Darn it

Something really weird happened with my bike computer because the numbers from my last endurance test just don't make any sense. I think the problem is with the transmitter because it came with my first Sigma computer. I never bothered to install the new transmitter when I changed to another Sigma. Since they are both 1106-DTS computers, I figured it wouldn't matter. Maybe I was wrong.

By the way, there are 2286 millimeters in 90", right?



Monkey Edit:
There is the very real possibility I may have failed to clear the trip time or some other data before setting off on my ride. In any event, I installed the transmitter that came with this computer.

Dogtown

I just finished watching an episode of Dogtown on the National Geographic Channel about the Michael Vic dogs. I just have to say there must be a special place in Hell for Michael Vic because he deserves the same cruelty these dogs had to endure. I'll spare you the gruesome details, but the story of one dog in particular broke my heart.

Endurance Test #3

My latest endurance test went much better than expected, especially considering I didn’t do anything remotely related to exercise in over a week. Getting myself out of bed this morning was half the battle. The other half was tossing a leg over my bike. I’m apparently motivated in stages.

I set off for the Holly Springs National Forest shortly before noon and made a good pace going out. My focus for this test tide would be comfort and fueling.

The Ritchey WCS grips I put on my bike last week seemed to do the trick since I didn’t experience any hand cramping issues. I may have to tinker with saddle positioning since I did experience some minor discomfort after 4 hours on the bike. The discomfort wasn’t anything too serious and didn’t affect my performance. I also wasn’t wearing my usual shorts, so that could have been a factor.

The fueling aspect of the ride went beyond my expectations. I never once felt sluggish during my outing and actually felt strong for the full 5+ hours I was on the bike. I could have easily broken the 50-mile mark today, but it was getting late. The Hammer Nutrition products I tried have specific dosing instructions based on body weight and weather (temperature), and I used those as my baseline. I also followed the intake recommendations to the best of my ability, which is 20-25 ounces of fluid hourly and Hammer Gels as a part-time fuel. I used Hammer Perpetium beyond two hours on the bike. One thing I will have to address is how to carry Perpetium and Hammer Sustained Energy since they can’t be used in a pack system. For today’s test, I carried plain water in my pack and individual envelopes of Perpetueum in my jersey pockets. I used the water in my pack to mix my Perpetueum once I finished both bottles of Heed. This method probably isn’t practical in a race, but I was mainly concerned with fueling performance over practicality. I will probably carry Heed in my pack and either Perpetium or Sustained Energy in bottles for endurance events.

The Numbers:
Distance - 47.68 miles
Trip Time - 5:14:14
Average Speed - 13.15 mph
Max Speed - 30.63 mph
Items Consumed - Two 21oz. bottles of Heed, One 21oz. bottle of Perpetueum, three gels
Starting Temperature - 47 degrees.
Total Elevation Gain - Enough to hurt


I have the unique ability to dress in full kit while yapping on the phone.


Ritchey WCS Ergo True Grips, 36 grams of endurance comfort.


One thing I discovered is I can’t reach my second bottle while actually riding. Still, I like having that rear suspension system!


A brief stop to check my map and mix some Perpetium.


Bike shorts are a great place to store maps and gels.


The Holly Springs National Forest, home of the Cycle Monkey endurance tests.

The Holidays

I went to visit the folks for the holiday and brought my cat along. He was a little traumatized during the drive over and whined a bit. He’s not one for confinement. He spent most of his time under one bed or another and only came out for brief visits. I’m sure he was just tired from the trip. He really is quite social. On the drive back home, he escaped from his carrier and wandered around the car. He did enjoy looking out the side window like a little dog. He wasn't any trouble and eventually settled down in my lap and took a nap.

It's Hammer Time!

My first shipment of supplies from Hammer Nutrition arrived today. The pieces of the puzzle are coming into place. My next step is to hone my off season training and develop a more balanced diet.

One Mile Per Degree

Yesterday was a complete wash with regard to saddle time and any form of serious training. It rained non-stop from dawn to dusk, and the Pacific Northwest like fog only dampened my motivation further. All I managed to do in the training department is burn half an hour on the step machine. I might as well have eaten a pint of ice cream and a bag of chips.

