Hotter'N Hell, 2015 Edition

     This is a bare bones recounting of my ride, mainly because in signing up, I assumed too much and rational thought had gone on holiday when making the decision.  But I will give just a little background.
     My Tour de Gruene partner (we are three time defending champions) and Senior Games competitor, Dean, learned I was doing the HHH and asked me to join him and his son and a few friends.  They would eschew the opening hoopla and crowd and start a half hour ahead of everybody and about a mile into the ride.  This required adding a headlight.  As my previous post mentioned, I've done ten of these, and no longer get a thrill out of navigating 13,000 riders.  True, given my placing, it would only have been about 2,000, with the rest of them behind me.  But that is where a lot of accidents happen and it is pretty intense for about ten miles.
     The traffic jam starting about 5:30am, even backing up the interstate, is scary.  I avoided that and arrived at our start about 6:15am, made introductions and we rolled out about 6:30am.  We were not alone, folks with the same idea began their trek starting as early as 6am.
     Our plan was to get to the 20 mile rest stop before the racers, watch them go by, then continue on.  We were unaware that the organizers changed the racer's course so they wouldn't have to contend with all of the riders who left early.  Anyhow, Dean set a pretty good pace, eventually ramping up to 19-20mph.  The morning was cool and cloudy, with little to no wind.  Great weather.  We did side-by-side, switching out every few minutes, although when I was in the lead, the pace dropped off a bit.  A few miles from the stop, I couldn't hang with a pace line and dropped off a bit.  It took a little under an hour to go eighteen and a half miles.
     The racers should have been just a few minutes behind, and only a chance remark from one of the volunteers clued us in.  Our five-minute rest had turned into fifteen before we remounted and continued.  Dean said we would probably become separated, but would all meet up at Hell's Gate (the place where the 100 mile riders turned left, and the 100 mile riders who over-extended themselves could cut off twenty-five miles).  Our intention all along had been a seventy-five mile ride.  Anyhow, two guys (never to be seen again) quickly left me , Dean and Lonnie behind, and I suffered behind those two for another twenty miles.  A slight wind came up, but at our backs, and the sun was behind a thin layer of clouds.  Great weather.  I was feeling good, no problem with the legs.  The heart-rate, which was in the 90% range for the first hour, now hovered close to 80%.
     The forty mile rest stop again took extra minutes, due to unplanned bodily functions (not me).  But we eventually got moving, with Dean reiterating regrouping at Hell's Gate.  Lonnie fell behind but Dean and I grabbed a pace line and enjoyed that for awhile, until I became unlatched and watched them pull away.  No problem, I had my aerobars to rest on until another pace line came by and I grabbed that.  The pace lines were in the 20-24mph range so my heart-rate moved up to 85-90%.
     By now I was on my own, so at the 50 mile rest stop I dropped out and had some pickle juice and a refill of Powerade.  This was a three-minute respite, which is my norm.  Fifty miles in three hours and eight minutes, I couldn't believe things were going so well.  The sun was still hidden and the temperature still below 90 degrees, with the wind now coming from the right but not strong.  Great weather.  I found some more folks to ride behind and all too soon Burkburnett was in sight.  My speed continued above 20mph in pace lines and 18mph in aerobars, with the legs moving quite easily.  The heart-rate stayed around 85% and that caused no problem.
     We made a right turn at the interstate, into the wind, and I was seeing a lot of 15mph on the computer.  Pretty soon, the 60 mile rest stop came into view.  I didn't need to stop since I had plenty of fluid, having filled both bottles just ten miles ago.  But I think this is where confusion reared its ugly head.  About a mile from the rest stop is Hell's Gate.  I stopped at Hell's Gate to look for Dean.  No Dean.  No other two guys.  Eventually I called Dean's cell phone and left a message.  After about ten minutes, I mounted up and continued.  About that time Lonnie came by and said he couldn't find Dean either.  We rode on awhile but he fell behind on a hill and my speed actually moved up into the 17mph range.
     This route takes us on a tour of Shepard Air Force Base and that is a lot of fun seeing the many planes displayed and riding through a gauntlet of airmen (and women) all shouting and exchanging high-fives (actually low-fives so we didn't get thrown off our bikes).  From the base a lot of the road is down hill, so I again was on the high side of 20mph.
     Shortly before the finish line, I turned off to get back to my car, so I missed both the start and the finish, but really did do the whole course.  My average overall speed was 16mph, or saddle-time of 17.9mph.  Overall time was four hours forty-two minutes which included thirty minutes non-riding.  The average temperature a balmy 82.6 degrees, and when I finished it hadn't reached 90. Great weather.  Still haven't seen Dean, and I'm wondering if he was feeling so good he did the 100 miles.  Will email him later.

