Mellow Johnny's is having a roller race on Wednesday, ColdSprint Spring Thaw Roller Races Presented by HED. It's $5 to enter, free to watch. This actually sounds fun, I don't consider myself a sprinter, my short power bursts is one of my limiters but I think I might give it a try. There's just one problem, the last time I was on rollers I went down hard and swore off the darn things. Luckily it appears the front fork is attached to a stationary platform so there shouldn't be any accidental jettison like what happened in my garage.
Any other Austin bike bloggers going and should we have a throw down?
The morning started out on the cold side, but at least there was little to no wind. They had us standing around in staging for what seemed like hours. The wait was compounded by the fact we were in the shade just standing around with riders teeth chattering. Luckily I had brought my arm warmers and had them on along with my leg warmers. One rule for the race that was new to me was if by the 3rd lap they would be pulling riders that had fallen off the back and behind the follow vehicle.
With the thought of being pulled in my mind I made darn sure I stayed with the front group. The pace was quite manageable, the rolling hills kept the race in check. At the end of lap 1 I felt great and had moved up fairly close to the front of the pack.
Lap 2 was more of the same, the pack started to thin out a little but we still were pretty packed in. A few riders would attack but got pulled back in. I was making mental notes of good places to even attack on for lap 3 and the final 4th lap. As we came to the finish line for the end of lap 2 something didn't feel right with my back wheel. It felt like I was getting a flat, I pressed on and surged with the front of the pack and it seemed to get worse. My rear wheel felt sluggish. I made my way over to the right shoulder and slowed down as the main pack went by and along with the follow car and the last of the stragglers. I was surprised to see no flat. I did find later that some of spokes had lost tension and were a little loose. Not sure if this is what I was feeling or what. I'll take it down and get a full diagnosis.
------UPDATE------
When I loaded the bike into the car this morning I did in fact have a flat. At least I wasn't imagining it.
When I got to the start there was a hint of sun breaking through the clouds. I foolishly thought the weather would hold, I later found out that is the nasty trick that Walburg likes to play. By the time I rolled up to the start the cloud cover rolled in along with dark menacing clouds. Then came the rain. It rained just enough to get the roads wet and cause the back wheels to kick up a stream of water and gravel pelting the rider behind. My goal for this race was to ride in the pack as long as possible. On the way out I was situated in the middle of the pack, but I was on the far right of the road hugging the shoulder. I was on the lookout for opportunities to move up. I had to warn a couple of guys from weaving into me. The worst was the guy in front of me, he would stand up on the rollers, but instead of pushing harder before standing and throwing his bike forward he'd just stand up and slow down and go backwards. On a couple of occasions I almost ran right into the back of him. After the second time I had enough following him so I made my way over to the far left.
From here I was able to work my way up the field and found myself about 3 rows back. Unfortunately the way the wind was coming I was totally exposed and couldn't get behind anybody's wheel. I was just hanging out into the wind. Right before Schwertner it happened, the pack surges and I couldn't match. I think this is because I was pushing 311 watts on average while I was stuck unprotected.
As I made the turn in Schwertner there was one other rider that got spit out that I rode with. We were joined by one other rider. They were hauling, I had a hard time to stay on their wheel. The 3 of us started to get strung out. Then it happened, my legs refreshened up and I got my second wind. Or I finally got warmed up. I passed one of the riders and pressed on towards the other rider who got up to another rider and they were doing a 2 man echelon. I could still see the main pack up ahead. Of course it's flat and no trees so you can see for miles.
I made the hard right turn onto 972 for the final 8 miles. As I made the turn it hit me. The wind gave me a nasty right cross. It hit me right on the chin, I was lucky not to go down. To let you know how bad it was, on one down hill section I had to get off the saddle to keep momentum, it was as if I was climbing up a hill. I was slowly closing the gap on the riders in front of me. As we were getting into the rollers I finally caught up to one of the two. He had popped off the back from his companion. Onward I pushed and caught up with the other rider #504. For the next 6 miles we worked together in a 2 man echelon. There was a point near the finish I lost him, but he was able to bridge up to me. We worked together till a bit after the 1K marker and then climbed the final hill to the finish as all bets were off. I finished in front of him. He thanked me for working with him and I thanked him. Without working together I still might be out on the course. It was not fun to be out in the stiff wind by yourself.
