CHRIS HORNER AND THE 2012 AMGEN

As an earlier post will verify, I'm a Chris Horner fan.  Given the crappy results of the time-trial, he did the only thing possible to try to salvage something from this year's ToC.  His form wasn't as good as it was last year, and sitting in and trying to dislodge a plethora of mountain goats in the last 5k would probably not have worked.  As it is, he moved up a slew of places to finish 8th (but I do note that Levi finished 6th, 36 seconds faster).

It was pretty much a Forelorn Hope, but thrilling, nonetheless.  As I watched, I couldn't believe the time kept increasing between the leaders and the peloton.  But, like everyone else, when the time started coming down, I could see there was too much flat ground where the peloton gobbled up the time.  But the other riders in the breakaway should have helped more rather than just sitting-on.

My reasoning is thus: Knowing they weren't going to stay away, this would have been an excellent time to gain payback-chips.  That is, somewhere down the road in another race, Horner might be in the position to give you a hand when it really matters.  Sitting-on merely makes you remembered in a negative fashion.  In the post-race interview, Horner named the guys (not on his team) who lent a hand, and conversely, he also remembers, but didn't name, those who didn't.  Atapuma was one who sat on.  Surely he is having second thoughts about what might have been, had he done a few hard pulls and gained just a few more seconds.  True, once it came down to him and Horner, he took a few turns, after some urging from Chris.  And, when Horner couldn't help him anymore, he left him. 

Horner's attack took a lot of strength from the younger guys.  Let's call this a learning experience for them.  Nobody goes this hard in practice!  A similar leg-breaking tactic gave Carlos Sastre the win on Alpe d'Huez (and the TdF), although there was no breakaway, just CSC stringing everybody out.  As a matter of fact, I believe Jens Voigt played a hand in that one too.  Can't say enough good things about Jens.  You might say I had a snack with him (it would be a stretch, but yes, our Marty Jemison group stopped to say hi to the guys, who were riding on their rest day.  Only the two ladies (Bambi and Jen) were allowed close.  You might notice Bambi is next to Frank Schleck.

I had been reading about Horner for years, but not paying much attention until an article came out about some racer who had broken his bike (apparently more than a flat tire).  Horner stopped, put him, holding his bike, on his (Chris') saddle and gave him a ride to the finish line.  Right then I became a fan. 

Well, Chris, you didn't have the fastest time, but you're still a winner of this year's Amgen.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES

Monday was supposed to be a 55 miler, just to log miles in the legs.  However, as soon as I opened the garage door, I realized I wasn't going that far.  This time, when the sun came up, the wind did also.  I determined the direction to be ENE and the first 15 miles I headed either east or north, mainly east.  I decided to play it by ear, making a final determination around 8 miles, or the turn on University Blvd that would put me head-on into the wind.

My first inclination was to turn around and not do another half-hour into the wind.  But the sun shown brightly in a clear blue sky and I had nothing on the agenda at home, so I leaned over the (now installed) aerobars and battled onward.  Truthfully, I geared down and saved my legs for the return trip, anticipating a lot of fun.  The turn-around came at 67 minutes, or about 12 minutes slower than average.

Within seconds of beginning the return trip, I pushed the front derailleur over to the big ring and enjoyed the wind at my back.  The ride itself had no incidents, as traffic did not materialize.  My final time showed 1hour, 59 minutes, or 15 minutes faster on the way back. 

Today I planned another short ride, after working out at the gym, but the wind is much stronger today, and I don't care to have it beat me up.  Tomorrow is another day.

CATCHING UP IS HARD TO DO

I had good intentions: come home from The Netherlands and get on the bike.  Didn't happen.  Other than the 1.5 mile ride to the gas station, the bike stayed in the garage.  I managed to get to the gym for Body Flow on Tuesday, that wiped me out (actually the weight work-out before Body Flow did it), and spin class on Friday, so it wasn't like I'd become a couch potato.  Saturday was gorgeous, but a tad windy and rather than ride I opted to dig four holes and plant three trees (the nursery sold the other tree before I could get back to it).  The trees had been on the agenda for quite awhile and it was either now or wait 'til next year.

