Team Health-FX's Lynda Wallenfels

Lynda has been tearing up the endurance racing scene this year winning every event she's entered. She'll be leaving in a few days to take on the 7-day TransRockies Challenge with teammate Dave Harris. I thought I'd ask her a few questions before her first multi-day MTB race.

M: What was the first MTB you owned?
L: A Trek 850

M: What's your favorite type of race thus far?
L: I’m fickle and enjoy the lot. They all have their own charm. This year I’ve raced everything from a 24 solo to a 55 minute single speed race. Variety can make you a better cyclist if you place the event right in your schedule.

M: What was your best day on a MTB? How about the worst day on a MTB?
L: Kokopelli Trail race this year was real close to the top of the list. Worst day – probably the day my frame broke at Big Bear while I was going 35 mph.

M: Who picked who? Dave pick you as a partner, vice versa or mutual decision?
L: I picked Dave and brainwashed him into believing TR was the coolest thing on this earth to do this summer and I was the best partner he could ask for (I think it worked).

M: Are you ready for the Scheiderbauers if they show up?
L: I so hope they show up. They are the best and I want a chance to race against the best.

M: Often times on mixed teams the male rider gets to push/ carry the bikes up hill in the interest of speed. Will Dave be doing any carrying?
L: No, probably not unless I’m blown. Then again I might be carrying his bike if he is blown. We are not going to blow tho.

Hammering as usual

M: Will you be racing with your power meter?
L: On the fence about that at the moment.

M: Are you taking your mp3 with you?
L: No. It is awfully busy inside my head. I can’t take the added input of earphones. I don’t even own an Mp3 player. I play a ton of songs in my head when I’m feeling great. Mostly really cheesy stuff like the sound of music soundtrack – I know most of the words to that one.

M: So Sound of Music? What about the theme to the Wizard of Oz? Musicals like Sining in the Rain?
L: Usually just what my kids have been watching recently. Last month they were on a Shrek kick which was good and a few months ago it was the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with Johnny Dep – not so good “Augustus Gloop, Augustus Gloop, Augustus Gloop that nincompoop”. Dave was visiting and we infected him with that one too. But the Sound of Music is eternally engraved into my brain.

M: Any books to read for the evenings?
L: Big Fish (Wallace), The Shipping News (Proulx), Under the Banner of Heaven (Krakauer), The Best American nonrequired reading (short stories)

M: Wow! Sounds like you're planning on doing alot of reading.
L: I read a lot.

M: So what's your favorite book?
L: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

M: Will you be taking any pictures while racing? On the ridges perhaps?
L: That is Dave’s job. I’ll leave my camera in camp. I’m gonna be rolling as light as possible.

M: Is your family going? If so how big a boost is that to see them every day after the race?
L: No. I’m having a week off from being a mom and wife.

M: For the post race party will it be wine or beer?
L: I’m a red wine gal. One glass and I’m giggly, 2 and I’m having a purty good time, 3 and I’m falling over or falling asleep.

That's a Wrap....sort of

Marg Fedyna just finished up her Summer in Europe with a bang. Team Cowbells & Bearbells finished second in the Transalp mixed category!! Impressive. I'm sure she'll be back next year.

Representing!!

Lou, Eric and Scott wrapped up 8 days of racing in the Italian Alps at the Ironbike. It was a close race between Lou and the 3 time women's champion, Sandra Klomp. Lou finished second. I'm sure she'll be returning next year since she likes difficult races and in her words, "I have never done anything so hard!!" I'm so bummed that my broken hand interfered with my training for this event so I ended up passing on it. I definitely have to do it next year.

Sho-Air's Manny and Fuzzy John Mylne should be finishing up the 4-day Guanaride down in Costa Rica today. I couldn't find any results yet.

