Dirt-Diesel

Lost in the Alps.......sort of

2011-02-24T21:49:00.003-06:00

Put the Tacx real-life video trainer through a pretty solid two hours tonight. Simulated ride of 2 hours, 4,000 feet of climbing, over 42 miles. Garmin and Power hub are a lot more accurate with a norm power of 260+ watts for the 2 hours. I think trainers with power meters purposely show a higher power output to make riders feel good. As much as I would love the stated power, it varies up to 18% from reality. On the other hand, Tacx trainers have it figured out when it comes time to duplicating the sensation of road riding outside. It is very hard to notice any difference. The real life videos only add to the experience........way cool. Hope everyone is doing great!

Diesel

Out of balance

2011-01-18T21:00:00.002-06:00

It appears I lost the battle of the bulge again this winter and managed to let the weight creep up to 250 pounds in mid November. My lack of will power in the nutrition department pales in comparison to my will power on the bike. It appears my "race weight" is going to be around 220 pounds if I can find the discipline to start eating better......I will kill the descents!

Tuesday night workout. Cant wait for the recovery meal.

Remember the name

2010-07-20T19:55:00.003-05:00

Remember the name "Northwest Park". Over the course of the next few years, it will become the raddest 8 miles of single track the Chippewa Valley has ever seen.

Time to breathe

2010-07-16T21:58:00.012-05:00

BC bike race + co-race director for Eau Claire's Firecracker (WORS #6) = no time! Now that both are in the books, there is a little more time to take a trip down memory lane (or at least whats left of my memory at this point).

BC Race

Gear:

Troy - 2010 Santa Cruz TallBoy. Full suspension all carbon 29r. 22.5 lbs

Jim - 2009 Custom Sisu. Full suspension steel 29r. 27 lbs

Tires - Geaxsaguaroo......could have used a little more meat

Team:

OTR Racing (On The Rivet).....more to come on that subject, but check out the sweet kits

Race details:

approximately 43,000 feet of climbing

40k to 70k per day

4-6 hours in the saddle per day

3,600 - 5,000kilojouless per day

pitches as steep as 35 degrees

7 days total riding, plus a prologuee

drops, rocks, table tops, massive roots, bridges, berms, service roads, unrideable down hills, countless dismounts, hour long hike-a-bikes (repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat). Nastiest trails I have ever seen and certainly nothing like what they show on theInternett or in magazines!

21 countries represented

one fast unicycle who could ride almost anything

lots of ferry crossings

Brand new Sidi Dragon 2s. No blisters and no more pretty bottoms
Sweet kits....not so good looking of a guy

Aid station in the mountains. Cookies, bars, chips, energy drinks, Gu packs and lots of fresh fruit. Not a time to be worrying about calories

No, it's not a post card. Rained one morning otherwise in the 70's everyday.

Another sweet kit. I assume Jim was sideways when he decided to do a little sight seeing on one of the nasty decents and lost the line over the bars. Only blood of the week.

Picture is worth a thousand words.

Jim was kind enough to back off the throttle and ride with me the entire week. Every so often he would jet up a climb and snap a pic.

He is closer to being a pro photographer than racer.

How cool is this pic?

Base Camp for those that thought camping in a two person tent was a good idea after riding their bike all day long. Jim and I were hotel weenies.

If it wasn't for the logging, you would swear man has never stepped foot here

Jim......all smiles all the time.

Watch for an updated counter on the blog. If it pops up, it means I am going back for another week of BC.

Firecracker recap: 8 minutes, rolled tire off the rim. Race over.

Thanks for reading......Troy

Epic

2010-06-28T22:53:00.003-05:00

Ferry to Vancouver Island for the start of the 1st stage

cooked after 6 hours in the saddle.

mandatory walk bridge.

Jim with 3 time Xterra word champion.

Jim with Manny Prado.....defending LaRuta champ

Epic is about the most underrated word I would use to define the BC Race. Started Sat with a short prologue, which is meant to get you used to the trail conditions and make sure the bike builds worked. To be honest I thought the trails would be nice and buff with big swooping berms and modest rock and root sections......you know, like the bike rags all show. Instead we were treated to non-stop roots that protruded out of endless boulder fields. In 15 minutes of riding we went off more log drops then in the past combined five years of biking. Sunday was the first stage of the race and the trails were every bit as gnarly, except we got to throw in 6,000 feet of climbing and 20 minute descents that numbed the hands and arms. 4 miles into day two the power tap hub ceased tight and the rest of the day was in the bike shop having a new wheel built up. Tomorrow we start all over.

