 03 and 04. 2003 was the very early days of this blog and I didn't document the trip. However, in 2004 I posted almost daily (or at least formatted emails home onto the blog after the fact). The July 2004 archives are here. I still enjoy going back and reading them to get a taste of the energy of the adventure.
Even following the race from home it's going to be an exciting month. Set your Tivo, bookmark your favorite sites, and enjoy Le Tour!
Mud and Cowbells
79 days until Charm City 'Cross.
26 days until the first official 'Cross practice.
It's definitely time to stock up on parts and gear.
If you're not racing road it's not too soon to start some easy running or to get re-acquainted with your bike and do some dismounts.
Mud and Cowbells has an excellent post to get you primed for the season and ready for CX practice with instructions on building port-o-barriers.
Molly at Race.cx also has some inspiring words to get you pumped for cyclocross.
I wish someone around here ran a weeknight Short Track XC series through the Summer leading up to the season. Even an informal practice race would be cool. Hmmmmm.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
direct from France
A pair of 'mud' treads and a pair of 'file' treads (with some nice side knobs).
Thank you Francois!
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Monday, July 02, 2007
fresh
With temps in the 70's, sun in the sky, and the humidity non-existent I found a way to get the afternoon free for a ride. I lubed the chain, put new cleats on my shoes, and rolled down the driveway.
This was the best ride I've had in months.
I listened to a discussion about Sicily on Travel with Rick Steves.
I listened to one of Kevin Smith's SMODCAST's (the one about eating poo)
I listened to Dark Side of the Moon.
I listened to the wind in the trees and the water in the creeks.
I had a mind-meld with the trails and was entranced by the flow.
I didn't completely suck on the climbs.
I rode a couple of the gnarlier downhills with nary a butt-pucker.
I felt fresh. I felt good.
Yeah.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
filtering through the canopy
rootz
Speaking of 'amateur hour' we passed two guys riding the trails sans helmet.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Back from the beach
I'm back from a lazy week in Southern Shores on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I shuffled my schedule around to make this a rest week. My legs had been pretty beat up so they needed the break...and riding on the roads down there would not have been fun.
This was an old-school week with a whole lot of sitting on the beach, taking naps, reading books, hanging out with family, eating good food, and drinking good beer. The weather was ideal and after the first day the surf settled down to family friendly levels.
Everyone had fun.
We dug a bunch of holes in the sand.
And chased seagulls (otherwise known as doo-doo's).
And played with an assortment of trucks.
It was a fun and relaxing week.
Needless to say by the time we returned home I was jonesing for a ride.
I got out for solid rides on Saturday and Sunday hitting the bone-dry trails of Avalon. After a week off it took a while to find my lungs, but by Sunday afternoon I was feeling good.
It was a perfect weekend for riding with mild temps and low humidity. There were a lot of riders out there enjoying themselves. I ran into the Singlespeed Outlaw and some of his crew a couple of times on Saturday.
I chickened out on the last steep, loose, stair-step descent down to the dam on the Baltimore Co. side. I went over the bars and cracked a helmet on that trail last year and now it's in my head.
I firmly believe in the saying, "When in doubt, dismount", but I need to ride that section to get over my fears. It's steep and has a lot of rocks, but I've ridden it before. At some point I'll nut-up and ride it again, but until then I don't feel too bad about walking it.
Anyway, it's back to the work grind and an attempt to build some 'cross fitness before the baby is born. I just rebuilt my cx bike so that I can do some early AM workouts over in Rockburn Park. With any luck I'll still have enough in the tank to help out my teammates in some late-season events. My personal goals are for the 2008 season.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
God of Thunder
All day today I was looking forward to my after-work ride.
I made it home, suited up, filled a bottle, ate a big handful of chocolate covered coffee beans, and rolled down the driveway.
The weather was threatening, but it looked like the storm was going to miss us to the North.
I rolled through Rockburn and crossed Landing Rd. into Avalon. As I crossed the road between parks the storm hit.
Thunder
Lightning
Heavy Rain
And even some hail
It was game-on.
I hammered up the log trail and worked my way over to the other Landing Rd. trailhead. The water was flowing down the trail, but the dirt was so packed down and dry that there was no mud.
