The Power of Numbers

I'm not talking about numerology, but rather training related numbers. I dug up my old training logs from a couple of years ago to see what I did to prepare for certain races. There's practically nothing in the pages besides ride time, ride distance and where I rode. There isn't any heart rate data, no mention of weight, no lap split times for loops, no time of day... All those logs show is that I didn't have any sort of structured plan back then. I just rode whatever I felt like I needed to work on during any given week; climbing some weeks, endurance for others.

I have a plenty of data from last year, but even that is lacking because there isn't any power data. It seems very crude to compare heart rates and times over the same routes. It would be much more informative to compare numbers like TSS, ATL, CTL and TSB.

Cycling's Deep Thoughts?

I think what Berra said about baseball is also true of cycling; 90% is mental and the other half is physical. I read the following thought of the month in July's Ultrafit e-tips. It's a bit Jack Handeyish but who knows? It might work. Maybe I'll try it.

It's hard for me to believe that someone would be reciting it word for word every single day, much less before a race. I think it gets paraphrased (see example below) and boiled down to a handful of one-liners. Of course, if you are forking over the $$$ to a coach you'd probably want to see the first version in your inbox rather than the second!

A Declaration of Empowerment (by Dr. Jerry Lynch)

I am optimistic, I choose to believe and expect the emergence of the best.

I enjoy this moment in my life and I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to demonstrate my greatness.

I am alert to negative thinking and self-doubt and I do not allow it to cloud my vision and mission.

Knowing my unstoppable power, a gift given to me through my diligent, hard work,

I am realistic about my opponent but I am optimistic about the possibilities and positive outcomes.

I have enough strength, talent, courage, desire and love to realizemy best performance.

I do not need to worry or strain. It's all waiting to manifest.

I trust that this is all true. My heart is wise and I respond to its song.

A Declaration of Empowerment (a paraphrased example) =)

Who's the man?

I'm gonna rock your world. You won't even know what happened.

Maybe you shouldn't have even bothered to show up.

I'm the man!

You ain't so fast. This is MY course.

I ROCK!

Watch me ride like there's no tomorrow.

No doubt, I'm here to race.

A strong rider is a strong rider

Former WS teammate Monique Sawicki had an absolutely awesome race this past weekend at the E100 race and finished 3rd overall. Very impressive!! I was a little disturbed to hear that some guys thought she might have cut the course. How could a women be so fast? That probably wouldn't have even come up if she was a guy. Get over it guys. A strong rider is a strong rider.

Is she fast or what?

Making The Unfamiliar Familiar

I've been out on some of the trails and fire roads that I haven't ridden for awhile. I spent last Friday riding most of Chino Hills State Park. It has about 60 miles of trail and fire roads. Although it's practically in my backyard, I don't get out there much anymore compared to a couple of years ago when I'd ride there every other Thursday with a group of friends from work.

Part of the AWW Thursday group

Weekend Koan

Three men testified about the tortoise,
so that makes it a turtle.*

Does it apply to cycling? Yeah I think so. Supply a cycling related word pair for tortoise & turtle; climb & killer, race & epic, bike & beauty...

* From Kuzoshi

Simplicity

I recently rode a Sputnik around at The Path. I may have to get one.

Samples

I haven't lost interest in all the drug and cycling stories yet. Reading this book reminded me that I allowed the samples that I gave last year, at the NORBA race, to be kept for eight years for testing purposes. I wonder if they're being kept at the UCLA Olympic Analytical Laboratory? If so maybe I can swing by Westwood and visit them once in awhile.

A & B Samples

New tests won't come up with anything of interest in my samples except perhaps caffeine...Red Bull is good! If something like testosterone was found in my samples I'd have to come up with some slightly more creative reasons as to why I might have a use for it.

Top 3 reasons why testosterone might be in my A & B samples:

3. The guys on the team told me I was getting saddlebags.
2. My doctor told me that it helped get rid of man boobs.
1. The family jewels were shrinking at an alarming rate.

Exorcisms

Have you ever seen an exorcism? It's not a pretty sight. Speaking in tongues, stuff flying through the air... I saw an exorcism once--at a race. I think it was at Big Bear. Apparently, one of the racers had a bike that needed a demon cast out and was tossing the bike about in the hopes of expelling it. I don't know if it was a success. I passed by rather quickly.

I wonder if this was due to a crash or an "exorcism"?

The Bike

It's been a little more than a week since the TransRockies ended and I bet there were a few bikes that didn't see the light of day until this past weekend. I think there are probably a few that are still in a bike box along with some funky unwashed cycling clothes.

