I’ve mentioned these things in previous posts, but here’s some practical advice on a couple of “cooperation items.” I’ve organized this stuff to match the different types of riders.
Climbers: You can really beat up the other folks on a ride. Your ability to ascend on the wings of doves is annoying and disheartening to your fellows. At the same time, it really buts you to slow on the hills, and in some cases, it’s down right painful. So how do you manage to not burn your tender knees going slower, and still not earn the total contempt and enmity of everyone else? Simple. Use just a little discipline and a bit of strategy. As you see a good climb coming up ahead, drop to the back of the group. Let a gap open up before the climb. Then gradually close up on the group as the hill (or mountain) comes on. If you close completely, please do not pass the group. This practice is demoralizing. What you might do is slow down for a few seconds, let the gap open again, and re-close it.
Descenders: You love the screaming descent. You can find another one or two miles per hour on even the slightest decline. If it’s steep, you will drop it like a fighter plane. You’d dive down a cliff, if you could find one. You actually scare the bejabbers out of most of the people you ride with. They like coasting down a hill too, but you come barreling past as if the other riders were standing still. The problem is that you will use power to get down a hill. What you don’t see is that this is a waste of energy, and you tend to panic the other riders into following your style. On this ride you should sit back and relax. Try sitting up. Become acquainted with your inner brake lever. You might even try something similar to the advice to climbers. Drop to the back as the descent appraches. Allow a bit of a gap to open. Then close it gently on the descent.
Sprinters: You are all about power and speed… in the short term. You love to jump on another rider and crush them. Given the right circumstances, you can even beat a climber, once or twice, on an uphill sprint. The problem is that heavy accelerations waste huge amounts of energy. You are the drag racer of the cycling world. You’re super-fast for the short run, but you can come up dry in a longer ride. Worse, you create gaps in the group, which others must then expend energy to close. Rest assured, you are beautiful, and your particular party trick is fun to watch, but save it for the weekly club ride. Just sit in and enjoy the scenery for a change. You won’t regret it.
Diesels: You live for the long flat, the series of low rollers, or possibly the long shallow “grinder” climb. If you can get up near the top of the gear range life is good. You can “motor” along at a really impressive rate. You think people like you because you can pull, and to a certain extent it’s true. But the problem is that you can really grind your fellow riders down. Sure, there’s an advantage to tucking in behind another rider. It’s something like 20% less effort at the same speed. But if you’ve pulled the train up to 25% more than their best sustained speed, your fellows are getting tired real fast. By all means use your talents to pull the others along, but do so with a bit of moderation. Watch behind you carefully. If a gap starts to open, slow down.
In short, folks, this is not a race. The idea is to work together, combining our strengths to bring everyone to the end of the day together.
Current Weather Outlook: A strong cold front should move through the area on Tuesday afternoon. This will give us a clear skies, and a bit cooler than usual temps. The outlook for Saturday is still stable, with lows at ride time in the mid 50s, and highs in the mid 70s under partly cloudy skies. Near ideal.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
COMMENTS ANSWERED
Ooops!
Folk, it has always been my intention to respond to comments on this blog. I just slipped up late last week.
Arcelay posted two very cogent questions.
First: "What would be a good eating plan to follow at T-48 hours? T-24 hours? T-2 hours?"
Here’s the best take I can give you on this. Eat well, but don’t try to over-eat to offset future needs. The body doesn’t work like that. I wouldn’t get deep into experimenting at this late date. Two days before ride time, stick with a balanced diet, eating foods that you know work for you. The same pretty much goes for the last 24 hours before a ride. Don’t get hungry, but don’t try to “pre-fuel” or “carbo load.” These things mostly don’t work.
That last one is pretty tricky. At two hours before the ride, you should be eating a good solid breakfast. This is the time to go for a bit more carbohydrate, relative to the fats and proteins. Don’t skimp on the proteins either. Your muscles will be working, and the process of supporting and rebuilding takes proteins. But your primary interest is about 500 to 600 calories total, with around 60% of it in carbs.
The second question I missed was; "Steve…. So what would be good things to bring with us besides the obvious (tubes, air/gas pump, snacks, wind vest or jacket, sun screen, chamois cream, tools)?"
Here’s the best answer I can give you. Leave the pump, inflators, and tools at home. I’ll take care of that. The other items that you mentioned pretty well cover your needs.
In additon, you should carry a little cash for snacks and such along the way.
If you take meds, by all means bring them! But understand this, I am not a doc. If you have medical issues, get your doctor’s advice. I have a fair degree of experience, and I’m pretty good at first aid, but if you start foaming at the mouth, or going into a case of the twitching awfuls, I am not really going to know what to do, other than call 911.
You might want to bring a small light camera. (The photos can be used for evidence.)
I doubt you will have time to finish that novel you’ve been reading, so leave it at home.
By all means bring your good attitude, your best cooperation, your finest smiles, a good joke or two, and the anticipation of a long happy day with friends.
Folk, it has always been my intention to respond to comments on this blog. I just slipped up late last week.
Arcelay posted two very cogent questions.
First: "What would be a good eating plan to follow at T-48 hours? T-24 hours? T-2 hours?"
Here’s the best take I can give you on this. Eat well, but don’t try to over-eat to offset future needs. The body doesn’t work like that. I wouldn’t get deep into experimenting at this late date. Two days before ride time, stick with a balanced diet, eating foods that you know work for you. The same pretty much goes for the last 24 hours before a ride. Don’t get hungry, but don’t try to “pre-fuel” or “carbo load.” These things mostly don’t work.
That last one is pretty tricky. At two hours before the ride, you should be eating a good solid breakfast. This is the time to go for a bit more carbohydrate, relative to the fats and proteins. Don’t skimp on the proteins either. Your muscles will be working, and the process of supporting and rebuilding takes proteins. But your primary interest is about 500 to 600 calories total, with around 60% of it in carbs.
The second question I missed was; "Steve…. So what would be good things to bring with us besides the obvious (tubes, air/gas pump, snacks, wind vest or jacket, sun screen, chamois cream, tools)?"
Here’s the best answer I can give you. Leave the pump, inflators, and tools at home. I’ll take care of that. The other items that you mentioned pretty well cover your needs.
In additon, you should carry a little cash for snacks and such along the way.
If you take meds, by all means bring them! But understand this, I am not a doc. If you have medical issues, get your doctor’s advice. I have a fair degree of experience, and I’m pretty good at first aid, but if you start foaming at the mouth, or going into a case of the twitching awfuls, I am not really going to know what to do, other than call 911.
You might want to bring a small light camera. (The photos can be used for evidence.)
I doubt you will have time to finish that novel you’ve been reading, so leave it at home.
By all means bring your good attitude, your best cooperation, your finest smiles, a good joke or two, and the anticipation of a long happy day with friends.
CLIMATE IS WHAT WE EXPECT…
…And weather is what we get!
As of this writing, the outlook for the Audax Ride is pretty close to the climate norms for this time of year. That’s low 50s at ride time, with a high in the mid 70s, and a very low rain chance. In other words, just about ideal for our purposes.
I’m looking at data clear up into Alaska, and well down into the south Atlantic, and I don’t see anything moving that is likely to affect the weekend forecast.
Of course, in this climate, anything could happen, and six days is a long time. I’ll keep watching, and keep posting.
Why this attention to the weather? Because this ride goes in any conditions, rain or shine, freezing or furnace hot. But it helps to have an informed idea of how to dress.
Speaking of which, if the above forecast holds, I’d suggest arm warmers, and possibly a wind vest or shell to start. Keep them light. You’ll be coming out of them before the day is over, and carrying them the rest of the day. And bring the sunscreen! We’ll need it.
I’d recommend a good flashing tail light, but other lights won’t be necessary. Reflective ankle bands are always a good idea. Bright colors on the jerseys, please.
KEY DETAILS:
Start/Finish: Bicycles Unlimited, Peachtree City, GA.
Start Time: 07:30 (sharp!)
Cost: $27.00
Distance: 200 kilometers (approx 125 miles)
Folks, it helps me if you can possibly pay up in advance. I need to purchase some of the food items before the ride. Also, if you are planning to go, NOW is the time to make absolutely certain that I know it.
As of this writing, the outlook for the Audax Ride is pretty close to the climate norms for this time of year. That’s low 50s at ride time, with a high in the mid 70s, and a very low rain chance. In other words, just about ideal for our purposes.
I’m looking at data clear up into Alaska, and well down into the south Atlantic, and I don’t see anything moving that is likely to affect the weekend forecast.
Of course, in this climate, anything could happen, and six days is a long time. I’ll keep watching, and keep posting.
