Had a massively busy day at work, getting as much done before I cut out for the long weekend. Soon enough I'll be driving up north into the mountains of central Oregon for the Marathon Nationals in Bend. It's been at least ten years since I last rode the trails of Bend, back when I was still a junior. From what I remember, Bend had some of the most fun, fast and flowing single track. Can't wait.
Dialing In
I did another quick steady state session after work today. The picture above is of my old indoor setup. I'm now using my Tarmac SL4 for stationary training sessions. I have a PowerTap wheel built up, but it's hasn't been working properly. I think I either need to replace the battery or send the servo head unit in for repair/replacement. I can't use it anyway because I'm running a 10-speed SRAM cassette. I'm thinking about rebuilding it to match the wheel set on my SL4.
Having had a full year of professional and consistent training with Carmichael Training Systems I've grown accustomed to seeing my riding stats, relating the numbers I produce to how I feel, and where I can improve. I've been able to get away from using my power meter and rely solely on my heart rate monitor and perceived exertion.
The Dreaded Trainer
It's that time of year again, where I come to terms with less daylight, forcing me to either ride early in the morning, during the day, which isn't really an option anymore, or at home in the evenings after work. Enter the stationary trainer sessions, consisting of intervals in every painful way. I did some steady state intervals, but they weren't as bad as I remembered.
It's been a while since I was on my CycleOps fluid trainer. It's a quick and great way to get in some focused training before a big race. I've got the Marathon Nationals in Bend, OR this weekend, and wanted to make sure I was dialed in physically. I'm hoping my fitness stayed high since Leadville. I've put in a lot of consistent hours over the past few weeks, but I'm wondering if my sessions were intense or long enough.
Working the Weekend
It's been a crazy past couple of weeks of work for me. I had to come into the office over the weekend to crank through some work, but managed to squeeze in a ride afterwards.
Normally I'd go home and put on my gear, but because of the sun setting earlier than usual I had to go in my work clothes, button down and jeans. Not the most ideal riding gear, especially for mountain biking, but I really didn't care at the time. I just needed to get out into the mountains.
The Rapha Continental Rides in Cali
Not quite the bay area, but super close to what I ride all the time; dry, steep and secluded roads, dropping down into some marine air and back up again.
The Wheel Debate Continues
I love 29ers. I think I'd love 650B just as much, too. I've been on a 29er for the past year and can see all of its benefits and shortfalls. However, I don't think I'll ever go back to a 26" wheeled bike. Great to see the industry jumping on the 650B trend earlier rather than later.
The Headlands by Night
The night is creeping in sooner and sooner, making my ride through the Marin Headlands harder, especially after work. I hit the road around 6:30pm and knew I had to haul ass to make it around my loop and back to the bridge before it was pitch dark. I made the mistake I often do by not eating enough before heading out, nor did I bring any food with me. The cold bay air soaked through my body and bones on my return trip, zapping me of energy.
It wasn't all bad. The trails were in good condition. They reopened a section that's now been smoothed out for easier pedestrian access. At the top the view was spectacular despite heavy winds. You can see Mt. Tam basked in the sunset sky. Below is Mill Valley and Sausalito. We're hoping to buy a house down there someday soon.
Keep Turning Those Pedals
I'm getting ready for the Marathon Nationals in Bend, OR next week. Trying to keep my mileage/hours in the saddle up as I approach race time. This will most likely be the last race I do this season before settling into more base miles. This morning I road around my neighborhood, then dropped down along the coastal highway before making my way up into the Presidio and back home. Trying to keep my top speed up while not working myself too hard.
I ride into work everyday now. I've since retired my IF and mostly ride my Tarmac SL4. I feel spoiled having such a fast commuting rig. I don't rock too much riding specific gear other than a Rapha rain jacket, helmet and shoes. I hate having to carry a lot of gear, especially if I'm bringing my dog to work.
Project Leadville - The Search is Over
I'm quite convinced that this is the frame for me. Open makes a gorgeous 29er hard tail frame that's billed as the world's lightest. There are so many great details and design decisions that makes this stand out in a class of its own. From its minimal graphics, internal cable routing and mixture of carbon this bike is a cross-country racer's dream come true. The just started shipping out frames to dealers last month, so I better jump on it if I want to secure one. I haven't decided the complete build, as I'm waiting to see how things pan out at Interbike in two weeks time.
Oregon Coast
My wife, Dad and I went for a ride along the Oregon Coast on Sunday afternoon, starting in Rockaway Beach, getting up to Manzanita before turning back. I've always dreamed of riding the entire coastline, but that'll have to wait. It was fun to ride the scenic highway despite the heavy traffic. We went at a comfortable pace while soaking in the views.
My cousin and I used to explore the logging roads just outside of town. We'd get lost, and eventually connect the miles of fire road. We'd ride on the beach and battle strong headwinds on the way back. So many good memories in this part of Oregon. It's one of my favorite places to visit.
Ridgefield Ride
I rode with my Dad over the holiday weekend. I wanted to ride out in Mt. Hood, but he insisted we do his local ride, and boy it didn't disappoint. We rode 70 miles through beautiful and remote country fields and farmland. The terrain was rolling, and I was surprised we climbed over 4,500' in four hours.
It's been at least 15 or so years since I last rode with my Dad. I grew up riding with him, road and mountain, and somehow stopped when I moved up to Seattle. It's cool that he still rides, and rides strong.
I really put my Dad in the hurt locker. He normally doesn't go over 40 miles with his riding buddies, but he was curious about the area beyond Ridgefield, WA.