So, Sunday, three weeks after my last ride, became the day to start catching up.  My Sunday "360 ride" begins (usually) 10 minutes before sunrise, in this case 6:35am.  I glanced at the thermometer as I left the house: 48 degrees, and went back for another layer on my chest.  The flashing lights at Big Lots, where I start, showed a comforting 57 degrees.  Two things: I was running late, and "wheels down" didn't happen until 6:45am; and I know that seven minutes into the ride a series of ups and downs will drop the temperature at least ten degrees.  Nevertheless, I left the wind jacket in the car and went with the long sleeve undershirt and jersey, and of course, tights.

Just because I started at sunrise didn't mean I had warming rays hitting my back.  What with the hills, it took 37 minutes before the sun actually got to my body.  No wind.  Body working smoothly, if somewhat weak.  I felt great, albeit a gear or two short.  At the turn onto Bee Cave Road, I had lost five minutes (off average time), but didn't feel stressed about it.  For one thing, I hadn't touched the bike (gas station ride notwithstanding) since State Finals on the 1st.  That meant I had not replaced the aerobars.  My water bottle holder broke as I readied to start, forcing me to put the bottle in my Camelbak, which meant an additional stop to change bottles.  Bottom line: I knew at the beginning that my time would be less than average, so relaxed and enjoyed the ride.

Even though the sun came up, the wind didn't.  Flags were limp the whole morning.  The best part of today's ride was how good the legs felt.  Earlier in the year, there was always something missing.  Yesterday I had "good sensations" (as the pros say).  Hopefully, they will stay that way as I try to catch up on missed mileage.

SOME DAYS ARE LIKE THAT

It is 12:34pm. Here is how the previous 15 hours have gone: Still feeling jet-lagged returning from The Netherlands and a terrific river cruise, went to bed at 9:30pm, including a pre-bedtime pee. Was up at 10:30pm, 11:30pm, 1am, 2:30am to pee some more. Woke up at 4am, now wide-awake, and went to pee before making coffee. My irritation was slightly ameliorated by the fact that I managed to gain about 7 pounds in a 9 day period, so was hoping that some of the excess weight was going down the toilet.

Dropped Marilane off in Austin (she was heading to Houston), and picked the wrong road to return home. Road construction delays plus inability to access Hwy 183 tended to increase my aggravation, but eventually arrived home. Did my push-ups (100/day for April). Then things really went south.

I didn't feel up to a time-trial workout, so intended to go to spin class at noon. But first a few chores: Post Office, gasoline for the lawn mower, then spin class. I arrived at the Post Office and realized that half of what I was mailing (some books to folks we met on the cruise) had been left at home. Mailed what I brought and headed to the gas station.

The ignition switch occasionally "dings" for no reason when I remove the key, and usually I just touch it with my finger and it goes off. Because I was only getting gas in the plastic can, and was going to leave the front door open, I just set the keys by the gear shift. I also didn't touch the ignition and stop the dinging. Guess what? A gust of wind hit the door and shut it, and I heard a dreaded "click." It seems the door locked itself when it closed! Keys inside. I notified the manager that the car would be there for awhile, as I had to walk home (mile and a half) and get the spare keys. Fortunately, my neighbor (who has a spare house key) was home, so I was able to get into the house. Within minutes I headed back to the gas station on my bike.

Having to walk home upset my timing, so I hurriedly threw my stuff in a bag and headed to the gym. Forgot they were re-doing that road, but fortunately traffic was light and delay minimal. Got to the spin bike and only when I dragged the shoes out of the bag did I realize I had brought the wrong shoes. The cleats were not compatible. No problem, I could wear my running shoes. Oops! The clips were incorrectly threaded and wouldn't tighten around my shoes. After trying for several minutes to achieve a decent pedaling motion, I uttered an expletive and gave it up.

I turned the wrong way out of the parking lot, but that was rectified and I continued to the Post Office to mail the books. That brings us up to the present. I'll cut the grass and hopefully have a successful nap that will alleviate the jet-lag feeling.