POST TIME TRIAL RIDING

     My next time trial is November 7th, less than seven days after a three week European river cruise.  But my next race is the always brutal State Road Race at Fort Hood the last week-end in September.  In view of my lackluster showing in the time trial, I am trying to get more prepared for this event.  However, as I've often declared, my main focus is recreational cycling, so while I am bearing down, I'm not foregoing other pursuits.
     We just returned from a family (kids, grandkids, great-grandkids, nieces, sister) get-together in Suches, Georgia.  I took my bike and re-acquainted myself with three of the six gaps of the strenuous Six Gap Century.  This is an annual thing, so I am very familiar with the roads.  Marilane and I arrive early and leave a day or two after everyone is gone, so I generally squeeze in a half dozen or more rides.  But not this year.
     Beginning at the beginning, this was to be my "down" year for racing.  My intention was to take it somewhat easy and be more intense next year.  I didn't intend to lose quite as much form.  For starters, the annual five pound winter gain turned out to be ten pounds.  The three month losing of the excess resulted in zero pounds lost.  The spring rains didn't help.  I was hoping to use Georgia as a springboard to returning to form.  I got rained out on crucial riding days there too.  Oh, I took my rain jacket and actually got caught several times.  Once I called my Uber driver (Marilane), since the rain was accompanied by thunder.  Remember, I'm not hard-core.
     Last year was the first time my highlight trip of riding up Brasstown Bald was skipped.  I missed it again this year.  I also missed Hogpen Gap.  These two climbs wring the best out of me and when I can make these ascents, I know my strength is good.  It isn't like I was totally bereft of rides.  The nine-miles of Neel's Gap, and the ever-popular Wolf Pen gap provided plenty of climbing.  A half-dozen rides were accomplished, just lacking the most challenging ones.
     Next up is the Hotter'n Hell Hundred in Wichita Falls.  I've done this ride ten times, but the last one was in 2001.  I have my sights on a hundred miles, but the way things have been going, it may just be 100k.  Then comes a delightful trip to Colorado with Shannon Burke and Velo View.   That is my altitude training for the road race.  Following that is the river cruise, returning just in time for Gruene.  My partner, Dean, says it doesn't matter to him if I am cruising instead of training.  Dean was 2nd (10k) and 3rd (5k) at Nationals this year, so he can drag me around the course.  Then I let Shannon take me out to ride in the Big Bend.
     Next year is qualifying for Senior Games Nationals.  It is not a "down" year.

REALITY SETS IN

     Well, it was fun while it lasted.  With tongue firmly implanted in my cheek, I've proclaimed myself "the fastest man in Texas" for a number of years.  While a true statement, it took a bit of spinning to see how I arrived at that "honor."  But, without spin, I can unequivocally say that in state competition, the last time I was off the podium for a time trial was 2008.  At Senior Games Nationals I was 13th in the 10k and 18th in the 5k, but the fastest from Texas.  All of that came to an end this weekend.
     It wasn't unexpected.  My training has been spotty, my practice times slow.  Plus, faster guys entered the race (yes, some of my ill-gotten results are because the fast guys didn't show up).  I was pretty sure I'd be racing for third place.  And I repeat what I've said before: I'm in it for fun and conditioning.  All the same, I'm sad to see the string end (I was fourth by a half-second, that hurts a bit).
     But about the races themselves.  Hempstead was hot and ultra humid.  For the ITT, I had a
Saturday 7:36 a.m. start.  It was an out-and-back course, slightly downhill and flat outbound, slightly uphill and flat on the way back.  Truly, I characterize it as flat.  I think I only used three gears, maybe four.  I started last as defending champion.  The main stats I use speak for themselves: average heart-rate of 148 (89% of max and about 3 beats short of AT) and average cadence of 88, but most of that was really at 90.  The most important stat was mph: 21.7 average and 25.8 max. (last year I was 22.1 average and 28.5 max).  I was a gear or two short but whenever I tried moving, I couldn't push it.
     Besides lack of strength compared to last year, I'm also packing an additional ten pounds, so my strength-to-weight ratio has also suffered.  I'll see if I can remedy that.
   

