Instead of writing about my experiences this season so far I figured I would do something different and tell a story through pictures. 

Team Training Camp 2013

Weld County Road Race

Federal Center Criterium

Koppenberg

This week started off a bit different with my first online podcast interview. A few weeks back I was contacted by Damian Ruse of SemiProCycling.com. Semi-Pro Cycling is an online podcast where Damian talks about all different topics. Pro tour riding, proper training, how to pick a coach, physical and mental aspects of bicycle racing, and so on. I was delighted to be a part of a podcast to chat about some of my coaching philosophies but also to practice being a part of the digital world again. I remember during college and doing on-air radio shows about the “Digital Divide”. It was my first experience with radio broadcasting and I loved the feeling knowing hundreds if not thousands of people would be listening. I also enjoy being put on the spot and this was the situation I fell into with Damian. During our initial interview, we got to know each other and chat about our cycling lives. It was a great “tune-up” interview but wasn’t recorded. I wanted the real deal! A few days later it was time to record for real. I didn’t ask Damian for any prep questions and he didn’t provide me with any. This left me feeling excited! The interview went great and you can check out the entire conversation on Semiprocycling.com .

Technology 

This week’s topic is on cycling technology and the tools which provide us to think more analytical. The increased use of power meters and advancement with training tools for competitive cycling help to create more definitive answers for those seeking imperfections in their training regime. From this conclusion draws an important question. If technology helps us become more mathematically aware of our internal zones, does too much technology negatively effect our tactical sense? I suppose I’ll need to pick a side on this ever-changing topic. As Howard Zinn once said “You can’t be neutral on a moving train.” I believe there needs to be a proportional stable amount of technology and riding capability. Try to harness your tactical riding sense before diving into the deep section of power numbers.

If you have a cycling coach he or she should be the primary analyzer of your power training numbers. You as the athlete should be more focused on the day’s training than the day’s numbers. Let your coach steer you down the correct trail while providing important details to those power numbers. If you are the master of your own universe where you read your own power data on a daily basis then you will need to take a more subjective approach. Certain mental practices can help one to acquire a better understanding of one’s power numbers. I believe it starts with the setting at which you look at the numbers. It may sound insignificant but the time and place at which you look at your numbers can play an important role when analyzing them. Before downloading my power files I try and find a time that’s quiet in the house when I’m not feeling stressed or anxious to see the day’s numbers. This can promote a false pretense of feelings when it comes to specific power averages you hit during the day’s ride. Your mental state of mind plays a pivotal role on and off the bike. Once the files are uploaded I sit back for a few minutes and think about the week’s training load, how I felt both internally and externally, the past week’s hours in duration, and a realistic understanding of where my power zones should be this time of the season. I do these same practices when looking at athlete’s files.

Training

This weekends training went well due to some nice early spring weather. Saturday was the Chatfield group ride followed by High Grade Rd. After the Chatfield ride (hour of power) I was quite spent. I underestimated the effort required during the first hour and once I hit the climb with several other teammates I was finding my legs unresponsive to any hard efforts. I truly believe that if I had remained in a Z3 (Threshold) effort for the majority of the climb (14 miles) I would have been fine. However when I started to branch out into those Z4-Z5 efforts I wasn’t able to settle back into Z3. This is a common mistake made by many cyclists and I too fell into this trap. Lucky for me this was only a training ride. Sunday our team headed back up Deer Creek Canyon ~ High Grade for some more climbing. This time around my legs felt great. We rode steady as a group until we hit the steep switchbacks. I gave a hard effort and rode alone for a while until two of my teammates caught me. From there we settled into a hard but steady rhythm to the top. Afterwards we headed back down onto the front range and had fun on some matted down dirt roads which border Chatfield State Park. Another week in the bag!

Last week saw some good training miles despite some inconsistent weather and a snowstorm thrown in yesterday. Saturday was about 4:20 total in ride time and I was content considering I already completed 10 hours for the week. So, with Saturday I was up to 14:20 and I still had a trainer ride left on Sunday to get though.

On Saturday after the Chatfield group about 10 riders including myself went through the Ken Caryl area for some extra miles. I was quite tired at this point but found myself able to do a few more hard accelerations when needed. Once through Ken Caryl a couple of teammates found this 5-8 minute climb in the small suburb called Willowbrook. I was surprised how steep it was with a few switchbacks thrown into the mix! This is now one of my favorite spots when not climbing in the mountains. I will frequent it on my solo training rides.

I woke up the next morning with some sore legs. Walking down the stairs was a chore but half way through the day my legs already started to bounce back. I have been consistent with my nutritional recovery this winter to make sure I am 100% ready for the next day’s training. The trainer session on Sunday went well. I did a mix of Z-3-4-5 work and the legs responded better than I had thought. Onto another week of training! Each day this week the weather keeps getting warmer.

Gaerne Mythos Carbon Short-Term Review:

Two years ago I went on a long search to find the perfect cycling shoe. I thought I had found it with the Mavic Zxellium’s. The lower portion of the shoe was stiff and the upper was supple which meant my feet wound’t ache on those 4-5-6 hour rides. This was exactly accurate. I could ride for hours without any signs of foot soreness or pain. I’m sure most cycling shoes provide this feature however after using various shoes in the past the Mavic’s were at the top of the list. The one issue I ran into with the Mavic’s was time. Over time the upper of the shoe became too soft and wouldn’t compliment the two velcro straps and buckle system. This left my feet slipping during a sprint. I remember once at the Meridian Group Rides  I was in an all-out sprint and actually looked down to see my foot moving around in the shoe. This made me gasp, but I learned to deal with it since my foot was comfortable for the 59:45 of the group ride. However, as time would have it I’ve continued to work harder and harder with my sprint but felt I was missing a piece of the puzzle with foot movement. This thought stayed in the back of my mind for a while but I didn’t re-vist it until the Gaerne Mythos.

The Mythos arrived at my doorstep packaged nicely. Included in the box were the shoes, shoe bag, Gaerne catalog, and two Gaerne stickers. Taking them out of the box I felt like a kid in a candy store on Christmass. They were so beautiful to look at! OK, yes I may be exaggerating but its hard not to glimmer with a pair of real Italian made cycling shoes in your hand. I did notice they were a little hefty compared to my Mavic’s. Weight (to me) is secondary when it comes to functionality. I tried them on and walked around on my carpet for 10-15 minutes. (As the instructions said to do so!)

The sizing felt precise and predictable but slightly on the larger size for my feet. I wasn’t worried as I’d rather have them with more room in the toe box than having my feet feel as if they were squished together in a sardine can.

The heel was stiff and hard to put my foot in at first but then I realized I need to completely open the two straps. I say it was different because the Mavic’s upper was so soft I sometimes didn’t even need to open the velcro straps to get my foot in and out. The internal part of the heel is made very well. It has a mesh type material which feels nice when placing your heel up against it. The tongue is another one of my favorite features. No part of this shoe was overlooked. Normally a cycling shoe can get away by making the exterior ascetics nice but forgetting about those small details. The tongue is crazy soft and actually has two very thin small vented pads which cushion for the top of your foot.

The strap system is well built. Its part velcro part plastic which meshes well together. A few pulls and the straps are locked into place without any hint of coming undone. It also gives you a nice “clicking” sound when pulling the straps into place. The buckle system piece is a bit on the large size but once you clamp it down you realize how secure your foot feels. Having a secure footbed is important for sprinting and I’m happy to say in the few sprints I have done so far, no foot movement! 

The Speedplay stack height isn’t too bad.