Game Time

2010-06-25T20:02:00.002-05:00

Hard to believe the BC Bike Race is already here. Training has been next to non existent, but I am not going to let a little thing like a lack of fitness get in the way of having the best week ever on a bike. Jim has been really consistent with his riding and is super strong right now, so he will be doing most if not all the pulling. The new Santa Cruz Tallboy along with Jim's Sisu are waiting for us in Canada and from what I can tell they are the perfect choice for the race. 30 minute prologue tomorrow and then the real deal starts on Sunday. We will do our best to get some pics on the blog each night. Next up, 6 hour flight to Vancouver. Stay tuned and thanks for checking in.

http://bcbikerace.com

Good Bye

2010-06-13T21:48:00.002-05:00

6-8-2010.........Rest In Peace dad. You will be deeply missed, but never forgotten. We all love you so much.

Cheq Flat Tire Festival

2010-04-06T19:19:00.002-05:00

At least now I don't need to come up with any lame excuses this year! Good luck to all those that got in.

Tucson Mountain Park

2010-01-15T21:53:00.003-06:00

Got in a 4 hour mtb ride at Tucson Mountain Park on Thurs with TJ. It was a full day on the bike and we were able to hit Starr Pass, Golden Gate, and Gate's Pass. The trails are pretty crazy compared to back home. Click HERE to check out the Garmin file. Tomorrow is the 27 mile climb to the summit of Mt. Lemon.

2010-01-14T08:51:00.003-06:00

Got out for a 60 mile road ride on Wed. The route took me through Gates pass, which served up some awesome riding and views. Still have lots of riding left, including a trip to the top of Mt. Lemon on Sat.

Gates Pass at Tucson Mountain Park

Back side of the pass. Cars are only half as fast as a bike on the decent.

A little broader view

I've attached a few of the rides from the Garmin Below. Nothing too earth shattering on the performance side of things, but the links offer some pretty cool interaction.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/22328521 --- Wed "Big Square" loop

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/22328581 --- Tues MTB ride

http://http//connect.garmin.com/activity/22328622 --- Monday road ride

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/22328641 --- Race

2010-01-12T20:03:00.002-06:00

Quick update from Tucson. Headed up to Phoenix Sat morning to preride the course, which went well. Trails are really, really rocky and also pretty technical in spots. Raced in the Rock Crusher sport class and was able to get a podium spot. My fitness on the top end is not where it needs to be, but the season is still very early.

Monday I hit the roads for a 40 mile endurance ride.

Tuesday we hit one of Tucson's premier trail systems for a solid 3.5 hour ride. Hard to believe there is a trail somewhere in there amongst the boulders.

Sample of some of the tricky stuff.

TJ hitting killing the sketchy downhill on his rigid / rigid.

Stay tuned for some more random trail pics. Tx for checking in.

Trainer Bonk

2010-01-03T10:06:00.005-06:00

Been down in Sheboygan visiting my parents on the farm where my dad is recovering from his heart attack. Things were a little slow, so I got the bike set up in mom's kitchen on Sat afternoon for a 2 hour endurance ride. It was nice to have a window with a view compared to riding in my pitch black basement. After holding a comfortable 233 watts for the first 90 minutes of the ride things went South in a hurry. I only had water and no solid calories to sustain the effort so the bonk was inevitable, and when it hit is was full on. It is pretty crazy how fast the body can shut down in a situation like that. Wonder if the Sheboygan crew did their breakfast ride.....it was zero out when I woke up.

Click HERE to read a cool article passed on to me from TJ.

Goodies

2010-01-01T08:18:00.002-06:00

Out with the XTR / XO and in with the new XX. The SISU hard tail is going in to be Gun-Koted and then built up with the new package. The bike should should be pretty sweet once it is all put together.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

2009-12-31T16:04:00.002-06:00

Pretty darn hard to have more fun than riding Lowe's Creek with four PUGS. It really dials in your handling skills! The energy it takes to turn out 11 miles of single track on one of these beasts borders on ridiculous.

tis the season

2009-12-27T20:38:00.003-06:00

Now that the Christmas holidays are behind us, it is time to get down to work and dial in the training for the 2010 season. I am signed on for another year with power training guru TJ Woodruff, which should be fun in a painful kind of way. My training plan will be geared towards the BC, 7-day stage race, which is held the last week of June. 24 hours of Nine Mile, Dakota 50, Cheq Fat Tire, Ore 2 Shore, a few WORS races and a few road races are also on the books. Most of the training will be done on the trainer until the roads clear, except for PUG night at Lowe's Creek (feel free to join in).