The weekend wasn't a disaster.  I had fun, did my best, reacquainted with racing buddies, and still came home a State Champion.  The second, third, and fourth-place (me) finishers teamed up for the Team Time Trial Sunday morning and finished first.  Without any practice, other than a shaky start and turn-around, we had a very smooth race, with our transitions being excellent.  It isn't the first time we've teamed up, but was our best outing so far.

CAN'T GET IT UP!

     Sorry, this is a cycling blog and I'm referring to my heart-rate.  I first noticed it on Friday.  Wednesday was time-trial practice and the fifth day in a row of pretty heavy riding.  I took Thursday off to stretch and get in some strength training.  Friday I did another time-trial practice, knowing full well the speed would be less.  Well, my breathing was ragged and heart-rate about eight beats low.  In the next two weeks I needed to improved two minutes over 20k based on the Wednesday time and instead added a minute and a half.  Friday's practice did very little for my ego.
     Rather than take another day off, I embarked on an early morning recovery ride, my standard Limmer Loop two-hour, twenty-nine mile mostly flat sojourn in the corn fields.  With a stated goal of a low heart-rate, I used low gears, 80 rpms for the most part (average for the ride 74), and ended up with an average HR of 108.  Interestingly enough, it ended up only a few minutes slower than my previous circuit.  This morning I'll ride with a group and see if I can hang at the back and have another day keeping the HR down.
     Sunday post-ride: yes, 25 miles with an average HR of 94.  True, I rode with the beginners, but we still averaged 12.7 mph.

NEVER SAY NEVER!