The lightning was getting intense and the rain wasn't letting up so I chose to ride the road through Grovemont before dropping back into Rockburn and heading home.
It was only a 40 minute ride, but it was fast!
I got some good intensity work and I didn't get struck by lightening so all in all it was a good day on the bike.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
First 'Cross race of the year
First 'cross race of the year
Kaibab Monster 'Cross
120 miles of forest roads and singletrack on the Kaibab Plateau in Arizona. The Kaibab Plateau is a National Forest that overlooks the north rim of the Grand Canyon.
We did a trip there last June and the riding is incredible.
I'd love to do this one, but Arizona is a long road trip for a bike ride.
Though the milkshakes and cookies at the store in Jacob Lake might make it worth it!
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Skateboarding?
According to Cyclingnews, the UCI is trying to get skateboarding added to the 2012 London Olympics.
I beg your pardon?
I like skateboarding and I wouldn't mind seeing it in the Olympics.
What I don't understand is why the UCI, the Union Cycliste Internationale, is involved. Shouldn't they be more interested in keeping cycling events from being removed (500m and Kilo TT) from the Olympics? Or maybe getting Cyclocross added to the Winter Olympics?
Cyclocross would fit well with a February Olympics. They could incorporate some snow into the track to accentuate the Winter motif.
The skateboarders should work on promoting skateboarding.
The cyclists should work on promoting cycling.
That would seem to make sense.
But the UCI has a history of not making much sense.
Friday, June 08, 2007
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Speaking of underwear...
I put mine on backwards this morning.
And didn't notice until a minute ago when I went to take a leak.
Once again I woke up at the ass-crack of dawn and mounted Rita for some early morning trail time. At some point during the night it must have rained a little bit because the roads and ground were wet.
I think the trails would have been fine, but I decided to stay off of them thinking they could use some alone time and a bit of sunlight before being disturbed by bike tires.
Instead, I did short intervals around my neighborhood.
Boring.
But still better than punishing my ass
On the trainer
In the basement.
I will wear my undies backwards for the balance of the day as a testament to the fact that I am not normal. Nor do I aspire to be normal. I'm left-handed. Ha!
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
FM-B, an alternative to Dugast
Now's the time to stock up on tires for 'cross season. In fact, Cyclocrossworld has already gone through a shipment from Dugast. High quality handmade 'cross tubulars are usually in short supply...and for good reason. I rode a set of 34mm Rhino's last season and they were phenomenal.
Good tires help compensate for lack of natural ability and training time! 8-)
Another manufacturer is trying to fill some of the supply shortage. A guy named Francois M. has set up shop. As I understand it he is a former employee of Dugast who has gone out on his own.
Though I haven't heard any first-hand accounts of how the tires ride they appear to be very similar to Dugast tubies in terms of materials and construction.
Check out the website for a look at their cyclocross selections. If I get confirmation that the quality is good I'll be placing an order.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Making the most of days
Nowadays this photo shows what I see. And "Play DaDa" is what I hear. So I dig sand, chase seagulls, and splash in the surf. And it's really amazingly cool.
We just got back from a quick trip to Sarasota (Siesta Key) to visit family and hang out on the beach for a few days.
This meant a few days off the bike letting the legs recover. To balance that out I hit it hard last week, waking up early and riding the trails at 5am.
Getting out of bed for a pre-dawn patrol ride is rough, but once rolling it's a wondrous experience. The trails are devoid of human intrusion. It's just me, some rabbits, and the occasional fox on the prowl. Even Bambi is still asleep.
Lights are obligatory for the first half of the ride. Though the sky is dark, with each passing minute the horizon hints at the coming day. That deep, murky blue of first light is hypnotizing and somehow comforting as I connect with a small patch of lighted singletrack amid the dark and lonely woods.
With each pedalstroke I become more awake and tuned into my surroundings. It doesn't take long. Focus is critical when riding at night and with focus comes flow. Flow is a word that is perhaps overused when waxing on mountain biking, but that's ok. It captures the essence of that feeling of rider, bike, and trail becoming one. It's a sweet feeling. Sublime, blissful, orgasmic. Yup, those words all capture the spirit of the thing. Apologies to Reg Dunlop and Dickie Dunn.
By the second half of my loop there's enough light emerging from the sky to make the artificial illumination from my Nite Rider mostly redundant. In the denser sections of the woods that's debatable so I keep it on.
