GOAL!! THE HARD WAY

     If you are retired, as I am, cycling 800 miles per month isn't really that difficult.  Years ago I determined that my racing is much better when I get in 800 miles.  Because most of my racing consists of short time trials, I do ok at 600 but below that things get iffy.  I was gone half of April, so May became a "must do" month.
     The first week was right on schedule, 200 miles.  Then a medical procedure set me back three days (or 3 1/2 since the first day back was light).  I wasn't too worried, since 200 miles per week is 28 days, and I had 31.  I worked hard and kept on schedule, arriving on the 27th with 670 miles.
     Dan Pedroza put together a 76 mile ride for Saturday, and even taking the "easy ride" on Sunday, I'd only have a short pedal Monday.  The best laid plans.........
     Saturday was hot and humid and after the first fifteen miles, I knew this would be a long day.  Of course starting off on Lime Creek is quite different from Chandler Road.  The second leg of the route was Hwy 620 out to Bee Cave, mainly flat until you hit the dam.  Even so, I got a head start and even with big Jim in front of me at an easy pace, I couldn't keep up.  The group caught me at the dam, but I eased my way up and over.  By the time we got to Bee Cave, I was on the verge of bonking.
     Actually, some might argue I had already bonked, but that depends on your definition.  Anyway, I determined I'd make my way back to the Parmer store at a reduced pace, turning left on 360 and cutting off ten miles.  Even though drafting saves lots of energy, you still need some to keep up.  I didn't have it, so I puttered along by myself the remaining twenty-plus miles and sat around to recover (eating lunch at Morelia's).
     No problem, I could do the long ride Sunday.  Sunday got rained out.  Sunday afternoon's weather was excellent, however I had other things to do.  No problem, I'd ride twenty miles Monday morning, then another thirty on Pedroza's Recovery Ride.  It wasn't until late Monday that I remembered Dan was doing the Velo View gravel ride (half gravel).  Grrrr!  I'd already put my feet up and had a beverage in hand when Becca posted a recovery possibility.  Double Grrrr!  Too late.
     That left Tuesday.  With rain in the forecast, I left early and did my thirty-nine mile route, and another six in Old Settlers Park.  Feeling quite proud of myself I returned home and plugged in the Garmin and pulled up my spread sheet.  Ooops!  Pook, ding-fu!  The total on the 30th showed 750.5, not 755.0.  A quick glance at the radar showed green and yellow heading toward Austin.  I unplugged the computer, pulled the bike out and rode the neighborhood for another five miles, finishing to the sound of thunder (but so far it hasn't rained here).
     I finished the month at 801.4 miles.  A review of my log revealed that while I planned on twenty-two and a half miles (three loops of Old Settler's Park) on Monday morning, I cut it off at fifteen because I figured I'd get in thirty that evening.
     What would I have done if the month were only thirty days?  I wouldn't have worried, since not achieving it isn't all that important.  Working toward it is the key.  While some goals are important, this one is merely a guideline.

BATTLE OF THE BULGE

      For the last two plus years I've had a minor weight problem.  I started my plant-based diet in November at 150 pounds and promptly lost ten.  Then, because of race-training, during the summer and fall lost another four.  I was pretty sure those four would jump back on once racing stopped.  Sure enough, they found their way back and I plateau'd at 140.  During the winter I gained the expected four and in the spring lost them back.  All as expected.
     The next racing season didn't have me losing any weight, but the following winter the annual four pounds showed up.  Not to worry.  I didn't worry in the spring, summer, or fall but the four pounds never melted away.  Then I gained four more.  And they didn't go away either.  Now I began to worry.  Fortunately, a third round of gain during the winter didn't occur.  But I was still stuck with eight pounds and an additional inch and a half waist (I purchased new pants at 140 and they stayed on their hanger for two years).
     Regular readers know that in addition to weight, I'm also much slower than previous.  To help rectify the speed, I decided I needed to put in more miles.  I had a good half April, but the second half was a trip to England and no cycling.  So May was targeted.  'Way back in my blog is a post where I expound on an optimum training program which works out to be 800 miles per month.  This isn't that hard: 2x65 miles; 2x30 miles at pace; 1 hill workout; 1 TT workout per week.   In theory.  I haven't hit 800 miles in a month since doing the Blue Ridge Parkway ride in 2014.
     The last three days in May were to be easy ones, but Sunday got rained out, and I forgot the Monday ride had been cancelled.  So Tuesday (tomorrow) I need to put in 50 miles.  This is not a chore, but will take longer than the 20 I planned.
     But, back to the weight.  Without trying (like dieting), the extra mileage has apparently upped my metabolism such that the eight pounds are gone.  They have been gone four days in a row, so I'm pretty sure I'm plateau'd.  This happened over the whole month, not like overnight.  I'm back into my pants.  We will see if this continues past June.

