Muskingum River Ride
The last week has been good for cycling. Last weekend, I finally got out on my 80 mile route to Dresden, then Zanesville, then home. I mapped out this ride six months ago and have been waiting for an opportunity to go -- one aborted attempt 2 hours in due to icy rain a few months ago. It was a chilly VERY WINDY day. Of course, being a route that is East of here, I had tailwind there and fought a fierce headwind most of the way back. I think I logged 84 miles in a touch over five hours, 4200 ft climbing. The only downside was a set of strained abdominal muscles; with a week to go before my first race of the season.
Southern Cross
On Friday, I took off from work and drove down to northern Georgia, just a few miles south of Cohutta last year. It is an easy interstate drive, as easy as 600 miles can be. Race day brought sunshine with a chilly stiff wind. We were mostly in the trees so the wind wasn't terrible, but the temps never really got much above the low 40s. About 60% of the people were on cross bikes, the other 40% on mountain bikes -- most of them with cross type tires. One of the top finishers summed it up best when they said they would have preferred to be on a mountain bike, but think they were probably faster on a cross bike. I kept thinking how much fun I would have had on my new El Mariachi hardtail, but the cross bike was faster.
The course consisted of two long climbs of about 2000 ft gain and bunches of rollers and smaller climbs. It was probably 80% forest service roads with 6400ft vertical in 51 miles. This course suited me perfectly, I like the longer sustained climbs. The roads were in great shape, a bit rockier on the climbs but smooth on the descents. The course layout was nice and the nearly four hours passed quickly.
I was rocking the descents, not usually my specialty. They were moderately steep (5-10%) and had lots of switchbacks and blind corners. I was able to find a dirt grove in the gravel and really rail a number of corners. It was thrilling and I had a net gain of 2 riders!
The start and end "cross course" hurt bad. It is not my thing and I just got it over with. I was passed by 4 riders in the very last two miles, all on the cross course. I also went out too fast again and didn't have pep in the last half of the race. I wasn't blown, but I think I could have been 5-10 minutes faster overall with a more conservative start and putting more oomph in the climbs. I picked up a dozen spots in the last big climb, but probably should have picked up another dozen more. I finished in 74th place (out of 300?) with a time of 3:53. Not a bad showing at all. And it was fun to ride these roads, even if it meant a 9 hour car ride on either side.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Saturday, February 4, 2012
February Century
Finally I got a break in the weather and I took full advantage of it. I had already put in for a day off from work (supposed to be a ski weekend ... but no snow), so I decided to keep it work-free and set off on a long adventure.
I mapped out a route that went north via Mount Vernon, through Fredricksburg, and on to Bellville. After refueling for lunch in Bellville, I followed the rail-trail to Butler, a long slog south to Gambier, then Martinsburg, St Louisville and home. My weapon of choice was the cross bike, not anticipating any gravel, still there were roads that I hadn't been on before and the cross bike allows me to explore unexpected mud and gravel without worry. RidewithGPS showed the route to be 104 miles with 4500 ft climbing.
I set off at 9am with temps still a bit chilly, 30 degrees at the start with a hard frost on the ground. There was a nice 5-7 mph wind out of the south which help blow me all the way up to Bellville. I made good time even though I tried hard to keep my heart rate in a low zone. Legs felt good and energy remained high for the 3 hours up to Bellville. The roads between here and there were mostly gently rolling, with some flatter, faster sections. I jumped in to a local pizzeria shortly after noon and didn't mind the 15 minute wait to get my personal pizza. Temps were rising in to the mid 40s now, sunny skies.
Once I turned back, I notice how much the wind was blowing. I followed 5 miles of paved rail trail to Butler and then headed out into hilly country. The hills were larger, steeper, and unrelenting. I faced a stiffer headwind down in to Gambier ... it seemed never to come. I finally rolled in to main street Gambier, now about 20 minutes behind schedule, more tired and hungrier. I grabbed a drink and crackers from the local mart and watched the Kenyon students lounging about. Most were smoking and trying to look James Dean cool. I was too tired to care. This was the hard part, mile 74 and a lot more hills to come. At least the wind was dying down now so I was only fighting gravity and not a headwind also. But this hard part is why I need a long ride. To be tired and know there is still much hard work ahead but not give up or back down.
