Bone Bender V3

Yesterday was the 3rd annual Bone Bender mountain bike race held at Clinton Lake in Lawrence, KS. I will say that Clinton Lake is a great place to work on your technical riding, many places require great balance and constant focus. Some of the hills I opted to run up because I felt like I would use less energy to run up then trying to ride. I drew first blood on the second lap on the first climb, I was following Lyle and we both were running up the hill when my foot slipped and down I went. It happened so fast, I was shocked that I was laying on the ground. I cut my knee just enough to bring blood to the surface (I think it got dirt in it and that kept it from bleeding) and put a big scratch/strawberry on my shin, it was actually kind of funny.

I was nervous before the race which it was just normal jitters, I think I was more nervous about how congested the first couple miles was going to be especially since the course started off with some technical rocky sections. These areas would slow you down and then of course the riders behind you too which many would have to put a foot down to wait so the line of walking would begin.



I do feel lucky to get the picture below of my pre race potty break, after all my race number was #1. I had text some guys about my race number and Jan text back, "If people yell go #1, you will think you need to go pee". I thought that was hysterical. (Photo courtesy of Brady Bernskoetter)



We got to run up a gravel road to our bikes, it was very similar to RIM a couple years ago. My bike was one of the last to get put in the staging area and it was down the road a ways so I got to run a little extra distance. I wasn't running real hard up the hill but I was panting pretty hard by the time I got to my bike. We had a short section of paved then we dumped onto a gravel section and then across a burned off grassy section and then finally we dropped into single track. After the first couple miles of very slow moving the riders started to get more of a gap, I tend to go out too hard and settled in on a relaxing pace. I was riding 3 deep in a line of riders when the pace got too slow, the second rider went around and I went with him thinking his pace would be much faster. He was faster for a bit but seemed to slow down so I went around and turned it on, maybe turned it on too much. I did have a great first lap and when I came through the pit area I stopped for about a minute, I usually like to pit after going through the timing area but we pitted just before. My second lap was at a pretty good pace too, I started to get some early signs of cramps in my calves toward the end of the second lap. I popped some endurolytes and chewed them up...YUMMMMY!!! That seemed to help and I also made sure to drink a lot of water as well.



I really slowed the pace down on my third lap, I didn't want to push the issue of cramping and I knew I still had a lot of miles left to ride. Pretty early in the 3rd lap, just before a drop in, I popped my shoulder out again. I did this last year and it hurt really bad then and guess what.....it didn't feel any better this time. I stuck my front wheel in a rock and it jammed my arms straight back and my left shoulder was out, the pain was so intense and I knew it needed to go back forward. I am standing straddling my bike with my left shoulder dropped down to reduce the pressure on this ultra painful spot and I rocked my shoulder back and then thrust it forward and back in she went. It was another burst of pain that I can't hardly describe, now I was doubled over the side of my bike while clutching my arm against my body and "expressing myself" in a very much out loud kind of way. I figured if I could just keep going the pain should lessen and my shoulder might stay loose from riding, it was the ride home I was worried about. It only took a few minutes for the pain to get to a manageable level, probably because I was more focused on the trail. Shortly after this incident I was walking up one of the rocky climbs when the guy in the picture below came by me, he asked if I was okay and told him I was just fighting off some cramps. As he powered up the hill he said "Tell them to F#@K OFF!!!" I started laughing, I couldn't help but smile.



While I was out on lap 4 I was starting to feel some fatigue, there were some really fast sections that I felt great on and that helped the lap seem to go faster. It was on this lap that the reality that I still had to finish this lap and then should be able to get 2 more laps started to settle in. I was tired and the course was taking it's toll on my body. I just kept staying after it and trying to ride smart which can be a challenge as your body fatigues. There was a rider that had passed me around lap 2 that I kept pretty close most of the race although it seemed like every time he saw me he would turn on the gas. On lap 5 he stopped to get a gel and I went around expecting him to be on my wheel soon along with another strong rider from the St. Louis area that I was able to pass. Toward the end of my 6th lap (about 2 miles left) there was a switchback and you could see riders that were behind you (this means they could see you too!!!) and I was only about 1/4 mile ahead of them so I knew I had to stay aggressive. I didn't go all out because I didn't want to blow up but I did amp up the watts and stay strong to the finish.