Rolling out of the singletrack and back into my neighborhood I notice that the day has begun. Runners are humping up the road and the early birds are already in their cars on the way to work. I can't help but feel that I know some secret code for happiness that all these other people are oblivious to. After a morning ride I'm ready to tackle the bullshit of the day with a smile.
I was looking forward to continuing the morning rides this week, but a bunch of rain has changed those plans. I've even considered riding the trainer, but I'm not that desperate yet! It looks like I'll be riding the pavement this evening, but the weather is looking decent through the weekend.
I'm hoping to resume the pre-dawn rides as soon as the trails dry out. What better way to start the day than with a mountain bike ride, followed by a triple-shot from the Gaggia.
Friday, June 01, 2007
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Escape from Granogue
Granogue mountain bike race
Sunday, May 20, 2007
I’m a bike rider, not really a bike racer. I got into bike racing too late to really be any good at it. Don’t get me wrong…I enjoy racing. I’m competitive and I like to push myself. Racing is a good way to do that.
I try to be a bike racer during ‘cross season, but other than that I just like riding my bike. Most of the time I’m riding my mountain bike. And for quite a while now the bike of choice has been my singlespeed.
I did my one XC mountain bike race for the year on Sunday at Granogue. I chose this race for a few reasons:
1. The Granogue Estate is a magnificent place for a bike race.
2. fatMarc & the DCCofD have a big role in promoting the race. That automatically qualifies it as a top-notch event.
3. The timing fit my schedule...or maybe I made it fit my schedule because of reasons 1 & 2.
The course was a tough one with a lot of climbing and a lot of tricky singletrack. Slick mud and rocks were also also in abundance. The difficult nature of the race made it a test of fitness and bike handling...specifically, bike handling while cross-eyed and swallowing back vomit.
I raced the Sport Singlespeed class running a 32x20 gear on a 29er. That's the gear I ride so that's the gear I would race. Plus, it's the only gear I've got.
I arrived early, took care of registration business, and got on my bike to do a thorough warm-up. Immediately both of my pedals were doing bad things. The pedal bodies sliding off of the spindles, a not ucommon occurence with Crank Brothers Candy pedals after about 6 months of riding. This would not be a good course on which to have just a skinny metal spindle for a pedal. Come to think of it NO course would be good for this!
Fellow killer B 'cross comrade Rob Campbell tried to come to my rescue. He attempted to rebuild the pedals on the spot, but they were toast.
I was freaking out. Luckily Tom McDaniel saved my day by letting me borrow the Egg Beaters off of his Moots. Now I had pedals, but only 10 minutes to warm-up.
I did the short opening climb a couple of times and that was my warm-up. I was just happy to have unbroken pedals so I didn't care.
At the start I thought I was going fast since I was spinning out my gear, but within 10 seconds I went from the front to the back. I was undergeared and/or underlegged for the start.As we made the turn onto the grass Fort James saw me at the back and yelled at me to move up!
I picked off a bunch of guys on the opening climb and then used my larger size to get by a few more skinny guys on the ensuing downhill.
Once onto the singletrack I had to jam on the brakes as many of the riders in front of me had trouble staying on their bikes. The trail was tight and moderately technical. It made for a logjam.
The rest of the first lap I would ride hard for a while and then have to sit behind slower riders on the tight singletrack sections. This was really frustrating, but in a way it was ok because it gave me time to recover. Eventually the traffic thinned out and I was able to ride relatively smoothly the rest of the race.
The front guys had gotten away cleanly during the initial singletrack logjam but I managed to work my way up to finish 5th, my first podium in an cross-country mountain bike race.
My bike was a joy to ride. The 29er wheels soaked up the bumps and tracked amazingly well on the off-camber slippery bits.
I felt ok all race...I never felt great, but never felt terrible either. I'm really happy with how the race went considering that the lack of racing in my legs.
The only bummer for me is that I missed the Beer stop. In my oxygen-deprived condition I never saw it.
All in all it was a fun day at the best bike racing venue on the East Coast.
photo courtesy of Bill Deputy at www.mbcx.com
Sunday, May 20, 2007
The watchful hosemaster
The working part was mulching and watering trees. Mr. T is big into fire engines so he got to play the part of fireman working the hose. We both got pretty wet, but the trees received plenty of much needed water.
