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99.9% Complete
That is the race season for me. Finally, only one more race to go: Iceman Cometh, November 8. This is a 25-28 mile point to point race. There is nothing technically challenging about the trail. It’s the distance that is the major obstacle. Due to suffering from chronic fatigue, I really reduced my training hours over the past month. That shows in my race results for the last two races.
Addison Oaks on September 21st was a race I probable shouldn’t have done. Yet I did it. Not only that, I also did the Pando race, which was the following weekend. The week leading up to Pando I paid close attention to my resting HR. I was experiencing around 10bpm increase in my rest HR. One morning it was as high as 22 bpm. Regardless, I saddled up for Pando. Even on the drive there I felt like I was out of breath. I just thought I would muscle through it.
I did do an easy pre-ride the day before. I wanted to set a race pace that I could handle without over doing it. My goal was to just finish the race. I settled in on a comfortable 22 minute lap (4 lap race). Come race day, that turned into a 16 minute lap for the first two laps. Then I felt my body start to shut down so I backed off. I finished right in the middle of the pack, so not so bad.
I did reach my annual goal of finish in the top 3 for the points series. I took third place overall, but not to far from second. I need to build up my endurance to handle 15+ races in a season. It was those damn TRI’s.
Anyway’s, here are some random pictures from the race season:
Special Thanks To:
Addison Oaks CPS Race #7
Placement: 11th Place (ugh)
Championship Standings: 3rd Place
This picture about summarizes my performance at Addison Oaks race. Going into the race I knew I was physically and mentally exhausted. I was still hoping I could just muscle through this race for a decent finish. Didn’t really happen that way.
I hung with the leaders for the first lap. That is where the good news stops. I had nothing left after that. My legs were fried and I was mentally checked out. Every pedal stroke felt like my legs were on fire. I was dizzy and tingly all over, which is a clear sign of fatigue. I felt like I NEEDED to stop, but I knew if I stopped I would be even harder on myself, so I kept at it. At times I slowed down to a crawl. People passed me like I was a spectator. I think a spectator may have passed me, I’m not sure. I was miserable out there. When it’s not fun, it’s time to hang up the bike. Unfortunately, there is another race this weekend (the final race of the championship).
I’m not sure if I’m going to do that race or not. It will be a day before decision. Right now, I’m not mentally prepared to do the race. I’d like to take a week to 10 days away from my bike, then start training for Iceman. I’m sure my competitive spirit will start kicking in the closer we get to Sunday, but right now, there is no spirit, just exhaustion.
I’m Still Here
Been a LONG LONG week. Last Saturday had the last triathlon of the season. It took everything inside of me to cross that finish line. My body is burnt out big time. Unfortunately, I still have three more races left this year. A week from Saturday I have Addison Oaks XC race and then the follow weekend, Pando XC race. After that I get a few weeks off until early November. Right now, I just need to find the motivation to get on my bike and train for these next races. The point standings are so close I can’t afford to be burnt out yet. Ugh!
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Maybury TT Results
Last weekend was the Maybury TT race, which is the 6th race of the MMBA CPS (8 races total). I wasn’t going to do this race since it’s a long drive (2+ hours) for such a short race. Plus, being a TT, it heavily favors the local trail riders. Regardless, I decided to do it at the last minute.
Beautiful day with temps around 85 degrees, if not hotter. I love that weather. The only real issue was the lack of oxygen on certain parts of the trail where the vegetation was extremely thick. Other than that, no heat issues for me. The only issue I had was in the last two miles when my handle bar clipped a tree sending me over the handle bars. I slid a good ten feet on my left for arm and shoulder. No major damage, however my arm was severely rashed up. I bet it cost me around 1.5 to 2 minutes getting back on bike and regaining momentum. I took 4th in the race, but was just over 2 minutes behind everyone in front of me. I’m not sure if I would have done better in the standings without eating dirt, but it’s all a part of racing.
Race Catch Up
Two weeks ago, I had a Sprint Triathlon on Saturday and a MTB TT race on Sunday.
As far as the TRI goes, I finished 6th in the beginner class, which I’m pretty happy with since I’ve never done a tri before. I wasn’t sure how the swim was going to go, so I waited for the masses to take off before I started. I was surprised when I started passing people. I did good in the transition area and once I got on the bike I was gone. I was ranked #1 in my class for bike, however they all passed me on the run. I can tell you that I’ve felt much much worse crossing the finish line at a MTB race than the Tri. For some reason, I felt great.
