Yesterday, I rode for about ten minutes around my neighborhood just to get a feel for how the knee was progressing after two days off from commuting. It felt reasonably well, so this morning I was able to commute on the trail again. For the first ten minutes, I was more worried than I'd been on the previous ride. The knee was stiff and it was cold out, so I actually thought about turning around. But I kept on at a slow pace and eventually it loosened up and began to feel much better. The remainder of the AM ride was nice and smooth with no sign of pain.
I popped another pill at lunch when my knee was tightening up from sitting at my desk. That seemed to help and by the time I was riding home early for church it felt great again. When I ran into Bill Gros in the middle of intervals, I was able to draft off of him for a short time and test the knee under some pressure. It was fine and several times on the way home I upped the pace some to further test it. Hammering the hill over 66 was easy enough and the legs definitely felt fresh.
Now the task shifts to maintaining this feeling and focusing on the Saturday/Sunday race set. Kirkwood is my chance for points and if I'm healthy after that, Jeff Cup will be more about showing the Haymarket colors and being a part of the scene in a stacked 1/2/3 field. I'm looking forward to it and getting stronger every day.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Purcellville and Pain
After church and a nice Easter meal of pasta, I hit the trail for some lengthy mileage. I opted for the trail mostly so I could avoid serious hills, listen to the iPod, and feel comfortable no matter the length. Even though I ride this trail every day, it's still enjoyable to ride without a backpack full of food and clothes. The only downside to all of this was missing nearly every NCAA game today.
My legs were surprisingly nimble after yesterday's hammer-fest at Cold Toes, but I kept it nice and steady. There was a decent headwind on the way out, but it didn't bother me as much as it might if I were commuting. The pace continued to feel solid. I thought briefly about catching White's Ferry and coming back on the MD side, but once I got to Leesburg, I just decided to keep on rolling. Soon enough I was crossing Highway 15 and realized I only needed ten more miles to reach the end of the trail--and to get eighty miles for the day. I was originally aiming for four and a half hours of base time, so everything seemed to be set up well. I had just enough time to make it out and back before dark and the total time would be near five hours. I figured the tailwind would give me hand.
Well, I made it out to the trail's end in Purcellville, VA for only the second time. The last time I did this, I rode every inch of the trail from start to finish and back again. Today would be a bit shorter, but since I live near mile four of the trail, not much shorter. Maybe a little before, but certainly not long after I made the turn, I started to feel a pain in my right knee. It didn't take me more than a minute to realize what the problem was. My IT Band! For those that know me from running, this time it was a different knee (my right), but it was the same pain that cost me my entire freshman year at MIT. It's off to the outside of the knee and it causes the entire area to feel stiff as a board.
I decided to stop and stretch some to see if I could mitigate some of of the discomfort. It wasn't hurting me too much, but I was pretty worried about how I'd handle the next forty miles to get home. Fortunately I wasn't running, because I know there's no way I could have tolerated any more once this pain started. But even when I was at the height of my injury in college, I could always seem to get along better on a bike. So I pedaled on. It felt weird in intervals. Basically any time that I would stand up on the bike, it would start throbbing again. But if I stayed seated, which is what I was trying to do anyways, it didn't feel so bad.
I kept my head down, stayed aero and pushed towards home, picking up the pace a little bit to beat the darkness. My iPod finally cut off in Vienna since I hadn't started with a full charge, so I rode the last thirty minutes in silence. When I commute, even without the iPod, the ride is hardly silent, but it's nice to ride across the same roads on the weekend, when there's hardly anyone out. I climbed the hill over 66 and then finished off the ride without too much problem with the knee.
As soon as I stepped off the bike and put it in the shed, the knee became incredibly stiff. If I'dve had any doubts about what was causing it, they would have been cleared up real quick. There is no question; I'm once again dealing with an IT Band problem. I stretched for a while when I got inside, and since I haven't been doing that much, it's probably no surprise that I'm seeing a recurrence of issues. I also downed some more pasta and went back on Vitamin I for the first time since college. Ugh. I'll probably end my twenty day commute streak tomorrow and drive in to take a day off the knee. Other than that, it'll be wait and see before I get ready to race twice next weekend. Please don't let this get any worse!
My legs were surprisingly nimble after yesterday's hammer-fest at Cold Toes, but I kept it nice and steady. There was a decent headwind on the way out, but it didn't bother me as much as it might if I were commuting. The pace continued to feel solid. I thought briefly about catching White's Ferry and coming back on the MD side, but once I got to Leesburg, I just decided to keep on rolling. Soon enough I was crossing Highway 15 and realized I only needed ten more miles to reach the end of the trail--and to get eighty miles for the day. I was originally aiming for four and a half hours of base time, so everything seemed to be set up well. I had just enough time to make it out and back before dark and the total time would be near five hours. I figured the tailwind would give me hand.
