I was supposed to race my mountain bike in the Uwharrie’s yesterday. That was until I got a Facebook message from my buddy Steve – “We’re doing the Blowing Rock loop if you want to bag the MTB race.”
Holding a Blowing Rock ride over my head is like tempting me with a box of Cadbury Eggs (one of the best parts of springtime, by the way…ooo, delicious fondant why are you only available for Easter?) – I simply cannot resist and I can’t stop at one. I bagged the race which was made easier when my teammate, Leah called and said she was baggin’ it, too. After four days of rain, neither of us wanted to get our brand new jerseys that muddy.
The predicted high for the mountains: 45 degrees. When we left Charlotte at 8am, it was 60 with a predicted high of 70. How could the mountains a couple short hours up the road be so much colder? A 10 degree difference is normal, but 25? Huh, (shoulder shrug). Maybe the weather people were getting it wrong in the mountains.
Well, they didn’t. The temperature swings during our ride were astronomical compared to normal. 20 degree swings in temp that became a little un-nerving after we had climbed and descended Beech Mountain only to look up at some ominous clouds cresting the peaks. At one point I was so hot I regretted my decision to wear knee warmers and a wind vest (speaking of wind, standby…I’ll get to that). I had my arm warmers pulled down and my jersey zipped open in an effort to cool myself. Fast forward 30 minutes – as the ominous clouds began their ruthless pursuit of us – and I was so cold I was sure I was bordering hypothermia. The only thing to do – push a little harder to try and stay warm.
Pushing harder, though, was complicated by hurricane force wind gusts that smacked you in the face when you came around a corner. Descending Beech Mountain was a little scary. My bike shook back and forth like it was convulsing as the wind hit me and I tried to fight it back. One gust pushed me and my bike violently 5 yards to the right. Had I been huggin’ the side of the road instead of in the center, I’d still be stuck in a tree somewhere on the side of Route 194.
Despite all that, I loved the ride. It’s just too beautiful up there to have a bad day. Had I experienced all this during a ride in Charlotte, I’d be writing an angry blog about a really shitty ride. But there’s something about the level to which you push your body (and bike) through the mountains that is internally satisfying. I simply can’t quit and I can’t say no to riding up there.
Sitting at Canyons Restaurant afterwards with a huge burrito looking out over the Blue Ridge Mountains as the clouds moved in swallowing our view, we got a phone call from a friend – the snow had just started on Beech Mountain. We all collectively sighed with relief that we’d cheated Mother Nature if even just a little bit.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Fitness vs. Race Fitness
I had a mediocre weekend of racing. I felt strong. But, I raced weak. I felt fit. But, not race fit.
The course for the Uhwarrie Wheelmen Road Race on Saturday had 2 hills – one was short and of medium difficulty, the other short and of high difficulty. On the second lap, I had a mechanical problem and couldn’t shift out of my big ring on the first hill. That sent the field up the road without me, which really ticked me off cuz I was feeling good on the climbs considering it’s not my forte. Once I got my gears figured out, I began my solo chase back up to the group. And this is why I know I have the strength. The group never really got more that about 200 yards at most ahead of me. Riders kept falling off the back; I’d try to get a chase group started, but they couldn’t pull through to help me or hold my wheel. I had to leave them and keep chasing. I actually caught back up a couple times, but the problem with chasing that hard is that once you hit the hills – there’s not much left in the ole tank for climbing. Still, I think I won over the guys in the SAG vehicle, who gave me the “Most Heart” award for the day.
The course for the City Park Criterium on Sunday was a fun one. There’s a fast left turn, a flat straight-away and a hill up to the finish. Again, I was feeling strong – but here’s where I found out I’m not race fit. The race got lit up on the second lap when a former National Champion attacked on the straight away sending the field into a single file line of frenzy. She attacked again on the hill and the field was destroyed. Following that attack sent my heart rate into a realm impossible to reach in training rides. And that, my friends, is “race fitness”. No matter how many mountains you climb; not matter how steep they are, if you don’t get your body used to one violent effort after another, you’ll never be able to hang on. I spent the better part of the Crit in a chase group where I made huge efforts to help keep the field from lapping us. I’m strong enough for that sort of thing. I just need my respiratory system to catch up. There's only one way to do that - race. And that’s where I’m at right now, I think. I hope.
