A Big Game Run Amok

My plan was to once again (for the third consecutive year) participate in the Le Tour Challenge, a crazy online virtual challenge where those of us with Tour de France fantasies can compare stats and compete for prizes and points on a leaderboard. It's far from scientific, but it has been a kickass challenge to force myself to ride for virtually every day in the glorious month of July, then collapse on the couch with a giant bowl of Kashi Go Lean (best cereal ever invented) and blueberries (best fruit ever invented) and watch the day's stage of the real Tour.

The plan started to go south last Tuesday when some of us fools got caught out in a torrential storm during the Tuesday Night Races. I've never cycled through such a heavy downpour and the lightning was a bit too exciting for my tastes. I also knew that my hard-working Garmin Edge 205 would be suffering as well. I've logged over 10,000 miles with my Garmin since ordering it in the spring of 2009, and starting last year it started to crash after riding in the prolonged rain.

The day after the deluge it was functioning fine, but the day after, I started it up and then it would automatically stop. I kept having to press the start button to get it going again. I put it in a plastic bag with some rice to dry it out (advice from tech support at Garmin), but things only got gradually worse as the week went on.

Le Tour Challenge 2011, Stage 1

To fully participate in the Le Tour Challenge and have your rides ranked, you have to submit data from a GPS device like a Garmin or a smartphone. So yesterday I rode a pleasant 58 miles, mostly with Dave, around Genoa, Lansing and Salmon Creek, and the Garmin started crashing on my repeatedly. I remembered how to reset it, but every time I reset, I lost some miles and the average speed and calorie estimates got totally messed up. I submitted my data and emailed tech support at MapMyRide, asking them to ignore my average speed data, which evidently they do anyway. The worst part about this was getting distracted from an otherwise nice ride.

I was hoping that another night in the rice bag would get my trusty Garmin back to working order, but I was sadly mistaken. I headed out for a moderate ride, meandering up through Cayuga Heights, then through Cornell campus and off to the familiar Ringwood, Midline and Ellis Hollow/Ellis Hollow Creek route. I really felt like a fool as I stopped or slowed down at least 14 times to reset the damn computer. I realized fully for the first time that my frustrations in my quest for data was completely ruining my cycling experience. I was far from being in the moment as I kept my eye on the odometer to see if it would once again lock up. 

Why was I doing this? What really was the point of participating in this virtual challenge anyway? And why do I feel the need to log every single cycling mile and compare the stats with the previous year or week or whatever? Well, if you know me at all, you know that I tend to be obsessive and I take my addiction very seriously. It seems that the older I get, the better I get at following obsessions to their logical conclusions. I'm not interested in changing this undeniably annoying personality quirk, since I honestly believe that it's O.K. or even fantastic to embrace your obsessions as long as you pick the right ones. However, I feel like this one particular activity is actually not worth the stress and frustration. Why do I really care how far up the leaderboard I go? In the first year I won a heartrate cycling meter, so there is the allure of winning stuff and the recognition that I could do pretty well when competing with thousands of others around the world. However, I don't think it's worth getting worked up over anymore. I remember last July I was pushing so hard through the month that I was actually greatly relieved when the event was over. I was really strong by the time August rolled around, but I think I can ride just as much and have more fun if I lay off a little and just ride for fun. Maybe my Garmin issues are a happy accident that led me to a helpful realization. 

I'm still leaving the Garmin in a rice bag overnight, however...

Running?!

After some serious procrastination, I finally started my running training in preparation for the upcoming Warrior Dash at the Windham ski resort in the Catskills. I've always disliked running, but it's so much more fun when I run with my sweetie. Gail took me on one of her regular routes which takes you up Seneca St. and then north on Stewart Ave. and back down University. What a lovely morning!

My plan is to start running up one of the cemetery hills, since the start of the Windham Warrior Dash involves running 1.5 miles straight up a ski trail. This seems like quite a challenge for a non-runner, but from what I hear, it's quite a fun affair and nobody takes it too seriously. My plan is to run two or three times per week in preparation.

