Woodruff

Right Day for the Right Ride

A Gift

Monte Cristo by itself is always tough.  Add Woodruff to the mix and now you have a real ride.  The elevation shown above is to the west end of Woodruff.  The distance to the store is 64 miles, spot-on.  According to this, the climb up is 4,259 feet.  The descent is 3,510.  Considering I have to climb from the other way, you're looking at something like 7,800 feet climbing for the day  For the  record, the ride didn't take me 6 hours and 17 minutes (one way), but more like 4 hours 18 minutes - still slower than I'd like.

Today was ideal for making this ride a success.  At 06:30, the local temperature was only 52°, with the temperature in Woodruff 44°.  The forecast was a chance of afternoon thunder showers between the top of Monte and Woodruff, but I was planning on being over the top before then.  By the time I got to the Camp Ground near MP 48, I was convinced that these conditions were too good to pass-up going all the way over.  I've made this same ride before, only to turn back at the Camp Ground (the right edge of the flat spot shown at the peak elevation) due to thunderstorms, or simply too hot.  Today was a gift, and I was going to make the most of it.

An Oasis in the Mountains

Getting to Woodruff on a bike is no easy task.  Today was nice in that traffic was pretty low most of the way.  On any day, rolling into the Woodruff Store after a hard climb (and crazy fast descent), is without a doubt like finding an oasis in the mountains.  Today I was pleased to have spent time talking to a few of the locals, about almost anything.  There are places you might roll into only to find people.........less than happy you are riding through their town.  That is certainly not the case in Woodruff, in fact quite opposite.  They are perhaps the most friendly of all the places I have chance to visit - anywhere.  Their beautiful community is not large, nor opulent, but to me it is a corner of heaven. I love it.

Along with the most pleasant surroundings and people, I regularly seem to run into people from my past.  Last year I happened into a guy I knew in college.  Today I ran across a former fellow employee.  Maybe its just me, but I always enjoy this place.  Thanks for your hospitality and great support!

A hurt you simply can't live without

This ride is always tough.  It is long and requires some mental toughness to get through - at least for me.  Today was no different.  Getting to Woodruff was a pretty good push, but I felt okay once I got over the top.  The last few miles into town seemed to go on forever - only because I wanted the break. While I was enjoying my Snickers Bar and shot of caffeine and sugar (serious road biking energy), a little storm passed through.  When I got back on the road, I noticed some pretty dark clouds looking to pass between me and Monte.  As I rode on, there was an occasional "spritz" shower that was actually kind of nice.  About ten miles out of town I could hear thunder.  By this time I was too far to go back and need to get over the top quickly, but I was still a good twelve miles from the top and a helluva climb still to go.  As the rain got a little harder, I could see up on the mountain (where I was going) a pretty good down-pour.  As I would pass each little bush, I would consider it for a shelter, but continued to drive on.  Soon, the head winds were strong enough to hold be to about 4.5 miles an hour - ridiculous!  Knowing that I had the big open hill of about 2 + miles at 7%, without anything to duck under (and being the most likely target for lightning), I made the bad choice to pull off and duck out of the driving rain for a minute.. That was not only a waste, but a big mistake.  After about ten minutes I decided I needed to just get up the road as fast as I could.  Jumping back on the bike, I didn't wipe my tires off, from the debris I had been in, on the side of the road (idiot!).  A couple miles up the road and now well into the open area, I noticed my rear tire going flat (picked up something on the stop).  Maybe ten minutes and I was back on the road.  The problem with flats like this is you never get the air pressure where you need it.  Too much and you pop the tire, not enough and you have more rolling resistance and risk "pinch" flats.  Making sure to find and remove the puncture object, I got the pressure where I though it was safe, given the advantage of running 25mm wide tires.  The grind was on, but without most of the rain, just a terrible head-wind.  At MP 49, I was back into some high easy rollers. A quick stop at the Guard Station for a picture and time to get home.

From about MP 49, it's all in the big ring, even with the wind.  From just before MP 44, it's "bomb city".  Going across the near flat (okay, 3%) at Little Monte, though MP 43, I was down behind the bars at 45 MPH.  From there, it is a series of straights and turns, driving at times at 35 MPH around curves.  Down past the snowmobile parking area, it's like warp factor-nine.  All the while you just can't seem to get down fast enough.  By the time you're at Red Cliff (Cafe), doing 20 MPH feels like your are standing still.  By now, you are paying the price for burning everything earlier. With heavier traffic than I like in South Fork Canyon, I chose to divert at MP 22 around past the Monastery and down to Huntsville.  With 116 miles and more traffic than I like, I called for a bailout at Huntsville. A satisfactory ride in the books.

I love this ride.  It is hard - way hard!, but there is something about Monte that just takes me back.  Woodruff is great and I lament every time I turn away at the top, rather than going down.  Once you start, you are committed.  I've had some less than good experiences climbing back, but when I clear the top, I'm always glad I decided to go all the way to Woodruff.  By the time I get to Huntsville, I'm completely wasted.  This ride is perfect for a LOTOJA training ride.  Lots of climbing, steep grades and significant elevation.  It hurts - a lot, but I love it all the same.

