New Year, New Goals: 2011

2010 was something! The season began well, but the ending I could have lived without. On the positive side, I achieved personal best times on each of my SR series rides this year. Unfortunately, I was unable to attain the Cyclos Montagnards R60 award I was chasing when I fell and broke my humerus at mile 310 on the NJ 600K. I had successfully logged R60 times on the 200K, 300K, and 400K, but the late start after a full day's work in June's 600K was my undoing. I finished the event in 25 hours and 50 minutes, which was pretty close to my 24 hour goal, but not close enough. As a result, I achieved a CM R70 designation this year and felt that I would avenge that 600K finish during the 2011 season. The accident kept me out of the Lap of the Lake 1000K in early July but did not ruin our family vacation to Europe nor my ability to ride in the Endless Mountains 1000K in August.

Needles to say, the EM1000K did not turn out as I had hoped. 1 hour and 45 minutes into the ride, I was hit from behind by a distracted driver and suffered 24 broken bones. A six week hospital stay and four surgeries later, I am riding again (on a stationary bike) and looking forward to a full recovery and getting out onto the roads again this spring. Speed is not part of the equation for me in the coming year. I simply hope to rebuild my endurance and strength on the bike, ride with friends and complete my first PBP which I been eying for the past four years. Thanks to everyone who supported me either directly or in your thoughts this past year. Safe travels and be sure to keep the rubber side down.

Goals for 2011

Personal:

1. Treat everyone in my life as well as I have been treated by others this past year.
2. Pay back my wife for all of the sacrifices she's made and support she's provided.

Cycling:

1. Complete a full SR series.
2. Participate in PBP 2011!

Close but No Cigar (or how I almost rode 375 miles in 24 hours).

Having followed RAAM pretty closely this month, I’m humbled by what it means for some people to miss meeting an audacious cycling goal. My BHAG (or big hairy audacious goal) this season was to meet the Cyclos Montagnard R60 Challenge. Having completed three brevets (200, 300 and 400) within the time constraints, I was hoping to finish the NJ600 within 24 hours to achieve this honor. Signs looked good: the route was basically flat, the start was at 10 pm (bringing the sleepy second half of the ride into broad daylight), there were reasonably spaced controls (so not too much time would be lost there), the weather looked favorable (if a bit hot) and there were some speedy riders registered so I would likely have company. Despite all this, I was simply unable to do it. Sleep deprivation took its toll and as a result of a reduced pace and a crash in the last third of the ride, I rolled into the finish with a time of 25:50. This marks my fastest time yet on a 600K, but it was not quite fast enough for the R60. Looks like it’s R70 for me this year, but the first three R60 finish times remain on record and are transferable next year. All I have to do is slay the 24 hour 600 and I’m in. Looks like I have my work cut out for me.

The NJ600 brought out 44 randonneurs this past weekend. It was my first nighttime start and I was eager to meet and reconnect with friends and acquaintances. The organizer let the fast riders out first to spread the bikes out along the road. Within the first 20 miles, I settled into a comfortable pace, a bit slower than the two lead riders and met up with Anthony with whom I would ride the whole event. We enjoyed each other’s company, rode at about the same pace, and were willing to manage our ride with our “eyes on the prize.”

The riding on Friday night was majestic. We were blessed with clear skies, mild temperatures and a full moon. The roads were quite smooth and direct and it was pleasant not to have to navigate twisty descents in the dark and we were subsequently able to maintain a healthy pace throughout the night. Anthony and I hit the Jersey Shore at dawn which was a highlight of the day. At this hour it's possible to pedal by marshes filled with elegant shore birds and shore towns free of summer traffic. As the sun rose, though, it became hotter and more humid than was optimal. With temps around 95 on fully exposed roads and a nutrition balance a bit out of kilter, I found myself nauseated for big stretches of the day.

The NJ Randonneurs did an outstanding job of organizing support for this event. We were met at each of the ubiquitous Wawa convenience store controls by volunteers and the highlight was a mid-afternoon cold shower and a few pickles in the organizer’s home. The break was rejuvenating and we set out with fresh legs and full bottles. Chris, one of the two lead riders, greeted Anthony and me as we arrived and took off alone leaving his fellow rider Doug behind for some rest. We would meet up a few more times and trade pulls with Chris along the way, yet despite a sore knee, he was just too strong for the two of us so we let him go in search of his own 24-hour brass ring.

