SENIOR GAMES STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS, 2020

     I am always playing catch-up in the spring, since I never train as much as I should in the winter.  Having the Senior Games State Championships in early March doesn't help my confidence.  When I looked at who signed up, in my age category, I wasn't buoyed either.  There were eight in the group and four of them are faster than me.  Or so I thought, I mis-remembered John as being Bill.  Only the top four qualify for Nationals next year in Fort Lauderdale.  So I prepared to fight it out for forth.
     The weather was chilly with overcast skies and I warmed up in tights and jacket.  The 40k road race was first on the schedule and I skipped that in favor of the 20k, which was second.  While waiting around I discovered that my friend Tom, faster than me, did the 40k and was skipping the 20k, so that was one less fast guy with which to contend.  He also did the 10k time trial and skipped the 5k, again giving me one less competitor.
     As race time approached I removed my jacket and replaced it with a wind vest, still keeping three layers on my chest.  The tights stayed on, keeping with my mantra: under 65 degrees, cover the knees.  At the last minute I also removed the vest.
     This was a mass start, with all age groups going at the same time.  We lined up according to our age groups so we knew who we were racing against, but being old, we were in the back.  The young guys showed no mercy from the get-go, but I stayed with them for a mile and a half, combining power and cadence to good effect, following wheels.  The grades on this part of the course are deceptively steep.  On the one that dropped me I would have said it was a 3-4% grade, but Garmin is showing 6-9% ramps.  Anyhow, that is where I waved goodbye to the front group and became a solo rider.  My friend Fred stayed with the front group so I knew I had second, because I'd built up a lead over the others, who were dropped immediately.
     I did well, powered up each of the back-side hills, including the biggie before finally getting a breather on the longish downhill.  Again on the back-side I noticed several riders overtaking me.  I looked at the computer to verify I hadn't slowed appreciably, and a bit of concern went through my mind.  But as they got closer I saw it was the lead ladies group who had started thirty seconds, or maybe a minute, behind the men.  I tacked on to the back for a few hills but on the last one they powered away.
     Even though by myself, for the last two hundred meters I jumped out of the saddle and sprinted just to get used to doing that.  My time wasn't great, but better than expected.  Training Peaks gave me two gold medals for 10 minute and 20 minute power.  This is the range of power I'll need for the Driveway criteriums.  They also gave a silver for 20 minute heart rate.  All in all, a good effort.
     For the time trial in the afternoon, the wind had picked up considerably.  I had forgotten to change out my power meter, so that data isn't available.  I guess I could have had a few beats higher in the heart rate, although the high of 150 was over 90% of max.  The memorable part of this ride was a gust of wind that blew me across the road and of course brought me out of my tuck in order to control the bike.  Fortunately, it happened when no other riders were returning on this out-and-back course.  It cost a few seconds, but I finished twenty seconds behind Fred, so didn't affect the outcome.
     So, rather than duking it out for forth, I managed to cruise into two silver medals.  I thank Tom for not competing and Bob for not coming.  I only have Fred and Tom this year and next before we are in different age groups.  Now it's on to criteriums, where my only goals are to not finish last and to hang with the peleton for two laps (last year it was only one lap).

