Velo Tantra

In my early-to-mid 20s, I studied a form of Tantra Yoga, which involved spending significant time meditating, doing yoga, and generally immersing myself in activities that helped to calm some inner demons. Suffice it to say that I had some fairly significant issues to work out, as many of us do in that awkward transitional period leading up to (relatively) mature adulthood, and this practice was most helpful.

I don't regret for a moment all of the time and energy I invested in this practice. I attended numerous meditation retreats and seriously contemplated a more intensive exploration of this particular school of Tantra yoga, though ultimately I retreated rather than attempt to accept a guru as the manifestation of god on earth. Unwilling to suspend disbelief, I abandoned my practice entirely, while knowing full well that there's so much to gain from the practice, and devotion to a spiritual leader is not a prerequisite to personal spiritual growth. Punk rock, media arts and other earthly distractions kept me sufficiently engaged, and when I began re-exploring cycle touring in a big way, meditation and yoga were barely on my radar.

On my deeply satisfying solo bike excursion today up to Lansing, then onto the familiar Ringwood, Midline and Snyder Hill Rd. route, I had no mechanical distractions and experienced relatively little suffering, so I started contemplating the relationship between meditation and solo cycling. There are some striking similarities between the two activities. At the start of the first climbs of the day, my worries start to recede like a slow-moving stream, replaced with thoughts about how smooth my pedal stroke is (needs improvement) and how strong I feel today (pretty strong, actually). Soon, the stream becomes a fast-flowing river with the occasional waterfall as I pound my way up Ringwood and later Snyder Hill.

Meditation is all about emptying the mind, and while cycling does require constant focus on road conditions, traffic, hydration, nutrition, and the condition of your equipment, this relatively simply and narrow range of focus becomes fairly routinized. On solo rides, it doesn't take long for me to find relatively mental clarity and emptiness, and just as with meditation, the long-term benefits are very noticeable.

I'm learning that solo rides are an essential part of my cycling practice, and while group rides and races are  incredibly challenging, rewarding and fun, my solo cycling is my meditation.

A Group then B Group...A Better Strategy

Tuesday racing on a perfect night in the mid-70s with low humidity and a gorgeous sky. I started off tired, and ended up chastened.

Tonight we did the Brooktondale course. I contemplated joining the B group for both of the 8.5 mile laps, but then someone suggested that I alternate. Great idea, really—I can certainly hang with the A group, but I don't have the horsepower to make any moves toward the end. My hope was that the B group would give me more of a fighting chance to make a move toward the end, which ended up being the case.

On the A group lap, there was a breakaway of 4 cyclists, and I was getting increasingly frustrated by the peleton's unwillingness to make any moves to bridge the gap with only 2 or 3 miles remaining. I really regret the move that I made, as I crossed the meridian briefly to make a move to pull toward the leaders—I honestly wasn't thinking about safety and the rules we all need to abide by. It didn't matter that this was a straight section of road with no traffic anywhere in sight, I just wasn't thinking, and I've been beating myself up for this ever since getting a well-deserved warning. I have so much to learn and nothing can replace experience. My tendency to want to master something quickly is getting the better of me, and it's time to just sloooooooow down and keep plugging away.

The B group lap was a much better experience. I really did feel like I had more power and flexibility in that field, and I was able to make a few attacks. I finished in 4th or so, not a bad way to end a humbling evening. 

A Group Race Metrics

Lakefest Road Race on a 3-speed, then 2-speed

The trip in the Chris Cookies/Swan Cyclery team bus to Whitney Point was good fun, with terrific company and engaging conversation, but watching the busy windshield wipers and seeing the steady rainfall and gloomy skies had me thinking that perhaps we were in for a long, wet 50 mile slog. Weather radar gave me hope that the skies would soon clear and the rain would be a thing of the past, but the skies were unrelentingly gray and ominous.

The line at registration was long, and when we were done, we had precious little time to get our gear together and head out to the starting line. No chance to warm up, but it also meant less time for me to get nervous.

The field was small, with only 15 riders in the men's 50 mile race. The faces are starting to become more familiar, and several riders have been in all of the races I've participated in thus far. As we headed out of Whitney Point north toward Marathon, I was trying hard to avoid being in the direct path of rooster tails from other cyclists, but to no avail. I was more successful at staying further out in the road, something that I always try to do when we're about to take a sweeping right-hand turn. 

