Props to Miles Ahead Cyclery. I took my bike in for a quick look at my fit & they spent over an hour working with me. Now that's how you gain a customer.
First thing they noticed was my posture. Bend the elbows, chest out, butt back! Secondly they swapped in a 90mm stem instead of the 100mm I was riding (ITM). They adjusted the angle of my saddle, which was set up completely wrong because apparently the SMP saddles are leveled from nose to rear rather than in the middle. Changing where I ride in the saddle allowed the saddle to be moved forward while still keeping my knees in line with the pedals. The only thing they did that I disagree with is that they lowered my saddle. I see their logic, but I have it raised a bit so that I don't flex my achilles tendon on every stroke. I marked where they set it to, but I'll be raising it before riding it again. So all in all, they entirely changed the way the bike fits, and I think it'll be for the better.
I also got Specialized BG Gel gloves.
And I'm going crazy with padding my bar. In some places I'm using a double layer of bar phat covered by a 2.5mm DSP tape. I'm also using bar phat and padding on the hoods, which means they now look HUGE but I think will be amazingly comfortable. I've done the right, tomorrow I'll do the left. With all the cushioning & using two different wraps, it takes a good while to wrap those bars! I don't even want to think of how much weight all this is adding to my bike, but hey, feeling my fingers after (and on) long rides is worth it! And speaking of which, the funny sensation is still there but fading quite a bit. At this rate I'm guessing they'll be back to normal by tomorrow night. Let's hope...
And let's hope for NO rain on Friday so I can ride & try out my new setup.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Guyon's Canal Syndrome
Finding a name & the cause is a whole lot easier than finding a fix. The ulnar nerve branches and passes through the wrist through two tunnels. The medial passage is called Guyon's Canal or Tunnel. Once it passes through the canal, which is roofed by the medial ligament, it the branches into two once more, one nerve going to the pinkie & the other to the ring finger. Compression of this canal is what causes the tingly sensation I have in those fingers. The middle finger is also served by the ulnar nerve, but it branches before Guyon's Canal and appear to the be ulnar nerve that many gloves are made to protect. I need protection of both. Technically, I have mild Type 3 Guyon's Canal Syndrome; no motor impairment, just tingle fingers.
The treatment can be surgery for extreme cases, and mild cases can become extreme cases. But in mild cases the best course is to find the movement or activity that is causing the compression and eliminate it. So...
Even though I know at some point I will be going to an aerobar, there are two main reasons why I am not changing up my entire system. First, replacing the stem & handlebar so that I can use the aerobar is a helluva lot of work on the Talon. With internal cable routing for the rear brake, it's just something I don't want to mess with until I HAVE to. That might be when I'm up to 3 or 400k, I suppose. Secondly, right now I think that pedaling in the aerobars would be uncomfortable because I'd be kneeing myself in the belly with each pedal stroke. So I probably wouldn't use the aerobars at this point anyway. Other reasons...well, the carbon bar probably has 'some' dampening effect over an AL bar, and the ergo shape of the bar is more aero and again, has to be at least a little more comfy than a round AL bar.
What steps am I taking? Well, first I've lowered the angle of the handlebar itself, giving me easier access to and more room on the drops. Prior to this riding in the drops meant either holding onto the bar with the lateral half of my hand or bending my wrist and putting pressure on the medial side so that part of my wrist was on the flat & part was on the bend. This should help even out the pressure so that my entire hand is on the flat part of the drop, or my entire hand is on the bend: my choice, but either way there should be marginally less pressure. I will most likely move the shifters up a bit to compensate for rotating the bar downward, otherwise I might have more pressure or a weird wrist angle in the hoods. I'll have to play with that to see---I might even take it in to Miles Ahead for a quick fit without bar tape just to see what they say about moving the shifters up (or anything else).
Once I get the fit done & my shifters adjusted to the right height, then the real fun begins. I'm going to put at least 1 layer of bar phat across the entire bar, even the top, with an extra layer in the depression made for resting the medial palm (compression point). I may even add an entire layer over that, giving me 2 layers + that extra layer for the palm depression. And whereas it is ubiquitous to wrap the tape under the hoods, I am going to add some bar phat on top of the hoods where I rest my hands, connecting that bar phat with the rest that's on the bar, and then wrap over that to blend it all in to the rest of the bar. I've done a test run with old tape: I think this is going to be crazy thick but quite possibly incredibly comfortable. The hoods will especially be very wide, but I think that will make them much more comfy to rest my hands in, not to mention that it will dampen a lot of road noise. Of course, I'll be wrapping everything with LizSkins DSP tape, 1.5mm, to add just a bit more cushion as well as all-weather grip. I may look like a total Fred with this setup, but then I'm trying to ride for hundreds of miles, not short little races where problems like this never crop up. You've got to be creative and use your brain!
Most obviously, I'll top it off with gloves. I've used the Pearl Izumi gloves that supposedly protect the ulnar nerve. Maybe the did, but the cause my hands to hurt where the padding was. But due to that fact in addition to the amount of science that Specialized claims to put into...everything...I'm going to go with a Specialized gloves. In their advertisement pic, they at least show the branching of the ulnar nerve so they, at least at some level, are aware of the fact that the ulnar nerve is actually 2 nerves that pass through the wrist in two different places. We'll see how these work out.
And finally (I think), I'll run my front tire pressure down 10#s to 100psi, and I'll also remove the Aquarack and replace it with the Xlab Carbon Wing. I should not feel anything behind me. I always feel my thighs contacting the Aquarack and this has to move me forward at least occasionally. And in the game of riding >100 miles, the smallest things can make a difference.
Now, I must not ignore once final thing, but it is not a quick fix. This nerve compression I'm experiencing is COMPRESSION, meaning that pressure is being placed on the canal(s) for an extended period of time. While I am doing everything I can to reduce the effect of that compression, the real, root fix of the compression is to reduce pressure from the source--which is me. This is to say that as I lose weight from my top half, there will be less pressure (& compression) delivered to the handlebars. So while it's good that I'm addressing all these other issues, I must never lose sight of the most significant root cause. I need to lose weight. I've been more or less stagnant for months at ~230. It's time to get rid of that.
Anne pointed something out, however, I've ridden 100 & 111 without this problem, and those rides occurred at either a greater weight or only slightly less than what I am now. While this is true, it just throws another wrench into the mix, so rather than racking my brain trying to figure out what was different then, at this point I'm going to stick with the plan I have. If it doesn't work, then I'll continue my research/guessing game.
Of some note, today is Wednesday and the tingly sensation in my pinkie's & ring finger's has shown some subtle improvement. Let's keep it moving that direction!!! If only I knew a way to intervene & speed along my improvement.
The treatment can be surgery for extreme cases, and mild cases can become extreme cases. But in mild cases the best course is to find the movement or activity that is causing the compression and eliminate it. So...