I’ve only gotten in about 5 rides. So far they are spectacular and quite comfortable. Keep in mind however, if you use speedplay the width between the shoe and the crank arm is minimized. Speedplay Zero has a stock 53mm spindle size. I found to have about 1mm of spacing between my shoe and the crank arm. However, this can be contributed to my personal riding style.

Overall:

The quality and construction of this shoe is top notch.

It’s slightly heavier than most other cycling shoes but makes up for it with attention to detail.

Closure system ranks a 9.5. Only reason its not a 10 is because I would have liked to see part “Boa” part strap.

Style & Ascetics - Amazing!

Another year is upon us and I couldn’t be more excited. My blog has taken hiatus once the road racing season ended. Usually in the fall I like to get away from writing for a while and enjoy riding and training on a more subtle level. On a personal note my training couldn’t be going better for the upcoming season. I have been putting in sufficient hours on the bike including some key interval workouts to get ready for the racing season. Time has gone by very fast. As I look at the calendar on my desk its surprises me with the date February 22nd. This means only a couple months to our team camp in California and then the racing begins for the season in April. Officially it starts in March here on the front range of Colorado but only a few small time Criteriums.

I am also excited to be racing with some great riders for 2013. Last year I raced solo as the only 1/2 rider. However, this season we have picked up four other elite riders to join the party. There was definitely more than one race where I was wishing I had a teammate to work with or to work for.

From a numerical value perspective, my power has been consistently progressing over the past 6 months. I noticed however, my sprint numbers are high but my climbing numbers are a bit lower than expected. This may be to a slight weight increase over the winter months. My current winter weight is around 144lbs. This is about 8lbs heavier than my usual race weight of 136. However, as my weight begins to stabilize, my sprint power is on rise. I’m content with my current training weight however once April / May hits I would like to be sub 140lbs.

Back in November we began our team training rides on the weekend with 30-40 riders showing up. The beautiful fall weather was a major factor for such a large attendance by riders. The front range has been spoiled this winter with temps in the mid 50′s and sunny. This presented a good amount of base training miles. Currently we are going through a bit of a cold spell but next week looks like we will be back into the 50′s. I can still see my jersey and short tan lines! 

Over the past two years I have had the pleasure and honor to coach various athletes. What I love about coaching is the art it takes to build and plan ones schedule. I have always believed in creating individualized training programs. This way specific workouts can be contoured for one’s needs. I wish all my athlete’s and all riders the best of luck for the 2013 racing season. I have also decided to write a weekly blog entry wrapping up team training and my personal training schedule. Thanks and God bless!

Here are some photos from the past few months to bring you back up to speed. Enjoy!

One of our first training rides before 2013.

Brandon on the left, one of our elite riders.

Greg D on the right. Greg is on his way to the professional ranks!

One of our epic mountain rides @ 8,000+ft of elevation.

Another great picture from the same day.

Some extra miles after a Saturday morning group ride.

Our new kits for 2013!

Oct. 13: Town of Oyster Bay Supervisors 5K, Oyster Bay, NY 
The morning started off a bit cool so deciding what to wear was challenging. I opted for long pants, short sleeves and arm warmers. Those arm warmers have become a real favorite part of my running apparel. I almost always seem to overdress, so they are handy when I no longer need long sleeves! Got to the race with time to spare so I got a chance to do a warm up mile. I met a colleague of mine and another runner in my age group. She is speedy and even though she always beats me I appreciate all her encouragement at the races!  The race course was very pretty but quite a bit of a challenge! It was about 1.5 miles uphill, a short downhill, about another 1 mile uphill and then about a flat .5 mile finish. I got to the finish line with a bit of ‘heavy breathing, huffing and puffing but not horrendous. I had to laugh once I crossed the finish line. I was trying to compose my breathing and a very elderly lady kept asking me if I was sure that I was okay.  I was great! I like my time: 27:17 @ a 8:47 pace.  Considering it was a hilly course I was more than satisfied with my time. It was a good thing that awards were 5 deep! I came in 4th place out of 13 in my AG.  94th out of 284 women!  I was only 37 seconds behind first place!  I was definitely happy with this race!

Oct. 21:  4 miles Blazing Trails for Autism, Bellmore, NY
It turned out to be a bit warmer than the last race a week ago. So this time I wore shorts, short sleeves and my trusty arm warmers. Yes, I really do like wearing them!  My planning time in arriving at races has also been working out well. I think the regularity of having time to pick up my number and t-shirt, warm up etc. helps take out any stress before the race.  I have been doing the same routine and that is a definite benefit.  I noticed when I got to the race I did not see my usual AG competition.  That took out some of the race day jitters although it seemed to be quite well attended since I did do a bit of driving around looking for parking.  Chatted with a young woman about our similar teaching issues and such and before I knew it……2 minutes until race time.  I said my goodbye and headed to the first few lines back of the start.  I have also gotten better at placing my self at the start.  And then…the gun…and we were off.  I decided to listen to my nanno at this race. And ironically, for whatever reason (perhaps karma coach?) it was playing only 2 songs!! At first I tried fiddling around to change it but could not see! LOL! So, I gave up and just listened to the 2 songs for 4 miles!  I saw one of the women in the AG below me who is fast and usually places so I once again decided to pace off her.  After about 1 mile I noticed another women in my AG right in front of me! I passed the 1 mile mark at 8:15!! Whoa!!! I stayed behind her for about .5 miles and then I felt like I could no longer stay behind her and passed her. Then I passed the other woman and just kept running my pace. It was obviously faster! I passed the 2 mile mark at 16:55.  I hit 3 miles at 25:55!! I could not believe I was flying that fast!  No one was with me and I ran alone until about the last .75 miles. Then the younger woman came up beside me and took off. I could not catch up to her. Once again, no one around. Then I finally saw the finish line and heard the crowd (they were quite loud!).  Just as I reached the line two really young woman crossed it with me. I kept it up and kept running over both timing mats and turned to receive two high fives from them! Nice race! Got my drink, my food and got my official time:  34:37!! 8:40 pace!!  1st place out of 8 in my AG!! 64th woman out of 377!! And…193rd out of 695 runners!! Awesome!! It really is nice to collect all this hardware!! LOL!!

Xterra USA championship and Xterra Trail Run National Championship race reports-2012