It was hard to stay fast and focused on Saturday afternoon and eventually this was my undoing. At mile 309, in the bright mid-day heart of the desolate Pine Barrens, I lost focus and veered off the edge of the road and into a sandpit. Unable to keep the bike upright, I fell to the ground hard bracing myself with both hands on the asphalt road. Luckily there was no traffic at that time, the bike did not sustain any damage and I was not too injured to continue riding. At that moment, though, Anthony looked at me and said, “Maybe this is a sign that we should back off that 24-hour goal.”

I thought the 10 pm start would actually help, but I think it actually made a fast time more difficult. Since I was unable to sleep during the day on Friday, by time Saturday afternoon crawled along I was mighty tired indeed. An evening start is arguably good preparation for a longer brevet for riders who plan to sleep at some point during the 600 so they get the experience of riding over two nights, but for someone trying to finish within 24 hours, the distance between sleep on Thursday night and Saturday afternoon may be too great for a fast time.

The last fifty miles were pretty brutal. At times, I was literally looking on lawns for places to curl up for a few minutes as I saw objects on the roadside and had trouble keeping focused on the matter at hand. At 11:50 pm, Anthony and I rolled into the finish as riders 2 and 3. While I knew I could have done better, I was grateful that nothing more serious happened out on the roads of southern New Jersey. I’ll need to plan very carefully for sleep and rest the next time around.

The thing about audacious goals is that they push you beyond what you think it possible. As I looked towards this season from the comfort of my winter couch, the Cyclos Montagnards R70 Challenge looked more like my speed. A funny thing happened by setting a higher goal than I thought I could reach. I rode three event distances at "personal best" times and got 3/4 of the way to a level I was not sure was possible. So while technically missing my goal, I have much to feel pleased with and learned what I need to do to go even further next time.

(Photo by Owl's Flight - Flickr CC)

A restful taper before the storm.

The school year is officially over with students on summer vacation, teachers finished with meetings and progress reports off in the mail to families. So what's a humble principal to do but hit the road to spend a few days at the beach with his family while catching up on paperwork, emails and all of the non-urgent work that typically gets put on hold as the thrill of the school year's in motion. It's been a great week: nights filled with restful sleep and days filled with family, productive work and a careful taper in anticipation of this weekend's 600K.

On Friday night at 10 pm, I'll roll out with 34 other randonneurs at the Cranbury (NJ) 600K. This event is the final step towards my audacious goal to successfully complete the Cyclos Montagnards R60 Challenge this season. My previous three brevets have been finished within the alloted time limits and only one obstacle remains. The most difficult component so far, the 24-hour 600K looms large before me. While I'm confident that I would comfortably complete the 375 miles in this time frame on a defined 24-hour racecourse like Saratoga, it's more daunting when I factor in the totally self-supported riding on open roads with navigation challenges. Riding solo also leaves some questions as to whom I might share the burdens of navigation and aerodynamics with along the way.

Tomorrow, we head back home where I'll work on preparing my Indy Fab rando bike for Friday's event. I'll attach the aerobars and swap out my 25mm Contis for the 30mm Grand Bois tires. I also owe the bike a bit of a cleaning. While the weather looks promising, I'll leave the fenders on, in part because my wired tail light is attached to the rear and just in case there is a change in the forecast. I also need to swap out my broken pedal with the new set of Times I picked up earlier this week. My disappointment with those carbon pedals is a story for another day, but I'm happy to have a reliable set up for Friday.

I'm as well trained as I'm going to be at this point. After a three-hour ride on Sunday, I've been working on sharpening my speed through short bursts of high aerobic intervals. My success on Friday will be based on several factors:  nutrition and fluid management, equipment, my need for rest and, of course, luck.

(Photo by Alex Krafcik - Flickr CC)

The Beantown 400K: Three Down and One to Go!

