A Couple of Races

Madison Ga.

First time at this venue.  Rain was predicted for Sunday morning so I worried about that all week.  It only sprinkled and the trail was perfect.  Such a fun place.

Not knowing my competition I led into the woods at the start.  It was a touch slick in places so I kept the pace safe.  Second and Third passed me on the first road section so I got on the end of that train until second blew up near the finish of the first lap.

First and I had a great race, never more than a bike length apart.  He asked me on the last lap if I was tired so I felt like he was on the edge.  As we approached the finish I heard him click down a gear and I knew it was on.  I stayed seated and pushed hard, passing him with a bike length to spare for first.  I will admit to some antics as I crossed the line.  I was pumped.

Little did I know that I would slide from that lofty perch on the next two rounds.

Hells Trails

Ah the lovely lime rock crap that is Gatorback.  I've raced here since my first dirt bike race in 1974 and have grown to hate this place.  This MTB race was no different.  The course is hard enough as is but this time the promoter (who doesn't race anymore) put in a tricky off camber turn in the first section.  I fell trying to clean it in practice.  Just a scraped knee and pissed of was the end result.

On the bright side I was glad to see I could crash without breaking something.  Still, it put a damper on my race.  

The Race

Got off to a good start, hit the above mentioned corner, walked it, and was immediately in last place.  So fun.  I caught and passed a few eventually ending up 4 out of 7.  I had a problem with the steep short climbs which was kinda a surprise.  I've been working on my leg strength but it didn't seem to help.  

Conyers

One of my favorite courses of the series.  It was dry and perfect for the pre ride Saturday afternoon.  Not so much after the soaking thunderstorm Saturday night.

Eight of us line up in the 50+ sport class.  I of course am the eldest.  Two have just made the jump from 40 sport to our class so I've got 13 years on them.  Boy that's weird to type.

Off we go up the long muddy start straight, 4 of us bar to bar heading into the first section of single track.  I back off and end up in 6th.  We freight train most of the first lap, just trying to feel out how slick it is.  The real race starts on lap 2.

By this time first has blown up and fallen back, second has become first and put a gap in, and I'm dueling with 3 and 4.  We pass each other back and forth.  Sometimes I'm in second then back to fourth.  They are all gaping me on the two big climbs, I mean like 10-15 bike lengths by the time we get to the top.  I am fully gassed by the time we clean each hill.  

As we complete 3/4 of the last lap second attacks and manages to take 3rd with him.  I get caught behind a cat 1 women with no place to go around and they manage to pull away a little.  I catch back up to them on the last climb only to be dropped at the top.

I came out onto the open field leading into the finish, I could see 3rd but didn't have much hope of catching him.  Still I tried, missing his wheel by 10 seconds.  So fourth again.

I was unusually frustrated after this race.  I whined to The Lovely Wife and anyone else who would listen.  I am embarrassed by this lack of zen on my part.  I didn't leave anything out there so I should be satisfied.  But I'm not.

Maybe I was tired.  My HRV4T was low all week, telling me to take it easy, which of course, I did not.  So I'll recover this week and see how it goes in Tsali.  It's supposed to rain all weekend up there, oh joy.

Heartbroken or I'm Never Going to do this Again

I bought the Twin 6 steel gravel bike not long after I broke my hip.  The thinking was I'd just be a happy old cripple riding a touring pace at the back of the group.  It worked for a while.  Friends would wait on me.  The bike is comfortable and looks good.  But, it's heavy, really heavy.

So Now It's 2019

And I take the bait and decide to do the Heartbreaker.  It was my birthday weekend, we hadn't seen The Kid for a while, it might be the last time I get to do this with him, Dr. Sworks was going, and the Gators were playing basketball that night.  Oh, and it was 92 degrees. 

It is a pretty bike

"I'll just run it zone 2-3 for a training ride" I said to myself.  Yea, that didn't work out.  I would have been by myself all day.  Turns out it took zone 3-4 with an occasional trip to 5 just to stay in the back of the trailing group!  The soft sandy sections were hard but the bike handled them better than some.  I made it to about mile 58 out of 67 when the wheels came off.

Bonked

I had noticed I was running into middle zone 4 and not moving forward very fast.  My little group was leaving me behind.  I didn't want to eat, I knew the bonk was near.  I let them go and continued to plow into the warm headwinds along the paved roads leading back into Gainesville.  I was miserable.  I just wanted to be done.  I finally made it into town after taking a wrong turn, then cramping.  I had my magic cramp sauce with me but was unable to get the top off.  I was soooo done.

