Mike's Bike Blog

What a Sunday ride, I headed into Austin to climb a few hills. Here's the hills and the order I did them in:

• Mesa
• Ladera Norte
• Far West
• Adirondack Trail
• Mountain Ridge
• Arboretum
• Bluegrass
• Beauford
• Jester
• Twin Creeks

In all the total mileage was only 54.18 miles and it took me 4 hours of active time and 4:33 of total time. I took a little breather on top of Bluegrass and then refilled my bottles at the Subway at the base of Jester. Whenever I go up Beauford I always think it's a tougher climb than Jester but that is always erased once I start up Jester.

There is some construction on Jester, it didn't really get in the way, but if you are going to attack Jester be forewarned as I'm not sure what the construction plans are and I'd hate for anybody to have to turn around due to construction. I must admit Jester really had my number today, I crawled up it at 3 to 4 miles per hour (avg speed of 4.2mph). I need to adjust my rear derailleur as when I shift into my lowest gear it wont shift out. The shifter snaps and acts like it's going to shift but the rear derailleur doesn't engage. It takes some finessing the shifters to get it unstuck. Needless to say for this ride my workaround was just not to shift into my lowest gear.

I averaged 13.5 mph for the entire ride and burned 2351 kJ. Not bad for a 50 mile ride with 5000 feet of climbing. For this ride I started off with a 2 hour bottle of Hammer Perpetuem (4 scoops) and had my second bottle prefilled with another 2 hour bottle. I also brought along my hydration pack filled with good old water. I felt great the entire ride with energy, I definitely had more in the tank to keep going. Post ride I feel fine as well, no muscle soreness.

This week had me preoccupied at work as we were deploying my latest project, which entailed late nights. I wasn't able to get out for a ride last Saturday, I was at the office. I did get out on Sunday for the evening ride with the Hammerhead bikes crew. I met them at Cool River Cafe on Parmer and we rode up Parmer to Highway 29 and then headed West towards Liberty Hill to CR 266. CR 266 is 2.1 miles west on HW 29 on the left. It is a quiet 4.5 miles and will dump you back out on Parmer just south of Hwy 29, you will be able to see the Parmer/29 intersection to the left. There's a long hill as you make your way back to Parmer, the total 4.5 mile section is 273 feet of climbing. I'm not a big fan of going down 29, but it wasn't too bad. Might be safer to turn around at 29 and head back South on Parmer and catch the exit and go down it to 29 and then go back via 266. You'll get double the hills!

Now that brings us to this weekend. On Saturday I headed out on 620 to the dam and down to the water crossing and back up and back onto 620 heading back into Cedar Park. When I got to 4 points I turned and made my way to River Place. Normally when I go to ride up Big Hill I turn left onto Big View from River Place and then go down to the river and back up. On Saturday I stayed on River Place and went down to Big View that way. The views from River Place are a lot better than Big View, so go figure. It's not straight down either on River Place. There was a little climb, .3 miles that averaged 4.9% gradient that maxed out out 11.1%. Once I got down to the bottom I then went back up and then headed home. I got to wondering though, if going up Big View to catching River Place and then up River Place would be harder than going up Big View all the way. Looking at the Garmin data comparing the decent to the ascent there's about a 50 foot difference between the two. Going all the way up Big View would appear to have the slight edge. Looks like I'll have to investigate this further. The Saturday ride total 34.35 miles with 1862 feet of climbing in 2 hours.

This brings us to today, Sunday. I woke up with stiff legs, I was quite surprised actually. My little 2 hill stomp shouldn't have left me so sore.  Since I already confirmed that I'd ride Sunday morning with C.J. and Dan I headed out. My legs started to loosen up so I hoped I'd be fine. Once we got out on Parmer from Spicewood Elementary we averaged 19 mph up to 2238 (Andice Road). Dan dropped out at Hwy 29 to get back home, but C.J. and me proceeded on.

