From Western HQ

Teenie and I arrived Friday (1/28) and have had some very busy days.  Construction is going on here at the house.

This is the view from one of our guest bedrooms through the new door and highlights the new patio.

We have been getting the house opened, errands run and a few things fixed.  Roger says the gremlins always come in and break stuff while we are gone?

The weather has been a little cold and we had about 18 hours of rains, which is very unusual.  You can see it was snow up on the mountain.  We are only here for 7 days until we leave for Telluride.  We have never been there and are looking forward to it.  They have very little snow.    I have a new snowboard so I am concerned about tearing it up on the rocks!

We have ridden the last three days despite the funky weather.  We have stayed warm and dry.   We are trying to just get some miles in.   Real training does not start until after Telluride.   I have gotten a little over 7 hours in the 3 days including a great MTB ride in the Tortolitas.   Teenie and I left HQ by bike and rode out into the desert.   We ran into 3 guys who showed us nice trails.  I am learning my way around.

Tomorrow we are starting the year right with a ride to Gates Pass....60+ miles........some of you know it.   Sun all day!

I will be turning attention to Camp as soon as we return from snowboarding.

Plans for the agenda will be out.  Hopefully our kits are in soon.

The season is not far away.   Hincapie is having 4 weekends of racing this year and it is starting the weekend of Camp........crazy, it seems, to start that early??

Stay warm, healthy and hopefully get some winter miles in!


 

Captain's Roles for 2013

The Captain’s role with TEAM headstrong is evolving.   The TEAM leadership thought it would be worthwhile to define this role.  Along with defining the role, a subtle change has been made.  We will no longer have a Men’s Captain and a Women’s Captain.   We will have two Captains.......Sam and Bird.  They will share the responsibilities below for the WHOLE TEAM:

Motivation

• Promote events, races and training
• Encourage participation
• Lead by example
• Support the TEAM goals - help set the goals

Mentor members

• Personal goal development and attainment
• Help ride leaders on training rides
• Help in development
• Coach on upgrades
• Provide race info

Communicate

• Mediate problems - conduit to leadership
• Accept feedback - conduit to leadership
• Listen

Racing support

• Info on races, courses, cats etc
• Logistical support
• Race goals
• Strategy
• Tactics

Let me know if you have any questions.........looking forward to our new season!

ENDURANCE PACE RIDE

In our group TEAM ride today, we had 20+ riders of varied ability.   We had some new riders whose strength is unknown to me.

Our goal was maintain endurance pace which has a wide band.   Realizing there are riders stronger and not as strong, I tried to stay in the middle of the band.   Intensity Factor is a power measurement and endurance rides for me, are .70-.79.   Today, for me, was .74 IF.

Below is my HR.  At this phase in the year, I rely strongly on HR as well as power.   I also always pay attention to my Perceived Rate of Exertion.   Later in race season, I pretty much just train on power.



The chart above is for today's ride.   The ride certainly was a right down the middle of the alley and would have been a strike if we were bowling.  Almost all the time was in Z1-Z3.  If anything, I could have gone a little harder.

I suspect that we had people who were barely at Endurance Pace and some at Tempo....these are the zones below and above.

Whether you use, power, HR, Perceived Rate of Exertion or a combo of all.  LET ME KNOW WHAT THE RIDE PACE WAS FOR YOU.   YOUR FEEDBACK WILL HELP MANAGE FUTURE RIDES.

Thanks for coming....I love TEAM rides!

PS>  Was there a guy out there today on a mountain bike?

Dawn 2 Dusk

What an amazing experience!   We never took a picture.   It came at us fast and hard.   The riding was one thing.....we combined for about 127 miles in 9:46.   Teenie took 3 laps(as fast as my laps) and I took 5.  We were busy as cranberry merchants between laps.........the organization needed was overwhelming.

We came close to obtaining our goals 100%.   I lost traction in a sandy corner and fell....no big deal.  My last 2 laps fell off on speed as I went back to back.  To tell you the truth, we rode much faster than we thought and got in one more lap than anticipated.  We missed the cutoff by about 5 minutes for yet another lap.  No matter, we had no lights which were required for the last lap.   We have exactly zero experience riding in the dark......not that anything like that ever stopped us.

