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

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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