DALLAS SENIOR GAMES, 2020

     The Dallas Senior Games cycling events are held at the Texas Motor Speedway on I-35 between Fort Worth and Denton.  We don't get to actually be on the speedway, just the outer road around it.  This road is rough as a cob and I dread racing on it.  In terms of times, if you compare them to other venues, it is ego-busting.  Couple that with my lack of real race preparation and being three years into my age group.  I wasn't looking forward to getting drubbed in my races.  The format is the 5k and 10k time trials followed by the 20k road race on Saturday and the 40k road race on Sunday.  Rather than stay an extra day I opted out of the Sunday race.
     The schedule called for the 5k at 9:00, 10k at 10:00 and the 20k at 12:00.  The younger riders started first.  That would give me time to change out my Stages Power Crank from the time trial bike to the road bike after the 10k.  So, that's the background.  See my 3/18/2019 post for last year's races.
     The drive to Dallas gave me the first taste of I-35 in Waco (what a mess) and the usual Friday get-away traffic in Fort Worth (a nightmare).  I checked into the Hilton Garden Inn and changed to my bike clothes (the A&M kit, I always wear that when I'm in macho territory).  I did my prescribed Leg Openers routine which worked out to two laps of the 5-mile loop.  Training Peaks gave me four gold medals for 5 second, 1 minute, 5 minute and 10 minute Heart Rate, so I guess the routine did what it was supposed to.  I returned to the hotel, showered, and found Olive Garden for an early dinner.
     Back at the hotel I found reruns of Bones, the TV not getting the Olympic Channel and the UCI Track Championships, as I relaxed in the room.  I was asleep around 9:30.  I was wide awake at 12:30 am.  Sleep would not come.  So here I am at 7:30 am, leaving for the Speedway, sleep deprived and not wanting to be here in the first place.  Check-in was scheduled for 8:00 am but they were up and running at 7:45.  I had to blink twice.  I had no competition.  Zero others in my age group.Tom, Fred, Bill from Oklahoma, two other guys whose names escape me but are faster than me, none of them were here.  My mood lightened considerably.
     On occasions like this I never refer to "winning" gold medals.  I "received" gold medals.  And it isn't like I slacked off on my runs.  Well, maybe a bit in the 10k.  But for my effort I at least wouldn't be beaten like a drum.  Soothes the ego.
     For the 5k the temperature was 55 degrees and I kept my tights on, taking off my jacket just before the start.  The first mile and a half or so were flat with a medium head wind, then a turn up an incline with the wind on your shoulder, then for the last mile a slight decline with the wind at your back.  I took it out in the big ring, but pretty high up the cogs, trying to hold 90 rpm.  A slight turn and an itsy-bitsy incline put the wind in my face and speed and cadence dropped for about a minute.  Once I got the wind out of my face, things picked up.  I hit 28 mph in the final stretch and it probably should have been 30.  Last year's 5k was 9:40 and this year 9:17 so I wasn't slacking off.  BTW, this is about a minute slower than my usual 5k races.  Training Peaks gave me gold medals for 5 minute power and 5 minute Heart Rate.
     I warmed down and returned to the car for refreshment and a bit of a rest.  Shortly thereafter there was an announcement that the 10k would start at 10:15 am and the 20k road race at 11:15am.  Dang!  My 10k start time was 10:29 and approximating twenty minutes to race, that wouldn't give me time to switch my power meter crank to the race bike.  Well, technically it takes less than ten minutes to switch, even taking my time.  But I already had data on the 5k, so I switched cranks.  Thus the 10k has no data other than time and speed.
     For the 10k my plan was to take it easy and save something for the road race.  I started in the small ring and lower on the cassette.  The temperature was up to 63-66 but I kept the tights on.  My cadence was good, around 90 as planned, and when I got to the speed section I only topped out at 26 mph.  Then I turned into the wind and up an incline and the speed really dropped.  I finished with a time of 20:10.  Last year it was 18:45.  Part of that was the wind, the rest because I wasn't trying as hard.  But Training Peaks still gave me a gold medal for 20 minute Heart Rate
     For the 20k I switched from skin suit to my ZFG kit, and with the temperature now in the 70's, put the tights in the dirty clothes basket.  The temperature wasn't the only thing rising.  The wind now became a large factor.  Then came the announcement, all age groups would form a mass start.  This isn't as bad as it sounds, it was a small group, less than a dozen.  However, that meant if the young guys wanted to put the hammer down early, I'd be dropped in a hurry.
     The wind was my friend.  So was a rather large, young guy (60-64 age group) who was doing his first road race.  We had a nice, friendly start for a third of a mile then turned into the wind.  One really strong rider and the new guy were first and I was on the wheel of the new guy.  They set a nice pace so no one felt the need to attack.  This was a double pace line, but neither of the guys pulled off.  Going up the hill we moved to a single pace line, with me still tucked closely behind the new guy, who was second wheel.  When we made the last turn, four and a half miles into the race and back into the wind and up the incline (not enough to call it a hill), he finally pulled off.  Fat chance of me leading into the wind, I pulled off also.  But unlike him, I put out some heavy watts and caught on to the back and stayed with the group.  By now it was clear that there would be no attacks until the hill with the wind at our back.  I cruised at the back of the pack.  It wasn't so much of an attack as just an increase in speed.  My speed increased also, but not as much as theirs.  Since I didn't have a dog in that fight, I let them go.  They got about 30 seconds ahead but apparently slowed because while they continued to pull away, it wasn't by much.
     So I continued on, and didn't push 100% for the last mile, up hill and into the wind.  For comparisons, last year my time was 35:00 and this year 34.45.  And I still earned two gold medals from Training Peaks for 10 minute and 20 minute Heart Rate.
     I left Fort Worth feeling much better about my progress than when I got there.  Next week is another race, then the Driveway.  I'm liking my Heart Rate numbers, now just need to work on the legs.
   