The course for the Uhwarrie Wheelmen Road Race on Saturday had 2 hills – one was short and of medium difficulty, the other short and of high difficulty. On the second lap, I had a mechanical problem and couldn’t shift out of my big ring on the first hill. That sent the field up the road without me, which really ticked me off cuz I was feeling good on the climbs considering it’s not my forte. Once I got my gears figured out, I began my solo chase back up to the group. And this is why I know I have the strength. The group never really got more that about 200 yards at most ahead of me. Riders kept falling off the back; I’d try to get a chase group started, but they couldn’t pull through to help me or hold my wheel. I had to leave them and keep chasing. I actually caught back up a couple times, but the problem with chasing that hard is that once you hit the hills – there’s not much left in the ole tank for climbing. Still, I think I won over the guys in the SAG vehicle, who gave me the “Most Heart” award for the day.
The course for the City Park Criterium on Sunday was a fun one. There’s a fast left turn, a flat straight-away and a hill up to the finish. Again, I was feeling strong – but here’s where I found out I’m not race fit. The race got lit up on the second lap when a former National Champion attacked on the straight away sending the field into a single file line of frenzy. She attacked again on the hill and the field was destroyed. Following that attack sent my heart rate into a realm impossible to reach in training rides. And that, my friends, is “race fitness”. No matter how many mountains you climb; not matter how steep they are, if you don’t get your body used to one violent effort after another, you’ll never be able to hang on. I spent the better part of the Crit in a chase group where I made huge efforts to help keep the field from lapping us. I’m strong enough for that sort of thing. I just need my respiratory system to catch up. There's only one way to do that - race. And that’s where I’m at right now, I think. I hope.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
CAT 3 Limbo
CAT 3: The racing category you become after acquiring 20 points in USA Cycling sanctioned events in any 12 month period.
Limbo: any status where a person is held up and nothing can be done until another action happens.
In women’s cycling, the day you decide to race, you become a CAT 4 racer. That category is reserved for beginners so that you only race against those with your equal experience/ fitness. The better you do, the quicker you move up…to a CAT 3. Or what I have redefined as CAT 3 limbo.
In most women’s races the CAT 3’s race against the CAT 2’s, CAT 1’s and oftentimes, Pros. CAT 3 limbo is that time between exiting your “beginner” status and becoming a viable force in the Pro, 1, 2, 3 peleton. Because unless you are special in this sport (and those people DO exist, I’m just not one of them), then the transition is a little hard to swallow at first.
I became a CAT 3 two and a half years ago - 4 months after my first CAT 4 race. I was a strong CAT 4, but after my upgrade, racing against the 1’s and 2’s in particular was tough. Their tactics, teamwork, strength, bike handling and fitness were not anything I was used to. I got dropped in my first race as a CAT 3. I was demoralized mentally. Someone who has been racing for 4 months certainly cannot be expected to successfully race against those who’ve been at this for years and years…and, holy hell, if a couple of pro riders show up…crap, why waste you’re money with the entry fee, right? And so I spent my first year as a CAT 3 in my proverbial CAT 3 limbo. I didn’t "suck" bad enough to remain a CAT 4, but I wasn’t special enough to do much in the races I entered. My second full year as a CAT 3 was last year (and, as you know, I’m pretending last year didn’t happen).
I’m now in my third year of CAT 3 limbo and damn it I have no intention of going into a fourth.
Limbo: any status where a person is held up and nothing can be done until another action happens.
In women’s cycling, the day you decide to race, you become a CAT 4 racer. That category is reserved for beginners so that you only race against those with your equal experience/ fitness. The better you do, the quicker you move up…to a CAT 3. Or what I have redefined as CAT 3 limbo.