Well, I made it out to the trail's end in Purcellville, VA for only the second time. The last time I did this, I rode every inch of the trail from start to finish and back again. Today would be a bit shorter, but since I live near mile four of the trail, not much shorter. Maybe a little before, but certainly not long after I made the turn, I started to feel a pain in my right knee. It didn't take me more than a minute to realize what the problem was. My IT Band! For those that know me from running, this time it was a different knee (my right), but it was the same pain that cost me my entire freshman year at MIT. It's off to the outside of the knee and it causes the entire area to feel stiff as a board.
I decided to stop and stretch some to see if I could mitigate some of of the discomfort. It wasn't hurting me too much, but I was pretty worried about how I'd handle the next forty miles to get home. Fortunately I wasn't running, because I know there's no way I could have tolerated any more once this pain started. But even when I was at the height of my injury in college, I could always seem to get along better on a bike. So I pedaled on. It felt weird in intervals. Basically any time that I would stand up on the bike, it would start throbbing again. But if I stayed seated, which is what I was trying to do anyways, it didn't feel so bad.
I kept my head down, stayed aero and pushed towards home, picking up the pace a little bit to beat the darkness. My iPod finally cut off in Vienna since I hadn't started with a full charge, so I rode the last thirty minutes in silence. When I commute, even without the iPod, the ride is hardly silent, but it's nice to ride across the same roads on the weekend, when there's hardly anyone out. I climbed the hill over 66 and then finished off the ride without too much problem with the knee.
As soon as I stepped off the bike and put it in the shed, the knee became incredibly stiff. If I'dve had any doubts about what was causing it, they would have been cleared up real quick. There is no question; I'm once again dealing with an IT Band problem. I stretched for a while when I got inside, and since I haven't been doing that much, it's probably no surprise that I'm seeing a recurrence of issues. I also downed some more pasta and went back on Vitamin I for the first time since college. Ugh. I'll probably end my twenty day commute streak tomorrow and drive in to take a day off the knee. Other than that, it'll be wait and see before I get ready to race twice next weekend. Please don't let this get any worse!
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Cold Toes
Since last weekend didn't quite do it, today I finally got some racing miles in the legs. I drove out to the Cold Toes training race just south of the Dulles Airport. I warmed up with Bryan, Darren, and Pedro before getting on the line for the 3/4 "B" race. The pace was nice and quick from the gun, so I never really had to worry about making pace. Darren went off the front early on, so I tried to relax in the field and see how things developed. It took me a while to get comfortable in the peloton again, but it came back soon enough.
Darren was definitely on form and he stayed out there a long while. He was eventually brought back and I gave it a go for a counter-attack, but uh, I didn't get much gap on the field. I was put right back in to my place as pack filler. No real big breaks happened again until, whadya know, it was Darren again. He stayed out there again for quite a while--to the point I thought he might finish it off. But alas he was pulled back and an LSV rider slipped away.
I thought we might organize and pull him back, but for whatever reason, we never could and I found myself making dumb moves. Eventually Darren wanted some tempo in the final laps and so I tried to help him out. My legs were really hurting and it was all I could do to try and pull him to the final corner. I didn't quite make it and everyone went around me for the final sprint. I think Darren ended up fifth or so.
After switching my number in the car, I lined up again for the "A" race. There were plenty of old faces in the mix for this one. I really had doubts about how much I had in me and when we finally saw lap cards I was taken aback at seeing something in the neighborhood of 26. Oh well, this was a training race after all. I dug in and tried to find my groove. In summary, there were lots of laps, they hurt a lot, and a breakaway lapped the field. It felt great to ride so fast and I surprised myself with how much I had left in the tank. I failed at bridging, but otherwise I held my own in the peloton. A good day of training. Next weekend, it's for real.
Darren was definitely on form and he stayed out there a long while. He was eventually brought back and I gave it a go for a counter-attack, but uh, I didn't get much gap on the field. I was put right back in to my place as pack filler. No real big breaks happened again until, whadya know, it was Darren again. He stayed out there again for quite a while--to the point I thought he might finish it off. But alas he was pulled back and an LSV rider slipped away.