Very happy for Teenie.  She proved, yet again, she can be one TUFFCHIK.   She fought back the emotional drag of crashes in MOAB and at El Tour(recent weeks).   She has taught people to overcome their fears for 20 years but that doesn't exempt her from her own.

I learned a lot about this type of race:

*  Race org is everything and it is complicated.
*  You need lots of stuff.
*  When your female partner is turning in lap times equal to yours, it is very motivating.
*  Your team mate can fall asleep and not be on the course for support when are you going back to back laps.
*  Girls are amazing.  Their bikes never get as dirty as boys.
*  Hangin' out all day, with a bunch of people that like what you like, is fun.
*  When Teenie and I pin a number on, we are racing.....even if we don't know crap about what we are doing.  I could tell you 'we just rode for fun' but that would be pure BS.
*  This race was about 1/100th as dangerous as El Tour de Tucson.
*  A team mate(wife) who rides 4 miles to get the SUV and packs the thing to the brim, while you are on the last lap, is invaluable.
*  Chipotle, the title sponsor, makes awesome tacos.  Maybe they were just OK and we were starved after a day of racing?
*  A race, like this, can leave you hungry for 3 days.

We came away pretty jazzed and I am sure we will try to field more teams next year in this event.   I am already planning for 12 Hours at Tsali (May 11, 2013).

Are you a Tsali racer?

Hope to see this weekend!

 

I Always Thought I Could Out Sprint a Dog

Actually I felt a little arrogant when it came down to dogs while riding. I was sure a dog could never catch me. Yesterday I met my master, my superior. Then again I have to say that usually the dogs came from the side or from behind. This one came head on. He came at me like a bullet or even better like a cruise missile. I yell at him and he never stops. About a second later he crashes into my bike so hard that my rear wheel lifts up and  takes my bike from underneath me. I do not know how he did it because I was still moving at about 17 mph when it happened. This dog knew his homework. 

I fell on my rear end and believe me it hurts. It hurts so bad my wife was looking for a toilet seat with cushioning today. There are many nice models out there.    

So what did I learn? Never underestimate a dog. A dog can always hit you. Even when moving. 

Dawn to Dusk

I feel sorta like I did when I got ready for my first Cat 5 race.......I am in better shape.   Dusk to Dawn is full(115 solo racers and 100 duo teams....not sure how many coed duos?).   The instructions are all there.   My biggest concern is support and logistics.

We rode 2 laps on the course yesterday.  It is great!  Teenie is a tuff chick as she is still very sore but that did not stop her from setting pace much of the day.   She is still not sure she will ride Sat???   We will see.

If she does not, I am going solo.......yea, that's right, 10 hours in the saddle.  I figure solo, I will do about 112 miles on my hard tail Stumpjumper.

Goals for the day:

* Stay safe
* Have fun and meet some other idiots
* Clean all laps - unclip only in the transition area(my goal, not Teenie's)
* Pace - ride successive laps faster and faster
* Avoid being DFL

Stay tuned!      

Tucson Camp and the Don

As I have gotten older, I have concentrated on relationships.  Often I have thought, that if I could count on just 8 friends??   You know, that is how many it takes to carry a casket.  Don't know if that matters as I am planning on cremation?

This last weekend, I was lucky enough to be hangin' out with some of those 8!

Roger 'The Rocket' Kennedy is one of those 8.  Bird, one of the other 7, recently named him the 'Don'.........very appropriate.

Some of you, who are new to Tucson, will experience the power of Roger's spirit when you come to camp.

Those that have been here will tell to make sure your helmet is on tight!  And your legs are rested.  We don't call him The Rocket for nothing.

Learn Something New Every Day

We had a good time at the Tour de Tucson last week at TEAM headstrong western hq. I'll let Bird tell you all about the racing experience, because he loves the play by play experience. Instead I thought I would focus on passing along some knowledge I collected this week. They say you learn something new every day and I think it was true of the Tucson trip. Here are a few things I learned out west.