The big news of the weekend was the NORBA 19.5-Hour Solo Nationals at 9 mile aka The Unfinished Business Race. It was called about four and a half hours early due to a Tornado. Eatough won again, surprise surprise. An additional 4+ hours of racing probably would have affected the outcome of 4th-6th as they were all pretty close, but that's racing. I'm sure the unfinished business will get settled at the WSC event in October. Looks like I was totally wrong about the women's race. Monique didn't ride more than 13 hours. Bummer. I don't think she was the only one that had an off day.

Back in Business

Thanks to Rich at Wheelbuilder.com and Tim from Switchback Cyclery, the road bike was back in working order just in time for round 3 of Bud's ride. I'm starting to really like the fluidity of the group training rides. Maybe I'll end up racing a lot of road next year!! Anyway, I got a few friendly pointers of what not to do in certain situations...ride and learn.

The Power book came in: Training and Racing with a Power Meter. I thought I'd better start learning more about all the power data I've been collecting on my rides and sending to Lynda. And since I can't buy just one book from Amazon I picked up three more cycling related reads:

- Complete Medical Guide for Cyclists -- There's several chapters on bike fit.
- Breaking the Chain Drugs and Cycling: The True Story -- A timely read considering all that happened at the TDF this year.
- Dancing on the Pedals The Found Poetry of Phil Liggett -- Gotta love Phil, the modern day Ennius of Tour de France verse.

Phil's book is a quick read and here's my review :)

An Ode (as in Exode) to Dancing on the Pedals

Up down, Up down

Left right, Left right
Up down, Up down

Right left, Right left
Up again, Down again...

No on can say it quite like Phil

Melange

Aerobic workout
Who's at the Improv this week
For Those About to Rock
Still hot at 4

Good warm-up
Do I have everything for next weekend
Happy
No one's on the trail yet


One leg drills
Need to get a couple of new bladders
Wherever I May Roam
I forgot the speed I can carry with suspension

Resist hammering
Need to switch out the saddle, don't like this one
Run to The Hills
Plenty of riders out now

Maybe open it up just a little
What should I have for dinner
Lips of An Angel
So-so sunset

Real Workouts

The real daily workouts aren’t the
intervals, spin-ups, hill repeats…
but the practice of one’s will and
taping into the motivation behind it
to get them done.

That’s what comes out in races.

How'd you get your workout done
if you're having a day like this?

Pure Fun

It's been awhile since I had so much fun on a training ride.

Laps 1 & 2 - Cool & overcast; scherzo; A sausage McMuffin w/egg.
Laps 3 & 4 - Heavy showers & plenty of mud; piano; 6 mini doughnuts.
Laps 5 & 6- Sunny skies & 101+ temps; scherzo; A Clif bar.
Recovery: Ice cold beer!

It wasn't exactly the workout Lynda probably had in mind, it needed a little tweaking. =)

TransRockies Favorites

Since I'm on the subject of picking favorites for certain races, let's take a look at the TransRockies Challenge. The most interesting race, in my opinion, will be in the open mixed category. Teams Health-FX (Lynda Wallenfels & David Harris), Cannondale/Landrover (Tricia Stevenson & Samuel Koerber) and X-fusion (Louise Kobin & Eric Warkentin) should be duking it out for the podium spots. I'll be rooting for both Health-FX and X-fusion!

Other teams I'll be rooting for include:
Open Men: Coates Cycos - Dustin Luton & John Tanklage.
80+ Mixed: b.i.k.e. Syracuse - Dan McCarthy & Kathleen Oot-Coffey
80+ Men: La Ruta de Los Conquistadores - Roman Urbina & Alberto Coto
Singlespeed (open men): Bad Idea Racing - Rich Dillen & Josh Neely

I think there might be enough interest in a singlespeed category in a couple of years. Rich and Josh are paving the way by attempting to be the first singlespeed team to race and finish the TR. Some of their singlespeed brethren, a couple of guys from Virginia (Team Llikzzub - Sam Allin & Christopher Latura) just completed the Transalp (PDF in German).