Just before rolling in to Martinsburg, Rick gave me a buzz. He was thinking of joining me earlier in the day for a large part of the ride, but instead choose to catch up with me later in the afternoon for my return leg. He was heading up to Martinsburg follwing my return route backwards, we rendezvoused in downtown. It was a great help having him along, I grabbed his wheel and the speed increased notably. It was nice now having to concentrate working harder to stay with him, even though I was pressing harder than I wanted. I managed a good show until we hit the steeper parts of Welsh Hills Rd. After 94 miles, my legs were mostly blown and I puttered up those hills pretty slowly.
In the end I logged 99.87 miles - I didn't feel compelled to ride down the block to make it 100. I also recorded 5700 feet of climbing ... more than my route anticipated. And all in 6:20 for good time. Considering I've only ridden 70 miles once this year and nothing much in the last three weeks, I did much better than expected. I was dead tired but not completely blown away. Hopefully a sign of good things to come.
I mapped out a route that went north via Mount Vernon, through Fredricksburg, and on to Bellville. After refueling for lunch in Bellville, I followed the rail-trail to Butler, a long slog south to Gambier, then Martinsburg, St Louisville and home. My weapon of choice was the cross bike, not anticipating any gravel, still there were roads that I hadn't been on before and the cross bike allows me to explore unexpected mud and gravel without worry. RidewithGPS showed the route to be 104 miles with 4500 ft climbing.
I set off at 9am with temps still a bit chilly, 30 degrees at the start with a hard frost on the ground. There was a nice 5-7 mph wind out of the south which help blow me all the way up to Bellville. I made good time even though I tried hard to keep my heart rate in a low zone. Legs felt good and energy remained high for the 3 hours up to Bellville. The roads between here and there were mostly gently rolling, with some flatter, faster sections. I jumped in to a local pizzeria shortly after noon and didn't mind the 15 minute wait to get my personal pizza. Temps were rising in to the mid 40s now, sunny skies.Once I turned back, I notice how much the wind was blowing. I followed 5 miles of paved rail trail to Butler and then headed out into hilly country. The hills were larger, steeper, and unrelenting. I faced a stiffer headwind down in to Gambier ... it seemed never to come. I finally rolled in to main street Gambier, now about 20 minutes behind schedule, more tired and hungrier. I grabbed a drink and crackers from the local mart and watched the Kenyon students lounging about. Most were smoking and trying to look James Dean cool. I was too tired to care. This was the hard part, mile 74 and a lot more hills to come. At least the wind was dying down now so I was only fighting gravity and not a headwind also. But this hard part is why I need a long ride. To be tired and know there is still much hard work ahead but not give up or back down.
Just before rolling in to Martinsburg, Rick gave me a buzz. He was thinking of joining me earlier in the day for a large part of the ride, but instead choose to catch up with me later in the afternoon for my return leg. He was heading up to Martinsburg follwing my return route backwards, we rendezvoused in downtown. It was a great help having him along, I grabbed his wheel and the speed increased notably. It was nice now having to concentrate working harder to stay with him, even though I was pressing harder than I wanted. I managed a good show until we hit the steeper parts of Welsh Hills Rd. After 94 miles, my legs were mostly blown and I puttered up those hills pretty slowly. In the end I logged 99.87 miles - I didn't feel compelled to ride down the block to make it 100. I also recorded 5700 feet of climbing ... more than my route anticipated. And all in 6:20 for good time. Considering I've only ridden 70 miles once this year and nothing much in the last three weeks, I did much better than expected. I was dead tired but not completely blown away. Hopefully a sign of good things to come.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Ride Interrupted
This winter has been both great and terrible for cycling. It is the warmest winter with the least snowfall we've ever had. Freaky warm ... feels like spring most of the time. That would be good. But it has also rained tons. We just got through a stretch in January with precipitation on 20 out of 22 consecutive days. Only a few of those were real "wash outs", but still, rain it is. It feels like the trails will take about 3 years to dry out enough to even think about mountain biking ever again.