Why this attention to the weather? Because this ride goes in any conditions, rain or shine, freezing or furnace hot. But it helps to have an informed idea of how to dress.
Speaking of which, if the above forecast holds, I’d suggest arm warmers, and possibly a wind vest or shell to start. Keep them light. You’ll be coming out of them before the day is over, and carrying them the rest of the day. And bring the sunscreen! We’ll need it.
I’d recommend a good flashing tail light, but other lights won’t be necessary. Reflective ankle bands are always a good idea. Bright colors on the jerseys, please.
KEY DETAILS:
Start/Finish: Bicycles Unlimited, Peachtree City, GA.
Start Time: 07:30 (sharp!)
Cost: $27.00
Distance: 200 kilometers (approx 125 miles)
Folks, it helps me if you can possibly pay up in advance. I need to purchase some of the food items before the ride. Also, if you are planning to go, NOW is the time to make absolutely certain that I know it.
Friday, September 26, 2008
BEAUTIFUL WEATHER
Question: So what should one do now?
Answer: It's wonderful here. Go out and ride. Take it easy. Enjoy the beginning of this long and delightful season. Savor the day. Let the Sun smile gently upon you. Watch the skys.
The Canada Geese are starting to train for their migrations. You might see a squadron forming up and doing some flight work at middle altitudes. The brown threshers have already left for their winter homes. Squirrels are getting super busy eating everything they can find. The deer are starting to get a bit frisky in this pre-rut season. Turkey and fox are often visible in cool early morning hours, just at dawn. If your of a mind to ride with lights, you just might see a coyote or two in the late evening. The trees are just beginning to turn. It's a good time to get on a bike and be out in it.
Don't overdo it. Ride gently. Savor the experience. A week from Saturday is the big ride.
Go back to the last couple of posts and re-read them. Put yourself in each part of this. Feel what it will be like along the way. See it.
Are you starting to get a bit twitchy with anticipation? I am.
Sunday afteroon, clean and do a thorough pre-event check of your bike and gear.
Home stretch starts now.
Have a great weekend all.
Answer: It's wonderful here. Go out and ride. Take it easy. Enjoy the beginning of this long and delightful season. Savor the day. Let the Sun smile gently upon you. Watch the skys.
The Canada Geese are starting to train for their migrations. You might see a squadron forming up and doing some flight work at middle altitudes. The brown threshers have already left for their winter homes. Squirrels are getting super busy eating everything they can find. The deer are starting to get a bit frisky in this pre-rut season. Turkey and fox are often visible in cool early morning hours, just at dawn. If your of a mind to ride with lights, you just might see a coyote or two in the late evening. The trees are just beginning to turn. It's a good time to get on a bike and be out in it.
Don't overdo it. Ride gently. Savor the experience. A week from Saturday is the big ride.
Go back to the last couple of posts and re-read them. Put yourself in each part of this. Feel what it will be like along the way. See it.
Are you starting to get a bit twitchy with anticipation? I am.
Sunday afteroon, clean and do a thorough pre-event check of your bike and gear.
Home stretch starts now.
Have a great weekend all.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
RHEARSALS TWO
The Return Trip
You’ve just pulled into the Bulloch House. Lunch awaits. The food is buffet style, country cookin’, and mouth watering, lip smacking gooood. You might want to save room for desert. It’s exceptional. You’ll probably eat about 1,500 calories, but if you’ve read some of my earlier posts, you will realize you can afford to.
After lunch we’ll sit for just a bit. Time to let lunch settle, re-apply sunscreen, get psyched for the second part of the ride. You may think that you couldn’t possibly get on a bike know. It feels so good to be sitting, and full of good food, nice and relaxed.
You will get on your bike knowing that the pace will be controlled and relatively low effort for the first hour after lunch. It’s nice to discover that it’s mostly down hill for the first five miles. After a good pleasant descent, we cross a small concrete bridge, and we begin the trip north on GA-85 alt in earnest. You will notice something. There appear to be the huge hills ahead of you. Do not be dismayed. You have long sight lines here. These are really just long “rollers,” but you can see the whole thing, foreshortened by the distance they look bigger and meaner than they are.
As you begin to get your “bike legs” back, and find that lunch is settling very nicely, you notice that the rollers aren’t all that bad either. The pace is on the low side of moderate, quite pleasant actually. And so passes the first 17 miles after lunch.
We will take a brief break in Gay, GA, fill bottles, attend to the “necessaries,” and then get moving again.
The first part of the leg leaving Gay is mostly down hill. We are descending into the Flint River Valley. You will cross the Flint on a large concrete bridge right at the famous “flat shoals.” If you look to your right you will see some of the rocks above the water. There are historic photographs of folks washing their Model T Fords on those rocks.
After crossing the bridge, you begin a long step climb up out of the river valley. Be patient, it will take the time it takes. Soon enough you will turn onto GA-18 and approach Concord.
As we enter the town of Concord you will get a brief glimpse of some of the few still standing anti-bellum structures in this part of the state. Then we turn onto College street and leave town. You are almost immediately back in rural Georgia again. It’s now 13 miles of mostly rural, low traffic, scenic roads to the next break point.
You arrive at the store in Digby, ready to get off the bike. This will be the last planned, on course stop. You are now about 20 miles from the end of the ride. Stretch, get a snack, fill bottles, sit for a few minutes. Gather yourself for the last leg, it’s not too tough from here.
From Digby, you will be riding on gentle low rollers into Brooks, Georgia, and then a few dips and rises to get you back to Peachtree City. At the edge of town we will change our riding style a bit. When we come to the four lane part of the Peachtree Parkway, we will form up in a column of twos and take the left lane. We will ride in this formation, all the way up the south end of the Parkway, parading into the finish in fine style.
Bravo!
You’ve just pulled into the Bulloch House. Lunch awaits. The food is buffet style, country cookin’, and mouth watering, lip smacking gooood. You might want to save room for desert. It’s exceptional. You’ll probably eat about 1,500 calories, but if you’ve read some of my earlier posts, you will realize you can afford to.
After lunch we’ll sit for just a bit. Time to let lunch settle, re-apply sunscreen, get psyched for the second part of the ride. You may think that you couldn’t possibly get on a bike know. It feels so good to be sitting, and full of good food, nice and relaxed.
You will get on your bike knowing that the pace will be controlled and relatively low effort for the first hour after lunch. It’s nice to discover that it’s mostly down hill for the first five miles. After a good pleasant descent, we cross a small concrete bridge, and we begin the trip north on GA-85 alt in earnest. You will notice something. There appear to be the huge hills ahead of you. Do not be dismayed. You have long sight lines here. These are really just long “rollers,” but you can see the whole thing, foreshortened by the distance they look bigger and meaner than they are.
As you begin to get your “bike legs” back, and find that lunch is settling very nicely, you notice that the rollers aren’t all that bad either. The pace is on the low side of moderate, quite pleasant actually. And so passes the first 17 miles after lunch.
We will take a brief break in Gay, GA, fill bottles, attend to the “necessaries,” and then get moving again.
The first part of the leg leaving Gay is mostly down hill. We are descending into the Flint River Valley. You will cross the Flint on a large concrete bridge right at the famous “flat shoals.” If you look to your right you will see some of the rocks above the water. There are historic photographs of folks washing their Model T Fords on those rocks.
After crossing the bridge, you begin a long step climb up out of the river valley. Be patient, it will take the time it takes. Soon enough you will turn onto GA-18 and approach Concord.
As we enter the town of Concord you will get a brief glimpse of some of the few still standing anti-bellum structures in this part of the state. Then we turn onto College street and leave town. You are almost immediately back in rural Georgia again. It’s now 13 miles of mostly rural, low traffic, scenic roads to the next break point.
You arrive at the store in Digby, ready to get off the bike. This will be the last planned, on course stop. You are now about 20 miles from the end of the ride. Stretch, get a snack, fill bottles, sit for a few minutes. Gather yourself for the last leg, it’s not too tough from here.
From Digby, you will be riding on gentle low rollers into Brooks, Georgia, and then a few dips and rises to get you back to Peachtree City. At the edge of town we will change our riding style a bit. When we come to the four lane part of the Peachtree Parkway, we will form up in a column of twos and take the left lane. We will ride in this formation, all the way up the south end of the Parkway, parading into the finish in fine style.
Bravo!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
REHEARSALS
It’s 11 days until the Audax 200K.
Try this, especially if you haven’t been on one of these rides before. Visualize the ride.
See yourself at the start, all gear in place, bike clean, lubed, tuned, and ready. You are rested and refreshed. You’ve eaten a good breakfast a couple of hours ago. You just finished your pre-ride snack. Your bottles are full. The Sun is just peaking over the horizon. The rider’s meeting is about to start. You are ready.
