Santa Rosa Wrap-up

Bike camp ended last night with the traditional awards ceremony and some fun facts. There were 60 cyclists at camp including campers and coaches. We burned a total of 789,887 kjs; which is the equivalent of the calories in 1,400 Big Macs or 313 gallons of chocolate milk. I rode 334 miles, burned 9056kjs, climbed 15,000’+ (5,000’ the last day), the steepest grade was 26%, all over 21 hours of ride time. My fastest speed was 42mph, I was a little scared because the bike began to shimy, and my slowest speed was 3mph, a 26% grade is really steep. I saw some amazing scenery and had an awesome time.

Bike camp is all about exploring your limits and then moving beyond them. I found my limit on Wednesday. I was feeling cold and miserable. Then Amelia, a biker friend, reminded me to use my inner strength. I was jump started by my mantra; “I can do it.” I just repeated those words over and over and the miles and the fatigue melted away. I am not going to win many races but I am a competitor and I will always be in the mix.

Yesterday, as we were sprinting towards home, I had burned my last match and was spit out the back of the peloton. The lead group was about 500’ ahead when I noticed they were slowing their pace. I had a few minutes to rest so I powered up my turbo diesel and made a charge for the peloton. I was feeling good and gaining ground. I swept up other riders and we began to work together to bridge-up to the lead riders. When other riders would not pull I went to the front. We caught the lead group 1 mile from the finish. I then joined in the final sprint and was 3^rd.

The race was a great end to a fantastic camp. I had good days and bad days. I also learned a ton about limits and goal setting. Camp is always a growth experience. I can’t wait to go next year.

Santa Rosa Day 6

Today was Epic Ride Day of camp. The plan was to ride to Bodega Bay over two huge climbs, ride along the coast then return over another a 3^rd epic climb. I was really feeling good today and I was looking forward to today’s ride.

Before we rolled out there was a photo-op with RV. Here was the plan. We had a police escort out of town, as we were riding each rider rode up to RV and a photographer in a car took our picture. It took us 6.5 miles and we were only able to get pictures with 2/3 of the campers.

Today was my best day. I had plenty of power and endurance. The climbs were long and hard. Each climb was several miles long and there were sections were the inclines were over 25%. We have a saying in our group, a 4% grade is the new flat. I did a total of 5000’ of climbing and used 2000kjs. I think this is a personal best.

Camp was a blast. I pushed myself and established a new level of pain and endurance and after all, that is what camp is all about.

PS. Here is an article in the local paper about Bike Camp. Just copy and paste the link.

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20100423/ARTICLES/100429733/1334/news?Title=Welcome-to-bike-camp

Santa Rosa Day 3 & 4

The word for the day is more rain. Yesterday was supposed to be the climbing day but because the forecast called for rain and hale RV decided make the day a recovery day so we did a submax loop of 36 miles around the Santa Rosa area. When we left it was sunny and warm, with no rain clouds in sight. At the 31-mile mark we could see the rain coming. I was pulling the group and the word from the coaches was ride on. We were riding at 18+mph and before I knew it we were in the rain.

During inclement weather it is always best to be the lead rider. That lesson was reinforced when it began to hale. We were 5 miles from home and the coaches said press on. I pulled at an even pace as little ice balls began to pelt me. As it haled I learned an important ancillary rule. It is best to be the lead rider in a rainstorm AND not be on the non-windward side during a hale storm. Unfortunately I was on the windward side and was receiving the brunt of the storm. My co-leader was also being pelted, just not as much. Because we did not stop riding during all the weather we rode through the hale quickly. Fortunately there were no injuries and we rode back to the hotel in sunshine; go figure.

Day 4 was the new climbing day on Pine Flat, a ride made famous by Levi Leipheimer. Daybreak brought grey ominous skies, however, the forecast said only a moderate chance of rain. Because it was cold everyone was wearing all his or her cold weather gear. Dressed for bad weather we rolled out and headed for the climb. Soon after the start there was a loud ban and a screeching noise. Boogie, a rider in our group yelled “mechanical” and the group pulled over. Boogie always has the best or if not the most expensive gear. Upon inspection we discovered that a derailleur wheel, a little wheel that allows the chain to move around the gears exploded. The wheel was carbon fiber, a very strong material, however it can not be over flexed or it will fail catastrophically. Unfortunately Boogie was done for the day and into the sag he went.

After Boogie moped into the sag we restarted the ride. 5 miles later another rider called out, “mechanical”, due to a flat. The flat was quickly changed because each sag car carries several replacement wheels. The mechanic hopped out grabbed a wheel made the switch and off we went in less then a minute.

Because we were running a little late the coaches began to push the group. Our speed inched higher even though we were heading into a 12mph wind. Riders took short pulls at the front to save their energy for the big race up Pine Flats.