I was suffering keeping pace, on the way back we averaged 19.4 mph, I must have looked bad as C.J. asked a couple times if I was ok. I pushed on though, luckily he pulled most of the way as I suffered and cursed the lactic acid in my legs. I think I took the lead South of Hwy 29 and pulled us into the gas station at the heavenly oasis that is the gas station on Parmer and 1431, ice and tap water have never tasted better. Needless to say I didn't hydrate well on this ride either. I did manage to get a bar into me at 2238, but I didn't drink enough water and I was paying for it dearly. The pace was well within my means, the Hammerhead group rides have been averaging 19 mph and my past ventures on Parmer have averaged 19-20 mph.

The Theory

So what went wrong? This left me wondering what was different. Like I said the Saturday ride wasn't anything I'd think would leave me so sore. It finally hit me tonight as I looked at what I did for my recovery. Normally when I get home I mix up my own recovery shake of a mixture of Hammer Whey and Heed along with skim milk and a frozen banana. We've run out of Hammer Whey and Heed, so I bought a replacement whey from HEB. No it wasn't Hammer based. I'll be calling Hammer and placing an order come Tuesday.

I thought that I had on my 2008 goals to ride the hill (the 3 Sisters), on Limecreek in 3:30, but I don't see it in my 2008 resolution or in my mid year review. However, the 3:30 mark up the "Sisters" is getting within my reach. Tonight after work I headed out on Limecreek, I went down to Volente and back. My protocol for this test is to stop at the base of the hill and then proceed up it to the top. At the top I stop the timer where the telephone/power line crosses the road.

My time tonight was 3:47, the previous best was 4:14 back in June.

The Numbers up the hill

Today's time is very encouraging, it's nice to see improvement. When you see results its the encouragement you need to keep training and pushing yourself. That's one good reason to keep track of your workouts but to also set goals. Bryan over at Riding to Live has a nice post on setting goals.

According to Joe Friel there are 3 athlete types, (artist, scientific & accountant). I guess I fall more along the lines of a scientific athlete. I keep moderate records, but I don't really pour over them once I download the numbers. I do find myself making more and more calculations while I'm out on a ride which is more akin to the Accountant type of athlete. I try to figure based on my power how many "matches" I have and calculate how much energy I've used and need to replenish my calories.

On Friday for my commute home I decided to take a different route. I had the bright idea of going home via Bluegrass. I had ridden up it the week before so going home on this new route shouldn't be a problem. In fact mileage wise it is the shortest distance from my house to the office on Far West at 15 miles. There was one thing I didn't count on, 100 degree weather!

When I started my climb up Bluegrass I noticed that this time it was a bit more difficult than on Saturday mornings ride up it. I made it up and at the top grabbed my water bottle only to find it was already hot. So I grabbed my second one that I had frozen in the freezer, not only had it melted but it too was teetering on the warm to hot level, it was not going to provide the cool thirst quenching hydration that I longed for. I pulled out my directions that I had on my iPhone and pushed on. I started to notice every so often that I'd hear a clicking sound, more like a sticky sound like I'd rolled through gum or tar. I kept weaving through the neighborhoods, stopping for water and to check my directions and noticing that there was tar or hot asphalt in sections of the road. Unfortunately, I missed a turn and once again rolled through the black sticky substance. This time some of the road debris stuck to my front tire. I couldn't get it off quick enough and the damage was done, I got a flat. As I was changing the flat it finally dawned on this Northern boy that the road was melting from the heat!

I liked this alternative route and I'll through it into my commute every so often. It offers about 1000 feet more climbing compared to my other route. It is a little over a mile shorter and has less traffic for the most part as well.

Now that I've been riding in 100+ degree heat I think it's safe to say I'm getting acclimated to the Texas heat. Hopefully when winter rolls around I'll still have thick enough skin so I can still ride in shorts and short sleeve jerseys when it drops into the 40s (If you can call that winter). Last winter everybody thought I was crazy when I'd show up for group rides dressed in shorts and a short sleeve jersey.