Anyhoo, I arrived back at the car and proceeded to have a class 5 hissy fit.

"This is the last one of these I'll ever ride!" among other thing I don't remember.

My Excuse

It is the bike.  Really.  The thing weights at least 28 lbs.  I know I'm in decent enough shape to ride with the group I was with while putting out that kind of effort.

Basketball

We went to the game.  Gators won.  I only cramped once.  Then it was off to dinner with The Kid.  The Lovely Wife drove home while I napped.

Sunday

Interestingly enough I felt great Sunday.  Tired sure, sore, yea, but good still.  And surprise surprise I am ready to do it again.  Just going to try a different bike this time.

As a P.S. I turned 63 today.  I am super grateful I can still do what I do.  I'm glad to still want to do it.  I know how it feels not to be able to do it and that sucks.  When you're at the bottom things don't look so good, but sometimes you just need to go there, you know, so the climb back up can feel so good.

In A Van Down By the River

We did something different a few weeks ago.  I rented a class B van from a local guy just to see if I'd like it.  I've had a crush on these things for a year now and I figured it was about time I figured out if it was something The Lovely Wife (TLW) and I would like.  Just picking it up turned out to be an adventure.

For starters the renter wasn't very well prepared for our arrival.  Seems the awing didn't work right, the generator wouldn't start, the low tire pressure light was on, and his wife had unplugged the shore power so the chassis batteries weren't fully charged.  Add all that to the fact we were under a tornado watch and it got a little tense.  TLW wanted to bail but I was hearing none of that.  I had taken the following week off and by gosh I was going camping.  I rolled out in a driving rain with my phone alert going off to seek shelter immediately.

On a positive note the van was clean.  I made it home in one piece and spent the next day getting familiar with the different systems.

The River

After the imprompt shower.  That's the river in the background

The next morning we headed to our first camp site reservation at Ochlocknee River State Park.  We arrived just in time for an afternoon rain shower.  I knew the awning didn't work right but I extended it anyway.  We set up chairs and watched it rain.  It was then I noticed water building up in the middle.  So I just pushed the awning up to let it drain, which it did, but it curled around the end and landed on TLW who rocketed up out of her chair with a very mad look on her face.  Fortunately I didn't laugh, at least not then.

Later that evening we discovered that the owner had left a quarter of a tank of gray water in the van.  Maybe the gauge wasn't working right but the tank filled up in the middle of TLW's shower. 

The campsite was right on the river with good privacy.  Really a beautiful place.  We hiked and biked, leaving around 10 the next morning headed to Gainesville to have lunch with the kid.

But first we had to perform our first tank dump.  All went well, no problems, and not near as bad as I envisioned it.

Salt Springs

The lake house my family used to own.

After lunch we headed to Salt Springs, getting there about 5.  The springs were deserted and the campground only half full.  Not as private as the river but still nice.  TLW didn't have any issues thank goodness and we finished up the day by a nice campfire.

We rode the bikes to a restaurant across the road for breakfast the next morning.  I had eaten here a lot in a previous life.  So with full bellies we made a driving tour of my old stomping grounds then headed for Ft. Clinch.

The Fort

We had a late lunch at a seafood restaurant on the way up.  This was something that worked well for us so we didn't need to cook or eat a big meal in the van.

This was by far the best park we visited.  With a long shore line just up the road from our camp and beautiful weather we were happy.

I did have an issue with cranking up the heat too fast and having the system shut down but was able to reset and get everything going again.  Watching old Star Trek on the TV was a treat.  The music system was something I didn't think we'd use but was pleasantly surprised how much we enjoyed it.

The next day we went for a long hike along the beach and through the trails, then met my brother and sister in law at the van.

We grabbed lunch on the way home at a great little place we'd have never been able to get a larger vehicle in.

Conclusion

I want one.  TLW was in by the time the trip was over.  Maybe not as in as me but still in.  It was very easy to drive, the beds were comfortable, the bathroom deal was doable, and the campgrounds were great.  We didn't try boondocking.  So I didn't get to run the generator.  I hear making the water and power last is a skill.  

It's a lot of money for something that will depreciate like crazy but I believe we will enjoy it.

Now That'll Age You

I had just finished the XC race in Gainesville.  Not my best performance.  6/13, no power, heart rate not responding.  On my way home I felt like I had a fever.  When we were unloading I got the chills.  I had other symptoms but I won't go into detail here.

