No Atlantic Cup this year...

I came down with a sinus infection a few days after the WV race. This was on top of a nasty calf strain that I iced every two hours for a few days. Well, the muscle strain went away and the sinus infection went south. To my lungs.

I suffered through last weekend with a nasty cough and on Monday went to see my doctor. After listening to my chest, he let me know that I won the "worst sounding lungs of the day" award. Yippeee. He prescribed antibiotics, prednisone, and high-test cough medicine. Not a good combination with the Atlantic Cup race coming up in less than a week. I spoke to my coach on Tuesday and we came to the conclusion to skip the race. If I woke up Saturday and felt 100% than I could do the race. Well, this morning I still had a bit of a cough, no race.

Next week was a scheduled recovery week and with the last week and half off, it'll be a good set to get back up speed. Next weekend is the Bath County Tri, and I want to be in good shape for it. A bunch of people from Staunton are doing this race, so I'm looking forward to racing with some friends from town. Hopefully, the chest cold hasn't set me too far back. I have 4 weeks until my A race, so the Bath Tri will be good to see what I need to focus on in the upcoming weeks.

Big Canyon triathlon, err Duathlon....

If you've followed my blog/racing, you know that the Big Canyon triathlon is one of my favorite races. It doesn't get much better than the trails of West Virginia for running and riding. Add in a fun swim in the New River and you have a great race venue, plus the folks at ACE Adventure are great hosts and offer the racers a wonderful race venue, with hot showers at the finish.

I pulled into the campground that serves as the T2 and finish area and was greeted by my buddy John. He and I met here 3 years ago and have raced together many times since. John let me know that the swim had been canceled due to high water. The river is usually 5-6 feet where we swim, and was rolling at 11 feet on Saturday after coming down from 14 feet on Friday. ACE and the folks from XTERRA made the call to make the race a duathlon with a second run (~1 mile) around the campground at the top of the mountain.

The start took place at the normal beginning of the run at the swim exit. It's a flat start and I felt great, enough so that I pushed it a bit. I backed off at the steep climb to the fireroad, letting 4-5 runners come around me. I never felt overextended on the run, kept my pace where I wanted it to be. For most of the run, I had a guy on my heels. We came up on Jenny Smith, a pro XTERRA athlete, on a section that was poorly marked. We were a bit confused if this was where we needed to be. After climbing a bit up the logging trail, the course looked familiar to me and let them know this was the right way and Jenny was gone. Me and my shadow kept climbing up the mountain and were soon at T1.

The shadow and Jenny made it out on the bikes before me but I soon caught up with them on an extended climbing section. At the end of the climb I got around Jenny but quickly spun out on the muddy trail. On the fire road section at the top, Jenny was once again disappearing into the distance. My shadow was somewhere behind me and I set out to enjoy the West Virginia trails. I picked off a few riders and had a guy pass me on a nasty technical section that I walked. A little while later my shadow appeared and passed me on another technical section. One aspect of getting older is I've gotten more tentative on sketchy descents. Even with AFLAC, the even present thought of child, wife, mortgage, job on Monday jolts me into taking it easy. What I've lost in descending skills (utter disregard for bodily harm) I've made up with climbing speed, and by keeping my weight low I can push the hills now a lot faster than in years past. So with that in mind, I knew I'd catch my shadow on the upcoming climbs. Sure enough, there he was and I pushed it hard to put a lot of woods between he and I.

Popping out of the forest into T2, I knew it was a short run and the finish. I started off well, just trying to get the circles out of my legs. The gravel road was fast and helped to get my leg speed up. About a quarter mile into the second run my right calf started to twinge with a muscle cramp. Nope, I can't let this happen, not with the shadow behind me. I adjusted my foot strike and found a position that lessened the cramping. If I could keep it going like this, I knew the cramp would go away, and around another quarter mile the cramp was gone. I picked up my pace and finished strong.

I finished the race in eighth place with Jenny a few minutes ahead of me. My shadow was just behind me and it turns out Mark (the shadow) was also in the 35-39 age group. He and I finished first and second. I thought he may have been in my age group while we were running/riding together. It was great to have someone push me like he did. It was also great to race with Jenny, a true professional who is approachable and one of the nicest people you'll meet. Like most XTERRA athletes, great people and great racers.

