More Struggles

If it wasn't for bad luck............

Needing miles, I decided to try an early 50 mile sprint, knowing full well it was a holiday weekend.  After getting through some hill sprints, I set out for East Huntsville.  I jumped on a group of four guys for a while but got a little nervous (make that a lot) when they couldn't seem to keep a straight line on a busy highway.  After a few miles, I dropped them and headed up SR 39 toward the State Road Shed.  Having to slow way down for an event in that area, I was at the mercy of traffic when trying to keep good time.  Out around the point, traffic was already getting busy - perhaps a bad idea.  The plan was to double back, making for an even 50 miles.

At about 38 miles, I noticed a former co-worker walking around his yard as I was passing his house.  He's in the fight of his life, trying to beat the big-C.  I thought I'd stop by and perhaps give him a little encouragement.  After about 10 minutes, I was back on the road but had a flat tire on the front before I could even get going.  Simple enough - most of the time.  This time, not so lucky.  After installing the new tube, my CO2 head adapter wouldn't work.  Basically, I was out of luck.  After calling for a bailout, I proceeded to walk (barefoot) to the designated pickup spot.  With the CO2 adapter head still connected, I was fiddling around with it hoping the trigger would free-up.  That was until it exploded in my hand!  Crazy, but not hurt.

After getting home, I looked at how risky it actually was to ride Monte alone.  Had that happened then, I'd really been cooked.  After making a few adjustments and re-tooling with the backup gear, I'll give the same ride a try again in the morning.

I think I've isolated that persisting noise (from the last two years) down to my rear wheelset.  I'll know better tomorrow, as I'm riding on another Bontrager Race X-Lite with a different cassette.   At least for 38 miles, it ran quite.  The real test will be the final 4 miles at the end.  Hopefully, that is the problem.  We'll see tomorrow.

Try a little Dave Mathews. Where are you going?

Keep fighting Zeke!  We're pulling for ya.

Monte Cristo

The first good ride of the season - FINALLY!

Note the elevation on the sign.  The Garmin said I peaked at 9,030 feet this morning.  Thin air!

Man, it's been a tough year.  Between work and other commitments, it's just been hard to get on the road.  It was time for a good ride, if for no other reason than to find out what I could really do.

Monte is a favorite, but it always has a price.  Today was 84+ miles, just under 5,200 feet of climbing and a meager 4,100 calories.  Overall, not a bad morning ride.  I hit key markers about where I should, even when I'd otherwise have more miles under my belt for the year.  I was able to manage the nutrition well enough to not have any problems there either.  Hitting the campground in just a shade over 3 hours, without much effort, was a solid indicator.

I only stopped to get a little water, snap this picture and one stop on the descent to stretch.  Right after this picture, I caught a pretty good rain storm and just kept riding.  Kind of stupid; at 8,500 feet, no rain gear and all by my self.  Brilliant! The road was wet enough, throwing rooster-tails, I couldn't really open it up.  Rather, I had a death-grip on the bars, holding to under 25 MPH, where normally it would be 42 - 44 MPH.  At Ant-Flat road, I had to stop to let my hands get some feeling and stretch.  Immediately back in the rain, I had the same thing for the next 10 miles.  By Red Cliff, I couldn't feel my hands again but just kept going.  By South Fork Camp Ground, the road was dry enough to let it go.  At that point, it was kind of too late.  Still, only 5 minutes of total stop time, for a nearly 6-hour ride - not too bad, just too long.  I'll take it.

I go back a long way with Monte Cristo.  Riding it is seldom an easy push and always hurts.  Still, there is something about that ride that just makes things right - at least for the moment.  I was lucky to not have the heat, but even in the worst of conditions, it makes me feel free.  No phone service, little traffic, thin air and never-ending vistas if you can get high enough.

I guess you'd have to be there..................

Speaking of being free...... it's been 40 years since we lost the best soul guitar of all time.

The Great Terry Kath

Ride HARD!

Pushing the Bonk

Progress in larger blocks.....

What started out as a fairly warm day, suddenly turned a little cool by the time I got the road bike out.  Normally by now I' stringing a bunch of little rides together, with little if any stress.  Alo by now I've got at least one full century in the books - albeit an easy one at that.  Morning workouts and mountain bike rides when time is otherwise limited, has really helped.  Tonight, I set my sights on SR39, heading toward Monte Cristo.  As late as the start may have been, I still managed to get a solid 50 miles, turning at just over 6,000 feet.  

I didn't wear the Garmin, but I know it pretty well.  I estimate the total climb to be around 2,000 feet - start to finish.  Roughly 3 hours, without a stop at a fairly constant rate, I'd put it over 1800 calories, maybe over 2000 calories.  Just long enough that I caught the very front end of the "Bonk" just as I rolled into the garage.  I couldn't have planned it any better.  This means I was right to the very threshold and was pushing it just past my limits.  This is good.  I'll need to do this a dozen more times in the next two months, with a bunch of miles in between.  Not easy.

Still, commitments that are taking my time, including a business trip.  Fortunately, my foot is good enough to start doing hotel gym workouts.  The next two weeks are critical, with key milestones.

Stay tuned.......

'79 was a pretty good year - Carlos

Ride HARD!

Schedules and Demands

It seems to be getting harder...........