Going up this morning, it was Eric and Dwayne in my mind.  Coming over the top, going back home it was Floyd. You decide.

Eric with the great Dwayne - Slide on!

The Great Floyd Tillman - It Hurts...........

Baby..... Ride Hard!

The Dirt..............

Mountain Bike Time

An unpredictable work schedule has thrown a wrench into the great plan.  Improvisation, again, the order of the day (or week).

The old reliable X2; my mountain bike from about 18 years ago, still a great bike.  Perhaps a little dated, but some excellent components.  True, it's still a 26" (wheel), but for an all aluminum full suspension, it rides pretty good.  Lately the front shock seals have started to leak, but I don't have the time to re-build them.  They still work, just get dirty fast.  I've had that bike more places than most anybody else's bike will ever go.

Tonight I got home a little later than planned, so I waited for the sun to drop behind Willard peak, cooling things off a bit.  Right out of the garage, I zoom down to the middle gate at North Fork Park and took a good 15 minute warm-up ride to a nice single-track trail head.  Usually this late, there aren't many, if any other riders on the trail, so I can benchmark my progress and time.  Conditions were good for an assessment ride.

The trail starts pretty easy, with some minor, fairly short climbs.  Out of the first section and onto a hill to the first set of switchbacks, I default to my bailout gear, with pedals rolled-over (un-clipped). A couple of the turns are pretty sharp, along with a steep grade, the rocks can stop you dead in your tracks.  29er's (29" wheels) can make the rocks a little easier, but this is for training.  All the way up, there are short bursts of intense strain, with heart rates getting into the near 90% range.  Then you have nice little recoveries, spinning along easier grades before the next turn.  The last two switch backs have a couple key places that require a little skill to stay on the bike.  If you're tired, they'll toss you every time.  At the top of the last switchback, there's a little stretch of a constant grade before coming around the face.  There are still a few rocks that can toss you if not careful, but there are also three pretty good spots to get over before the top.  The first is a stretch of rocks on blind turn that you need to hit with some momentum.  Another blind turn and there is a bigger rock.  This takes timing and speed to get over.  Up to this point, I was on the bike all the way.  Tonight I hopped a little to the left side, with the front wheel clearing the rock, but the back wheel right in the wrong place. Trying to keep moving, I rode through the edge of the Gamble Oak, getting a pretty good beating.  The last little rise is much easier than the rock, but still pretty steep, enough that it again will stop the average person.  At the top with only the one interruption, I didn't feel too bad - other than a bunch of scratches down my left forearm.

The ride down is great, assuming you don't have a run-in with a moose.  Tonight was perfect.  Still light enough to see, chased a couple deer and an easy decent.  By the time I was back on the service road, I hadn't seen another person and only a few deer.  The ride was still short of a full hour at rate, so not a good endurance ride.  By the time I hang up the bike in the garage, it's only about an hour and 20 minutes.  It's a pretty good way to work the leg strength with the heart rate, but not much for endurance.  This means another 45 minutes on the spin bike, with some additional conditioning.  Still worth the time.

These are the kinds of rides that can quickly do damage, but the change is good.  I need more road miles and more endurance rides.

Riding with Bob...........Like a Rock.

Ride Hard!

Weather

Weather.............

It's been one of those weeks - again.  Summer storms are a bit unpredictable, but nice all the same.  It has put a slowdown on miles and kind of dampened enthusiasm.  Its hard to keep a focus with all the distraction, but weather can make it more problematic.  I've learned the hard way, riding in bad weather has a lot of consequences.  There are times it is simply unavoidable, but it's best to avoid the issue when possible.  Water and dirt in the small moving parts of the bike create problems down the road, not necessarily when you're in the storm.  The risk of getting sick is also an issue.  Both of these are not immediate and have caused serious problems in the past.

Last night I was completely spent -for who knows why.  This morning was kind of slow getting started, so I took the time to do three hours of a solid speed tempo ride.  Having only been on the road once earlier this week, I had to bridge the gap with the indoor spin bike.  The times at key places this morning were all pretty good, so I don't think I lost too much.  Still, I think I was a little under the weather and needed a little break.

Miles being only one metric, I also track the total hours for a week.  Right now I should be a solid 12 -15 hours each week at an elevated rate.  A long with diet, these are the three keys to watch for the next 5 weeks.  Increasing protein with an increase in hours (and miles) are going to be critical.  Allowing for makeup routines, I can make it work -  if I stay focused.

And then there is the fundraising:  I really haven't even started and time is getting critically close.  What to do/

Couldn't Stand the Weather - Still one of the greatest!

Ride Hard!

Good Climbing

Good climbing is a big part, if not absolutely key to a successful Lotoja ride/race.  Road riding inherently has a lot of suffering and climbing is pretty much............suffering.  Along with building overall strength and endurance, you have to develop a serious tolerance of just flat-out hurt.  Even the little skinny guys suffer, or so I'm told.