Going to start things off on a good note with a week long training camp in Tucson the second week of January. I have a race scheduled the first Saturday of the trip then a few road and mtb rides and of course a trip to the top of Mt. Lemon. The trip will be a nice way to split up the winter and allow me to stay focused till spring when Jim and I will be ramping things up with some killer weekend training rides on the cold, sloppy roads South of Mondovi.

Gave my legs a little Christmas present after everyone went to bed. Had to make sure I remembered how to spin the pedals. Race form is a ways off, but the legs seem to still have a little Diesel power left. I will try to get some power files from the training rides posted on a regular basis along with some video from the Pug rides. Thanks for tuning in and happy holidays!

Tough Times

2009-12-02T18:18:00.003-06:00

Blood Bank

Things aren't going so great right now. My father had a heart attack on Sunday night. My mom called me at 3:30 in the morning and I got in the truck and headed 4 hours down to Saint Luke's in Milwaukee. At one point his blood pressure dropped to 50 / 40, which is really, really bad. We are thankful to be in the care of the best heart doctors in the state. He is currently listed as critical, but stable. His heart is being assisted by a balloon pump and a bunch of meds. My sister and I gave blood as a way to give back. It was a first for me and it felt good to do something for someone else. Reading Lance's book "it's not about the bike" for some type of hope and motivation.

Any thoughts?

2009-11-05T20:42:00.005-06:00

This or.........

This???
One of these steeds will be added to the 2010 stable, but the decision is harder than I thought. Anyone have any thoughts?

Crazy Bright

2009-11-04T21:48:00.002-06:00

Finally received my two new Pro1200 lights. It is amazing what 2400 lumens looks like in the woods. They are every bit as bright as a halogen car head light.

My official training for the 2010 BC Bike race started this week. TJ has things starting off pretty mellow with 5 hours on the trainer and 7 hours outside. 8 months is a long time to work towards a single goal, but the training will definitely make the race a lot more enjoyable. I'm headed down to Tucson for a week long training camp with TJ the second week of January to break up the winter riding. It should be a good time as we kick the week off with a MTB race in Phoenix.

Holloween ride with Chad Sova

2009-11-03T21:37:00.005-06:00

The one and only Chad Sova. He may be fast like a pro, but his kit needs some serious work. Chad, Jim, Matt and I had a great night ride at Lowe's Creek followed up with a stop at his girlfriend's friend's apartment.

He better stick to biking, she pretty much kicked his a$$ at the table.

We also had the opportunity to watch the "single ladies" perform live. Thanks Chad, it wouldn't have been possible without you.

'Nough Said

2009-10-19T21:08:00.000-05:00

3 rides in 3 weeks!

Hoosier riding

2009-09-28T08:31:00.003-05:00

Southern Indiana has, with out question the fastest flowing single track I have ever ridden. Pictures never do trails justice, but I took some anyways. Rumor is there are more than 80 miles of trails in this immediate area. I highly recommend it to anyone traveling to the Indianapolis area.

Brown County state park has plenty of elevation to work with, which surprised me given it is in Indiana (1,500 feet of ascent in a 14 mile loop). A few climbs required 4 full size switch backs to get to the top. The vistas were pretty amazing.

This pretty much sums up the end of my tour guide. He got the last laugh as I decided to hit a new section by my self and ended up tumbling down a 60' ravine.

The trail builders did a nice job of mixing in rock gardens and bridges.

Cool coverage bridge leading in and out of the park.

Game over

2009-09-25T19:35:00.003-05:00

With the few last pedal strokes of the Cheq 40 last weekend, my 2009 racing season grew to a close. In retrospect, I achieved my ultimate goal of improving my finish in the 09’ 28 mile Ore 2 Shore. TJ and I worked together for 9 months with the goal in mind and I was able to garner a 9th place finish (thanks coach). A winter worth of structured trainer time mixed in with some snow riding on the Surly Pugs with Jim and Craig had my early season fitness pretty dialed in. I entered my first cat 5 road race this spring and finished 4th, which I was pretty happy with considering my lack of experience. Our four man team “Pink Steel” got it done in the sport class at 24 hours of 9 mile with a 2nd place podium finish. Although the racing was very satisfying, my most memorable experience of the summer was volunteering as Race Director for the Eau Claire Fire Cracker. There are so many hard working people behind the scenes that you really can’t get a real appreciation for the race unless you are part of it. The countless compliments from the fans and racers defiantly made it a journey worth taking.
The next few weeks are going to be spent having fun on the bike with no training agenda in mind. 2010 holds some pretty lofty aspirations for me and is going to require me to push my focus, discipline and commitment to new limits.