                                    
This was my first time riding in one of the Boston Brevets and boy, let me tell you, it was fun worth repeating. This was my third brevet of the season and my goal for the day was to finish in under 16:12 towards qualification in the Cyclos Montagnards R60 Challenge. With these hills and this weather it might not be easy. On the other hand, unlike the Saratoga 300K, with its NINE controls, this event had only FOUR. While I would not lose as much time having to stop for control business, I knew I would have to forage a bit for water along the way. When I left the hotel at 3:20, the rains were steady and thunder and lightning filled the air. It did't look too promising for a full day in the saddle. In fact, it was downright biblical. Sensible people might find this plan a bit off.

As if on cue, though, the rains stopped and the clouds parted enough to allow a sliver of moon to poke through as I signed the waiver and grabbed a fresh cue sheet out of the organizer’s tailgate. I rolled out at 4:00 am at the front of the pack with Matt and Chris, two other riders with whom I would ride for roughly the the first 200K. While these two knew each other, the three of us soon found that we had ridden in many of the same events, if not always at the same time. Matt and I even discovered that we both competed in the Rapha Gentleman's Race last May. 

Living in New York’s Hudson Valley, I'm roughly 2 hours from events that originate in Westfield, Saratoga, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania so the Boston series lies just a bit out of my orbit. Too bad really, because it was well worth the drive and inconvenience getting there. The ride was well-routed and took in some simply beautiful sections of New Hampshire where we spent most of our day riding through one colonial village after another. We passed the birthplace of Franklin Pierce, the only US president born in New Hampshire as well as Daniel Webster. Not only that, we climbed right past the Canterbury Shaker Village which inspired awe in a tired old randonneur like me. It made me think that if the Shakers didn't kill themselves off with the whole abstinence thing, they might make some hearty randonneurs with their emphasis on austerity, design, efficiency and community. In contrast, we also rode by St. Paul’s School, one of the wealthiest prep schools in the nation where the headmaster reportedly makes over $500,000 per year in salary alone. Sadly I did not have a resume with me, so I’ll have to follow up with them another time.  

It was great riding with Matt and Chris but I knew that if I held their pace, I would blow up in the second half of the day. Sadly, I had to drop off the back of our little group to let them carry on with their more aggressive 15-hour goal and maintain my reserves. I needed to finish within 16:12 and anything (like riding too hard too early) that kept me off that goal needed to be avoided. On the solo "back nine," I was able to keep up a fairly steady pace, but the stretch between control 2 and 3 was pure evil. The weather was disagreeable with heat climbing into the 90s, the humidity hovering near 100% and plenty of exposed roads with TERRIBLE surfaces with which to contend. I had originally feared more roads like this, but was pleasantly surprised to find many of the surfaces superior to those I’m used to. At a few points, though, the roads were so filled with cracks and frost heaves that I realized why so few professional cycling teams are based in New Hampshire. It was also during this section that I noticed a crack in my left Time pedal. This was worrisome, but did not turn out to be catastrophic. So much for lightweight carbon!

The ride was quite hilly with around 15,000 in accumulated climbing. None of the individual climbs were all that significant, there were just a lot of them. For large stretches you were either going up or down. One of the highlights of the day was the pilgrimage to Peter White Cycles which housed Control 3. Peter and his wife Linda (both of whom I’ve spent time with on the phone over the years) could not have been more gracious. It was great to see where great rando gear is born.

Matt made a good point, as we looked up into the clear blue sky: never make plans to cancel a ride at 4:00 am. After what looked like a total washout, we enjoyed a mostly dry day with only about an hour or so of steady (even refreshing) rain. I was glad I stuck to the original plan and despite my uncertainly at a few points along the way, I rolled into the finish with 16:08 elapsed time, a full FOUR minutes inside my goal. It was a little too close for comfort, to say the least, but I was 3/4 of the way towards reaching my BHAG. Up next, the Cranbury 600K in under 24 hours.

(Photo Credit - top: Hyperboreal - CC)

The Saratoga 300K: Just under the wire.