     I dislike (hate being an over-used word in today's lexicon) riding on Saturdays.  Being retired, I usually accomplish sufficient mileage during the week.  I dislike riding in the evenings, preferring the (relatively) cool mornings.  And it irks me no end to be unable to keep up with the group.  It isn't like I purposely ride with faster riders.
     However, the looming Texas State Time Trials finds me woefully short of training.  The distance for the race is 20k and so far I have managed three very slow 15k practices.  Yesterday was to have been my first 20k practice.  Broken springs on the garage door were the reason I couldn't get out until evening, but that is getting ahead of the narrative.
     The interminable rains finally stopped.  Needing the mileage, Saturday was first on the agenda.  Fortunately for me, some ride I had absolutely no interest in was canceled, but in its place Bicycle Sport Shop friends decided to do the Dam Loop starting at 7:30 am. Before re-joining the BSS Sunday rides, it so happens my Sunday morning loop encompassed most of these same roads.  Now I was interested.  This is a forty-four mile adventure with a few hills.  We set a pretty good pace, my Garmin showing 15.7 average.  Just what I needed (not to mention a few post-race beverages).
     The Sunday morning ride was posted as COTA, but because the previous week was rained out, we were going out Bee Caves.  This is a very hilly route and just getting out of Rollingwood and on to Loop 360 was quite taxing.  After about a half-hour of climbing the rollers, I started losing ground and couldn't catch up on the downhills.  A pace I could comfortably maintain came about 2 mph slower than the group.  At a group stopping place, before the very arduous climb up Cuernavaca, I pulled the plug and advised the sweeper I would leave the group, carry on and make my way back to BSS.
     Well, I didn't go directly back the way we came, I also dislike an out-n-back ride.  I continued on Loop 360, tracking yesterday's ride.  I had no desire to explore (sometimes called getting lost but going in the right direction until something turns up), so headed for a familiar road.  In the over forty years I've been cycling in Austin, I've never gone up Spicewood Springs Road from Loop 360.  Just because I couldn't keep up with the group didn't mean I was completely out of gas.  Spicewood Springs (Garmin showed 16%, felt more like 20) now has a check-mark.  All in all, my ride encompassed twenty-five miles and 2000 feet of climbing, at an average pace of 14.5 MPH.
     To back up to the previous post regarding my lack of cadence, last week I had the opportunity for a two-hour ride and used it to practice increased cadence.  I was extremely proud of holding at or near 90 RPM for most of the ride.  To my dismay upon returning to the car, I saw the place crawling with school kids.  I had to postpone my post-race stretching until I got home.  Upon arriving at home, something had come up which needed immediate attention.  Zero stretching.  The next morning my hamstrings had knots and my back started tightening.  Even a quick trip for massage only slightly assuaged the muscles.  So both the Saturday and Sunday rides were done under protest.
     Just as well I hadn't tried for TT practice Monday morning.  Instead I spent the day gently stretching my legs.  But what better way for recovery is there than a Recovery Ride (as advertised by cycling friend Dan Pedroza).  This is a Monday evening, 6pm, twenty-six (or 27.8) mile ride mostly in the country.  Great.  It was a relaxing ride.  Attendance for this ride varies, and last night we had five riders.  My average moving speed was 15.4 MPH, but we had several stops, including a flat (not me).
     I went slightly before noon today to finally get my TT practice in.  Once again, Old Settlers Park had myriad school busloads of kids, but they were not on the roads.  It was hot but I could manage.  The straw across the camel's back, however, was the lack of computer.  I packed it in and will come back tomorrow, early.  All is not lost.  This is Tuesday and BSS has a 7 pm ride.
     Recap: Saturday ride; Evening ride (2); Getting dropped; no TT practice (yet).  Yes, I have my preferences but No, they are only preferences and will be superseded by necessity.

RAIN REVELATION

     The bike I purchased twenty-five years ago continues to serve me well, but strictly as my "trainer-bike."  I occasionally lube the chain, had the bottom bracket serviced around 2010 (or maybe 2008, who's counting), and actually had to change a tire a few years ago.  I bring this up because it has been overly used these last two weeks, since we have had rain every day (except yesterday) since returning from Germany.
     Years ago I had a Chris Carmichael Time Trial tape to give structure to my training.  The tape has long since worn out, but I still follow the regimen.  Up to a point.  It seems I am very comfortable at 84 RPM, but knocking out 90 takes a lot of effort.  It is a constant battle, one I lose unless extremely motivated.  The bike is not equipped to show cadence, so I use the old-fashioned way: counting strokes.  Fifteen strokes in ten seconds gives me 90 RPM.  I hit fourteen on a regular basis.
     This year I added a high-cadence portion to my work-out: three sets of 110 RPM.  I started at ten seconds and have moved up to thirty and the plan is to see what happens once I get to one minute.  But accurately counting strokes and accelerating is a chore.  Indeed, the other day I did twenty strokes, for 120 RPM.  I wasn't sure of my count, but even being one off still achieved the goal.
     Then a stroke of genius: use my road bike, equipped with cadence.  All I had to do was change out the quick-release (it didn't fit the trainer) and I could monitor my stroke count with just a glance at the computer.  All went well as I warmed up.  But on my first five-minute interval my cadence moved between 78 and 80.  I knew my legs were a tad "loggy" but it felt like my normal 84.  For the second interval, even with the computer, I counted strokes.  Like clockwork for the entire five minutes: 14.  Not good.  Same thing for the third interval.  Pook ding-fu!  My computer is shorting me!!
     When I ran it up to 110, it seemed accurate.  Once I got over my shock, I had to contemplate the situation.  While I know that computers are sometimes wrong, my experience is that they do what their programming tells them to do.  The fact that it was accurate at 110/120 pointed toward me.  After all, it just counted every time it went past the magnet, which didn't move (well it does sometimes, but then I get no count at all).  Bottom line: for the last ten-plus years, I have been counting "one" when the clock hits any of the zeros, and "fourteen" when it hits the next one.  Until this week, it never occurred to me that this was thirteen strokes.
     I may have to come up a gear, but from here on out, I'll be counting sixteen.  Maybe my time trial speed will improve.  We shall see in four weeks.

