So this weekend was my team's epic 6 gap ride - ain't no way I was riding 6 gaps or 130 miles given my lack of training to date. So, I did my own two gap version with Bradley. We started out in Pittsfield, biked over Brandon, past Lake Dunmore, and over Middlebury back to Pittsfield. It was awesome! Brandon was a piece of cake compared to East Mountain Road. Middlebury wasn't bad at all either - there were only two spots where I dropped down to an epic 3.8 mph, but cranked on through. Overall, it seemed much easier this year despite my 12/27 than it did last year when we biked Middlebury, Appalacian in my triple - granted App is much harder, but still. I was pretty much done once we arrived back in Pittsfield after 67.2 miles at a 15.8 mph pace (again, a great pace for me for the gaps, although I did draft off of Bradley the entire way back, and for most of the other flat parts of the ride - so amazing to draft!). Again, we faced ridiculously brutal headwinds on the way back on 100. I think I would have been much stronger at the end had I adopted a better eating strategy - OJ for breakfast, 4 cliff blocks at the top of Brandon, two cliff gels on the way to Middlebury - probably not enough fuel. I made up for it with a turkey club and B&J Coffee Heath Bar Crunch at the Pittsfield Country Store. So, next up three gaps in July. I'd like to do Middlebury, App, Rochester.
Oh, that's right, how'd the team do on the 6-gapper? Almost all of them did all 6 gaps - crazy! Even Todd managed to crank it out, asserting that we need to do it again in the fall once he's got his fitness back. Amanda said she'd never seen anything like Todd coming up Middlebury gap - bike creaking, gears churning, body weaving, sweat dripping, guard rail crashing - so amazingly awesome that he did it! When I mentioned doing it again this fall to Sol, he laughed and said it would take a lot of convincing to get him to do that ride again - that from the die hard, hills make you stronger, bike crazy, single speed mountain biking, pain junkie. Hmm, I don't think I'll be riding Lincoln any time soon. Maybe next year.
Showing posts with label cycling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cycling. Show all posts
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Longest Ride of the Season
Well, it's hard to believe that I did my longest ride of the season last saturday, and it was only 70 miles. So much for training hard early in the season to be strong for Fitchburg.
All in all, last weekend was the best training weekend so far. Did a nice hill climb on Friday - climbing up East Mountain Road in Killington to Killington Peak and then back down the access road and up Killington Pass. It was hard at points (my cadence was probably at 20 for too much of the ride), but once we got to Killington, my thoughts were: gee, that wasn't that bad.
On Saturday, it was a leisurly ride from Pittsfield to the Warren Country Store, where we promptly pigged out on all the awesome food there. The way back is fairly flat to downhill, but there was a fierce headwind (I think there are only headwinds in VT) and I managed to TT with Jamie from Rochester back to Pittsfield - dying out on the slight hill right before Pittsfield (damn hills, need to work on those still!). So awesome to draft behind someone going fast - so much easier than going fast alone.
Sunday was my team's mountain bike race out in Dalton, MA. I was registered to race beginner, but didn't really plan to race. I'm really glad I did! Sol and Jamie convinced me to do it, and the course was not nearly as bad as everyone made it out to be last year (of course they did eliminate one crazy hill). I expected the rocky, rooty, gnarly trails of the Fells, Lynn Woods, Hinesburg State Forest, but it was not at all like that! I managed to bike over ALL of the bridges, save two (one had two planks and the other came up after I had broken my chain). I never bike over the bridges - and there was one with big mud puddles on either side that made it look impossible - good thing I had some people to follow - helped me realize what was bikable and what was not. I broke my chain at around mile 5 and had to walk out the last 3 and only finished 30 minutes after the leader in my age category - all in all, an incredibly successful race for me. I did awesome on the uphills - managed to pass most of the girls, but then got crushed in the technical and downhill sections (still can't make left turns). So, I may actually consider doing another mountain bike race. I was really surprised that the other girls weren't all that fast - I'm so used to riding with Sol, Jamie, Nicole, Bradley and all the other super fast people that can bike over anything - I get so discouraged. Now I'm encouraged and am looking forward to a weekend of biking up at East Burke on the finely groomed Kingdom Trails.