At around the 10 mile point in Marathon, we had our first climb. It was manageable, and I was feeling pretty darn good at that point, since the rain was subsiding. Fortunately the race was rain-free for the remainder, which made the challenges much more manageable.

I continued to keep up nicely with the pack, and even received a nice compliment from Ernie about my ability to keep re-emerging at the front of the pack, which kept my spirits high, even when I started cramping up a little. The big climb was tough, but not really nasty, and it felt good when I realized that the worst of the climbing was over.

Then at mile 35, my rear derailleur cable snapped. I went from a 30-speed bike to a 3-speed! It was so sudden and unexpected when I realized that I couldn't shift anymore that it took a couple minutes to come to grips with what happened and begin to imagine the consequences. I fully anticipated that I would get dropped by the pack and just limp along to the finish, but I just kept pushing and pounding the pedals. With only 3 speeds, finding the right gear is near impossible. My cadence was all messed up, so I was either standing and pounding the pedals or spinning too fast, and my poor chain was not liking the extreme stretch of the middle ring up front and the small ring in the back. While everyone else was contemplating protecting or attacking Bill, the breakaway (and ultimately winning) rider, I just concentrated on finishing as close to the front as possible.

Somehow I just kept working hard and tried to ignore the grinding sounds of my chain being stretched in extreme angles, and kept with the front group until 2 miles to go, when my chain got trapped between the two smallest rings, and the smallest chainring got all bent up. After freeing the chain after a few minutes of struggle I faced the final pretty climbs with a 2-speed. As you can see by the profile, those last two climbs were painful in the gearing I had remaining. Still, I finished 10th in this 50-mile race, about 3 or 4 minutes back, averaging 20.4 mph (Ride With GPS data is wrong...I forgot to turn off the Garmin). 


Satisfied and tired! Congratulations, Bill Erickson!

Bonus Training, Glorious Weather

After 3 1/2 months of cycling in sorts of less-than-ideal conditions, it's easy to forget what perfect weather riding is like. Well, today was one of those stellar days that foreshadows what will surely be a long and superb summer of riding. Temperatures in the low 70s to upper 60s, low humidity, barely a cloud in the sky, long shadows and a picture-perfect sunset...what more can you ask for? Not only that, but this was an unexpected bonus ride, the kind of lucky break that you just HAVE to embrace.

I've been thinking a lot about Ernie's comment about avoiding the number roads, and tonight I took the comment to heart, taking the low-traffic Van Ostrand to Munson, instead of taking Rt. 34 all the way to Gulf Rd. In spite of the fact that 34 has a smoother road surface, Van Ostrand is much more fun, and less traffic means that you can enjoy the scenery even more. The chip seal pavement is really in pretty good shape as well.

I'm really happy with my time tonight (20.3 mph average over 25.6 miles), as well as with the 11-tooth cog in my new cassette, which gave me a couple extra mph on the final East Shore descent.

Tomorrow is the cycling component of the Empire State Senior Game, which is happening at the Hollenbeck's course in Virgil, and I'm marshaling, and then Sunday is the Lakefest race in Whitney Point, so it's a very velo weekend!

Soaking, Windy, Gritty and Great

It's never easy to hop on the bike and head out on a ride when it's rainy and windy, but this one felt necessary, as it's my last chance for a long training ride before Sunday's Lakefest Race in Whitney Point.  Lots of Ithaca riders heading to this one, so it should be a friendly event and a good time.

Tonight's ride felt pretty utilitarian until I reached Ellis Hollow Creek Road. Finally, after getting away from traffic (which is unpleasant and a little intimidating in the wet) and loose gravel, the rain tapered off and the familiar and comforting rolling hills lulled me into a meditative state. The Ringwood climb just keeps getting better, and I barely noticed my freezing feet.