Getting a bike back in good working order can be costly after a multiday race. I know several racers that will replace the whole drivetrain before racing the bike again. There are even a few that sell the bike and get a new one. It's understandable after several days of heavy mud and power washes. Specialized bicycles are "the" bikes in South Africa right now so it's possible to sell one after a race like the Cape Epic and make a nice little profit.

The Unclassifieds

The unclassified TransRockies list is growing. Even Keith Bontrager's team was on the list after day 3 (check out Keith's cyclingnews diary). Besides posting a nice photo of Lou and Eric on day 1, he also posted a photo of himself. It looks like he had a rough day in the saddle; his photo isn't as bad as Nick Nolte's or James Brown's mug shot.

So what does it mean to be unclassified? For some reason you or your partner is no longer racing. I've been on the unclassified list twice!! Once at the TransRockies in '05 when my partner decided to quit after day 4 (I'm still pretty bitter about that one) and this year at the Cape Epic after I broke my hand on day 2. Blair probably wasn't very happy about that.

When a team makes the unclassified list the "functional" teammate can continue on to get his official finishers T-shirt (probably the most expensive T-shirt he'll ever have) and the team will be recognized as having "finished". Unfortunately, the rider who is out won't get a finishers shirt. Also, the results of the teammate that is still riding don't really count since it's supposed to be a team effort.

You're supposed to find another unclassified rider or team to ride with otherwise you won't be let into a start chute. It's better to ride with a team that's still in the running otherwise you and your unclassified partner get to start in the very last start chute. You're also supposed to ride together (safety issue) or else get plenty of penalties. I finished 3rd overall on day 5 at the TR after my partner dropped out but it didn't count and I didn't make the open men's podium. I rode completely alone on that day except at the start when I tried to help Kelly and John, from The BikeShop, break away. The result of that solo effort was 3 hours of penalty time added to my time for the stage; one hour was added for each checkpoint I passed while alone and there were 3 checkpoints that day. It didn't really matter as I had a blast. On day 6 I checked in with a different unclassified partner than the one from day 5. I started DFL just for the hell of it and tried to see how far up I could make it before the finish. I was going pretty good until I had a bad crash coming down Jumpingpound that left me with no back breaks and a jacked up left hand. I was given plenty of hours worth of penalties again because I only rode with my "partner" for about a mile before taking off on my own.

Ride alone more than once and you can be booted from the race. I didn't want to get booted on the very last day and I didn't want to start at the very back since there was plenty of tight singletrack right off the bat. I ended up riding with my '04 TR partner and his teammate to try and help them get into 4th place overall in the masters category, but you can only do so much when someone's legs are trashed. I wanted to dart off to the finish once I realized that they weren't going to make it, but I couldn't or else they'd get the same time penalties as me and that would drop them in GC....being unclassified SUCKS!

The Leaders

I found a shot of Lynda and Dave (purple jerseys) at the start of day 3 on Paul Newitt's stage 3 write-up at Pedalmag.

Paul is a regular at the TransRockies and has written up his 2003 & 2002 experiences at Pedalmag.

The race face uxc page has some photos and video of the Bad Idea Racing singlespeed duo.

TransRockies 2006 Day 1 & 2

My favorites for the TransRockies mixed category (Team HealthFX, X-fusion, and Cannondale/Landrover) are all on the podium and are starting to pull away from the other teams, but there are still five days left and anything can happen. I'm guessing that Health-FX is racing a little conservatively or else X-fusion had an awesome one week recovery after their latest race, the Italian Ironbike. The truly epic Ironbike race consisted of 80,000 vertical feet and racers were in the saddle 8-10 hours a day on average. Of course, Lou and Eric have each done 10 or so multi-day races so they're used to the routine.

There's only 20 minutes between the top three teams and I think there will be some bigger gaps after tomorrow's stage since it is supposed to be the hardest stage of the race. By the end of day four these three teams should have a nice cushion on the other mixed teams. Day four is usually when many teams start to fade.

Lynda's & Dave's Health-FX TransRockies blog
Team Challenging Idea's TransRockies blog
Team Tamarack 's TransRockies blog
Team Tuckerman's TransRockies blog
A volunteer's TransRockies blog

Team Health-FX's Dave Harris

Dave is a very busy guy. He's been doing power comparisons, writing up solo race advice and racing in the four corners states with great results. I asked Dave, the other half of the HFX Power Duo, a few questions before he heads off to the Great White North to race the TransRockies Challenge.

