It was an interesting couple of weeks right after Anniston. I felt sick for a few days after getting home from Alabama. I was nauseous and weak, but never actually got sick. I didn't eat for two days, which meant I didn't ride either. It was frustrating because I was very motivated after getting in the first few races of the season. I know I am behind with my training and I am ready to do something about it.
Work was also a hindrance, as usual. I had to drop the bomb and announce I was leaving. I gave them three weeks notice. My reasons were that I had enough of the drama and all the things that had happened over the past year had accumulated too much. I had lost my drive at work and it was time to move on. I kept it short and sweet. Nobody argued with me. It was kind of the "good riddance" attitude at one clinic, but the new clinic I just started at was behind me 100%. One clinic supported me while the other tried to bury me into the ground. Needless to say, training suffered yet again.
During my week off I bought study materials for our next educational endeavor. I want to get my CSCS, which is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certification. I also want to get my Personal Trainer certification, as does Shannon. We have our study books now and have until July 1 to take the exams. After July 1, the format of both exams change. It will involve longer tests and more hands-on testing, which increases the cost of the test and difficulty. Also. they will become two day events, which will require overnight stays if we have to travel. Right now you can take the test on a computer at a local testing center. And there's one about 30 minutes from us in Nashville.
I decided to get back to training with another attempt on the Death March loop. I started this loop in 2008. The distance then was 104 miles. Then it grew to 113 miles the next year. I completed it three times (once per year in 2008, 2009 and 2010), then came a pair of failures. In 2012, Adam Queen and I attempted it together, but Adam got sick and we had to bail at mile 50. He had stayed up all night working prior to the ride, which was crazy now that I think back to it. But that's Adam. He threw up behind my barn that day. Ahh, the riding memories! Adam is still the only person that has been brave enough to try it with me.
I followed up that attempt a week later with another failure, this time with right hamstring pain. I had to shut it down at mile 30 with some random pain that lasted only that day. No attempts were made last year because I was being a softie. 2014 was a good year to try again. I actually would like to do it multiple times this year. It is such a great loop. It builds endurance with the distance, strength with all the steep climbs and will with the determination it takes to keep pushing on. The loop gets harder as you go with most of the climbs, including the steepest climbs, coming in the last 30 miles. I haven't even ridden it from our current house, so I didn't even know the distance from here.
The plan was to start early in the morning, doing the first half alone. Then Shannon would join me on the scooter for the second half. I wasn't going to draft her. She just wanted to go with me and see some of the tough backroads in the area. I left out trying to hold between a 19-20 mph average speed early on. The first half is flatter so you want to get on it a bit to knock that portion out faster or else you will be out there all day. But you have to be careful not to destroy your legs. I had a headwind early so that hurt my speed on the flats. The climbing begins at about mile 50. As soon as I began the climbs I began to get a twinge in my left hamstring. It was not a cramp, but rather that pain I had when running back in February and March. The pain that ended my run training completely. The pain worsened and forced me to bail out as I met up with Shannon. The pain was horrible at the top of the pedal stroke and it was all I could do to get back home. That made three failed attempts in a row!
The hamstring pain put the fear into me. I did not know what was causing it. I used my therapy knowledge to rule out a few things and ultimately Shannon and I agreed it must be nerve-related. I am tight as can be in my hamstrings. Our theory is that my lack of stretching over time, combined with a week off the bike prior to this ride, just put too much tension on the sciatic nerve as it passes through the distal part of my hamstring. It's called neural tension. Stretching and nerve glides to the area relieved the pain in a day. I worked hard on the glides all week to ensure the pain did not return.
One week after the failed attempt, I tried again. It was even windier this time. I was riding hard on the flats and could only do 14 mph in places. I was very tired by mile 60 when I met up with Shannon, but the hamstring was good. By mile 80, I had the wind at my back, which helped on a few of the hills.