When I got up this morning, the weeklong period of rain finally subsided, so I was determined to get outside to do something reasonably constructive. I originally thought about continuing my series of mountain bike endurance tests, but decided against it since the ground was so saturated from the constant rain. Instead, I decided to brave the 31-degree temperature and gusting winds for a road ride out to the lake, which, oddly enough, just so happens to be a 31 mile round trip. Discretion being the better part of valor, I donned several layers of cycling gear before heading out.

bib shorts
fleece tights.
wind blocker tights
fleece lined socks
cycling shoe covers
cycling jersey
long-sleeve thermal jersey
regular long sleeve jersey
vest
cycling jacket
ear band
balaclava
cycling cap
helmet
heavy-duty Columbia gloves

It only took about 5 miles before I started to over heat, so I stopped along the side of the road to unzip various layers before finally reaching a reasonable compromise. The hardest part about riding in the cold is finding the right balance of clothing. Once I got going again, I plodded through a gusting headwind at the astonishing speed of 13 mph and one mile traveled for each degree in temperature.

The UPS Man Cometh

My new Camel-Bak Classic arrived today. It replaces an old Performance Monsoon Porter I’ve used for the past 9 years. I didn’t realize until recently, but the Performance pack only holds 64 ounces, which can be a handicap on long, hot, rides. My new Camel-Bak holds 70 ounces, which should be good for about two hours. I considered something larger, but didn’t want to deal with anything too bulky.


I ordered the vest because it was on sale. :)

AMBC Events in the Southeast

American Mountain Bike Challenge(AMBC)
March 8 SERC #1
Gainesville, FL

March 29 SERC #2
Columbia, TN

April 5 - SERC #3
Bryson City, NC

April 26 - SERC #4
Winder, GA

May 3 SERC #5
Ducktown, TN

May 10 - Stump Jump
Spartanburg, SC

May 31 - Bump 'N Grind
Birmingham, AL

June 6/7 - SERC #6
Clemson, SC

June 21 - SERC #7
Jackson, GA

June 12 - Three Legged Dog
Little Rock, AR

June 28 - SERC #8
Chattanooga, TN

July 12 -SERC #9
Anniston, AL

Aug. 1/2 SERC #10
Fontana, NC

October 24/25 - Pinny Hills Classic
Ruston, LA

Click here for the full AMBC Schedule.

Regional Mtb. Series

South Central Championship Series
March 1 - Briar-Badlands-Battle
Gulfport, MS

March 22 - Back to the Bouge
Mobile, AL

April 19 - Attack on Swayback
Wetumpka, AL

May 3 - Baton Rouge Battle
Baton Rouge, LA

May 17 - Rock Crusher Classic
Louisville, MS

August 9 - Legend of Stanky Creek
Memphis, TN

September 20 Clear Creek Challenge
Oxford, MS

September 28 Butts Parks Revenge
Jackson, MS

October 19 McGee Lungbuster
Ridgeland, MS

--------------------

Southeastern Regional Championship Series
March 8 - SERC #1
Gainesville, FL

March 29 - SERC #2
Chickasaw Trace, Columbia, TN

April 5 - SERC #3
Tsali, Bryson City, NC

April 26 - SERC #4
Ft. Yargo, Winder, GA

May 3 - SERC #5
Tanasi, Ducktown, TN

June 6/7 - SERC #6/TT/XC
Isaqueena, Clemson, SC

June 21 - SERC #7
Dauset, Jackson, GA

June 28 - SERC #8
Raccoon Mtn., Chattanooga, TN

July 12 - SERC #9
Anniston, AL

Aug. 1/2 - SERC #10, DH/ST/XC,
Fontana, NC

Endurance Test #2

My original plan for today was to do 50 miles on the mountain bike to judge the changes made from the previous test ride and to gauge my overall fitness level more accurately. However, threatening skies and a disagreeable stomach in the morning convinced me to ride the sofa rather then the bike. The stomach discomfort, I assume, came from mall food I was forced to ingest when the family wanted to go shopping after my niece's recital yesterday. I'm not a mall person, but in the interest of family unity, I tagged along like a good little soldier. I digress. The mall is a topic for another day.

After a short nap and lounging for a few hours, I could literally feel myself becoming slower and slower. This motivated me to "suck it up" and go ride my bike since the worst that could happen is I soil myself in a torrential downpour, however unlikely and unpleasant such an experience could be.

