Goals for 2014: the Lap of the Lake 1000K and Beyond

One thing I love about the coming of winter is the chance to sit back and assess the past while planning for the future. As a cyclist, this process begins for me when RUSA posts the ride schedule for the coming year in early October and my head begins to spin with options for organized rides around the country.  For me, the structure of the year is largely determined by the longest ride that I will build towards as the ultimate goal; a ride that from the comfort of the couch seems like it might be slightly out of my reach. Once this is established, I look to build the season around brevets and training that aligns with my family and work obligations.

This year, the answer for me was obvious. The last time I had planned to ride in the Lap of the Lake 1000K (LOL) was 2010. It was to be the major goal of that season of riding and was to serve as the event that pushed me to the top of the pecking order in the new system of pre-registration that ACP established to regulate the size of PBP. While preregistered for LOL, though, I was unable to start due to a humerus fracture I sustained during the NJ 600K that June and I had let let my pal Andrey ride on to success without me.

2010 was a momentous year in my life. It was the season I pushed myself to complete a full SR series in under 60% of the maximum time allowance, or or R60 according to the rules of the Cyclos Montagnards challenge set up by Jan Heine and the folks at Bicycle Quarterly. I was interested in this challenge as a way to assess whether I could successfully complete PBP in under 56:40, which at 60% of the total allowable time of 90 hours, would qualify me to become a member of Le Societe Charly Miller. By June, things were going pretty well. I had finished the Princeton 200K, Saratoga 300K and the Boston 400K all safely within the time limits. It was my strongest season ever; I felt like I was on top of the world. This feeling would not last long.

In late June, I set out to complete the NJ 600K, a beautiful, flat ride through the magical Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey, in under 24 hours. Never having completed a 600 in 24 hours, I was not concerned about the pace or the distance, but rather the impact of riding straight through the night without sleep. To make matters worse, the ride start was at 10:00pm and I clipped in after a full day at work. Starting out strong, I fell in with Anthony M. from VT and we kept pace as we rode through the peaceful night and reached Cape May at the southern tip of the state by dawn. All was going according to plan until mile 309 when I lost focus for a nanosecond and hit a patch of sand on the shoulder and went down hard on the pavement. I knew something was not right with my shoulder, but thought it was more likely a muscle injury than a fracture as I clipped back in and rode with determination to the finish 66 miles down the road. Anthony was a prince and paced me as my speed declined. No longer able to hit the 24 hour goal, we finished in 25:50 and I was left with an R70 finish for the season.

The Lap of the Lake was less than two weeks down the road and while unable to secure a visit to the orthopedist in time, I knew something was wrong enough with my shoulder that 1000K was not a good idea. So I took a DNS and subsequently found out that my shoulder was broken. After six weeks in a sling, four of which were spent with family off the bike in Europe, I entered the Endless Mountains 1000K in hopes of completing the 2010 season with a 1000K under my belt to secure my spot in the first wave of US registrants to PBP the following year. As you may know, the Endless Mountain 1000K did not work out as planned. I was hit from behind by a distracted driver merely two hours after clipping in and spent the following six weeks in the hospital, and the following three years out of the hospital, recovering from 26 broken bones and three surgeries.

It's been over three years now since my accident and I've accomplished quite a few things on a bike about which I am very proud. I was permitted to ride again 9 months after the accident and in my first full year of riding I completed D2R2, a full SR series, the Festive 500 and an R-12. My perspectives on life and cycling have changed, though, as often happens following a catastrophic event. Since the accident, I've not been able to ride as fast as I once did. Neither have I completed an event over 600K. My ultimate goal, though remains clipping in to ride PBP in 2015. I doubt I'll be in shape to complete the event in Charly Miller time, but complete the event I will.

As all of us who consider ourselves randonneurs know, our sport is all about incremental change. This year, I will complete a full SR series and I hope to increase my pace to at least R70 limits to see if I am capable of training to ride more swiftly than is currently the case. LOL will also be a step along my journey to PBP. I need the experience that a 1000K close to home will give me to plan and build confidence for that legendary ride. LOL will not only be a stepping stone, though. If I have learned anything from my accident, it's to savor life as it comes. The Lap of the Lake will be an amazing opportunity to ride with friends in two countries along a majestic course around a Great Lake, which in itself is a goal worth savoring. Care to join me?