• There is something to this trend towards electronic shifting. It's efficient and simple, even though I never thought my mechanical shifters were that hard to operate.
• The dry desert air helps dry up spilled energy drink on your frame like concrete in about 5 minutes.
• Arizona desert roads are paved once every 53 years whether they need it or not.
• Scorpions glow in the dark under a black light.
• 8 teammates can't really eat 6 cups of oatmeal at one sitting.
• The gently rolling (mostly flat and false flat) desert roads are very friendly to clydesdales like me.
• It's good for the ego to spin out of your top gear in a rotating paceline, even if it's compact gearing.
• A 130 pound Colombian professional can make himself smaller than your front wheel when he's pulling at 35mph.
• No matter how many or how few traffic cones they use to control traffic flow, some jackleg is going to hit one on his bicycle.
• Some guys can travel around the country for 20 days a month, training indoors (or not at all) and still rip the legs off you. 
• There is such a thing as an Italian Tamale, and no that is not the nickname of a local rider.
• Some of my headstrong teammates possess amazing secret skills that would really surprise you. Just ask Randall "Thumbs" Maddox about his secret "world class" talent.

I had a great time in Tucson and I want to thank the Maddox's for the hospitality and fun. It's always a blast at TEAM headstrong western hq. I can't wait to enjoy our next adventure in February at 2013 Team Camp.

El Tour de Tucson 2012

Once again, Teenie and the DS hosted a great event at their Tucson home, and we all thank them for their hospitality and making this possible... 

The "Don" (Roger Kennedy) and the DS assembled their respective teams to position themselves and their teams to be on the podium of this year’s El Tour Tucson.   The Don brought in 4 ringers including 3 NYC pros and a Cat 3 diesel to power Team Foundation, whereas the DS brought in 4 rouleurs and 3 top women to 1) sweep the women’s,  2) win the men’s overall and  3) do a 1,2 in the Men’s 60+…. Ambitious goals to say the least….

The Strategy…..after countless hours of discussions on and off the bike, the Bake mediated the final strategy ……..Keep our noses clean… stay in the lead pack and make the play in the final 4.5mile run in….

Net/Net....

Mark Schleihs riding for TEAM Headstrong 4th overall

Bird 12th... 1st 60+

Emily 21st ... 1st Woman 

Greg LeDoe.. riding for TEAM Headstrong 29th

Sam ... 61st... 2nd Woman

Steve... 2012 Chase Award.... towing Sam to 2nd...

to read the whole play by play click on...  Bird's Narrative

TEAM Goals

During the days our here in Tucson, Emily, Sam, Teenie, Bake, Bird and I, took a couple of hours to work on TEAM business.   We have developed some goals and these will be important for you to embrace or come back with challenges and comments.  We won't have these complete until you can support them.

Here they are:

*  Fully subscribe and hold camp in Tucson and tour in the Pyrenees.
- Fun
- Safe
- Specific training or race goals for each event

*  Hold 4 skills clinics and have every rider complete 2 or more
- Handling - Dec 9 @ 1:00PM (Day after our Christmas party)
- Cornering - Jan 13 @ 1:00PM
- Sprint clinic - at camp in Tucson
- Focus to be announced - Mar 24 @ 1:00PM 

*  Field a TEAM of at least 13 people at key races
- SC Crit Championship - April 22 - 2 days of crits in Charleston
- SC ITT Championship - June 2 - 1 day in Charleston - 40k
- SC RR Championship - June 9 - 1 day at Fork Shoals (we sponsor this race)
- Mass start Grandfondo style race to be announced
- Barrouse de Bales - cyclosportive we will be racing in the Pyrenees

Of course each of you will have personal goals outside of these and we hope to support you in achieving those.

Please give us feedback...........I hope you can get excited about these.   We will have other info coming out of this meeting to communicate soon.

See ya out there. 

Tour de Tucson Preview

Tomorrow we ride the 30th annual Tour de Tucson. We're out here with some teammates to enjoy a fun weekend with about 9000 of our new friends. We're entered in the 60 mile ride and we have some pretty big goals in mind for tomorrow. We're shooting for a win in both the men's and women's race tomorrow, so we'll all be giving it our all. Here's a little clip we made after this morning's spin. It's all over but the racing now.

Noboby says it better than Joe!

While reading Joe Friel's blog, this post hit home!  I hope you enjoy it.

Seriously?

I spoke at a cycling camp offered by Aspen Sports Performance this past weekend in Moab, Utah. The riding was spectacular and the athletes were all quite impressive, especially given that it was the “off season” (whatever that means) for most of them.

On Saturday during a break in the ride at Arches National Park  (what a beautiful place to ride!) I talked briefly about the purposes and methodologies of training. This prompted one of the riders to ask if he should be “serious” about training year round. I don’t think I’ve ever been asked that exact question before, but a lot of athletes have implied it. Here’s what I told him.