All in all, last weekend was the best training weekend so far. Did a nice hill climb on Friday - climbing up East Mountain Road in Killington to Killington Peak and then back down the access road and up Killington Pass. It was hard at points (my cadence was probably at 20 for too much of the ride), but once we got to Killington, my thoughts were: gee, that wasn't that bad.
On Saturday, it was a leisurly ride from Pittsfield to the Warren Country Store, where we promptly pigged out on all the awesome food there. The way back is fairly flat to downhill, but there was a fierce headwind (I think there are only headwinds in VT) and I managed to TT with Jamie from Rochester back to Pittsfield - dying out on the slight hill right before Pittsfield (damn hills, need to work on those still!). So awesome to draft behind someone going fast - so much easier than going fast alone.
Sunday was my team's mountain bike race out in Dalton, MA. I was registered to race beginner, but didn't really plan to race. I'm really glad I did! Sol and Jamie convinced me to do it, and the course was not nearly as bad as everyone made it out to be last year (of course they did eliminate one crazy hill). I expected the rocky, rooty, gnarly trails of the Fells, Lynn Woods, Hinesburg State Forest, but it was not at all like that! I managed to bike over ALL of the bridges, save two (one had two planks and the other came up after I had broken my chain). I never bike over the bridges - and there was one with big mud puddles on either side that made it look impossible - good thing I had some people to follow - helped me realize what was bikable and what was not. I broke my chain at around mile 5 and had to walk out the last 3 and only finished 30 minutes after the leader in my age category - all in all, an incredibly successful race for me. I did awesome on the uphills - managed to pass most of the girls, but then got crushed in the technical and downhill sections (still can't make left turns). So, I may actually consider doing another mountain bike race. I was really surprised that the other girls weren't all that fast - I'm so used to riding with Sol, Jamie, Nicole, Bradley and all the other super fast people that can bike over anything - I get so discouraged. Now I'm encouraged and am looking forward to a weekend of biking up at East Burke on the finely groomed Kingdom Trails.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Bike Racing
Day 2 of the NEBC bike clinic ended with a fun game of gladiator - biking in a circle trying to push other bikers out of the circle - it was a blast! I'm so much more comfortable touching wheels and bumping into people than I ever thought I would be - I guess I really have come a long way over the past two seasons. Not long ago I was descending Bear Mountain Road at Killington, riding the brakes the entire way down - smokin'! Now I just need to get into shape for Fitchburg - after slacking for the past three months, not sure if I'll make the cut, but I hope so, just so I can at least finish it.
Bike Racing
Day 2 of the NEBC bike clinic ended with a fun game of gladiator - biking in a circle trying to push other bikers out of the circle - it was a blast! I'm so much more comfortable touching wheels and bumping into people than I ever thought I would be - I guess I really have come a long way over the past two seasons. Not long ago I was descending Bear Mountain Road at Killington, riding the brakes the entire way down - smokin'! Now I just need to get into shape for Fitchburg - after slacking for the past three months, not sure if I'll make the cut, but I hope so, just so I can at least finish it.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
My Bikes
The Cannondale: 2004 R1000
My second road bike (see below for my first). In 2004, Sol, Susan and I each bought road bikes. That was back when I thought 18 miles was a long ride and thought every road in Vermont was too steep.
Just upgraded it from Ultegra to Dura Ace (thanks Sean!) and switched over from a triple to a double (hope I can make it up App Gap this summer with the 12/27). I don't deserve the Dura Ace, but maybe in a couple of years I will. Everything else is stock, including the wheels - Mavic Kysrium Elites with my favorite tires, Vittoria EVO Corsa. Trainer by Kurt Kintetic. Check out www.cannondale.com for the parts list and www.kurtkinetic.com for trainers.
The Cervelo: 2005 P2SL
In 2004, Susan informed me we were doing a 1/2 ironman in 2005, nevermind that at this point I thought 18 miles was a long ride, hadn't swum laps in about 20 years, and liked motoring along at a 10 min mile pace on my runs. She bailed b/c of an injury and I finished Timberman in 7:03 (running 13.1 miles in 90+ heat will do that). But, I was hooked. So I bought the Cervelo to ease the pain of the run (and, hey, tri/TT bikes are cool) and in 2006, I finished Timberman in 6:11. Would like to shave another 45 min off the time in 2007, but I'm focusing on bike racing instead (enough running already).