So here's to 2014. May all of your dreams come true.

The Rapha Festive 500: At Dawn We Ride! (Stage 1)

It's that time of year again. As the days slowly lengthen and 2013 peeks it's head around the corner, it's time to begin base training in earnest and the Rapha Festive 500 is just the incentive I need to get off the couch and ride, ride, ride.

This morning, I set an alarm and suited up while enjoying a hot cup of coffee and rolled out just as the sun was rising over the Hudson River for my first Festive 500 ride of the season. Let me tell you, I was wearing at least one layer too few this morning. 20F is COLD! But as they say, if it were easy, it wouldn't be a challenge, now would it?

Last year was a hoot. One of ten final contestants in the final Facebook vote for a new Trek Madone, it was thrilling to the final end. Needless to say, I did not wind up with the Trek, but it was exciting nonetheless. This year, the Festive 500 has over 12,000 starters. It will be interesting to see how many make it to the finish.

Participants log rides on Strava, which is a bit more complex for me than I'd like since my Garmin eTrex Vista HCx is not one of the supported devices and I need to upload my tracks to ridewithgps before uploading them to Strava. Despite the added steps, it's actually pretty fun to follow the thousands of other riders from around the world enjoying this "festive" challenge.

It was a modest start with only 67km logged on day one. Too much going on today for a longer ride. The local forecast has a likely snow storm making it's way into the Hudson Valley by Thursday, so this could be interesting. It's not too late to sign on. Complete rules can be found here.

Today's ride: 67km.

Festive 500 total: 67km.

Goals 2013

As we creep toward the end times, I designed a training plan for 2013 on the off chance that the world does not cease to exist tomorrow. If 2011 was my year of RECOVERY and 2012 my year of REDEMPTION, then 2013 will be my year of RETURN; return to the level conditioning I had achieved before the accident. It's been a long haul, but with each ride, I feel more like my old self on the bike. What I need now is some fine tuning and consistent rebuilding. To achieve these goals, I'll need to improve flexibility, strength and endurance.

Here are my specific goals for 2013:

1. Ride a full SR series.
2. Complete the Gold Rush Randonnee 1200.
3. Achieve a strong finish in the Saratoga 12-hour race. It would be great to exceed my personal record of 226 miles.
4. Rebuild my general strength and conditioning (core, upper body, legs)
5. Practice yoga regularly to improve flexibility.
6. Earn a second R-12 medal.

It's time to build a base. To that end, I plan to throw myself into the Rapha Festive 500 Challenge next week by logging over 500 kilometers between Christmas and New Year's Eve. More information at this link.

Considering LEL in 2013? Just do it!

Mike D. heading towards Scotland

As one of the thirteen US riders who participated in London-Edinburgh-London in 2009, I've been asked with increasing frequency whether I'd recommend this next edition to others. In a word, YES! Run, don't walk, to the LEL website to learn more about the registration and preparation process for 2013. You will not regret it.

Completing LEL is one of my greatest achievements on or off the bike. In 2009, my third year of randonneuring, I'd never ridden an event over 600K. At 1400K, LEL was a significant step forward, but the slightly more generous time allowances, general camaraderie and outstanding level of event support made the ride seem remarkably manageable. Sure, there were some hills involved and several sections were fairly grueling, but overall the ride was a blast. Below is a short segment of the official LEL 2009 film by the irrepressible British rando-filmmaker Damon P to give you a little flavor of the magic. You can see me at 1:30 wearing a black jersey climbing Yad Moss.



How does one prepare for LEL? 1) Ride lots of miles, 2) Buy quality rain gear, 3) Ride more miles and 4) Set up your bike for comfort. The most challenging aspect of my ride involved travel logistics. Getting to LEL is not harder than most other events, but I had never flown with a bicycle before, nor had I traveled by public transit in a foreign city while schlepping a 50 lb. bike case. For those of you experienced with these joys, it will not be a problem.

There is no better, more cost-effective or enjoyable way to see Britain. If it were not for the cost of airfare and incidentals, I'd sign on again. All randonneurs should ride this event once in their careers.  I'll be riding a domestic 1200K in 2013 and saving my nickels for PBP 2015. To learn more about my experiences on LEL 2009, read my ride report.

Any questions? Just post them below in the comments section.