GET TETHERED!

     I like words.  This one crossed my mind as I tethered my Garmin to the handle bars of my bike.  It is, now, a standard routine so why would I even think about the word.  Well, the bike was on the trainer in the kitchen.  The chances of it becoming dislodged from the holder were slim to none.  If you look up the etymology of tether you get no definitive answer, maybe Norse, maybe Germanic.  But it means, as a verb, to fasten something, or, as a noun, the rope or chain itself.  Mostly it referred to animals.
     Old people hate change.  The older you get the more you stick to the "good old days."  Learning new things really is difficult so it is easier not to.  But I digress.  Two Garmins, and maybe ten years, back, I was bombing down Great Hills Trail toward 360.  This is a rough street and toward the bottom, approximately 26 mph, my computer jumped off and hit the pavement.  It was never the same, even though I sent it to Garmin for repair (don't get me started on that).  So I purchased a new Garmin 500.  Several years later I upgraded to the 520.  I still have, and occasionally use, the 500.
     The new 520 came with this little wristband-type cord.  I put it aside, shrugged my shoulders, and started reading the instruction manual.  Ah, it was the tether.  At approximately the same time, my friend Todd was in discussion with others and opined that he always tethered his computer to his bike.  The light bulb finally went off.  If your computer jumps out of its holder, the tether will keep it from hitting the ground.  I went back and read the instructions on how to attach the cord to the computer and have been using the tether ever since.
     Speaking of things jumping off your bike, several years ago I posted a fun clip of my GoPro coming loose and hitting the asphalt as I descended a mountain (See July 21, 2017).  In that case, it was the mount that broke off.  Another aside: to get the camera facing forward you need to cobble several pieces of plastic accessories.  The part attached to the bike stayed put, it was the second part that broke.  The GoPro itself was unharmed.  I got a new mount, but apparently didn't learn much from the previous experience and on a Velo View ride to Johnson City it happened again.  This time I was oblivious to its departure and was several miles down the road before noticing.  No use going back to try to find it.  Personally, I believe the mount design is faulty.  In any case, I now have a Fly6 on the back of my bike, velcro, and nothing facing forward.

STRAVA ME

     Yesterday I rode with Velo View on the Dripping Springs ride.  I did this route once before with Velo View a few years ago and it is very nice.  It has its ups and downs, great views, very little traffic.  There were a few minor hiccups, but this post isn't about the ride itself.  It's about me and Strava.  One of the things about being old and riding with younger folks is that most of the time you are struggling to keep up, so you don't get an honest perspective as to how you stack up against guys your own age.  This doesn't matter much usually, but when you race against guys your own age, your fitness matters a lot.  So yesterday I was just following wheels, or solo in the case of the last eight miles trying, and failing, to keep up with Dan and Dani on their mechanically-challenged tandem.
     According to my Garmin, there were only about 300 feet of elevation gain, but we did it enough times to get in about 1,500 feet of climbing in 36 miles of the route some of us took.  I didn't think I was going hard until the last eight miles.  But when I got home and looked at Strava, I counted seven PR's and ten 2nd place medals.  Of course, since this was only the second time on this route, that was to be expected.  This is a popular course for cyclists, and this got me thinking it would be an opportunity to check the 75+ age group on Strava.  So I pulled up all of the segments to see how I fared.  The results include both of my rides.
     There were twenty-four segments on my route.  My times placed me 1st in nine of them, 2nd in ten, 3rd in four, and 5th in one.  So that pretty much strokes my ego.  Of course, a lot of those times were twice as much as what the fastest riders were laying down, so we must keep perspective.  One thing I'm thankful for is that Steve Corothers and Bebe Lapin don't race.  If any of you know them, say 'Hi" for me.
     Racing season is fast approaching and I know I'm still not ready.  But yesterday was a boost of confidence.  Now all I need is some warm, sunny days.
     