As we begin to roll south on the Peachtree Parkway, you experience an odd sensation. Your legs feel a little sluggish, but you think the pace just might be a little slow. Relax, both of these are completely normal. You’ve been resting your body for most of the last two weeks. You have a case of “lazy legs.” They will warm up. As for the pace, it’s controlled for just that reason.
In a few minutes we begin to climb the first real hills of the day. You’re still feeling a little bit chilly, but warming up nicely. At the beginning of the climb, you think this will be a cinch. Then the hill hits and you start to have doubts. Then, hey! You’re keeping up just fine. No problems.
About 45 minutes into the ride, the group turns onto GA-85, heading south. The group forms a paceline, and the pace really picks up. At first, you think, “I can’t do this!!!” But then you realize that you are fully warmed up, and the paceline helps you to ride at a very fast clip. It’s inside your range. After about 15 minutes of this wicked pace, the group turns west onto a road full of rollers. The pace slows and the riding becomes more conversational. You still feel strong, but you realize that, somewhere out there, fatigue is waiting for you. It’s okay. You can do this.
It’s a bit more than two hours into the ride when the group pulls into the store for the first stop. Your legs feel like you’ve done something, but you are still mostly a fresh rider. You’ve gone almost 35 miles. The stop will be short. Attend to the “necessaries,” fill your bottles, eat a quick snack, and saddle up.
The next stretch isn’t too hard. You’re fully warmed up. The body is humming. The pace is brisk, but easily inside your abilities. The road is not too hilly, actually flat in places. There is very little traffic, and the scenery is nice. The Sun is beginning to climb and the day to warm. You know you will shed some clothing at the Pine Mountain stop.
There are a couple of good hills just before entering Pine Mountain. You’re kind of glad to see this leg end. The turn onto the main street is a little crazy, but the stop is less than a mile away. Again, a short stop. Fill bottles. Eat. Stretch. Ready. Let’s go!
A soft cruise through town to loosen the stiffening leg muscles. The turn onto GA-35 and the long, gradual, mostly gentle climb up to the spine of the mountain. Only the last quarter mile of this climb is particularly steep.
You find yourself in the woods along the top of Pine Mountain itself. The views are spectacular. The woods are in the beginning of the Fall Turn. Occasionally you get long sightlines out over the valleys below. The air is crisp and clear. You feel a bit fatigued, nothing serious, but you will be glad to stop for lunch.
The “ridge run” along the top of Pine Mountain involves a series of climbs and descents. You may ask, “Just how many times am I going to climb this thing?” On the other hand the descents are a blast. Gradually you realize, you are never coming all the way down. These are just “mountain rollers.” It almost seems a shame when you hit the intersection with GA-85 alt. Now you have to descend off the mountain. That seems, for a moment, almost anti-climactic.
Then you begin the trip down! Flats, and then downhills. More flats, even a slight climb. Then the sign for “Trucks Check Brakes.” Are you getting the idea? The next descent is a total screamer. If you tuck and work at it, you’ll likely break 40 mph!
Now you’re approaching the traffic light. You have to brake heavily to make the turn. A short cruise around the corner, a trip donw the short main street of Warm Springs, and a turn into the Bulloch House Restaurant. You've done 65.7 miles, and the most demanding part of the trip is behind you. It’s time for LUNCH!
{Tomorrow: The Return Trip}
Try this, especially if you haven’t been on one of these rides before. Visualize the ride.
See yourself at the start, all gear in place, bike clean, lubed, tuned, and ready. You are rested and refreshed. You’ve eaten a good breakfast a couple of hours ago. You just finished your pre-ride snack. Your bottles are full. The Sun is just peaking over the horizon. The rider’s meeting is about to start. You are ready.
As we begin to roll south on the Peachtree Parkway, you experience an odd sensation. Your legs feel a little sluggish, but you think the pace just might be a little slow. Relax, both of these are completely normal. You’ve been resting your body for most of the last two weeks. You have a case of “lazy legs.” They will warm up. As for the pace, it’s controlled for just that reason.
In a few minutes we begin to climb the first real hills of the day. You’re still feeling a little bit chilly, but warming up nicely. At the beginning of the climb, you think this will be a cinch. Then the hill hits and you start to have doubts. Then, hey! You’re keeping up just fine. No problems.
About 45 minutes into the ride, the group turns onto GA-85, heading south. The group forms a paceline, and the pace really picks up. At first, you think, “I can’t do this!!!” But then you realize that you are fully warmed up, and the paceline helps you to ride at a very fast clip. It’s inside your range. After about 15 minutes of this wicked pace, the group turns west onto a road full of rollers. The pace slows and the riding becomes more conversational. You still feel strong, but you realize that, somewhere out there, fatigue is waiting for you. It’s okay. You can do this.
It’s a bit more than two hours into the ride when the group pulls into the store for the first stop. Your legs feel like you’ve done something, but you are still mostly a fresh rider. You’ve gone almost 35 miles. The stop will be short. Attend to the “necessaries,” fill your bottles, eat a quick snack, and saddle up.
The next stretch isn’t too hard. You’re fully warmed up. The body is humming. The pace is brisk, but easily inside your abilities. The road is not too hilly, actually flat in places. There is very little traffic, and the scenery is nice. The Sun is beginning to climb and the day to warm. You know you will shed some clothing at the Pine Mountain stop.
There are a couple of good hills just before entering Pine Mountain. You’re kind of glad to see this leg end. The turn onto the main street is a little crazy, but the stop is less than a mile away. Again, a short stop. Fill bottles. Eat. Stretch. Ready. Let’s go!
A soft cruise through town to loosen the stiffening leg muscles. The turn onto GA-35 and the long, gradual, mostly gentle climb up to the spine of the mountain. Only the last quarter mile of this climb is particularly steep.
You find yourself in the woods along the top of Pine Mountain itself. The views are spectacular. The woods are in the beginning of the Fall Turn. Occasionally you get long sightlines out over the valleys below. The air is crisp and clear. You feel a bit fatigued, nothing serious, but you will be glad to stop for lunch.
The “ridge run” along the top of Pine Mountain involves a series of climbs and descents. You may ask, “Just how many times am I going to climb this thing?” On the other hand the descents are a blast. Gradually you realize, you are never coming all the way down. These are just “mountain rollers.” It almost seems a shame when you hit the intersection with GA-85 alt. Now you have to descend off the mountain. That seems, for a moment, almost anti-climactic.
Then you begin the trip down! Flats, and then downhills. More flats, even a slight climb. Then the sign for “Trucks Check Brakes.” Are you getting the idea? The next descent is a total screamer. If you tuck and work at it, you’ll likely break 40 mph!
Now you’re approaching the traffic light. You have to brake heavily to make the turn. A short cruise around the corner, a trip donw the short main street of Warm Springs, and a turn into the Bulloch House Restaurant. You've done 65.7 miles, and the most demanding part of the trip is behind you. It’s time for LUNCH!
{Tomorrow: The Return Trip}
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
FOCUS ON FOOD
For the next bit, just less than two weeks, prospective Audax Riders should focus closely on getting proper rest, and on what they are eating. This is a time to make sure you are getting a good balanced diet. Don’t scrimp on protein. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables. Drink lots of water. And…
(This one hits me square between the eyes) You might want to taper down on the coffee or other caffeine products. Caffeine can make the stomach uneasy. Worse, it won’t be readily available for most of the day. Best to lower the dependency on the stuff now. Cold turkey on ride day could be pretty ugly.
This would be a good time to avoid all but the very lightest consumption of alcohol. The stuff dehydrates you, and has a general depressing affect on the body’s systems. We all want to be bright eyed and bushy tailed for the ride.
NOTES:
1) Have you let me know that you are going along?
2) Have you paid me yet?
3) Do you have any questions? If so, for heavens sakes use the comments feature of this blog to post them. I’ll answer as promptly as I’m able.
(This one hits me square between the eyes) You might want to taper down on the coffee or other caffeine products. Caffeine can make the stomach uneasy. Worse, it won’t be readily available for most of the day. Best to lower the dependency on the stuff now. Cold turkey on ride day could be pretty ugly.
This would be a good time to avoid all but the very lightest consumption of alcohol. The stuff dehydrates you, and has a general depressing affect on the body’s systems. We all want to be bright eyed and bushy tailed for the ride.
NOTES:
1) Have you let me know that you are going along?
2) Have you paid me yet?
3) Do you have any questions? If so, for heavens sakes use the comments feature of this blog to post them. I’ll answer as promptly as I’m able.
Monday, September 22, 2008
WHAT SHOULD I DO NEXT?