Then there is the physics of the matter.  Mass is not your friend when climbing.  Sure, it helps on the descent, but it is far from proportional to the losses in the climb.  Add to that the drag from being a "wide-body" (anyone with shoulders regardless of mass) and there is even more drag.  One year I had a pack of Cat IIIs on my wheel coming off the backside of Strawberry.  At something like 45 MPH, they sat in the draft for a few miles without hardly having to pedal - getting a nice recovery after the 22 mile climb.  As soon as we hit the first small roller, they dropped me like I was a bus (you're welcome).  A simple 10 pounds on a sudden grade of maybe 4% can require a ton of extra effort to stay with the group.  You can only do that so many times before you burn-up your glycogen stores and then the race is pretty much a matter of survival.  Dropping the weight is important, but you've got to have the experience to make it all work.

There is no substitute for hard climbing and the climbing season has only just begun.

It's a long way to the top..............(bag pipes????)

Seriously - Ride Hard!

Assessments -Another week in the books

The key to  a successful ride is support - on all fronts.  Support during training, race prep and of course race day.  Aside from support, you have to just get past everything else and do what you can, regardless of the circumstances.  Attitude is everything.

A fast 40 mile recovery ride yesterday was a confirmation of the brutal ride of the previous day.  The over all times are not what I need at the moment, but not all bad either.  The biggest problem at the moment is definitely attitude, and isn't getting any better.  Just when I think I've made a little headway, there is something else that gets in the way.  It's pretty simple; either it supports the effort, or it doesn't.  Nothing in between.

The way I figure it, I need about five really hard, positive weeks and I can make it.  At this point, there isn't much margin for missed days, or setbacks.  Keep in mind, weather plays a big part in what can be done as well.  I'll give last week a C+, but only for total number of miles.  The over all effort was not acceptable.  Back on the hills tomorrow, or so I think.  For the next few weeks I'll need a healthy balance of strength, endurance and speed.  Too much of one, not enough of the other and ................ you get the picture.  

Wasted days and such.....pathetic. Thanks Freddie.

Ride Hard!

Truth!

And not the great Jeff Beck Album from '68....................

So Wednesday didn't go as planned. Not even close!  A thunderstorm around 2 in the morning started what would be a full day of "life".  I love these early morning storms, but a few of the kids don't - not yet anyway.  Living at the end of a big open canyon makes the thunder resonate and echo.  That with the cool crashing rain................it's better than a Pink Floyd show from the '70's.  Nonetheless, things didn't go nearly as planned.  What should have been a brutal 3 1/2, to 4 hours turned into an hour on the spin bike (indoors).  So today had to be a makeup, with an otherwise brutal ride already scheduled.

East Canyon

The ride to East Canyon is typically a "century" (100 miles).  The turn around is about a mile past this picture, where SR66 ends and meets SR65.  It is beautiful, but it comes with a price.  At about 45 minutes in, you have climb up Trappers Loop, out of the Ogden Valley, with a screaming 6 mile decent into Mountain Green.  From Mountain Green, its up to Peterson and onto Morgan Valley Drive.  Just past Porterville, you catch SR66 for about 8 miles with some deceiving elevations ahead.  Coming back from the turn around, there is 3/4 mile of spoke bending to get back to the top before you start back to Morgan.  Rather than follow Morgan Valley Drive, I normally stay on SR66  into Morgan to get a little water and check my phone for missed calls.  Down the north side of the valley, past Stoddard, through Enterprise (not the one in Southern Utah) and back to Mountain Green to the climb that awaits at Trappers.  Today Trappers owned me.  I know exactly where I stand and it sucks! By the time I got to the top again, I was spent.  Scratch that, I was completely wasted.  The fire department sign a mile before Trappers showed 93° and a head wind to-boot.   It was far from ideal, but a price that had to be paid.  It was the truth!

I should know better than to dilly-dally around when the conditions are good.  An hour earlier and things would have been better.  The bottom line; Trappers owns me and I'd better get it out of my head.

Lets see what tomorrow brings.

The most under rated voice of the era.

Ride Hard!

Minor Change of Plans

Recovery Ride

Improvisation is key, but even more important is making the best choices.

With another early start, the old legs were feeling a little fatigue from yesterday's ride.  With another climb on the schedule, I reconsidered for a fast tempo, recovery ride.  Recovery doesn't mean rest, it simply means a break from what otherwise can hurt you.  I've read a million times the importance of a recovery, but not to confuse it with a rest.  So.........today I made an executive decision to change.

The over all tempo was pretty fast, with key indicators, again, looking pretty good.  A brief  stop out at the point for the above picture and it was otherwise all business.  I've made the mistake before; training more in hills, climbing slow, but not putting the speed into the flats and rollers.  Climbing is critical, but having the quick legs to catch groups and hang-on is essential to finishing Lotoja.  So today was pretty productive.

Tomorrow is a key metric.  Another early ride scheduled, but this one will be about 12 miles of hard climbing, around 60+ miles overall and four hours non-stop.  Gotta be on the road way early, or I'll be cooking the last climb, as well as all the way home.  The climbs are what they are, but I've got to finish with a positive attitude, or I could be setback.

Enjoy "A Cool Change"

Ride Hard!