This past Sunday I rode in the Saratoga 300K, my second formal brevet of the year. With gentle rollers, this event looked like a good 300K to finish in under 12 hours to satisfy one of the requirements of the Cyclos Montagnard R60 Challenge. The nine (yes nine!) controls would make it tricky, though. At five minutes per control this would add 45 minutes to the ride. My goal: 1-2 minutes per control, except when I needed water and I would take the full 5. I rode with all of the calories I would need on the bike in the form of Perpetuem, Hammer Gel and a few solid bars. As Sunday approached, the forecast grew more ominous with predictions of rain growing from 20 to 30 to 80%. I came prepared with the full complement of fenders and raingear, so naturally we didn’t get a drop all day. 

On Saturday night, I pulled into Schyulerville and checked into the Old Saratoga Motor Inn. I’ve grown quite fond of this quaint town near the headwaters of the Hudson River over the years through John Ceceri’s brevets and ultra races. This was my first time in this particular motel and, let me tell you, it is a randonneur’s dream. The proprietors not only welcome bikes into the rooms, but check-out time is “whenever you’re done” at which point riders are invited to come back and “take a shower, take a nap, whatever you need.” And if that weren’t enough, at check-in the owner made sure we took his cell number just in case we broke down or needed any help along the way. “Just call me,” he said, “and I’ll just come up and get you in my truck.”

There was a small field of eight riders this time around that included several local Hudson Valley cyclists. Don and I shared a room and Andrey and Gene were there with their velorfred.com mobile. Have you visited Velofred lately? They sell great rando equipment of all shapes and sizes. Our pal Stuart from Woodstock also showed up as did a rider from Boston and one from Syracuse in addition to our organizer John.

The ride started at 4:00 am and in my great haste to get under way, I actually missed the first two cues on the sheet. The first elicited a few groans and the second caused me to add two bonus miles and one bonus hill into the route. Angry with my own carelessness, I hammered through the next ten miles to meet up with the field by the first control. After muttering something like “we shall not speak of this again” and getting my card stamped, Don and I rode off together for the next 60 miles or so trading pulls and catching up on life. At about mile 70, he pulled over and urged me on and so for the next 120 miles I rode solo.

The day was beautiful with spring in its full glory all around us. Flowering trees and light green buds adorned the trees. I saw a variety of signs and portents along the way: a small red fox (alive) and a pileated woodpecker (alive) and a porcupine (dead). I also came across the most dramatic chicken tree-house I’ve ever seen, with a three story spiral staircase encased in chicken wire. I also saw an eerie white “ghost bike” monument to indicate the location on a quiet back road where a cyclist lost his life to a car.

The wind was calm all day except for the 21 miles around the Great Sacandaga Lake (where it seemed to blow off the lake in all directions from the epicenter) and the final 10 miles along the Hudson. This last stretch is also the final 10 miles on the Saratoga 12/24 race course, so I was very familiar with those headwinds as well as the final climb up into town.

Fighting the clock, I dug deep into my reserves in the second half of the ride and finished at 3:53 (11h 53m), a mere 7 minutes before hitting my self-imposed 12 hour limit. I knew that every second counted throughout the entire 190 miles. It’s critical to spend time wisely and luckily I didn’t run into any mechanical trouble along the way. John’s wife Kathy was there at the finish with sandwiches and salad. We caught up as I enjoyed one of several dinners I ate that day.

With two events down, I have two more to go in my quest for the R60 honor. The Boston 400K (in under 16:12 hours) and the Cranbury 600K (in under 24 hours) both loom large on the horizon. Next up: a father-son ride this weekend in NYC on the Five Boro Bike Ride. I hope it’s a bit drier than last year, but we’re prepared either way.

The Princeton 200K: One Step Closer to my BHAG!

As I mentioned several moths ago, my Big Hairy Audacious Goal or BHAG (see Jim Collins) is to complete the Cyclos Montagnard R60 Challenge. To achieve this distinction, randonneurs must complete a full brevet series in under 60% of the maximum time allowance established for each distance. Roughly the same percentage of time required for membership in the honorary Charly Miller Society. To date no one has succeeded. How audacious to think I may be the first! After Saturday's Princeton 200K, I was one step closer.