This bike is also Dura Ace (12/27) with an FSA Crank and Bontrager Select Wheels. Vittoria Diamante Pro Light tires. Check out www.Cervelo.com for the parts list.
The Specialized: 2002 Specialized Epic FSR (m)
In 2002 my rigid mountain bike was stolen from my apartment in Beacon Hill. So I decided to upgrade. I love this bike, even though I still can't mountain bike. My last ride on it was this summer at Hinesburg Town Forrest in Vermont. Or I should say my last walk with it. Hopefully 2007 will inlude more mountain biking (now that I don't have to run 13.1 miles) and I'll somehow get better.
Like the others, it's all stock, with Shimano XT. New Chris King Headset (thanks again Sean!) which I'll be testing out this summer to see if headsets really are worth the upgrade. Specialized no longer makes this bike, but check out www.specialized.com.
The Redline: 2005 Redline Conquest
My second road bike (see below for my first). In 2004, Sol, Susan and I each bought road bikes. That was back when I thought 18 miles was a long ride and thought every road in Vermont was too steep.
Just upgraded it from Ultegra to Dura Ace (thanks Sean!) and switched over from a triple to a double (hope I can make it up App Gap this summer with the 12/27). I don't deserve the Dura Ace, but maybe in a couple of years I will. Everything else is stock, including the wheels - Mavic Kysrium Elites with my favorite tires, Vittoria EVO Corsa. Trainer by Kurt Kintetic. Check out www.cannondale.com for the parts list and www.kurtkinetic.com for trainers.
The Cervelo: 2005 P2SL
In 2004, Susan informed me we were doing a 1/2 ironman in 2005, nevermind that at this point I thought 18 miles was a long ride, hadn't swum laps in about 20 years, and liked motoring along at a 10 min mile pace on my runs. She bailed b/c of an injury and I finished Timberman in 7:03 (running 13.1 miles in 90+ heat will do that). But, I was hooked. So I bought the Cervelo to ease the pain of the run (and, hey, tri/TT bikes are cool) and in 2006, I finished Timberman in 6:11. Would like to shave another 45 min off the time in 2007, but I'm focusing on bike racing instead (enough running already).
This bike is also Dura Ace (12/27) with an FSA Crank and Bontrager Select Wheels. Vittoria Diamante Pro Light tires. Check out www.Cervelo.com for the parts list.
The Specialized: 2002 Specialized Epic FSR (m)
In 2002 my rigid mountain bike was stolen from my apartment in Beacon Hill. So I decided to upgrade. I love this bike, even though I still can't mountain bike. My last ride on it was this summer at Hinesburg Town Forrest in Vermont. Or I should say my last walk with it. Hopefully 2007 will inlude more mountain biking (now that I don't have to run 13.1 miles) and I'll somehow get better.
Like the others, it's all stock, with Shimano XT. New Chris King Headset (thanks again Sean!) which I'll be testing out this summer to see if headsets really are worth the upgrade. Specialized no longer makes this bike, but check out www.specialized.com.
The Redline: 2005 Redline Conquest
In 2005, Sol decided to start cyclocross racing after being encouraged by Jamie. So it was either race or hang around and do nothing while everyone else raced. I chose to race and bought the Redline. After a season of coming in last at every race save one, the 2006 season proved much better. Despite a rough start, by the end of the season I was usually at the top of the bottom third, and only last in one race! Still need to work on the lactate threshold (oh, and skills, power, & just about everything else too), but looking forward to more improvement in 2007 (and not getting lapped by the juniors).
The Raleigh: 1982 Raleigh Super Record 10 Speed
My first road bike - state of the art in 1982. My dad bought me this bike for my 12th birthday and it still fits! Too bad I didn't ride it very much. This summer Sol and I will be turning it into a single speed or a fixed gear so I can use it to commute to work.
[PICTURE TO COME]
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