The gravel section on the loop
I gave it my all and rode surprisingly well. I even took four Strava KOMs along the way. The hamstring never hurt. I died at mile 98 after a tough climb out of the Sycamore Valley. I struggled the rest of the ride, which turns out to be longer now at 119.6 miles. I had to stop at mile 104 and lay down for a minute. Just crossing my legs while lying down helped drain my legs and they felt much better when I started back. It took me 7 hours and 27 minutes to complete. I ended with a slow 16.1 mph average speed.
Break time
Shannon had a good time cheering me on and exploring new roads. She has now seen every rough, gravely backroad and every steep hill in the area. I call the short, super steep hills "tombstones." They're small like a tombstone and after riding them all day you will feel as if you have dug your own grave. I am very glad to have finally finished it. I was starting to think the loop was cursed! I will do it again soon. I know I can do it faster. The goal will be sub-7 hours next time!
Things have been busy busy lately. We are constantly doing projects, be it at work, with some kind of bike training, building a trail or making a garden at home. We are always coming up with something to do. So don't feel sorry for us when I say we have been busy. Some of the things we do that make us so busy are self-made.
After studying hard while on our trip to Florida, I came back and took my USA Cycling Coaching Exam. I passed and am now officially at Level 3 coach! The material was good stuff. I knew a lot of the training principles already, but there was some new stuff in there as well. Also, the text had a lot of rules about track racing and paracycling that I knew nothing about. It is always good to learn something about the sport you love.
I took a week off work after Chickasaw in preparation to leave my current job. I wrote before about how frustrated I was getting there and how after our last meeting there was full disagreement and a lack of respect from the bosses. I began pursuing a new job and found one straight away with a contract fill-in company around Nashville. They provide therapists to local nursing homes and rehab groups to fill in for sick or vacationing staff. It's not a full-time job, but I should be able to get as much work (or as little) as I want. Shannon has been pushing me to cut back my hours and focus on bike racing before I get too old. I have always been hesitant to do this because I am a future planner. I'm all about saving for a house and future family. But I finally see that she is right. I love bikes more than anything and I'm not going to be young forever. So, we are taking the plunge and hopefully it will end up being worth our while.
The plan for the last weekend of March was to hit the SERC mountain bike race in Conyers, GA. I have always wanted to race on the legendary Conyers course. It was the site of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. But it was not to be this year. While out on a training ride on my trail, I hit a tiny little stick that wedged itself into my derailleur and broke the derailleur and hanger. I had a spare derailleur, but no hanger for the Titus. I would have to special order one and it did not come in before the weekend. So hotel reservations were cancelled and Plan B was put into action.
The other race options for the weekend were much closer to home. The Hell of the South Road Race was on Saturday and the Cedar Hill Criterium on Sunday. I like the Hell of the South race, but $50 to sign up for the day of the race was a bit too steep for me. The weather was cold and rainy, but I was still interested if it had been $35. I might would have even went for $40. But not $50. I know late fees discourage last-minute sign-ups, but it also costs you a few riders that may have come otherwise.
I did go to Cedar Hill on Sunday. The race takes place at Cedar Hill Park in Madison, which is just 30 minutes from our house. With the close proximity and beautiful weather, I decided to ride down to the race. It was a great ride down. I got in my warm-up and enjoyed a nice tailwind the entire way there. How often does that happen?!! I did have one hiccup along the way. About three miles from the park a bridge was out on the only road that takes you into Madison. It wasn't just under construction, it was nonexistent. I had to wade across the creek holding my bike. The water was cold, but at least the air temp was warm today as I had wet feet the rest of the day.
The tailwind got me to the race earlier than expected and I had to wait a while for the Pro/1/2/3 race. We were scheduled for 60 minutes on the 1.5-mile loop around the park. The field was huge for this race with over 80 riders on the start line! I started near the back and had a terrible race. My legs were junk the first lap or two. I pushed through the feeling of heavy legs and began to move up, but the pace was high. The high number of Cat 3s combined with the pace caused an explosion on lap 3. I had way too many gaps to close and found myself off the back at the end of lap 3. I dive-bombed turn 1, completely out of control and managed to get back to the group just in time for the rear of the group to explode again. I had nothing left to close the gap up the next climb and I was popped off. I put it into TT mode and began a solo chase for four laps before getting pulled.