First and foremost will be a training plan that gets me prepared for the BC 7 day mountain bike stage race in July of 2010. Jim and I are signed up as a two man team and neither one of us wants to let the other down. My training will be based around power, which I am finally fully set up with (5 power taps; 2 mountain bike, 2 road and 1 for the Surly Pug along with a Garmin 705 to keep track of everything). Additionally this is the winter that I have to get to a true race weight. I am not sure if 180 pounds is in my future, but it is safe to say that my current weight of 220 lbs isn’t going to get it done on the bike in 2010.

Off to Indianapolis for a week with the in-laws. Taking the road bike and the fully to get a taste of the local action. From what I hear and read it should be some pretty fun stuff. Thanks for checking in.

Basement time

2009-08-29T08:56:00.002-05:00

Haven't been on the trainer since March and it wasn't a huge surprise that it still sucks.
At least Timber stuck with me for the ride.

Pug Power

2009-08-27T22:08:00.002-05:00

Sweet rear wheel for the Pug.

Take a closer look. Even sweeter with the MTB 2.4 Power Tap hub. This might be a one of a kind. Not in a hurry for winter, but certainly curious on the power readings when Jim, Craig and I rip up some snowmobile trials with the 3 pugs.

2009-08-26T06:50:00.002-05:00

Now I just need to figure out the video quality and we'll be all set for some sweet footage.

2009-08-26T06:41:00.001-05:00

You probably do not have the Flash Player installed for your browser or the video files are misplaced on the server!

2 x 40 minute tempo

2009-08-21T22:18:00.004-05:00

Got out tonight on the MTB for some sweet tempo riding. Completed 2 intervals at 40 minutes each with an average power of 310 watts for each. Dan joined in with his road bike, which helped pass the time. It looks like the week will come in around 14 hours with plenty of Tempo work. Next week is a recovery week, which closes with a 20 minute power test on Sat. Hope everyone has been enjoying the daylight as much as possible. It was pitch black on the trail tonight at 8:30.

For those that haven't been exposed

2009-08-20T18:02:00.000-05:00

Whack Job (part 1)

2009-08-17T21:16:00.004-05:00

After missing a much needed Sat and SunDAY training ride, I somehow talked myself into going on a solo night ride Sunday evening. It was around 7:30 p.m. and the Moab light was charged, the jersey was filled with pop tarts, Roctane Goo packs and 100 oz of CytoMax and I was off. I really wanted to get my 4 x 20 tempo drills in so I headed West on the Red Cedar Trail and got to work. It was light out for the first two, but started getting dark fast. Right as I finished the second one, I was going over the river on the big steel bridge, which was a nice place for some recovery. That's when the siting took place. 10-15 college gals and guys, playing Frisbee in the water --NAKED--. Right when you think you've seen it all. I collected my thoughts and finished the reaming drills only to find myself 1.5 hours from home. When it was all said and done, the mtb depreciated by 70 miles and 4 hours. The whole world changes once the sun goes down.

Odd man out

2009-08-12T21:37:00.002-05:00

The front tire on the road bike needs to be replaced so the 29er HT MTB was called upon for the Wed group ride. Stayed with the lead group for the first 16 miles, but the legs started feel the effects of last night's 2 hour ride and I got gapped and there was no way of bridging back up. A couple of the guys fell back to help out and I managed to hang on to the 33 mile marker. Then the pace line was formed and I completely fell apart. Rode solo for a few miles when Jim came past, offered a wheel and dropped me going 20mph. Suffered the rest of the way in and called it a night. All in all it was an great workout. Check out the Garmin file here.