I ended up 6th in the Men's Open out of 13 riders, I was very pleased with these results. I did finish ahead of some riders that are much faster than I am like Cam Kirkpatrick because he stopped early and I did get beat by 2 guys in the Sport class but that's okay because I did have a good race, I'm hoping it just keeps getting better from here!!! If you want to check out the results go to http://www.moto-tally.com/TWC/Results.aspx

Made It Through The Day

WOW today was a rough one. Any persons job can be stressful and mine has a few times when it is but today was a bit overwhelming. I won't go into too much detail but trying to manage two peoples clashing personalities all while trying to do my own work was almost too much to take today. A little over halfway through the day I absolutely think I could have laid down and fell asleep in a matter of minutes, I was so tired from being mentally drained. That being said I am home now and all of that is past me, on to bigger and better things.

I got my new Thule roof rack for the van today so that was pretty cool, now I just have to assemble it. I did get out and ride the loop today, once again it was pretty windy out there (I know that is hard to believe for April). I am going to taper off my riding a bit this week with the Bone Bender 6 hr on Sunday, I will probably do a short ride Wednesday and another ride around town on Friday and then a preride of the course Saturday and then race on Sunday.

I need to set some time aside the next couple of days and go through my toolbox and totes and get all my gear together that I plan to use at the race. I put some more Stan's in my rear tire on my Epic on Saturday, it was pretty dry. I'm ready to make another attempt at getting Mary tubeless, I really want her tubeless for Lumberjack but if she isn't it will all work out.

Dreams And Theories

I had a dream the other night that I weighed 138 lbs which was really odd because the lightest I weighed myself last year was 162 lbs (I don't get on the scale but a couple times a year at best). So I thought I would check it out and what do you know 138....and then I lifted my other leg off the floor and put it on the scale. Just kidding, I didn't go near a scale although the dream was real.

I think we all have theories about many things but what exactly are theories but heories with a "t" on the front??? No seriously I'm asking because I have no idea, I mean I wasn't exactly an honor student in school.

Actually today while I was riding I was thinking about training in the wind, I personally love riding in the wind because it makes me stronger. It really sucks at the moment too many times but the reward is far greater. I do try to start out into the wind so I can finish with a tailwind but today I wasn't sure what kind of traffic there would be on Hwy 65 South of town so I opted to ride to Chula knowing there was a SSE wind and I would at least get a little push on the last couple miles coming back to town. I didn't realize just how much the wind was out of the South until I started heading North...Whoa, I was hauling tail. I was probably riding at an 8.5 out of 10 effort and was making great time, I ended up averaging 23.2 mph on the trip North and was still feeling really really good. That told me the wind was pretty strong out of the South and then I started riding back and it was soon a real eye opener to just how strong the wind was. I worked harder to get back home and only avg 16.7 mph...I don't know if my skirt was catching extra wind or if my heels were clipping the road on every pedal stroke. Since I had such a strong ride up my instinct was to really push on the way back to get the really good avg speed but one thing I have learned about riding in the wind is being steady. I was letting my muscles build up the lactic acid but not letting them get overloaded, there is a fine line here and I was trying to stay just below it. I don't like to ride in my drops when riding in the wind, I figure that the wind is a great training tool so why not create as much resistance as possible and get the full benefit. I was so excited to get to turn back to the West and head toward town at the latter part of my ride today. I was at a 20.0 avg heading into the last climb into town and I dropped to a 19.9 but I really didn't care, it was a good ride.

I've Got Needs!!!