Pro/1/2/3 start line was crowded
Group strung out over the dam after turn 1 early int he race
The group strung out down the finish straight
Bunching up before Turn 1. I'm there in the middle in all black.
The group comes through Turn 1. Again, I'm there in all black, on the inside of the turn.
And here I am struggling to close a gap. This was right after the first group explosion.
I was out just 16 minutes into the race and credited with 45th. Yes I got 45th and I got popped on lap 4. Only about 30 riders made the cut. I was disappointed because I felt my legs were good enough to be in that group, but I made tactical errors that put me in a place that I am not strong enough to come out of. It was not how I had hoped to debut my new bike and wheels. The most notable thing about the race was that a guy was filming the race using a drone octacopter. It was super loud when you were directly under it. It scared me the first time we came by it in the race. It was like getting passed by a Formula 1 race car going in the opposite direction. Get ready to see more drones at events. Garmin is working hard on one that is affordable to the masses. And you know GoPro will follow suit. I predict the drone craze will be just as big as the helmet camera craze when the GoPro Hero first came out. You can find the drone video here on Vimeo, produced by Vivid Aerials.
Saw a guy filming the race with a drone octacopter. It was complete with a screen on his remote that let him see exactly what the camera was pointed at.
The group bunches up...at least what is left of the group bunches up.
Texas Roadhouse all over the front with one lap to go
The Roadhouse lead-out was perfect for race winner Matt Russell
A few video clips from the Pro/1/2/3 race
The following Tuesday night, the group at the local group ride in Clarksville had to pay for my anger. I need to work on my intensity and needed to clear some frustration so I hit the ride hard and tried my best to hurt everyone there. I flatted early, but managed to catch the group halfway through the ride with the help of a couple strong guys and then we inflicted pain on everyone the rest of the loop. After Tuesday, it was time for recovery as the next weekend brought the first big crit. of the season at the Sunny King Criterium in Anniston, AL. After last year's eventful drive down and nearly missing the race, we left extra early. Traffic was again a problem and we were forced to detour through the northern Alabama backroads, but this time we still had plenty of time to get ready.
The race went well. We had a big group in the Cat. 2 race. The race was a bit short at only 45 minutes in length, so that kept the pace high. I felt good, but was not strong enough to get to the front and stay at the front. I moved up to the top 10 several times, but couldn't stay there. My heart rate was just too high after the effort to move up and I would have to fall back through the group. My seat came loose too. It first moved on lap 2, then progressively got worse near the end of the race. The nose of the seat was sticking almost straight down at one point. I had to bounce up and down on the back of the seat to get it back to a rideable position.
Cat. 2s on the start line. That's me on the right in the green and black.
One rider off the front on the first lap
Me in the group with Chris Cundiff just ahead of me in the U.S. Military kit
Lots of riders went on the attack today before two riders finally stuck the break
Another attack going up the front stretch hill
Me hiding out in the middle of the pack
Chris third wheel in this line
Now me rolling third wheel
I pushed my way to the front of the group with five laps to go, but that took all I had. A break of two stayed off the front and we were left to sprint for 3rd. I drifted back with two laps to go, then made a big surge at the bell to get myself in a good position going down the back stretch. I followed a wheel to the front, but got pinched off before turn 3. I knew I needed to clear the rider to my right before the turn, but I didn't have the legs to put in that last pedal stroke to clear his shoulder. I had to check up and slid back in the group. Normally, I would pick off several riders in the sprint, but I could not today. I just held my position up the hill to the line, crossing in 23rd place. I was hoping for a better result, but I gave it all I had. The form just isn't there right now.
I'm in this line, getting a bit closer to the front
I came up the left side of the group here with a couple of laps to go
Crossing the finish line in 23rd, just behind Chris who got 21st.