Rather than the original 50 miles, I went out with plans to do about 25 miles along the same Forest Service roads I rode last weekend, only this time I would swing South on 277 and ride back to town on the shoulder of Hwy. 6 to get in some climbing. I maintained a brisk pace (15 to 18 mph) on the gravel roads in the national forest, but did notice a strange phenomenon when riding on pavement. Perhaps it is just my imagination, but it seemed as if I could go faster on a hard-pack dirt surface than I could on pavement. I have to investigate this further to be sure. It could have been that mall food working on me.

County road 277 (which I've never been on before) is half pea gravel and half pavement. It is also much longer than it appears on the map and mostly up hill. I really didn't mind the climbing and rather enjoyed the new scenery. The shoulder of Highway 6, however, totally sucks! I thought it would be similar to the forest service roads, but I was sadly mistaken. The gravel is much deeper and rougher than it appears at first glance. There is also all manner of refuse to avoid. The road shoulder is more like really bad single-track than a gravel road. My quick pace soon became a slow grind (8 to 15 mph) as I plodded up one hill after another for roughly 8 miles to town.


The Numbers
Distance: 30.53 miles
Time: 2:19:59
Average Speed: 13.08 mph
Max Speed: 25.15 mph
Max Heart Rate: 179 bpm
Total Elevation: a lot

Bump N' Grind goes National

The biggest mountain bike race in the Southeast will likely be even bigger for 2009 as Bump N' Grind is on the new national cross country series calendar. This is an excellent opportunity to see the nation's best pro racers in action. Start training. This is going to be one wild ride!


2009 USA Cycling
Pro Cross Country Mountain Bike Tour

March 29
U.S. Cup
Fontana, California

April 19
Sea Otter Classic
Monterey, California

May 31
Bump N'Grind
Birmingham, Alabama

June 13
CTS, Sand Creek International Classic
Colorado Springs, Colorado

August 8
U.S. Cup
Mount Snow, West Dover
Vermont

August 15
Yankee Clipper at Windham Mountain
Windham, New York

September 26
USA Cycling Pro Cross Country Finals
Las Vegas, Nevada

Recital

I didn’t ride my bike today. Instead, I played the good uncle and went to my niece’s recital at the Mississippi Bandmasters clinic. She is third clarinet with aspirations of becoming a genetic scientist one day. Yes, she’s a 14-year-old genius. She also plays the violin and piano.

Grips, Gels, and Drinks! Oh My!

I’ve decided to experiment with new handgrips to address the soreness issue I had last weekend. The Ritchey TVG grips I’m currently using are great for two-hour cross-country races. They have excellent grip and have served me well thus far. However, they may not be what I need for more epic endeavors. Enter the Ritchey WCS True-Grip. Since the outer portion of my left hand kept giving me problems on my 40-mile ride over the past weekend, I’m thinking something with more cushion will help.

I’ve also given a lot of thought to what sports drink to use and have settled on Heed from Hammer Nutrition. While my research isn’t perfect, Heed appears to have everything I need without all the sweeteners found in other sports drinks. I’ve had good luck with their gels, so we’ll see how the sports drink works out. Speaking of gels, I’m also looking into which one to use this coming season and it’s a toss up between Hammer Gel and Power Bar Gels. Since I already have a 24-pack of chocolate Power Bar gels, I’ll be going with them unless I have a problem.

The most important thing I need to do is develop a training program I can follow. I would normally go to a gym, but with the economy in the dumper, I just don’t want to spend the money.

Endurance Test #1

I just can’t get my mind around it at the moment. The concept is simply too foreign. One-hundred miles on a mountain bike is nuts. Do people actually do this and survive? How do people race for 12 and 24 hours without bursting into flames?

In my quest to compete in an endurance race this coming season, I set off on a training/test ride along the gravel roads of the Holly Springs National Forest. I explored these routes on my ‘cross bike last week and felt confident in doing it on my mountain bike. The ride started well enough. I felt good and maintained a pace between 15 mph and 17 mph for about the first 15 to 20 miles. However, my left hand started to bother me around the 25-mile mark. I’m not sure if this was due to poor hand position, my thick gloves, or the grips. I definitely need to experiment more with the shifter and lever positions for rides longer than two hours.

My house of cards fell when I hit the 30-mile mark. This was likely due to not eating properly before going out. I just simply ran out of gas and crawled the last 15 miles home


The ugly statistics
40.11 miles
3:14:41 trip time
12.46 mph average
34.71 max speed