The next day was the Stoney Creek TT race. I was mentally strong for this race and I started out strong. The course was easy with minimal hills, however near the middle of the race, my legs just wouldn’t go anymore. I ended up finishing 6th, which hurt me in points. I could have done MUCH better if I pre-rode the course because there were many spots where trail knowledge would help maintain momentum. Trail regulars definitely had the advantage.
This past week I just took as an RR week. Need some time off. This coming week, I’ll be back at it. I also have another TRI this Saturday. My competitive spirit forced me to sign-up because I want to do better.
Current Points Standings
MMBA Championship Points Standings (1st Place)
Tailwind Racing Time Trial Standings (2nd Place)
Hanson Hills CPS Race #3
Placement: 4th Place
Championship Standings: 3rd Place (down from 2nd)
Delayed post on the results of this race. Weather was MUCH better than last year and unlike last year, I did not bonk.
The race started out really good. I found myself in 5th position, but quickly moved to third and then second. I knew I had to keep the leader in sight since this was a fast flowing trail. I managed to do that for almost the entire race. We eventually pulled away from everyone, but some where along the trail I got caught up in traffic and just could not make up the distance. It was at this time that two other riders caught up to me. The first one to pass ended up winning the race by over 4 minutes. That’s a fast rider to come from that far behind, catch up to the leader and then pull 4 minutes ahead. I stayed on the third place guy but just could not catch up. My weakness was exposed in the tight single track and there just wasn’t any hills for me to attack on (my strength). The trail only had 2 significant climbs. One at the beginning (not bad) and one at the end. I REALLY need to work on my tight single track skills.
Anyway’s, finished fourth in the race which does knock me down to third in the championship point standings. Next CPS is Boyne Marathon. This is a 33 mile race on one of the hardest trails in Michigan. I do have a TT race in a week, which I’m also looking forward too. These TT races are on trails that I’ve never ridden so they are definitely fun to do.
Results For First Two Races
Yankee Springs Race #1
Race Time: 54:59
Placement: 7/38
Championship Standings: TBD
This was a TT race held back on April 20th. It was a perfect day for a race and trail conditions were awesome. The race organizers announced the day before the race that the trail was going to be ridden backwards. Not too crazy about getting news like that the day before, which for me was 11pm at night. However, this is my hometown trail so I know it very well, thus not a real factor.
I really thought I would have finished better, but I knew I got into some trouble around the 5 mile mark. This is a long switch back climb that is very skinny, thus no passing. I got hung up behind some very slow riders that cost me a lot of time. The minute the trail opened I flew by them. Since I am only 90 seconds from first place, I believe this to be the main factor for my 7th place finish. If I would have had an open trail during those climbs, my time would have been so much better. Regardless, it’s all part of racing.
Fort Custer Race #2
Race Time: 1:19:51
Placement: 2/25
Championship Standings: TBD
Ugh, SO close to first place!!! 26 seconds off!!! At the start of this race I was really concerned about my placement because I was in 9th place when we hit the single track. Thankfully we all kept together so the leaders didn’t pull away. I knew a big hill was coming (known as Cardiac Hill) and climbing is definitely my strength. Once we hit the hill, I put myself in 5th place. The second big hill was right after that (known as CPR Hill), which I just flew up, putting myself in 3rd.
The three of us rode together for the entire first lap. It was an extremely fast pace, but really played to my strength. My legs remained extremely strong so about 100 yards from the end of first lap, I made my pass to first place. I continued the strong pace, but about a mile into that lap, I looked behind me and nobody was there. It appeared I had pulled away from everyone. That was when my mind was like “Holy Sht!, your in first! Run Forest Run!”
Here is what went wrong. Being in first I had nobody to pace off of, so I subconsciously slowed down. I didn’t slow down by much, but enough for somebody to pass me in the last 1/2 mile. The finish is a high speed finish so it was tough to catch up. My only chance was for a big hill, but there weren’t any. This was a mental break-down on my part that won’t happen again.
My girl said I’m the only person who would complain about taking second. I guess I should enjoy the best finish of my racing career.