I admit it. I was nervous over nothing. I was asked to run a leg for a team for the very well known, to most runners, except me, the Ocean to Sound Relay.  The race is 50 miles from the Atlantic Ocean at Jones Beach to the Long Island Sound at Oyster Bay, NY. 8 legs run a variety of distances from about 5.4 miles to 7 miles.  My leg,  #5, was located in a picturesque spot of Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island, New York . Since I’m a new runner in the “senior 60+” category I was a bit anxious wondering if I could hold my own and run a respectable time as the leg of a team of much faster and more seasoned runners. All 8 runners were 60+ years old.I had never really traveled through the roads and decided I would make a dry run in my car the day before.  I was under the impression that it was just “a little hilly.”  I found out that the route was filled with beautiful homes, 2 lane very hilly roads with no sidewalks and no shoulders.  My leg consisted of 15 turns.  I was definitely stepping out of my comfort zone and giving myself a new running challenge. As soon as I got home from the dry run the the nerves started to unravel into “what have I gotten myself into this time!”  No one at home wanted to listen to me and gave me a solid suggestion: call your coach! Awesome idea! Thanks to my coach I started to relax about this race and put it into perspective. Sometimes that is just who you need when you are blowing everything about competing out of proportion. So, finally, with my nerves under control I got ready for this race just like all the others I have run.  I had a restless sleep that night, but for me, it is not uncommon before a race. I woke up early so I could have a light breakfast. I decided on the advice of another runner to write the directions of my leg on my hand just in case there were no signs or guides on the route. And then I left off for my race.  I got to the start of my leg fairly early so I had time to take a run in the somewhat hilly parking lot of Cold Spring Harbor. There were very few people around waiting. After my warm up I chatted with a few people and ironically 3 or 4 people had not even thought about the leg, the conditions or the directions for the route. They just showed up. Was I over prepared? I didn’t care I felt comfortable and ready. I should have brought my fold up chair as there was a lot of waiting for my team mate or the driver to show up.  I got to see a cool peloton of cyclists racing down the road just before the first runners came through!  Finally! The hand off to me of the “chip on a velcro strap” from my teammate! The hand-off was seamless and I was off! The first about .75 of the leg was uphill. Very much uphill! I could not seem to get into a rhythm it took a lot of effort to “get up that hill.”  As soon as a downhill came up and that flattened out I got into a rhythm and a good pace. I felt confident and comfortable. Breath was ok. Legs were ok. I was just running!  After about a half mile I heard my name being shouted by a former student, “Mrs. Zimmerman!! You go girl!! You’re awesome!” Along the route a few challenges did arise. There were no shoulders and the impatient and impolite drivers that passed forced me to hop up on the grass incline so as not to get hit by the cars! There were quite a few up and down hops!  The next challenge that slowed me down was a car that screeched to a stop behind me causing me to slow down and glance back. It had almost rear ended another car! Scared me good!! About 1/2 mile to the finish line I had to cross a very busy road. No crossing guide was there and tons of cars.  I had to literally stop, and run in place until a car in either direction stopped and allowed me an opportunity to cross! .2 to go! The condition of the sidewalk that now appeared was awful.  It was more like a dirt trail.  But there was a course guide encouraging me to keep it up because I had only 300 yards to go! My breathing suddenly became much more labored and I was desperately trying to pick up the pace! But there ahead I saw the finish and heard a few people on the team shouting my name. I started taking off my velcro chip and pushing toward that finish line. The hand off went so smoothly! Best part of the finish? I heard someone shouting, “Mrs. Zimmerman!! What are you doing here? Wow! You’re in the race!” That was cool to have another former student give me a hug at the end! It really was a fun type of race and I’m glad I said yes and ran a leg of a 50 mile race! And the results for my leg? A 10K (6.2mile) PR….1:01:56.  And my team? First place for the super senior masters category! 8 hours and 11 minutes!! Not too bad at all! A great finish for September!

On Saturday September 1st, I did my first Duathlon in Boulder (Boulder Sunset Duathlon). The start time was 2:15, so I got to sleep in a little bit. Well that was the plan at least, I woke up early because of my excitement to get there and compete. I got there about 2.5 hours early to get my packet and get everything set up and ready to go. I took my bike and gear over to the transition area and then proceeded to do a warm up run. After stretching and getting my last bit of nutrition in, I headed over to the start line with my parents at 1:45. I continued to stretch and looked around at my competition. The officials gave us a pre race talk and then we lined up. The gun went off and there was a small pack for about a quarter mile. One guy took off, so I stayed about 5 yards behind him and waited to see what he was going to do. We got to the 1.5 mile turn around point and it had began to rain pretty hard and the wind had picked up. I had worked my way up to the first place guy and realized we had a pretty big lead over third. The other guy was struggling, so I made a move and felt good about it. As we got to the end of the first run, I looked back and saw my lead was about 30 seconds. I had finished my first run in about 19:20. I changed my shoes and put my helmet and glasses on, grabbed my bike and ran out of the transition area. I knew that since I didn’t have a TT bike, I would have to ride well to keep my lead. The rain had picked up and the wind was terrible. It took me a while to get settled in and I wasn’t taking any risks around turns because of the wet conditions. I was moving along well, but after about mile 12 a guy flew by me. I tried my best to stay close to him but he gained a pretty decent lead on me. I just kept fighting and held on to second coming out of the 24 mile bike portion. Going into the transition area, I knew I needed a fast transition and a good 5k to catch the guy in first. My transition was 37 seconds.

I started the run feeling great and had a lot of confidence in myself. The rain had stopped and the sun was out, so the weather wasn’t as much of a factor as it was in the first two portions of the race. Getting close to the turn around point, I saw the guy in first and he was about a minute ahead of me. I made the turn and started to grind out as much as I could. I just kept my eye on him and started reeling him in. With about a half mile left, he was seconds ahead of me and we were approaching a final incline before the finish. I thought that if I could pass him on the hill, he might crumble and not be able to stay with me. I did just that and he tried to stay with me but I gave a short burst and didn’t hear his footsteps anymore. I kept driving to the finish and looked behind me to make sure there wasn’t going to be a sprint finish. I was surprised to see that he was about 20 seconds back and I was about to win my first race. I gave my mom a high five and crossed the finish line. I was extremely happy and pleasantly surprised to of won my first duathlon. It was a great feeling and I was ready to get back home and start training even harder for my next race.

       Last Thursday I went out to do my tempo run workout in preparation for my very first one mile race.  Mile 1 warm up I worked out the kinks, a stiff knee, a funky quad. I have finally begun to realize how important a warm-up is for getting the body ready to run. Mile 2 I picked up the pace to somewhere above my 5k PR pace and at the end of the mile my piriformis grabbed my sciatica. Ack!! I slowed down to a very slow pace and ran the next two miles home disappointed that this was a lost opportunity to workout before my race on Saturday. I should have walked the rest of the way but hindsight is usually 20/20. That afternoon found me in the chiropractor’s getting an adjustment and a treatment.  Rest, ice, rest not what a runner wants to do most of the time!

       Race day arrived finally and I was feeling better but tentative about my sciatica. My husband was volunteering to work the shirt table so we arrived much earlier than I usually get to a race: 2 hours before race time. I spent a half hour sitting in the car listening to some tunes waking up. Then I went out for a relaxed mile run to get those “kinks” out. Felt good no issues at all. The race start was about a 3/4 mile away, all uphill!  Then more waiting until it was time to take that run uphill to the start.  Got there with plenty of time to dump some water over my head and cool down for the start. 

         I don’t know why but I was really nervous about this race. I did not even see any of my usual competition around. Maybe it was because I never ran a 1 mile race before.  Gun start…and we were off! Then almost immediately I had a “race lesson.” I had forgotten that I had my nanno still and it came loose and was now dangling while I was racing! I grabbed it and attached it to my shorts as I was running. Lesson learned don’t run with a nanno during a race.  The most amazing part of this race was that it seemed so short. The first 1/4 mile was a short uphill and then in what seemed only a blink I was at the half mile time mark: 3:43.  I was furtively trying to do the math as I was also breathing hard and racing! Math is not my forte. But that seemed fast!! And the hard breathing was starting and I could now see the final stretch on Main Street. And then the finish line was clearly in sight!! I saw an amazing sight: the finish line timer!! I saw 7:15 minutes from the distance. I really was trying to increase the pace but I was breathing really hard. Really cool…I finished at 7:46!! I can still hardly believe I could run that fast for a mile!! I came in 2nd place in my AG.  I lost 1st place by 6 seconds and beat 3rd place by 10 seconds. Funny, I never even saw my competition; I was so in the zone!  That was a lot of fun! I think I’ll try a mile race again in the future! 