GIRO MEMORIES

     The Giro starts today and I am remembering my first exposure to the excitement it brings to the fans.  In 1962 I was in the army stationed in Germany, but on leave in Bolzano, Italy.  Bolzano was (and probably still is) and lovely town, but don't ask me why I was there, I can't recall.  It may have been that my traveling companion, who had the car, suddenly left without me, but that is a story for another time and place.
     Anyhow, one afternoon I was wandering about and suddenly people started running toward a street only about a block away and chattering excitedly.  Something was up, so I joined in to see what caused the commotion.  I had my Super 8 and lined up with everyone else, camera ready.  The first cyclists caught me unprepared, but I whipped it up and caught the peloton in a blur of motion as they whistled past.  In less than a minute, everyone started dispersing.  I had no idea, since my Italian is limited to Ciao, Bella, and vino, what I had witnessed and it was much later before I linked it to the Giro.  I still have the footage, but no machine upon which to play it.  Just as well.
     But, closer to the present, this year the Cima Coppi (highest summit) is Col d'Agnel.  I have vivid memories of climbing Col d'Agnel (but I went up the side they are going down), and they are part of the chapter on my adventures with Marty Jemison and riding in the Alps in 2008.  Below is an excerpt from Gotta Go!  Cycling Vacations in Fantastic Locations.

     Day Three:  Col Agnel ~ 30 Miles

            We had a short day, with a very short warm-up, then the 20.5 km Hors Category climb.  However, we were a tad off in our timing, and should have started about an hour earlier, or ridden faster, or not ridden at all (just kidding).  Yesterday’s brilliance had been replaced by morning puffy clouds.  I brought my Camelbak, which included my rain pants (for wind protection) and wind jacket, because mountain tops are always windy.  The clouds thickened as we moved out.  This is the third-highest paved mountain pass in Europe.  My rule for mountain riding is to always have your rain gear.  My rain jacket had not made it into the Camelbak.  Serious oops!

            Marty had said the climbs were six percent on average, with some at nine percent.  Truthfully, my GPS is not all that accurate on altitudes, but the numbers I saw were four points higher than what he advertised.  I really didn’t have much energy today, no pop in the legs.  Then it started to rain.  

            Drizzle at first, then slightly harder.  About five km from the top, the cold wind came up and the temperature dropped.  Officially, they say nine degrees centigrade.  I found a spot to get my rain pants on, and Jill lent me her rain jacket.  At three km from the top, the caravan caught us.  Once the caravan comes, no one is allowed on the road.  We were stuck, cold and wet as swag came slinging our way.  Jill caught my eye, and when there was a break in the caravan and the gendarme turned his head, we started walking briskly up the road and didn’t turn around to see what the reaction was.  Marty had secured some seating area in a lodge two km from the top.  Once Jill, Roger, and I turned one switchback, we got on the bikes and rode the next couple hundred yards to where the gendarme was about to get unhappy with us, but it was at the entrance to the lodge, so we were getting off anyhow.  Marty rushed us up to place the bikes next to the rail (one floor up) and we pushed in the door and sat down on a bench.  This lodge had room for maybe fifty and probably there were over a hundred cold, shivering cycling fans ordering hot food and drinks as fast as the servers could take the orders.  The really great part is they had a big screen TV, so it was pretty much a party. 