Now that I have scared most of you with the title I guess I should expand on this topic. I have been getting in some good base miles but now it's time to move to the next phase and that is interval training. I will continue getting in long rides but I need the group ride atmosphere and need some of that leg ripping action. My first race, which is almost a month later than my first race last year, is just over 2 weeks away and I'm not sure how ready I am. What I mean by that is I don't feel explosive yet, the power that comes from those intense group rides that leaves me staggering when I get home. I know the race will be fun and will be good experience for the future. The lack of single track riding for a couple months has me a bit frazzled, I hope to get in a nice relaxed preride the day before the race. I want to really pick my lines in the technical areas, I hope this will pay off on race day. I think my Epic is feeling totally left out, I haven't ridden that bike since probably mid January.

I am taking off Saturday April 9th and there is a race at the River Trails in Lawrence that day, but it is Jonas' birthday so I will be staying home and celebrating his 4th birthday. There is a duathlon the next day but I am working, although I thought about going to work at midnight and then leaving a bit early to go race but I haven't done any running and it might be best to just save it for the next weekend.

Full Day....Somebody Answer The Phone

Well I finally got out to do some trail work today, my wife lets me play in the dirt as long as I'm driving back and forth in my truck and not in her van. I set out with my camelbak and some other items stowed in the pak and my Rogue Hoe and hiked out to armor the second drop in on my section. This drop in gets a lot of leaves built up on the high side of the drainage and on the lower side as well, so knowing this you would think that I would have planned a little bit better. I should have carried a rake in with me or went to the trailer and got a blower to take with me but instead I walked in and did the best I could with my hands and feet. I quickly realized that if I was going to do this job right that I needed to get the bulk of the leaves out so I could see exactly what I was working with. I went ahead and started mining rock from the drainage above where I was working, that was a workout in itself. After I got 4 good size rocks I decided I would hike out and travel to the trailer to get a blower but I couldn't remember exactly where it was so I text Denny to find out but I had to wait for a signal on my way out just so I could send the text. Denny told me where it was and soon I was back at the work site with a blower. I got a lot of leaves moved and then went and found a couple more large rocks and started the jig saw puzzle of armoring. I think I got it pretty secure, there was enough water in the drainage that getting mud to pack the seams was not a problem. The only thing is my gloves were so muddy that I don't know if I got the seams filled good enough. Time will tell on that one and I can always add more in later if need be. I got more smaller rocks and put them on the lower side right next to the armoring to add to what was already there to eliminate the water back cutting. It may be a bad idea but I also got some rock built up on the upper side and made a little pool, the water can still go over the armoring like normal. My hope is that if debris starts to build up it will get caught in the upper section and make it easier for me to clean out as needed. I think it turned out pretty good, take a look at the before and after picture and tell me what you think. Oh that's right I forgot to take my camera.

I went out this evening to try and get my new seat post and saddle dialed in, let's just say it wasn't on speed dial. When I took the measurements from my old seat post and saddle I shouldn't have written down a number and put "ish" on the end of it, I don't think that is how Mark does stuff at work!!! I rolled from my sidewalk onto the street and knew right then that the nose of the saddle had to drop at least half a skosh if not a full skosh. After dropping the nose a touch I rode some more and then slid the saddle forward a very little bit, then rode some more. After a bit I lowered the seat post and it felt better but still not quite right so I lowered it another mm +/-. It is feeling better now but I still need to get some more saddle time to make sure, plus I need to get it on some good climbs to see how it feels.

Beware

I went out and did a road ride tonight with James and I have to say that it was pretty painful, the bad part about it is that the speed wasn't very fast. I did get out and ride yesterday, it wasn't overly windy but it was consistent out of the East and while riding that direction I was feeling the burn. I rode to Chula and then headed East on K and KK over to BB and the South on B into Wheeling. Then I rode Hwy 36 home and that was nice because I had a very good tailwind. I was feeling the burn a little last night but it wasn't bad because I really didn't ride very fast on that ride either.