        I have found that like competing and collecting more “hardware!” YAY! I have 99% accomplished what I set out to do this summer: Win, place or show in every race.  I ran 7 races and placed in 6 of them. 1 in 1st place, 4 in 2nd place, and 1 in 3rd place. Not too shabby if I must say so! I know I did all the work but I could not have accomplished it without my coach! Thanks Adam!!!\

After how I felt last week and not being on the mountain bike after my crash, my decision to race didn’t come until Saturday afternoon.  I took Monday-Wednesday of last week completely off then only swam on Thursday and still had some aches and pains.  I finally got out on the mountain bike on Friday, and riding was pain free, but I had pain in my right quad when I got off the bike.  I biked again Saturday and had a small fall at the end which didn’t help my confidence, and had some major cramping in my right leg on a short run.  I kept going back and forth as to whether or not I would race.  Finally, I decided that since Adam and Mickey were coming to watch, that I would go.

Race morning flew by and before I knew it, it was time to start.  The walk to the water was in deep cold mud.  The water levels are really low this year so we were starting the swim really far from transition.

The waves were seeded by swim and bike ability so there were a lot of people in our swim wave that were close to the same swim speed.  The swim started off and right away it was pretty rough.  Rougher than normal.  I tried to keep my head down as much as possible, swam hard and did my best not to get kicked or punched.  Early on two guys (I think) cut in front of my path and the next thing I know I am getting kicked in the stomach and chest by both of them.  I slow down but there are people trying to swim over me now and people on all sides.  There is no where to go.  I finally got a little space but was sort of boxed in.  I figured it was fine for the time being, I would just get pulled along at the pace of the group and could hopefully speed up later.  After the turn around it opened up and I was able to start passing people.  I felt like I was swimming strong and felt good for the first time in a swim this year.  I then started to pass a guy and then I couldn’t get past him.  I then realized I was getting pushed to the right and wanted to take a line heading a bit more to the left.  I tried to start swimming more in that way and got really close to the guy.  I then realized it was one of my teammates.  It’s kind of funny recognizing someone underwater like that.  He and I swam the rest of the way into shore until I thought I had to go to the right to exit.  I started to get up and people were telling me I had to go to the left and out even though there was no barrier or timing mat.  So I ran through the mud to get out where everyone else did and saw 11:20 on my watch.  The swim was supposed to be 880m but was probably shorter due to the lower water levels. I came out with a couple other guys on my team which I have been a minute or so behind all year, so I was very happy with that!I ran slowly up the hill and got my wetsuit top off quickly, then stopped and took my wetsuit off before finishing the run up.  The last time I wore this wetsuit I really struggled to get out of it, so I thought taking it off earlier would help and it did.  It came off perfectly!  I then finished the long run up to transition.Swim+ run to t1: 12:52, 11/98 women, 13:58 last year

T1: :46 1/98, it helps that my wetsuit was off already, 1:14 last year

Onto the bike I tried to push the first section on the road a little and any sections that were uphill.  Everything else with the turns and sand I rode cautiously but was actually moving faster than last year.   I was getting passed a decent amount on the first half of the first lap, but it was not a big deal.  I had a pretty good swim and transition and I knew there would be stronger bikers passing me.  Most people were very nice when they passed.  Several people even said thank you which was nice.  In general it was a much friendlier vibe this year.

I was feeling good but had no idea what place I was in.  My teammate Julie wasn’t too far ahead and she is much better than me on a bike course like this so I figured that was a good sign.  Into the second loop there were riders from later waves entering the course for their first loop.  There were a few more people to pass but it didn’t seem congested.  Not too far into the second loop I had a bad experience with a woman who was passing me and she didn’t understand proper passing etiquette and felt the need to use abusive and foul language towards me to get her point across.  I won’t go into the details, but it was disappointing and a little scary to see someone act like this in a race.

I continued along at my pace passing some people, getting passed by others, and looking forward to the run where I felt comfortable.  Once the bike was all said and done, even with my post crash tentativeness, I still improved over 1.5 mins from last year.  Obviously I have a lot of improvements I could make on this course, but races on bike courses like these are not my goal races so it’s not a huge concern either.

Bike: 1:03:36, 22/93 women, last year 1:05:09

T2: :35 4/92, last year :44

My legs weren’t too tired heading out onto the run, and that was good because the run course is hard here.  The 8k run starts with a gradual climb for maybe a half mile or so, and then the real climb begins for around 1.75 miles.  Then it dips down a little before another gradual climb, before a steep and twisting descent for a mile or so and then a mile that is slightly downhill, then slightly uphill then flat to the finish. All in the hot sun with no shade.  Besides hot sun with no shade, I love this run course.

I caught a few women before the start of the climb, including the woman that cussed me out on the bike.  It was pretty satisfying flying by her on the run.  I began the climb and passed another woman, but she stayed with me for awhile.  I pushed a little to try to drop her.  I could see I was catching a few other women so I pushed on hoping I could catch them too.  I caught one with maybe 1/4 mile of the climb to go and my legs started to go and I could see she was running a little faster now that I caught her.  I couldn’t let up.  I focused on the guy ahead of me and slowly caught him.  Then could see a few women far ahead.  I started to reel them in at the start of the descent.

It wasn’t my fastest descent, but it was pretty good.  I realized for a run like that, I need different shoes than my racing flats.  I flew around some of the corners so fast that I started to come off the trail.  I passed a few more people and once I was at the bottom I was alone.  I could see a guy way ahead, but he had passed me long ago.

I was so happy to get to an aid station.  There are none from 1/2 mile to 4 miles and I didn’t really need to drink anything, I just needed water on my head to cool off.  The heat was really getting to me at this point and the last mile was pretty miserable.  I pushed as hard as I could because with the wave starts you never know.  I ran into the finish line, but had a little something extra.  I accelerated after the finish line into the slip and slide and made it almost all the way down this year.  Last year I only made it half way down.

 Run: 40:35, 5/92 women, last year 40:54

Overall: 1:58:22vs 2:01:57 last year, 8th overall vs 7th last year, 1st AG (although technically I was second because a girl in my ag raced elite and beat me by over 10 minutes) vs 2nd last year

So I improved my overall time which was a goal, but interestingly enough I improved on everything, swim, bike, run, t1, t2, and my slip and slide.  Now that’s a success!

I did compete in a contest for a free wetsuit that involved a sprint and slip and slide race.  I lost in the first round to the woman who crushed everyone and thankfully not just me.  I proudly made it almost all the way down the slip and slide again

15 Olympic-Inspired Exercises to Try Today

Its been a while since I’ve posted and I seem a bit backlogged when it comes to race reports. Since my last post I’ve done a few more Criteriums but finished only in the top 20. Last weekend I was set to compete in the Hugo Road Race but they decided to cancel it the day before. I was a bit upset to hear the news considering we do not have many road races here on the front range.

After watching Maija race up Lookout Mountain in the spring I did some convincing she should try a longer hill climb based on her past performance. Maija has this amazing hidden talent of racing up mountains on a road bike.

Guanella Pass is located in Georgetown, CO. The hill climb is slightly over 12 miles in length and reaches 11,000+ft of altitude! This was not an “A” race for me but I was excited Maija had decided to race. I signed up a couple of days before and the finial start list said 25 riders. Small groups are always interesting, especially on a hill climb. I had a feeling I would be riding the majority of the climb alone. Maija’s field was not going off until an hour after my start time. It would have been nice to warm up with her but there was too much of a time difference. We arrived at the parking area in Georgetown with less time than I had expected. The wind was blowing strong from the south and it seemed as if we would have a head wind going up the climb. As we sat in the car and I pinned our race numbers on our jerseys the car was shaking from the 30+mph gusts. I could tell Maija was nervous about the wind so I kept quiet. I attempted to warm up on the trainer but couldn’t find a flat piece of ground. I rode for about 15 minutes on the trainer before I decided to finish warming up on the roads. Our starting area was pretty relaxed as the riders sat around chatting before they blew the whistle. The start was neutral until we got through the majority of the small town. Right away the road started climbing up. There weren’t any sudden attacks but the pace was high and I was breathing pretty heavy. I kept my cool and tried to stick with the main field but once we hit the first batch of various switchbacks I was detached from the lead riders. I wasn’t upset or disappointed, I just rode at a slightly agressive intensity. I’ve never done this climb so I had no idea what to expect. The night before Maija and I studied the race course profile on Google Maps. We were able to determine when and where the switchbacks would be but when you are at 8,000ft of elevation and riding close to your limit, all those bits and pieces of information go out the window. The first section hurt pretty bad and I couldn’t wait until it was over.