Great question! Likely, whether you did the Tune Up or not, your last week was a good, long, strong one, with a full, demanding weekend. Good.
Now: Take the next two days off. Really. Off. No riding. No swimming. Take a break. Let your body recover.
Wednesday: Get in a light easy ride or a gentle stretching workout. No more than an hour’s duration.
Remainder of this week: Very light, with at least one more day off.
The coming weekend: Do enough riding to stay loose, but not enough to get tired. Low volume, and very low intensity.
Next Week: Monday is a rest day. Tuesday and Wednesday are low/low days, low volume and low intensity. Thursday is a no training day. Do your final packing. Friday is a total rest day.
Saturday: GO LONG!!!!!!!
Now: Take the next two days off. Really. Off. No riding. No swimming. Take a break. Let your body recover.
Wednesday: Get in a light easy ride or a gentle stretching workout. No more than an hour’s duration.
Remainder of this week: Very light, with at least one more day off.
The coming weekend: Do enough riding to stay loose, but not enough to get tired. Low volume, and very low intensity.
Next Week: Monday is a rest day. Tuesday and Wednesday are low/low days, low volume and low intensity. Thursday is a no training day. Do your final packing. Friday is a total rest day.
Saturday: GO LONG!!!!!!!
RIDE REPORT
The 65 mile tune up ride was yesterday. We had almost ideal conditions for cycling. The sky was mostly cloudy, with occasional bursts of sunlight, and the temps ranged from the low to mid 70s. We did have an almost constant headwind, which managed to swing around and stay on our noses all the way round the course, but it wasn’t too strong, just enough to be invigorating.
This course is deliberately tough, and I usually “push the pace” a bit. That’s quite deliberate too. There wasn’t a lot of conversation on this ride. Everyone was busy breathing. The numbers (see below) are misleading. This is a tough ride. It’s fun, and it’s pretty, but it is, fundamentally challenging. Anyone who can complete this can do the full course 200K.
The pace on the 200K is a bit easier. The terrain is much less challenging. It’s just longer. Usually the Audax 200K is marked by a lot of rider chatter, joking, and good camaraderie.
My sincerest congratulations to Cindy, Chris, Deb, and Jan. This was the fastest pace that I’ve done for this particular ride. You all are to be commended for some excellent riding, great skills, and just plain good spirits. BRAVO!
Numbers:
- 65.7 miles
- 3,278 feet gain
- 4:32:42 rolling time
- 5:23:00 total time
- 14.5 mph rolling average
- 12.2 mph overall average
It's plain to see from the numbers, this wasn't a big ring ramble. Not an easy ride at all, but doable, with the right training and attitude. Once again, the girls rock! Congratulations all!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
SHORT AND SWEET
Final advice for the Tune Up.
Just do it.
Arrive early. Getting ready takes longer than you think, and we do want to leave on time.
Don't bother with a "warm up." On a ride like this, it's a waste of time and energy. You will warm up on the road.
Go over your checklist tonight. That takes less time, and is much lower stress than trying to find your socks on Sunday morning.
Come out prepared to give a little, allow other riders a bit of slack, and...
Expect to have some fun!
Have a wonderful Saturday. See you on the road.
Just do it.
Arrive early. Getting ready takes longer than you think, and we do want to leave on time.
Don't bother with a "warm up." On a ride like this, it's a waste of time and energy. You will warm up on the road.
Go over your checklist tonight. That takes less time, and is much lower stress than trying to find your socks on Sunday morning.
Come out prepared to give a little, allow other riders a bit of slack, and...
Expect to have some fun!
Have a wonderful Saturday. See you on the road.
FUELING THE TUNE UP
“How and when should I eat, and what for this 65 mile Tune Up?” That question prompted this post.
Before I address the question, let me say this. Folks, if you have a question, please post a comment. It’s almost certain that if you feel the need to ask, then someone else is in need of the same information. And simply put, I can’t answer your questions if you don’t ask them.
Now, on to the business at hand. On August 29, I posted an item about eating and fueling for the 200K, the same general principles apply to the 65 mile ride this coming Sunday.
First off, food you eat is not available as fuel for your muscles for at least two hours. So you must “fuel up” before you ride, and you must continue to fuel as you ride. This is more important on longer rides. It’s possible to do a short ride of an hour or two on calories stored in your body as blood glycogens. For longer athletic efforts, you must continue the process of fueling. If you do not, you will deplete your supply of glycogens. In extreme cases this leads to the dreaded “bonk.”
A bonk is simply this. Various systems in the body have multiple means of fueling themselves, but the brain’s only fuel supply is blood glycogen. When the glycogen levels begin to drop, the brain begins to starve. The brain has powerful self protective mechanisms. If you start to starve it, you will pay an awful price. Bonk symptoms include chills, weakness, nausea, vomiting, cramps, extreme mood swings. Not pretty.
This brings me back to the “3 B 4s of cycling.”
- Eat before you are hungry.
- Drink before you are thirsty.
- Shift before you need to.
If you wait to eat until you feel hunger, you will already be depleting glycogen levels, and it takes that two hours to digest and absorb food calories. Ouch!
Strategy for the 65 miler:
- Eat a good breakfast about two hours before ride time. This is your fuel when you come to the start line.
- Have another snack of about 200 to 300 calories at the first rest stop.
- Try to eat on the bike, and get another 200 calories during the second leg of the ride.
- Expect a longer stop at the second rest stop. Have a small sandwich or a couple of food bars, and maybe a banana. At any rate plan to take in about 300 calories of readily digestible food here.
- Eat another 200 calories on the bike during leg 3, or request a short stop 54 mile optional, and get a snack there.
- Be sure to drink lots of water as you ride. You'll need it to hydrolyze all the carbs you're eaitng.
This plan won’t replace all the calories you burn during the ride, but it will keep the bonk away. Do expect to be hungry after the ride, and do eat a good, protein rich dinner that night.
Ride happy and stay in touch!
65 MILE TUNE UP ~~ MENTAL PREP
What kind of ride is the 65 Mile Audax Tune Up? First off, it’s an Audax style ride. That means the group will stay together. No one gets left behind. One for all, and all for one! That will take some discipline. Climbers will need to moderate a bit, descenders will use some brake, and the big diesels will have to tone it down. Some gentle pacelining will be very useful.
Communications: Please feel free to let folks know what’s going on. If you are having trouble with your bike, or the pace, let someone know! Even more importantly, pass the word forward and back. Don’t assume that the leader knows someone has dropped off the back…. Pass the word! Don’t assume the leader knows that the trailing rider has caught up… Pass the word!
The route:
Leg 1 We will leave Peachtree City the hard way, riding north on the Peachtree Parkway. Up those hills. It’s only three miles. Then we pass through Tyrone, and proceed on to Palmetto. That takes care of the first 14 miles. We make our first stop in Palmetto. This will be a short one. Hit the head, fill bottles, make any adjustments that are necessary. The we ride.
Leg 2 We leave Palmetto, and ride mostly downhill to the Chattahoochee. Once we cross the “Hootch,” we’ll be climbing again, until we intercept GA-166. We’ll turn right on 166 and do the big rollers on the western bluffs above the “Hootch.” We’ll be heading north, up river, so each roller gets a little shorter than the one before. The road flattens out as we close on GA-92. At 92 we turn right, cross the river again, and come to the second stop. This leg is 25 miles long, so we’ve done close to 40 miles of this ride. We take a bit longer break at this point. Get something to eat, fill your bottles, sit down and take it easy.
Leg 3 We enter the “Chattahoochee Hill Country,” and climb up out of the river valley. This leg is about 14 miles, and takes us to an optional store stop, just outside of Fairburn. We will stop if a significant number of the group need it, otherwise we’ll keep going and finish the ride.
Leg 4 The Home Stretch. We’ll come back into Fayette County from the north. This leg is just a little longer than 10 miles. We wind our way down through the county, only encountering the occasional hill. There are a couple of long “grinders” on this last leg, including “the Beast” on Flat Creek Trail. There’s a short stretch on GA-54, and then some nice side road sections and path sections. Then we’re done.
In summary:
Leg 1 = 15 minutes of grunting, followed by 45 minutes of breath and cruise.
Leg 2 = two hours of cruise and climb, each climb followed by a “boomer” descent.
Leg 3 = 45 minutes of step climb followed by 15 to 20 minutes of relatively flat cruising.
Leg 4 = an hour of gentle hills and declines with the occasional grunt.
Honest, this is a good bit tougher than the actual Audax Ride. It’s a good gauge of your prep. It’s fun in its own right. Come on along.