I thought we might organize and pull him back, but for whatever reason, we never could and I found myself making dumb moves. Eventually Darren wanted some tempo in the final laps and so I tried to help him out. My legs were really hurting and it was all I could do to try and pull him to the final corner. I didn't quite make it and everyone went around me for the final sprint. I think Darren ended up fifth or so.
After switching my number in the car, I lined up again for the "A" race. There were plenty of old faces in the mix for this one. I really had doubts about how much I had in me and when we finally saw lap cards I was taken aback at seeing something in the neighborhood of 26. Oh well, this was a training race after all. I dug in and tried to find my groove. In summary, there were lots of laps, they hurt a lot, and a breakaway lapped the field. It felt great to ride so fast and I surprised myself with how much I had left in the tank. I failed at bridging, but otherwise I held my own in the peloton. A good day of training. Next weekend, it's for real.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Tempo Tempo
Today was the first hint of intensity so far this season--other than the brief spots on Saturday. It was simple tempo ride home from work. Basically all I have to do to get a good tempo ride is do what my instincts want to do: ride fast. I tried to focus on being either in the drops or aero on the hoods. I flew by a lot of people and the stoplights were good rest for me. I guess that makes me the 'bike trail guy' for today, but I must say that it was fun to ride fast again. My legs felt surprisingly strong and since the wind was calm, that translated into some respectable speeds. This being my first workout of the year, I think I probably went a bit too fast and spent more time above threshold than I really should have. But hey, live a little, eh?
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Remax Town and Country Road Race
Well, the 2008 season sort of got started Saturday. I was in my hometown of Albemarle, NC for the Remax Town and Country Road Race. When I arrived at the race site, I quickly learned that all races had been delayed by two hours because of heavy fog early in the morning. So instead of warming up I sat around with Jess and my parents just waiting to hear something.
Eventually, I decided to go ride the course once and get the lay of the land. It was a 6.6 mi course with two decent hills to make things difficult. The wind was pretty steady so it took me a while to ride the loop solo. When I got back, they still weren't ready to start the race, so I spent most of the time chatting with my soon-to-be teammate Gonzalo Escobar. He's riding for Lees-McRae until he graduates this spring.
As we were waiting for the race to begin, it became clear that by delaying the race, weather was going to become a big factor. There were some nasty clouds moving in and once they finally had us lined up to hear instructions, there was thunder and a sprinkling of rain. Almost as soon as we rolled out of the Kendall Valley parking lot, the skies opened up and we were getting soaked. All I could think about was how this was real Belgian classics weather. Rain, rural roads, hills, it's all good.
But the rain kept getting harder until it became hard for me to see. Riding in the peloton, my eyes were getting splashed with spray from the wheel of the guy in front of me and I was having to squint to make out anything. Braking was an adventure and I was concerned about running in to people in front of me. Despite all that, the first lap was uneventful in terms of grouping. A couple folks tried some dumb solo moves, but they were brought back in short order.
About midway through the second lap, the rain became painful. It was hitting me real hard in the face and all of a sudden I noticed that it wasn't rain anymore. We were getting hailed on! Epic, but silly too. This extreme weather started to split the group and I had to jump past folks and hammer to catch back on after some gaps opened. It was hard to tell where the front of the race was, but after a while I was confident that I was still in the lead group.
When we hit the second climb, I found myself pedaling off the front with another rider. We weren't attacking really, just upping the pace on the hill, but before long we had a gap and had been joined by 2-3 others--the rain makes my memory as hazy as it was. With about two miles to go before the next lap, our group was reeled in by what seemed like a third of the original starters. I started to reintegrate into the new pack when the moto-official pulled up beside us and told us to, "Go straight to the finish." The course was a lollipop style, so we all took this to mean that this was the final lap. Haha! 2 of 8 was to be the final lap. Not quite a 50 mile road race eh?
Well, once the official told us the news I went straight to work positioning myself for the sprint and we were moving fast enough that things were almost single file. The wind was killer and the rain was relentless. I was in the top five when the finish came into sight and fortunately for me, there was a short but steep rise before plateauing for 100 yards before the finish. A Franklin Street cycles rider really led out the sprint bigtime. He was way early and so we were all trying to use him as a draft. Eventually I made the decision to go for it and found myself leading with maybe 50 yards to go. I held that lead nearly all the way, but was passed just before the line by a Blue rider. I held off third place by a bike throw.