Last Day of the Month Desperation Push

For the third month in a row I started to mildly panic because my total mileage numbers were down in a month-to-month comparison with the previous year. I know it's just a game and that mileage totals is not a complete measure of success in training. However I'm not one to shy away from such mental games.

I knew that I had to ride 30 miles to match last June's total, so I explored a familiar route with some new variations, namely Lounsberry Rd., Burns Rd. and Creamery Rd. in Brooktondale. It's a very pretty stretch with broad vistas of Ellis Hollow and Buffalo Hill. What a gorgeous day, though the winds offered quite a challenge on a low-energy day.

I managed to eke out just over 37 miles, surpassing last year's June total, though I doubt I'll be able to match last July's total of around 900 miles.

Some stats for the year:
Total mileage through the end of June: 2520 miles
Average miles per week since January: 100 miles
Average miles per week since May: 166 miles

June 2011 Summary

Wildlife out in full force!

It finally started warming up. No in-between this spring, so I'm getting out earlier and earlier.

Working on climbing. This Ringwood Mt. Pleasant route is a great way to wake up...at 5:30 am and before breakfast!

Not my best race. Tummy problems all week plagued me.

Definitely my best race yet. It felt good to be in it at the final sprint.

Looking forward to this relay tri in August.

After months of saving, I placed an order on this great Fuji Cross 1.0. Hopefully I'll get it soon.

This ride was very scary indeed. When will I learn that lightning and cycling don't mix?

May 2011 Summary

I really had the jitters before Hollenbecks. 

It was a really good Masters race, and I had enough energy in reserve to push hard on the final climb.

Gail had a 5K race on the same day as Hollenbecks!

Pretty decent pace, for sure.

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Yellow Barn Rd. is always imposing. Bill is teaching me to stand less frequently...makes sense.

Humbled by the As.

Longest ride of the year thus far. Good tempo and it rained all the way.

I'm happy with my improvements, though it turns out that I finished 6th overall, not 5th.

This is a beautiful circuit.

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April 2011 Summary

Though I didn't write in my blog for the last three months, I did microblog about cycling on Facebook and Twitter. Here's a summary of April activities:

In April I started a weekly family bike ride, which heads out on Saturdays at 10:30 from our house. This has been loads of fun for all, the kids all get along nicely with each other, and it's hard to beat the snack options at the Farmers Market.

My friend Bruce joined me for part of this ride. Warmer days meant longer rides and hillier terrain.

I was so eager to get back to the Tuesday Night Races. No one else showed up, so I rode through some pretty intense conditions. 

Still working on form after a long winter.

We participated in the annual cleanup of the Waterfront Trail. We're loving the Phase 3 section of the trail between the Farmers Market and Stewart Park, and were happy to help.

Who knew that bladed spokes could cause a bike to be so unstable? I really thought that I'd be pushed right off the bike at the crest of Snyder Hill Rd.

I naively thought that the cold, rainy days would soon be over...

Longest ride of the year to this point.

Hiatus is Over!

Yes, after a 3-month hiatus, I'm finally getting back to the blog. Family, work and cycling have been priorities, and if I ever had to choose between cycling and writing about cycling, you can probably guess what I chose.

It's been a very fulfilling spring and early summer, in spite of endless rainy days and colder-than-usual conditions. Lots to share, so I will submit several summaries of the months that I've been away from the blog, April, May and June.