The Gathering II

In part I I relied on the stars for a little fun about the outcome of the 24 Hours of 9 Mile if it were held a week and half ago. What's really going to happen at this year's NORBA 24 Hour Solo Championship? I'll step out on a ledge and take a guess.

The favorite has to be Monique Sawiki for the solo women. Barring something on the order of a series of mechanicals or bad crash it's going to be hard for the competition to match her speed. The three women that can give her a serious run for the money won't be there: Louise Kobin-- currently racing the Ironbike in Italy, Lynda Wallenfels -- getting ready for the TransRockies Challenge in two weeks, Marg Fedyna -- Marg is Canadian. I'd have to give a 2 lap spread if I were betting on this one unless Sue Haywood shows up. That'll make it a different ball game. Sue might be racing the Adrenalin WSC in October according to this. If so she might use the 24 Hours of 9 Mile as a tune up and I'd have to go with her even though she's never done a solo event before. I have a feeling that Monique will be in the top 10 overall.

I think the men's top 10 will be a combination of the top 10 from the WSC events the past couple of years give or take 2-3 new names. Will Eatough take it? Hmmm...I wouldn't be surprised if he did. Lance won the Tour de France his way and Eatough wins 24 hour solo events Eatough's way. None of the old guard (Ross, Hendershot, et al) has really come up with a way to counter Eatough's fast starts. If someone does prove to be the spoiler I think it'll be one of the stronger "newer" racers (Lichtenwalner, Schwarz, et al) with Ernesto Marenchin being the current favorite.

There can be only one...

Group Road Rides

I went out to Bud's ride again today looking forward to a hammerfest. I was a little early so I passed the time talking to another rider asking a lot of questions about road racing. I found out that I'd have to race 10 cat 5 races before I could move up to cat 4. Seems like alot. When I asked, "What's the point?" the answer was "To get used to pack riding." Makes sense with the speeds involved with road riding. There aren't any similar prerequisites in mountain biking since racers don't usually ride in large packs except perhaps during the first hour or so of many multi-day MTB races. I always like to ride on the sides at the start of big races like the Transalp or La Ruta so I can avoid crashes.

Today I was making my way through the pack, riding on the left side going into the second turn of the ride, a right-hand turn. I wanted to hammer past at least half the riders right after the turn so by the time I reached the third turn, a couple hundreds yards up, I'd be in a good position up the first hill and I could easily move up near the front just like I did last week. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out that way. There was a huge pileup going into that second turn not more than three minutes into the ride!

[slow motion] The guys two rows ahead go down. "Oh crap!" I start swerving left. Half the guys in front of me go down. "$#IT!" I'm going hard left and not thinking about vehicle traffic from behind at all. Some guy is riding/falling into me. I have a flashback of my full speed crash on the pavement three miles from the Vision Quest finish line back in March. I gotta make a split decision: 1) keep going left while this guy hits me full force and probably takes me out, possibly resulting in one or both of us falling into the second lane of traffic or 2) turn my bike right (away from traffic), pedal (so I get my momentum up) and throw my weight right as hard as I can so he essentially bounces off of me, like in billiards. I chose to be the cue ball of option #2 as I don't like hitting pavement and I'm not interested in being run over. [/slow motion]

I didn't fall but my rear wheel took a lot of damage. It's totally warped and one spoke broke. I think that rider and I hit heads pretty hard too as I've got a bad headache and my right ear hurts, but I've got nothing to complain about. One poor fellow had deep gashes on his face and his blood was flowing down the street. Just about the time he got a ride, several other cars came to pick up the riders with mangled bikes. I got lucky and hopped a ride with one.

I don't know about the group road riding thing. The speed is addicting but the crashes aren't pretty. Turns out the guy I caught a ride with had his wheel clipped, a few months ago on this very same ride, when he was going all out in a sprint finish. Ouch!!

Anyway, gotta swing by wheelbuilder.com to drop my wheel off with Rich. Training with power is on hold until I get it back...just another reason I've got to an ergomo for the MTB.

