Fast Bike, Dead Fridge.

Yesterday was a fun little whirlwind.

All good things in life are aero!

I slept until noon... Ok, before you simply navigate away from the page in disgust, I can explain.  Monday night, I got home after 15, count 'em, FIFTEEN weeks on the road.  By the time I got the camper situated, it was late... like pushing midnight. My refrigerator, which died last week, laughed at the idea that a change in balance might inspire it to start functioning again, but that did not stop me from trying to coax it. It was easily 1:30 am by the time I crawled into bed totally exhausted, so yes, I slept until noon.  For some reason, I never sleep like that on the road.  Being home is the final piece of the puzzle that has to fall into place for me to fully relax.  I needed it and it felt, OH, SO GOOD!!

After waking up and seeing the time, the chances of following DD's master plan for the day were shot.  I was planning to do a time trial that evening so he had me doing a morning run, then taking a nap.  He 86'd the run because he wanted uncorrupted data for the TT.

I had to get the bike into the shop to have some adjustments made and to see if the wheels that arrived were going to work for the race.  So while ignoring the somewhat dubious odor emanating from my very warm fridge, I jumped in the car and headed downtown.  I stopped by Austin Bikes and brought the bike and a cassette to Sol so that he could work his magic.  I was kind of hoping he could tune up the jockey as well as the horse but alas... no.  The workload I had for the last several weeks along with that little overreach after the last race was going to take it's toll.

Smile Sol!!
What's that look say?  Death be unto you and your camera?

**A quick side note:  I have blogged in the past about having a bike shop "home".  In Austin, that home is Austin Bikes.  There are bigger shops and shops geared more towards the triathlete but Sol and his boys know their trade and do it very, very well.  Road or Tri, it's got the best fitter and wrenches in the city all wrapped in great attitudes and topped with an appropriate amount of grease.  It is a fun little bike shop burrito.  They also have this racing team... and they let me play!!!

Goes Faaaaaast!!!

Everything came together just in time and I made it to the TT with the bike all spiffy and ready to go fast.  It was my first time out in my new team skinsuit.  I was really pleased with how comfortable it was, though for me, it felt awkward on two levels.. one, to be in public in what amounts to body paint, and two, to be representing a team at all.

Oh, wow.  Me in bodypaint my new skinsuit!

I rode out on course.  I was a rolling start.  You rode over a timing mat at the start and finish so you got up to speed ahead of time.  There was a lot of traffic and that occasionally posed some problems.  Sometimes you have to square off with the idea that living is more important than your TT time.  Overall, though it went pretty smoothly.

The one true difficulty was the deep front wheel in the gusty cross winds.  The firecrest 808 is supposed to handle more like a shallower wheel.  I am used to a 404 on a 650 circumference which, according to my research, is comparable to a slightly deeper wheel as the rim depth covers a greater portion of the wheel's overall area.  I am not sure that I ever rode the 404s with wind like we had yesterday but the front 808 gave me some substantial trouble.  I ended up coming out of aero for a stretch to gain leverage just to keep from being blown all over the road.  I need to do more training miles on the deep wheels but I also think I will add a shallower front wheel to my arsenal at some point for days like this.

There is a massive learning curve with racing and little events like this one help work the bugs out so that you can go have a good race when it really counts.  I am still developing and even my bike is not even close to dialed in yet so this kind of info is invaluable.  Also, pedaling like a mad thing for 8 miles is bound to sharpen your speed a bit.

At the end, the last woman to ride the course knocked me out of first place.  I sent a text to DD with the results and he responded: "No donuts for you."


Then I went and bought a new fridge.

Already coming out of aero.  There was a sharp turn right after the mats!!

The Case Of The Runaway Cone: Race Report

You KNOW what this means....

If the Zipps are out, it's time to race!