After 15-20 minutes of climbing high in the sky there was a respite in the road gradient. “Finally!” I said to myself. I was a bit surprised how long the flat section was which ran parallel to a small lake. At this point I was accompanied by two other riders. I was familiar with both riders but for two different reasons. One of the riders I’ve raced against many times. The other rider was Alexi Grewal who was the first American to ever win an Olympic gold in road cycling. I felt like a kid in a candy store riding next to him! Alexi did a lot of the work once the road pitched up again. His style of riding was quite unorthodox from comtemporary cycling. He was riding what looked like an old steel or titanium bike with down-tube shifters. Also, his handlebars were tilted downward in a negative degree position. I didn’t fully understand why his handlebars were like this but after 30 minutes of riding with him I realized he liked to get out of the saddle a lot. Alexi rode in an inconsistent manner which made me feel like I was at the end of a race rather than riding a steady hill climb time trial. Every time there was a switchback he would attack and then slow down. I tried to maintain my own intensity but more times than not, I was attacking with him. This was making our overall time slower.

Notice how far down his hands are on the handlebars?

It looks as if he is reaching for a water bottle but he is actually shifting from his down-tube!

With about 5K from the finish I summed up enough energy to pass him. I gained some time between us but somehow he was able to bring me back. Alexi also had the record up Mt. Evans back in the 1990′s. A time of 1:47 to be exact. Alexi and I rode together the remainder of the climb until we hit 1K where I pulled ahead once again. He didn’t seem interested in battling to the finish so I rode in alone. I crossed the line in 1:03 and change. Not the best time but I was happy considering I had never done the climb before. Knowing a climb beforehand helps ones psychological state of mind.

Thanks to Mountain Moon Photography for all the great pictures!!!

It was cold and windy at the top so I started making my descent. I knew Maija was beginning her race but I wanted to be close to the finish so I could cheer her on and let her know about other women in the race. I was really excited for Maija. I had a feeling she would do well on this climb. After about 2K of descending I found a sunny spot on the road sheltered from the wind. I started to cheer people on and it felt nice to give others encouragement. A lot of people were asking me “How close to the finish?”. I swear over 25-30 people had asked me this same question. Obviously I wasn’t the only one who had never done the climb before. I would yell back “A little over 1K!”. A sigh of relief came over their faces. After about a half hour or so, I finally saw Maija coming up the road. Her cadence looked fast which gave me a good indication she was doing well. “I think I’m in first!” She yelled to me. “I think you are!” I responded back. Maija is considered a CAT4 since she doesn’t compete in mass start cycling races. Her overall time was 1:10:51! Her performance was amazing considering she only trains on the bike 1-2 times a week. Maija won the CAT4′s and had the 7th fastest time of the day from all categories including the pro women.

Sunday was a tough day in the saddle. I opted out of Saturday’s Criterium so I could save some money since the road race was a bit expensive. All week I had been feeling great on the bike. My legs were coming around nicely. Threshold power numbers up Deer Creek Canyon were above average. My mind was whispering positive thoughts about having a good race come Sunday.

I arrived a bit early to the race and took my time registering, pinning my number, and warming up. One quick note about registration. Since I was signing up for the road race only they gave me a race number in the 800′s. This was a bit annoying since most 1/2 races always have numbers 100 or less. I wish the organizers of the race could have saved some double digit numbers for the 1/2 riders. I also saw other riders from different categories had numbers in the 800′s as well. I feel this adds confusion when out on the race course. Officials on motor bikes may get confused, and if there is a chip timing error rider numbers can get mixed up. It was also the first time in four years I was taken back by the attitude of the race organizers. I politely went over to the registration booth to ask if they happen to have any numbers under 100. A woman and man both quickly dismissed my question as if it was ridiculous to ask. Please understand I’m not trying to speak negative about the race as a whole but I was a bit insulted by the situation. Overall the race was put on very well and there was plenty of neutral water in the feed zone.

The warm up went well and my legs felt rested after a solid half hour. I didn’t want to warm up too much since this would be a 3+ hour race. Our field was the first to go for the afternoon and I was happy they started us an hour before all the other categories. This ment we would complete a 1-2 laps before any other race was underway. We started riding neutral for a half mile or so before hitting the climb for the first time. We rode the “wall” as it’s described, at a realistic pace the first time up. My heart rate was a bit labored but I felt good when the series of attacks came once over the climb. During the first lap a break of 5-10 riders formed but was brought back by various riders racing for different teams. This seems to be the norm here on the front range. A break establishes itself once all the single team riders are either too tired or unmotivated to chase. Not having other teammates means I need to conserve as much energy as possible and keep myself in a good position. We finished our first lap and my legs felt good. This was about to change however once we started our way back up “The Wall.” The pace was furious and I was holding my position in the middle of the field but was riding close to my limit. During this time period the breakaway was finally able to get some time on the peloton. I would have loved to ride in the break but knew it was a step above my level. If I was close to riding at my limit in the peloton, it would have been disastrous trying to ride in the break. Half way around the second lap I could see the breakway up the road but no one in the field was trying to chase. This seems to be a similar occurrence in front range 1/2 races. I decided to make a solo break to see if it would be possible to bridge to the breakaway. Bad idea! I was solo off the front for 5+ minutes before the field brought me back. It was fun to try but I paid for it dearly. Finishing the second lap up The Wall I was hurting bad. The attacks were plentiful and I was completely spent. I lost contact with the main group and rode the entire third lap by myself.

I looked behind on the open road and saw no one. I put my head down and tried to ride close to my threshold. I was around 1:30 into the race and still had 3 laps to ride! The 1 1/2 mile climb was fun mainly because there were lots of spectators out. At the start of the climb there was neutral water. I grabbed a bottle and made my way up the climb. There was no one else going up except myself so I decided to have a little fun with the crowd. As I crawled my way up, the crowd could tell I had been dropped from the group. They were quiet and I could hear my breathing. As I neared the top I raised my hands in the air and yelled out “make some noise!”. The crowd went crazy and everyone started screaming and cheering. One guy even start riding next to me and gave me a pat on the back. It felt great to get the crowd on their feet and it provided a short burst of adrenaline. On the back side of the course I caught up with two Horizon Organic riders. We chatted for a few minutes and finally were greeted by a small group from my race. I can’t tell you how nice it was to have some people to share the work. It wasn’t too windy but enough to make a solo rider tired. Our small group of 4-5 rode together and I was hoping we would pick riders up who had dropped from the main group. This was not the case. A few riders we passed didn’t even try to ride with us. I have a feeling they weren’t going to finish. The last two laps we rode well as a group taking turns at the front. I was tired, hot, and was looking forward to getting off my bike. Coming into the finish another category caught us and we rode among them to the line. I pushed hard and beat the riders in my field but at that point it didn’t matter since we were minutes behind the leaders.

Out on the course solo. Beautiful shot with the mountains in the background!