Towing? Have a Plan

So you've decided to tow? You'll need a towing plan in addition to a pacing and nutrition plan. Sounds obvious, but after reading Alison Sydor's '05 Transalp race report I don't think her and Andreas Hestler's plans included towing even though they knew many of the mixed teams would tow. They realized halfway through the race that they'd need to tow to try and keep up with our old friends Jorg and Anna Scheiderbauer. I think they thought they'd be fine going head to head with Jorg and Anna for three reasons: Alison was stronger than Anna, they didn't realize the percentage of time towing would be used and they underestimated just how HUGE an advantage towing provides.

Alison was definitely stronger/faster than Anna. I took a random sample of races (via google) that both of them attended between 2000 & 2003 and Alison consistently placed higher than Anna by 8-16 minutes. For any team the limiter is always the slowest rider. So if towing wasn't in the picture, suppose it wasn't allowed by the TA rules, they probably would have been fine and been ahead by about 12 minutes everyday on average.

The Transalp is ideal for towing because it has very long climbs, an hour is a short climb. So teams settle into a pace and go. Having towed for approximately 80% of the Cape Epic race (a good estimate by several accounts) and having done the Transalp myself in '05, I would guess that Jorg and Anna towed between 60-80% at the TA. So by day 4 when Alison felt "beat to a pulp" I bet Anna still had plenty of zip and zing in the legs.

Looking at the TA mixed team race results from last year Jorg and Anna were 25 minutes ahead by day 5. Note that Alison and Andreas did win stage 3. Anyway, by the end of race the Scheiderbauers were ahead by 42 minutes or roughly 5 minutes/day. That's a huge!! To go from potentially being down 12 min/day to being ahead 5 min/day. Those are just some back of the envelope calculations, but if you really want to get geeky about it check out this abstract on towing while running. I'm sure coming up with a fudge factor to relate the results to cycling for more "what if" scenarios isn't too hard.

Alison and Andreas did end up trying the push-your-partner and pull-your-partner-via-jersey- pocket thing. That's effective every now and then to give a teammate a chance to catch his breath but it can't compare to a towline. They also tried inner tubes. I have a hunch that idea came from Andreas. Rewind to day 3 of the TransRockies Challenge in '04. Karl Platt and Andreas are having mechanicals the whole day. There was some really insane mud, La Ruta type mud. Teams had to carry their bikes for 4 freaking kilometers then push them a few more km while hiking two siesmic lines. I'll never forget that day!!!! Anyway, I think it was Andreas who had a single speed by the time Dan-O and I passed them at the last checkpoint. Ten minutes after we leave the aid station Karl rides by with Andreas in tow via two inner tubes. =)

So if you're going to tow you have to figure out how you're going to do it (I'd stay away from the pole setups as they're dangerous to other riders) and then train. Training while towing is another reason to have a powertap or an ergomo. A team can figure out what's most efficient for them to do. I think the ideal way to tow in a race is to tow on all the climbs and flats that allow it until the average power of the stronger rider is the same as the average power of the other. After that ride together.

Happy towing and don't forget a backup towline. I've seen things get ugly between teammates at the Transalp when those things snap.

Thanks to Marg Fedyna who sent me the info on Alison's race report and is currently racing the Transalp on a mixed team. I hope they're towing. Go Marg!

Current Events

X-fusion's Louise Kobin (aka La Ruta Lou) raced her second ever marathon at the NORBA National Championship in Sonoma yesterday and finished second. Way to go Lou!! (Note: The related article on VN got 2nd & 3rd mixed up.) The race wasn't really a priority race as much as it was a way to open up the legs, test out the new bike, dial in the new X-fusion shock and get primed for one of her BIG events of the year, the Ironbike race that starts next weekend in Italy. The temperature got up to 97 degrees while the racers made their way around an eight mile loop for a total of 64 miles. Sounded like bike she built up on Tuesday is all set for tackling 80,000 vertical feet in the Italian Alps and then another 30K-40K of climbing at the TransRockies in Canada a week later. Lou has a fun month ahead...I'm envious.