This morning I was going to head over to Georgetown and ride with a group of Cyclopaths training for the Hotter than Hell 100. However, at 6 a.m. Jack was sick and that threw my schedule out of whack. I still had a small chance to get out to Georgetown for the 7 am start and try to catch up with them, but I needed to download the route to my Garmin. For some reason I couldn't get it to download to the device. After several attempts and no success. I set off for a local ride. I started rolling with no route plan, just knowing that I needed to get 4 hours in on the bike. As I headed south a plan started to develop. I thought maybe the Dam Loop would be good. Most Austin riders are aware of the Dam Loop route, it's an Austin favorite. I wasn't satisfied with just the plain jane Dam loop route. So submitted for your approval, I give you the Gawd Dam Loop.

My version for the most part is the same, at least all the major roads are the same. On the Gawd Dam Loop it also includes the following hills that are accessible right from 360. First on the list is Bluegrass. Bluegrass is across from Spicewood Springs road.

Up next is a right turn on Lakewood and then a left on Beauford. This is one steep hill, to top it off the road has a weird groove. This made for a bumpy ride. I tried to ride in the gutter, it was smooth there, but that was a bad move. As the hill got steeper it was a bit harder to stay in the 6 inch lane. At one point I almost ran into the curb. I ventured back on the the pavement up to the top. Beauford is an exceptional hill. It's hard to say how it compares to Jester as by the time I went up Jester I'd already climbed to difficult hills.

Once I got up Beauford I bombed down the other side (Jester). And then proceeded back up. Going up my legs sure stung. Once I got to the top it was back down again to 2222 and pick up 360 to Courtyard. Yeah you read ride, next up was Courtyard.

My first time up Courtyard was pure misery. Of course it was at the end of a hill ride. This time was much better. I felt good going up it and was quite pleased to have conquered 4 of Austin's better known quad busters.

The excitement didn't last long once I got down Courtyard and headed back on 360. I realized I still had the uphill portion of 360 left along with Bee Caves and lastly the Dam hills on 620.

As best as I can tell by adding the hills to the route it increases the ascent from 2789 to 4000 feet. If you want a different variation of the Dam Loop than throw in any of these hills for your own Gawd Dam Loop.

I heard some talk around Austin that Ladera Norte was a more difficult climb than Jester. Seeing is believing is my opinion and with the great climbing post from Fatty I headed over to ladera norte during lunch to try my hand at what it has to offer

. Click for larger image

At first glance it appears to be longer than Jester and there are the tall tell signs that there's a serious gradient with the spilled cement fossilized on the right side of the road. I started at the Intersection of Far West & ladera norte, this is downhill stretch of .1 mile. After the short downhill it starts to slope up at 3% and then jumps up to 9%. If 9% wasn't bad enough it starts to go up from there, up to 24%! For the next tenth of a mile to the top of the first section the average grade is 20%.

Once you survive the first part there is an easy section, well at least it's easier than the section you just got through. For the next .2 miles the average grade is 3.2%. Use this time wisely as there's one last intense section coming up.

The last tenth of a mile averages 20%, the last kick to the top is at 20.5%, the max grade of this section is 22%.

(I'm using a Garmin Forerunner 305. All numbers are subject to be off as each time I do a ride I can get different numbers.)

Conclusion

I didn't find Ladera Norte too difficult, in fact I did it 3 times with 3 & 5 minutes rest between each attempt. It definitely ranks up there as a must do hill in Austin, I rank it below Jester, Courtyard and below the 3 sisters. I'd compare this to Lost Creek, at least starting from the golf course and heading up Lost Creek towards 360. It's a bit harder at the 2 crests than anything on Lost Creek so I'd rate it slightly above Lost Creek. Definitely a keeper for hill repeats.

What's Next?

I still need to hit Beauford Drive, Smokey Valley, Bullick Hollow, Comanche Trail and Bluegrass.

On the plate today for my morning ride was intervals, seven of them to be exact. The goal was to be at my threshold power level for 3 minutes and then 2 minutes at 50% threshold power. I went out to the hill behind Twin Creeks to perform the intervals. The hill isn't big, only a 1/2 mile in length, I wouldn't consider it a leg buster. I thought it would be a good way to achieve my training goal for the day though. There were spots where it was impossible to keep my power at my threshold power due to the steepness. I did shift all the way down to the triple to stay in the power range.