In most women’s races the CAT 3’s race against the CAT 2’s, CAT 1’s and oftentimes, Pros. CAT 3 limbo is that time between exiting your “beginner” status and becoming a viable force in the Pro, 1, 2, 3 peleton. Because unless you are special in this sport (and those people DO exist, I’m just not one of them), then the transition is a little hard to swallow at first.
I became a CAT 3 two and a half years ago - 4 months after my first CAT 4 race. I was a strong CAT 4, but after my upgrade, racing against the 1’s and 2’s in particular was tough. Their tactics, teamwork, strength, bike handling and fitness were not anything I was used to. I got dropped in my first race as a CAT 3. I was demoralized mentally. Someone who has been racing for 4 months certainly cannot be expected to successfully race against those who’ve been at this for years and years…and, holy hell, if a couple of pro riders show up…crap, why waste you’re money with the entry fee, right? And so I spent my first year as a CAT 3 in my proverbial CAT 3 limbo. I didn’t "suck" bad enough to remain a CAT 4, but I wasn’t special enough to do much in the races I entered. My second full year as a CAT 3 was last year (and, as you know, I’m pretending last year didn’t happen).
I’m now in my third year of CAT 3 limbo and damn it I have no intention of going into a fourth.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Howard Gap Road
Although I suck at it, I love climbing. So, with 80 degree weather the other day, I took off work and headed to Saluda, NC where I found Howard Gap Road. It’s rumored to be an 18% grade at its steepest and that grade lasts about a mile.
The climb starts out benign, but rest assured, when you see a road sign like that, you're in for some fun.
The grade increases, but you're still not at 18%...yet.
The grade begins. I don’t bother with climbing gears – I’m not a wimp – I keep my crit friendly 25 on the back.
At one point, I-26 is just a stones throw away. Not that I would do that.
The view of the valley is worth it. 
But, don't look for too long cuz you're still climbing the grade.
That's where you're headed. There's an overlook up there where you can stop...
Howard Gap Road, I shall see you again soon.
The climb starts out benign, but rest assured, when you see a road sign like that, you're in for some fun. The grade increases, but you're still not at 18%...yet. The grade begins. I don’t bother with climbing gears – I’m not a wimp – I keep my crit friendly 25 on the back. At one point, I-26 is just a stones throw away. Not that I would do that. The view of the valley is worth it. But, don't look for too long cuz you're still climbing the grade.That's where you're headed. There's an overlook up there where you can stop...
...and look down on what you just climbed.
After the grade you just climbed, this part is downright easy.
Howard Gap Road, I shall see you again soon.Monday, March 9, 2009
Winter Training Update
If you read my blog at all, you’ll already know that my 2008 race season was mostly non-existent. So this year, I’m making a deliberate effort to get back the fitness I had 2 years ago. January went well – I got used to my new training schedule and dropped a few pounds.
We’re into March now. It’s been a little over a month since my last training update. And things are coming along nicely. My fitness level right now is higher than it was for the whole of last year and, having lost 8 pounds (3.64 kilos, for you bike geeks), my weight is lower as well. There’s still a long way to go, though. I’m still 10 pounds (4.55 kilos) off my race weight…and the real racing starts in only 2 weeks. I’m walking that fine line between eating enough good food to keep training and not eating too much of the bad stuff to keep the weight down.
Right now my weekly training hours are hovering around 15 hours. Daylight Saving Time passed this weekend and with later daylight hours, I can spend more hours outside, which tends to be more inspiring than going home to a trainer. Also, I’m paying close attention to what my body tells me. For example, last Friday, I hopped on the trainer and my legs protested completely. Even at a low intensity, my body was not having it. I fought through it for 30 minutes thinking maybe I just needed a warm up, but my body just wasn’t cooperating. It’s a strange feeling when you’re used to no less than 2 hours on the bike and then one day your body can’t even go 30 minutes. In the past, I would have let this upset me. But, this time I decided that overtraining right now would be much more detrimental than just taking the day off the bike and starting anew in the morning. And start anew I did – 3 hour ride. No problem. Back to normal just like that. The next day – 5.5 hours in the mountains. And I felt GREAT!
