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)

Flatlander's Delight 200K Permanent Report

Managing RUSA permanents has several advantages. First, it's great to know that I can get out and ride an approved 200K at any time on a moment's notice. Second, it's wonderful to bring friends together to ride on some of my favorite roads and, three, I get to meet some very nice people who let me know how much they enjoyed a day in the saddle with kind notes like this one. The following came from a seasoned long distance cyclist eager to try his hand at randonneuring. This was his first 200K.

"Thanks for sending me on a spectacular ride! When it comes to landscape, New York has nothing to envy in any other state (well, maybe Hawaii). Our Hudson Valley is a beautiful place, and your route gets very intimate with it. 

Ninety per cent of the time I was alone on the road, without any other traffic of any kind. I don’t know where you found some of those back roads. Some of them seemed as private as driveways on some millionaire’s huge estate. I especially liked the dirty ones, like Oak Hill, but I was amazed at the intimacy (that word keeps coming up) of west Ghent Road, Snyderville Road, and even Abeel along the Rondout. The intelligence behind the cue sheet was always apparent.

I did manage to go the extra mile. The extra three miles, in fact, attributable to a wrong turn or two. Ah, well.  The weather was very kind. Had I gone in today’s dismal rain, I might not have spent so much of the ride saying “Oh, how beautiful!” over and over.

I put the card in the mail, accomplished and signed. This was my first experience of audax riding, and I can begin to feel the contours of the sport: self-determination, concentration, planning skills, and of course physical endurance. I look forward to improving my skills on longer rides.

Thanks again, George. I had a great time."

I'm off this weekend to scout a new permanent route through the beautiful Catskill mountains. Wish me luck.

A Father-Son Odyssey: The Five Boro Bike Tour 2010

Well, at least this year it didn't rain. With temps topping out at 95, our annual father-son tromp through NYC with 32,000 of our closest friends on the 5BBT was quite different from last year's washout. It was bright skies and a light breeze the whole way.



What a joy to pedal through the streets of New York traffic free for a whole day. Unfortunately, this ride involves quite a good deal of waiting. We waited at the start, we waited at several points along the way where bike traffic actually results ingridlock and we waited at the end for the Staten Island Ferry. Luckily, though, the ferry didn't crash into the dock as it did five days later.

We spent the night again this year at my in-laws apartment a few blocks from the ride start and so were able to roll out of bed, grab a little food and roll to the start without getting into the car. Eli was a trooper again this year and despite feeling a bit under the weather, he rode strong and finished the entire 42-mile route without hesitation. He even "climbed" the Varrazano Narrows Bridge at the end with steady determination. Eli had a "new" bike this time around and while it weighed more than twice my steel Bianchi, he was happy with the upgrade. When he finally gets a reasonably weighted road bike in a few years, he won't have any idea what hit him.

Of course, there's no such thing as a perfect day, and this time dad forgot to reapply sunscreen so Eli returned home with a nice little sunburn souvenir to complement his white 2010 5BBT t-shirt. We need to make mom feel needed don't we? Next up for father-son fun: the Bike the River Valley Tour on July 18 or the New York City Century Tour on September 12? Time will tell. Can't push it too hard . . .

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.