How serious you are, which I take to mean how focused you are on training to improve race performance, depends on a couple of things. The first is how challenging your race goal is. It’s okay to take a long break and have a low-key season occasionally in which you do races—if any—just to have fun. If they’re only social outings and you don’t care about the outcomes then there is no reason to be serious with training. In fact, it may not be “training” at all as that implies having a focus on outcome. Instead, all you need is an exercise program. Do what you want, when you want. Totally non-serious.

For seasons in which you are focused on achieving high goals, your level of seriousness can depend on periodization. This following table provides a rough guide as to how serious you might be during each period (see my Training Bible books or search this blog for more details on periodization). In this table, “serious” means, to me, doing workouts that are laser-focused on performance. Not every workout in each period needs to be that way. In any given period some may be 100% focused and others not focused at all. So if half of them are focused the serious-non-serious balance may be 50-50. The non-serious workouts are, essentially, “play.” You’re simply having fun by exercising with friends, exploring new territory while riding or running, exercising in ways that are very much unlike your sport (for example, a cyclist who runs or a triathlete who XC skis), or even taking a day off just because you feel like it.

Period	Typical Length (in weeks)	Purpose (in common order of importance)	% Serious	% Non-serious
Transition	2-6	Rejuvenate	0	100
Preparation	2-6	Prepare to train	60	40
Base 1	3-4	Skills, force, aerobic endurance	80	20
Base 2	3-4	Aerobic endurance, skills, force, muscular endurance	90	10
Base 3	3-4	Muscular endurance, aerobic endurance, skills, force	100	0
Build 1	3-4	Race-specificity	100	0
Build 2	3-4	Race-specificity	100	0
Peak	1-2	Maintain fitness, shed fatigue, race specificity	100	0
Race	1	Shed fatigue, maintain fitness	100	0

Now you can be serious all the time, if you want. I know many athletes who do that. I tend to be that way myself once I get into the base period, so I understand. But if you are this type you need to closely monitor your psychological status. Burnout is common with such athletes. For whatever reason, I’ve met a lot of Ironman athletes who are this way. These few triathletes don’t merely train seriously, they are serious all the time. They wake up thinking about training. They eat thinking about training. They think about training at work. They go to bed thinking about training. And I’m not just picking on Ironman triathletes as I’ve known a couple of other athletes who are this way who aren’t triathletes. Ironman seems to attract highly focused people. And, again, that's okay. Just be sure to monitor yourself. It's easy to dig a deep trench if overly serious.

So, does having this table mean you have to follow it? No, not at all. It’s just my thoughts on how to train if you have set high performance goals for yourself. The key idea here is that the higher your goal, the more serious you must be in regards to the training purpose column above. This becomes critical in the last 12 weeks before the race. During this time you must be serious if you have a high-performance goal. But if you feel the need to take a break from serious training, even though it may be Build 2 and you’ve set very high goals, then by all means just “play” for a while. You’ll race much better if you are enthusiastic and highly motivated but not quite race fit than if you are the other way around.

Remembering Lou Tice

Teenie and I just had the closet in our master bedroom redone and it made me think of my dear friend and mentor, Lou Tice.

Lou had a million great stories and one of them was about his friends who worked for 3 days to organize and clean up their home because 'company was comin'.   It seemed that it wasn't long until the home returned to it's previously untidy state.  Lou's question was, "How come you don't keep it that nice and tidy?  Aren't you good enough to live in a place that organized and clean all the time?"

My closet was not nearly as tidy as you see it before the remodel, to be honest.   You will remember possibly, that after Lou's death, I promised to redouble my efforts to make the world a better place.   Keeping my closet like this 'all the time' is going to serve as symbol for me.   I want the world to be a better place 'all the time'.  And, I/you/we deserve it.

I know I may wear you guys out sometimes when it comes to being in full gear..........the full team kit.   But, to me it is like the closet.   You/we deserve to look like the elite athletes you are.  If you are yet to be elite, then you are preparing to be elite or you are on the wrong team.   So, "Act as if, and prepare for", as Teenie says.

We deserve the best in clothing, skills training, team rides, camps, races, etc., etc.  For me you see, "Good enough, never is!"

Your question, "In what ways can you help organize and clean or TEAM closet?  your life closet? your world closet?"