Even though I know at some point I will be going to an aerobar, there are two main reasons why I am not changing up my entire system. First, replacing the stem & handlebar so that I can use the aerobar is a helluva lot of work on the Talon. With internal cable routing for the rear brake, it's just something I don't want to mess with until I HAVE to. That might be when I'm up to 3 or 400k, I suppose. Secondly, right now I think that pedaling in the aerobars would be uncomfortable because I'd be kneeing myself in the belly with each pedal stroke. So I probably wouldn't use the aerobars at this point anyway. Other reasons...well, the carbon bar probably has 'some' dampening effect over an AL bar, and the ergo shape of the bar is more aero and again, has to be at least a little more comfy than a round AL bar.
What steps am I taking? Well, first I've lowered the angle of the handlebar itself, giving me easier access to and more room on the drops. Prior to this riding in the drops meant either holding onto the bar with the lateral half of my hand or bending my wrist and putting pressure on the medial side so that part of my wrist was on the flat & part was on the bend. This should help even out the pressure so that my entire hand is on the flat part of the drop, or my entire hand is on the bend: my choice, but either way there should be marginally less pressure. I will most likely move the shifters up a bit to compensate for rotating the bar downward, otherwise I might have more pressure or a weird wrist angle in the hoods. I'll have to play with that to see---I might even take it in to Miles Ahead for a quick fit without bar tape just to see what they say about moving the shifters up (or anything else).
Once I get the fit done & my shifters adjusted to the right height, then the real fun begins. I'm going to put at least 1 layer of bar phat across the entire bar, even the top, with an extra layer in the depression made for resting the medial palm (compression point). I may even add an entire layer over that, giving me 2 layers + that extra layer for the palm depression. And whereas it is ubiquitous to wrap the tape under the hoods, I am going to add some bar phat on top of the hoods where I rest my hands, connecting that bar phat with the rest that's on the bar, and then wrap over that to blend it all in to the rest of the bar. I've done a test run with old tape: I think this is going to be crazy thick but quite possibly incredibly comfortable. The hoods will especially be very wide, but I think that will make them much more comfy to rest my hands in, not to mention that it will dampen a lot of road noise. Of course, I'll be wrapping everything with LizSkins DSP tape, 1.5mm, to add just a bit more cushion as well as all-weather grip. I may look like a total Fred with this setup, but then I'm trying to ride for hundreds of miles, not short little races where problems like this never crop up. You've got to be creative and use your brain!
Most obviously, I'll top it off with gloves. I've used the Pearl Izumi gloves that supposedly protect the ulnar nerve. Maybe the did, but the cause my hands to hurt where the padding was. But due to that fact in addition to the amount of science that Specialized claims to put into...everything...I'm going to go with a Specialized gloves. In their advertisement pic, they at least show the branching of the ulnar nerve so they, at least at some level, are aware of the fact that the ulnar nerve is actually 2 nerves that pass through the wrist in two different places. We'll see how these work out.
And finally (I think), I'll run my front tire pressure down 10#s to 100psi, and I'll also remove the Aquarack and replace it with the Xlab Carbon Wing. I should not feel anything behind me. I always feel my thighs contacting the Aquarack and this has to move me forward at least occasionally. And in the game of riding >100 miles, the smallest things can make a difference.
Now, I must not ignore once final thing, but it is not a quick fix. This nerve compression I'm experiencing is COMPRESSION, meaning that pressure is being placed on the canal(s) for an extended period of time. While I am doing everything I can to reduce the effect of that compression, the real, root fix of the compression is to reduce pressure from the source--which is me. This is to say that as I lose weight from my top half, there will be less pressure (& compression) delivered to the handlebars. So while it's good that I'm addressing all these other issues, I must never lose sight of the most significant root cause. I need to lose weight. I've been more or less stagnant for months at ~230. It's time to get rid of that.
Anne pointed something out, however, I've ridden 100 & 111 without this problem, and those rides occurred at either a greater weight or only slightly less than what I am now. While this is true, it just throws another wrench into the mix, so rather than racking my brain trying to figure out what was different then, at this point I'm going to stick with the plan I have. If it doesn't work, then I'll continue my research/guessing game.
Of some note, today is Wednesday and the tingly sensation in my pinkie's & ring finger's has shown some subtle improvement. Let's keep it moving that direction!!! If only I knew a way to intervene & speed along my improvement.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Picacho Peak 115
On Saturday I sort of accidentally rode 115 miles. I "guestimated 90" but when I got to my turnoff to start heading back home, I was so close to Picacho Peak that I decided to just ride on up to the park. Well, that added 12 miles (round trip to get back to the turnoff), but more important was the sunlight that I lost. By time I turned onto Park Link Pkwy the sun had set, and by 5 miles in, it was pitch black. Oddly enough, my bike doesn't shift as well in the dark! I thought I'd maybe bent my derailleur hanger, but it shifts pretty well in the work stand. But this is neither here nor there. It was by & large a very good ride, marked with challenges and successes, and in the end I could've ridden further.
But there was one problem; and there still is. My right hand always has a little numbness in my outside fingers when I ride even short, 50m rides. But this time it was both hands, and the 3 outside fingers. I'm thinking 6/10 fingers is a bad thing. The left hand I didn't notice as much until after I was done. Kinda weird. Sometime Sunday I regained normal sensation in my middle fingers on both hands, but now, on Tuesday, I still have that tingly sensation on my 2 outside fingers on both hands. It would appear that I have a mild case of Ulnar Neuropathy obviously caused by trauma.
So this is a problem that I've got to figure out! I was riding the Talon with a carbon ergonomic handlebar, my Aerospokes w/28mm tires @110psi, and the Aquarack behind the seat. I wore plain leather-palmed gloves until it got too cold, & then I rode long finger gloves with insulation but no specific padding.
Possible easy fixes:
1. Try Ksyrium SL's which might have more compliance than the Aerospokes.
2. Lower air pressure to 100 to smooth out the road just a bit.
3. Try wearing padded gloves to protect the ulnar nerve.
4. Aquarack may be pushing me forward because my thighs contact it on every revolution. If I'm riding too far forward, it will put more pressure on my hands and wrists. Perhaps the Xlab Carbon Wing is worth a try?
The best suggestion is probably for me to ride over to Miles Ahead & have them look at me on the trainer. Perhaps something in my fit is obviously off? The guy I talked to there suggested that a nose-down saddle would shift me forward & cause more pressure. So maybe I should do that tomorrow?
There is a complex solution that would require some mechanical changes to my bike. I could switch to standard shaped 26mm alloy bar to which I could attach my aerobar. The only problem here is that I would also have to change stems, and the only 26mm d. stem is only 85mm long, whereas the stem I use now is 100mm long. However, a shorter stem may improve my fit when I'm down in the drops or on the aerobar. So who knows? I can say that I think the vibration dampening of the carbon bar would be made up for by bar fat and Lizard Skins DSP tape (and besides, I'm still riding a carbon bike with a carbon fork, and if I get the fit worked out, I can always get a carbon stem of the correct length). I also think that the ergo shape of the E3 bar that's on there now, while cool looking, doesn't help me very much. The ergo only helps if you're riding on the top of the bar, which I don't do very often anymore. When I'm not in the drops or hoods, I'm usually in the corner with my pinkies towards the hoods & my thumbs towards the stem. The is the position I go to for some relief, but I wonder if it is actually causing me more harm than good. That position seems like it would open up the palm & expose the ulnar nerve. But really, the tingling starts when I'm in the hoods, which might indicate that it is, after all, a bike fit issue. It's probably a very small adjustment that needs to be made. Hmm...