After the yardwork we kicked back and played in the sandbox.Sitting in the shade shoveling sand was relaxing and much appreciated by my tired legs.
By 5:30 we were all hungry and I was craving nachos. I poured a beer and fired up the grill.
Shortly thereafter we were sitting at the table on the deck eating BBQ Chicken nachos with fresh corn on the cob. Guacamole and BBQ sauce...mmmm. A second beer had me feeling nice. The two-beer buzz is a wonderful thing.
After a full day of non-stop activity sleep came easily.
Friday, May 18, 2007
me=biker
Part of my 'interview' made the TV. It's here.
The reporter posted a web story that refers to me as a biker. I'm cool with that.
It looks like I'm doing Granogue this weekend. I've been wanting to race my mtb there for a while. I'll be riding my singlespeed, but I'm trying to decide whether to race my age group (35-39) or the SS class.
I've done very few XC mtb races so I'm not sure what to do and I don't have great expectations either way. I do expect to have fun.
Bike To Work Day 2007
My place of employment is not too supportive of bike commuting or anything not related to the bottom line. In the photo you can see the one and only bike rack for our 35 story building. There's probably one bike rack spot for every 200+ people in the building. Gee. Plus, we're business dress (suit & tie) Monday through Thursday most of the year. They act like they're doing you some huge favor when they announce business casual dress from Memorial Day to Labor Day...and threaten to take it away if somebody's slacks aren't pressed. Give me a fucking break.
Anyway, the ride in was awesome. I've been off the bike all week so the initial climb out of the Patapsco River valley was painful. After a bit the legs opened up and felt pretty good.
After hauling ass through the muy sketchy west side of downtown I rolled up to city hall for the bike to work day rally. Free t-shirts, tasty Caribou coffee, and pastries from Whole Foods were in full effect. We heard several speakers discuss bicycle transportation advocacy. It's really cool to see so many people committed and working hard to have an effect on our car-centric public policy. Between the speakers and the coffee I was fired up.
Paul K. (from the Wed. SS rides) and I were interviewed by channel 13. The reporter was pretty excited about the whole ride-your-bike-to-work concept and asked us why we did it. I forgot to mention the beer angle. darn.
Now I'm at work hoping that my ride home is not in the rain.
TGIF.
word.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Afternoon at the creek
Wading in the water
Throwing rocks
Digging in the sand
Getting dirty
Breathing fresh air
Unplugged (except for mobile phone to snap photos)
Outdoors!
This was followed up by grilling out, dinner on the deck, and a couple of tasty Raison d'Etre's from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery.
To quote Melanie, "I wish every Mother's Day could be like this."
Happy Mother's Day
Here's Melanie riding up one of the tunnel climbs (Soapstone I think).
This afternoon we're headed into the park for a picnic and some fun playing in the creek.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
More Mulch
Wednesday was another babysitter ride on dry and dusty trails. After all of the twists and turns at Lodi many of the Avalon trails seemed interminably straight.
I was thinking that some re-routes to crease the singletrack would slow things down and up the savoriness of some already stellar dirt.
Something else I continue to notice is that there are a lot of riders that are either certified assholes or just unfriendly.
I've had more people bomb down a trail without slowing or yielding an inch when I'm riding in the other direction. If I don't pull of the trail completely we will collide and end up bloodied.
In a similar vein there seem to be more people that will not respond in any way to a friendly greeting. WTF? I can see not acknowledging the stranger that approaches you on the sidewalk downtown, but we're both out on mountain bikes in the woods. We're like minded freaks, right?
It's not all bad. I'm still meeting plenty of kind folks out on the trails. I just worry that as a community we're losing our sense of tribe, our esprit de corps.
I suggest more post-ride beers.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
12 Hours of Lodi Farm
Since last year's race I've had the 12 Hours of Lodi Farm on my radar, but it wasn't until a few days before the event that I decided to race this year. I lucked into a couple of super teammates (Chris Perkins and Ricky deLeyos) that had also been on the fence about racing.
As a team we got along great and ran a smooth race. What makes for a good team performance in an endurance race?