So it turns out I had a urinary tract infection.  Yes they are rare in men and yes I had had one 30 years ago.  Went to my GP and got some antibiotics and figured it would run it's course.  The evening of the next day, after forcing fluids all day, I suddenly couldn't pee.  Nope, not at all.  So to the emergency room we went.

In case you haven't experienced it a catheter is something you should avoid if at all possible.  But it was mandatory for me at the time.

Kept that bitch in for a couple of days then went to see a Urologist.  He said I should come in Friday morning and they'd take it out.  But I had to pee out the water that was in my bladder within 4 hours or they would put the catheter back in.  Talk about pressure.  I made it, but barely.

Thought I was on the road to recovery.  That lasted a week.  Back to see the Urologist on Friday, says my bladder is still full, wants to put the catheter back in.  "Nope" I say, "not gonna happen.  I'm going to a football game in Gainesville tomorrow."  He says "Well they have emergency rooms down there too."  Funny guy.  I went to the game anyway.

This is the FSU/UF game but you get the point

I had an appointment to get scoped on Monday morning already.  Doc said he'd just perform a "procedure" on me while I was out.  Said it should clear things right up.  Mentioned some possible side effects but acted like it was no big deal.  So they put me to sleep and I woke up fixed.

And I had another catheter in me.  Kept this fun thing for 3 days.  Went back, same deal as before, pulled it out (which is not near as bad as in but still not pleasant) and had to pee before 4:00 pm.

I never thought the sound of taking a piss would bring me to tears but it did.  Finally.  Doc said to stay off the bike and out of the gym for a week until my next appointment.  At that time he said to stay off the bike another 10 days and out of the gym another 5.  Sigh.

Anyhoo, that put me at 6 weeks off the bike.  The longest I've been off since THE CRASH.  I was angry, depressed, and scared.  Mainly because this type of stuff isn't supposed to happen to me.  I know in the grand scheme of things this is a little blip.  I am ashamed to say what a whimp I was (still am). 

It aged me.  Really it did.  I actually look older than I did before.  I gained a couple of pounds and lost any muscle tone I may have had.  But I'm back on the bike and back in the gym.

Our tradional Thanksgiving golf game.  See how old I look?

I wonder how many "comebacks" I have left in me. 

Another Race Story

I finally got the guts to enter the 50+ sport class in the first race of the Florida State Series.  And guess what.  I had fun.

I had hoped for a top five finish, at least something mid pack.  After all it was my home track.  So this is how it went:

The Race

I had planned to sit in and see what the rest of the class had in store so I got off the line near the back.  After the water crossing on the multi use it seemed like we were out for a trail ride.  I saw a rider I'd raced with in SERC make a move so I followed him up to third.  Then I got to feeling froggy.

I made a move to get in front and the "gentlemen" in the lead just moved over and pushed me off the road.  Being just a little pissed I got by him just before we went into the single track.  And suddenly I was in first!

We managed to gap the field until he got around me at the dog water.  Then he slows down, way down.  The rest of the group catches up.  I am starting to wonder what's going on.

Second lap, I sprint to get in front of him after the start, stay there until he passes me again, then he crashes big time.  "Well that should be enough of that" I think.  But knowwww, I hear (in a Latino accent) "On your left", and around he goes.  Then he slows down.

The Clydesdale's start to catch us, I trade places with third in my class a couple of times, then first place crashes, again.  This time he holds up the clydes and the rest of us while he gets up off the trail and gets back on his bike.  I don't pass him again.  At the end of the second of three laps he puts in a real effort and drops me and third place.

I hold third back until half way through lap 3 then have to let him by.  HR was in a good place but I just wasn't making any power.

Anyoo, I was pleased with 3 out of 10.  If I can get to the point I can hold that pace for the whole race I should be in good shape in SERC.  Maybe not in winning shape but at least competitive.  And that's all I can ask.

Jack Rabbit

The 3 hour race in North Carolina is this weekend.  It's currently flooding up there right now.  I'm going anyway.  I'm not in the series so it's just for funzies.  Maybe it will drain off.

Then it's Dirty Spaghetti and one more XC race and I'm done for 2018 as far as racing goes anyway.

I'm thinking about hiring a personal trainer during my base season to try to get some more strength in my core and hips.  I do strength training but I'm never sure I'm doing it right.

Looking forward to some fall weather.  This has been the hottest September since 1945.

I'll see ya on the next page.

The Spaces In Between

I stayed off a plan for a week then started feeling antsy.  So I went back to XC base.  I found out that the gym work in base is a lot harder than BPR.  I couldn't walk straight for a week.