Perhaps right now my time might be best spent reading about ulnar neuropathy so I can best figure out how to fix and avoid it.
Much more to come on this, for sure.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cubital_tunnel_syndrome
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guyon%27s_canal_syndrome
But there was one problem; and there still is. My right hand always has a little numbness in my outside fingers when I ride even short, 50m rides. But this time it was both hands, and the 3 outside fingers. I'm thinking 6/10 fingers is a bad thing. The left hand I didn't notice as much until after I was done. Kinda weird. Sometime Sunday I regained normal sensation in my middle fingers on both hands, but now, on Tuesday, I still have that tingly sensation on my 2 outside fingers on both hands. It would appear that I have a mild case of Ulnar Neuropathy obviously caused by trauma.
So this is a problem that I've got to figure out! I was riding the Talon with a carbon ergonomic handlebar, my Aerospokes w/28mm tires @110psi, and the Aquarack behind the seat. I wore plain leather-palmed gloves until it got too cold, & then I rode long finger gloves with insulation but no specific padding.
Possible easy fixes:
1. Try Ksyrium SL's which might have more compliance than the Aerospokes.
2. Lower air pressure to 100 to smooth out the road just a bit.
3. Try wearing padded gloves to protect the ulnar nerve.
4. Aquarack may be pushing me forward because my thighs contact it on every revolution. If I'm riding too far forward, it will put more pressure on my hands and wrists. Perhaps the Xlab Carbon Wing is worth a try?
The best suggestion is probably for me to ride over to Miles Ahead & have them look at me on the trainer. Perhaps something in my fit is obviously off? The guy I talked to there suggested that a nose-down saddle would shift me forward & cause more pressure. So maybe I should do that tomorrow?
There is a complex solution that would require some mechanical changes to my bike. I could switch to standard shaped 26mm alloy bar to which I could attach my aerobar. The only problem here is that I would also have to change stems, and the only 26mm d. stem is only 85mm long, whereas the stem I use now is 100mm long. However, a shorter stem may improve my fit when I'm down in the drops or on the aerobar. So who knows? I can say that I think the vibration dampening of the carbon bar would be made up for by bar fat and Lizard Skins DSP tape (and besides, I'm still riding a carbon bike with a carbon fork, and if I get the fit worked out, I can always get a carbon stem of the correct length). I also think that the ergo shape of the E3 bar that's on there now, while cool looking, doesn't help me very much. The ergo only helps if you're riding on the top of the bar, which I don't do very often anymore. When I'm not in the drops or hoods, I'm usually in the corner with my pinkies towards the hoods & my thumbs towards the stem. The is the position I go to for some relief, but I wonder if it is actually causing me more harm than good. That position seems like it would open up the palm & expose the ulnar nerve. But really, the tingling starts when I'm in the hoods, which might indicate that it is, after all, a bike fit issue. It's probably a very small adjustment that needs to be made. Hmm...
Perhaps right now my time might be best spent reading about ulnar neuropathy so I can best figure out how to fix and avoid it.
Much more to come on this, for sure.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cubital_tunnel_syndrome
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guyon%27s_canal_syndrome
Thursday, November 24, 2011
The Next Big Thing
With El Tour over it's time to start focusing on the next event. That will most likely be the Casa Grandes 200k brevet in early January. I dnf'd this ride last year because of a back injury, but I rode enough of the course to know that the first 60 miles aren't on the best of roads. Who comes up with these rides? Wouldn't you choose the smoothest roads available? I suppose in an effort to avoid traffic & stop lights, etc, it can be pretty tough to map out 125 or so miles of good road. Maybe it's just because my back hurt already, but I just remember the road beating me to death last year. And perhaps that's why I'm not super excited about this ride like I was El Tour. Well, excited or not, this is the path to my larger goals.
I rode 58ish (my GPS crapped out) on Wednesday and a lot of it was over rough to very rough roads. Gotta train for the event, right? But on the later miles I started to get very saddle sore, especially on the left ishial. I was riding the Talon with Aerospokes on the SMP saddle. Never had problems with that saddle before, even on a century, so for now I'm going to blame the soreness on the road conditions. And this brings me to a training point. While there certainly is value in training on rough roads, perhaps it would be wiser for me to first train myself up to the distance & then worry about road conditions. If I have the endurance to ride 125m, then I can handle some rough roads. Plus, I know that the last half of the Casa Grandes brevet is on a smoother road. I don't think it's exactly an A+ road, but in comparison to the first half it's a giant improvement.
Bike choice. I go back & forth on this one. Of course any races or events take place on the Talon, so it makes sense to train on the Talon. I've put on the very, very heavy Aerospokes for training so that I'm pushing more weight, and more rotational weight, during training. I like to be able to switch to my race wheels & feel like I'm on a rocket. My debate is whether or not to include other bikes in my training, and if so, how much. I have to ride the Talon enough to perfect the fit & position on the bike, but other bikes offer other advantages for training. The Surly smooths out the roads to protect my butt, it's heavy, it's easier to carry stuff, and the frame has some flex to it--so it really makes for a damn nice training bike. The C'dale Capo is a single speed which definitely builds muscle on the hills around here. And Mamasita, well, she get's awfully lonely. Mountain biking certainly builds power and anaerobic capacity, which is great for climbing & sprinting. I've thought about just rotating through the bikes. It would be an interesting way to keep my training fun, not to mention it would require me to keep all of my bikes in working order. Too often I cannibalize a part from one bike for another, just don't have things set up right. The Capo just needs new brake cables--I think the housing is all there. The FX needs to be stripped & rebuilt from the frame up as a road bike: the flat-bar thing just didn't work out.
Anyway, Casa Grandes, yes. That's the first of what I hope will be a 200k or greater brevet each month for 12 consecutive months, which would win me the R-12 award. And perhaps I will build up fast enough to complete a full brevet series of 2, 3, 4, & 600k for a Super Randonneur award. Regardless, I'm using these brevets as well as (hopefully) the Death Valley Double and the Cochise County Classic as qualifiers for the Furnace Creek 508. One step at a time.
I rode 58ish (my GPS crapped out) on Wednesday and a lot of it was over rough to very rough roads. Gotta train for the event, right? But on the later miles I started to get very saddle sore, especially on the left ishial. I was riding the Talon with Aerospokes on the SMP saddle. Never had problems with that saddle before, even on a century, so for now I'm going to blame the soreness on the road conditions. And this brings me to a training point. While there certainly is value in training on rough roads, perhaps it would be wiser for me to first train myself up to the distance & then worry about road conditions. If I have the endurance to ride 125m, then I can handle some rough roads. Plus, I know that the last half of the Casa Grandes brevet is on a smoother road. I don't think it's exactly an A+ road, but in comparison to the first half it's a giant improvement.