Communications: Please feel free to let folks know what’s going on. If you are having trouble with your bike, or the pace, let someone know! Even more importantly, pass the word forward and back. Don’t assume that the leader knows someone has dropped off the back…. Pass the word! Don’t assume the leader knows that the trailing rider has caught up… Pass the word!
The route:
Leg 1 We will leave Peachtree City the hard way, riding north on the Peachtree Parkway. Up those hills. It’s only three miles. Then we pass through Tyrone, and proceed on to Palmetto. That takes care of the first 14 miles. We make our first stop in Palmetto. This will be a short one. Hit the head, fill bottles, make any adjustments that are necessary. The we ride.
Leg 2 We leave Palmetto, and ride mostly downhill to the Chattahoochee. Once we cross the “Hootch,” we’ll be climbing again, until we intercept GA-166. We’ll turn right on 166 and do the big rollers on the western bluffs above the “Hootch.” We’ll be heading north, up river, so each roller gets a little shorter than the one before. The road flattens out as we close on GA-92. At 92 we turn right, cross the river again, and come to the second stop. This leg is 25 miles long, so we’ve done close to 40 miles of this ride. We take a bit longer break at this point. Get something to eat, fill your bottles, sit down and take it easy.
Leg 3 We enter the “Chattahoochee Hill Country,” and climb up out of the river valley. This leg is about 14 miles, and takes us to an optional store stop, just outside of Fairburn. We will stop if a significant number of the group need it, otherwise we’ll keep going and finish the ride.
Leg 4 The Home Stretch. We’ll come back into Fayette County from the north. This leg is just a little longer than 10 miles. We wind our way down through the county, only encountering the occasional hill. There are a couple of long “grinders” on this last leg, including “the Beast” on Flat Creek Trail. There’s a short stretch on GA-54, and then some nice side road sections and path sections. Then we’re done.
In summary:
Leg 1 = 15 minutes of grunting, followed by 45 minutes of breath and cruise.
Leg 2 = two hours of cruise and climb, each climb followed by a “boomer” descent.
Leg 3 = 45 minutes of step climb followed by 15 to 20 minutes of relatively flat cruising.
Leg 4 = an hour of gentle hills and declines with the occasional grunt.
Honest, this is a good bit tougher than the actual Audax Ride. It’s a good gauge of your prep. It’s fun in its own right. Come on along.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
WHAT IF’S
I get a lot of these questions about these Audax 200K rides at about this point in preparing for them. So I’m attempting to answer them in advance.
Q: What if it rains?
A: We ride.
Q: What if it’s cold?
A: We ride.
Q: What if it’s hot?
A: We ride.
Q: What about thunder and lightening?
A: If they’ve paid their $27.00 and they’re wearing their helmets they can come along too.
Q: Seriously. What about thunderstorms?
A: Seriously. We ride.
Q: I’ve never ridden that far. I’ve done the training, but I don’t know if I can do it.
A: If you never ride 125 miles, then you will never ride 125 miles. You can do it.
I promise, you won’t melt. If the weather is truly horrendous, we’ll get off the road until it passes. This is very unlikely. Heat is more bearable on the bike. Drink lots. Cold is more bearable on the bike. You work harder, you get warmer. If you’ve been doing even half of the training I’ve suggested, you should be okay. If you’re still in doubt, come out and do the Tune Up this weekend.
And lastly, most of these questions come from fear of the unknown. Honest, it’s normal, and it’s alright. Do you know get over a very tall obstacle? Throw your heart over the bar first, and your body will follow.
Q: What if it rains?
A: We ride.
Q: What if it’s cold?
A: We ride.
Q: What if it’s hot?
A: We ride.
Q: What about thunder and lightening?
A: If they’ve paid their $27.00 and they’re wearing their helmets they can come along too.
Q: Seriously. What about thunderstorms?
A: Seriously. We ride.
Q: I’ve never ridden that far. I’ve done the training, but I don’t know if I can do it.
A: If you never ride 125 miles, then you will never ride 125 miles. You can do it.
I promise, you won’t melt. If the weather is truly horrendous, we’ll get off the road until it passes. This is very unlikely. Heat is more bearable on the bike. Drink lots. Cold is more bearable on the bike. You work harder, you get warmer. If you’ve been doing even half of the training I’ve suggested, you should be okay. If you’re still in doubt, come out and do the Tune Up this weekend.
And lastly, most of these questions come from fear of the unknown. Honest, it’s normal, and it’s alright. Do you know get over a very tall obstacle? Throw your heart over the bar first, and your body will follow.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
TAPER? HOW & WHY?
Properly, your taper should begin next Monday, and continue through the following two weeks. It’s pertinent to discuss this now for planning purposes.
The idea of a taper is based on the following principals.
The idea of a taper is based on the following principals.
- The body can not incorporate training stresses in less than two weeks.
- Training loads are a stimulus ~~ the body responds by growing stronger while resting
- An athlete needs most to be well rested when event time arrives.
- The body does not respond well to any sudden change of routine
So how do you taper, and what do you expect from it?
A taper is a gradual reduction of training load in order to rest the body and be fully recovered for the event. To accomplish this, next week reduce both the volume of training, and especially the intensity of training. Generally, you should ride between eight and ten hours next week. More importantly, those rides should be at a greatly reduced effort level. There should be no anaerobic work, no high zone aerobic work, and only a little (less than two hours total) of mid zone aerobic work during the entire week. Most of the week should be focused on very low effort spinning.
The last week prior to the Audax Ride, you should reduce the volume still farther. Only about five hours total riding time, and most of that before Thursday. No Riding on Thursday or Friday. The odd thing is that you may do one short workout ride of moderately high intensity on Monday. By this we mean, you may ride for one hour in the mid-aerobic zones, with as much as five minutes of Lactate threshold work. (NOTE: Do not do more than this!)
What can you expect from this kind of schedule? To begin with, the first two or three days of next week you will feel tired, and slightly out of sorts. You may feel like you aren’t getting enough rest, even though you are doing less work. This is a normal response to the reduced effort after a longer period of training.
By the end of next week you will start to feel like you are recovering and well rested. You may find yourself feeling a little frisky, and very energetic. You may start to experience a heightened sense of awareness and alertness. Expect this feeling of power and well being to become very pronounced along about Monday and Tuesday of the following week.
WARNING! That sense of heightened power can trip you up. Resist the urge to use the power! Be disciplined and continue to follow the plan. Do not give in to the temptation to “just do a little more” on your one short higher output ride. Please do not go longer or stronger. You will be tempted to do so. Be steadfast. You want to carry that power and solid rested feeling into the weekend, so that it is yours to use on the Ride.
Use Thursday and Friday to go over your gear and make your last checks. Get everything done by the middle of the day on Friday. Then get a good night’s sleep Friday night and the ride will be yours to enjoy.
Monday, September 15, 2008
65 MILE TUNE UP ~~ FINAL PREP
The following advice is aimed mostly at new Audax Riders, but it is just as pertinent for those of you who are returning to this ride.
Take it easy this week. Real easy.
Be rested for this coming weekend, with its 65 mile Tune Up Ride. Do consider this to be a training week, but the hard training will be on Sunday.
Here’s the basic plan:
- Monday: is likely a rest day
- Tuesday: Get a ride in, but keep the duration in the medium range and the intensity on the low side.
- Wednesday: Short easy ride
- Thursday: Medium duration and low to medium effort.
- Friday: Take a rest day!
- Saturday: A short ride at very low intensity
- Sunday: Use the 65 mile Tune Up as a training ride.
That will make this the last full training week before the actual Audax Ride. The next two weeks are for taper and rest. Further, using the Tune Up as a training ride also means you can use it for one last test of your full equipment set over a goodly distance.
Now go back and go over the various checklists I’ve posted and spend some time getting things lined up early in the week.
It’s getting so close now!!!!
Friday, September 12, 2008
WHY GO LONG?
Long rides are the stuff of dreams.
On long rides we have time to think. We can actually spend enough time in our heads to complete some long and fairly complex thoughts.
As more of the distractions fall away, and the rhythm of the ride establishes itself, we have time to look around us and see. It’s a pretty amazing world. There are signs and wonders, both near and far. How nice to have the time to really see them and appreciate the experience.
There is camaraderie. We spend more time with the folks we are riding with, particularly if we are pledged to stay with each other. We get to know one another in ways that we don’t have time for in the day to day. We share the work. We encourage each other. We discover a truth. Joy shared is joy augmented, pain shared is pain diminished.
Along about the fourth or fifth hour out an interesting thing occurs. The endorphins kick in. Pain and fatigue recede and become merely data. We are able to appreciate these sensations for what they are, messages. We realize that we can ride through them with no great risk. In fact, it gets to be a lot of fun. The light gets better, the bike gets lighter, the road rises up to meet us. Life is good.