It means a RACE!  This Sunday was my first race of the season.  It was a 15K Time Trial in Loxahatchee, FL.  I have never done a 15K TT or a TT that involved a tight U-turn.  Aside from my first two 5Ks before I got into triathlon, I have never attempted a race after standing on my ladder all night.  This was going to be fun.  It was also my debut start under DD and as a member of the Austin Bikes/Revenant Records racing team.  I really wanted to do well.

The night preceding the TT was probably more entertaining than the TT.  I was buzzing on so much adrenaline that I braided at a blistering pace.  I was diligently hydrating because it was hot and muggy (100% humidity) so I sweated the whole time I braided.  I got home, cleaned the bike, switched out the race wheels, loaded everything into the car, then went to get into my bike clothes.  Oh yeah, laundry.  I meant to do that.  The jersey I wanted to wear was, um, not clean.  Not even a little.  Oh, it looked fine.  But it did NOT smell fine.  (I must clarify that it was not my AB/R jersey.  That has not come in yet.)

What to do... what to do...

Ok, so MAYBE I febreezed the jersey and hung it in front of an AC vent.  Don't judge!  It worked.  I went to the race smelling all febreezy-fresh!  No ruffled feathers this race morning.

Race morning weather.

I got there, and got registered, then jumped on the bike for a warm up on course.  Registration opened late so I only had about 18 mins to the start of the first rider so doing the whole course was out of the question.  I also had very specific warmup instructions.   I did about half the course and found out that the fog was even denser further down the road.  My glasses were a huge liability, so those got ditched right away, and without gloves, my grip on the bars was sub-optimal due to condensation.  Every time I tilted my head, the condensation ran off my helmet into my eyes.  I made a few notes to myself, and didn't really worry about it.  Everyone would be dealing with the same thing.

Seabiscuit lounging by the start.

I got clipped in, the bike was held, the starter said go, I was in the right gear.... and away we went.  It was eerie riding into this fog at that pace and I found myself reluctant to really drop the hammer with the road ahead disappearing into the mist.  I held a reasonable pace, seeing mostly 22-23mph when I looked at my watch.  I figured the wind would be on my side going back so I planned to make up some time there.

I didn't know where the turnaround was but a man passed me and when I saw him coming the other way, I knew it had to be close.  All of a sudden, the cone materialized in the mist.  It was a fuzzy orange shadow and it was off to the right!  I figured that there must be a turn lane and they were utilizing it to keep the turnaround out of traffic.  Then it moved to the left!  About that time, I realized there was a huge tractor trailer, the size of the Titanic, bearing down on me!! Then I saw the volunteer for the first time.  I was already braking hard at this point.  The moving target and the tractor trailer were enough to get me out of aero and onto my brakes.  Then the volunteer did something really surprising.  He grabbed the cone and ran away!!

Ummm.... dude?  Ummm.. Uh... crap!  What do I do?

The tractor trailer went roaring by.  At this point, I had braked to that slow roll you do when you really don't feel like clipping out for a traffic light and you are hoping it will turn in a second.  The volunteer reappeared, traffic cone in tow, and put it in the middle of the road.  This section of the road was in a curve so it was deeply cambered and the turn was up the grade.  I was essentially taking off from a stand-still.  Now, do you know what I failed to do prior to this moment?  If you don't, I'll tell you.  Drop into an easier gear.  The gear I was pushing coming into this situation was fine for a 23 mph effort, but to turn up a hill from a near standstill?  Oh, no no NO!!  I started the turn up the grade as I began to pedal again and suddenly realized my mistake.  It took 100% of my strength and weight to simply turn the cranks.  I almost wiped out due to a lack of momentum.

I heard the volunteer exclaim "Uh, oh!"  My brain is screaming "oh, SH*T!  Don't fall down, don't fall down!  Pedal!!!"

Somehow I made it through the turn then I was still in the wrong gear heading away.  I did a standing sprint and dropped the gear but it was still far too long before I got the bike back up to speed.