CHAIN MAINTENANCE

     In the previous post I mentioned cross-chaining.  That got me to thinking more about the chain.  Cross chaining happens when the chain crosses the centerline of the cassette.  That is, if you are in the big chainring and large cog or the small chainring and small cog.  Actually, once you are out of the middle four or five cogs you begin to cross-chain..  This wears on the cassette and the chain, resulting in deformation of the chain and premature wearing out of the cassette.
     Several years ago, I was riding through a neighborhood on my way to the country and saw a young (14-16ish) lady sitting on the sidewalk with her bike in front of her.  I stopped to ask if I could help and she said no, thanks.  So I continued on with my ride.  An hour or two later as I returned, she hadn't moved so I stopped again.  She was having trouble with her chain, which somehow had come off the sprocket and wrapped around itself.  This as a Huffy-type bike.  It took quite a bit of doing but eventually I muscled it back into position.  Apparently it have never been lubricated.  I advised to have her dad use 3 in 1 or WD-40 on it.  I could tell they wouldn't have anything better at home.  All of this to get to what I do in terms of actual maintenance.
       Regular readers know that other than air the tire and lube the chain, and occasionally washing it, I take my bikes to the shop to keep them running.  On average I clean the chain quarterly.  But I lube it bi-weekly, or more if I get caught in wet weather.  I keep a shop towel in the car and after a ride will clean the chain.  I don't wait to get home to do it, the chain gets clean before getting put in the car.  Apparently any oil (i.e. lubricant) on the outside of the chain isn't helpful, plus acts as a sponge to extract the oil that is actually doing its job.  So the sooner you remove the excess the better.
     I use Rock 'N' Roll Gold mostly, but also have Pedro's as backup.  Get the chain saturated, then start wiping off the excess.  It is better if the chain sits overnight.  Don't forget to wipe the pulleys and chainring.
     The other part of chain maintenance is to periodically check the chain length.  Eventually the chain will stretch (it really doesn't "stretch" the bushings get smaller, thus increasing the space between links.  Pay no attention).  A stretched chain will cause a lot of wear on the cogs (read:you can destroy a cassette in a matter of weeks if you have an old, stretched chain), and chainring too for that matter.  It's easy to check.  Twelve chain links should measure exactly twelve inches (from middle of pin to middle of pin)  That's a new chain.  What I've read is you can let it go to 12 1/8 before replacing.  I'd rather just get a new chain.  There is a tool, a chain checker, that will save you from measuring or wondering if it's stretched too far.  You just slap it into the chain, and it tells you if you need to replace or not.  If you aren't getting a clean, crisp shift you might want to check your chain.
     Last year during the Tour de France, Lance Armstrong was commenting on a particular day and what cassettes the pros were using.  He said something to the effect of they were putting the low cogs on, not because they were going to use them, but because the ones they were going to use would be in the middle, thus reducing friction.  I wonder how many watts that relates too. 

BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING

     This post is about cadence and gear selection, so it really isn't for beginners.  It assumes you are properly fitted, clipped in, and know how to shift both front and back derailleurs.  I see too many folks not enjoying their ride because they are working too hard in the wrong gear.  Recently I saw a lady bouncing in her saddle, going about 110 rpm to achieve 14 mph on flat ground.  It was painful to watch, but since I was a guest in this group ride, I didn't give any instructions.  I am not an expert, but I am experienced.
     Let's start with cadence.  I'll use the term "base cadence" to mean whatever cadence feels good to you and you feel like you could do it for hours.  This should be somewhere between 80 and 90 rpm.  90 is preferred and if you can do that without getting winded, do it.  I'm more comfortable at 80-84.  You want to apply the least amount of pressure necessary to keep up.  Pounding a large gear for an extended period of time will make your knees unhappy.  Let's assume a base cadence of 80 rpm for the remainder of this post.  The ride becomes quite simple: choose a gear that gives you the proper speed at 80 rpm.
     Of course, on a group ride you go up and down hills, slow down and speed up, maybe stop for traffic devices.  So your cadence will vary, as will your gears.  So you do what is necessary, then drop back to your base.  Now for gear selection.
     Assume a ten speed sprocket and two chain rings.  You want to live in the middle four (for eleven speed, the middle five; for nine speed, still the middle four).    If I'm cruising in the 14-18 mph range, I'm in the small chain ring.  If it's 18 mph and up, I'm in the big ring.  It might be crossing your mind why you have all these gears and only use four.  Of course you use all of them!  Read on.
     Besides talking to your buddy or planning the next meal, you need to pay attention to your surroundings.  If you have a small, short rise coming up, assess how many gears you need to get up and over, plus what the ride leader will be doing.  If you only need one or two additional gears, stay in your chain ring and shift the cassette.  But what if after the climb there is a drop?  Then, if you are in the small ring, you should go to the big ring plus whatever cassette in the back will keep you with the group.  And yes, your cadence will need to adjust.  But don't shift too soon.  You don't want to go from 80 to 110 rpm.
     Now is a good time to mention those who are in love with their big ring.  By that I mean those who stay in it until they run out of sprocket in the back and then shift to the small ring.  Two things: it is bad for your chain (called cross-chaining) and it drops you too much in the gearing, making your rpm's accelerate too fast.  If you spend most of your time in the big ring, don't use it in the last two sprockets.  Back to the illustrations.
     So now you're cruising along and a long climb looms.  You've done this before (or not) and assess the need for four or more gears before getting to the top.  If you're in the small ring, you just keep shifting as needed.  In the big ring you have a choice: shift to the small ring now and then keep shifting the gears.  Or, shift up to the third from the top gear, then when the time comes, go to the small ring.  Here's a rule of thumb: going from big ring to small equals about two gears (really about two and a half).  If you need two gears in a hurry, and maybe a third shortly after, then the sooner you go to the small ring the better.
     Let's mention an exception: going downhill (not coasting) or with the wind at your back.  Since gravity or the wind is doing some of the work, pick a big gear and less cadence.  This is an opportunity to relax.
     There is more to it than this, but it's a good start.  I think I mixed cassettes and sprockets, pay no attention.