Ore 2 Shore

2009-08-10T19:36:00.002-05:00

The extended weekend couldn't have turned out any better. Jim and I packed up the truck Thursday night and headed up to Michigan for our 4th running of the Ore 2 Shore. We have it better than most as we get to stay with Jim's parent's on the water just 15 minutes from the start of the race. Mid Friday morning we headed out to pre-ride the start of the 28 mile and 48 mile courses. I have been training hard and got a little nervous when the legs didn't respond on the initial hills, so we called it good at about an hour and headed back to camp. Jim's mom put on the usual killer pasta feed for us Friday night (thanks!!!) and it was off to bed before 9 pm. Peanut Butter Bagel and a bowl of granola cereal at 6:00 a.m. and we were ready for some racing. I didn't apply for a preferred start so I had to stage my bike and forgo the warm up, which left me sitting about 100 bikes back. The gun was fired and we were ripping down the 2.5 mile paved roll out. Anything can happen with a pack of 866 mountain bikes going 30mph down the road, so I lowered my head and sprinted to 3-5 wheel to avoid any potential crashes. Took the turn into the woods a little wide and slightly on the safe side sitting 10. Mixed it up with a solid group of 5 and we chased until the last aid station. My strongest opponent reached for a water hand-up in the sand and I attacked. The gap was set and they kept me honest chasing hard on every section. I stayed on the gas and was able to catch the number 9 guy with a mile or so to go. I sat on his wheel as he slowed to conserve energy and we were set for a full on sprint finish. The legs felt awesome so I made the first move. You could here the XOs' slamming down to the smallest gear as we reached 30 mph. I had just enough in the tank to finish a strong 9th overall and 2nd in my age group. It was a lot of fun and I was able to achieve a year-long goal. Check out the Garmin file here. Congrats to Jim for another successful run at the Hard Rock (he did way better than he will ever let on)

My very own little rock man!

God's country

Easy street

2009-08-02T21:33:00.003-05:00

This is one of my favorite recovery rides even though there is a little more climbing than desired. It is close enough to town, but very little traffic, nice pavement and the best scenery in the county. The best part of recovery riding is you actually get to enjoy the sights without going cross-eyed. Starting to dial it back a little in anticipation for the Ore 2 Shore (congrats to Jim C for being awarded a preferred start - he had a really solid race last year and deserves the acknowledgement)

Chad Solva sighting

2009-08-01T17:43:00.004-05:00

Got one last sandy / gravel training day in prior to the Ore 2 Shore. Met up with Chad Solva and headed out to Butler Lanes for 35 miles of epic single track, double track and NO track. The sand was relentless in its' pursuit of sucking every last ounce of energy out of our legs. All in all it turned out to be a great workout and a bunch of fun riding with Chad.

You know the terrain is tough when the average speed is 12.7 mph and your norm power is 267 watts.

Wed group ride

2009-07-29T21:36:00.003-05:00

Apparently C. Manthe thought it would be fun to take the big dirt-diesel and company South of Hwy 10 for a little climbing clinic. He managed to piece together a route with 2,600 feet of total elevation gain. After the first few climbs the group got chiseled down to 10 or so riders; who all seemed to be in the mood for good old fashion suffering. Ironically I was the one least interested in the suffering and probably did the most of it. I was plenty happy to get back to the flats and rollers where I was able to hold my own. Had enough juice in the tank to have some fun in the sprint with Jim and Steve. Check out the Garmin file here.

24 hours of Nine Mile

2009-07-28T22:00:00.004-05:00

Team Pink Steel claimed second place in the Mens Sport category for the 09' 24 hours on Nine Mile. The track was super fun with its' fast open double track and tight rocky / rooty single track (check out the Garmin file from my 5th lap here). We completed 21 laps in an epic battle that found us fighting back and forth for first place. After 23 hours of racing the gap was an amazing 20 seconds. The MC was digging the drama and did a great job announcing the race as it unfolded. It was an awesome time spent with friends and all the other racers. Congratulations to the Hammer Down and Sisu teams. It was definitely some sweet racing.

Never a boring ride

2009-07-21T18:15:00.002-05:00

Got out with Jim on Sunday to explore some new trails for Ore 2 Shore training. This one started out fine, but eventually we were going cross country through the middle of the woods. This effort ended in a a hike-a-bike up a ridiculous hill / cliff. Pretty typical of our point and ride mentality.

Not sure how this fit in to the training, but luckily I had the camera so there is no footage of me taking the deep route that lead to a full submersion. At least the water felt refreshing.

This is more like it. We rode 20ish miles on super sandy trails, which fit the goal perfectly. The terrain was similar to Michigan's beach like terrain.

Trails have been secret coded: Moab, WI

Live from Eau Claire

2009-07-18T17:16:00.004-05:00

Now that Race Director duties are over, I'v had a little more time to mess around with the new VIO pov1.5 bike cam. It's pretty sweet, but I still have to do a lot more research on how to upload the video to the web. Check out some footage of Jim and me ripping up some sweet Lowe's Creek single track here. Coach TJ wore the camera for the Firecracker race, but I still haven't figured out how to post it. Stay tuned.

Pre-ride

2009-07-09T20:15:00.003-05:00

Check out Jim's alternative route showing pro TJ Woodruff the new berm on Skull. I love the fact that he is always looking for a new line.

Pedal Power

2009-07-08T21:55:00.002-05:00

The best of the best. That is a ton of horse power!