I rarely chat about my power numbers in race reports but I think it’s sometimes good to see the efforts in numerical value. I averaged 230 watts for the entire duration of the race (3:31). Still, I was 12+ minutes back on the leaders and finished 39th place! Even more so, last year I was 26th place and had a finishing time of 3:25. Big difference from one season to the next. I enjoyed this race and the suffering will always help in regards to overall training and fitness.

I can’t recall why I didn’t do Wheels of Thunder last year. I honestly don’t remember. But, with a large showing from my team (Giant Cycling World) and in close proximity to my house, I figured this would be a great race to do. All week leading up to the race the weather was beautiful and I was able to get in some good training. My legs had been feeling fresh at the Meridian group ride both Tuesday and Thursday night. Normally, I only go to Meridian on Tuesday nights and then train solo for the remainder of the week. Since the forecast called for showers all weekend I decided my best chances at getting in two solid rides would be at Meridian in case I couldn’t race. I took Friday completely off since it was raining intermittently. I also had a lot of planning and/or things to do for our Wedding. Yep that’s right I’m getting married on June 30th to the love of my life Maija. Our plans have been coming along nicely but as you may know (if you are married) the last month or two are quite stressful.

I slept it in late Saturday morning and woke up around 9:00. Usually I’m up when the sun is rising but Saturday morning called for some extra rest. My race was not until 1:00 and with a short drive to the course I took my time getting ready. Coming from a Military background, I usually have everything I need for race day laid out the night before, or if I’m feeling advantageous it’s already packed in the car. It drives Maija a little crazy when it comes to my organizational skills but I find it to be a positive trait! Driving over to the race I looked out at the cloudy skies and in some respects was waiting for it to start raining. It was cold too as the car temperature gauge read 46 degrees. I routinely get my number, head to the bathroom, and start getting my race clothes on. More of my military past starts creeping up as I hear a small voice saying “Hurry up and wait!”.

Mickey my Border Collie mix telling me to go back to bed.

Around 11:50 I started to warm up on the trainer. Right when I clipped in the sun started popping out and this shed new light on a gloomy late morning. In my last few race reports I was complaining about not getting in enough of a warm up. This was not the case today. I finally got in the hour long warm up I’ve been yearning for. Around 50 minutes I ate a PowerBar gel (with caffeine) and made the few last preparations before the whistle blew. I had not read over the flyer in detail so when the announcer told our field there would be seven $100 primes I was quite surprised. There are only a handful of races I have been to with these type of purses. A few other races with good money come to mind; Tour of Somerville and Chris Thater Criterium (NRC Race in NY),   Many riders in the 1/2′s (I assume) are working part time jobs, making enough money to support themselves so they can get a professional contract. I’m in no way trying to insult all the full-time workers and family men in the field who race the Pro 1/2′s. I actually commend their hard work and willingness to race often against many young riders. Anyway, I knew a lot of people would be going for the cash and it would make an overall fast race. The attacks were plentiful in the first 30 minutes of the race. This was also the first time I looked down at my computer. I tend not to check the time or laps left left when passing the start/finish until the latter part of the race. I’d rather be focusing on my position. Around 30 minutes in I had a good feeling this would be a field sprint. I was definitely looking forward to a field sprint and have actually been surprised how many Criteriums on the front range finish in breakaways. Maybe it has to do with rider mentality, fitness, or geographical location. 75-85% of the time on the Northeast  Criteriums end in a field sprint. When I first started racing bicycles I feared a bunch sprint. I was coming from a running background and at 130 pounds my sprint was mediocre at best. During the next 3 years I have gained about 8-9 pounds and have spent countless hours working on my sprinting abilities and tactics so I could increase my chances during field sprints.

I tend to compare and contrast New York metro bicycle racing to Colorado front range racing a lot. I think it’s important for riders on the front range to understand the differences in rider mentality, intensity, and stereotypical race cues such as field sprints, breaks, and group splits. Colorado has a smaller group of 1/2 riders who aren’t as vocal during races. The one interesting characteristic about front range riders is their workhorse mentality. I feel a lot of riders are willing to work and sacrifice for the greater good of their teammates. During many races here in Colorado, everyone seems to ‘go-to-work’ when the whistle blows. Race tactics are also different here on the front range. Teammates work hard at getting 1-2 riders in a break while opening up gaps and blocking at the front. I particularly don’t care for such tactics. I rarely see team lead-outs even when teams have 3-4-5-6 riders in the race. So far, I don’t think I’ve seen one single lead-out train. This is not the case in NYC. NYC tends to have teams which will work hard at keeping the field together so their sprinter can have the glory rather than risk a breakaway being caught. No tactics is better than another and all depends on the race course. In the end it’s just different.

I went off on a rant here…

After the first 30 minutes of the 60 minute race, a couple of riders would get off the front but were brought back quickly from a fast moving peleton. The course was more of a circuit than a criterium with only 1-2 slow spots when making left-hand turns. After the first lefthand turn there was a short uphill which didn’t take more than a minute or two. I maintained a good position in the top 20 almost every time going up this hill. Although during one lap I wasn’t paying attention and ran over an orange cone. A few times I would look back and see a short split in the field of riders. I kept crossing my fingers there would be a split but it always came back together.

With 5 laps to go I was getting myself into position for the field sprint. I was 100% focused on where I sat, who’s wheel I was drafting, and so forth. Just waiting for the last 300 meters to unleash. I’m a bit spoiled at Meridian when it comes to the last lap and sprint finish. I usually have a bunch of teammates from other categories who will give me a nice lead-out. Not having any teammates for a lead-out makes you work slightly harder when sprinting as you have to work your way through the field to keep a good position. Meridian is also the place where I have posted some of my highest sprinting power numbers. My sprint is always over 1,100 at Meridian and just this past week I hit 1280. Not bad for a 135 pound guy! My legs felt good with two laps to go and I was getting excited. I was sitting around 13th position watching us catch a few riders who had gapped the field.

On the last lap the pace was red hot and we were flying down the backstretch of the course. I was sitting about 10th or 11th position. Right where I wanted to be. There were a few guys up the road in a small group but at the speed we were going, it was almost certain we would catch them. I came out of the last turn in the same position and we made our way down the final stretch. This included a small hill before it flattened out for the finish. At the crest of the hill I was getting ready to thrown down all my cards for the sprint when a rider next to me fell hard on the pavement. I’m not exactly sure what happened but it looked like he hit the crack in the middle of the road. As he fell I flailed hard to my right and lost the riders wheel in front of me. Now I’m in a headwind with no wheel to draft off of and I had stopped pedaling so I could swerve hard and not be taken down. I lost all my momentum. In a split second I gained my composure and drove hard to the line. As I was towards the end of my sprint I could already see the winner throwing his hands up in the air. Events happen so fast in a bicycle race. I felt a bit cheated and I was frustrated given the situation and how my legs felt. My max sprint was only 940 watts which tells me I was nowhere near full sprint mode. I picked off two or three riders near the line and came in 15th place. Ironically I was 15th last week at Deer Trail. I will be looking forward to next week’s Criterium where I can once again try out my sprinting legs. Thanks to the Steve Pye for suuport from Giant Cycling world and to Jody Grigg for the amazing pictures. If you have some time please check out Jody’s website and contact him if you have any photography needs.

I love road racing. I’ve always enjoyed racing on the open roads compared to the “Nascar” style racing of Criteriums. But, Colorado brought about many changes in regards to racing on open-barren roads with no protection from trees or the wind. During my first two seasons of road racing on the Northeast I can’t recall a time where I rode in an Echelon. The winds are usually mild all year long in the Northeast. Of course during a tropical storm you will get blown furiously around on a bicycle. But, for the most part, the winds are placid in New York compared to the persistent blowing during late winter and springtime in Colorado.