M: It's your first multi-day MTB race. What are you expecting it to be like?
D: Epic. Lots of riding, eating, big views. Plenty of unforeseen challenges - in that respect I'm expecting the unexpected. In another sense, I'm expecting it to be a lot like training with Lynda, only this time with 400 other like minded crackheads. One great big TB jamboree with positive vibes for all.

M: What's it been like training with Lynda for this event?
D: Training with Lynda has been a blast. We do some epic stuff together. Actually, some of my most epic rides have been with her. One ride we did (her convoluted idea) had us scaling peaks all over the St George area in January...and then descending forever to Nevada...then climbing for the next 3 hours culminating in a grunt up vertical jeep trails in several inches of snow then ditching the bikes to reach the summit. At the end of that 10 hour epic, Lynda throws down some attacks that just blew my mind. I have no other riding partners that could do a ride like that and finish that strong - male or female. We have a certain synergy when we ride together. We become childlike, silly grins covering our faces, and we really feed off of each others energy. It's a positive vibe that really makes the prospect of TR something eagerly anticipated.

HFX Power Duo

M: Word has it that the Scheiderbauers are probably headed to the World Championships but are you ready for them if they show up at the TR?
D: Scheider who? Is that the Jorg? I only recognize a handful of names on the start list and only a few teams are from the US. I have to think there are some very strong riders in the coed field as it's a long trip from Europe. In any case, we are ready for and eagerly anticipate the challenge presented by strong competitors. Quite frankly, Lynda hasn't been pushed much since getting into the endurance game. She will be at TR.

M: The first two days of the race are the same as last year with day one essentially being a XC race. Are you ready to open it up from the start?
D: Absolutely. My partner might have something to say about that though. She's smarter'n me.

M: If all goes well have you thought of racing across the pond at the Transalp next year? What about the Cape?
D: I haven't given it too much thought, really. The excitement of TR just hit about 2 weeks ago. I live in the moment to a fault - I'd never do this type of event if Lynda didn't brainwash me. It requires a lot of prior planning, not one of my strong suits. But we'll see...

M: With all the 29 vs 26 comparisons what would you take if you had a choice? I figure you'll have to take a 26, sponsors and all.
D: I do have a choice as I have 29er and 26ers. I'm also in a unique position as the only person to have done power based testing and analysis of 26 vs. 29 performance. The testing showed me that for most conditions 26ers are faster, plain and simple. It's cool, cause I don't even have to second guess that one. One place a 29er would have an advantage is the descents, provided they aren't slow descents. That wouldn't benefit our team effort though.

M: Are you taking a mp3 player or some CDs? Will you be jamming out in the RV to Techno, Rock, Reggae?
D: Oh yea, music is good. I won't be riding with it tho. What'll be on the mp3? A random sampling from "The The" to "One Giant Leap" to Johnny Cash to Pearl Jam and ...

M: What'll you be doing while Lynda is reading?
D: It depends what the camps are like...I always get the urge to explore new areas. We'll see how much energy and time remains at the end of the day. Maybe wrenching, scheming for the next day's plan, entering data to my GPS unit, swilling beers with Team Dicky. I'm open.

M: Ale or Lager?
D: Ale

M: Is there going to be a showdown between Health-FX and Teamdicky's Bad Idea Racing singlespeed duo? =)
D: Ha! Those skinny little fellers got no gears! I am looking forward to meeting the infamous Team Dicky though. Hopefully Race Face has solved all of their mechanical troubles that made headlines on his blog for weeks.

M: With all the calories burned every day I like to snack on Pringles at stage races, not the healthiest choice but they're so good. What's your favorite thing to snack on after a hard ride?
D: Pringles, eh? Salty things are good...after a day in the saddle drinking & eating sweet things, I prefer stuff that isn't too sweet. The first thing is always some sort of recovery drink. We are sponsored by HealthFX and they make a good 4:1 drink called "The Drip" that I'll be using. If the gut isn't happy, milk is great, chocolate milk even better. Somewhere I read recently that bacon wrapped brownies are good at TR, maybe I'll try that.