As far as rides go I just did the prescribed times and rolled with whoever I was riding with wanted to do.  This worked pretty well.  I just needed a few harder rides sprinkled in there.  Though the ones that were hard were really hard.

The Santa Cruz is harder to ride fast than the Cannondale, duh.  It turns slower and spins up slower.  The suspension is just a little more plush but not much.  I imagine it goes downhill faster but I'd need to grow bigger balls to do that.

I do notice a drop in my confidence after nats.  That's weird since I figured I'd feel bullet proof.  Not so.  Fitness seems flat also but that's to be expected.  It's sooooo damn hot and humid it's hard to gauge anyway.

Looking Ahead

So Lynda prescribed going back to the 50 mile personal record plan to get ready for the Chain Buster 3 hour at the end of September.  Of course I plan to do the XC race in Tallahassee on the 15th.  Then it's the Dirty Spaghetti in October, followed by the XC race in Gainesville in November, and that should wind up my 2018 racing season.  Sigh.  Over so soon.

My internal debate about which class to ride has found an answer ( I think).  I'll do 60+ in these Florida XC races and then do 50 sport in SERC and GSC in 2019.  That is if I stay healthy.  Sure the extra lap is going to hurt but what the hell.  

New Things

Meditation and yoga.  I have dabbled in both before but this year I really tried to be consistent.  I wish I had done this earlier in life.  Even now I struggle to carve out time for yoga but when I do I wonder why I resist it so.

Anyhoo, I'm glad to have some kind of a direction as far as training goes.  I don't know why I need that structure but I do.

I've been fantasizing about retirement lately.  Thinking a van would be cool to travel in.  Haul the bikes, hike, maybe kayak.  We could take it to the races.  Only one problem, The Lovely Wife isn't sold on the idea yet.  I don't understand why she wouldn't want to listen to me rant while I drive?

..

Well, That's Nats

It's a week of nothing but mountain bikes.  All ages.  It's fun to see how much we're different but yet really so alike. 

The down hill crowd isn't nearly as fit as the enduro or XC bunch.  Lots more tats and hair.

The enduro riders are in between.  Some look fit enough to ride up hill, some, not so much.  This type of competition looks to be growing.

The XC geeks are easy to spot.  Most are fit looking.  The juniors classes were over the top with 115 in the boys 15-16.  Lots of young girls racing also.  These classes bring out a huge number of spectators.  Lots of family in attendance.

There were 20 in my 60-65 class, the biggest master class of the day.

The gentleman who won the 80+ class was in Starbucks after his race downloading his stuff into Training Peaks.  How cool is that?  He said he hoped he had another 10-15 years of racing.  Now that's inspiring.

My Race

Oh well.  I got a second row call up.  Which I proceeded to ruin by getting elbowed by the dude next to me.  I came around the first turn towards the back of the pack.

We did the fingers section again.  It had rained the day before which made it even slicker.  There is no flow, only slick roots and black mud.  I fell once and ran most of the .6 miles both laps.  I'll complain here, the pros did a much shorter section of this stuff.  I rode theirs by accident on a practice day and almost cleaned it.  Anyhoo.

I clawed back up to the field on the climbs, passing a couple, only to get passed back in the fingers.

I rode more of the rock section than last year, so that's a positive.

I ended up getting pulled by 10 seconds, finishing 18/20.  Sigh.  If we had raced in Conyers......

I had a couple of beers for lunch and all was well.

Blake's Races

He entered three; 19-24 cat 1, U 23, and STXC.  

After getting a good start in the cat 1 race he crashed in..... you guessed it, the fingers section.  Twisting his stem and putting him near the back.  I don't remember where he finished but he burned some matches trying to get back on.

In the U 23 he had a tire go slack after burping it on a rock.  

The STXC was his best race.  However it was on Sunday so he was understandably tired.  Still he seemed to have had a good time.

Random Thoughts

USA Cycling does a mediocre job of running an event of this caliber.  Not many vendors.  Trail sucks (see above).  I feel like the cycling community is missing a great marketing possibility.  But what do I know?  I mean, 115 15-16 year old boys and their family's?  Talk about developing brand loyalty!

Snowshoe is a great place.  Good food, friendly people, beautiful scenery, cool temps.

Maybe because there's more money in it but moto, even at the amature level, does a MUCH better job.  Heck, even FTR had a better end of the year deal than this was.

I'll admit I wouldn't have gone if Blake didn't go.  Me racing in the wet roots of West Virginia is a stretch.  Having said that I did have a great time.  I already miss the place and all the races.  I wonder where it will be held next year?