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Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
This Shit is Hard
Today's Ride: 59 miles, two major climbs (each side of the Middlebury gap)
Another out-and-back, this time over the mountain then back. Climbing sucks, by the way. Both on the way over and on the way back I was going mighty slow, especially coming back. I'm hoping that one of two things happen: 1) I get in ridiculous shape, ridiculously fast, or 2) adrenaline pushes me over the mountains quicker than I'm going now.
So, hoping to help accomplish 1 so that 2 happens easier, tomorrow I'm going to ride the course of the road race of the Green Mountain Stage Race. The course is about 64 miles, but I'm bumping it up to 70 to make it a full loop. It's going the east side of the App Gap, and the west side of the Middlebury gap. It's going to SUCK. But after bonking (hard) with six miles to go, I'll be backing a lot of food, and stopping before the second climb to refill my water. I hope that I don't die, because then I wouldn't get to do the P/1/2 course on Thursday, which is about 107 miles. Game on!
Tomorrow's Ride: 70 miles, East Middlebury to Bristol, over Rt. 17 to Waitsfield, south on 100 to Hancock, back over the Middlebury gap!
Another out-and-back, this time over the mountain then back. Climbing sucks, by the way. Both on the way over and on the way back I was going mighty slow, especially coming back. I'm hoping that one of two things happen: 1) I get in ridiculous shape, ridiculously fast, or 2) adrenaline pushes me over the mountains quicker than I'm going now.
So, hoping to help accomplish 1 so that 2 happens easier, tomorrow I'm going to ride the course of the road race of the Green Mountain Stage Race. The course is about 64 miles, but I'm bumping it up to 70 to make it a full loop. It's going the east side of the App Gap, and the west side of the Middlebury gap. It's going to SUCK. But after bonking (hard) with six miles to go, I'll be backing a lot of food, and stopping before the second climb to refill my water. I hope that I don't die, because then I wouldn't get to do the P/1/2 course on Thursday, which is about 107 miles. Game on!
Tomorrow's Ride: 70 miles, East Middlebury to Bristol, over Rt. 17 to Waitsfield, south on 100 to Hancock, back over the Middlebury gap!
Monday, August 20, 2007
Back.
Today’s Ride: 36 miles, one major climb (East side of the Middlebury Gap)
That’s all today’s ride was, really, was the climb. I got a late start and didn’t have enough time to go down the other side and then come back.
It’s ten days until the start of the Green Mountain Stage Race, and I’m hoping that a solid lead-up of hard work will do some small measure towards making up for the fact that my training fell way off this summer (hence the no blog entries).
I wish I’d been riding more this summer, but what I’ve learned is that I don’t do too well with a lot of free time. I just waste it.
But now I’m back. We’ll see how it goes.
Tomorrow’s Ride: 52 miles, Cornwall to Hancock and back, via Middlebury gap
That’s all today’s ride was, really, was the climb. I got a late start and didn’t have enough time to go down the other side and then come back.
It’s ten days until the start of the Green Mountain Stage Race, and I’m hoping that a solid lead-up of hard work will do some small measure towards making up for the fact that my training fell way off this summer (hence the no blog entries).
I wish I’d been riding more this summer, but what I’ve learned is that I don’t do too well with a lot of free time. I just waste it.
But now I’m back. We’ll see how it goes.
Tomorrow’s Ride: 52 miles, Cornwall to Hancock and back, via Middlebury gap
Monday, June 11, 2007
Saturday's Race and Vermont
Well, I'm not much better at blogging now that I've got extra time, but here's a quick one:
On Saturday morning I left Salisbury, CT with some of my stuff that I'm moving back to Middlebury, VT. I took Rte. 22 to get home, and stopped halfway there in Cambridge, NY, for the Balloon Festival (some big town gathering) which included a road race. I was on the wait list but they gave me a number as soon as I showed up. Money.
It was my first road race ever (only criteriums up to this point) and though I kept telling myself I just wanted to hang in the pack and work hard at the finish, what I really wanted to do was win. So near the end of the first of two 21-mile loops, a break went out and I was in it. We tried to stay away but got caught (pretty quickly actually, I realize now we weren't going very fast) and then it was a pack again.
That was, until about 5 miles from the finish at the one big climb (about one mile, not too bad for 2/3 of a mile and then very steep for the last little bit) when everything got strung out. I was not in very good shape and lost the leaders very quickly, and figured that I was essentially done for. But then I realized that most everyone else was cooked too, and so I found a little extra gas. After I crested the hill (in 12th or 13th place) I started working hard, and managed to pass a great deal of the field to finish 5th.