In the end my normalized power was 274 watts and 1191 kJ burned. I placed 36th finishing in front of a few others. Tomorrow is the Pure Austin Road Race my race starts at 8am.
I started the day by making apple cinnamon pancakes, a filling breakfast. I prepared 2 bottles of Heed along with espresso Hammer gel in the gel bots. I loaded up everything and headed out for the race around 9.
Since this was my first road race I've been asked a few times if I would be nervous. I would say I kept my nerves in check, I've been in plenty of big game situations so I was able to stay calm and approach it as any other ride.
I warmed up a bit riding up and down 1101, there were several people on their trainers. Next race I think I need to warm up better as when the race finally kicked off it took me about 6 miles to get into it. The Cat 4/5 field was packed. We rolled out, I was in the middle of the start. My goal was to stay as close to the front as possible. For the first 6 miles I averaged 24 miles per hour. When we turned off 1101 we went into a blistering head wind. This strung the pack apart. Not only did we have the wind we were on chip seal and the larger of the hills were looming. I found myself in the back of pack. I could see the lead pack was breaking up into 2, but there was a big gap and it was growing.
My back pack brothers weren't working together and the hills were taking their toll on them. Since nobody was organized and I was essentially riding solo into the wind I decided to bite the bullet and go for it. I passed several people on the hills and cruised up the big hill. I should quantify the "Big Hill" statement, some of the cat 1/2/3 guys were giving some tips on the route to the guy parked next to me and they were calling it a big hill. It was a short hill maybe a 1/4 mile in length and probably a 10% grade at best at it's steepest. I was able to stay seated on it all 3 times up it. Anyway, when I crested the hill I was all by myself, I did contemplate waiting for someone so I would have someone to go into the wind with, but I saw a few people in the distance so I pressed on. As I would catch up to someone I would draft off of them for a bit to catch my breath a bit and then I would go on. I would like to especially thank #140, he and I rode together for a bit each taking turns in the lead. But for whatever reason he slowed so I was alone again. The worst part was the head wind leading up to the airport, I was pushing well over my 100% FTP max and only going 14 mph. Luckily I then caught up to an Aggieland rider to help cut through the wind. We were making progress on closing the gap to the group ahead. Not sure what happened with him as we got back to the beginning to end lap 1 I think he pulled off.
The group was in close range now. I finally caught them a few miles into lap 2, they were working together quite well. I slipped into the echelon. What a difference working together in a group is. The size of the group was 8 people for the most part. We would overtake some riders and they were welcomed to the pack. The largest we ever got was about 12 riders, but someone would cramp up or drop off the back on the hills. The one drawback to the group was we weren't going that fast, at least not fast enough to catch the leaders. However I couldn't do it alone and quite frankly at this point there was probably no real shot at catching them anyway.
Into the final stretch the group was down to 8 people and with the finish line on everyone's mind the pace finally picked up. I made sure I was in position for the final sprint when it materielized. With about 300m to the finish one guy broke away and I was right on his wheel. There was a groan and some exhales of frustration as we caught everyone in the group by surprise and they had no answer. It was just me and him and I was right on his wheel. As we got to the 200m marker I was right on his wheel. At the 100m point I started shifting and made my sprint. As I crossed the finish line I had at least 2 bike lengths on him and the rest of our group was still back there.
There you have my first road race, I'm glad to have it out of the way. Up next is Walburg Classic and then Pure Austin Road Race. I'll be riding straight up Cat 5 in both of these. They are a Saturday & Sunday but only 25 miles each so hopefully I'll be good.
I pulled the trigger today for the January 17, 2009 Copperas Cove Road Race. When I found the race I didn't want to delay as there were a few races last year I waited to sign up and the cat 5 field filled up. Not this time, I was the first to sign up!
This means I have a little over a month to get ready for the 54 mile race. This will be my first bonifide, sanctioned road race. You might recall my Driveway Crit, but this is my first road race. Another first will be my first time going to Copperas Cove, TX. According to google maps Copperas Cove is about 51 miles from my house. I've heard good things about the riding around Copperas Cove.
If time permits over Christmas I might make a recon trip up to Copperas Cove and preride the course. This also means I'll drop the cash for a full USA Cycling license at some point.