Bike choice. I go back & forth on this one. Of course any races or events take place on the Talon, so it makes sense to train on the Talon. I've put on the very, very heavy Aerospokes for training so that I'm pushing more weight, and more rotational weight, during training. I like to be able to switch to my race wheels & feel like I'm on a rocket. My debate is whether or not to include other bikes in my training, and if so, how much. I have to ride the Talon enough to perfect the fit & position on the bike, but other bikes offer other advantages for training. The Surly smooths out the roads to protect my butt, it's heavy, it's easier to carry stuff, and the frame has some flex to it--so it really makes for a damn nice training bike. The C'dale Capo is a single speed which definitely builds muscle on the hills around here. And Mamasita, well, she get's awfully lonely. Mountain biking certainly builds power and anaerobic capacity, which is great for climbing & sprinting. I've thought about just rotating through the bikes. It would be an interesting way to keep my training fun, not to mention it would require me to keep all of my bikes in working order. Too often I cannibalize a part from one bike for another, just don't have things set up right. The Capo just needs new brake cables--I think the housing is all there. The FX needs to be stripped & rebuilt from the frame up as a road bike: the flat-bar thing just didn't work out.
Anyway, Casa Grandes, yes. That's the first of what I hope will be a 200k or greater brevet each month for 12 consecutive months, which would win me the R-12 award. And perhaps I will build up fast enough to complete a full brevet series of 2, 3, 4, & 600k for a Super Randonneur award. Regardless, I'm using these brevets as well as (hopefully) the Death Valley Double and the Cochise County Classic as qualifiers for the Furnace Creek 508. One step at a time.
Monday, November 21, 2011
El Tour Race Notes
El Tour de Tucson went very well. I showed up early enough to get a spot at the front, so only the Platinum riders and cheaters (Ywaine Klix from team Rhyno) were ahead of me in the Platinum Box. Platinum riders include past winners of El Tour, Pro riders, elite nationals, and VIPs (who fade very fast). So I started with a great position but my muscles were anything but warmed up. Given the tradeoff, I made the right decision. It took almost 15 minutes for everyone to cross the start line after the gun.
The weather was great except for a strong south wind, about 15mph. Unfortunately, most of the course was heading south--but it is what it is & you just have to deal with it. And although I don't like the wind, I know that I'm actually pretty strong riding against it, so in the end it probably was to my advantage.
My strategy was originally to be up front so I could race my own race. That was naive. About 10 seconds into the race my strategy changed. I was riding with the second group, behind only the people who started 20' ahead in the Platinum Box. I wasn't going to let this group go, and I knew that I had the endurance to punish myself early & still pull out a strong finish. So during the first mile or so I just focused on working my way up the pack. Then I started attacking. I attacked & was reeled in probably 6 times before I got away, but I knew that I was dropping people by making them go harder than they wanted to in the beginning. And attacking was the only way I felt sure that I'd not lose any ground on the hills. Being my weakness, my goal was just to stay with everyone on the hills, but as it turns out I was able to drop quite a few people. By 3 miles in we'd cleared the hills and it was time for some fun. I'd not only defended the hills but attacked & punished a lot of people already. But now...now I knew that there was no one who was going to get past me. As we turned onto Tangerine my AVS was already 21.5. Now with 3 miles of flat & 6 miles of descent, it was time to do some damage. I never let up on my legs and I was passing people constantly (of course, there were riders from every distance race on the course, so there were always people to pass). Only two people from the original group I was with were able to hang on to the bottom of Tangerine, and they drafted me closely all the way.
And the we all got stopped by a fucking train...and this is where we lost sight of the lead group of Platinum riders. Still, at the turn off of Tangerine, my AVS was by now 29.5. From here on it was basically a 1% climb with a few steep bumps over crappy, crappy roads, with a 15-20mph headwind. Yeah. I figured fair is fair, and so I now drafted the guys that drafted me down Tangerine. I held on down the frontage road, across Avra Valley, and even on Airline & Lambert, which are especially bumpy. But once we hit Rattlesnake Pass I just couldn't keep up. If it had just been the hill, no problem. If it had just been the bumps, okay. Or just the wind, aces. But between the climb & the bumps I just couldn't hang on, and even though I tried, once there was some air between them & me, I just couldn't overcome the wind, bumps, and climb to keep up. So they dropped me & I never saw them again. Once over Rattlesnake I was riding by myself...I finally was riding my own race. I never had another group or person to draft off of, but then again, from then on no one--not one person--was able to pass me & keep it for more than a minute. Alaska (the jersey) tried to pass & I suppose I hung on his wheel for maybe a minute, but then he dropped back to my wheel to get out of the wind. At this point I had decided that I really didn't care, that I was just racing my own race, and that I was just going to hammer my legs into the ground, leave it all out on the course. This is where my endurance really helped. I just stayed as aero as possible and hammered on. Soon I realized I hadn't heard anything from behind me for a few minutes, so I looked back and Alaska was nowhere to be found. Okay. I just kept hammering against the wind and passing rider after rider. I got stopped at 3--3 different stoplights on Silverbelle, which let a lot of people catch up to me. But as soon as the cops waived us on, I sprinted out of every stop and quickly dropped everyone.
Come to think of it, someone did pass me after the last time I got stopped and we'd turned onto Speedway. He wasn't racing the 42 so I remember not really caring too much. Once I turned back south on the frontage road the wind was worse than ever, but I knew it was only another 3 miles south, 1 mile east, and then I knew the wind would push me north 1 mile to the finish at top speed. And that's what happened. I fought the wind always staying in my big ring, climbed just a bit on 22nd, and then reached 30 some mph on the northerly 1 mile all-out to the finish.
I finished 39th out of 1280 (3.05%) overall (including tandems) and 34th out of 1216 (2.796%) in the solo division. Official time was 2:19:10, but again, that included a train & 3 intersection stops.
So what did I do right? I quickly adapted my race plan to the conditions. I attacked relentlessly, relying on my endurance to keep me alive after all the attacks. I didn't lose ground on the early hills, I even gained some ground, and I flew past people on the descents and flats which I know are my strength. I trained against the wind and with a lot of climbing which helped me to keep my legs pushing hard at all times. I drank every time I heard the lap alert and I ate about as often as I should have...although it's very easy to lose track of time when racing. Also, my choice of tires seemed about right. I rode a 25mm lightweight tire in the front with a 28mm heavy but durable tire in the back. The durability definitely was worth it considering how many people I saw changing flats. And the larger tires had to have helped on the rough roads. Only a few miles were REALLY bad, but about 1/3 to 1/2 of the course was bumpy enough to justify fat tires. I think the larger tires, which allowed for more deflection & kept more of my energy horizontal and less vertical, were a wise choice.
Areas of opportunity?
1: I overestimated the amount of fluid I needed. I only drank 2 small bottles, but I carried 3. The 3rd required that I installed a 2 cage behind the seat, seatpost mounted triathlon style Profile Design system. So I carried extra weight in both the bottle and the cage system, which isn't light. Would those 3lbs have made any difference? Maybe a little, but not much.