On the 4th effort as I was going down the hill there were 3 cyclists going up. On my way up for my 5th interval I passed 2 of them the 3rd was reaching the top as I was at my 3 minute mark and turning around just short of the top. The 3 person group came back down the hill and went back up. I passed them again on my 6th effort. I finished up with my last interval and headed home. Just past the Twin Creeks Country Club I caught up to the group again and flew by at around 24 mph. Each time I passed them I thought of BikeNoob and his smoke'n the old guy posts. It topped off a good workout to still have enough juice in the legs to smoke somebody let alone smoke them twice up a hill.

Tonight after dinner I headed out for another ride. I headed out on Cypress Creek to Parmer. I was warned by another cyclist that there was a strong wind coming from the South. Of course heading North on Parmer towards Leander I was hitting speeds of 28 - 30 mph on the flats. I usually turn around or head over to Georgetown on 2243. This time the road construction on Parmer heading North was open so I kept going. I was running out of daylight so I didn't get to explore the entire length of Parmer, I'll have to come back another day.

Once I turned around it was a strong wind. My speeds dropped from 28 down to 18 - 20 mph heading back.

Saturday morning I rolled out of bed, I felt a little sore in the legs. On Friday I threw in 3 sets of Sumo Squats  into my weight routine. I kept the weight low with 12-14 reps, but not doing them in several months it left my gluteus a bit sore. I had narrowed my routes down to 2, I was either going to head over to Georgetown and catch the Cyclopaths that are training for the Hotter than Hell 100 or go for the Dam Loop. I had hoped to be rolling by 6:30, which I would have had to had been on the road by if I wanted to get to Georgetown in time of the start. Since I didn't get ready till 7am, my route was chosen for me, so off I set on the Dam Loop. The Dam Loop is a well known Austin  route, in fact I probably passed at least 100 other riders out and about on various locations on the route. I was a bit leery of doing it, but I needed to see how my knee would hold up. The route itself is only 42.69 and 2789 feet of climbing. No where near the feats of climbing Arlyn  is putting up, but there is a max grade of 28.3% on Bee Caves Road.

Once I got on the other side of the 360 bridge the climbs started. I hadn't gone this direction on 360 in 6 months. When I worked at Keller Williams Skipper and me would ride 360 or Lost Creek daily (I would, Skipper was a bit more laxed when it came to our rides).

I did a portion of this route in January. On Saturday from the 360 Bridge to Bee Caves I averaged 13.7 mph up the hills which ended up to be 468 ft. of climbing. My cadence averaged 82 rpm. Back in January I average 12.7 mph and my cadence was 73.8.  On Saturday I wasn't trying to push it, I was mainly concentrating on keeping a high cadence and keeping my heart rate in zones 1-2 (109-148 bpm). I also didn't want to push it too hard and have knee trouble.The portion of Bee Caves Road from 360 to Bee Caves (7 miles) I averaged 17.3 mph for 265 feet of climbing. My cadence averaged 85.4 rpm. Compared to the January ride I averaged 15.2 mph and my cadence was 75.9.

From Bee Caves to the Dam (8.9 miles & 288 ft of climbing) I averaged 18 mph and 85 rpms. In January my numbers were 15.9 mph and cadence was 75.9. I don't have it mapped but I suggest you take the river access road down to the river. The climb back up is 102 feet in .3 miles, but the view is worth it.

The last section from the dam to Anderson Mill Road (7.5 miles) I averaged 15.9 up the 490 feet of climbing. My cadence was 88 rpms. My previous times are somewhat comparable for this section, in January my average time was 15.1 and my cadence was actually higher 79.9. In January I had to use my triple ring though to get up the hills by Steiner Ranch. One other reason I had competition to pass someone on the hill so I was pushing it. This time I tried to keep my heart rate low.

At the end I still felt good, in fact I put in another 18 miles to come out with 60.81 miles. I would have kept going, but I ran out of water and Heed. If you haven't done this route before I highly suggest it, it is one of Austin's "Must Do Rides". The roads either have a very wide shoulder with enough room to ride 2 up or follows established bike lanes. Give me a call before you do this route and I'll probably join you!