I took on the roll of Race Director not really knowing what to expect, but with Jess and Craig having a baby, it seemed like the right time to step up and give back to the sport I have grown very fond over the last few years. The race was a huge success, but pulling it off was anything but a one man show. The list of volunteers is far too long to list, but I am greatly appreciative of everyone's generosity over the holiday weekend; as well as all the support from our great sponsors. Although I ended up sacrificing my race in the spirit of keeping things on track, the end result of seeing everything go as planned was far more rewarding than any result I could have ever gotten from a personal race result.

Check out some photos of the event here

Now that the race is over it is time to start focusing on my training and goals of a solid finish at the Ore 2 Shore.

Trail day, the video

2009-06-27T14:21:00.003-05:00

The quality isn't the best but you can get somewhat of an idea of the new section with the berms and the new rock garden. I was walking with the regular digital camera on the video setting, so it is a little shaky.

Trail Day

2009-06-27T13:44:00.003-05:00

Had a great day trail building with the gang at Lowe's Creek. We got an unbelievable amount of work done. The new section has 5 berms and flows nicely into the new rock garden. Comp and Elite will run the new section for the race.

No air bags needed

2009-06-26T20:46:00.005-05:00

Came across this car at the store after my ride tonight. It reminded me of one of those puzzles where you search for obscure objects in a chaotic picture. Can you find........

Game over

2009-06-24T20:55:00.002-05:00

Got dropped on tonight's group ride. End of story.

odd man out

2009-06-22T21:40:00.004-05:00

Headed down to Sheboygan for the father's day weekend. Hooked up with the breakfast group for an early Sat morning ride. I only had room for one bike in the truck so the hard tail 29er got packed. put a few extra psi in the tires and let knobbies roll with the roadies. The ride was fun and I was able to stay with the group for the entire 40+ miles. It was nice to be back home on the old country roads (Dano, where were you today?)

Sunday was going to be a few hours in the woods checking out the local trails, but I opted for cross training with a chainsaw. Something to be said for those that actually work for a living. My entire body was cashed by the end of the day.

Dad's plan was to cut a little and then pull the branch over and away from the house with the tractor. I had my doubts and when it went I couldn't control my reaction. It was pretty funny after the fact.

Hope everyone had as nice of father's day as I did. Thanks for the good chow mom.

Blood, Sweat and Rocks

2009-06-18T20:53:00.005-05:00

80 degrees and humid made for an interesting night in the woods with Craig, Jim and Mike. I was pretty shelled after a big Tuesday and Wed, but it was worth the pain to check out the gang negotiating some tricky rocks.

Jim rolling the 29er

Here I come, but it doesn't appear I'll make this one clean. 29er's are nice, but certainly not magical.

Craig putting the finishing touches on the rocky climb. Pictures don't do the technicality of the garden justice.

Like area 51, this location is temporally top secret

Mike's war paint!

a little rain never killed anyone

2009-06-17T21:40:00.003-05:00

Got out on Tuesday with Jim for 2.5 hours in some warm June rain showers. Started off in Lowes Creek, but by the second lap it got pretty nasty so we headed out to the pavement. At least the bike got cleaned.

I bet Jim $1.00 that I could make the climb. 5 feet into it, my back tire sunk 4" in to the mud and I took a mud bath. Somehow Jim found the line and the strength to get to the top while laughing the whole way. Just my luck.

Bike bath

I don't know what it is, but I love riding in anything but normal conditions.

Snapshot of my legs after the Wed group ride! Oh, I guess these are Lance's. Mr. Olympia would be proud.

super secret training grounds

2009-06-15T21:21:00.006-05:00

Rewind to the Big Ring Classic. Race started with a little bad luck when I bobbled a pedal and found myself in dead last place. Knowing there was 27 miles of racing, I paced myself and used the three laps to pass as many riders as possible. Looking back I should have buried myself and fought for a better position going into the woods. Regardless, I moved up 20 spots over Rhinelander and 40 spots over Iola. Finished mid pack about 10 back from where I am capable of finishing, but happy non-the-less.

Monday after the Race TJ had me down for 3 hours of endurance overload followed by another 8 hours throughout the rest of the week. 13 hours in all.

Sunday I met up with Jim and did our own Eau Claire version of the La Ruta de los Conquistadores.....although a bit shorter at 3 hours.

The ride started out with 5 miles of RR ties. The full suspension 29er did the job.

A car beat Jim to the kill. He has the worse fear of snakes of anyone I have ever met. I paid the price the rest of the ride as he was amped up on adrenaline and whatever else propels his phobia. He once dropped one of his buddies for teasing him with a snake. I knew better.