2: I failed in dropping any weight off of me. I was even a pound heavier than when I test rode the course. I'm actually very alarmed by the amount of weight I've been putting on over the past week to two weeks, but that's another matter. I feel like I easily could've gone into this race at 220 or 215 instead of 230, and that WOULD have made a huge difference. That would have gained me a fair amount of time and at least a few positions. I also may have made it over the tracks before the train got there; this is an area of opportunity in itself.
3: My largest tactical failure was losing the two guys I was drafting on Rattlesnake Pass. Had I kept with them over that pass, I would have been able to keep with them the whole way and I'm sure that would've cut minutes from my time. Why did I lose them and how can I do better next time? First, I just couldn't climb as fast over the bumps. I can't change the bumps and my tires were already big, so how do I climb better? A=LOSE WEIGHT. B=Train to basically sprint on climbs when I'm already tired. C=A little more endurance, being able to put out just a bit more power after I lost them may have let me catch them again. So...basically increase my power to weight ratio & train to sprint over that nasty bumpy pass.
I'm very happy with my performance in this race and it's a very encouraging and reassuring reentry to bike racing. I can't wait to race again, and I can't wait to expand my endurance so I can keep good speeds on the upcoming brevets.
So now it's time to address my biggest area of opportunity. The best way for me to increase my power to weight ratio is to drop weight. So that's my target. Figuring out how...I'm working on it.
A note on one benefit of being heavy: carrying all this extra weight around, every step of the day, every pedal stroke, makes my legs very strong. The advantage here is that losing weight quickly will leave me with very strong legs and a lean body. So I could, in theory, work this to my advantage. I'd bet that at 200 or 195 I'd be a frighteningly strong climber, able to compete with riders 25 or so pounds lighter. Hell, at 230 I was able to keep up with and even attack and drop very fit riders over a few miles of 100 to 200 foot rolling hills. That's something! Imagine if I wasn't carrying what amounts to a 30# dumbbell. Now stop imagining & just make it happen.
The weather was great except for a strong south wind, about 15mph. Unfortunately, most of the course was heading south--but it is what it is & you just have to deal with it. And although I don't like the wind, I know that I'm actually pretty strong riding against it, so in the end it probably was to my advantage.
My strategy was originally to be up front so I could race my own race. That was naive. About 10 seconds into the race my strategy changed. I was riding with the second group, behind only the people who started 20' ahead in the Platinum Box. I wasn't going to let this group go, and I knew that I had the endurance to punish myself early & still pull out a strong finish. So during the first mile or so I just focused on working my way up the pack. Then I started attacking. I attacked & was reeled in probably 6 times before I got away, but I knew that I was dropping people by making them go harder than they wanted to in the beginning. And attacking was the only way I felt sure that I'd not lose any ground on the hills. Being my weakness, my goal was just to stay with everyone on the hills, but as it turns out I was able to drop quite a few people. By 3 miles in we'd cleared the hills and it was time for some fun. I'd not only defended the hills but attacked & punished a lot of people already. But now...now I knew that there was no one who was going to get past me. As we turned onto Tangerine my AVS was already 21.5. Now with 3 miles of flat & 6 miles of descent, it was time to do some damage. I never let up on my legs and I was passing people constantly (of course, there were riders from every distance race on the course, so there were always people to pass). Only two people from the original group I was with were able to hang on to the bottom of Tangerine, and they drafted me closely all the way.
And the we all got stopped by a fucking train...and this is where we lost sight of the lead group of Platinum riders. Still, at the turn off of Tangerine, my AVS was by now 29.5. From here on it was basically a 1% climb with a few steep bumps over crappy, crappy roads, with a 15-20mph headwind. Yeah. I figured fair is fair, and so I now drafted the guys that drafted me down Tangerine. I held on down the frontage road, across Avra Valley, and even on Airline & Lambert, which are especially bumpy. But once we hit Rattlesnake Pass I just couldn't keep up. If it had just been the hill, no problem. If it had just been the bumps, okay. Or just the wind, aces. But between the climb & the bumps I just couldn't hang on, and even though I tried, once there was some air between them & me, I just couldn't overcome the wind, bumps, and climb to keep up. So they dropped me & I never saw them again. Once over Rattlesnake I was riding by myself...I finally was riding my own race. I never had another group or person to draft off of, but then again, from then on no one--not one person--was able to pass me & keep it for more than a minute. Alaska (the jersey) tried to pass & I suppose I hung on his wheel for maybe a minute, but then he dropped back to my wheel to get out of the wind. At this point I had decided that I really didn't care, that I was just racing my own race, and that I was just going to hammer my legs into the ground, leave it all out on the course. This is where my endurance really helped. I just stayed as aero as possible and hammered on. Soon I realized I hadn't heard anything from behind me for a few minutes, so I looked back and Alaska was nowhere to be found. Okay. I just kept hammering against the wind and passing rider after rider. I got stopped at 3--3 different stoplights on Silverbelle, which let a lot of people catch up to me. But as soon as the cops waived us on, I sprinted out of every stop and quickly dropped everyone.
Come to think of it, someone did pass me after the last time I got stopped and we'd turned onto Speedway. He wasn't racing the 42 so I remember not really caring too much. Once I turned back south on the frontage road the wind was worse than ever, but I knew it was only another 3 miles south, 1 mile east, and then I knew the wind would push me north 1 mile to the finish at top speed. And that's what happened. I fought the wind always staying in my big ring, climbed just a bit on 22nd, and then reached 30 some mph on the northerly 1 mile all-out to the finish.
I finished 39th out of 1280 (3.05%) overall (including tandems) and 34th out of 1216 (2.796%) in the solo division. Official time was 2:19:10, but again, that included a train & 3 intersection stops.
So what did I do right? I quickly adapted my race plan to the conditions. I attacked relentlessly, relying on my endurance to keep me alive after all the attacks. I didn't lose ground on the early hills, I even gained some ground, and I flew past people on the descents and flats which I know are my strength. I trained against the wind and with a lot of climbing which helped me to keep my legs pushing hard at all times. I drank every time I heard the lap alert and I ate about as often as I should have...although it's very easy to lose track of time when racing. Also, my choice of tires seemed about right. I rode a 25mm lightweight tire in the front with a 28mm heavy but durable tire in the back. The durability definitely was worth it considering how many people I saw changing flats. And the larger tires had to have helped on the rough roads. Only a few miles were REALLY bad, but about 1/3 to 1/2 of the course was bumpy enough to justify fat tires. I think the larger tires, which allowed for more deflection & kept more of my energy horizontal and less vertical, were a wise choice.
Areas of opportunity?
1: I overestimated the amount of fluid I needed. I only drank 2 small bottles, but I carried 3. The 3rd required that I installed a 2 cage behind the seat, seatpost mounted triathlon style Profile Design system. So I carried extra weight in both the bottle and the cage system, which isn't light. Would those 3lbs have made any difference? Maybe a little, but not much.
2: I failed in dropping any weight off of me. I was even a pound heavier than when I test rode the course. I'm actually very alarmed by the amount of weight I've been putting on over the past week to two weeks, but that's another matter. I feel like I easily could've gone into this race at 220 or 215 instead of 230, and that WOULD have made a huge difference. That would have gained me a fair amount of time and at least a few positions. I also may have made it over the tracks before the train got there; this is an area of opportunity in itself.