I was thrilled to be second, but since the race wasn't even long enough to qualify as a crit and it wasn't clear if there was even a camera at the finish due to the weather, I wasn't as excited as I might have been. There was rumor of a tornado elsewhere in the county to further put a damper on things. I stood around for a while trying to find out if they were going to payout the $70 for second place and if there would be any results posted, but things were hectic and I gave up after about thirty minutes of shivering in my wet clothes underneath an overhang. We loaded up the car and went to Log Cabin for some warm and dry chopped pork sandwiches. Good stuff as always.
I made sure to email the promoter all the info I had about the finish--my place and those of the others around me. But Monday morning, we got the following email:
Oh well, I got a taste of racing at least. My legs were certainly not in prime shape but I had a passable sprint. Had the race gone 50 miles worth of attacking, I would have been hurting. The changes of pace throughout the race all hurt a lot and my legs feel like they have a long way to go if I'm going to score points anywhere near MABRA.
Eventually, I decided to go ride the course once and get the lay of the land. It was a 6.6 mi course with two decent hills to make things difficult. The wind was pretty steady so it took me a while to ride the loop solo. When I got back, they still weren't ready to start the race, so I spent most of the time chatting with my soon-to-be teammate Gonzalo Escobar. He's riding for Lees-McRae until he graduates this spring.
As we were waiting for the race to begin, it became clear that by delaying the race, weather was going to become a big factor. There were some nasty clouds moving in and once they finally had us lined up to hear instructions, there was thunder and a sprinkling of rain. Almost as soon as we rolled out of the Kendall Valley parking lot, the skies opened up and we were getting soaked. All I could think about was how this was real Belgian classics weather. Rain, rural roads, hills, it's all good.
But the rain kept getting harder until it became hard for me to see. Riding in the peloton, my eyes were getting splashed with spray from the wheel of the guy in front of me and I was having to squint to make out anything. Braking was an adventure and I was concerned about running in to people in front of me. Despite all that, the first lap was uneventful in terms of grouping. A couple folks tried some dumb solo moves, but they were brought back in short order.
About midway through the second lap, the rain became painful. It was hitting me real hard in the face and all of a sudden I noticed that it wasn't rain anymore. We were getting hailed on! Epic, but silly too. This extreme weather started to split the group and I had to jump past folks and hammer to catch back on after some gaps opened. It was hard to tell where the front of the race was, but after a while I was confident that I was still in the lead group.
When we hit the second climb, I found myself pedaling off the front with another rider. We weren't attacking really, just upping the pace on the hill, but before long we had a gap and had been joined by 2-3 others--the rain makes my memory as hazy as it was. With about two miles to go before the next lap, our group was reeled in by what seemed like a third of the original starters. I started to reintegrate into the new pack when the moto-official pulled up beside us and told us to, "Go straight to the finish." The course was a lollipop style, so we all took this to mean that this was the final lap. Haha! 2 of 8 was to be the final lap. Not quite a 50 mile road race eh?
Well, once the official told us the news I went straight to work positioning myself for the sprint and we were moving fast enough that things were almost single file. The wind was killer and the rain was relentless. I was in the top five when the finish came into sight and fortunately for me, there was a short but steep rise before plateauing for 100 yards before the finish. A Franklin Street cycles rider really led out the sprint bigtime. He was way early and so we were all trying to use him as a draft. Eventually I made the decision to go for it and found myself leading with maybe 50 yards to go. I held that lead nearly all the way, but was passed just before the line by a Blue rider. I held off third place by a bike throw.
I was thrilled to be second, but since the race wasn't even long enough to qualify as a crit and it wasn't clear if there was even a camera at the finish due to the weather, I wasn't as excited as I might have been. There was rumor of a tornado elsewhere in the county to further put a damper on things. I stood around for a while trying to find out if they were going to payout the $70 for second place and if there would be any results posted, but things were hectic and I gave up after about thirty minutes of shivering in my wet clothes underneath an overhang. We loaded up the car and went to Log Cabin for some warm and dry chopped pork sandwiches. Good stuff as always.
I made sure to email the promoter all the info I had about the finish--my place and those of the others around me. But Monday morning, we got the following email:
Attention Pro's and cat 3's that started the Remax Town & Country RR on March 15th
The severe weather that moved in during your race forced the officials to remove the camera equipment from the finish line before the leaders came in. Both races were also shortened due to the severe weather which created some confusion among the racers. After speaking with the Drew McCarthy, the chief referee, and receiving some e-mails from him it appears the finish cannot be accurately recorded. Having now gathered all the available information I have decided that each racer in the Pro and cat 3 race will receive a refund or credit with RMS. I am in the process of deciding which way is going to be best for all involved but I wanted to let you know that you will be receiving some sort of refund. We (Uwharrie Wheelmen Cycling Club) appreciate the fabulous turnout, we had 400 racers, and apologize for the inconvenience caused by the weather. Our goal is to get people in Stanly county interested in cycling and I think having 400 cyclist racing in our backyard is a great way to do it. Once I determine the way you will be refunded I will post it.