And the food tastes fantastic.
Long live lon rides!
On long rides we have time to think. We can actually spend enough time in our heads to complete some long and fairly complex thoughts.
As more of the distractions fall away, and the rhythm of the ride establishes itself, we have time to look around us and see. It’s a pretty amazing world. There are signs and wonders, both near and far. How nice to have the time to really see them and appreciate the experience.
There is camaraderie. We spend more time with the folks we are riding with, particularly if we are pledged to stay with each other. We get to know one another in ways that we don’t have time for in the day to day. We share the work. We encourage each other. We discover a truth. Joy shared is joy augmented, pain shared is pain diminished.
Along about the fourth or fifth hour out an interesting thing occurs. The endorphins kick in. Pain and fatigue recede and become merely data. We are able to appreciate these sensations for what they are, messages. We realize that we can ride through them with no great risk. In fact, it gets to be a lot of fun. The light gets better, the bike gets lighter, the road rises up to meet us. Life is good.
And the food tastes fantastic.
Long live lon rides!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
TIME TO LOCK DOWN
We’re closing in on the ride. It’s now just a bit more than three weeks to the Audax 200K, and only a bit over a week to the 65 mile tune up.
The “Lock Down” I refer to in this post’s title is this. It’s close to time to make the final decisions on your equipment. If there is anything major left to be done to your bike or your gear, now is the time to do it.
My hard and fast rule is, “No changes to equipment during the last two weeks prior to an event.” Notice that the 65 Mile Tune Up comes right at that boundary. There’s a reason for that. Runners don’t do races in brand new shoes. Every time I’ve ever violated my rule I’ve regretted it. Sometimes a lot.
Plan to ride the 65 miler with the same equipment that you will take on the 200K. If anything needs adjusting, replacing, or simply doesn’t work for you, this will be about your last chance to find that out.
Of course you won’t know what your final clothing choices will be until the day before the ride. It’s still way too early to outguess the weather. But even here, stick to things you know. Select a cool weather set that is tried and true. Pick an intermediate temp set to the same standards. Have a warm weather option lined up too. But the 200K is not the place to try out a brand new pair of shorts, or chamois lube, or sunscreen, or the latest “wonder food.”
Start making your final choices and preps now. Make your final adjustments to your bike. And then leave it be.
The “Lock Down” I refer to in this post’s title is this. It’s close to time to make the final decisions on your equipment. If there is anything major left to be done to your bike or your gear, now is the time to do it.
My hard and fast rule is, “No changes to equipment during the last two weeks prior to an event.” Notice that the 65 Mile Tune Up comes right at that boundary. There’s a reason for that. Runners don’t do races in brand new shoes. Every time I’ve ever violated my rule I’ve regretted it. Sometimes a lot.
Plan to ride the 65 miler with the same equipment that you will take on the 200K. If anything needs adjusting, replacing, or simply doesn’t work for you, this will be about your last chance to find that out.
Of course you won’t know what your final clothing choices will be until the day before the ride. It’s still way too early to outguess the weather. But even here, stick to things you know. Select a cool weather set that is tried and true. Pick an intermediate temp set to the same standards. Have a warm weather option lined up too. But the 200K is not the place to try out a brand new pair of shorts, or chamois lube, or sunscreen, or the latest “wonder food.”
Start making your final choices and preps now. Make your final adjustments to your bike. And then leave it be.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
BRAGGING RIGHTS
Once you’ve ridden a “double metric” you’ve gone farther than most “hard core” riders will ever go.
125 miles. Approximately 8 hours riding time.
About 43,000 revolutions of your cranks.
You will climb a mountain before you see lunch.
You’ll spend most of the day laughing.
Someone will assume that because you are on a bicycle, you must be local, and they will ask you for directions to some place you’ve never heard of.
A century (100 miles at one time) is roughly equivalent to a marathon. So a “double metric” is about 1.25 marathons.
Starting in Peachtree City, 125 miles would take you to the south end of Lake Eufala, or to Albany, Georgia.
125 miles is higher than John Glenn’s orbital altitude.
You will burn about 400 calories per hour, or 3200 calories in the day. The normal subsistence level is 1200 to 1500 calories per day. So you will use more than two days energy on the ride.
You won’t burn any fossil fuels doing it.
You may break 40 mph on the descent from the top of Pine Mountain.
And no one in your office will believe a word you say.
125 miles. Approximately 8 hours riding time.
About 43,000 revolutions of your cranks.
You will climb a mountain before you see lunch.
You’ll spend most of the day laughing.
Someone will assume that because you are on a bicycle, you must be local, and they will ask you for directions to some place you’ve never heard of.
A century (100 miles at one time) is roughly equivalent to a marathon. So a “double metric” is about 1.25 marathons.
Starting in Peachtree City, 125 miles would take you to the south end of Lake Eufala, or to Albany, Georgia.
125 miles is higher than John Glenn’s orbital altitude.
You will burn about 400 calories per hour, or 3200 calories in the day. The normal subsistence level is 1200 to 1500 calories per day. So you will use more than two days energy on the ride.
You won’t burn any fossil fuels doing it.
You may break 40 mph on the descent from the top of Pine Mountain.
And no one in your office will believe a word you say.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
HOW’S YOUR PREP GOING?
It’s now under a month until the Audax 200K (YES!), and less than two weeks until the 65 Mile Tune Up Ride.
Let’s do a quick check.
You have selected your bike
You have your bike serviced and in excellent condition
You have brought your bike to me for a pre-ride inspection. (see note on this)
You have identified several clothing sets (for different weather conditions) and inventoried them
You’ve inventoried all of the equipment and spares you will carry
You’ve decided on (and tested) your method of carrying stuff
You have ridden at least one of the Tune Up rides
You have been spending a lot of time riding your bike
You have let me know that you are going.
You have paid me (cash or check) $27.00 for food.
NOTE:
BIKE INSPECTION. Make arrangements to bring your bike to me. I do not charge for this inspection. The idea is to ensure that you are riding something that is safe, and has a reasonable chance of making the trip with no mechanical problems. Of course, you are responsible for any repairs that might be necessary.
ANOTHER NOTE:
I rarely say something like this, but really trim what you are carrying. Don’t carry a lot of unnecessary stuff. It’s heavy, and it will be a long day. Don’t pack tools. I’ll provide a pump, and emergency repair tools. Do carry a couple of spare tubes, and a patch kit.
What else should you consider? Keep riding. Follow a plan. Do the 65 mile Tune Up Ride. Post any questions you might have. Have fun doing it.
Let’s do a quick check.
You have selected your bike
You have your bike serviced and in excellent condition
You have brought your bike to me for a pre-ride inspection. (see note on this)
You have identified several clothing sets (for different weather conditions) and inventoried them
You’ve inventoried all of the equipment and spares you will carry
You’ve decided on (and tested) your method of carrying stuff
You have ridden at least one of the Tune Up rides
You have been spending a lot of time riding your bike
You have let me know that you are going.
You have paid me (cash or check) $27.00 for food.
NOTE:
BIKE INSPECTION. Make arrangements to bring your bike to me. I do not charge for this inspection. The idea is to ensure that you are riding something that is safe, and has a reasonable chance of making the trip with no mechanical problems. Of course, you are responsible for any repairs that might be necessary.
ANOTHER NOTE:
I rarely say something like this, but really trim what you are carrying. Don’t carry a lot of unnecessary stuff. It’s heavy, and it will be a long day. Don’t pack tools. I’ll provide a pump, and emergency repair tools. Do carry a couple of spare tubes, and a patch kit.
What else should you consider? Keep riding. Follow a plan. Do the 65 mile Tune Up Ride. Post any questions you might have. Have fun doing it.
Monday, September 8, 2008
TRAINING ~~ THE HOME STRETCH
If you have been even close to following my training advice up to this point, then you are on track for the Audax Ride. The question then arises, “What training should I do from now until the ride?” Here’s a good general plan. Pay close attention to the advice concerning rest.
Week of September 8 – 14:
Follow Eddy Merckx Advice. “Ride. Lots.” Get in several hour and a half to two hour rides during the week. Let at least two of these be good solid interval workouts. On the weekend – go long! Try to get in a four to five hour ride on one of the days and a three to four hour ride on the other.
Week of September 15 – 21:
Take it Easy. Ride some during the first couple of days, but keep the intensity very, very low. You want to be rested for the 65 mile Tune up on Sunday. Friday, go out for about an hour and just spin easily.
Week of September 22 – 28:
Taper. Get about 8 to 10 hours of riding in. Watch your sleep. Get plenty of rest! Dial the intensity way down. Don’t let any one ride be longer than 4 hours. You are most interested in simply maintaining, staying loose, and being rested, well fueled, and well hydrated.