Hike a bikes. Sometime trails, sometime not. Can't beat the scenery.

Sand climbs are always good training for the Ore 2 Shore! I think knowing there is pavement 10 feet to the left makes it just a little harder.

All and all it was a fun day on the secret trails, but I bonked really early on and had to rely on Jim's towing service to get back to the house. We made a stop at a gas station and I almost climbed all the way in a pizza fridge to cool down.

It's the weekend!

2009-06-05T22:02:00.003-05:00

Wed group ride was fun as always. The 2.5 hours of mountain biking the day before made for a nice overload and the legs were feeling it on the hills. Got some good pedaling in and had nice conversation with the guys. Check out the ride info here. Nice job by Joel dropping the hammer to take the sprint........that guy has some legs!

Going to give Wausau a try on Sunday and see if I can't figure out the racing scene. The power and endurance is there, but the knowledge is lacking. Good luck to everyone else that racing this weekend.

The long road back

2009-05-30T21:08:00.004-05:00

Loon on the nest....pretty cool to see

The single track in the Cities is interwoven with saddled horses of a different kind.

My blog fitness seems to be in as bad as shape as my physical fitness. The bacterial infection was more than the body could handle and took a real toll on my biking. I thought my strength was starting to come back last Sat until I attempted 3 - 20 minute steady states. The mind said go, but the legs said guess again. Sunday Jim and I went to the cities for 2 hours of sweet single track and then Craig called so I joined up with him for a 2 more hours at Lowe's Creek. The legs felt pretty good if I didn't go full throttle. Tuesday the rain came so Jim and I did a few hours on the road with the knobbies and discovered some new secret training spots. The rain kept up through Weds 1.5 hour group ride with the roadies. Work was starting to wear me down, so I took a day of vacation on Thursday and headed back to the cities for 2.5 hours of more single track......I love that place. Took Friday off and did an hour pre-race ride today. My goal is a mid pack Comp finish at Rhinelander given I am still not 100%.

Crazy stuff

2009-05-22T06:35:00.002-05:00

Finally starting to feel a little better since the flu struck 1.5 weeks ago. Got out for a pretty solid 2 hours with the roadies on Wed and another 2 hours last night on the MTB, including some killer speed intervals.

picked up a stick in the trails and completely destroyed the rear derailleur, cassette and chain!

Jim had a really solid race in Iola. 3rd in his age group; racing comp.

Down to the final 10! soon the Clydesdale title will be a thing of the past. Back when Jim and I started biking for exercise, the scale tipped 300. Big Macs still taste better than an oarange.

Mad skills

2009-05-12T17:50:00.004-05:00

A guy from the local mtb club sent out a link to this video. Hard if not impossible to describe.....Enjoy

Wed group ride

2009-05-06T21:18:00.002-05:00

Had a nice turnout for the group tonight, despite the ominous weather. The intensity is starting to pick up, which made for some really good pedaling. Check out the interactive MotionBased link here

Biking just wouldn't be any fun with out all the little gadgets. This one is my favorite, now I just need to learn how to use it.

Less than two weeks before the real pain starts!

Learning curve

2009-05-02T21:13:00.004-05:00

Completed my first TT today and got a first hand account of how CdA(Coefficient of drag x frontal area) plays into TT racing. I spent the entire 16 miles on the hoods of my SISU road bike in a less than a desirable aero position. Given today's wind, and the fact that I was on a road bike, I was generally pleased with my average speed 22.8mph. A true TT bike and helmet are definitely in my future! The speed suit is going to have to wait:)

Race file.
view MotionBased file here

Progression

2009-04-30T21:43:00.002-05:00

Recovery weeks seem odd to me. The idea of doing less work to get stronger is the complete opposite of the natural thought process. I guess the key is knowing when and by how much to back off the throttle. I don't think there would be any 10 minute steady states intervals at 320 watts in my definition of a recovery week. Thanks to TJ, I don't have to think too much about it. He prescribes it and I just have to do it.

Snapshot of what I've been doing to prepare me for the start of the MTB racing season. The late nights in the basement after the whole house was sound asleep are countless. If I don't have to see the trainer till November, it will be too soon.

The good, the bad and the ugly!

2009-04-28T21:39:00.003-05:00

The new selle should be here by Friday. I read a lot of reviews and they all say the same thing.........comfort on the boys! The current Selle XC gel-flow isn't making the grade.

