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.

Getting ready: what I need to do OFF the bike this week.

This week marks my second brevet of the season and the first in which night riding is a factor. We all know that success on the bike is based on a combination of physical training, mechanical consistency, mental readiness, proper nutrition and external factors beyond our control such as weather and terrain. It’s easy to focus on the need to be physically ready for a big event, but with only several days to go, I’ve found that my time is much better spent ensuring that the other aspects of my preparation are in order.

I very much want this to be my fastest 300K brevet ever. I’ve ridden this many miles within 12 hours, but not under brevet conditions that require control stops, card signing and total self-sufficiency. My success will come from a single-minded commitment to reaching my goal on the bike as well as a plan that reduces my time spent off the bike to next to nothing. I’ll have very little room for error so need to make sure that my equipment is in optimal shape. Here’s a list (so far) of the non-training work I need to take care of this week to prepare for the Saratoga 300K on Sunday.

• Take my dynamo hub wheel out of the closet, install a fresh tube and tire and attach it all to the bike. [Ensure that the computer magnet is attached and calibrated correctly].
• Carefully attach and wire headlight and taillight (the former was repaired under warrantee for water collection during LEL and not used since).
• Change helmet lamp battery.
• Spend several hours riding at night to test equipment and set-up.
• Finally reset my watch and bike computer to Eastern Daylight Savings Time.
• Clean the bike of all accumulated grime and road spray.
• Oil pedal spindles so they hang properly for optimal click-in.
• Tighten all loose parts like fenders and fender stays. Replace the front fender stay with a longer replacement part.
• Check tires carefully and remove all glass shards and pebbles that may work their way into the tube. [This useful tidbit was shared by Levi Leipheimer in Bicycling magazine].
• Follow the weather forecast and prepare all appropriate clothing and equipment.
• Estimate the need for and measure and pack nutrition products.
• Review cue sheet and meditate/visualize course and strategy.
• Get 8 full hours of sleep every night.

While success will come largely from the work I do ON the bike, it could certainly be fouled up by any one of the things I forget to do OFF the bike.

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.

The indoor season finally ends . . .

And so the indoor season comes to a close, not with a bang, but with a whimper. In true form, March came in like a lion and is certainly going out like a lamb. With a forecast for temps in the mid to upper 70s for the rest of the week, I will certainly not be found grinding away on my trainer. Coincidentally, today marks the official end of the UMCA Indoor Challenge and to celebrate, I logged in a final two hour session.

Well, it's only March and I've already failed to meet one of my 2010 cycling goals. Back in December,a top ten finish looked not only attainable, but also like a nice motivator to increase my base training miles. As it turns out, it was the latter but not the former. Here's what my results look like over the past two years. I actually placed lower with four times the number of hours on the trainer,  five times the number of sessions and almost three times the number of points. Oh, well.

2010: 17th place, 146 points, 87 hours, 28 sessions
2009: 16th place, 52 points, 22 hours, 5 sessions

Like with most competitions, success has a whole lot to do with who shows up. This was a competitive year as one can see by comparing a 10th place finish over the past five years:

2010 = 335 points
2009 = 189 points
2008 = 112 points
2007 = 224 points
2006 = 277 points

The funny thing is that I feel very much like a winner even though I didn't meet my goal. Could I have ridden more? Sure. Could I have added several long sessions to amass additional points. Of course; but at what cost? As it was, I logged 87 hours of training this winter safe from icy, dark roads. My legs feel great and I enter the spring with my most significant base yet. I look forward to seeing how the local hammer fest feels on Saturday morning. My first brevet is scheduled for April 10. Time for a little speed work.

Catskill Climbfest 200K: Vernal Equinox Edition

What better way to celebrate the vernal equinox than a ride with friends through the wild Catskill Mountians complete with raging waterfalls bursting with chilly snow melt and marshes filled with spring peepers? The Catskill Climbfest 200K permanent is not for the faint of heart nor the weak of quad. With over 11,000 feet of climbing, it's usually something to work up to a bit later in the season, but with all this planning and indoor training, I was just itching to get out onto the open roads. Sadly, a few of the regulars were not able to join our merry band. Between work, family obligations and storm clean-up, we were down to six riders, but six is a good number and the energy at the start was great.

I arrived at the parking lot to the heartwarming sight of bikes leaning against a convenience store wall in the pre-dawn light. Brian, Andrey, Gene, Stuart and Bob were in good spirits and eager to begin. After taking care of paperwork and getting our stamps at the first control, we were off. The six of us rode together on the gentle climb from Rosendale up through the woods to the vast Ashokan; source of much of New York City's water supply. Looking out across the majestic reservoir on this clear morning, we can see many of the high Catskill peaks we will be climbing later in the day. While the route skirts the heart of Woodstock, the mellow vibe permeates the surrounding area. We soon pass Stuart's house and he laments not requesting a full English breakfast cooked up by his wife as we make our way to the third control where we order coffee and muffins. On second thought, he reasons, that would likely not have gone over all that well.

The third control sits at the base of the first substantial climb of the day. It was wonderful to see that the new owners, a lovely south Asian couple, has made the radical move to open the bathroom to customers and remove the iconic port-o-john from the parking lot out front. Of course, this means I won't be able to read the latest racist creed written on the walls with fat black marker, but I guess I'll get over it.