M: What's your best day on a MTB? How about the worst day on a MTB?
D: Best day: wow, that's a toughy. There have been so many memorable rides, it's hard to choose. The team aspect of a couple of team 24 events in Moab are at the top of the list. I absolutely love going out for long solitary rides in the winter in central Arizona. Any one of those would work. Then there was the Soul Ride in '04 when Tinker & I were riding together as the sun rose over some massive desert mountain range. We were hurting each other for the most part, but at that point we both back off, side by side, and he utters "that's pretty clean." Then there was the Kokopelli course scouting weekend with Lynda in late April. We had a blast and rode a lot faster than we did in the race. I can go on and on, should I stop
Worst day: might sound strange, but this is also the best day in a certain way... 24 Hours of Moab '03. I had a great finish to the XC season and was looking for the next challenge. During a long ride in the mountains outside of Durango it hit me that going solo in Moab was it. Well, it was going great but I cracked at sunrise. Not the kind of crack you can come back from...I couldn't ride, or even walk. All I could do was lay in the sand and get hypothermic. Eventually I reached the end of that lap, 3 hours later, only to log out. Since there wasn't another lap in me, that meant I plummeted from 3rd to DNF. It stung for a long time afterwards. But that performance drove me to learn to do it right. There are no bad days on the bike...just hard days.

A Day at the Races

What's a typical day like at the TransAlp, TransRockies, Cape Epic or La Ruta? I think it depends on a teams finishing time. The earlier a team finishes the more time to get everything done. The following is an overivew of what my typical day at the races is like.

1) Get up and head
a) downstairs for breakfast (TA-5am, La Ruta-3am on day 1 otherwise 4:30am) or
b) to the dinner tent. (CE-5am)
c) the rest room then dinner tent. (TA-5am) The rest rooms at the TR are limited and I don't like waiting in lines after breakfast because I've got other stuff to do.

2) Head back to my room or tent to
a) get into my cycling clothes
b) put the powders in my drinks
c) mix my perpetuem/sustained energy paste
d) pack my bag (the time for this is proportional to how much stuff you managed to cram in the race bag)

3) Take my bag to
a) the bag truck (TR, CE, LR-day 1&3)
b) the lobby (TA, LR day 2)

4) Pick my bike up from storage.

5) There's a little bit of time to
a) Ride around for a little bit until the start chutes open. (TA, CE, TR)
b) Don't waste time. Get to the line as early as possible. (LR)

6) Check in at the start chute (TA, CE, TR) Note that teammates are usually required to check in together. For lead teams there's a little bit of extra time as the you'll be at the front anyway. The overall leaders can show up 2 minutes before the start as they are allowed to lineup in front of the first chute.

7) Down a gel packet 15 minutes before the start. Start is usually at 7am.

8) Race! A typical stage can be from 4-6 hours long for the leaders and faster riders.

Depending on the finish time, good/bad day, bike issues, or weather conditions 9-13 may be done in a different order.

9) Stuff myself with free food at the finish area (TR, TA, CE) and use the recovery drink mix that I've been carrying in my jersey or camelbak.

10) Get the bikes washed before the lines start. (TR, LR)

11) Drop bike(s) off with mechanics for repair/tweaking.

12) Sign up to get a massage. Not as big issues at the CE, LR or TA as at the TR.

13) Hit the showers before the lines start. (TR, CE) Lay out the clothes to dry.

14) Grab something to eat. Dinner #1.

15) Head back to the tent to rest before getting a massage and dinner. Sleep, relax.

16) Get a massage.

17) Set aside everything for the next day; clothes, pills, gels, bars...

18) Rest a little more or hang out with friends. Get stuff done like taking clothes to the laundry.

19) Head off to dinner #2 and the awards ceremony. (TA, TR, CE) Dinner usually starts at 6 with the award ceremony 1-2 hours later.

20) Free time to
a) Hang out (TA, LR) or
b) Head back to the tent (CE, TR)

21) Fill up bladders/bottles.

22) Hit the sack by 9-9:30pm.

Just for Fun

Reading Willy Voet's Breaking the Chain Drugs and Cycling: The True Story prompted me to check out all the doping related articles on cyclingnews.com from the past couple of years. Willy Voet was the Festina soigneur that was caught at the French border before the 1998 TdF with drugs--it kicked off the Festina affair.

I went over all of the current 'Operation Puerto' coverage as well as the whole Jesus Manzano affair back in 2004. It seems like nothing has really changed over the years; I ran into many of the same names and same drugs. Cycling and doping go hand in hand for some in the peloton. It's disturbing to know that "As Virenque himself said at the Festina trial: 'We don't say doping. We say we are preparing for the race. To take drugs is to cheat. As long as the person doesn't test positive, they're not taking drugs.' "

I'm not a pro in the European peloton so I don't know the pressures from managers, doctors and sponsors. I ride for fun and I race for the challenge and adventure (hence the multi-day races in other countries) and I'm keeping it that way.

Fun in Costa Rica in '03