2008 Race Schedule
Well the dates have been released. I had 9 races this year, however next year there will be more. I labeled races “A” for high priority, “B” for medium priority and “C” for low priority (may skip altogether). Here is the schedule:
April 13: Pontiac Lake Time Trial Series (B)
April 20: Yankee Sprints TT: MMBA Race (A)
May 4: Fort Custer XC: MMBA Race (A)
May 18: Owassippe TT: Time Trial Series (C)
June 1: Hanson Hills XC: MMBA Race (A)
June 22: TK Lawless TT: Time Trial Series (B)
July 12: Boyne XC Marathon: MMBA Race (A)
July 27: Stoney Creek TT: MMBA Race/Time Trial Series (B)
July 28: Big M Race: USA Cycling Series (highly doubt it)
August 9: Ore To Shore: (highly doubt it)
August 17: Fort Custer TT: Time Trial Series (A)
August 23: Maybury XC: MMBA Race (A)
September 21: Addision Oaks: MMBA Race (C)
September 28: Pando XC: MMBA Race (A)
October 18: Peak to Peak (C)
November 8: Iceman Cometh (A)
My priority is MMBA CPS races with a secondary priority in the Tailwind Time Trial Series. I have 8 priority ‘A’ races, which are ones I will do for sure. I have 3 priority ‘B’ races, which are ones that I will plan on doing, however if something happens and I miss it, no biggie. I have 3 priority ‘C’ races, which are races I’ll only do if I’m bored for if something else happens to a priority ‘A’ or ‘B’ race. The Big M and Ore to Shore race, as of now won’t happen. I’d have to have a lot of free time to do those two races, especially considering the drive.
The Season Is Over!!!!
Well, I am somewhat pleased with this years results. I based most of my goals off of last years performance, however I really under estimated the speed of the 35-39 age group (was previously in 30-34). This age group is much faster. Given my points, I would have finished …., however being in the faster age group, I finished 6th. The top two in my group just blew us away, so I’d assume they are moving to expert next year. Maybe not. I just don’t see how it could be fun and challenging for them to stay in Sport. I know this is my last year in Sport, unless I really blow the season.
Some of the things I learned this year: First, follow the structured training plan. I ventured away from it for the first half of the season. Following the plan has helped me manage my time SO much better. Especially with recovery weeks/days. I never would have given myself a week off without following this plan. Second, race strategy. I learned this too late in the season, but using interval attacks/recovery versus a steady state/tempo is much more aggressive. Third, tubeless tires are much more efficient. Fourth, nutrition, nutrition and nutrition.
Right now, I’m hanging up the bike and polishing off the snowboard. I will do some night rides this week, but hunting season starts on Thursday. It’s best to stay off the trail to at least December. By then I should be snowboarding anyway’s.
Hope everyone else had a great MTB season.
Pando Race CPS #7 (Final Race)
Race Time: 1:18:18
Placement: 7/14
Final Standings: 6th Place
Well, the Pando Race, as well as this years CPS events are all over. Here is the link to my Pando Race MB Page. This was a great race for me for a number of reasons. First, there were to sizeable climbs, which plays to my strengths. With the climb right at the start (100ft at 15% grade) I decided to go medium cadence about 85% energy. I just put my head down an cranked it out. Little did I know this would put me in first by the time I crested the hill. We entered the tight single track, which I am so slow at. I let the guy behind me pass so I can watch how he went through the trail, thus minimizing my energy consumption. I believe I was in third by the time the first lap ended.
There is a MUCH more difficult hill on the backside that got little spectator attention. This was a grinding hill that just went on and on. I continued to pass people on the climbs, but by this point in the race I don’t know who or what class of racers I’m passing so I didn’t read too much into it. I was focused on two things: Racing my own race and staying mentally strong.
This brings me to the second good thing about this race; I stayed mentally focused. I did not allow my mind to drift. I was constantly thinking about ways to improve efficiency, especially on single track.
The third good thing is nutrition. Although I could feel some cramps creeping up on the third lap, I took some endurolytes which seemed to take those dissipate the cramps. I used smaller water bottles filled with Heed to prevent over hydration. I took a Powerbar Gel prior the race as well as Anti-Fatigue pills. My body felt strong the entire race, but don’t get me wrong I was happy to cross the finish line.
What I learned from this race is that I need to improve my efficiency in tight single track. There were some short power climbs full of tree roots that I just powered up with little effort, but once the trail got tight I was brake happy. I could power up and explode after the turn, but that’s wasted energy. For the first time I did gain more trust in my tires. There were some seriously high speed tight turns that I didn’t even touch the brakes. I also leaned way over almost putting knee on the ground. The tires (Kenda Nevegals) never slipped. I need to ride Bass River trail which is all tight single track. I think that will help me.
The second thing I need to do is increase my race time in HR Zone 5. I don’t know how accurate my HRM is since it shows very little time in Zone 5. I can tell you now that my lungs were screaming. Even today I have a sore throat from breathing so hard. I changed the battery too. I will go buy some gel that’s suppose to be more effective than just water.