It was a good first experience with a road race, and I now know that I need to at least be good enough at climbing that I don't put myself out of contention. So yesterday I climbed over the Middlebury gap (HARD for me) and back. Tomorrow I'll go 75-80 miles and over the mountains again. Hard work, but it's made easier by the fact that my prize for finishing 5th was a big jug of recovery drink powder stuff. So now I can't be beat.
More to come - especially this weekend, with races on Saturday and Sunday.
On Saturday morning I left Salisbury, CT with some of my stuff that I'm moving back to Middlebury, VT. I took Rte. 22 to get home, and stopped halfway there in Cambridge, NY, for the Balloon Festival (some big town gathering) which included a road race. I was on the wait list but they gave me a number as soon as I showed up. Money.
It was my first road race ever (only criteriums up to this point) and though I kept telling myself I just wanted to hang in the pack and work hard at the finish, what I really wanted to do was win. So near the end of the first of two 21-mile loops, a break went out and I was in it. We tried to stay away but got caught (pretty quickly actually, I realize now we weren't going very fast) and then it was a pack again.
That was, until about 5 miles from the finish at the one big climb (about one mile, not too bad for 2/3 of a mile and then very steep for the last little bit) when everything got strung out. I was not in very good shape and lost the leaders very quickly, and figured that I was essentially done for. But then I realized that most everyone else was cooked too, and so I found a little extra gas. After I crested the hill (in 12th or 13th place) I started working hard, and managed to pass a great deal of the field to finish 5th.
It was a good first experience with a road race, and I now know that I need to at least be good enough at climbing that I don't put myself out of contention. So yesterday I climbed over the Middlebury gap (HARD for me) and back. Tomorrow I'll go 75-80 miles and over the mountains again. Hard work, but it's made easier by the fact that my prize for finishing 5th was a big jug of recovery drink powder stuff. So now I can't be beat.
More to come - especially this weekend, with races on Saturday and Sunday.
Friday, June 8, 2007
Eek...
Okay, no blogging for quite some time. I'm back though, since school is over, and now I will be biking a good deal, every day.
Now I just have to get rid of the 100+ beers in my apartment that are left over from the year-end faculty party (we thought we'd be drinking a lot more than we actually did). This is like a riddle - I really have no idea what to do with them.
Now I just have to get rid of the 100+ beers in my apartment that are left over from the year-end faculty party (we thought we'd be drinking a lot more than we actually did). This is like a riddle - I really have no idea what to do with them.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Game Time
I was lying on my couch for hours tonight, feeling sorry for myself, watching tv and waiting for a bunch of people to respond to e-mails that I have sent out in the last few days.
Well, fuck that. It's not fun.
I'm trying to replace that with something of a cold, steely resolve for the next few days. I have a lot of stuff to get done, and it's pretty important that I do it. So, enough lounging around, it's time to some work.
The good news is that I've been pretty good lately on the bike, going for at least two hours every day since my last post. The hills are getting easier, and my legs are feeling stronger. I'm slimming down (a bit - I still have to watch the cookies) and I find I'm willing to push myself a little harder every day. The physical and the mental are both getting better.
I'm in a bit of a lull in terms of races, but I've got May 27 circled on the calendar. It's a Cat 5 race, and after finishing 4th in the Williams Cat 4/5, I've decided that I'm going to win this next one. And the one after that (June 3).
Well, fuck that. It's not fun.
I'm trying to replace that with something of a cold, steely resolve for the next few days. I have a lot of stuff to get done, and it's pretty important that I do it. So, enough lounging around, it's time to some work.
The good news is that I've been pretty good lately on the bike, going for at least two hours every day since my last post. The hills are getting easier, and my legs are feeling stronger. I'm slimming down (a bit - I still have to watch the cookies) and I find I'm willing to push myself a little harder every day. The physical and the mental are both getting better.
I'm in a bit of a lull in terms of races, but I've got May 27 circled on the calendar. It's a Cat 5 race, and after finishing 4th in the Williams Cat 4/5, I've decided that I'm going to win this next one. And the one after that (June 3).
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
A Valuable Lesson
Here's what I learned today:
I am not in shape to go for monstrous, long rides with lots of climbs.
I rode for 4.5 hours today and am still trying to recover, 4 hours after getting back.
I am not in shape to go for monstrous, long rides with lots of climbs.
I rode for 4.5 hours today and am still trying to recover, 4 hours after getting back.
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