Frozen Dairy Frenzy

Ithaca's winter 2010-11 will go down in history as one of the most real and stubborn seasons in a while, if perceptions are indeed accurate. After experiencing many Buffalo winters that challenged its' citizens to the core, I felt positively coddled by the relatively tropical Ithaca winters, that is until now. The big differences between these two locales are the cold winds coming off of frozen Lake Erie and the sudden, massive lake effect snowstorms. I remember all the wear and tear on the paint and the decking on our front porch resulting from driving snow, rain and mixed precipitation, and I must have replaced the storm door closing hardware four times in six years. Portions of the decking needed to be replaced frequently, much like weather-beaten homes on the coast of Maine, and if you didn't keep on top of exterior maintenance, you really paid a price. Meanwhile, Ithaca winters, at least in the downtown area, have always been mellow until this year. I've been so used to a week of oddly warm weather sometime in the middle of winter and then an early spring, so it's been a bit of a readjustment.

This year has been particularly trying for cyclists desperate to log winter and early spring road miles. It seems like every time we are teased with a warming trend, the cold and snow swoop in once again. In spite of this annoying pattern, I feel fairly successful in getting the best of a challenging situation. Today I crossed the 600 mile threshold for the year, and should have close to 1K miles logged before my first race on May Day. Rather than despair like I did last year, I just kept looking for opportunities and concocted a winter cycling wardrobe that worked for the most challenging of conditions.

King Ferry, Ledyard, Genoa, Lansing

While my last two rides were all about climbing (Snyder Hill, Ringwood and Mt. Pleasant), today I concentrated more on distance. This was my longest ride of the year, a tad under 48 miles, along a familiar route that I'm quite fond of, up to King Ferry and Ledyard along Cayuga Lake, east to Genoa (big dairy country) and back home through West Groton and Lansing, and it was the most brutal and memorable ride of the year so far for sure!

The first 20+ miles up to Ledyard via Lansing and King Ferry were rough. Direct headwinds of 15-20 mph had my digging deep and averaging only 15.8 mph, and my legs felt like rubber by the time I turned on Ledyard Rd. I concentrated on keeping my cadence up high, but my legs were stinging a bit from the cold, in spite of my layers. After toying with the idea of using my remaining pair of ski hand warmers for a month now, I finally broke down and shoved them into my winter cycling gloves. It was really good move, since my hands never got cold during the entire ride.

As soon as I headed East I felt liberated, since I was no longer battling a powerful invisible force. The eventual tailwind had me flying home and every hillclimb was a breeze (pun intended). It was great to be back in big dairy country, and a big hats off to the friendly dairy farmer with the vanity plate on his pickup "Milks4U" who slowed down to make sure I wasn't chased by a dog and gave me a hearty wave. Winter and early spring can be dangerous times for cyclists, since drivers aren't expecting to see bikes and folks are less likely to tie up their dogs. This kind gesture by the friendly farmer had me wanting to buy up a big supply of his milk, even if it wasn't organic and didn't come from a small farm! I've always found farmers to be very friendly to cyclists, even though you'd think that they'd be annoyed. They're working insanely long days and then some overgrown kid with a fancypants carbon fiber bike zips by, seemingly oblivious to their hard work and daily back breaking chores. I usually feel guilty until I imagine that somewhere in farm country is a crazed cycling farmer getting ready for the racing and growing seasons simultaneously.

The ride into Lansing went so fast, as did the ride down East Shore Drive, and I was home before I knew it. The tailwinds really boosted my average speed, and I managed 18.1 mph for the windy loop. It wasn't my best time for that route, but all things considered, it felt pretty good. My fuel management and recoveries keep getting better, thanks to my latest sports nutrition obsessions. I'm hooked on the Heed products of late, and I'm using Perpetuem instead of gels and bars during the ride. The stuff really works, and it makes so much more sense to take on fuel in smaller quantities with less time in-between than the old gel and bar approach. You just adjust the mixture according to how long you'll be riding and you'll never bonk. The Recoverite seems to work like magic to reduce post-ride soreness and restore muscle. I was skeptical for the longest time, but my body is telling me that this is the magic elixer.

The Fuji Bordeaux, Jean's new road bike.