Earlier today there was a big announcement on Twitter:
Yes you read that correctly, I have joined Team Fat Cyclist and will be riding in the 2009 LiveStrong Challenge here in Austin, TX (Oct 23-25)! I'm really excited about this as Fatty has some great prizes lined up plus I'm looking forward to the 90 mile route.
Lets kick it off right here and now. Here's my Livestrong page ready for contributions: http://austin09.livestrong.org/weiland. As of right now I have raised zero dollars, I don't like the goose egg staring me in the face, of course I could donate to my own cause, but where's the fun in that. The first blog reader to contribute to my LiveStrong fund will receive a Deluxe membership to the CertificateCreator.com.
Let me start off by saying I DID IT! This has been a year in the making. It was last November when I first heard of the Tour das Hugel. At that time my longest ride was only 40 miles and I'd only had a road bike for a few months. For the past year it has been a lot of climbing repeats. I built up my mileage and have done 3 century rides this year. This past year I've climbed 207,664 feet in preparation, I rode most of the course hitting all the hills except for The High Road and Bullick Hollow. I did decide to ride the new bike, forgoing common sense. I knew I could get through everything in the first leg with the new bike. It was the second part that had me worried as I wasn't sure how I would be able to handle the steeper climbs without my triple that was on the old Fuji.
The start was windy and chilly, it never did warm up the entire day and the wind seemed to only get stronger. This was the windiest ride I'd ever experienced in Texas. There was more wind for the Hugel than my ride when Hurricane Ike blew through Austin.
The first leg, 38.8 miles was a blast. From the start the pack split into at least 2 segments. The first being the real hammerheads, the guys that were actually racing. I wound up into the second pack. When we hit The High Road this was a recipe for disaster. There were riders in all directions about an arms length apart. As we start the climb up High Road a rider on the right side almost goes down as he hit his wall. A few seconds later the rider right in front of me comes to a complete stop. I quickly avoid him, I think the person behind me might have hit him or he went down before he could unclip. I heard the tell tale signs of bicycles hitting the pavement. I passed a lot of riders on High Road. The High Road climb is .6 miles and the average grade is 8.6% and it maxs out at 19.1%.
When I rolled into the rest stop on Barton Springs I hear someone behind me say "I can't believe you bought that bike" I turn around and tell him "I didn't, it was given to me". At this point I notice he has the same exact Orbea Orca as me. I then proceed to tell him I won it in a contest. I fill up my bottle. He was riding with 2 others, they all had New Revolution kits on. One of the others had the blue Orca. I rode with them throughout the day.
At the end of first leg I felt great, I finished the first 38 miles (4118 ft. climbing) in 2'39:32. Back at Zilker Park I refilled my bottles, reloaded my pill capsules with Hammer Endurolytes and Anti-Fatigue pills and pushed off for the second part.
Part II
On Stratford my left calf started to have a twinge, I couldn't tell if it was a cramp or a muscle strain. It never outright hurt during the day, but it was a dull annoyance. For me the separation of if I could complete the ride was Smokey Valley. If I could get up Smokey Valley without the triple than I should be able to clear everything. As I rolled up to Smokey I was with a couple other riders, they really slowed as we got 1/2 way up so I accelerated around them, looking up there were about 3 or 4 other riders on the steepest section doing the zig zag. In fact almost every hill I saw people doing the zig zag. It really took a lot for me to get up Smokey Valley, at the top I wished I had a 26T cog (I'd later wish for a 27T). A wish I pondered at the top of Ladera Norte as well. However, with the confidence that I could tackle Hugel with the new bike a relief swept over me.
The next biggest challenge was Beauford. I hate Beauford, it's not the steepest or the longest, but the grooves and bumps just makes it downright nasty. I was with the New Revolution guys and a couple others. On Beauford it was the only time someone passed me on a climb. A fellow with a mountain bike drive train passed me with his triple. I caught up with him at the bottom of Jester waiting for the light on 2222. I chatted with him about his set up, he had a 12-28, he was regretting not putting on his mountain cassette (12-34). The next challenging hill for me was Courtyard. It took a lot out of me to get up Courtyard, in fact I had to take an impromptu 5 minute rest stop at the top.