Ripped ( CN pic)

Monique also did well in the marathon and made the podium yesterday, 3rd. Woo hoo!

Pua ( CN pic)

Marg Fedyna will be starting the Transalp Challenge this weekend. She'll be discussing the towing thing with her partner in the next couple of days. I say tow if you're in the money and good luck! My old friends Adrian and Ernst, from Switzerland, will also be doing the Transalp again, but this time they'll be racing each other on different teams. New friends Frank and Christian, who I met at the Cape Epic, will also be at the start line in Fussen.

Eric Warkentin and Pay 'n Take Scott will be headed of to Italy to do the IB with Lou. Here's my overview of the Ironbike race.

UltraRob has info for voting for the ultra-cyclist of the year here. Today is the last day to vote! Speaking of last day to vote, don't forget to vote for Rich's Bad Idea Racing team in the Race Face Ultimate XC Challenge.

Update: I just cast my vote for both.

Riding Bud's Ride with a bud

Bud's Ride is one of the many SoCal training road rides. I tried it yesterday for the first time with my parttime training buddy, Dean. It was fun, fast paced and really got the heart pumping. I didn't have to cut the course on any of the three laps so that was cool. The pace reminded me of the first hour or so of a Cape Epic stage, day 2 in particular. If you want to get the feel for what a CE start is like head out to Bonelli Park between April-October and give it a go.

Riders on the roller section at Bud's Ride

Here's the official blurb:

The Bud's ride, which is less than 25 miles in length, rarely finishes with more than 30% of the starters. That's not to say the group shrinks that much as many will use a shortcut in the course to get back on after losing contact. The Bud's ride was my first group ride (quite a few years ago now...) and definitely my first taste of true cycling humility. Many riders will do this ride for several years before finishing all three laps with the front group.What makes this ride so tough you ask? The riders! With dozens of fit Category 1,2 and 3's showing up every week and a total rider count that can exceed 100, the pace can be blistering. One section of the course which parallels the Pomona drag strip on Fairplex is particularly difficult when the cross winds kick up.

The Gathering

The NORBA 24 Hour Solo National Championship will be held at the 24 Hours of 9 Mile in a couple weeks. What would happen if it was held today? What would be in store for the riders? For that we could check the horoscope section of today's newspaper but which one? Everyone knows that horoscopes, like politics, are local. =) So we could either look at the Chicago Tribune or the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. A quick check on Mapquest shows that the latter is closer to the venue so I'll choose that. The following is today's horoscope along with my interpretation. =)