Lou is proud of me for asking this!  Lou, I will never forget you

EL TOUR DE TUCSON - Chapter I

Truthfully, we have been preparing for many weeks.   The Tour Team will be in Tucson in a few days.  Emily, Bake, Sam, Bird come in from home.  Mark Schleihs and Greg Ladoe come in from KC and Houston respectively.   Mark and Greg are long time supporters of TEAM headstrong and bring great strength to our event team.

Teenie and I have been here for almost 2 weeks and training like mad.  The weather is typical....sunny and warm with today getting cooler.

The whole city is a buzz as the population gets ready for gridlock.   Unlike anything I have ever seen but Cape Argus in South Africa, this baby rolls around and through the city.  No country routes here.

Roger got in late last week with Sandy marooning him for a few days in NYC.   Craig, his son, arrived today and their team will trickle in and be 10 strong on race day.

The promotor is expecting 9-10,000 folks.  Over 2000 will be in the 60 mile version, we are racing.  Anyone wonder what our goals are???   Guess!! 

  

Sunday 11/11/2012 Brevard Ride

Time...........10:00am
Distance... ~60mile
Terrain... ....flat with some rolling hills
Pace: ......... 20 +or- mph
Start: ...........Quotations on Main St.
Parking.........behind or next to Comporium on Main St.

anyone welcomed to attend...  Brevard Mills River Training Loop

IRONMAN WORLD

Enter the world of Ironman, truly its own extraterrestrial planet. 2,500 athletes who have trained for months for the hopes of achieving the coveted title of Ironman. I felt at home on this planet as I became not an anomaly but a fellow cult member. This is a place where going to bed at 9pm, wearing your calf socks to lunch, and talking about power taps and perceived exertion was the norm. This is the place where everyone held Starbucks coffee in their hand and beamed vibes of human sunshine to all those that approach. ok, I'm getting carried away, but it was AWESOME!!! Even World Champion Mirinda Carfrae wished me good luck!

All of this positive, can-do, inspiring camaraderie quickly changed like the tide as we approached the swim start Saturday morning at 7am on the beaches of Panama City. My fellow comrades became quite unsettled as we approached the rolling waves and deep swells to enter the depths of the Gulf. It became war as I fought for position with hoards of men who outnumbered the women 3:1. I was in a washing machine of fury as we completed the 2.4 mile swim. I had never swam 2.4 miles, much less even swam really in the ocean. I maintained good composure and fought for my position. The best part of the swim? Having my wetsuit yanked off with one good pull by a strong man on the beach. Never in my life have I been able to remove that wetsuit so fast!

The bike was a lollipop route of 112 fast and flat miles. We had varying winds throughout the day, overall really good roads, and well manned aid stations. I managed to meet up with one of my best friends when I stopped for a quick potty break. She wasn't feeling very well so I rode next to her just chatting like a songbird. I even verbalized that I was sure to get a penalty....and no sooner did those words come from my mouth that I got a red card flashed to me by a ref on a motorcycle for blocking.... I would now have to go to the penalty tent! My friend went too for moral support and because she really needed to sit down. I had to stand and hold a stopwatch for 4min as they slashed my number with a Sharpie and recorded my name on a sheet. I tried to call my mom from the tent for fun, but none of the refs would let me use their phone....oh well.....

I have to give a HUGE shout out to teammate Brian Myrick who helps direct Ironman Florida. It was so awesome to have a familiar face out on the course and to know that if I had an emergency, he would offer his help. THANK YOU! I managed to run into Brian on the 2nd lap of the run course and posed for a pic....

The run was tough, but was everything I wanted and needed it to be. I wanted it to be mentally and physically challenging  so that it would push me to new limits. I wanted an Ironman challenge....and it did not fail to test me. I ran, I walked, I almost passed out. My mouth was so dry that eating a pretzel became like chewing bubble gum. A man ran up to me and asked was this the way to the finish? I thought he was joking, but he had just come out of a porta potty and was so disoriented he wasn't quite sure which way on the out and back course was really the finish. Fit men were walking. People were dry heaving. Ambulance sirens abounded. Inspiration was all around as we became comrades again, united as one, doing the Ironman shuffle. Whatever you could do to make forward progress was done. No one judged our missteps, side leans, or gas passing :). Nighttime caught us and we shuffled along in silence and in bad form. Some would not make it and fall casualty to a cut off time of 12 midnight.