So, all in all, I’m still on track. If I had started my training in December, I think I’d be feeling more confident about the upcoming races, but I didn’t. I started in January. So, I’ll just do what I can and see what happens. Maybe I’ll surprise myself.
We’re into March now. It’s been a little over a month since my last training update. And things are coming along nicely. My fitness level right now is higher than it was for the whole of last year and, having lost 8 pounds (3.64 kilos, for you bike geeks), my weight is lower as well. There’s still a long way to go, though. I’m still 10 pounds (4.55 kilos) off my race weight…and the real racing starts in only 2 weeks. I’m walking that fine line between eating enough good food to keep training and not eating too much of the bad stuff to keep the weight down.
Right now my weekly training hours are hovering around 15 hours. Daylight Saving Time passed this weekend and with later daylight hours, I can spend more hours outside, which tends to be more inspiring than going home to a trainer. Also, I’m paying close attention to what my body tells me. For example, last Friday, I hopped on the trainer and my legs protested completely. Even at a low intensity, my body was not having it. I fought through it for 30 minutes thinking maybe I just needed a warm up, but my body just wasn’t cooperating. It’s a strange feeling when you’re used to no less than 2 hours on the bike and then one day your body can’t even go 30 minutes. In the past, I would have let this upset me. But, this time I decided that overtraining right now would be much more detrimental than just taking the day off the bike and starting anew in the morning. And start anew I did – 3 hour ride. No problem. Back to normal just like that. The next day – 5.5 hours in the mountains. And I felt GREAT!
So, all in all, I’m still on track. If I had started my training in December, I think I’d be feeling more confident about the upcoming races, but I didn’t. I started in January. So, I’ll just do what I can and see what happens. Maybe I’ll surprise myself.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Oh, Sweet Dough, Why Do You Tempt Me?
One of the most significant structures on the side of town where I work is the Krispy Kreme Doughnut Manufacturing plant. Not a store with a little red light in the window. The PLANT where they fry ‘em, box ‘em, and distribute them to the grocery stores. And the smell settles over this part of town like a sweet fog of sin. The other most significant structure on this side of town: a wastewater treatment plant. So, it’s kind of a toss up what will be wafting through the air when I leave work.
Lucky for me, the wastewater treatment plant only reeks when it’s humid out. This time of year in Charlotte, the air is still dry as we begin to emerge from the winter months. So, yesterday when I left work on my bike, I was smelling sin. I found it highly distracting. The pictures of warm, melt-in-your-mouth dough began invading my mind. My stomach growled as I passed right in front of the plant on East Blvd. I turned my head and looked at it longingly. I imagine I felt the same way Charlie did as he stood outside of Willy Wonka’s Factory. I wondered if perhaps they had a river of icing. I pictured myself sitting in a grassy field of green sprinkles snacking on a doughnut hole daffodil or a jelly-filled toad stool.
I was brought back to reality by a city bus accelerating past me only to cut me off and slam on her brakes coming to a complete stop to let some passengers off. I stared at the “Share the Road” sign on the back of the bus and thought, “Yeah, share the road my ass, jerk-off.” I wondered if the bus driver even remembered WHY those signs were put on their vehicles. It was only a few years ago that a bus turned in front of a cyclist and killed him. But, I digress.
The smell of Krispy Kreme had really affected my stomach; as in I couldn’t get my mind off my hunger. No amount of Clif Bar product was gonna satisfy me. I had to get home and eat before I raided the doughnut factory. I cut my ride to 2 hours and headed home for a proper, albeit not sinfully delicious, dinner.