3: My largest tactical failure was losing the two guys I was drafting on Rattlesnake Pass. Had I kept with them over that pass, I would have been able to keep with them the whole way and I'm sure that would've cut minutes from my time. Why did I lose them and how can I do better next time? First, I just couldn't climb as fast over the bumps. I can't change the bumps and my tires were already big, so how do I climb better? A=LOSE WEIGHT. B=Train to basically sprint on climbs when I'm already tired. C=A little more endurance, being able to put out just a bit more power after I lost them may have let me catch them again. So...basically increase my power to weight ratio & train to sprint over that nasty bumpy pass.
I'm very happy with my performance in this race and it's a very encouraging and reassuring reentry to bike racing. I can't wait to race again, and I can't wait to expand my endurance so I can keep good speeds on the upcoming brevets.
So now it's time to address my biggest area of opportunity. The best way for me to increase my power to weight ratio is to drop weight. So that's my target. Figuring out how...I'm working on it.
A note on one benefit of being heavy: carrying all this extra weight around, every step of the day, every pedal stroke, makes my legs very strong. The advantage here is that losing weight quickly will leave me with very strong legs and a lean body. So I could, in theory, work this to my advantage. I'd bet that at 200 or 195 I'd be a frighteningly strong climber, able to compete with riders 25 or so pounds lighter. Hell, at 230 I was able to keep up with and even attack and drop very fit riders over a few miles of 100 to 200 foot rolling hills. That's something! Imagine if I wasn't carrying what amounts to a 30# dumbbell. Now stop imagining & just make it happen.
Friday, November 18, 2011
23hrs to the Finish Line
Well, the bike is as ready as it's going to be. With all attachments & accessories, it weighs in at 19.24lbs. I don't know if it's just that the Talon has a bad chainline or that it doesn't like Mavic wheels, but with all variations of the Aksium & Ksyrium with a 25 & a 27 cog, the lowest gear rubs the inside plate of the front derailleur. There seems to be no way of adjusting it, the derailleur just doesn't move in towards the frame any more, and I've spaced the cassette as far out from the hub as I can w/o it catching the frame. After the race I'll throw on the Aerospoke with the 27t cog and see if I get the same issue. If so, I may just have to conclude the that frame itself has a bad chainline...or at least it's not meant to be ridden in the lowest gear.
I haven't done such a good job of eating or sleeping. Tomorrow I need to wake up EARLY so I can eat, work out the bugs, and get ready. I'm probably looking at 229, which is the same weight I was last week when I rode the course. I've got no one to fault but myself on this. I easily could've dropped 2-4lbs. Why do I make the choices I make??? Luckily this race won't punish me too much for the extra pounds, as the hills aren't very significant. Nevertheless, I really need to get my weight down. I want to ride longer rides, right? Well, the best, fastest, cleanest, and cheapest way to do so is to drop the weight of the rider...me!
Tonight I need to head to the gym for a sit in the hot tub. Relax & refresh the legs! Hot water & a good stretch are very likely to help my performance tomorrow. The plan is for me to wake up early, like 6am, so I can start eating & work everything out...stabilize my digestive system, so to speak. I'll ride the bike around to warm up & work on my cleat position/Q factor. Then I'll pack it all up & leave no later than 9am, putting us there no later than 9:45. Seems early, but with over 10,000 total racers, I want to get a spot up near the front. I'll get all my food & drinks ready tonight, including food & drink for before the race. I just don't want to have to poop while I'm there! All the spare stuff will be loaded up tonight. Helmet, shoes, etc--just in case something happens.
Given the number of racers on the course, a 17.1mph average may not be realistic for me, but my goal is still top 10%, whatever that happens to be. Of course I'd love to be in the top 100 riders, and any better than that is just golden!
Time to stop writing & start doing! Tick tock.
I haven't done such a good job of eating or sleeping. Tomorrow I need to wake up EARLY so I can eat, work out the bugs, and get ready. I'm probably looking at 229, which is the same weight I was last week when I rode the course. I've got no one to fault but myself on this. I easily could've dropped 2-4lbs. Why do I make the choices I make??? Luckily this race won't punish me too much for the extra pounds, as the hills aren't very significant. Nevertheless, I really need to get my weight down. I want to ride longer rides, right? Well, the best, fastest, cleanest, and cheapest way to do so is to drop the weight of the rider...me!
Tonight I need to head to the gym for a sit in the hot tub. Relax & refresh the legs! Hot water & a good stretch are very likely to help my performance tomorrow. The plan is for me to wake up early, like 6am, so I can start eating & work everything out...stabilize my digestive system, so to speak. I'll ride the bike around to warm up & work on my cleat position/Q factor. Then I'll pack it all up & leave no later than 9am, putting us there no later than 9:45. Seems early, but with over 10,000 total racers, I want to get a spot up near the front. I'll get all my food & drinks ready tonight, including food & drink for before the race. I just don't want to have to poop while I'm there! All the spare stuff will be loaded up tonight. Helmet, shoes, etc--just in case something happens.
Given the number of racers on the course, a 17.1mph average may not be realistic for me, but my goal is still top 10%, whatever that happens to be. Of course I'd love to be in the top 100 riders, and any better than that is just golden!
Time to stop writing & start doing! Tick tock.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
El Tour Preparations
The Talon is ready for business, weighing in at 19.12lbs with all the accessories (pedals, computer, cages, etc.) attached. Looks good, rides fast, and it should get me there with haste. The only other place to cut weight is from me, which is continually on the agenda. Picked up my race packet today & after I ride tomorrow I'll need to attach the race number/timing chip. The number has to be tied to the front of the handlebars for the chip to work, so forget about aerodynamics. I might try to trim it here & there to create less of a sail, but it just depends on how it will attach to my rig.
The expo itself was a bit lackluster. Not much in the way of swag. The highlight for me was the Mavic station. They had almost every road wheel they make there, and, um...wow. There's a new treatment they put on the braking surface that's almost like a fine sandpaper. When used with special brake pads that are included, breaking time/distance is greatly reduced, especially in wet weather. With regular brake pads, however, you get about 100 miles! The wheels are a solid, dull black, and they look really, really hot. That treatment costs quite a bit, though, and it's kinda hard to justify the cost here in the desert. Racing in the rain isn't really much of a concern. On the other hand, they would look amazing on the Pinarello Dogma BOB color. Well, to dream. I don't think I'll be getting a Dogma or a crazy set of wheels anytime soon. And it's certainly not like I need them. With two sets of Ksyrium SL's, I'm pretty well set for a good all-around racing wheel. I might consider some aero wheels at some point, but that point is certainly not right now.