I was going to meet up with James at the YMCA and on my ride through town over to the Y I could tell that my legs were tired. Too often I don't eat during the day and today was no exception and that wasn't helping anything. I was a bit concerned at first but then I thought once I get going and get warmed up I will be fine. I must not have got warmed up because it was lactic acid city tonight. I knew riding with James was going to be a workout so I packed a lunch....and he ate it!!! He literally took my chain off my bike and beat me with it, he didn't have to smile the whole time but I guess he is just a happy guy.

Money Well Spent???

Okay the picture below is of four items that I hope will help me in the 2011 Dirty Kanza 200. When I look at these items I don't see speed, what I hope to achieve with these things is comfort and hopefully comfort will turn into less pain and less time stopped to deal with the pain. Notice I didn't say that these thing will stop the pain because let's face it, 200 miles is a really long ways. It doesn't matter how fast of a rider you are the Dirty Kanza takes centuries to finish...2 of them to be exact, 200 miles in who knows what kind of weather on smooth gravel roads, really rough gravel roads, and roads I wouldn't dream of driving my truck on.

I am not looking at the Dirty Kanza as a race, for me it is about a ride that I want to finish. If my name was Corey Godfrey, Troy Krause, Andre Lance, Joe Fox, Mike Merchand or Doug Long I would have a different approach to this race. I don't want to make my efforts sound weak because I know I am a strong rider but these guys have the ability to put out some amazing efforts.



Let's start with the new cassette and rear derailleur. I will be replacing my 11 x 25 cassette with a 11 x 34 cassette to have a broader range of gearing for those really steep hills but also for late in the day when your legs are so fried that riding on level ground can be a challenge. I will be switching my cross bike over to mountain bike gearing by pulling my 105 derailleur and replacing it with a XT long cage derailleur. Last year the last checkpoint was around the 145 mile mark and it was in a little town called Alma, KS. After a very long stay in Alma I headed out of town with Stoney Cranmmer and Chris Bopp, both of Team Redwheel. Stoney was on a single speed and I'm not sure how he was able to do it. The climb leaving Alma was very long, steep, and had loose rock and I was having trouble getting to the top with gears but Stoney just kept grinding it out to the top as well. We had been told that the next 20-25 miles to Eskridge was hilly but we had no idea that it was going to be as brutal as it was. About 15 miles into this non stop sequence of climb climb climb, descend and repeat over and over and over again I stopped at the top of one hill and laid my bike down and just stood there. This is where the doubt started to try and work it's way into my head, I remember thinking that if the last 50 miles was like this I don't think I could do it. I told myself "Just get to Eskridge", people had said it was much better riding after that town. Fortunately getting to Eskridge was such a relief that it helped lift some of that doubt from my mind. I guess I am hoping that having more gearing options will help as the day goes on and I can spin more if need be to get to the top of some hills. Of course I believe the route is different this year so maybe we won't be hitting those big hills late in the race....or maybe they found some bigger ones.

I don't think there is anyway around having legs that are running on empty by the end of this race, and last year my legs were pretty well shot when I crossed the finish line. I did however have to deal with some other pain for the majority of the day and that was in my lower back and my butt. My last two items in the picture are of a Thudbuster ST seatpost and a Fizik Airone saddle. Damon Hennon had recommended to me before last year to change the gearing on my bike, get a Thudbuster and to get a saddle like the Fizik Airione but finances kept those items out of priority. This year those items went a little higher on my list although I am not looking for them to make things easy, I do hope that they help. I have a Thudbuster ST on my single speed and it helps take the edge off of trail riding so I feel confident that this seatpost will be greatly appreciated on gravel rides. The Fizik Airone is widely known for it's comfort and that is why it is my saddle of choice this year.

I will probably make some more posts about the upcoming Dirty Kanza since I have been thinking a lot about it lately. I have been getting in some good base miles and I am eager to have some team effort interval training on Monday nights this spring and summer. Later posts might include my nutritional plans for the race, strategy for the start and checkpoints or any other topic I can come up with.