*Solid and consistent lap times
*Seamless transitions
*Positive attitudes
*No mechanical or light issues
Check. That pretty much sums up our performance. And we had a lot of fun.
We finished 2nd in the 3-person Singlespeed class. The winners, a bunch of Spot Brand Whores, were on another level. Nobody else was close. fatMarc, Bob, & Matt are not only fast, they're great guys. Though Marc did give me a merciless beatdown going up the first climb sometime Sunday morning. 8-) There's no shame in losing to them. To quote the inimitable Walter Sobchak, "...worthy fuckin' adversary."
Behind them there was a tight battle all race long for 2nd, 3rd, & 4th place. We were camped with our buddies Jonathan, Trevor, and Bob from the Family Bike Shop team and Gwadzilla's team was also nearby. We kept close tabs on each other and engaged in some friendly bantering throughout the race. We were the beneficiary of some light and transition issues that those guys experienced, but that's part of endurance racing.
In any event, it was a good battle that had all of us riding hard from start to finish...and that really made things fun. In the end we all sat down to drink a beer and toast a good race.
Here are some random thoughts from the race:
Slips & negative splits
The rain made the first few laps slippery, but the course firmed up and dried out very quickly. In fact, lap times kept getting faster, even as the legs got more tired.
Bonehead deadhead
I forgot my helmet at home, but Trevor came through with an old school lid sporting a steal-your-face sticker. Thanks Trevor!
Field party
On the first part of the course there was redneck field party, complete with pick-up truck, trans am (camaro?), bonfire, classic rock, and a dog. I was chased by the dog on my first two laps as the revelers laughed their asses off. It was all in good fun. By the time of my sunrise lap the fire was smouldering, people were passed out in the cars, and the ground was littered with beer cans.
A moment of clarity
Hyperion Espresso provided coffee for the event and it was good. After the sunrise lap I was cold and my stomach was funky. I grabbed a cup of hot coffee, a roll of TP, and a few Cottonelle wipes and headed for the port-o-john. After building a cushiony nest on the seat I relaxed, worked out my stomach issues, and drank my coffee. When I opened the door the sun was shining and I had a bright new outlook!
I love my bike!
This race reinforced my enthusiasm for riding a singlespeed. I felt much faster with 1 gear than I did with 27 last year. There was nothing to think about but turning the pedals and driving the bike. The 29er wheels rolled over all the roots like a full suspension rig. The WTB ExiWolf 2.3 tires had no problem with the mud or slick roots. I just felt a seamless connection between me, the bike, and the trails.
The Vibe
The atmosphere at Lodi is just the right mix of competitive racing and fun. People are friendly and supportive. It just seems like everyone is on the same vibe. A big contingent of friends from the DCCofD were there kicking ass. They even had the trailer & Tom McDaniel running support. That crew is all about ~community~ and RIDING REALLY FRIGGIN FAST. They do things right. Hat's off to the promoter and everyone in attendance for creating a temporary utopian mountain bike village in the middle of the Virginia woods.
And lastly a gratuitous self-photo so Mom can see me racing my bike.
Photo courtesy of Gary
Here is his gallery from the race.
And here is his blog.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Mulch
I had a big load of mulch delivered in the driveway. My most excellent helper and I spend several hours shoveling, wheelbarrowing, and spreading it around the yard.
My upper body was already sore from muscling a singlespeed around the trails and after a day of yard work it's officially cooked.
After a day of playing in the dirt we all went out for some hard-earned mexican food. The kid gets his own order of guacamole...and he finishes it. That's my boy. 8-)
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Camp Lodi
This photo was taken from my phone around dinnertime on Saturday. I think it was still raining. I'll have a write-up posted soon.
Friday, May 04, 2007
Attack on Car Culture - WSJ
Wall Street Journal
In today's (fri. 5/4) WSJ there's a very cool piece titled "Building a Better Bike Lane - Bike-friendly cities in Europe are launching a new attack on car culture. Can the U.S. catch up?" by Nancy Keates. It's on the front page of the Weekend Journal section.
You have to be a subscriber to view it online, but if you can get your hands on a hard copy of the paper you should check it out. It's a big story with some nice photos and a couple of useful tables (one about bike-friendly cities in the U.S. and the other about where to buy Dutch-style bikes).
Check check check it ouuuuut!