After Courtyard I think I went numb. The rest of the hills didn't seem to hurt anymore, I just rode. Rest stop 4/5 on River Place had boiled potatoes! They had ones drenched in cheddar cheese and one with bacon! I opted to try the cheddar cheese ones. I did pull the cheese off before consuming them. Warm potatoes on a cold day really hit the spot.
In the past I've avoided Bullick Hollow because there's no shoulder and there can be a bit of traffic on it. Bullick Hollow is 1.1 miles with an average grade of 3.2%, max is 18.7%. The traffic wasn't a problem, I'll have to add it to my routes. When I got done with the Dam and heading back on 620 I half jokingly thought this was my bailout point as I was only about 10 miles away from home. I had come this far and the only thing between me and finishing was Big View and Jester.
I was not looking forward to Big View, but I knew the initial part was the worse. All I had to do was get through that and then the rest wouldn't be that bad. I was in the zone, Big View posed no threat. All that stood between me and finishing was Jester.
At the bottom of City Park Road I turned right onto 2222, obviously the wrong way. I had to turn around. 1/2 way up Jester I briefly contemplated stopping at the outhouse to pee, figured losing the 10 bottles of water I'd consumed would help with the climb. I passed on the pit stop and went right up Jester. I conquered the worst of the worst. I'd done it faster in the past, but no other times had been sweeter. Now all that was left was to get back to Zilker. Something that was easier said than done.
The last 7 miles really seemed to drag, 360 was slow and just like the entire day it was windy. My Garmin started warning me that it was low on batteries, this had me worried as I wasn't exactly sure of the way back to Zilker Park. I missed the turn on Wilderness and went all the way to Bee Caves. I pulled out the cue sheet and I had somehow printed out the initial one that had an error, it was the one that omitted Wilderness. I went down it anyway and did find my way back.
In the end it took me 8'24:11 to complete the entire 110 mile Hugel. I climbed 12,815.5 feet. One of my biggest takeaways from the ride, I hated the downhills. Towards the end when I would be coasting down the hills my legs would tighten up, the initial spinning up would hurt. I much preferred to keep my legs moving. The organizers and volunteers put on a great show. This was one of the best supported rides I've ever been on. Remarkable seeing as there is no entry fee. I surprisingly feel pretty good today, my legs are a little tight, my left calf hurts a bit walking up stairs. My goal for next year is to finish fast enough to get a medium shirt.
The Tour Das Hugel organizers have posted the route for Saturdays ride on the Hugel yahoo groups page. No big changes from the 2007 route, the order has changed for a couple hills Adorondak Trails has been taken off the route this year, but the entire length of Big View has been added. This year's route appears to be about 107 miles, 1 mile more than last years route. If anybody is planning on doing the ride but are not part of the yahoo group leave a comment and I'll email the 2 PDFs to you.
We were truly blessed with wonderful weather today, it was absolutely perfect. It was a tad windy, but I didn't think it was too bad, it was definitely better than when I rode the route last August and not nearly as windy as last year.
I had the goal of riding a century in 5 hours and 30 minutes. To tell you the truth I didn't think today was going to be the day. At the end of my ride in Thursday my knee started to ache a little. Friday it didn't go away so I didn't ride at all. This morning when I woke up it wasn't sore at all, for the first 50 miles I didn't want to push it, I averaged 17.7. At about mile 30 I some how pulled away from Dan and Jared, they were gabbing about mountain bikes and the next thing I know they are no longer behind me. I jumped in with a few other riders and we took turns pulling and then by Bartlett it was just me and a lady with a Fleet Feet kit. We rode together till a bit after the Granger Lake rest stop. I was doing the math in my head and if I averaged 20 mph I could come in around 5:30. I was feeling really good so I decided to push it up to 22+.
The second 50 miles I ended up averaging 19 mph, which isn't bad considering the last 50 has a lot of sections into the wind. I sprinted to the finish at 5:20:23, my active on the bike time was 05:12:04.
© 2008 Daniel Norton - Thanks to the great motion blur I look fast. This is going down Westlake Drive. 
© 2008 Daniel Norton - Cresting Ladera Norte. 
© 2008 Daniel Norton - On top of Jester. It's only 7 miles back to the finish from here! 