The above elevations are of a pretty good training ride.  You can see the grades I have to overcome when heading home every time, but check out the spoke bender in the middle.  Tha's right above the spillway at Causey reservoir.  I have literally busted spokes on that climb.  All things considered, the overall 48-mile ride wasn't too bad considering the circumstances.  Another week and I'll be onto some longer sustained climbs.

Scheduling is becoming a problem.  Everyone has demands and it just doesn't seem to be getting any better.  Add to that, the heat........  I need a solid four weeks and I'm not sure how I'll make it happen.  Add to all of this the lack of traction in fundraising.  It's getting pretty depressing.  I'll figure it out.  Until then, I really need to focus and be diligent.  Right now would be very easy to throw in the towel, but that ain't gonna happen.  Give it another week and I'll have an improvised plan.

Until then, the updates will continue to be sparse, as I have a ton of commitments in the next ten days.  Until then................

Listen to the music

Ride HARD!

This is gong to take a while..............

Slow going

Finally, a road ride.  I tired an assessment ride earlier in the week - 41 miles in the heat and wind.  2.5 hours without stopping and it was a struggle.  Normally by now, I can ride a solid 3+ hours at rate, without stopping, but not this year.  The one-hour mountain rides have resulted in some leg strength and a little stamina, but not much in overall endurance.  Still, it is progress.

Having problems standing.  Some pressure on the forward center part of my right foot really slows me down.  After stopping, the very place in the ankle where the break was, begins to ache.  Gettin on the road bike was very foreign, but it kind of came back after an hour.  Overall times for the first 90 minutes was about where I'd expect.  The overall performance was pretty weak.

Fundraising isn't happening at anywhere near the rate I'd hoped.  I supposed I'll have to try something a little different.  I'm about half of what I'd planned.  Must mean execution is lacking, or my plan was bad.  Need to figure it out - soon.

461 always takes me back.  This one is kind of easy. Click here Clapton - "Please be with me"

I'm trying - Ride HARD

Slow Going

Still, no road miles......

A combination of weather, road traffic, and schedule have made it hard to get back on the road bike. Mixing it up on the mountain bike is making for some pretty good cardio, with a little leg strength, but I need to get used to the road saddle.  Normally by this time of an average year, I can manage a 42-mile loop without having to stop.  Endurance is one thing, but there is always a little "learning curve" when overcoming posture fatigue.  It'll come.

The training schedule will definitely be different this year as Trappers Loop will be under construction all summer.  This will mean limited rides to East Canyon and Morgan, but worst of all, my regular late season rides to Snow Basin will likely get cut back.  Generally, by about August, I can do a quick 50-something mile with a few thousand feet of climbing - all before going to work.  I'll figure something out.

Speaking of work, that place is really starting to get to me.  After a long day at the office today, I really couldn't muster the interest in another dirt ride.  After all, I seem to be losing ground.  It was too windy with a chance of rain, to consider a road ride.  After having my tail kicked at the office today (again), I decided I needed a little break.  Being ups since 03:00 didn't help much either.  A good hour on the spin bike was suitable for the occasion.  I did a little routine this morning as well, but nothing too hard.  Tonight was basically speed intervals.  I've been asked what I listen to when riding the spin bike.  It all depends; if you need a way fast cadence - MotorHead.  If you need a super fast cadence - throw in a little "Girl School" with MotorHead.  Truth is, I can only take so much MotorHead (sorry Lemmy).  Generally, I just leave it on shuffle and take what comes along.  Spinning is spinning.

Way back, I used to spend my evenings over at the football field, kicking a bag of footballs.  I'd then do a pretty intense stair workout.  By the time I'd walk home, it would be dark.  I'd be so worked up from the intense stair workout, I often couldn't sleep for hours.  Back in the day when FM radio was the "thing" I'd catch a station that didn't have any commercials and would play the deepest tracks. There for hours, or so it seems, listening to the very low volume, crystal clear signal, that seemed to be from somewhere far away.  You could listen for weeks on end and never hear the same thing twice.  Funny; as complicated as things seemed to be at that time, they were truly simple times.  There is this one number by Peter Green (before he lost it) that was almost haunting.  Funny thing, it was never cut in multi-track, which made it even more mysterious - in a way.

Click and listen to the entire Part one and two.....

 Ride HARD!

Progress

More trail riding................

Usually, by now, I've been stacking 40+ mile road-rides.  Weather and other factors are not working in my favor.  So...........more dirt riding.  That said, the trails are pretty good and getting a pretty good workout, albeit kind of short.  What I miss on time, I try to make up on the spin bike with regular interval sessions.  That with some other conditioning sessions seem to be helping.  The key is that every minute has to count.  Using the Garmin keeps it honest.  What I lack in time can be made up in intensity.

The flipper feels better some days than others.  Finally able to stand and pedal, but can't really sprint - yet.

Took a look at some Youtube stuff from 2018 True Grit.  Kind of a bummer, but looking at the terrain, I could have easily crashed much worse there than where I did.  Small consolation.  Still, it made me pretty anxious to do it next year.  That with other little things, here and there, seems to get me going - but I've got a long way to go.

The campaign should kick-off in earnest this week.  Just waiting for a few things from the printers and then.....................

Here's a little something I ran across a while ago. Click to enjoy a little IZ - RIP Bro............

Pain is temporary.  Ride HARD!