BY HOLIDAY MATHIS FOR RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2006

ARIES (March 21-April 19). The truth could set you free -- freer, in fact, than you want to be. When in doubt, just say nothing. Tonight, it's very important to finish with one project before beginning another.
INTERPRETATION: Maybe racing isn't for you. If you're feeling out of it my midnight, try to survive the night. Think of a new sport while you're riding your last lap.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You won't be the master of your workflow, much in the same way as you won't be able to regulate the ocean tides or control the wind. You're learning to be content to surf the surprises and gracefully sail on gusts of activity.
INTERPRETATION: You'll get caught up in the singletrack behind slower riders but just go with the flow and pass when you can.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). The stars promise you are as successful as you are innovative. Go public with a fresh idea. On a side note: The unpopular boss prevails only a little while longer, so hang in there.
INTERPRETATION: Things are looking good if you're trying a different nutrition or pacing plan. If not you'll get the same ole results. Maybe it's time to look for a new coach.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). While you're doing small things, you're thinking about big things. This not only heads you toward greatness, it makes you great right now. It takes wisdom, humility and vision to operate in this manner.
INTERPRETATION: You'll be spinning in the granny gear so you can hammer and put the hurt on later.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). The stars suggest you'll be listening through a rambling rant, probably wondering what is relevant to you. Perhaps none of it. You're just a good listener, and everyone knows that.
INTERPRETATION: The new tunes on your mp3 player will help you get through the night unless you put on a bunch of gansta rap.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You're usually detail-oriented to the extreme. So you'll find it absolutely wacky that some of the finer points have gone undetected by your radar. You have more time because of the oversight. Enjoy it.
INTERPRETATION: You probably forgot a bunch of important stuff on your gear list like your hammer products and you might end up bonking. Try riding one lap naked at night for the hell of it. You might get some press for your sponsors.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Something you do while being very still, such as meditating, visioning or reading, is what sharpens your approach, giving you the edge you need to compete in a bigger arena.
INTERPRETATION: Your visualization exercises will pay off.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). An extra source of energy is ignited in you. You can actually feel it like a knot unraveling in the solar plexus. It's a steady urging to complete what must be completed before you can truly start anew.
INTERPRETATION: Use Red Bull and you won't be sorry.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). From the Latin word "disciplina," which means "teaching," we get the word "discipline." Self-discipline is really about educating yourself, not about creating more ways and reasons to punish yourself. Be nice to you.
INTERPRETATION: Keep your self-talk positive.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Keep "fun" on the to-do list. If you're very daring, you'll move it into the top slot. You just might wind up enjoying your work so much that as a result, your productivity is through the roof.
INTERPRETATION: Relax, don't get tied up with results, feel the flow!

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Give your attention to matters of health. After all, if you don't have that, the rest is very hard to appreciate. No matter how well you are, there's always room for improvement in this department.
INTERPRETATION: Watch your heart rate the first few laps or you'll be hating life come sundown.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). A partner's needs and your own are likely polarized today. Stay calm. The stars converge to support you in becoming the king or queen of compromise.
INTERPRETATION: So you're sharing a pit with your buddy and all your gear is mixed up by lap 8. Don't stress. It's all good.

Dancing on the pedals

Fortunately, endurance races don't have presentation or artistic scoring included as part of determining the winner otherwise single speeders might always win. They seem to have the best form when pedaling out of the saddle. Even when on a geared bike it's not so hard to figure out who does a little bit of the one gear thing. There are the quick steps similar to the tango during accelerations, the slow movements of a waltz when the grade increases and of course the fast tap dance like footwork on the flats.


I saw some attempts at dancing on the pedals at the Creampuff that were just damn ugly. It was interesting to watch and hilarious at times. Tall riders getting out of the saddle are the weirdest looking...like albatrosses trying to take to the air flapping their big wings (elbows in this case) all over the place. Riders out of the saddle in the granny gear reminded me of a mouse running on its wheel going nowhere fast. Maybe I'd better hit up a spin class, one with a lot of mirrors, so I can smooth out my own semi-spastic form and turn it into something Kellyesque. =)

Transrockies and Cape Epic Comparison

La Ruta Lou (Louise Kobin) and I came up with the following comparison of the TransRockies Challenge and Cape Epic races on our recent drive up to the Cascade Cream Puff. We also have one for the Transalp Challenge and Cape Epic that I'll post as well.
I did a TransRockies and Transalp comparison earlier.

- The CE has more racers than the TR. About 1500 compared to a few hundred. The former has 6 start chutes and the TR has 3.

-The CE lasts for 8 days and the TR for 7.

- The CE is more road oriented. There's almost no single track!!! The TR on the other hand, has plenty.

- The food at the CE isn't as good as that at the TR. The only time the CE food was good was at the after race dinner/party--it was better than anything served at the TR: steak, fish, wild game...the works!

- The CE has a beer tent with large TV. It can get a little boring after each stage in a sleepy little town. No beer tent at the TR. =(

- The CE had internet service every stage. The uplink was via satellite so it wasn't blazing fast. It wasn't free either. Some of the small towns at the TR had service.

- At the TR teams share a tent but at the CE everyone gets his own tent with a 3" foam mattress.