Today's workout was hill sprints. The little hill on Limecreek, just off of Anderson Mill is the closest I can get to a 3-6% grade for a hill. The problem is it's only .34 miles so I rode up it and then back down it for a total of 6 intervals.

Whats interesting is I did this workout on March 26, 2008 and my fastest time was 1:13 (it was windy that day though). Today, my fastest time was :58. In fact I got 58 seconds on my first 2 attempts, my slowest time was 1:19 and that was my 4th effort. I was able to get 1:02 & 1:03 for my last two attempts.

Even though my March workout was a lot more windy I still think there was improvement this time. I've never gotten up that section with an average speed of 21.34mph and a max speed of 24.96mph.

This was the first annual Strawberry Classic that starts at Sweet Berry Farm in Marble Falls, TX over to Cedar Park. The total route was 60 miles. Going out to Sweet Berry Farm and picking strawberries is a tradition for my family. This was the third year, we went a little later in the year, but the berries were still good. In fact the potatoes were ready so we dug up some potatoes as well.

This was the first year that I brought my bike along. The plan was for me to ride back to the house while Jennifer drove the boys back. The wind was really whipping and it seemed to be blowing from where I needed to go. After sampling some of the pickings I headed out. For this inaugural event I was the only rider. Hopefully more people will be able to go next year, of course there's always the fall when the pumpkins are in season.

I had the route programmed into my trusty Forerunner and off I went into the wind. Besides the wind there were only 2 problems, when I mapped the route I was going from what google map had available. Out of Sweet Berry Farm there seemed to be a road that cut through to CR 120, that road doesn't really exist or if it does it was a dirt road that looked more like someone's driveway than a road. I pulled over got out the trusty iPhone and made sure there was a way out, which there was. The second mapping snafu was on 281. I had another "shortcut" that would meander on the back roads to Burnet. This road didn't exist. It was all the way to Burnet on Highway 281. This wasn't bad, except for going into the wind, which was coming out of the Northeast. For most of the way there is plenty of room on the shoulder for a bike so having the cars whirling by at 70+ miles an hour wasn't bad. However, there is one section, a bridge over a little stream a few miles out of Burnet the shoulder narrowed a bit. I had to hug the line as best I could.

Once I got through Burnet and got onto the back roads it was very peaceful with very low car traffic. I was actually surprised I did not see any other cyclist out, maybe the wind had kept them at home. At this point the wind seemed to be coming out of the East, of course most of the mileage was heading in this direction.

When I was recruiting riders I was estimating the ride time would be 3:34:00 and a total of 53.44 miles. To the end point I was quoting people it took 3:31:30 and the mileage was 57.3. All the way back to my house was 3:43:03 for a total of 60.5 miles. I averaged 16.27 mph, my top speed was 34.27 mph. The total climb was 2394.5, I wouldn't call any of the hills too big, none like 360 or Jester. There were only 1 where I got out of the saddle, it was a short steep one that I got out of the saddle to finish up the crest.

One other interesting stat for this ride, I actually had a higher average speed further into the ride. From outside Liberty Hill (CR 285/Round Mountain Road) I average 17.4 mph on the 14 mile stretch (77.1 rpm). Compare that to Burnet to Bertram I averaged 16.6 on the 12 miles (76.1 rpm). From Bertram to 285 my average speed was a whopping 18 mph on the 10 miles (79.3 rpm).

This was a fun ride and will do it again next year or if we head out to Sweet Berry Farm for pumpkins this fall I'll give it another go. This ride got me really excited for next weekends Armadillo Hill Country Classic as there should be some of the same roads around Burnet, Bertram and Liberty Hill. Those back roads are very low traffic, in fact it was kind of eerie to be the only one out there. If you ride this one make sure you bring enough water and carbs to get you through. On this route once you leave Burnet there won't be anything until you get to Nameless Road and the gas station there.

Get the route and more photos on RoadBikeRides.com.