Another view of me hitting the finish line
After the race, Shannon and I took our Chris Cundiff and his wife Missy over to Dad's BBQ for dinner. I have known Chris for a long while and really enjoy riding and racing with him. He and Missy were recently married and the more I hang out with her the more I like her. She likes bikes so you know she has to be alright. Dad's lived up to our bragging. Chris and Missy both thoroughly enjoyed the food. Dad's has become a tradition for us when we come to Anniston. After dinner, we watched the Pro races and then headed to the hotel for the night.
Our race video is posted below. Race reports form CyclingNews are posted here. The race was shown live online through LiveStream. All the Amateur races are available to watch here, and the Pro races are posted here. We had an interesting crash in our race where Will Fyfe flipped off the course into a storm drain. You can't see him flip, but you can see a lot of the crash and me sliding by it on the Amateur video. Good luck finding it!
Video: Our race video from Sunny King
Sunday brought the Foothills Classic Road Race in Piedmont, AL. The course direction was reversed this year, making for a difficult start. All the climbing came early in the loop. To make things harder for me, the Cat. 2/3 race was no more. This year it was Pro/1/2 and Cat. 3 only. So I had to race with the big dogs for two full laps of the 41-mile loop. The weather was a bit dodgy. Rain showers passed through all morning. We were never in a downpour, but it was almost always drizzling and kept the road wet.
Over 70 riders started the Pro/1/2, including over 20 Pros. The loop was flat for the first 6 miles, then the climbing began. There were three climbs in succession with the first climb being the longest at almost 2 miles in length. The second climb was much smaller, then things got ugly on the third climb. It was not as long as the first climb, but was much steeper. My goal was to see if I could hang up the first climb and just go from there.
Pro/1/2 group ready to start
Very few Masters riders today
Cat. 3 start
Pro/1/2/3 Women start
Cat. 4 start
We went slow until about a mile before the first climb. We accelerated from 22 mph to 32 mph and actually hit the climb at 34 mph! I was near the back and tried to settle in. The pace was not bad. A few riders went up the road, but the majority of the group was smooth so I stayed on the back. The following descent was crazy. It was my first "mountain" descent in a big Pro field. We were going really fast and strung out single-file for as far as I could see. It really sucks being at the back. You don't even know what's going on up front because you can't see the front!
The second climb was faster, but I had no trouble staying on the group. The road was really wet as we hit the third climb. I just had one hurdle left to get over and I would surely make a full lap with the peloton. I knew this hill would be steeper, but dang did I ever underestimate it! The pace into the climb was fast so we were already strung out. I had moved up some, but was still near the back. The climb was very steep and it held that gradient for a long way. I could not stand because the road was slick. My tire just kept spinning. I did not have the strength to turn over my gear on that steep of a climb. Me and about 20 other riders came off the back. I stayed calm and tried to accelerate over the top, hoping the peloton would lull just for a minute. They didn't. I began to catch other dropped riders and we formed our own group, working well together until the feed zone with halfway through the first lap. Most of the riders bailed out at the feed. Only me and two others continued. One of them wound up being Rob Evans, a guy I raced with on the YMCA/Sun & Ski team way back in 2001 when I first started racing. It was fun to catch up with him while we finished the loop. We all three decided not to do a second lap. We were way behind and tired of dealing with the wet and cold. I hate taking a DNF, but 46 more miles seemed like a million at the time. And we still had 5 hours left to drive home.
Masters finish with two teammates coming in together for the win
My group finishes up. I am in the back here.
Video clips from the Foothills Classic Road Race. Pro/1/2 start and finish.
At least I thought it would be five hours to drive home. It actually took eight after we got caught in traffic not once...not twice...but three times! One was behind a burning motorhome on Mont Eagle Mountain. It was a sight to see. I hope everyone got out before it burned. Now we have a few weeks off, then the big race comes around...Athens Twilight!