The good thing about working hard in the rain is that after a while you don't even notice it, you're generally warm enough even when it's in the 50s, and you don't have to worry about getting dehydrated. Of course, the down side is that when you return, your bike is gritty as are your clothes. I had the customary rings of grit around the my ankles and socks from all of the road junk getting thrown off of the drivetrain. Rides like this necessitate a complete cleaning and degrease, and tonight I adjusted the rear derailleur and brake cables and even trued the rear wheel, yet another meditative practice that yielded great results. Hopefully that will resolve the cursed chain-jumping-whilst-mashing-the-pedals-on-big-hills syndrome. I've done so much micro adjustments, so tonight I started from scratch and carefully adjusted the derailleur  to hopefully resolve the problem for good. The're are few things in the realm of cycling that are more frustrating than being inadvertently shifted to a higher gear in the midst of an intensive climb, and it really throws your concentration, confidence and timing.

Today I topped 1700 miles for the year, which started in early March. Vertical elevation thus far this year is just under 95,000 ft., and according to Garmin's questionable caloric data, I've burned around 105,000 calories in the last 3 months! No wonder I keep shedding pounds...

Weather Gods are Smiling

How lucky can a guy get? Wicked rains all day have everyone grumbling, but trusty doppler tells me that my highly anticipated after work ride is ON! Just check out this map—In about 1 hour this mess will have mostly cleared. Cool temps will make for a perfect training ride, as I prepare for the Lakefest race on Sunday at Whitney Point. Onwards!

Big Dairy Morning and Some Big Speed

No, I didn't overindulge on cheese and ice cream for breakfast, though that sounds like a pretty irresistible temptation right about now. This morning I revisited a favorite ride that I haven't been on since the end of March, which was a raw ride in the low 40s. 

Today's adventure stood in stark contrast, with temperatures in the low to mid 70s, and farmers' fields newly planted with corn and soybeans. With the wind coming from the right (wrong?) direction, freshly fertilized fields wafted the intense odor of liquified cow manure, and livestock were out in abundance. 

I've been really working on pacing, trying hard not to preserve fuel early on and strategically spend those reserves when it's most needed, like the 1/4 mile section of 12% grade on Ledyard Rd. that comes at the 24 mile point of the ride. Timing the gel and powerbar are critical to the pacing, and fueling up 10 or 15 minutes before a tough climb really does make a difference. I've recently been reading Serious Cycling by Edmund Burke, and I'm trying to retain some of the many training tips he offers, such as working toward a rounder stroke, something that I believe will help to reduce the heavy leg issue I've been having of late after several days of all-out cycling. (This winter I'm going to try one-legged cycling on the trainer to work more on improving rounded pedal strokes.)

Midway through the 12% climb, I had a most annoying loose dog encounter, which forced me off the bike at the worst possible time. I hollered "Please call your dog!" repeatedly, which finally resulted in a lame, ambivalent coaxing which accomplished nothing. I've had encounters at this same property before, and while I know that this is not a very highly trafficked stretch of road, it still seems pretty inconsiderate of the owners.

Without a doubt, the highlight of today's ride was the descent on Myers Rd. This section of road is relatively straight, with a sizable drop, as you can see by the closeup. Just check out those contour lines! When I last attacked this downhill, I clocked in at 44.1 mph, but today I broke my bike speed record, with an official 50.0 mph. I know, the pros routinely top 70 mph on those crazy alpine descents, but hey, 50 mph in the finger lakes is nothing to sneeze at. I had a bit of a tailwind and a good tuck, and since I know the road pretty well, I was very comfortable about knowing all the twists and turns. At a certain point my lower lip started flapping and my cheeks puffed out, so I knew I was getting some good speed, but that was more than I could have hoped for. Of course not everyone in my household shares this view, but as I pointed out to the family during the Cornell Physics dept. gyroscope demonstration later in the day, the gyroscopic effect really holds true and this wasn't really dangerous. In fact, I felt downright giddy! I love the fact that my trusty Garmin told me that I topped out at 50.0, not 49.9, and not 50.1. Perfect!

I spent the rest of my ride trying to get my average speed up, while battling a moderate headwind. It was a no-nonsense haul back through Lansing, and the average speed of 19.2 was far better than the 18.1 from back in March, though there's no accounting for wind speed. Still, I feel like this ride and the relatively quick recovery afterwards is showing me that all of this training is really paying off.

Stats:

Distance: 44.91 miles

Avg. speed: 19.2 mph

Vertical ascent: 2406 ft.

Calories burned: 3197 kcal

Max. speed: 50.0 mph

Time: 2:23:22