Up next: honing my goals for 2013.

And finally, the R-12 medal!

Some goals are harder than others to realize, which makes their realization that much sweeter. Such was the case with the R-12. The RUSA R-12 medal is awarded to those cyclists who ride at least one 200K event in each of twelve sequential months. Miss one and you start over again. The R-12 is not an easy award to capture and at times it seemed like the cycling was the least of my concerns. Life just gets in the way. Between family and work commitments and errant snowstorms, this can be one challenging accomplishment. Between July 2011 and June 2012, though, I put my mind to it with a near single-minded determination. The R-12 was the perfect compliment to my return to randonneuring. I began with the NYC 200K, my maiden post-recovery brevet and ended with the Central NY 400K and the Westfield 600K, my two longest rides since the accident. In between is a tale filled with joy and redemption. The individual ride reports (below) bring me right back. Just yesterday, after two of the busiest months I can recall, I rode a 200K permanent with a few friends. Who knows, maybe a second R-12 is in the offing?

July

August

September

October

November

December

January

February

March

April

May

June

The Shoulder Season: Catching my Breath While Planning Ahead.

I do so enjoy the cyclical nature of the calendar. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why I find working in schools so comforting. It's also why I'll likely never be able to leave the Northeast where the rhythm of the seasons is predictable, provides variation and allows for built-in reminders to rest and rejuvenate before heading off into another period of training and adventure.

In the waning months of fall, I alternate between enjoying short bursts of riding with periods of planning and rest. Ever since the RUSA calendar was published last October, I've been toying with event options for 2013. The shorter, cooler days of fall also align well with my body's need for rest after a long, hard season.

I'm quite pleased with my accomplishments in 2012. In June, I completed my first R-12, having worked hard to maintain the consistency of monthly long rides that has eluded me in the past. The exceptionally mild winter helped to be sure. I am also very pleased to have completed my first Super Randonneur season since my 2010 accident. With each successful event, I became more confident in my ability to perform as a competent randonneur. While I was disappointed with my speed and climbing agility throughout the season, I look forward to making solid improvements in both areas next year.

So looking ahead to 2013, my largest goal will be to complete a 1200K with strength, speed and determination. As always, my work schedule is marked by feast and famine. Unable to take extended time away from school except when classes are not in session, there are three domestic 1200K events available to me next year: the Gold Rush Randonnee, the Big Wild Ride and the Endless Mountains 1240K.

For a variety of reasons, largely based on our family's summer schedule, I've chosen to ride in the Gold Rush Randonnee in late June. With my sister and several good friends living in San Francisco, the trip West will bring fun and adventure on several levels.

So I'll continue to enjoy the upcoming week of rest before ramping up my 2013 base training immediately following Thanksgiving.

Rando Bling, Worthless Trinkets or Something More?

Is it bling or are they trinkets? My kids give me such a hard time for buying randonneuring medals, you wouldn't believe it. They always smirk and giggle when one arrives in the mail. "How much did you pay for that one, pops?" Since rando events are so lean, the finishers medals are generally not included in the registration, so if you want a medal, $8.50 it is. It wasn't until recently that my kids got the point that one needs to actually finish an event to be eligible for a medal in the first place. In an age when people get awards just for showing up, I understand their cynicism, but these medals mean more to me they think.

I don't typically buy medals to acknowledge all of the rides I complete. On the contrary, I only have three sets of medals, each from a different commemorative year denoting something special in my randonneuring life. ACP unveils a new design with each edition of Paris-Brest-Paris, so medals change every four years. I earned my first set of medals (from the 2004 - 2007 collection) in 2007 during my first year of randonneuring. The next set I purchased in 2010 to mark my fastest brevet series to date when I finished three out of four brevets within 60% of the allowable time. The third set (above) I purchased this year to commemorate my first successful brevet series following my accident. Unsure that I could still cycle for 400 or 600 kilometers straight when I began the season, these medals remind me that I am back in action and able to ride long distances without pain or suffering.

Finally! Goals for 2012

It's about time you must be saying. It's February already for Pete's sake! What are your goals already? So there are no great surprises here. In 2012, I plan to do the following things:

1. Achieve the elusive R12 Award. I began in July and will need only four more months after this weekend.
2. Complete a full SR series. Speed is less important to me now than it's been in recent years, but I would like to finish these brevets STRONG.
3. Compete in the Saratoga 12hr race in July. I'd love to finish in the top 1/3 of the field.
4. Perhaps complete the Endless Mountains 1000K.
5. Get my speed and endurance back and finish in the top 1/3 of the field in each event I enter.