I need to spend some time now explaining how I am feeling. To date, I have ridden 210 miles, in 13 hours and burned 5,200kjs (kilojoules; an energy measure). I had 2 massages and I have been eating like a starved bike rider. I came to camp 2 or 3 pounds heavier then in previous camps, life has been good, and I have lost some power because I have been working on core strength. When all these factors are added together it equals 1 tired camper. My hammies are singing and feel like they are slightly pulled, my quads feel gimpy and I do not have that explosive power that I usually have and there are 2 more days of riding!

Now back to the ride. We slowly ride towards the climb. There are several smaller climbs of about 500 feet that are hard but not killer. I take my time and as usual I am the last guy to crest the hill because I am conserving power. However it has begun to rain making the climbs slippery and the descents treacherous. The group slows down on the descents but we are cold and miserable. A certain amount of cold while working out is good, it allows you to work harder, however, the cold and rain was making everyone shiver, which is not good, because your body takes away power and works on keeping itself warm.

Finally we reached the climb site. It had stopped raining but the summit was fogged over and more rain was coming. At the base of the climb the VQ staff met and canceled the race saying it is too dangerous. Damn now we are cold and ready to ride but have nowhere to go.

We are told to turnaround and return to the hotel. Because the group has so much energy we start to race. Everyone is ready to ride so the ride turns into a speed fest. The fast riders move to the front and off we go. Rick, a funny semi-coach starts giving play by play as we speed along at 20 to 25mph. Its really funny, we are racing and Rick is yelling commentary. I am pulling my self inside out just to keep up and trying not to laugh because that is sucking up my power.

As we are racing it is passed up through the peloton that if you want you can do an additional 30 miles. I am tired and I know there is a big day tomorrow so I decline. But many of the riders do the extra loop with 2000’ more feet of climbing. I head back to the hotel for a shower and to soak in the hot tub.

Tomorrow is the big race day. I am not as pumped but I am getting my enthusiasm back. Tonight Max Testa, the famous cycling doctor, talked to us about riding, power output and heath. So off to bed I go, knowing that if I ride today I will live longer and be healthier. Tomorrow will be fun.

Bike Camp Day 5: The Big Climb

Today we did the Pine Flat ride. The climb we did at VQ camp last year was Mt. Fig. As you can see from the picture Mt. Fig is a much steeper and longer climb. However it is easier to ride to Mt. Fig. Also the mountain stages of camp are always a race stage. This stage was no different.

Today started as a beautiful morning but a tad cold; a welcome change from the previous days inclement weather. However I was feeling miserable because I was stiff from the cumulative days of riding. I was not looking forward to today’s race. Because I was so grumpy I decided to attend an active stretching class taught by Gardie Jackson, an accomplished national athlete. Gardie had us do lots of hip openers and legs openers plus traditional yoga poses. After 45mn of active stretching I felt fantastic. My muscles had opened up and I was ready to rock and roll.

I now eagerly dressed for the race that was leaving at leave at 9am. I like to get to all rides ½ hour before roll time to give me an opportunity to check my bike, take 2 or 3 nervous pees, and sign in. Because I did yoga I was running late so I rushed to the ride. Fortunately getting ready has become routine so I did not forget anything.

Our ride leader Bob H assembled us early and off we went. Today’s ride to Pine Flat was smooth and fun. It was a beautiful ride through vineyards on Chalk Hill road. We passed the Chalk Hill winery, known for chardonnays, Silver Oak, know for Cabs and a lot of boutique producers. I enjoyed every minute of it. Yesterdays ride in the rain and wind was unbearable. (I learned early today that the winds were 20mph not 12, no wonder I was spent.)

Everyone arrived at the base of the climb about the same time. RV gave us our instructions, which were fairly simple. Ride up as fast as you can and scream your average watts out to the scorekeeper as you cross the finish line. The main goal of the ride was to get the highest average watts possible. Also, if you finished the ride in less than 50mn you could do the optional ride up the entire mountain.

RV sounded the horn and of we went. The total race was about 7.5 miles. The first part of the climb was an easy 4% grade, then there were some slight down hill and then the grade pitched up again. The steepest part of the climb was 14%. Because there were places to recover from hard efforts, the slight down hills, the race did not seem that hard. However because there slight down hills it was hard to keep your power high.

My ride time was 48:20. My average power was just below my tested power. Interestingly my average HR was 164 and my average speed was 9.6mph. Looking at these numbers I am wondering if I could have gone harder? I don’t really know. I rode as hard as I thought I could. I think the real answer is that it does not matter. My perceived effort for the ride was a 9. I had a great time. That’s what bike camp is all about.

After the race I was tired so I chose to descend vs. doing another 40mn hard climb. The descent was steep. One camper gripped his breaks so hard he heated up his rims which caused the air in his front tire expand to the point where it explode. Fortunately he was fine.