But, I made it. My goal was to get to the start line healthy and my other goal, to finish my first Ironman. And I did it. I did it! In honor of John "Blazeman" Blais who completed Ironman Kona with Lou Gehrig's disease and died 2 years later at 35yrs old, I rolled across the line, something he had done at Kona to offer hope to so many. Thanks Blazeman!

I did not want to leave Planet Ironman for Earth's reality of cyclical work, hopelessness, depression, and fatigue. After all, I was an Ironman. I was changed! How do you come down from such a high of inspiration? Watching a 78yr old man lean across the line, seeing a firefighter in turnout gear complete a marathon, cheering for a woman who finished 10min after the cut-off still getting cheered in by 1,000 people who waited on her to finish! Is there a pill for this? If so, I want everyone to take it. As a nurse, I want to offer that hope and inspiration to all, to see eyes and hearts burn with life. It's never too late to do something epic. Seek your own Planet Ironman and take those around you with you.

I think I'm tough.......

.....I go out for a 50 mile hard group ride.   I think I am bad to the bone because I am riding 10 miles to the start and 10 miles back.   I know it is going to go 21-22 mph with hard hill efforts.

Then I meet Jen.........who has had cancer.   She is training for El Tour de Tucson.  Sure, the domestiques with TEAM COLLEEN push her some and she gets very tired, but the 30-40 person peleton never attacks her.  She maintains 3rd-5th wheel most of the ride.  She is all smiles at the end.

I revise my definition of TOUGH.













 

Congratulations Emily... 1st Woman Medio..

Hincapie Gran Fondo

This would be my second most elevation (8000 feet) gain ride after doing Mitchell 2 years ago. The ride was broken down into three major climbs, Skyuka, Howard Gap and Green River Cove. In addition to the climbs, you had 80 miles that you had to ride. So I guess it is ok to say that I was nervous and did not sleep very well the night before. At least, I would not be alone and had one teammate, Joe G, that would suffer just as much, with me. 

We started behind the Pro‘s with George Hincapie going down Hwy 11. At mile 3.5 the first guy crashed to my left by himself. Probably over-breaking. That for sure made my anxiety go up another notch. At about mile 12 the group separated from the participants doing the Half Fondo. Now we were on our own. My main focus: to stay up front as long as possible. 16 miles into the ride we reach Skyuka rd. I look down at my Garmin and see our average is about 22 mph. I think that is going to go down drastically in the next half hour. We start climbing, everyone is strung out. I knew from climbing it last week not to go too hard during the first half of the climb. There are some painful sections towards the top that are close to 20%. Reaching the second half of the climb, I see the first riders off their bikes. Pushing or resting. I am thinking quite a few out of state riders must have either underestimated the steep sections or did not have the proper gears for climbing. 

With about 1 km to go I pass a young boy in a Garmin Kit. He looks like he is 4 feet tall. He is using the full road, swerving back and fourth. I tell him to hang in there. We are almost at the top. At the hydration stop he would tell me that he is 14. 

After filling up our water bottles, Joe and I began the decent with George Hincapie and his entourage. Joe is at the front and George is right behind him. This would of been an awesome picture. We are flying down Skyuka now. On one of the switchbacks, I see 3 riders in the ditch. One has really bad road rash. That was all I could see. I am praying not to get dropped, looking down at my GPS and watching the elevation numbers in feet fall like on an airplane when landing. So somehow using all my technical skills (counter steering), I make it in one piece to the bottom, thinking wow, I just descended 2000 vertical feet staying with cycling professionals. 

Now we ride towards Howard Gap (the next climb). At the base or mile marker 35, I eventually get dropped. Am I disappointed, heck no. I stayed 35 miles and climbed 4000 feet with professional cyclists. It is like I felt 30 years younger. 

At the top of Howard Gap, I still catch the rear wheel of Tyler Karnes, one of the BMC development riders. I ask him if he remembers me because my daughter rode with him on the Hincapie Development team 3 years ago. To my surprise he says of course.  He is also probably thinking what is this old guy doing here. Well he pulls and we descend towards the bottom of our third and final climb. He did not ask me to pull once, not that I could of. We catch more and more stranglers for the next 20 miles on our way to the top of Green River Cove. 3 of them Les Domestique riders from Canada. They told me they were not used to riding in shorts at the end of October. From the top of Green River Cove  it was 16 miles to the finish, mostly down hill. 