PS, I also forgot my hearing aid, fortunately I didn't need to communicate. And, I didn't get my nap.

TEXAS STATE FINALS

This year there is no qualifying rounds to get to State. In fact, the only two time trial events I'm planning were Senior Games State Finals and Tour de Gruene in November. Let's just say I'm not super-motivated this year. Anyhow, my practice times were perfect predictors of how I did in the races.

March 31 was the 10k time trial. I expected silver, but due to an out of state winner, was awarded the bronze. April 1 was the 5k time trial and the results were the same. I skipped the 40k road race because there was a 3 hour wait between when I finished the tt and the start.

The good news is that even the bronze results in qualifying for next year's Nationals, to be held in July.

TIME TO GET SERIOUS, AGAIN

Has nothing to do with cycling (directly). The full moon in March has come and gone (barely) and it is now time to get serious about losing weight. I have independently come to the conclusion that between the full moons in October and March, any attempt at serious weight loss is thwarted. When folks question my veracity, I refer them to studies regarding the need of our ancestors (like, cavemen) to put on weight for the lean, winter months. I try to sound like I'm a true believer, but in actuality it is more like "this sounds good, so I'll go with it until something better comes along."

But, back to my own conclusions. What I've found is that, given the same amount of effort, I don't lose weight in those months. Conversely (which may not be the correct word), given a supreme effort, I can still drop a few pounds. I just don't have the energy to put forth that amount of effort. Especially when I know that starting in March, the ounces will fall almost on a daily basis.

It's not like I have a lot of weight to lose. Ten pounds, max. Five to seven is quite sufficient. This shows up in cycling, particularly in steep climbs. I can't tell if it helps in racing; it probably does, but I haven't been able to distinguish between being in better shape by training and dropping a few pounds. Recreational rides make no difference.

So, if you are casting about for some reason to start losing weight, hang on to the paleolithic theory and get serious about your diet. BTW, check out my Dec 2008 post Scaling Back, and various updates in 2009. I won't be posting pics of the scale this time.

MORE PRACTICE-360 LOOP

I got out Saturday, leaving at 7:30 and returning at 7:35. The thermometer showed 50 degrees, but the sharp wind out of the north cut through all three layers of clothing and I gave it up as a lost cause. However, spin class filled in for the missed hill ride.

Sunday morning the temperature had dropped to 34 when I left the house. But the wind was calm and forecasted to remain light during the morning. In addition to tights and three layers on my chest, I had a wide headband to cover my ears and a cycling cap on my head under the helmet, and long-fingered winter gloves. I had smeared vasoline over my lips. Needless to say, the weather presented no problem to my cycling.

Forty-five minutes into the ride, the sweat glistening on my back signaled the time had come to divest myself of a few layers. The wind jacket and cap came off and the gloves and head band were replaced by a regular headband (Halo) and gloves. Blue sky and light wind out of the west had increased the temperature to a respectable 45-50 or so. I had delayed my departure to allow the sun to come up; leaving home at 7:15 rather than 6:30. The downside to the later leaving is that I had more church traffic with which to contend.

My legs had not completely recovered from the 56 mile ride Friday or the spin class Saturday. I knew on the second hill that I'd be suffering the whole circuit. Consequently, I took my time and arrived at the halfway point about 15 minutes behind schedule. Shortly thereafter, I made a right turn and caught some wind over my left shoulder. This helped considerably, in that after a few rollers, I had to negotiate the dam and Steiner Ranch.

I need to digress a bit. The neighborhood I start out in (not mine) has lots of runners and cyclists. One guy was running in shorts and a T-shirt. He was older, with a barrel chest so I guess he really didn't feel the cold (certainly no more than 40 degrees at this point). Several other runners were in shorts, but at least a coat or long-sleeved jersey. I wanted to shout my mantra: Under 65 degrees, cover the knees! I did not feel even a teensy-weensy bit guilty in all my clothes.

Total time was about 20 minutes longer than average for this 43 mile ride. By the time I finished, the temperature on the marquee showed a balmy 65 degrees. I need to ride well the next three days, in that Thursday and Friday are forecasted to have rain and/or thunderstorms.