Deer Trail was close to being defined as “In the middle of nowhere”. It was about an hour drive on 1-70 East of Denver. I hitched a ride with a few teammates who were racing the 3′s. We got to the race with only 30-40 minutes to spare before the start and I knew I wouldn’t be getting in the warmup I had planned. On a cooler day I like to warm up close to an hour before the start. On course like Deer Trail, warming up is essential because everyone in the group needs to work with crosswinds. This means the pace can be hard from the minute the whistle is blown.

The course was bit unconventional with narrow roads and 180 degree turnarounds. Yes that’s right, we had to make a complete 180 degree turnaround with the entire peleton. Only 1-2 riders can make the 180 at the same time so it nearly brought the entire group to a halt. We rode up and down some rollers and then I decided to attack. I wasn’t looking to attack the field today but it was slow and I wanted to test the legs out. Also, attacking can help one to learn how the field reacts to you as a rider. When I attacked, not many riders responded. This can mean a few things. It’s too early on, they think I’m a weak rider, or the course and wind will slow me down. Well, all of the above went through my mind when making a small attack. Two riders bridged up to me and we worked together for about 5 minutes before the field caught us. The attack didn’t hurt too much but I probably burned a match I didn’t need to. Soon after the attack, we did our first 180 degree turn. The field was together but the pace of the leaders was very hard. We were single file and at times I had trouble holding the guys wheel in front of me. This is when the winning break forms. I was suffering and having trouble holding the intensity. I looked up at saw 5-7 riders creating a gap from the main group. I saw them up the road but couldn’t sum up enough energy to try and bridge. I wanted to as I knew this breakaway would stick (and it did). It can be frustrating at times to see the winning move of the day and not be able to do anything about it. A few riders from the peleton tried to bridge, but were working so hard to catch by themselves they ended up not closing enough ground. The one interesting aspect of a peleton is how dominating their size can be over a break of 5-7 riders. If motivated, the peleton could have caught the breakaway within a few miles. The problem lies within the riders in the group. When teammates have a rider in the breakaway they will sit on the front of the peleton (main group), block and wait for riders to attack. One rider attacking out of the peleton on a windy open course is not going to change the overall speed of the peleton. Teammates wait for these attacks and shut down the party. The Boulder / Trek team was all over the front of the peleton once the winning breakaway was established. I now knew there was a 90% chance the break would add more time down the road from us.

The course went up one road, did a 180 degree turn, then we road back down the same road and then made a left. Now on this other road (I don’t remember the actual name) this is where we would ride out and back three more times before the finish. The roads were narrow and from my perspective the wind seemed to either be a cross-tailwind or a cross-headwind. Riders we constantly trying to find someone to draft off. There were a few attacks and at one point three riders has some distance from the main field. The group was motivated enough to catch them, but not motivated enough to try and close down the gap from the winning break. Once or twice I even found myself off the back from the main group. I’m not sure how it happened but on more than one occasion I had to put in a hard effort to catch back up. Coming into the last lap the pace started to become very easy. I could tell everyone was waiting for an attack. Once we made our last 180 degree turnaround the pressure was on. The rollers over the next few miles felt endless. We were either going up or descending at a high rate of speed. One of the riders kept attacking on every roller and after every attack, the pack got smaller and smaller. Guys were popping left and right but I was able to maintain my position. On the last roller (short hill) before it flattens out to the finish, that same rider attacked once again. This time I wasn’t able to respond as before. Him and two other guys had a small gap. Shortly after, a bunch of about five riders came up fast on my left and I had to put in a serious effort to hang with them. I saw the sign for 1K to go and started moving into position for the sprint. In a small group I am confident in my sprinting abilities. As time goes on I am becoming more assertive about my field sprints. The problem was I was boxed in to my left. The road is narrow and unless I wanted to attack on the grass, I would have to play the waiting game for an opening. The 200 meter sign was coming up fast and I was getting anxious. I saw a small opening between riders and squeezed my way through (NYC Style Racing? Hmmm Maybe.) Once through them I laid down every ounce of energy I could for the sprint. I didn’t time it the best as three riders passed me right at the line. 12th,13th, and 14th passed and I came in 15th overall. Although my timing on the sprint wasn’t the best, I was happy I took the chance instead of waiting for someone else to jump. Over the years I have enjoyed sprinting as I have become stronger. Deer Trail was a bit boring in regards to location but working hard in the wind on narrow roads definitely keeps you busy!

Boulder Roubaix was my first major road race of the 2012 season and I was rested and ready for it. For the past couple of week’s since being back from the team training camp I had been testing my legs out at the Tuesday & Thursday night Meridian grou rides. I use Tuesday’s especially for sprint and paceline work. In the weeks coming up to Boulder Roubaix I was on form and recovering enough to ready myself for the race. Boulder Roubaix reminds me of Tour of the Battenkill which takes place in upstate NY. I had raced Battenkill every year since I started racing four season ago. Ironically enough, every year at Battenkill I had something go wrong.

My first ever road race was Battenkill in the CAT 4′s. I had no clue what I was doing and brought one bottle and no food for the 56 miles of suffering. I can’t recall much about the race now but I do remember cramping up several times due to an uncommon heat wave which struck the northeast in early April. It was about 80 degrees during the race.

The next year at Battenkill as a CAT 3 I was in a serious crash when most of the peleton smashed on top of me and dragged my body and my bike down a loose gravel descent. I spent the next 24 hours in the hospital as the nurses scrubbed rocks out of my legs and arms. Comically, I was on serious amount of morphine and got to watch a star wars marathon in my own hospital room. It was an intergalactic experience.

The following year in the CAT 2′s I was on form and feeling good until the first hill came and my chain snapped into pieces. We had neutral support and the mechanic gave me a new chain but by the time he was done, I was 5 minutes down on the field with no way of catching back up. Not the best luck in past years!

Coming back to the present; I was excited to try out a dirt / paved road race here on the front range of Colorado. Boulder Roubiax is a series of paved and dirt roads on a 15+ mile loop. Based on your category depends upon how many loops you complete. I enjoy mixing things up and a Roubaix style course does just that. Many riders tend not to know how they will be able to handle their bikes on matted down dirt roads. For some reason, this notion of uncertainty excites me!

I showed up on race day a bit earlier than usual so I could do a bit of recon on the course, and watch some friends race. My race was set to go off mid-day around 11:30. It was a chilly morning in the 50′s but the sun was out so it didn’t feel too bare. I rode down to registration and watched as groups of racers went by. I started to get excited but was calm and confident in my recent training weeks. The legs felt good warming up although I didn’t spin for too long before the start.

It must have been only 30-45 minutes of warming up before I found myself in the second row on the start line. I looked around and saw a lot of domestic pro jerseys. “This was going to be a fast race.” I thought to myself. We were held up on the start line (which was dirt) for a bit longer than I would have liked. The 60+ riders were set to go off in front of us and we needed to give them enough time to make it around the course. I think it would have made more sense to start them directly after us but within 10-20 minutes we were off. The race started fast almost at the same intensity of a Criterium. I wasn’t quite ready for this quick start but I found myself in the upper portion of the group holding my position well. I could see the lead riders in my field of vision and I was content with where I rode and satisfied at the current moment. 3/4 of the way through the first lap (4 lap race = 76 miles) a few riders created a break. MY plan wasn’t to make a break today as I thought they would be caught from various motivated riders willing to give chase. The first lap went by and I was totally focused on the task at hand. I was in a great position (top 20) and was beginning to feel my legs warm up to race pace. I felt this based on the several attacks from riders and how my legs responded. As the second lap progressed I looked back a few times and saw the group was still large but smaller than before. If you were to get separated from the group at Boulder Roubaix it would be quite difficult to chase back on. There were many turns and wind changes during the course which could frustrate a solo rider, or even a group of 5-10. 3/4 finished with the second lap and I was feeling better than before. Riders would accelerate and my legs would sing positive notes of reciprocation.