Things went along well from there for a while.  I passed several people and no one else passed me.  I wished desperately that I had some idea how far from the finish I was but as is common on race day, button pushing was not my forte and my garmin had half my warm up and some time in line recorded so the number on the watch was meaningless.  Next time I will display distance instead of time.  Finally, I saw a tree line emerge from the fog.  That had to be the finish since it was the only point I could think of that had trees running perpendicular to the course.

I dropped the hammer.  Even if I blew up here, that was fine.  I did not intend to finish with anything in the tank.  Then I hit the patch of really rough pavement.  It was a significant section and I had to back way off to keep control of the bike but once I was through it, I poured it on again.  Suddenly, I realized that I had misjudged that tree line.  It wasn't the finish, it was a curve in the road.  I had forgotten about that!  I racked my brain trying to remember how far from the finish that curve was.  I decided it could be as much as a few miles away.  I had been blowing out the engines for a while and I knew I didn't have a few more miles in me.  I panicked, dropped several gears and spun down to try to recover.  I got through the turn and saw the finish.... 500 yds away.  DAMMIT!!!  I laid it on but was still accelerating as I crossed the line, winded for sure, but still had another couple of minutes of max effort left in my legs.  Rookie mistake!

As I came through that turn, I saw the clouds break and the fog started burning off.  Within a few minutes, the air had cleared considerably and the pavement was almost dry.  It was the wrong day to be one of the first on course.  Every eventual winner went in the last 25% of starters.  Still, as a learning experience, it was invaluable.  And the effort WAS good enough for a piece of the podium.

Duck on a podium.  I feel like I am at a carnival and some kid is aiming a little plastic rifle.

AAANNND.... now I feel really weird.  I am not used to that cycling arms-up tradition.

After the TT, I went back to the camper, laced up and headed out for a run with Wilbur.  Later that night, I had dinner with my friend Jeanine (who is one of the models for an earlier post) and her family, then headed to the pool for a swim workout.  Clearly, there was too much left in my legs after that race.  I would say that I definitely need to learn HOW to get to the bottom of the tank.  Homework for the future.

We did good, coach!!

In all, it was a good day.  I got to race alongside another of DD's athletes, Adam, and we both medaled so we took a picture and sent it to the coach.  He featured it in one of his blog entries which for me was a great feeling.  I have often felt in the past like my coach's lowest priority, to the point of being unwilling to tell people who I work with for fear of embarrassing them.  It felt really good to have my coach not only happy to have me represent him, but put it out there on his own site.  That was a first for me!  I can honestly say that it is really motivating.  My desire to work hard for myself and to represent him immediately increased.

In all, a good day spent with good people... and another medal!

An old acquaintance  Debra, who didn't recognize me from two years ago because of weight loss.

Jeanine and I.  It was great to see her!

Pain Train And The Time Trial... Ride and Race Report

This past week has been a pretty awesome week on the bicycle.  Last weekend saw brutal, long, and exhausting hours working on the ladder.  I came into this week knowing that I would be tired.  Monday I ran with a friend and logged a surprisingly sharp pace given the level of fatigue in my legs and a relatively low perceived effort.  Tuesday night was a group ride and what a group ride it was!!  It is called the "Pain Train Race Ride" for a reason!!  Wednesday was a moderate length run with speed intervals followed by a time trial yesterday.

Oh wait?  What was that?  TIME TRIAL!!  Yes.  For the first time in a year…. the Duck toed the starting line of a race.  It was a short time trial held by the Tyler Bicycle Club and the East Texas Triathletes.  I haven't found the results posted online but I think I finished second among the women… though that could be waaaay off base since I determined that by scouring the time sheets for times faster than mine.  EIther way, I am thrilled with the result.  The photographer was a volunteer and she is going to send me a disk with my photos on it.  I will post them when I have them.