After taking leaving the control, we settle into a 4-mile stretch at a solid 8-10% pitch which spreads the group out a bit, but we stop to take pictures at the historic (and swollen) Katerskill Falls along the way. We regroup by the falls and watch incredulously as a pair of dads with young kids passes by the "Warning: Hazardous Gorge Area, Sheer Cliffs, Swift Water, Slippery Footing" signs without looking or even slowing down. This seemed like something "mom" might not approve of, but - hey who's to judge?

We more or less ride together until mile 60 where we pull off at a small parking area to relieve ourselves and remove a few outer layers. By this time, the warm sun is high overhead and with the steady 3-8% grade ahead for the next 15 miles we realize that the extra layers are unnecessary. About 2 miles up the road, Andrey and Brian and I take the left and begin the long climb up Slide Mountain.

After the climb's last nasty pitch, the road more or less flattens out for a lovely 10 mile stretch through Frost Valley. Andrey and I hang together for the ride through the valley and arrive at the deli with rather substantial appetites around 3:30 in the afternoon. I am pleased to discover that the chicken salad is fresh and ready for me. The rest of the gang rolls in as we finish our sandwiches. Looking at the clock, I realize that if I am going to make it home by "dinnertime" as I told my wife I would, I need to bring the hammer down. I say goodbye to my friends and roll on out hoping to make it home before dinner hits the table. Along the way, I pass rolling fields and about a dozen raging waterfalls in the Peekamouse Valley. The ride down Peekamouse Mountain to the Ashokan Reservoir is sweet as always, but the loose gravel, strewn on the roads during countless winter snowstorms, makes the descent a bit more dicey than usual.

This sign makes me realize that I really should remind permanent riders who want to buy firearms that they need to call ahead for an appointment. The final descent to Rosendale is a joy and underscores how lovely it is to get out onto the open roads after a long winter. As I return to this lower altitude, a chorus of peepers announces the arrival of spring and a full season of outdoor rides ahead. Life is good.

Form, function AND fashion: the NY Times trainer review

Well, I suppose the "Fashion & Style" section of the NY Times is about the last place I'd think to look for gear advice, but mom sent me a link to a review of indoor trainers this week so I took a peek to see what's hot these days. I was happy to discover that the 26 year-old "amateur triathlete" gave my trainer top honors.  My Cycle-Ops Fluid II trainer is a few generations behind the current model, but the design hasn't changed much in the past few years.

What the review does not discuss is the wonderful customer service I've come to expect from Saris Cycles, the company that manufactures Cycle-Ops trainers. This was reaffirmed for me again recently when I called to report that my trainer had sprung a slight leak in the "fluid" department. By the time I finished explaining the problem, a new cylinder was in a box on its way to my doorstep. Within a week, I had swapped out the old drum, sent it back and was rolling like new. All for the price of return shipping. That's some warranty! The only trouble is with all the new pressure in the drum, my revitalized trainer is about one gear harder to pedal!

I enjoyed a 30-mile loop on my single speed today and, good trainer or not, it was great to get out on the open roads. Next Sunday it's the Catskill Climbfest 200K permanent and I can't wait!

2010 Goals 2.0

It all seemed so simple back in December when I laid out my goals for the 2010 season. Problem is: a few things have happened along the way to change my plans. Most notably, the ACP in Paris issued their 2011 PBP brochure complete with pre-registration details. As anticipated, they announced that preregistration priority will be granted to riders based on the distance of their longest single 2010 event. Those who complete a 1000K will be able to hop onto the registration line on April 3, 2011 while those with only a 600K under their belt will not be able to register until April 17, 2011, etc. The thought of hundreds of riders getting a two week jump on me makes me nuts, so a 1000K event this summer it is!

 

In early July, I’ll be riding in the Lap of the Lake 1000K which starts and ends in a small town near Rochester, NY. We’ll pass the Thousand Islands, the city of Toronto and Niagra Falls on our counter-clockwise spin around Lake Ontario. This self-supported brevet with two border crossings will build my endurance and test my logistical abilities and prepare me for PBP. It should also be a whole lot of fun.

Of course, this change has the knock-on effect of bumping a few other things around. Since I’ll be pedaling around the lake on the second weekend in July, I won’t be able to race in the Saratoga 12/24 as I had planned. In addition, we’ve recently firmed up family vacation plans which will have me out of the country during the weekend of Quadzilla. Ah well, easy come easy go. My primary goal for 2010 remains the same:  prepare in all ways for PBP 2011.

A Little Cross (country ski) Training

Since it's been a few years without any sizable snow accumulation in the Hudson Valley, I've basically put cross country skiing on the back burner despite how enjoyable I find it to be. But as I packed the car to visit my sister-in-law and her family in Maryland for Presidents' Day weekend, I opted for the skis over the bike. Based on the recent epic dump of snow they've received, I'm confident I made the right decision.

For each of the past two days, I've logged in 90 minutes of cross country skiing at a moderate aerobic pace. My family's house sits within a small suburban development in Montgomery County that backs up against a large public park filled with hiking and biking trails now bisected with snowmobile and ski paths.

This exercise in the crisp, clean air has been refreshing and the almost total lack of fellow human traffic has made my multiple falls mercifully less embarrassing than otherwise would be the case. If the pace of global warming slows enough for reasonable snow accumulation to again return to the Hudson Valley, I may actually buy a new pair of skis and learn how to do this the right way. The parallels to cycling are obvious and the benefits during the base training period are clear.