Well, that's it for now. This is the Big Five. I'll have to leave tactics and strategy to future posts. Right now it's time to announce the "whats." Soon I'll share information on the "hows."

The Perfect Rando Vehicle: My New 2011 Prius

I didn't receive a huge financial settlement after being nearly killed by a distracted driver, but my medical costs have largely been paid for and I came away with a replacement bike and enough money to buy a new car. In choosing a car to replace the ten-year old beater in my driveway, I was searching for the perfect rando vehicle. I needed something that's great on gas (to get back and forth from brevets and ultra races) and something that would fit my bike and gear in the back. Knowing myself well, I've pledged NEVER to mount a bike on the roof. The sound of a custom frame being mangled by a low-hanging obstacle would be the end of me.

With all of this in mind, this past August I bought a 2011 Toyota Prius which, I will argue, is the PERFECT rando vehicle. With gas mileage hovering around 55 mpg, I've cut my fuel costs in half and feel much better about driving hundreds of miles to ride my bike.

As you can see, there is also PLENTY of room in the back to store my fully kitted out rando bike. In fact, I don't even need to remove the front wheel! Everything fits beautifully.

Other amenities include a great sound system (complete with iPod cable) and heated leather seats.

Finally, after a lifetime of mocking people with vanity license plates, I decided it was time to let the world know about my major long-term cycling goal. I've always found that being public about goals is not only great motivation, but it also helps us reach them. After being sidelined in 2011, I WILL ride Paris-Brest-Paris in 2015. I just won't drive there in this car.

"You must first have a lot of patience to learn to have patience." Stanislaw Lec

Rapha Continental | D2R2 from RAPHA on Vimeo.

Patience has always been one of my strengths as a cyclist. It's what helped me become a successful randonneur. I'm not alone, of course; focusing on long-term goals and building towards long distance brevets over time is what sets randonneurs apart from other cyclists. The irony is that I'm also a fairly impatient person, intent on enduring adversity and pushing through specific obstacles to achieve my goals. Paradoxically, this too has made me a successful randonneur. Recovering from a major accident over the past six months, though, has taught me a level of patience I've never before experienced.

Anyone who's suffered serious crash-related trauma will tell you that bones heal much quicker than muscles and soft tissue. Since my bones were pretty well healed six weeks after the crash, I naively thought I'd be training hard indoors this winter and riding early spring brevets without too much difficulty. I didn't know how long it would take my muscles and soft tissue to return to normal. My body was bent in all kinds of unnatural ways and the tears and damage my muscles sustained has been taking some serious time to repair. It's slow going and there's really no way to speed up the process. Since I have to exercise and stretch 3-5 times a day on top of  a very full time job and family responsibilities, I have virtually no time (or energy!) to train hard on my bike indoors. I've yet to ride more than 1 hour at a time and fitting in even 2-3 sessions a week has been beyond my grasp. Healing also requires more rest than I'm used to and the chance to lie in bed with a book on Sunday monrning is hard to pass up.

Over the past several years, having a big seasonal goal to work towards has really helped to shape my training and keep me motivated in the off season. I began my recovery thinking I would ride PBP this August as originally planned. After realizing the folly in this plan, I down-shifted to a simple SR series as a comeback strategy. Now, due to event timing and perhaps a greater level of realism, I'm looking at simply riding a few short brevets this season and none of them until I've had a few months on the bike on the open roads to build my endurance, balance and confidence. Now to non-randonneurs, this probably seems perfectly reasonable. My family sure is pleased.

I hesitate to even formalize these thoughts about the year ahead as "goals." The ground is still shifting too much and I don't even have clearance yet to ride my bike outdoors. I meet with my surgeon on March 21 and will have a much better picture of my recovery progress and needs at that time. Specifically, I need to discuss long-term muscle repair and possible risks involved with riding on the open roads. Rebuilding slowly from the ground up makes much more sense to me now rather than simply rushing and pushing things too fast. The risks are too great.