Even without the swim, it was a fun race and I was stoked to get my second age group win of the season. After the race, I cleaned up with a hot shower and drank a bunch of cokes. I hung out with John and his better half and Josh from RVA and ate. After getting my medal, I was on the road back to the 'right' side of the mountain.

Bikes and Beer...

Matt and I made the trek over to Nelson County on Saturday to have a beer or two at Devils Backbone Brewery. Before we bellied up to our pints, we built up a thirst by racing the Devils Backbone Challenge. It was a beautiful day to drink beer and race mountain bikes, high 70s and fluffy clouds in the blue sky. We had fun. You can tell by my smile.... And the beer tasted wonderful...

It really doesn't get better than riding bikes with your friends and then sitting in the sun to enjoy a few of Rev. Oliver's handcrafted beers.

IF Racing had a good day with Kyle in 7th and myself riding to 11th.

Fun Stuff.

XTERRA season has begun...

My XTERRA season has begun. A week after the debacle that was Duathlon Nationals, I traveled to North Carolina for the XTERRA Uwharrie race. This event was my first XTERRA 2 years ago, and I didn't have fond memories of this course. Time heals all wounds.

I lined up for the start alongside another IF Racer, Steve Gisselman. Steve's a helluva athlete and if I can keep him in my sights then I know I'm having a great race. He was pimping his new IF Deluxe 29'r, damn that's a pretty bike. 29'r hmmm, there may be something to it.

The swim was a two lapper, nothing much to say about it, other than I made it out of the water. I felt good in the water, but mid pack as usual.

The bike course was also a two lapper after a short gravel road section to the trailhead. The trails are still equestrian dominated and it shows. After last weekend's race I had decided to leave enough in the tank on the bike. I didn't want a repeat of last weekend's bike 'blow-up'. I burped my front tire early in the race and stopped soon after to top off the air pressure as the front end was loosing control from the squishiness. Soon after this Steve came around me and it was a Team IF train through the woods. Steve took off on the second lap leaving me to pick off the fish by myself. We got to T2 at the same time and I made it out a few seconds before him. I wished him well as he disappeared ahead of me on the run.

My stomach cramped at the beginning of the run and I labored to just shuffle along. Another racer came by me and I ran with him for a while, then WHAM I'm sliding pete rose style across the trail. I fell in the same spot 2 years ago, damn that hurt. After picking gravel out of my hands, I watched my running companion leave me behind. Soon another runner dropped me. "Okay the stomach cramps can stop now." And soon after the first drink station the cramping did stop. Feeling better than I had, I ratcheted up the pace and soon caught and passed one of the earlier passers. I upped it a bit more and finished strong, the way I should.

I finished 10th overall and 1st in the 35-39 age group. Steve had a great race, finishing in 7th and 1st in the 30-34 age group. Two top Tens and two age group wins for IF Racing. Nice.

Have bad memories?

Make better ones...

ford 1

So I'm driving to Fredericksburg on Saturday, just passing through Orange. No traffic whatsover and I go by a 45mph sign doing a bit over that, so I back it off. Next thing I know, there are blue lights in my rear view. damn. So I get pulled over. damn. Did you see me slow down at the 45mph sign? Yes, here is your ticket. damn.

That was just the start of the day to get me ready to race.

The race was an off road duathlon on the south bank of the Rappahannock River. A 2.8 mile run followed by 9+ mile mountain bike and then it finished with another take on the run course. I got to transition and caught up some racing friends. We get to the start line just as a cold rain started, with some wind to go with it. Off we went and I was near the front for the lollipop shaped run loop. Into T1 and the Inov8 shoes came off and the Sidi's were on for the bike leg. By now the rain had turned the trail to slop. With the narrow trail and multitude of logs and roots it was a technical course. I took it easy on the twisties and downhills and pushed it on the uphills. The bulldogs hooked up great in the slop and the Deluxe keep the rear tire stuck to the muddy climbs. Kevin and Dave of Bike Factory Racing came by me showing the skills. The final stretch was double track along the river, I pushed it in the BIG-little towards T2. Rolling into transition I pass Kevin and Dave starting their second run. The Sidi's came off and the Inov8's were back on for another taste of the muddy run. The foot turnover was fast and I felt great. Coming off the single track for the double track to the finish I pushed it and saw Dave in front of me. He turned to see me as I was splashing through some mud and took off. I tried to reel him in before the finish but didn't make it. Dave finished fifth with me in sixth overall. Kevin pulled off a podium with a third. Pretty damn impressive on his singlespeed.