Week of September 29 – October 4:
REST!!!! Go for no more than two or three rides of less than an hour and a half each, early in the week. Get plenty of sleep. Don’t ride on Thursday or Friday. On Saturday, get up early and eat a good breakfast. IT’S RIDE TIME!
Week of September 8 – 14:
Follow Eddy Merckx Advice. “Ride. Lots.” Get in several hour and a half to two hour rides during the week. Let at least two of these be good solid interval workouts. On the weekend – go long! Try to get in a four to five hour ride on one of the days and a three to four hour ride on the other.
Week of September 15 – 21:
Take it Easy. Ride some during the first couple of days, but keep the intensity very, very low. You want to be rested for the 65 mile Tune up on Sunday. Friday, go out for about an hour and just spin easily.
Week of September 22 – 28:
Taper. Get about 8 to 10 hours of riding in. Watch your sleep. Get plenty of rest! Dial the intensity way down. Don’t let any one ride be longer than 4 hours. You are most interested in simply maintaining, staying loose, and being rested, well fueled, and well hydrated.
Week of September 29 – October 4:
REST!!!! Go for no more than two or three rides of less than an hour and a half each, early in the week. Get plenty of sleep. Don’t ride on Thursday or Friday. On Saturday, get up early and eat a good breakfast. IT’S RIDE TIME!
Friday, September 5, 2008
A BIT OF CONVINCING
Over the years that I’ve been taking people on these Audax Rides, I’ve seen a fair number of folks go farther than they ever had before. A bit less than half the folks who have done one of these things had never done a 100 mile ride before they came out and did a the 125 miler.
Some folks are probably wondering, still, if they are capable. I’ll state right now, that if you can do a 45 mile ride and feel good at the end, then you are capable of doing the full 200K.
Here’s a way to gauge it. Let’s say you are in that last group. You’ve done rides in the 40 to 45 mile range, and you didn’t feel completely used up afterward. Then you should come along on the 65 mile Tune Up Ride. Does a 65 mile ride sound like too much of a stretch? Of course not. It’s less than 50% more than what you have already done. The pace won’t be furious. Other riders will help you along. You’ll make it.
After the 65 mile Tune Up, you (and I) will have a very real appreciation for your ability to complete the 200K. We’ll talk about it then. I won’t hesitate to suggest that you skip the big ride, if that seems warranted. But if you can do the 65 miler, and you don’t feel trashed at the end, then you can do the 200K. After all, it is effectively, just two 65 mile rides in one day.
Here’s why. The 65 mile Tune Up, is deliberately designed to be a bit tougher than the actual Audax 200K. Sure, there’s a mountain in the middle of the 200K, but it’s not that big a mountain. More, the terrain on most of the 200K is much less challenging than the 65 mile Tune Up route.
You don’t have to make your final decision about the 200K until after you’ve ridden the 65 miler.
Next week, I’ll post some training guidelines for the last two weeks prior to the Tune Up.
Now, go get on your bike and… Have a great weekend!
Some folks are probably wondering, still, if they are capable. I’ll state right now, that if you can do a 45 mile ride and feel good at the end, then you are capable of doing the full 200K.
Here’s a way to gauge it. Let’s say you are in that last group. You’ve done rides in the 40 to 45 mile range, and you didn’t feel completely used up afterward. Then you should come along on the 65 mile Tune Up Ride. Does a 65 mile ride sound like too much of a stretch? Of course not. It’s less than 50% more than what you have already done. The pace won’t be furious. Other riders will help you along. You’ll make it.
After the 65 mile Tune Up, you (and I) will have a very real appreciation for your ability to complete the 200K. We’ll talk about it then. I won’t hesitate to suggest that you skip the big ride, if that seems warranted. But if you can do the 65 miler, and you don’t feel trashed at the end, then you can do the 200K. After all, it is effectively, just two 65 mile rides in one day.
Here’s why. The 65 mile Tune Up, is deliberately designed to be a bit tougher than the actual Audax 200K. Sure, there’s a mountain in the middle of the 200K, but it’s not that big a mountain. More, the terrain on most of the 200K is much less challenging than the 65 mile Tune Up route.
You don’t have to make your final decision about the 200K until after you’ve ridden the 65 miler.
Next week, I’ll post some training guidelines for the last two weeks prior to the Tune Up.
Now, go get on your bike and… Have a great weekend!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
MENTAL PREPARATION
Cycling is a mental sport. Have you heard that before? How about, “This stuff is 90% mental”? It’s not possible to spend much time around cycling without hearing something to that effect. There’s a lot of truth to those statements. But they are also understatements.
Let’s set aside, for the moment, questions about equipment. Of course there is the training aspect of riding, particularly endurance riding. That plays to the physical side of the ride. There is also an emotional dimension. And finally, in the driver’s seat, there is the mental aspect.
The mental, physical, and emotional dimensions of a rider all come into play on a long ride. All of these tend to (pardon the pun) cycle up and down as the ride progresses. When all three are high, and the equipment is working, life is good. For that matter, if mental, physical, and emotional states are high, it doesn’t matter if the equipment is working poorly, or the weather is foul, the rider is having a good time. Cool.
Let’s talk for a moment, about how these various internal states interact during a ride. In the beginning the rider feels physically refreshed, but often oddly lazy or “wooden legged.” Mentally the ride is alert. Depending on personality and experience, the rider might feel a bit apprehensive, or eager. Emotionally, the beginning of the ride could be anything from “day before Christmas” excitement to “going to the gallows” dread.
As the ride moves into the early stages, the body warms and adjusts to the task. The laziness disappears, and the body begins to operate smoothly. Physically we feel good. This contributes to a positive emotional state, and the mental state benefits.
However, as the day wears on, things begin to change. The body starts to fatigue. Possibly an area of discomfort (Shoes pinch, the saddle feels wrong, a hand gets tingly) begins to be apparent. The mental side becomes aware of these things. This may trigger an emotional reaction. But then another rider tells a joke, or a pretty view comes by, or a good descent occurs, and the emotions rise.
Like the old theory of biorhythms, these three dimensions fluctuate. When all three trend down, things aren’t going well. The rider will feel bad, and getting worse. On any ride of considerable distance, this will happen. It feels awful! How does one go on?
Part of the trick is to be prepared for it. Just about all cyclists will experience one of these “triple lows” somewhere 65 miles and 80 miles into a ride. Forewarned is the first step in preparation. Expect to experience a low spot. Prepare for it. Understanding that it will pass, helps enormously.
Then too, it’s possible to head these things off. I like to arrange to stop a bit before the trouble spots. I get off the bike, eat something, and change my socks. Presto! Life is good.
Whatever your trick is, remember this, Almost everyting will get better if you just keep riding. You can slow down. You can take a break. You can sing a song. You can exchange jokes with other riders. Just keep riding.
Also, remember, the mental aspect is primary. You can think your way out of a bad situation. Your mental processes are able to consciously select which emotional responses you will have to a given circumstance. It’s easy to focus all our mental energy on dwelling on how bad it feels. Suddenly the minor discomfort becomes the biggest thing in the universe. It can get there if allowed to. Or, you can decide to laugh at your discomfort and keep pedaling. You are stronger than you know. Look at the magnificent sky, breath the air. Think about the joy and freedom of the moment. Listen to another rider’s story, or tell one yourself.
Suddenly you realize that, you don’t feel so bad after all, and you have ridden 20 miles past the point where you thought it was all coming to an end.
The mind is a powerful thing.
Let’s set aside, for the moment, questions about equipment. Of course there is the training aspect of riding, particularly endurance riding. That plays to the physical side of the ride. There is also an emotional dimension. And finally, in the driver’s seat, there is the mental aspect.
The mental, physical, and emotional dimensions of a rider all come into play on a long ride. All of these tend to (pardon the pun) cycle up and down as the ride progresses. When all three are high, and the equipment is working, life is good. For that matter, if mental, physical, and emotional states are high, it doesn’t matter if the equipment is working poorly, or the weather is foul, the rider is having a good time. Cool.
Let’s talk for a moment, about how these various internal states interact during a ride. In the beginning the rider feels physically refreshed, but often oddly lazy or “wooden legged.” Mentally the ride is alert. Depending on personality and experience, the rider might feel a bit apprehensive, or eager. Emotionally, the beginning of the ride could be anything from “day before Christmas” excitement to “going to the gallows” dread.
As the ride moves into the early stages, the body warms and adjusts to the task. The laziness disappears, and the body begins to operate smoothly. Physically we feel good. This contributes to a positive emotional state, and the mental state benefits.