EVESHAM ULTRA AND BERLIN

     I normally reserve this blog for cycling activities, so I really need to spin it this way: our two week holiday (using the British term for vacation) resulted in my being off the bike, necessitating serious training now that we're back.
     One activity on our to-do (I detest the term "bucket") list was to volunteer at son Kurt's running events.  Several years ago he left the corporate world to pursue his passion: trail running.  Yes, he does run a lot (completing the Rocky Raccoon this year), but he and wife, Nicola, started Cotswold Running.  They organize off-road long-distance races.  I refer you to their website.  His Evesham Ultra (~45 miles) on April 26 fit nicely into our calendar.
     In addition, touring Berlin has been high on Marilane's agenda for quite a while, so we cobbled the two together since we were more or less "in the neighborhood."
     Kurt met us at Heathrow after our non-stop flight from Austin.  I prefer the back seat when driving in the UK, as I tend to not jerk as much when the cars come from different directions.  Therefore most of the conversation in the two hour trip was between Marilane and Kurt.  Once we left the city, the vibrant yellow rapeseed fields held my attention.  And, I managed to stay awake.  Kurt has a small house and Nic's parents from Scotland were also volunteering and staying with them, so we stayed at the Evesham Hotel (quirky but very nice).  I mention this because in strolling between the hotel and house, we passed lovely trees in bloom.  I might also mention we managed to bring some really cold air with us, so all pictures have us well-layered.
     It doesn't matter what the goal, be it studying for a test, achieving something in business, training for an athletic event, the old maxim holds true: the harder you prepare, the easier the test (task).  In my cycling venues, when everything goes smooth as butter, I know the organizers worked their butts off in the preparation.  Same for Kurt's runs.
     Marilane and I had several chores, minor helping with check-in, then walk to the first turns to direct the runners (they had the whole course marked, but people waving in front of faces and giving encouragement is always welcome), then we had several hours off before the runners returned.  We were charged with serving refreshments in the hall while Kurt and Nic handled the finish line.  In a seven-to-ten hour race, the runners come in more or less separately.
     One of the things Kurt does is post a large map of the race course on the wall.  I didn't think much about it until he started receiving calls from runners who had missed a turn and needed to get back on course.  He knows his routes like the back of his hand and only needed for the runner to describe the surroundings before he found him on the map and directed him/her the best way to pick up the course.  Almost all of the runners did "bonus" miles.  Interestingly enough, almost all the runners praised how well the course was marked, blaming themselves for their mistakes.
     All runners accounted for, none injured; we celebrated at the pub.  Check-mark on our list.  We managed a few touristy things also.  On a visit several years ago we attended a play in Stratford-upon-Avon at the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).  This year we had a very interesting back-stage tour.  We also toured Hampton Court, another place on Marilane's list of things to see.  Then it was a flight to Berlin.
     Marilane had booked us a private guide to take us around town to important spots and explain history.  We learn so much more on a private tour.  Our first act upon checking in was to purchase five-day transit passes.  These are good on all the trains, trams, and buses within the city, and Potsdam.  I loved not messing with paying each time we got on.  Highlights of the trip included the Jewish Quarter, the

Wall, Museum Island (including Nefertiti and the gate of Ishtar) the Reichstag building, a trip to the palace in Potsdam and in the other direction, attended a choral concert at the  Cistercian Kloster Chorin.  We took a blah river cruise of the city. We also ran across a May Day protest march (several groups, mostly labor).  We didn't have time for several other museums, found a great vegan restaurant.
     The train drivers (are they really still called engineers?) called a strike for 3pm Tuesday.  I lost track of the day, so we took several unnecessary taxi rides on Monday.  Tuesday afternoon we flew to London, stayed overnight and came home Wednesday.  Here it is Sunday and I'm still not over jet-lag.