- You have to do everything yourself (bike wash, bag transport, etc) at the TR but at the CE you have the option of having one of the local boys do that stuff for you for a few Rand. It's definitely worth it so you can hit the showers before the crowds.

- The TR had a better party. According to Lou, this year's CE party was lame compared to previous years. There was a little bit of native South African entertainment but not much.

- The CE is definitely faster paced. It's GO right from the start. The start on day two at this year's CE was definitely a leg and lung burner. I couldn't have done it without Blair's help. The pace at the TR is like a controlled start until the lead teams decide to punch it.

- The TR has the better scenery. You really get into the back country. Most of what I saw at the CE I'd seen before.

- The CE has far more serious crashes (see Carnage at the Cape) than the TR. I think it has to do with the technical skill level of the average rider. You don't see so much tape, bandages and road rash at the TR like you do at the CE.

- You'll be riding on the left hand side of the road in South Africa. It takes a bit getting used to. Lou almost got taken out by a car three times on one of our pre-race rides in Knysna. It's a weird feeling to be bombing downhill going around a lefthanded bend and riding on the left side. You expect to be head on with a car at any moment.

- The TR doesn't have any wild game parks that are part of the course. At the CE there's all sorts of beasts that I'd never seen before and monkeys aren't uncommon. There's no one at the CE riding around on a motorcycle with a big gun whose only purpose is to scare off bears. Last year's TR also had a slide show about bears and what to do in case ya run into one on the trail. I saw one near the finish at Rafter Ridge in '04.

- It takes a freaking long time to get to South Africa and the ticket is almost $2k!

- The TR has superior mechanic support. The mechanics at the CE couldn't get Blair's bike repairs done properly or on time. It takes about 2.5 trips to the mechanics to get something fixed. If you're one of the faster riders they might not even fix your bike!! Eric was asked his finish time when he needed something repaired but they refused him service because his time was below the threshold. The mechanics were only working on bikes for the teams that took 8-10 hours to finish a stage. Bullshit!

- The TR racers are much better at the technical skills.

- The weather conditions at the TR are more variable than at the CE. At the TR you can get heat, hail, rain, fog, sunny skies, and freezing temps all in seven days. Epic!

- The TR is organized but the CE is super organized. The South Africans have improved upon the German organization of the Transalp race.

- Race announcers: Mic Mike (CE) vs Drew (TR) -- enough said.

- Locals provided entertainment every night during dinner at the CE. At the TR the entertainment is seeing who looks like they had a hell of a day. =)

- Everyone can eat dinner at the same time at the CE. I don't think I've ever seen bigger tents than the ones in SA, were talking huge arse. I don't think everyone can fit in the dinner tent at the TR. Get to dinner early or you might be eating standing up. It totally sucks if you're late and it's raining.

- The CE has a whole tent full of medical staff. The TR has one guy in an RV.

- There's a big "tour" crowd at the CE. Not so at the TR.

- The CE has superior massage services. There's a whole school of massage students that usually have their own tent. The TR has about 4-6 massage tables and its extremely important to signup ASAP after finishing a stage.

- There aren't many trees at the CE so except for the first day it's mostly brush.

- You need to take a clumsy badge with you everywhere at the TR. The organizers of the CE came up with a better wristband idea. No need to take it off and it doesn't get in the way.

- The TR has better music during the awards ceremony.

- The CE has a daytripper thing where people like SOs can ride part of every stage if they're so inclined. Not much at the TR for SOs except for volunteering or thumb twiddling.

- The TR has awesome movies of the day's stage after dinner. The CE has a dorky slide show.

- A hardtail at the CE is no fun--stutter bump hell. Full suspension at the TR is a blast!

- The CE is ideal for towing. It depends on the day at the TR.

- Maxxis Larsen TTs are an exellent choice for the CE with all the flats & rollers while Hutchinson Pythons are better for the vaired terrain and conditions of the TR.

-The TR has a numerous stream crossing compared to the CE. Your shoes will definitely get soaked.