However, as the day wears on, things begin to change. The body starts to fatigue. Possibly an area of discomfort (Shoes pinch, the saddle feels wrong, a hand gets tingly) begins to be apparent. The mental side becomes aware of these things. This may trigger an emotional reaction. But then another rider tells a joke, or a pretty view comes by, or a good descent occurs, and the emotions rise.
Like the old theory of biorhythms, these three dimensions fluctuate. When all three trend down, things aren’t going well. The rider will feel bad, and getting worse. On any ride of considerable distance, this will happen. It feels awful! How does one go on?
Part of the trick is to be prepared for it. Just about all cyclists will experience one of these “triple lows” somewhere 65 miles and 80 miles into a ride. Forewarned is the first step in preparation. Expect to experience a low spot. Prepare for it. Understanding that it will pass, helps enormously.
Then too, it’s possible to head these things off. I like to arrange to stop a bit before the trouble spots. I get off the bike, eat something, and change my socks. Presto! Life is good.
Whatever your trick is, remember this, Almost everyting will get better if you just keep riding. You can slow down. You can take a break. You can sing a song. You can exchange jokes with other riders. Just keep riding.
Also, remember, the mental aspect is primary. You can think your way out of a bad situation. Your mental processes are able to consciously select which emotional responses you will have to a given circumstance. It’s easy to focus all our mental energy on dwelling on how bad it feels. Suddenly the minor discomfort becomes the biggest thing in the universe. It can get there if allowed to. Or, you can decide to laugh at your discomfort and keep pedaling. You are stronger than you know. Look at the magnificent sky, breath the air. Think about the joy and freedom of the moment. Listen to another rider’s story, or tell one yourself.
Suddenly you realize that, you don’t feel so bad after all, and you have ridden 20 miles past the point where you thought it was all coming to an end.
The mind is a powerful thing.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
NAVIGATION
Simply put, “How do I find my way around this route?” The primary navigation tool in randonneuring is the “cuesheet.” You find these at charity rides too. A cuesheet is a written series of directions to guide a rider along a predetermined route. Reading a cuesheet is possibly the most important and useful skill any distance cyclist can learn.
Before I go any farther with this discussion, let me state this. You will not need to do any navigation on our Audax Tune Up rides, or on the 200K Audax Ride. We will keep you “on route.” You will be riding with me, and other experienced riders who know the route, and the surrounding territory well. You may, with confidence, leave the navigation to us.
But if you are interested in randonneuring, or simply want to be a little more self-sufficient, then learning to navigate is worthwile.
In aid of this, I will provide cuesheets to any rider who wishes one, on the day of the ride. How does this help? Please read on.
Cuesheets tend to vary, but there are some fairly standard features. They are usually set up in columns. There will be a “Leg” or “segment” column, which will tell you how many miles to go from the last turn to the next. There will be a “cumulative” column, which will tell you how many miles it is overall from the start to a given point. There is usually a “direction” or “cue” column, which tells you what to do, i.e. RT for right turn, LT for left turn, etc. And there is a “comments” or “directions” column. This last will identify street names, landmarks, and special information.
Navigating by cuesheet is actually fairly simple. You will need a good cycle computer, that is accurately calibrated for you bicycle. It helps to have some kind of cuesheet holder. This can be as simple as a baggie, with the cuesheet folded inside it. The baggie trick works well. One technique is to slip the baggie into one of the legs of your shorts. There are, of course, any number of commercially available map and cuesheet holders, which mount on your bike’s handlebars.
A great way to begin doing this kind of navigation, is to come out on the Tune Up Ride, get a cuesheet at the start, and follow along with the ride leader as we do the route. This is also a time to ask questions about navigating by cue.
There are any number of routes available in cuesheet format. Once you are comfortable with the techniques, you can start exploring some of them. This makes you even more independent.
Come on out and try it.
Before I go any farther with this discussion, let me state this. You will not need to do any navigation on our Audax Tune Up rides, or on the 200K Audax Ride. We will keep you “on route.” You will be riding with me, and other experienced riders who know the route, and the surrounding territory well. You may, with confidence, leave the navigation to us.
But if you are interested in randonneuring, or simply want to be a little more self-sufficient, then learning to navigate is worthwile.
In aid of this, I will provide cuesheets to any rider who wishes one, on the day of the ride. How does this help? Please read on.
Cuesheets tend to vary, but there are some fairly standard features. They are usually set up in columns. There will be a “Leg” or “segment” column, which will tell you how many miles to go from the last turn to the next. There will be a “cumulative” column, which will tell you how many miles it is overall from the start to a given point. There is usually a “direction” or “cue” column, which tells you what to do, i.e. RT for right turn, LT for left turn, etc. And there is a “comments” or “directions” column. This last will identify street names, landmarks, and special information.
Navigating by cuesheet is actually fairly simple. You will need a good cycle computer, that is accurately calibrated for you bicycle. It helps to have some kind of cuesheet holder. This can be as simple as a baggie, with the cuesheet folded inside it. The baggie trick works well. One technique is to slip the baggie into one of the legs of your shorts. There are, of course, any number of commercially available map and cuesheet holders, which mount on your bike’s handlebars.
A great way to begin doing this kind of navigation, is to come out on the Tune Up Ride, get a cuesheet at the start, and follow along with the ride leader as we do the route. This is also a time to ask questions about navigating by cue.
There are any number of routes available in cuesheet format. Once you are comfortable with the techniques, you can start exploring some of them. This makes you even more independent.
Come on out and try it.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
OF (NOT SO) HIDDEN AGENDAS
In an earlier post I mentioned that one of my reasons for putting these rides together is to introduce folks to the sport of Randonneuring.
From the Randonneurs USA website http://www.rusa.org/
Randonneuring is long-distance unsupported endurance cycling. This style of riding is non-competitive in nature, and self-sufficiency is paramount. When riders participate in randonneuring events, they are part of a long tradition that goes back to the beginning of the sport of cycling in France and Italy. Friendly camaraderie, not competition, is the hallmark of randonneuring.
One of the keywords in that definition is “unsupported.” The idea is that each rider will prepare to support themselves. That means no SAG wagons, usually no paint on the roads, no easy way to abandon the ride. Each rider is responsible for themselves.
One of the cornerstones of randonneuring, is a series of events called “brevets.” In a brevet, the riders follow a predetermined course, stopping at checkpoints (called “controles”) to have their presence and time verified on a “brevet card.” All of this is done inside of a strict time. While times are kept, participants results are listed alphabetically, not by time. These are strictly non-competitive events. Any rider who finishes the event is considered to be just as good as any other, regardless of the time.
On a 200K brevet, the time allowed to complete the course is 13 hours and 30 minutes.
Hmm. This sounds familiar. Our Audax Ride is a 200 kilometer event. More, we’ll finish in well under that 13.5 hour time span.
Randonneuring is fun. It’s challenging. It might just be for you. This series of rides is a low risk way to sample the sport. Come join us.
From the Randonneurs USA website http://www.rusa.org/
Randonneuring is long-distance unsupported endurance cycling. This style of riding is non-competitive in nature, and self-sufficiency is paramount. When riders participate in randonneuring events, they are part of a long tradition that goes back to the beginning of the sport of cycling in France and Italy. Friendly camaraderie, not competition, is the hallmark of randonneuring.
One of the keywords in that definition is “unsupported.” The idea is that each rider will prepare to support themselves. That means no SAG wagons, usually no paint on the roads, no easy way to abandon the ride. Each rider is responsible for themselves.
One of the cornerstones of randonneuring, is a series of events called “brevets.” In a brevet, the riders follow a predetermined course, stopping at checkpoints (called “controles”) to have their presence and time verified on a “brevet card.” All of this is done inside of a strict time. While times are kept, participants results are listed alphabetically, not by time. These are strictly non-competitive events. Any rider who finishes the event is considered to be just as good as any other, regardless of the time.
On a 200K brevet, the time allowed to complete the course is 13 hours and 30 minutes.
Hmm. This sounds familiar. Our Audax Ride is a 200 kilometer event. More, we’ll finish in well under that 13.5 hour time span.
Randonneuring is fun. It’s challenging. It might just be for you. This series of rides is a low risk way to sample the sport. Come join us.
Monday, September 1, 2008
COUNT DOWN
We're getting closer to the days:
20 days until the 65 Mile Tune Up Ride ~~ Sept. 21, 2008
33 days until the Audax Ride ~~ Oct. 4, 2008
Have a happy and safe Holiday.
20 days until the 65 Mile Tune Up Ride ~~ Sept. 21, 2008
33 days until the Audax Ride ~~ Oct. 4, 2008
Have a happy and safe Holiday.
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