At mile 75 I was in a pace line with 5 riders when my right leg cramped up so bad that I could not pedal anymore. Was this the end of the ride for me? I had to make a complete stop and unclip. I grabbed a gel and drank some water. Within seconds the cramp subsided and I was riding down the water shed again. Some riders caught up to me and I could stay on their wheel and eventually we even caught the riders that I was with. 

After 4 hours and 27 minutes ride time (plus 2 water stops) I made it through the finish. I even got goose bumps. There were like hundreds of people left and right cheering. My teammate came through a couple of minutes behind me with Cadel Evans. We were both very happy for what we had achieved that day. One thing I know for sure, after climbing Howard Gap 4 times in the last 6 weeks I will not even ride close to it for the rest of this year. 

In the Blink of an Eye

We had reached Fork Shoals, eaten, peed, taken on water and picked up April.  The charge was attack the hills and regroup into a pace line.  After a right turn out of the parking lot, it heated up immediately at the bottom of the two hills on McKelvey.  Sam attacked.  Bird, Brandon and Bobby responded.   The rest of us took a more steady approach if you call climbing at 400+ watts steady.

After regrouping at the fire station, we were back in a rotating pace line.  Bake says, "Let 'em know when it green light to go."  Soon, I announced several times that when Brandon came to the front in the rotation (just behind me), it would be 'game on'.  We were only a half mile from the climbs on Hillside Church when the heat turned up.

When I pulled off, Brandon accelerated.  Bird and Teenie held his wheel.   I eased as everybody but  April passed.  Already at the max, she had wisely fallen off.

As I accelerated to stay connected, Sam came around Brian on his left.  They were 10 feet in front of me.  They crossed wheels and it was a 'yard sale' as 2 bodies and two bikes catapulted across the road.   I turned around quickly.  Brian was on his back in about 4 foot deep ditch and Sam was laying at the edge of the road.   The  bikes were intertwined.

We rallied as Kendyle came and picked up Brian back at the school.   Yes, he and his bike could go back the 8 miles.   Major RR on the butt!  Other scrapes.

April and Bobby went back for her car, picked up Sam and Steve and made their way to 'Doc in the Box'.   Later, we would get the news that there were no broken bones.

Emily, Teenie, Larry, Bobby and I rode back to SCTAC as Bird and Brandon finished he ride route.

This was a 30 mph crash and we are so fortunate.   Two great bike handlers were caught up.  It could have been 4-5 of us and the injuries much more serious.  

It was interesting the effects of this on me emotionally.   I was not the only one feeling serious emotional stress.   Had I set the ride up and put people in danger??  Was I to blame?

Then there is the 'girl thing'.   I always feel I am an enlightened thinker when it comes to women.  I DON"T think women are the weaker sex.......hey I direct a coed team.  But there still is this protective thing in me.   Sure, I was damn concerned about Brian but with Sam, I was hurtin' inside really bad.   I was thinking, "I wish I could take her place, take her pain."   The Sam that tore my legs off on the climb minutes earlier looked so small and so vulnerable setting injured.

It felt triumphant when we got to the 'Doc in the Box' and found out the good news......nothing broken.  Smiles abounded.

These guys are gonna be real sore tomorrow, the next day and the next week.   Just glad it was not worse!

Best line of the day from Bobby went something like this, "It takes a lot more to keep a TEAM headstrong racer down, but let's don't try to find where the line is."

72 Hours at Moab

Moab ain't for sissies.  We met Jim and Beth Hoffmeister in this famous setting.

Day 1:   Gemini Bridges to Metal Masher return Gemini Bridges on Mountain bikes

Time out: 4:30-5:00 hours

Miles:  Maybe 25-30?   who knows?

Scenery:  Unbelievable

Technical difficulty:  High

Cardio difficulty:  Intermediate - maybe 4000 ft of climbing?

The road went straight up to the Mesa.  It was sandy and rocky...hardest road I have ever ridden.  I could still see the car when I fell....my only time on the ground (rocks).  We stopped at the Bridges....Sandstone that was 30ft wide x 30 ft thick x 100ft long spanning a big ass hole created by water.....don't get too close to the edge!