PACE BEND ULTRA, 2020

     Two years in a row with great weather (for the 3-hour race).  Last year I did this on my time trial bike but this year I decided to go with my very fast Trek Emonda.  In terms of speed, that was a mistake.  I could have broken with tradition and put a water bottle cage on the bike, thus eliminating the hydration problem.  I was also remembering how my neck and wrists felt after that race.  Besides, while we call this a race, for me it's just a hard workout.  Without age-group divisions, I know where I'll end up.  I refer you to my February 3, 2019 post for some additional background.
     Our race started at 11:00 am so I arrived about 9:15 am and checked into registration, picked up my timing chip and the rest of the packet and prepared to do a warm-up lap.  My computer wouldn't turn on.  Pook!  I used my phone and Strava to record the ride.  Last year it took 24:11, this year was 26:22.  Because I wasn't really racing, the warm-up ended about a half hour before the start.  That gave me time to take off my tights and switch from cold weather jacket to wind-breaker.  The temperature when I left the house was 37, when I arrived at Pace Bend 47, and race time about 64.  Three hours later it was 77.
     Meanwhile, I whined to my mates on Slack that I couldn't turn on my computer and was advised (thanks Todd) to give it a hard boot by holding the on/off button for 30 seconds.  It took several tries, but just before the start it booted up and I was able to have data.  Except for heart-rate.  When it looked like I wouldn't have computer data I took off my HR strap.  Not that I planned to monitor my HR, but I think Training Peaks uses it in their algorithms.
     So, off we went, something like fifteen of us, maybe nine men and six women.  I eased into the ride and was quickly watching the others pull ahead.  Last year my first lap was 18:56, this year 20:39.  I had hoped for twenty minutes.  Twenty minute laps comes out to nine in three hours.  Of course, I knew I'd slow down, but that would give me thirty minutes to divide into the remaining laps  to give me the eight.   So I cruised along, happy with my cadence, and going up and down the gears to keep everything smooth.
     When lap two came in at 21:17 I started calculating (having nothing else to do while I pedaled along) if I was going to make eight laps or not.  Lap three came in at 23:19 and four at 23:56.  The wind picked up and I knew I couldn't go faster, so eight laps went out the window.  After the sixth lap I eased up even more, knowing I had seven and couldn't make eight.  Just as well, my right piriformis was beginning to complain.  I finished with fifteen minutes to spare, but since it was taking twenty-five, I was ten minutes short of making eight.  Thank goodness I wasn't closer, like needing a twenty minute lap to make eight.  I would have gutted it out.
     As it was, Training Peaks gave me four gold medals for 10,20, 60, and 90 minute power.  I just needed to be pushing a larger gear.  My normal Monday morning includes a 5:00 am trip to the Y to get in a leg workout.  I'll put that off until Tuesday.  Meanwhile I'm working on the piriformis and will take a recovery cruise later today. (Note: once I got going on the hurt, it wasn't the piriformis, but ha to do with the greater trochanter.  Doesn't really matter, other than it hurts to move my right leg). Neck is good, wrists are good, HR back to normal this morning.  All in all, I'm quite pleased with how things turned out.