This past Saturday I cleared my schedule for a 6 hour, 80 mile effort. I left in the morning with the slight chance of being joined by a few flurries at some point. I thought I could live with a few flurries and still get in my time. But two hours down the road it started to rain, hard. Freezing cold, non-stop, sideways rain. Fortunately I was passing through the small town of Frazeysburg and managed to find shelter from the spitting wind. But I clearly wasn't going to ride another four hours in this stuff. Time to call in the reinforcements (wife with minivan). It rained hard for about 90 minutes or so. This really sucks!
Sunday, I planned for a 4 hour ride in the 60 mile range. I got to the edge of town and was greeted by 30 mph head winds with gusts even stronger. Ok, I could have toughed it out. Though the sun was out, it was a chilly 30 or so, with windchill in the lower teens. But I just didn't have it in me. I turned around and went back to the basement to log 2.5 hours on the trainer. Good workout, but still not 6 hours on the road with real-life hills instead of imaginary trainer ones.
Tuesday was a beautiful spring day (in January!). So I went out with lights on after my wife got home at 5:30ish. Nice air temps but again very windy. There was the slight chance of precipitation LATER that evening. Once again, I got about an hour into the ride and the rain came. Cold rain coming at me sideways with 20 mph winds. Yuck! Fortunately I could turn with my back to the wind and TT'd my way home in about 30 minutes.
I've got Southern Cross coming up in a few weeks. Its only 50 miles, but I haven't ridden 50 miles in several weeks. Friday is supposed to be nice again and I already had the day reserved vacation from work (supposed to do a ski trip, but no snow!). So I will head out for 80 miles or so on Friday. And hopefully ride with Todd on Saturday or Sunday for 30 miles or so. It will probably hurricane or earthquake or something, or maybe a plague of locusts?
Yup, nice weather but not so nice. Ride interrupted!
This past Saturday I cleared my schedule for a 6 hour, 80 mile effort. I left in the morning with the slight chance of being joined by a few flurries at some point. I thought I could live with a few flurries and still get in my time. But two hours down the road it started to rain, hard. Freezing cold, non-stop, sideways rain. Fortunately I was passing through the small town of Frazeysburg and managed to find shelter from the spitting wind. But I clearly wasn't going to ride another four hours in this stuff. Time to call in the reinforcements (wife with minivan). It rained hard for about 90 minutes or so. This really sucks!
Sunday, I planned for a 4 hour ride in the 60 mile range. I got to the edge of town and was greeted by 30 mph head winds with gusts even stronger. Ok, I could have toughed it out. Though the sun was out, it was a chilly 30 or so, with windchill in the lower teens. But I just didn't have it in me. I turned around and went back to the basement to log 2.5 hours on the trainer. Good workout, but still not 6 hours on the road with real-life hills instead of imaginary trainer ones.
Tuesday was a beautiful spring day (in January!). So I went out with lights on after my wife got home at 5:30ish. Nice air temps but again very windy. There was the slight chance of precipitation LATER that evening. Once again, I got about an hour into the ride and the rain came. Cold rain coming at me sideways with 20 mph winds. Yuck! Fortunately I could turn with my back to the wind and TT'd my way home in about 30 minutes.
I've got Southern Cross coming up in a few weeks. Its only 50 miles, but I haven't ridden 50 miles in several weeks. Friday is supposed to be nice again and I already had the day reserved vacation from work (supposed to do a ski trip, but no snow!). So I will head out for 80 miles or so on Friday. And hopefully ride with Todd on Saturday or Sunday for 30 miles or so. It will probably hurricane or earthquake or something, or maybe a plague of locusts?
Yup, nice weather but not so nice. Ride interrupted!
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