            My shivering abated after about a half an hour, but I really never got warm.  Even when the pros finally came by, about ten of us stayed inside and watched the TV.  Once the broom wagon passed, we would be allowed to get on our bikes and descend back the way we came.  Unfortunately, that is also the time the freezing rain got harder (I think I am using this term incorrectly, maybe what we had was sleet.  In any case, you get the picture).  We delayed our departure. 

            I told Jill I only had about five minutes of non-cycling energy to fight the cold, so once we left the lodge, I wanted to be on the bike as soon as possible.  Marty was anxious to find Gotti and Jason, who had managed to become separated from us.  So Marty and I would ride at his speed, and Jill, Roger and John would come somewhat slower.  We waited until we saw a patch of blue sky coming at us, and then we moved out.

            Within minutes of starting the descent, solid precipitation hit us, but only flecks.  The road was wet but not slick.  Marty kept checking behind, but as I kept up, he let it out some more.  I didn’t think I could go so fast on a wet road.  Thankfully, this col had very few switchbacks.  We ran into traffic jams of folks going both up and down the mountain, and the road through the small hamlets only had the width of one car.  What a mess.  Thankfully, bikes could squeeze between the cars and the buildings, and bikes were faster.

            About halfway down we came to a restaurant and spotted Jason and Gotti.  What a fine place to get hot chocolate.  Marty ordered then turned around to see a tour guide he knew and their entourage.  Time passed as they discussed today’s ride.  Eventually, our whole group was together and had finally warmed up. With the temperature about fifteen degrees warmer and no rain, we cycled the final miles back down to the van. 

            Byran says if you have an adventure and don’t die, it was a good one.  This fell into that category.  Interestingly, I thoroughly enjoyed passing the cars.  Of course, I only followed Marty, and everybody in the cars were cycling fans so the usual angst didn’t materialize. What a cool experience.

   

RACING IN THE RAIN!

     No, it was riding in a race.  Specifically the Senior Games Texas State Finals.  You know that excitement you feel when all of your training comes down to the Big Game?  I had none of that this year.  I didn't want to be there.  Of course, I had to be there in order to qualify for Nationals next year in Birmingham.  Top four finishers in my age group qualify.  Rather than racing for gold, I was racing for fourth.  What a poor attitude.  Here is how things went down.
     First, my training has not been going well.  We'll get to that later.  The weather forecast indicated spotty showers Saturday, with possibility of thunderstorms in the afternoon and heavy rain and thunderstorms on Sunday.  The usual San Antonio itinerary of 10km Time Trial followed by 20km Road Race on Saturday morning and 5km Time Trial and 40km Road Race on Sunday wasn't going to work.  With urging from many participants, the 40km was canceled and the 5km moved to Saturday at 2pm.
     I drove down from Round Rock Saturday, leaving at 5:30am.  The windshield wipers stayed inactive, giving me a sliver of hope.  Dashed as I left I-410 and turned west on Hwy 90.  It was only a drizzle, but I knew it was a portent of things to come.  First race was at 9am and my start time was 9:17.  I arrived at 7:30am and did normal pleasantries and got checked in and picked up my timing chip.  At 8:15am I started warming up.
     My normal warm-up consists of a half an hour riding the course on my road bike, a short rest, then drag out the TT bike top things off and be ready to race.  About ten years ago I purchased rain pants from REI and have used them maybe twice when caught out on tour.  I warmed up in rain pants and jacket, with a bike hat under my road helmet.  The wind had come up.  I was not a happy camper.
     We had ten guys sign up for my 70-74 age group, and at 74 I was the oldest.  I had to be faster than six.  Truly, I was confident I could do it.  So confident that I decided to leave the TT bike in the car, safe and dry.  In my six years of ownership, the bike has never, ever been wet.  There were other considerations that made up my decision.  The course is generally a three-mile loop with two corners, which in good conditions can be taken at speed (with the more adventurous not even getting out of the aerobars).  This year construction trucks traveled on the road (not on race day) and had left a thin layer of dirt, and in one corner a few blobs of dirt.  With the rain, it turned to mud.  I had aerobars on the road bike, and it had just been overhauled (thanks BSS) and was silky-smooth.  Originally I evaluated the group and figured I would be racing for silver.  With the weather and bike change, fourth was pretty much a lock.
     So, I took off my rain gear and put on my aero helmet and got ready to race.  The drizzle let up just in time, but the wind did not.  Without the TT bike, my time suffered.  But unlike some riders, I did not hit the pavement.  I lost a minute and a half over previous races on this course, but still came in third.
     Most years I do both time trials and the 40km road race.  The road race is just to get in a good work-out.  Sometimes I'm even competitive in it, but usually I get dropped in the last km.  This year I saw no reason to stick around to race in the rain, then drive back to Round Rock in heavy showers. Therefore I departed after the 10km award ceremony.
     Back to my training.  For over a year I've been complaining about losing strength, especially not being able to hang on when the road turns up.  Could it be that I'm finally getting old??  I had a slight eureka moment last week when talking to Shannon Burke.  I was explaining that twenty years ago I could do twenty push-ups and maintain firm muscles but that morning had completed 274 (see my work-out schedule) for the same outcome.  Shortly thereafter, I realized I had been doing the same training regimen, more or less, for the last five years.  Yes, old age is catching up to me.  'Tis a fact of life, you have to work harder to maintain.  At least for the next year, until Nationals, I have to find a way to work harder (this is no easy task, in that I feel as though I'm working as hard as I can now).