So my first "event" of the year is now the Five Boro Bike Tour with my son on May 1. I hope to then build to a 200K brevet in late June. I also plan to sprinkle a few 200Ks throughout the summer and cap off the season with Deerfield Dirt Road Randonnee (D2R2) in late August. I've wanted to ride D2R2 for a number of years but it just hasn't fit into my schedule. Who knows, this may also be the year to tackle the R-12 award, earned by randonneurs who ride at least one 200K each month for 12 months.

I realize now that I'll need a longer period of time to grow back into being an endurance cyclist than I first expected. It will likely take over a year to get back into the kind of shape I need to be in to complete an SR series and a 1200K grand randonee. Now that I'm pretty confident that I'll ride long distances pain-free again, the wait won't be so hard.

Goals 2.0

I realize, less than two weeks into the new year, that there there is a fatal flaw in my plan for 2011. It's not that I'll be unable to achieve any of my stated goals individually (who knows at this point) but rather that two of them are mutually exclusive.

• Pay back my wife for all of the sacrifices she's made and support she's provided. 
• Participate in PBP 2011. 

It's easy for me to be pretty self-involved when it comes to riding and especially when it comes to setting goals of what I plan to achieve on the bicycle. After the accident, though, I realize that I can no longer make decisions so flippantly or unilaterally. While I have no symptoms of PTSD, I'm not sure the same is true of my wife, kids and other close family members who had to imagine all too vividly a world without me. Getting a phone call at 6:30 in the morning from a hospital two states away has a way of leaving an impression.I think it's going to take more than a year to get my team to feel good about all that goes into completing a 1200K.

Some things are a lot more important than riding 1200 kilometers on a bicycle. Even though PBP has been my dream ever since I began randonnuering in 2007, it's not going anywhere. While London-Edinburgh-London is a longer, more physically challenging and intimate event, PBP is a ride to do at least once in one's life. Perhaps it's a ride to do every four years. It is certainly a life goal of mine. It's just a goal I won't accomplish this summer.

So here's another pass at the season with more thought about the impact my riding will have on my family. 

Goals 2.0

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.
3. Complete a full SR series.

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!

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.

One season ends as another begins.

This week marks a turning point. We just passed the shortest day of the year here in the northern hemisphere and I look forward to getting a few bonus moments of sunshine each day for the next six months. Soon my commute will not be completely shrouded in darkness, yet it will be quite some time before temperatures rise predictably above the freezing mark around here.

A few days ago, I officially ended one season and began another with the same ride: an indoor (6 hour) century on my trusty Cycle-Ops trainer.  I submitted this ride as my final effort in the 2009 UMCA Year Rounder competition which pushed my total over 3000 miles and allowed me to achieve my goal of the 3000 mile “Gold Award.” I also consider this indoor session to be the first official base-building training ride of the 2010 season. Having spent the past few months taking it easy with both mileage and intensity, I’ve been picking up the volume recently with indoor rides of 2 hours or more and this was my first full-out distance effort with 2010 goals in mind. I hope to log at least two indoor centuries per month between now and April to deepen my base and add raise my position in the UMCA Indoor Challenge.

With 2010 bearing down on us, it’s also time to look back on the past year and plan for the season ahead. In 2009, I:

1. Completed my first 1200+ event on London-Edinburgh-London.
2. Missed the sub-100 hour goal on LEL by 45 minutes: roughly equal to the amount of time spent at a pub celebrating the (near) end of the epic event.  Glad to have chosen the social over the symbolic. It wasn’t a race after all.
3. Successfully upgraded my equipment to include a Schmidt dynohub and an Edelux headlamp, both of which work beautifully.
4. Reached Gold classification (3000+ miles) in the UMCA Year-Rounder competition.
5. Finished a double century race in less than 12 hours. (11h34m)
6. Placed second in the Rapha Gentlemen’s Race.
7. Did not win the Saratoga 12-hour race, but placed 4^th and finished with a respectable 226 miles.

Under the tree this year:

1. The above photo (framed) taken by my darling daughter.
2. A Garmin eTrex Vista HCx GPS. I’ll report back once I’ve spent a little time figuring it out.
3. A black PACE Sportswear Merino Wool Cap (available from Boure)
4. Spinervals 2.0 Lake Placed Training Ride DVD. Trying it out tomorrow at 6:00 a.m.

Next up: Goals for 2010.