Finally, I was thrilled to be able to help my friend Jean buy a used road bike today. I called her the moment I saw the posting on the FLCC listserv, and she is now the proud owner of a 2005 Fuji Bourdeaux in mint condition. Thanks, Stephen, you did right by Jean, and I can't wait to go for a ride with her on her spiffy new toy.

Spring is Fickle

Yesterday and the day before we were basking in temperatures in the 60s, so it felt like cruel and unusual punishment to be back in the 40s with overcast skies and blustery winds. This made motivation especially hard, but it was well worth it. I took a new figure 8 route on familiar roads to get my distance up to the mid 30s. This was my first time on Ringwood coming from Ellis Hollow Creek Rd. and my first time on Snyder Hill Rd.

Who cares about the weather? Bring it on!

Spring Ahead and Speed Up

Loving the Maxxis Hors Category tire, great for training

Spring fever has struck for real, and never mind the road grit, this has been a glorious week of cycling. This is such an exciting time for cyclists, as we finally see ample riding opportunities on the horizon. Who cares if it's raining, as long as the temperatures are in the 40s or warmer.

I finally eked out a 100 mile+ mile week, and today I shed my jacket  and tights for the first time. It felt pretty strange to be suddenly so liberated, especially on the climbs.

As I headed up to Terpening Corners for me pre-work commute/workout, I noted with delight that my average speeds kept climbing, and then it just got better on the return trip down East Shore Drive, as a friendly tailwind pushed me all the way to work. I managed the 15 mile ride (900+ ft of vertical climb) averaging 20.9 mph, which was by far my fastest ride of the year. This has me wondering how much aerodynamics is a factor—my rain jacket  does flap around quite a bit, so riding without it probably does increase my speeds, but also, the wind direction is truly a wildcard variable. Either way, it feels good to be pushing the speeds up, especially as racing season is nearing.

Tuesday night racing starts up in a few weeks, and Hollenbecks is on the horizon, so I look forward to riding with others again soon.

Against All Odds, Spring Has Sprung and Family Cycling Fever is in Full Bloom!

Regrettably it has been a while since my last post. My most recent entry from early February was about my valiant efforts to keep going with winter cycling. February was a strong month, in spite of plenty of snowfall and cold temperatures. All told, I managed to eek out 115 road miles during the month, along with some hearty workouts on the trainer. The touring bike was an adequate substitute for the road bike, but I was getting increasingly itchy to get back to a more rigorous road biking schedule and really test out my new wheelset. I was getting all excited about March, since last year my season started, and then this happened. That's Ithaca for you—not enough snow when you want it most and then a useless and ridiculous early March blast.

March Madness

Enough already! Over a foot of snow on March 7th really put a damper on cycling for a few days, and I was cursing the weather gods once again. It used to be that snow got me all worked up in a good way, but  these days I just see it as an inconvenience. Fortunately for me, the warmer temps and heavy March rains made short work of a record snowfall. Finally the road bike resurfaced, and yesterday marked the beginning of my daily commute via Remington, Triphammer Lansing and back along East Shore Dr. It's so gratifying to take the road bike out after a long absence and get the confirmation that all that wintertime conditioning and cross-training really paid off.

Toby, the proud owner of a Fuji Ace 24

This week Toby finally got his Fuji Ace 24 from Glenn Swan's, and he is such a proud and happy guy. As Glenn predicted, Toby understood immediately that a road bike is so much faster and responsive on the roads than his mountain bike. It's sad that there aren't more road bike options for kids, but we are so fortunate to have Glenn's shop and his tireless cycling advocacy. Those 24" wheels are pretty cute, and it's a pretty impressive package.

Leo finally learns to ride...today!

And today, in the midst of submitting this latest blog entry, Leo has finally decided that it's his turn to learn to ride! Look how proud and determined our little guy is! Now that he's on two wheels, we are looking forward to family cycling adventures galore. This afternoon I'm taking Toby out to Lansing to start working on some moderate hill climbs. I'm not sure which one of us is more excited...