A long way to go

Finding the way back......inspiration!

It's been a banner week.  Support for the "porpoise" is getting some great traction.  This couldn't have come along at a better time.  Everything seems somehow connected and can either make or break the overall effort.  State of mind is the single largest factor and having support - it's all the difference in the world.

I got back in town from a quick, action-packed visit to see my friends in Michigan.  Those guys are the greatest and I really enjoy working with them.  Taking time out of my schedule this time of any year is painful, but these guys are pretty good about allowing me to be flexible and work straight through.  Straight off the airplane and back to the office, so no riding until Wednesday morning.

I made a few changes to the wheelset, with a new rear cassette and different tires,  These tires are a tad wider, with a lower running pressure. They are also siped for crappy conditions.  A little heavy, but good for training.  Construction over on 162 (chip-seal) pushed me onto the pedestrian path, with all the garbage that makes it a bad place to ride.  The ride out was a series of intervals, 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off.  The overall pace was pretty good out to the midway point.  The ride back was more constant and deliberate.  About 3 miles from home my front tire flatted.  I'm sure it was a slow pinch flat from garbage on the pedestrian path.  It wasn't the best of rides, but it fulfilled the purpose.

This morning was obviously not going to be productive, so I deferred and did a solid dirt ride tonight.  Quite a few people on the trail, but still able to get a good burn for about an hour-twenty.  Overall leg strength is not bad, considering some of the problems.  Endurance is a serious problem and will take some specific rides to get over that problem.  Fifty miles out and back only go for three hours.  I need to make a couple solid rides back to monte, but cut it down to five hours and change.  And then there is Woodruff........................

We'll see what conditions are like in the morning.  Every day has to count and there is no room for do-overs at this point.

Check out the donors on the HHH Tab

These guys have really given me the inspiration I needed to get my head screwed on straight.  This is what the "porpoise" is really all about.

"Find your way back"

Ride HARD!

The Wrong Ride for the Wrong Day

Megga Bonk!

It seemed like a good idea at the time, but I should have followed my intuition and turn back at the top.

I was convinced I was ready to ride Woodruff, a tough ride pretty much any time, but add the wind and heat............it's pretty rough.  Getting to the top of Monte was a little slower than I'd like, but I thought I was keeping some in the tank for the ride back.  At Woodruff, I made a fairly quick turn after getting some Poweraid and a little fuel.  As is typical, the cross and head-winds where pretty stiff.  Add the solar exposure and the blasted heat - it really baked me.  At about the halfway point, I was spent.  It took me double what I had expected.  All that did was make it worse.  I should have either pushed it hard, or went back to Woodruff for a bailout.  On the way down Monte, I was fading fast.  It was getting pretty dangerous, so I had to keep stopping.  Finally at around MP 30, I couldn't go any more.  I was in serious trouble and not less than 5 miles from cell service.  A guy driving by swung back, as he could tell I was bad off.  He was generous enough to haul me down to Etta Baker's vet clinic, at about MP 22.  From there I called for a ride. Call it 101 miles the absolute hardest way.

 

I've bonked before.  Generally about once a year.  I've never been like this though.  Maybe it was knowing I had no cell service, or that I let it get into my head.  Regardless, it was as bad as I can remember.

The body can do amazing things when your mind doesn't interfere.  If you start acting defeated, than defeated you shall eventually become.  Doing things like not eating and properly hydrating only makes it worse.  Admittedly, I was a bit apprehensive about trying Woodruff, but I had to get it under my belt sooner, rather than later.  I started thinking about how I thought it hurt, when it really didn't.  I started to act fatigued, when I should have known better.  I held back, when I thought I needed to save something.  It was all stupid and now I'm paying.  I'm burned, weak and demoralized.

I've got to head out to Michigan Sunday afternoon.  I'll be back Tuesday, so I'll be off the bike.  It won't be much of a rest, as it'll be about a week's worth of work in one day.  Between now and then, I'm being dragged around in the heat and close quarters.  I need some relief and a little rest, but there is no time.

It can't put this one down. Headed back.........soon.  The Sisters - Love Hurts

Ride HARD!

Pie & Beer Day

Pioneer Day - recovery ride

The "World Famous" (literally) Shooting-Star Saloon, Huntsville, Utah.  A few years ago, they had a big banner on the side of the building for Pioneer Days, that said "Pie & Beer Days".  Kind of a "gentile" spoof.

Yesterday was a very good 51-mile tempo ride.  A couple hill sprints and a serious spoke bender at the end, made for a darn good morning.  A pretty good burn in the legs and nothing to eat prior to, or during the three-hour event was exactly what was needed.  

This morning was a moderately paced recovery ride.  Call it 33 miles.  There were a couple times I wanted to jump on it hard, but soon realized I needed to back-off.  Again, nothing to eat prior to, or during the ride left me feeling a tad weak after.    Still, pretty good.

There is a lot to make up for what has been lost earlier.  On top of that, fundraising has stalled.  No bueno.

Tomorrow needs to be a complete rest day, with something considerable for Thursday.  We'll see.....

Something a bit random........Steve Marriott - 30 Days in the hole

Ride HARD!

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!