What I may consider sometime soon is a Powertap. You just can't argue with the numbers. It simplifies training & racing by giving exact information that can be used to determine when to keep pace & what pace to keep, when to attack, and when to recover. You want to train for sprinting? It'll let you know if you're making progress. Want to hold a certain power over 200 miles? Well, you get the point. It's about the most useful training tool on the market today (powermeters in general). The sad thing is that other than an Open Pro, the Powertaps can't be laced up to any Mavic rims due to Mavic's wheel-specific spokes. That just seems like a mistake by Mavic. Why build a $2,500 wheelset that you can't use with such an awesome tool? Shame.
Tonight I sleep. Last night I only got about 4 hours, and those came after sunrise. I need to get my body in line with this race. Even though the race is at noon, I need to be there about 9, which means I need to be up & prepping my body by 6, 7 latest.
One last note about the Mavic wheels. I told the rep about my recent experience with my Aksium cutting my light in half & showing no damage at all. I told him that those are the wheels I train on because they're stronger (which I assumed because they're heavier). According to him, that's not true. The SL's are supposedly stronger as well as lighter. So maybe I'll think about putting more training miles on them, especially since I have two pairs.
Bon soir.
The expo itself was a bit lackluster. Not much in the way of swag. The highlight for me was the Mavic station. They had almost every road wheel they make there, and, um...wow. There's a new treatment they put on the braking surface that's almost like a fine sandpaper. When used with special brake pads that are included, breaking time/distance is greatly reduced, especially in wet weather. With regular brake pads, however, you get about 100 miles! The wheels are a solid, dull black, and they look really, really hot. That treatment costs quite a bit, though, and it's kinda hard to justify the cost here in the desert. Racing in the rain isn't really much of a concern. On the other hand, they would look amazing on the Pinarello Dogma BOB color. Well, to dream. I don't think I'll be getting a Dogma or a crazy set of wheels anytime soon. And it's certainly not like I need them. With two sets of Ksyrium SL's, I'm pretty well set for a good all-around racing wheel. I might consider some aero wheels at some point, but that point is certainly not right now.
What I may consider sometime soon is a Powertap. You just can't argue with the numbers. It simplifies training & racing by giving exact information that can be used to determine when to keep pace & what pace to keep, when to attack, and when to recover. You want to train for sprinting? It'll let you know if you're making progress. Want to hold a certain power over 200 miles? Well, you get the point. It's about the most useful training tool on the market today (powermeters in general). The sad thing is that other than an Open Pro, the Powertaps can't be laced up to any Mavic rims due to Mavic's wheel-specific spokes. That just seems like a mistake by Mavic. Why build a $2,500 wheelset that you can't use with such an awesome tool? Shame.
Tonight I sleep. Last night I only got about 4 hours, and those came after sunrise. I need to get my body in line with this race. Even though the race is at noon, I need to be there about 9, which means I need to be up & prepping my body by 6, 7 latest.
One last note about the Mavic wheels. I told the rep about my recent experience with my Aksium cutting my light in half & showing no damage at all. I told him that those are the wheels I train on because they're stronger (which I assumed because they're heavier). According to him, that's not true. The SL's are supposedly stronger as well as lighter. So maybe I'll think about putting more training miles on them, especially since I have two pairs.
Bon soir.
El Tour de Tucson
While on the one hand it may be odd to start a blog on endurance cycling with a 42 mile road race, it makes total sense on the other hand because everyone has to start somewhere. 42 miles isn't considered a long distance to cycle in my world, but it's all about perspective. A big part of coaching is changing someone's perspective; redefining what is possible. And so I will start with the short version of El Tour.
I drove the course with Anne a couple weeks ago to scout it out, and rode the course on the Kestrel this past Saturday. I was looking for many things related to race tactics. Given that there will be over 1,000 people at the start line, I was looking first for how hard the beginning of the course is. It starts with a few hundred feet of climbing, which is good and bad. It will thin the pack quite a bit, but then climbing is my weakness. Luckily, the climbs are just enough that (I think) it will spread people out quickly, but not so bad that they'll hurt me too much. Besides, if I'm maneuvering around slower people, I'll probably be riding slower than race pace anyway. So the first decision I have to make is whether to get there early enough to get a spot at the front but then start cold, or get there later and start farther back but warmed up? After riding it last Saturday, I think I should get there EARLY. I want to ride my own race as much as possible. The last thing I want is to be stuck behind slow people 12 riders wide and not be able to breeze past.
The elevation profile isn't nice, but it's not really that bad. We start with a few miles of rollers that should scatter people quite a bit. Then there's plenty of descending at between 1 & 3-4%, which is perfect for me. Miles and miles of FAST where I can use my weight to my advantage. I should be able to pick people off pretty quickly on Tangerine. After crossing I-10, however, the course is basically a 1% climb for 20+ miles to the finish. And while the roads until I-10 are in pretty good condition, after that the road turns quite bumpy. It really starts at Airline and Lambert roads, which are especially bad. I don't think there's a smooth line anywhere on those roads. Silverbell is bumpy on the sides but with the road closed and hopefully riding my own race or better yet sticking with a paceline, I should be able to ride in the middle of the road with a smoother line. Bumps turn horizontal (forward) motion into vertical motion, which means bumps slow you down. The greater your velocity, the greater the effect. This section of the race really requires a lower tire pressure, but is it worth the higher rolling resistance on the rest of the course? I think the balance will be somewhere about 110psi.
Equipment choice for this race is based on the course and my weight. The course has few turns which means I don't need an expensive, grippy-cornering race tire. In fact, the light weight of such a tire might be a huge disadvantage if the rough pavement causes a flat. Once again there is a balance to be struck. Light enough to ride & climb fast, tough enough to handle the nasty road, and wide enough to provide cushion on the rough roads which will both protect my rim and reduce the slowing effect of very bumpy roads. In the end I've chosen to race with the WTB Solano 25mm in the front and a Vittoria Rubino Tech 28mm in the rear. The WTB is very light and will corner well. Because the front of the bike takes less of the weight, and abuse, I don't mind riding a lighter tire on the front. My choice for the rear is for flat protection, rim protection, and to maintain as much speed as I can on the bumpy second half of the race. The tire is heavy at 380g (compared to 240ish for the WTB), but I think the durability and deflection are worth the weight. One flat tire and the race may as well be over.
I was able to finish the course with a 17.1mph average speed last Saturday, and that was with heavier wheels & build-ups: tire liners, slime tubes, and a Vittoria Rubino Tech on the front & back. As it was, the bike weighed in at 21.98lbs. My total ride weight was 264.78lbs. Obviously the biggest area of opportunity here is me, and I'm working on that, but I'm also trying to get the bike under 20lbs. I'll find out tomorrow when I get the Kestrel race ready. In the end, my total race weight should be under 260lbs, and 4-5lbs can make a huge difference.
I've also debated between a 12-27 and a 12-25 cassette. While there may be just a few grams difference, I think that's negligible. The 27 does give me a bit better climbing, but I don't think I used the 27 for climbing the course on Saturday. The 25 gives me a better choice of gears, and I can say for sure that my recent training rides on the 27 have left something to be desired in terms of gear length. This one's still up for debate, but I'm leaning towards the 25.