All work, no play

2009-04-26T14:25:00.006-05:00

It's Sunday and in Eau Claire that can only mean one thing.....rain. So it was decided that Jim and I would head out to Lowes Creek and work on the new berm on Skull. The once super slow blind turn that leads to the creek crossing is now nothing more than a brake check. It turned out pretty nice and once it sets up, will be a lot faster and more fun. With all the other trail work Corba has done, the course will be super dialed in for the Firecracker.

Thanks for the tools Craig!

3 X 20s on the knobbies

2009-04-25T17:12:00.006-05:00

TJ had me down for 3x20 intervals in the woods, but with all the rain over the past few days, the trails were in no shape to ride. Although not nearly as entertaining, Jim and I hit the ultra flat Red Cedar Trail with the SISU hard tails. It's very scenic, but neither of us finds too much joy in doing out and backs.

These are only fun once they're over!

Consistency

2009-04-24T22:05:00.003-05:00

Consistency is the name of the game when doing interval work on single track. Relying strictly on perceived exertion, the twenty minute steady-state repeats on the same track were separated by less than 25 seconds. Race season is coming up fast.

Wed group ride

2009-04-24T21:53:00.004-05:00

As always, the group ride was was a good time. Most of the usual suspects were there and once the roll-out was finished, we got some pretty good pedaling in. Sprinting is a lot more fun when you ride the train in.....thanks guys.

Really good size group of riders, 38 in all.

That is not a support vehicle! I think there was some motor pacing taking place :)

Durand road race recap

2009-04-18T20:35:00.011-05:00

The morning started out a bit hectic after I realized my rear wheel was rubbing on the frame. Craig M tried to help me late last night, but we didn't have the tools to work on the carbon wheels. So we were off to the bike shop first thing this morning to see if I could get some preferential treatment. Eric at Anybody's had the tools and the knowhow to fix the wheel, but there was a problem, the wheel wasn't the issue. After some quick analysis, it was determined that a file had to be taken to the drop out?? It was now 9:30 and we had a 45 minute ride to Durand and I still needed to register and be on the line at 11:00. As it turned out, there was time to kill.

Recap: This is the second RR I have ever done, so it was decided that I would race the cat 5/cit and use it as a learning experience. Bob waived the flag and we were off. Everyone warned me to conserve as much energy and do as little work as possible. I was good with that notion and experimented with different positions throughout the group. It was a good way to get a feel of the strengths and weaknesses of the other riders. After the first big climb Aaron S. and I decided to test the field with a pretty hard effort, but nobody came with us, so we re-grouped and came through the finish line to head out for a second lap. This time the pace was picked up and guys were starting to take fliers off the front. I had a hard time not answering, which turned out to be the right move as we eventually brought them back together. About half way through the second lap, a pretty solid rider got away and we were not doing a very good job of working together to close the gap; and we were running out of pavement fast. Knowing it wasn't the smartest move, I decided to put my head down and go to work on the gap. When we came up on the leader, I pulled through really hard to make sure he couldn't get a wheel. However, six or so guys still had my tire as we made the final right turn and started heading to sprint. I looked for a wheel after the hard pull, but none seemed to be available, and I was left alone in the wind. I was pretty shelled at this point, but managed to pull out a fourth place finish inches behind the leaders. The fitness seemed to be there, but my road racing strategy needs a lot of work. I think Time Trials are in my future before anymore road races. Check out the Motion Based file here http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/player/view.mb?episodePk.pkValue=8030364

heading in for the sprint

Sitting comfortably on second wheel

Good times on the hills for sure!

Tucson Mini Camp day 2

2009-04-16T19:54:00.012-05:00

TJ took me out to experience the real deal. It became pretty apparent early on why they call it Mountain biking. The scenery was second to none and the trails were like nothing I've experienced. Good times for sure.

Slightly after the trail head. I think I took more pics than I did pedaling.

Navigating the pass. Unlike TJ, I had to perfect the hike-a-bike on the super technical stuff. How he clears this on a hard tail is a mystery.

Looking back at the GPS file, I was clearly lost for the entire ride.

It was a great day of biking, but after 4 hours in saddle and 4,500 feet of climbing, I was ready for the hotel. If I thought there was a lot of climbing today, day 3 on Mt. Lemmon was going to be a real eye opener.
Thanks for tuning in.

Tucson mini camp (day 1)

2009-03-30T20:43:00.021-05:00

Made my way down to Tucson to meet up with TJ for a 3-day mini mtb camp. The torture started before we ever hit the dirt with a quick LT test on the trainer in the warm AZ sun.

We hit some unique desert single track at Fantasy Island the first day in town. It was really odd, but fun riding the trails in the middle of a cactus field. It was a great trail system to get me used to riding in the desert

Can you hear me now?