The group was about 1/2 mile away from the finish when the crash happened. This finishing half mile included a sharp right turn and then proceeded into a short punchy climb (where the feed zone is located) before dropping down flat and to the finish line. We were flying at speed upwards of 25-30mph when all of a sudden the group starts moving around like a bunch of rabbits scattering away from a dog chasing. I was drafting close to the rider in front of me and when he moved at the last second I had no line of sight and rammed right into a rider who was unclipped and standing in the middle of the road! This is not something you see everyday during a race. I keep asking myself why was he in the middle of the road and not off to the side. I hit the rider so hard it sent me flying through the air and landing somewhere in a ditch. Interestingly enough, other riders went flying into the air as well and landed on top of me. I stood up, looked down at my legs and only noticed a few scrapes on my legs. “Well, I may as well get back on my bike.” I said to myself. A spectator came over, picked my bike back up, put my chain on, and gave me a push down the road. After a few pedal strokes I heard a horrible cracking sound. I looked down at my toptube and saw had a massive fracture.

I kept riding down the finishing straight and as I passed the announcer he said “Well it looks like Adam Zimmerman is done for the day.” I was a little annoyed by the comment since he thought I threw in the towel so I got off my bike, lifted it up in the air while pointing at the massive crack in my toptube. “Ah! That’s a good reason to stop racing.” He responded. I smiled and rode my broken frame back to the car. I was a bit bummed out about the whole situation. Mainly because how my legs were feeling during the race and the fact I had a broken frame in the back of my car.

At the end of the day, I’m happy I wasn’t too badly injured from the crash and only walked away with minor road rash. I’m back to riding now with a new bike but my body is still beat up and stiff. My form is not what it was a couple of weeks ago but with some hard training days ahead I should be back on schedule to race in a few weeks.

I’ve learned sometimes you can be doing everything right in a race but everything can go wrong in the blink of an eye. One minute I’m riding along feeling good, the next minute I’m laying in a ditch with a broken frame. I ask myself questions; Could I have been paying more attention? Was I still too far back in the group? These rhetorical uncertainties will never truly be answered as we can’t jump in a time machine and change the past. I’ve also come to realize the reasons stated above is what makes bicycle racing so epic. Crashes, flats, mechanical issues, cramping, and so forth are what elevate cycling to a proportional level and generate  those bittersweet wins.

It’s almost spring! The front range of Colorado has seen a long winter, at least through my eyes. I was fortunate enough to train outdoors for a significant part of the winter. This however did include some VERY cold rides. I don’t mind the cold, but obviously some day’s chill you right down to the core. I did enjoy the tranquil winter training provides. On my daily training I would see on an average of 1-5 other riders. Not many riders compared to the parade of people currently out cycling through Chatfield State Park and the surrounding bicycle paths.  After a visit in NY during the first week in January, the faster winter training began with Saturday morning group rides. I can remember a few times waking up in the morning, looking over at my phone and seeing 18 degrees. A fast group rides is always great motivation when the temps are below freezing. This winter I invested in an amazing pair of cycling gloves by Pearl Izumi. Pearl Izumi P.R.O Barrier WX and it was well worth it. I believe my coldest ride was around 14 degrees (without the windchill included) and my hands stayed warm the entire ride. I did use the liners which were included and without them I think my hands would have been cold. If you train outside all winter like me I would highly suggest them. If you follow my blog I don’t normally promote products but when something comes along that changes my training I like to let others know. Since I’m on the same subject many of you may be asking yourself what does Adam use during training and racing? Well, let me tell you! I LOVE Powerbar Gel’s and use them during most rides. They are easy to swallow and it seems to enter my bloodstream fast.

I started noticing a few psychological changes during this winter. I was recovering faster on those 5+ minute efforts. I have also been noticing my weight fluctuate more in the winter months than past years. My heaviest weight was 141 this winter, but I’m happy to report I’m currently at my goal race weight for the season of 135. It’s sometimes hard to master race weight in early spring. A hard training cyclist will see lots of burned calories during a winter of training and one’s appetite can be superfluous. Maija and I have gotten into a consistent eating routine for dinner and this has helped keep my weight more balanced. I tend to have an over-conscious zealous attitude about my weight more than power numbers, heart rate ranges, and any other psychological aspect which relates to competitive cycling. I don’t weigh my pasta but I’m regularly checking the scale to make sure I don’t go off my goal race weight.

My season kicked off with a small Criterium (I took 11th) in City Park, Denver and I left the next day for my team’s training camp in sunny southern California. I decided to drive the team van from our shop (In Littleton) to Thousand Oaks, CA. We had this crazy idea we could drive straight through for 17 hours by doing 6 hour shifts each. I did the first shift and actually didn’t feel too bad. We hit a few rough snow storms over the mountain passes which left us driving 20mph on the highway with zero visibility. By the time my driving shift was over all I wanted to do was curl up in a ball on the back seat and sleep. That’s exactly what I did. I would wake up every now and then to the van’s undulations. The last 6 hour stretch through Nevada was a long one and I could barely keep my eyes open. Every now and then my head would rock backwards and I’d be in a state between being awake and asleep. Nonetheless, we finally made it to the hotel where we would be staying and I took a long nap, relaxed in the room, and readied myself for the week’s training.

James, Jeff, and I before our excursion to California.

I’ve had this Red Stripe T-Shirt for many years but have never actually tried Red Stripe. Turns out I don’t like it at all!

Training in southern California is awe inspiring. All of our rides started from the hotel and after a short 30 minute warm up through the town we would hit the mountain sides which stood tall near the endless Pacific ocean. You could smell the slaty ocean air as you pedaled, and feel the dampness in the atmosphere. I first started cycling on Long Island, NY and my house was only a 30 minute bicycle ride to the ocean. I quickly became used to the humid damp air Long Island provided. In California, I felt these same weather traits and it was a welcoming nostalgic memory. Pedaling along the highways was also a treat as they ran parallel to the ocean. We would ride along the coast as a group and the road would pitch up, slightly and navigate through mountain rock formations, and then drop us back down to the coastal highway. The week of training was tough, especially the longer climbs of 5+ miles. I’m beginning to learn I can hold my own on long sustained climbs but I really shine on those 3 mile or less climbs. My legs seem to respond better when they are presented with short punchy ascents. I also felt my legs starting to open up after 3 hours in the saddle. This was a good feeling as many of the coming races this season will be 3+ hours.

Below are some of the pictures from my team’s training camp. (Giant Cycling World). I had an amazing time meeting a large majority of riders while on the trip and I was impressed with how well organized our itinerary was. If you ever have the chance to ride in southern California do it! Once you get into the hills the traffic is minimal and the roads are endless.

We were also fortunate enough to have Jody Grigg along with us. Jody is a professional photographer who takes some amazing shots of cyclists. He has a passion for cycling and this trip would have been a lot different had he not been snapping photo’s out of our team van and helping us with other things along the way. All photos from the team camp are credited by Jody Gregg. Please visit his website and check out his work or if you are interested in using his servies. He is a great guy and easy to work with. Jody Grigg - Jodygrigg.photoshelter.com.