A CHANGING OF THE GUARD

     My long-time followers and/or readers of my books know that I'm an advocate of rail-trails, especially for those wishing a generally gentle ride or for those just getting into cycling vacations.  And, if you've read Bicycle Journeys with Jerry you know that I give A+ to the Katy Trail, the gold standard of rail-trail cycling experiences.  And, the very best B&B on the Katy Trail is The Doll House in Rhineland, Missouri.
     I have just received notice that Amanda (and husband, Jeff) have sold the business.  I know running a B&B is difficult and the turnover rate quite high, what with the long hours and stress of any lodging establishment.  The sale comes as no surprise.  Amanda deserves her retirement (as in no longer running the B&B, not that she is old enough for Social Security).
     It is my belief that she would not have sold to Ken and Melissa Stevens unless she were sure they could keep up the reputation Amanda had built, therefore future cyclists on the Katy Trail need not fear getting less than superior attention when they book their rooms.  You can contact Melissa at missystevens316@gmail.com or 201 Lewis Street, Rhineland, MO 65069.
   

THE BEST CYCLING TOUR COMPANIES EVER!

     Now that I have your attention, I add my disclaimer: in my many tours, these companies stand out as providing excellent service and tremendous cycling experiences.  I haven't included those that did not exceed expectations, nor have I taken all of the tours available.  These are merely my opinions.
     Highest on my list is Velo View Bike Tours.  They specialize in five day rides, sometimes with an extra cycling adventure if you come a day early or arrive early on the meeting day.  Shannon Burke has picked some spectacularly scenic spots in Colorado, New Mexico, California Wine Country, and Texas Big Bend.  Also Virginia, Carolina, and Kentucky rides provide superior cycling venues.  Most of the rides include strenuous climbing, but that is moderated by his willingness to tailor the experience to the individual, so if you need to sag in or hitch a ride to the top, just let him know.  Shannon rides with the group, which is usually limited to a maximum of eight riders.  The wine country rides are more gentle in nature. Also featured are "bike retreats."  Long week-ends, three days of cycling.  When not doing the tours, they offer day-trips in the Texas Hill Country.  For the locals, or for someone coming to Ausin on business and wanting to get in a workout, these are great.
     The most difficult, by far, bike tour I've taken was with Black Bear Adventures.  Paul Wood specializes in touring the Blue Ridge Parkway, although his other signature tour is the Natchez Trace.  His motto "Vacations Designed for the Avid Cyclist" is somewhat misleading.  If you want to do the Blue Ridge Parkway (and you should, this is an A++ ride) you must be in really good shape.  It isn't necessary to be able to challenge Chris Froome, but definitely be above average.  Paul also limits his group to a manageable size.  He also will do private/custom rides or offer guiding services.
     Next on my list is Bike Adventures.  They specialize in tours in Europe, but are based in England.  I did the E2E ride and was quite pleased, although there has been a change of ownership since my adventure.  They offer a wide variety of tours at a very reasonable price.