Thanks,
Chris Chapman
President Uwharrie Wheelmen/Race Promoter
Oh well, I got a taste of racing at least. My legs were certainly not in prime shape but I had a passable sprint. Had the race gone 50 miles worth of attacking, I would have been hurting. The changes of pace throughout the race all hurt a lot and my legs feel like they have a long way to go if I'm going to score points anywhere near MABRA.
Friday, March 14, 2008
The 2008 Season Begins . . .
On the eve of my first race of the 2008 campaign, I figured it was about time to get something up on the web. There have been a few changes since I last wrote and raced. Most notably, I transferred to the Haymarket Bicycles Racing Team presented by Function Drinks. I made the change not long after the 'cross season ended as I was beginning to plan for this season on the road. I made the change primarily so that I would push myself to make Category 2 and, by eventually doing that, stay focused during the road season in order to be better prepared for cyclocross.
Last year at this time, there was a lot going on. Jess had just come back from Pittsburgh and I had been riding nearly every day in the frigid weather. I was in pretty great shape, but also beginning to feel the effects of burn out. By the time we took a vacation in Luray and spent some time hiking in Shenandoah, I was completely disinterested in riding my bike. I got sick in the days before Jeff. Cup and that was about all she wrote for my season. I raced Walkersville and finished with the 1/2/3 pack, then raced Poolesville to defend my title and finished in the pack of the 3 race. I shut it down after that and did other things before jumping in a few late season crits and getting absolutely embarrassed by all the guys chasing BAR points late in the year. I took that embarrassment very personal and set myself up on a plan to make certain that I had a good season in my true love: 'cross. I followed the plan almost religiously and the results of that plan are in my last post.
So this year, I am more determined to have a good road season than I've been since I started cycling. I've laid out a plan similar to that for cyclocross and my hope is that even though the season is longer, I can follow that equally as well and hopefully get some results. Moving over to Haymarket makes my quest for Category 2 status worthwhile. They are a small, but solid group of serious racing cyclists and I have no doubt that I will enjoy the road season much better if I'm focused on racing.
That brings me to now, the eve of racing. I've now done five weeks of base after taking nearly ten weeks off of the bike (two in Italy). There's a long way to go before I feel in great shape, but I'm happy with the direction I'm headed and my motivation is already far higher than it was at any point before Charm City last year. The race tomorrow is nicely juxtaposed with a family event the next day, so I'll have a chance to see what my legs can do outside of the MABRA scene. And not only that, it's my first chance ever to do a race (running or cycling) in my hometown.
Let the chase for points begin and may I enjoy every moment of it!
Last year at this time, there was a lot going on. Jess had just come back from Pittsburgh and I had been riding nearly every day in the frigid weather. I was in pretty great shape, but also beginning to feel the effects of burn out. By the time we took a vacation in Luray and spent some time hiking in Shenandoah, I was completely disinterested in riding my bike. I got sick in the days before Jeff. Cup and that was about all she wrote for my season. I raced Walkersville and finished with the 1/2/3 pack, then raced Poolesville to defend my title and finished in the pack of the 3 race. I shut it down after that and did other things before jumping in a few late season crits and getting absolutely embarrassed by all the guys chasing BAR points late in the year. I took that embarrassment very personal and set myself up on a plan to make certain that I had a good season in my true love: 'cross. I followed the plan almost religiously and the results of that plan are in my last post.
So this year, I am more determined to have a good road season than I've been since I started cycling. I've laid out a plan similar to that for cyclocross and my hope is that even though the season is longer, I can follow that equally as well and hopefully get some results. Moving over to Haymarket makes my quest for Category 2 status worthwhile. They are a small, but solid group of serious racing cyclists and I have no doubt that I will enjoy the road season much better if I'm focused on racing.
That brings me to now, the eve of racing. I've now done five weeks of base after taking nearly ten weeks off of the bike (two in Italy). There's a long way to go before I feel in great shape, but I'm happy with the direction I'm headed and my motivation is already far higher than it was at any point before Charm City last year. The race tomorrow is nicely juxtaposed with a family event the next day, so I'll have a chance to see what my legs can do outside of the MABRA scene. And not only that, it's my first chance ever to do a race (running or cycling) in my hometown.
Let the chase for points begin and may I enjoy every moment of it!
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