The course was 4 miles and I did it in 7:41.39.  I was a little too conservative at the start.  There was a tail wind and I went out determined not to blow up.  The other riders had made a big deal about two hills at the end of the course.  I knew I would need to have something in reserve to deal with hills and I was wary of the intense week I had loaded into my legs.  They have let me down before when they get deep into overload.  When I started, I felt great and quickly ran to the high 20's for speed.  I remember thinking.. "ease off.  You've got a ways to go!"  I cautiously pushed to speeds up over 30 and let myself off the leash at 2.5 miles.  I crossed the finish line still accelerating and felt like I could have gone twice the distance!  What hills?  Oh yeah, crested those going 29 and my max speed on course was 37.  I am a little sorry I didn't fire earlier, but I am glad I stuck to my plan since I had no idea what to expect.  Without that tailwind, those speeds would have felt a LOT worse.  Now I know how fast a short course feels (everyone kept saying how long it felt) and I will follow perceived exertion a little more closely next time.  An old riding instructor once told me that showing is a skill that must be learned and practiced like any other.  Same idea applies to racing.  I am just thrilled to be back in the game after SOOOO long!!  I finished the race on my toes and hungry for more!!

Rewind to earlier in the week and there is the group ride I mentioned.  Don't let the word "group" fool you.  It was a crit style race ride with a ruthless pack of excellent riders jockeying for position and taking corners at astonishing speeds.  This duck was in some deep water here!  I had expected a fast ride but assumed there would be a pace line, which I knew I would be dependent upon to maintain averages in the low to mid 20's for 40 miles.  Nope, sorry, Duck.  No pace line!  I found myself at a huge disadvantage since I did not know the route.  Never really knowing when to floor it and when to back off.  Also, I was not confident cornering at those speeds on some really sketchy road surfaces.  After having to chase out of every corner for 45 mins, I finally got dropped on a hill where I made a bad choice in gearing and lost some momentum.  The pack was going to fast for me to make it up.

I rode briefly with a couple of other riders who were recently dropped but ended up being happier finding my own space and stayed a short distance behind them, maintaining the same speeds.  This worked well until they turned a corner and disappeared!  I am serious!!  Disappeared!  As in abducted by aliens!  Then I was alone.  Ordinarily not a concern as I usually ride alone but since I was in a strange town, on an unfamiliar route, and totally disoriented…. Well, I guess that is why I had a gps in my pocket.  I pulled up a map and got a route back to the shop.  The road home was some kind of crazy packed gravel for six miles so I had to watch that pretty average speed plummet as I felt all of the fillings in my teeth rattle loose!  After that, the road changed to smooth asphalt and I could not have been more grateful.  In the end, it was still a respectable average pace and I was pleased that I hung on as long as I did.

It was a great week.  I felt like I was outside my comfort zone and developing as a cyclist, athlete, and racer.  I will be back for more abuse the next time I am in Tyler!!

Tyler Group Ride

One of the nice benefits of spending all your time traveling around in a stinky old camper, aside from the fact that you get to feel like you live in a locker room, is the opportunity to ride with tri and cycling groups all over the country.  I meet all kinds of interesting people on these rides.  This week I am in Tyler, TX and had the privilege of riding with the Tyler Bicycle Club.  The ride was a blast, wound through some beautiful farmland, and finished with a meal at Jason's Deli.  The best part was the warm, friendly atmosphere of the group.  I felt very welcome and when I was pulling, they were all great about shouting out directions!

There were some very solid riders in this bunch and as I am continually reminded, never judge a book by it's cover.  Just because you are spotting that guy a couple of decades doesn't mean he is going to spot you even a couple of seconds on that bike!!

There were also a few really interesting people.  One woman was very forthcoming about the fact that she had previously suffered from a stroke.  She considers herself very lucky and is totally humble about the tremendous hurdles she has overcome, relearning speech and getting back to the point where she can really hang in there on that bike!!  It makes me realize that self-pity truly is the most useless emotion.

Next week, the club is holding a time trial.  Provided that I can work it out with my schedule, I plan to be there.  I have never done a time trial or ever taken off with someone holding my bike, and hope... HOPE... that I don't just fall over when they say GO!

Wish a Duck some Luck!!