Oh, as for removing my granny gear, I could have done this a long time ago. I didn’t even come close to needing it, even on the power climbs.
Next race is November 10: Iceman Cometh. 28 miles, point to point. 
Addison Oaks CPS Race #7 Sept. 23, 2007
Race Time: 1:35:26
Placement: 17/21 (ouch)
YTD Standings: 6th
Forgot to wear HR monitor.
Let me start out with the positives: It was a nice day, a great atmosphere and a perfect trail. Now the negative: the race.
I am very disappointed in my results. I am trying not to get to hard on myself, after all, I barely trained these past few weeks. Between the funeral and me just getting over a bad cold, my body could have used a couple more of RR days. I knew I would be fighting a very ‘tired’ body, but I thought my base would carry me. Not so much.
So what went wrong? First, leg cramps. I believe I over hydrated myself. It was SO dusty, my mouth was dry. I just couldn’t ‘quench’ my need for water. I do drink Heed, but I still think drinking three bottles in 90 minutes is WAY too much. That lead to the leg cramps. Even after the race, I think I emptied one of the water coolers.
Second issue was mental breakdown. My body was telling me it was tired and wanted to stop. My mind should have been encouraging it. Instead, it was agreeing. A few times I tried to regain control and start pushing it, but then the leg cramps would hit, which would just discourage me more.
I did use my new Garmin Edge for the first time, although I forgot to bring the HR monitor. The best thing about this computer was the auto lap feature. Once I hit ‘start’ it started the time and marked that spot as the beginning. Each time I crossed that spot, it counted the lap. I had it set up to show me two things: current lap time and previous lap time. It was great feed back to see my current time vs. my last time. I could have set it up to show how I was tracking compared to my last lap (ahead or behind during lap) but haven’t read that far into the instruction manual.
Anyway’s, now I have a ton of data that I’m not entirely sure what to do with. I know there is some great info there that can help me improve, I just need to figure out how to interpret it.
Here is the link for Addison Oaks on Motion Base. I am embarrassed to share that. It does show four laps. That was my bad. It’s only 13 seconds.
Maybury CPS Race #6 August 25, 2007
Race Time: 2:07:19
Placement: 5/15
YTD Standings: 6th
My HR Info: Max: 205 (109%) Avg: 161 (86%)
Zone 4: 48:20 Zone 5: 48:07 minutes.
Mother Nature was not kind to us today. Rain, rain and more rain. At least it wasn’t cold like it was at Hanson Hills. I was much more prepared for the rain with my canopy and bottles of water that would be used to clean me off. WARM bottles of water, not ones sitting in a cooler for six hours (see Hanson Hills).
The race trail took a beating. I feel bad for the beginners because we left them with a trail of dirt pudding. The race trail this year did not include the ‘sledding’ hill, which is a steep short hill. Instead they had a longer more gradual climb. I thought this year was much easier.
Given the conditions, I went through a number of mental stages. At the beginning, I was excited, but controlled. I’m not sure what place I was in once we hit the single track, I was just focused on racing my own race. Near the end of the first lap I start to wonder why I put myself through this. I’m covered in mud, my heart is about to explode and my leg muscles are jello.
The second lap comes and my mental mood changes to despair. I want to die. I can’t see from the dirt in my eyes and all I taste is mud.
Two miles into the third lap I have a mental break through. I don’t know where it came from, but my body came alive. I turned it on HARD. I passed one person and told myself to find another, which I did. Then I passed another and another. One mile left I catch another person. I found myself wishing the trail was longer so I could catch more people. I finished so strong, much stronger than ever before.
This performance taught me some valuable lessons. First, this is the second race where I used Race Day Boost, from Hammer, according to their directions. Fort Custer was the other race and I had a strong performance there too. This stuff is now my best friend. I really wish Hammer would make if flavored though, or at least easier to mix so I’m not drinking warm water. Blah.
Second, my body is stronger than my mind. I am mentally weak during races. My body can do more than my mind thinks it can do. That third lap is proof of that. When my mind woke up, my body was ready to go. I don’t know how to fix this, but it’s my next goal.
Third, I spent 48 minutes in zone 4, which during races is recovery. WAY too much time there. The difference between 5th place and 4th place was 10 minutes. That is a HUGE gap, however I know now that my body has the ability, I just need to reduce my recovery time. The only way to do this is to become mentally stronger.
Also, props to my mechanical abilities (See previous post). My bike performed perfectly. Even caked in mud, I didn’t lose one gear nor experience any chain suck. 
Anyway’s, here are some pics from that day:
All Clean (Took an entire day)