Lucky for me, the wastewater treatment plant only reeks when it’s humid out. This time of year in Charlotte, the air is still dry as we begin to emerge from the winter months. So, yesterday when I left work on my bike, I was smelling sin. I found it highly distracting. The pictures of warm, melt-in-your-mouth dough began invading my mind. My stomach growled as I passed right in front of the plant on East Blvd. I turned my head and looked at it longingly. I imagine I felt the same way Charlie did as he stood outside of Willy Wonka’s Factory. I wondered if perhaps they had a river of icing. I pictured myself sitting in a grassy field of green sprinkles snacking on a doughnut hole daffodil or a jelly-filled toad stool.
I was brought back to reality by a city bus accelerating past me only to cut me off and slam on her brakes coming to a complete stop to let some passengers off. I stared at the “Share the Road” sign on the back of the bus and thought, “Yeah, share the road my ass, jerk-off.” I wondered if the bus driver even remembered WHY those signs were put on their vehicles. It was only a few years ago that a bus turned in front of a cyclist and killed him. But, I digress.
The smell of Krispy Kreme had really affected my stomach; as in I couldn’t get my mind off my hunger. No amount of Clif Bar product was gonna satisfy me. I had to get home and eat before I raided the doughnut factory. I cut my ride to 2 hours and headed home for a proper, albeit not sinfully delicious, dinner.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Why Do You Ride?
In an effort to market their Women’s Specific Design line, Trek Bikes recently held a contest and asked women to write an answer to the question, “Why do you ride?” I didn’t officially enter the contest, but it got me thinking – yes, why DO I ride?
Do I ride to race? I don’t think so…even if I didn’t race, I’d still love riding my bike.
Do I ride for my health? I guess that’s part of it…but, there are dozens of activities I can do for my health. For some reason, I choose biking.
Do I ride for the lovely tan I obtain? Although I’m proud of my cycling tan, the ridiculousness of how it looks when I’m not on the bike is not lost on me.
Do I ride for the strength it instills in me? I guess that’s another part, but I draw my strength from numerous places, not just from riding a bike.
So, then, why do I choose biking above all other activities? I think it comes down to one very simple thing – I like the way it makes me feel.
Even as I sit here typing I can easily find the place in my mind that knows exactly how I feel when I’m riding. The way the wind embraces my legs as they cut through the air with each pedal stroke combines with the burn of lactic acid filled muscles for a truly unique feeling. The stark contrast of pain and pleasure in this form are unattainable anywhere else in this life. I could run to engage my muscles; but I can’t travel fast enough by foot to really experience the wind. I could ride a motorcycle to feel the wind; but I wouldn’t be engaging my muscles enough. Part of what I experience is definitelyadrenaline. But, there's another part that is not so clearly defineable. Whatever it is, my heart rate has increased 30 bpm just writing about it.
If someone asked you right now, “Why do you ride?” What would you say?
Do I ride to race? I don’t think so…even if I didn’t race, I’d still love riding my bike.
Do I ride for my health? I guess that’s part of it…but, there are dozens of activities I can do for my health. For some reason, I choose biking.
Do I ride for the lovely tan I obtain? Although I’m proud of my cycling tan, the ridiculousness of how it looks when I’m not on the bike is not lost on me.
Do I ride for the strength it instills in me? I guess that’s another part, but I draw my strength from numerous places, not just from riding a bike.
So, then, why do I choose biking above all other activities? I think it comes down to one very simple thing – I like the way it makes me feel.
Even as I sit here typing I can easily find the place in my mind that knows exactly how I feel when I’m riding. The way the wind embraces my legs as they cut through the air with each pedal stroke combines with the burn of lactic acid filled muscles for a truly unique feeling. The stark contrast of pain and pleasure in this form are unattainable anywhere else in this life. I could run to engage my muscles; but I can’t travel fast enough by foot to really experience the wind. I could ride a motorcycle to feel the wind; but I wouldn’t be engaging my muscles enough. Part of what I experience is definitelyadrenaline. But, there's another part that is not so clearly defineable. Whatever it is, my heart rate has increased 30 bpm just writing about it.
If someone asked you right now, “Why do you ride?” What would you say?
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