I'm running a SRAM compact carbon crankset with ceramic bearings. Better climbing (which is generally a good thing around here), stiff, lightweight, and rotates effortlessly. Otherwise the bike is kitted in DuraAce 7800. The wheels I'm racing are Mavic Ksyrium SL's. They're a few years old now, but have seen very little wear (being reserved for special occasions). I weigh the set as 1540g, or 3.4lbs. There are lighter wheels, to be sure, but these are light for me as well as being pretty darned strong.
The frame is a 2006 Kestrel Talon. It's no superlight, but then neither am I. I choose to believe that it's aero design actually makes a difference. The bike is pretty comfortable and does a decent job of smoothing out moderately bumpy roads, but it's on the stiff side and it certainly bucks at high speeds over rough roads (like coming down Swan at nearly 50mph).
So the bike is almost ready, but am I? Mentally, yes, I think so. I'm sure I'll get a bit nervous, but I have my plan laid out. Get there early, ride in circles to keep warm, but hold my place at the front of the start line. Start out strong but steady over the rollers, kick ass on the descents, and then just keep up on the second half of the race. Drafting on Silverbell would be great. Drink every mile, eat about every 30, and make sure that eating is made super-simple. No packages to open! Physically, I'm not so sure. Mostly I just need to recover over the next few days. I was going to do a recovery ride Wednesday, but I think I may have a slight quad pull in my right leg...so...we'll see. I NEED to get my nutrition right over the next 3 days to make sure I'm fresh & ready. The biggest thing I need to do is to lose another couple pounds. My personal weight last Saturday was 229. Today it's 227. Yeah, can I please cut another 2 or 3 off by Saturday??? Well, that will always be my best & cheapest way to cut total ride weight and increase speed and climbing. Sleep is important, too, which is advice I should heed right now.
I drove the course with Anne a couple weeks ago to scout it out, and rode the course on the Kestrel this past Saturday. I was looking for many things related to race tactics. Given that there will be over 1,000 people at the start line, I was looking first for how hard the beginning of the course is. It starts with a few hundred feet of climbing, which is good and bad. It will thin the pack quite a bit, but then climbing is my weakness. Luckily, the climbs are just enough that (I think) it will spread people out quickly, but not so bad that they'll hurt me too much. Besides, if I'm maneuvering around slower people, I'll probably be riding slower than race pace anyway. So the first decision I have to make is whether to get there early enough to get a spot at the front but then start cold, or get there later and start farther back but warmed up? After riding it last Saturday, I think I should get there EARLY. I want to ride my own race as much as possible. The last thing I want is to be stuck behind slow people 12 riders wide and not be able to breeze past.
The elevation profile isn't nice, but it's not really that bad. We start with a few miles of rollers that should scatter people quite a bit. Then there's plenty of descending at between 1 & 3-4%, which is perfect for me. Miles and miles of FAST where I can use my weight to my advantage. I should be able to pick people off pretty quickly on Tangerine. After crossing I-10, however, the course is basically a 1% climb for 20+ miles to the finish. And while the roads until I-10 are in pretty good condition, after that the road turns quite bumpy. It really starts at Airline and Lambert roads, which are especially bad. I don't think there's a smooth line anywhere on those roads. Silverbell is bumpy on the sides but with the road closed and hopefully riding my own race or better yet sticking with a paceline, I should be able to ride in the middle of the road with a smoother line. Bumps turn horizontal (forward) motion into vertical motion, which means bumps slow you down. The greater your velocity, the greater the effect. This section of the race really requires a lower tire pressure, but is it worth the higher rolling resistance on the rest of the course? I think the balance will be somewhere about 110psi.
Equipment choice for this race is based on the course and my weight. The course has few turns which means I don't need an expensive, grippy-cornering race tire. In fact, the light weight of such a tire might be a huge disadvantage if the rough pavement causes a flat. Once again there is a balance to be struck. Light enough to ride & climb fast, tough enough to handle the nasty road, and wide enough to provide cushion on the rough roads which will both protect my rim and reduce the slowing effect of very bumpy roads. In the end I've chosen to race with the WTB Solano 25mm in the front and a Vittoria Rubino Tech 28mm in the rear. The WTB is very light and will corner well. Because the front of the bike takes less of the weight, and abuse, I don't mind riding a lighter tire on the front. My choice for the rear is for flat protection, rim protection, and to maintain as much speed as I can on the bumpy second half of the race. The tire is heavy at 380g (compared to 240ish for the WTB), but I think the durability and deflection are worth the weight. One flat tire and the race may as well be over.
I was able to finish the course with a 17.1mph average speed last Saturday, and that was with heavier wheels & build-ups: tire liners, slime tubes, and a Vittoria Rubino Tech on the front & back. As it was, the bike weighed in at 21.98lbs. My total ride weight was 264.78lbs. Obviously the biggest area of opportunity here is me, and I'm working on that, but I'm also trying to get the bike under 20lbs. I'll find out tomorrow when I get the Kestrel race ready. In the end, my total race weight should be under 260lbs, and 4-5lbs can make a huge difference.
I've also debated between a 12-27 and a 12-25 cassette. While there may be just a few grams difference, I think that's negligible. The 27 does give me a bit better climbing, but I don't think I used the 27 for climbing the course on Saturday. The 25 gives me a better choice of gears, and I can say for sure that my recent training rides on the 27 have left something to be desired in terms of gear length. This one's still up for debate, but I'm leaning towards the 25.
I'm running a SRAM compact carbon crankset with ceramic bearings. Better climbing (which is generally a good thing around here), stiff, lightweight, and rotates effortlessly. Otherwise the bike is kitted in DuraAce 7800. The wheels I'm racing are Mavic Ksyrium SL's. They're a few years old now, but have seen very little wear (being reserved for special occasions). I weigh the set as 1540g, or 3.4lbs. There are lighter wheels, to be sure, but these are light for me as well as being pretty darned strong.
The frame is a 2006 Kestrel Talon. It's no superlight, but then neither am I. I choose to believe that it's aero design actually makes a difference. The bike is pretty comfortable and does a decent job of smoothing out moderately bumpy roads, but it's on the stiff side and it certainly bucks at high speeds over rough roads (like coming down Swan at nearly 50mph).
So the bike is almost ready, but am I? Mentally, yes, I think so. I'm sure I'll get a bit nervous, but I have my plan laid out. Get there early, ride in circles to keep warm, but hold my place at the front of the start line. Start out strong but steady over the rollers, kick ass on the descents, and then just keep up on the second half of the race. Drafting on Silverbell would be great. Drink every mile, eat about every 30, and make sure that eating is made super-simple. No packages to open! Physically, I'm not so sure. Mostly I just need to recover over the next few days. I was going to do a recovery ride Wednesday, but I think I may have a slight quad pull in my right leg...so...we'll see. I NEED to get my nutrition right over the next 3 days to make sure I'm fresh & ready. The biggest thing I need to do is to lose another couple pounds. My personal weight last Saturday was 229. Today it's 227. Yeah, can I please cut another 2 or 3 off by Saturday??? Well, that will always be my best & cheapest way to cut total ride weight and increase speed and climbing. Sleep is important, too, which is advice I should heed right now.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
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