The ride home was great fun. Everyone felt good and some of the riders even tried to organize singing in the pace line. But as everyone knows there is no singing in biking. Tomorrow is the last day and we have been promised an epic ride. OY

A final note: While returning to the hotel we passed a rider who looked a lot like Levi Leipheimer. Well, everyone looks like Levi when they are wearing spandex. Tonight was the camp dinner at a local restaurant. The owner, a former pro racer, had a ton of great bike paraphernalia sprinkled around the restaurant. Just as dinner arrived Levi showed up and talked for a few minutes. It was a great conclusion to a great day.

Bike Camp Day 2

I am often asked what is bike camp about? The answer is simple; bike camp is about helping a camper reach their personal goals that he or she thought were out of reach.

Today was such a day. Yesterday I rode a little too hard, I was dehydrated and I did not follow my riding plan. Today I vowed to take it easy on the climbs and conserve energy. By the 3^rd climb I was suffering. The group was climbing fast and I was sliding back. I had a ton of negative thoughts. I was turned inside out on a supposedly submax day. Then I reached deep inside myself and began to recite my mantra, “I can do this, I can do this, I can ride with these guys.” As I was going up the next hill, “rotation, hydration, rotation, hydration.” I kept on sliding back but the group did not drop me and I was able to ride with my friends. At one point we averaged 20+mph for a long period and I kept up. Yes, I was suffering, but I was keeping up and I was also building confidence.

So what is bike camp about? Convincing myself I can ride and that all the hard work I put in during the winter is paying off. I learned the same lesson from Michele a friend who is being treated for breast cancer. Her mantra is, one-day at a time and then anything is possible.

Now for the numbers: 70 miles, 4:23 ride time, 2500 ft of climbing and 1765kjs used. Plus, as an added bonus, I rode in redwood forests and had an awesome group. Basically, today was another great day of great riding.

Tomorrow is the climbing day if the weather holds. I now have the confidence even if I do not have the power. See you guys at the top.

The first day of camp is always filled with anticipation and a restless night. Because I am still on Chi time I got up at 5am and checked facebook. Then after I dawdled for a while I got up and laid out my clothes for today. Lots of little decisions: do I bring the long gloves, what kind of socks (wool or regular), how heavy a cap? Finally its 6am and I can think about breakfast.

Unfortunately there is no coffee at 6am. A scouting party went out and just reported that nothing is open. Ahhhhh no coffee for a few more agonizing hours. (I have a wicked coffee withdrawal headache.)

The schedule is breakfast, safety briefing and then suit up. I have been assigned to the C group with a lot of my friends. Today’s ride should be a rerun of a Sunday ride.

The sun is rising and I smell coffee. More later:

I just returned from the ride. VQ broke us up into a total of 7 groups. I was in the group that left at 9:35, it basically was a group of guys whose power to weight ratio was about 3:1, and as I mentioned earlier the group was filled with guys I usually ride with on Sundays.

The ride was supposed to be a warm-up ride of a 5-7 difficulty. There were some good climbs and some fast descents. I thought the ride was a 7.5 to an 8. The group was well matched and fast. I stayed in the back as planned and tried to keep my average watts low. A few times I was climbing too hard and had to back off. In fact on the second hard climb I let the group move ahead and I just climbed at a constant rate. My strategy worked well because I had some nice power at the end of the ride while others were fading.

Now for the numbers; I climbed about 2000+ feet, I rode 60 miles and my average speed was 16.5mph. That might seem slow but the 5 climbs really slowed me down.

I also learned some very important lessons. I climbed too hard on the first hills and used way too much energy. I caught myself on the later hills and backed off a notch. I climbed the first hills at 110%-125% of LT power. On the later hills I climbed at 95%. I also forgot to take my salt supplements during the ride. It was a very comfortable 65 here, but I still lost 3 pounds, which means I lost 3 pounds of water and salt. Tomorrow I plan to drink 1 bottle an hour and take 2 salt tablets at every break. These changes should help me ride more efficiently.

My overall impression was that the ride was enjoyable and the scenery was amazing. I rode well and kept up. I was definitely tired at the end and I am wondering how 5 more days will affect my system. Tomorrow is 70 miles and the next day is a climbing marathon. But that is bike camp, a place where you push yourself to new highs and establish new peaks. I am anxious and excited about tomorrow, however now it is time to nap and then get a massage. Stay tuned for day 2.

Bike Camp is Here

Saturday I leave for bike camp. I am busy getting my riding gear together and making sure I have all my nutrition and other goodies packed. But nothing says riding season is here, more then the official "Shaving of the Legs" ceremony.

This year in attendance was President Obama, who shaved the official 1st hair, ex Gov Blagojevich, he was plugging his new book, Cobert, who can never ignore an invitation to plug himself at any occasion no matter how obscure, and of course my wife and children. In the background you could hear the loving sounds of, "mom, dad is doing it again, Make him stop!" Her reply, "I can't; it's just one of those things. Try not to cry."

So off to bike camp I go. Stayed tuned for more exciting coverage.