Early April is fickle in the Northeast and the Princeton 200K has been plagued by unpleasant weather for the past several years. This year, though, we were blessed. The weather was outstanding with temps in the 50s and 60s through much of the day. It never got hot enough to remove the arm warmers, yet the sun was plentiful and illuminated both flowering trees and annuals along the entire course. With over 65 starters, the organizer, Jud Hand, chose to send riders out in one of three groups. As luck would have it, "S" placed me in the first wave.

I saw a few familiar faces at the start, but spent much of the day with only fellow rider Lenny Zawodniak who will be riding the PAC Elite tour next month. It's always more enjoyable to share the burden of wind and navigation and Len proved to be a great companion. We stayed at each control only long enough to process cards, fill bottles and swallow a few calories.

The Princeton 200K route is outstanding and will challenge anyone's preconceived notions of New Jersey. Having grown up in the state, I am still blown away by the beauty one rides through on NJ Rando rides. The first 36 miles were quick as we rode through the village of Princeton and then through the surrounding towns as we worked our way west towards the Delaware River. A nasty little headwind was the only disappointment on the outbound journey. The staff at the Frenchtown control was hospitable and accommodating. The route is filled with rollers, smooth roads and gorgeous Colonial farms and villages. Sections were quite beautiful, especially the stretch along the Delaware that includes an odd little one lane (two way) road that felt more like a towpath than anything else.

Mechanically, my Indy Fab behaved pretty well, but the brand new drive train needs an adjustment or two.For one thing, I lost use of the small front ring between mile 105 and 115 right in the midst of a nice set of rollers. Eventually, the cable sorted itself out and I regained the full use of all gears. I also had to stop at one point to tighten my left front fender stay which had loosened and begun rubbing against the front tire. Note to self: no mechanical upgrades without a long test ride and always be sure to tighten all bolts, screws and levers before a big ride.

On the ride home we were blessed with an impressive tailwind. Lenny and I finished in 8:05, missing the sub-8 hour 200K I had envisioned, but making it under the 8:06 R60 time limit by ONE MINUTE! Crazy man, crazy. Hats off to Jud and the volunteers for an outstanding event all around.

Looking forward: Goals 2010

Today is that magical day when time seems to stand still. Day One, 2010; a time to look forward and not back. I have found (both in my own life and in my work with teachers and students) that we are most likely to reach goals that are specific and concrete. I’m done with goals of the “this-year-I’m-going-to-be-a-better-person” variety.

In 2010, my top four goals are to:

1. Ride a full SR series (Princeton 200, Saratoga 300, Boston 400, Westfield 600). The dates are already on the calendar, having been carefully chosen to avoid work and family conflicts. These rides will help me train for PBP in 2011 as well as provide me with results to qualify for early PBP registration.
2. Achieve a top-10 finish in Quadzilla: a 400-mile odyssey through the Finger Lakes region of New York State. While not technically a race, this ultra event with an advertised 28,000 feet of climbing promises to draw a large field of strong ultra riders.
   
3. Achieve the Cyclos Montagnards' “R60” designation. The R60 is awarded to cyclists who complete a full ACP SR series within 60% of the maximum time allowance. Business guru Jim Coillins urges organizations and leaders to develop “big hairy audacious goals” (BHAGs). These are outrageous, seemingly impossible goals that will set a standard for excellence. The R60 is my BHAG. The CM also acknowledge R70 and R80 performance. Details can be found on the CM website.
4. Achieve a podium finish in the Saratoga: 12-hour race to avenge my fourth place finish in 2009.

In addition, I plan to:

• Be one of the top 10 riders in the 2010 UMCA Indoor challenge.
• Log at least 4000 miles in the UMCA Year-Rounder competition.
• Take yoga on a weekly basis to build core strength and encourage healthy alignment.
• Utilize my new GPS effectively for mapping, downloading routes and riding in events.
• Map and submit two additional Hudson Valley permanent routes to RUSA.
• Save $ for PBP 2011.

While simply enjoying a safe and healthy season of riding is reward in itself, these goals will give shape and form to my year.