I got cleaned up after the race and drank my recovery drink of choice, aaah Coca-Cola. Stood around and waited for the awards to see how I did in the big 30-39 age group and shivered. Did I mention it was cold? Dave took 1st in AG with me in 2nd. First age group podium of the year, I'm pretty happy with it, especially in the nasty conditions. Thanks to Konrad for promoting the race and for making the tough decision to hold it in the rain. He's going to have a lot of work to get the trails fixed. If you're in the Fredericksburg area, help out with trail work. Great trails.

Next on the schedule is Off Road Duathlon Nationals in Richmond.

thanks for reading...

Recovery/Rest

Not that I really want to, or like recovery/rest weeks, but as we know they are needed from time to time. Training has been going quite well, even with missing a 5 hour ride in the woods this past weekend. Actually there hasn't been much riding, but the running, swimming, and strength training has been going great. Now that Daylight Saving Time has arrived, the long rides will start in earnest and strength training will go to the back burner.

If you're going to rest, ya might as well enjoy it.

This is how I'm doing it:

(thanks Rory and Piper for the beer and wishes)

3rd Annual Queen City Century

Queen City Century

Presented by

Queen City Cycling Club

Staunton, VA

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Online Registration on BikeReg.com

Closes Friday, May 15, 2009 at 5:00 PM ET

We invite you to join us for the Queen City Century, a ride through the beautiful scenic Shenandoah Valley south of Staunton, VA in southern Augusta County. The ride will provide scenic vistas, county farms, small towns, and scenic rural roads. All the routes are paved and have low traffic volume. Route lengths from 25 to 50 miles up to 100 miles of beautiful country roads. Proceeds from the ride go to benefit Staunton School's Safe Route to School Program. Preregistration cost is $15 for all routes.

Day of registration will be $30 for all distances. Make it easy on us and preregister. Please. Pretty Please.

Rides Leaves from the Wharf area of Historic Downtown Staunton off of West Johnson St. at 8:00am sharp. Parking will be available in the Wharf lot or in the two parking garages in downtown. Registration check-in will be behind Black Dog Bikes starting at 7:00am.

Mapquest/Google 121 South Lewis St. Staunton, VA 24401 for Directions.

All traffic regulations and laws must be observed. Helmets are required and must be worn for the entire length of the tour. All riders must ride to the right side of the road at all times. Roads will be open to vehicle traffic. This is not a race. The rides will take place rain or shine. No refunds. For details call 540-887-8700 or leave a comment.

no recap this week...

Sunday was supposed to be the first mountain bike race of the year. I was planning on competing in the Camp Hilbert Series Enduro event, five hours of fun in the forest. You would think it would have been a great day with the sun shining and 70+ temperatures, but the snow earlier in the week left the trails in bad shape. Mark of RunRideRace postponed the race till April 4. No enduro race for me then, I'll roll the Expert Vet race with an offroad duathlon the following weekend.

I'm not too disappointed in missing this race, although I was looking forward to rolling with IFJeff. A nice parade lap-paced race in the woods is a great start to the season. Last year saw me complete 8 laps here in preparation for the trip to the Ronde van Vlaanderan. No worries as James would say.

Knowing I wouldn't be riding the ti Deluxe in Oilville, had me rearranging my schedule and in the woods at Montgomery Hall Park on Saturday and Sunday. I finished the flagging of the new trail while Jon and James cleared the corridor behind me after James closed the shop on Saturday. The next day we cleared a bunch of nastiness and got the entrance near the Springel softball field finished. Just a few more workdays and the trail corridor will be clear and rideable. Then a few more days of the Park's crews benching and MHP will be completely finished.

Go Ride.