     If you have read either of my books, you know that for anyone wishing to experience Le Tour de France, you should look no further than Marty Jemison.  The rides, the experiences behind the scenes with the pros, the food and wine....   I can't come up with sufficient superlatives (read my book if you want more depth).
     Now, if you want to go coast to coast...  Who hasn't dreamed of doing this?  Again, first read Bicycle Journeys with Jerry, then click on America By Bicycle.  Going coast to coast is difficult enough just to cycle.  Let ABB do the logistics, they take really good care of you.  They pick the best, safest routes, provide van and sweep support, good hotels.  Their guides are the best.
   One more thing, please don't send me any comments on this post, positive or negative.

ON BEING A POOR PROSELYTIZER

     I've known for years that I'm a poor sales person.  Whatever that guy is who can sell ice to an Eskimo (I know, Inuit), I'm the exact opposite.  Every now and then I give it a shot, and while not a disaster, it certainly brings me back to reality.  In retirement I moved to authoring two books on my cycling adventures.  Truthfully, the intention was 1) Give me something to do; and 2) Try to convince people to take cycling vacations.  I have a website and I have a blog.  With few notable exceptions, my exhortations have fallen on deaf ears.  You can lead a horse to water.....
     But fear not, I will continue to put in my two cents worth whenever I can.  In my first book I describe myself as "experienced" rather than "an expert."  I'll stick with that.  My first cycling "priority" are tours or vacations.  But I like time trials.  And I'll throw in a road race every now and then for the training.
     So what is the reason for this post?  After my race this weekend, I turned to my spread sheet for an up-date.  And tonight my granddaughter posted on Facebook something about displaying your (running) medals.  Well, thanks to a recent Christmas gift, I have a place to display my medals.  I've written many times that medals are more a sign of how well your training and health are rather than glorifying your racing prowess.  Especially as one matures (read: gets old).  I can no longer keep up with the fast guys, and have a difficult time with the intermediates on our club rides.  Of course, most of them are twenty to thirty years younger than me.  But, back to my spread sheet.
     Most of my races are five year age divisions, so I'm against guys my own age.  It isn't the same as Cat 3,4, or 5.  The talent pool is thin and gets thinner as I get older.  So take these stats with a grain of salt:  Since 2004, my inaugural year of not seeing a podium, I've had 107 races and placed 1st in 27; 2nd in 36; and 3rd in 21.  In 23 I finished off the podium.  Broken down differently: 75 time trials, garnering 24, 29, 14 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places respectively.  I only missed the podium 8 times (two of which were at Nationals). I've done 30 road races with 3, 7, 7, podiums, and 13 misses.  I found out the hard way to stay out of criteriums, getting pulled rather quickly (but not last) in the only two I entered.
     If you are over 50, you might want to check out TSGA.org (Senior Games).  There aren't as many in Texas as there were ten years ago, but we still have fun.  It isn't nearly as serious as USAC, although the competitiveness is still there.  And a few folks even allow a 70+ category, although as far as USAC is concerned we are lumped in with the 60+ guys.  There are lots of guys faster than me, they just don't come out and race.  And, for cycling vacations, check out Velo View Bike Tours.