I mapped out a course on Garmin which brought us out into Lacenter, WA and back. It was really cool to ride through the city I grew up in. Everything was familiar but so different and strange at the same time. I couldn't remember the roads that connected with each other, but I had a general idea of where I was.
Flying through country roads. It felt great to let loose aboard my Tarmac. I would hammer it out on my own and waited up for my Dad to catch up. At one point I thought he had flatted, and turned back for a few miles only to discover he had taken a shortcut. Luckily we both had our phones.
We took a coffee break in Ridgefield. It was cool to see my Dad's ride, a full carbon Scattante bike with Ultegra.
My Dad's funny. He loves to chat and tell stories. It's hard to get a word in, but he just keeps going and going. He'll tell me all about his riding buddies in the local bike club, the way they scrutinize his bike(s) and how he teases them with stories of how he got them. He's the reason I got into cycling.
Project Leadville - Open
A buddy reminded me of Cervelo's Open mountain bike frames. So so light. May consider this.
Arrived
Arrived safely in sunny Portland, Oregon. My family actually lives across the river in Vancouver, WA. The weather is quite nice and should hold up for tomorrow's ride. Not sure where we're going yet, but I'm super excited to put in some miles with the old man. It's been at least 15 years.
P-Town
Headed up to Portland for Labor Day weekend right after work. Got two bikes in tow, one for me and the other for my wife. Got a big ride planned with my dad on Saturday before we head to the coast. Now for the long drive North.
Project Leadville - The Hard Eddie
The search for the perfect Leadville ride continues. I've been going back and forth between a few frames now, hoping to see some Eurobike models come to light, patiently waiting to see what happens at Interbike next month. I was pretty set on a Niner, but there's something not quite right with their Air 9 Carbon RDO. The lines seem strange to me. That's when I came across the Intense Hard Eddie.
It's really light, compared to a Niner RDO as well as a Santa Cruz Highball, which I found to be ubiquitous and unappealing graphics wise (2013). The Hard Eddie is an anomaly in that the majority of Intense's brand is focused on big hit trail bikes. It's their first and only 29er hard tail to date, and there's something cool about that. Comparing geometry specs to other leading brands it seems to be on par. I'm curious to see one up close. It features an interchangeable rear drop-out system, accommodating 142mm axles.
Is it too racey? Is the stealthy matte black with red highlights played out? Is th fact that it's another Taiwan made carbon frame (and who isn't these days) unappealing? The price is right, weight is down there, and it's just a gorgeous looking frame, with an optional matching rigid carbon fork. So far it's a front-runner.
The Dawn Patrol is Growing
6:15am wakeup call. I'm out the door and it's still incredibly dark. I turn on my red blinky light and start spinning faster than normal to keep warm. It's Tuesday early morning, and I'm on my way to meet the weekly Marin Headlands dawn patrol. It normally consists of three riders, myself included, but this morning there were six of us.
During our wait for the last rider to show up we started chatting about Leadville times. This sparked an all-out freight train across the bridge and up Hawk Hill. I barely hung onto the wheel in front of me. I barley had legs to keep me going having ridden hard all week and not enough recovery. Excuses aside, I pushed hard.
The sun is starting to come out to help show us the way.
The ride started out with clear skies, but by the time we came around the backside of our loop we were given a foggy surprise. It just came in out of nowhere. Rather than 'risk' getting lost or crashing off trail we decided to take the safer and slightly less-legal way down. I won't go into detail, but all I can say is that it was FUN.
Rise Above
What started out as a foggy morning turned into the brightest of days. I rode to the top of Hawk Hill, snapped this pic, and managed to set some personal records on the way up, despite feeling completely worn out. The view from the top will never get old.
Like Father, Like Son
Talked to my dad today on the phone about going up to visit family. We also talked about doing an epic ride together, which is really exciting because I can't remember the last time we rode together. I don't even remember if it was on road or mountain bikes. It's been at least 10-12 years. We keep in touch about rides we've done, stuff we've done to our bikes, what stuff to get and so forth, but it'll be interesting to see how our levels match up. We're thinking about a ride to Mt. Hood and back, and/or maybe a ride to the Oregon Coast. It's been years since I've ridden in the area, so it'll be a nice change of pace, granted it doesn't pour rain the whole time.
Signs of Overtraining?
Today was the first time in a long time where I woke up and didn't feel like going for a ride. I couldn't motivate myself to do anything, really. Maybe the weeks of post Leadville; work, commuting and endlessly training are catching up to me. My body was definitely telling me something, or maybe it was the cocktail and glass of wine from a late diner last night. Who knows. I did nap a bit, watched a movie and caught the tail end of stage 6 of the Pro Cycling Challenge this afternoon, which gave me the nudge I needed to go for an afternoon spin.
I definitely need to change my training block towards something else. I've been going pretty hard the past month, straying away from my training plan just a tad. With one more big race to top off the season followed by a couple local races I've got a lot to work towards.
Marathon Nationals, Here I Come
The next race I'm aiming for is in a few weeks in Bend, Or. It's the MTB Marathon National Championships, while not quite as hard as Leadville in terms of mileage (62 miles), it does climb a considerable amount with over 6,000'. The long format race suits my strengths more than the traditional cross-country race. Given the amount of climbing and mileage my training in the Bay Area almost matches the course profile with the exception of starting altitude, which is roughly 5,000' above sea level. I'll be heading out a couple of days early to acclimate as much as possible while pre-riding as much of the course before the race on Saturday. Time to start prepping.