- There's not much hike-a-bike at the CE. You really get the opportunity do some hiking at the TR some days. Expect a lot if the organizers throw in a few seismic lines. Seismic lines go straight up!!

- The locals brews at both races weren't that impressive. Race the Transalp if you're into beer. =)

Race Face Ultimate XC Challenge

Looks like Rich and Josh the Wonderboy have made the cut for round 2 of voting in the Race Face UXC. They'd be the first singlespeed team to do the TransRockies Challenge race if they're selected. They've got my vote!

Towing Revisited

The last time I covered towing (to tow or not to tow) I mentioned that I'd tow depending on the race and that I'd only tow some of the time if I were part of a mixed team. It's obvious that there's a benefit if it's done right but I didn't realize how big it could be until I raced at the Cape Epic. Now I'm starting to wonder if I would be temped to tow my partner for extended periods every day. There's a HUGE upside to towing...at least 20 minutes/day time difference between the strongest mixed teams that towed and the strongest that didn't at the CE. The stronger the male and the lighter the female the better. Take for example the GHOST International team of Jorg and Anna Scheiderbauer. To say the Jorg is strong is an understatement. By most accounts he towed his wife 80% of the entire CE race and they were smoking. Blair told me that on one day he was riding in a group with them and towards the finish Jorg attacked on a hill with Anna in tow and the group could not catch them before the finish!! Now that's mutant strength. Tempting as it sounds to tow all the time there's also a big risk...crashing. It only takes one little glitch for it to be game over. Even if partners practice a lot there's always the risk that the tow line will get caught up in the cassette (a common problem) or something else will happen that could cause a crash. I'm guessing that Jorg and Anna practiced a fair amount but even so they had a bad crash and a few broken bones on the very last day at the Cape Epic. They went from FIRST to DNF in an instant. So much for their plan to win the Cape Epic, the Transalp and Transrockies all in the same year. Bummer.

So would I tow? Yeah I think I would but it would depend on my partner. Some people don't mind being towed and others abhor the idea. I stated before that I'd tow at the Transalp but not at the Transrockies. Having been to the Cape Epic since my previous entry I'd have to say that I'd tow there too. The Transrockies course I was familiar with didn't seem to be all that great for towing because there was too much fun singletrack. There were only a couple of days where it might have been handy. Maybe this year's TR course will be better suited to it. Both the TA and the CE are great courses for towing. The TA has very long climbs and the CE has very long flat sections every day where a dog leash would be great.

I have no problem pushing and pulling my partner so I'd do that too. I had only done that when my partner was in trouble, but after the CE I think there's a decent benefit to doing it even when your partner isn't in trouble. Hanging on to a partner's camelbak or getting a push on a climb every now an then over a 5-10 minute period can help a rider catch his breath, rest the legs a little and get ready for the next surge. I was amazed how effective it was. Marg seems to think it makes a reasonable difference. Read her synopsis of the road version of the Transalp race that she just finished. Sounds like towing is common at that race too.

Friends

The CCP 100 is more a fun ride than anything else and a chance to see some friends that I don't get to see very often. This year it was great to see a few more than last year: Jay, Bart, Randy, Sandy, Con, Eric, Lou, Dustin and Dean. I found a few pics here and here (none of Jay, he was probably too fast for the camera, or Con.) I tried to put them in the order they were taken.

Bart (in yellow) getting ready for his 3rd Puff

Dustin (green) Eric (white), and Dean (green)


Bart was the second one of us to hit the first singletrack section


Racing with my cracked helmet from the Cape Epic. Dustin is right behind me.

Sandy, myself (barely visible), Dustin and Dean

Eric

La Ruta Lou

Randy

Friends (continued)

Sandy and Lou when the temps started rising

Damn it's hot. Someone give me something cold. Sten (guy with cap) in the background with a cold beer. I was thinking of all the cold beer Lou took while I was climbing. It was definitely tasty when I finally got to it!

Lou heading towards another victory. Sten and Lisa, our hosts in Bend, on the left.