Then the Masher....a big technical climb and Teenie is on the ground 4x.....a couple I saw and they were hard.

Then we descended forever on huge nearly solid rock.   I was off the bike walking a few times but barely stayed ahead of Teenie when was walking.  Every foot held potential tragedy.

We lived....I have a broken wrist...

Day 2:  Arches National Park on Road bikes

Time out: 3 hours

Miles:  45

Scenery:  Unbelievable

Climbing:  3300 ft.

This is a beautiful out and back ride.  Teenie bounced back and drove sag.   We were joined by a friend of Jim/Beth, Ken.  He is a good rider and just bought a place in Brevard.

The day was pleasant and lacked drama!

Day 3:  Hike to the Arch

Time: 1.5 hours

Miles: 3

Climbing:  1000 ft

Technical difficulty:  Easy (Life threatening as it turned out)

We got out to the trailhead about 10AM and there were old folks, fat folks and kids.....I thought, "How hard can this be?"  We headed out with climb ahead and soon reached the Arch.  We took pics and then Ken suggested a different way back.  Beth and I ask about danger and difficulty about 4x total.  The last time we ask, Ken said one of the most terrifying phrases an outdoor person can hear:  "Follow me!"

One minute later I was below the Arch (on a solid piece of sandstone) on 40 degree slant.  If my shoes lost there grip or rolled over, it was 200 ft drop to death........no broken bones, no hospital, just death.

It was about 10 feet to safety and I was good.  Then Beth, came out.  She was terrified and wanted my hand.  It took a second to determine if I wanted to die with her if she slipped.........but I extended my hand.   It was no act of bravery.  Teenie, now seeing the danger, wisely backed up and walked about half mile around and met us below.

We ended the day with a 1.5 hour spin along the Colorado River........we saw ancient Indian drawings and marveled at the 200 foot shear cliffs along the river.

When I got back from the spin, I got word my Dad had died.  He was 87 and had a long illness as many of you know.  Teenie and I had spent 3 days with him less than 2 weeks prior.   It was a blessing but an emotional time.   Probably will connect Moab to his death for a long time.

Many of you and many other friends have been there for Teenie and I...

Thanks.

My Heroes

How does the Willie Nelson song go?  'My heroes have always been cowboys'........

You might think my heroes have always been athletes, but not so much.   You might think they are successful business men, but not so much.  I am a lot more about character than I am about talent although my heroes have had talent.   My heroes have been successful as well.

I have always been pretty discriminating when it came to choosing them.  Haven't had many.  I ask a few questions like:   Would I like to be more like them?   Would I like my son/daughter to be like them?   Would I like my grandson/grand daughter to be like them.   I am careful to realize that these heroes are just people, full of imperfection.   They have poor qualities as well as great ones.  They fail and make mistakes........none of them 'walk or walked on water'.

These heroes have been in my life at different times and changed me in different ways.

My first hero was my Dad.   He effected me early on with his drive for competition, hope and optimism.  You might say he gave me a terrific start.  Losing him this week has been emotional even as it was a blessing.

When I was a teen, Vince Lombardi, came into my life.   He knew more about teams and teamwork than maybe anybody on the planet.  He was a great leader.  I dreamed of playing for him but it never worked out.

Then there was Lou Tice, who we also lost this year.  I met Lou in my late 30's and he was a life saver.  Lou taught me a lot about how the mind works.......he mostly taught me about about me.

They are gone but never forgotten.

I have one wonderful hero with whom I still get to hangout, George Hincapie.   He is an example of how a man can be world class and still be a loving father, husband and friend.   In fact, he put the 'class' in world class.  I have had tears this week because I know my friend is hurtin'.  

I am hanging on to George.

I am also hoping that maybe, just maybe, that I have learned enough from these guys to be someone's hero.   It has always been important that world be better place because of me.   Lofty expectations?   Not really.....just want to make a contribution.  

What could be a bigger accomplishment in life than to be a hero, if only to a single person?   Particularly, if you aren't a cowboy?

Sam & Steve's Ceasar's Head Training Ride

Sam was looking for some company for a training ride up to Ceasar's Head and back on Saturday and the team came out in force for a great team ride to share some suffering up Greenville's most famous training venue...  (Emily, Sam, Teenie peaking, Steve, Kendra, Ray, Joe G, Bird, Joe L, Cinthia.... and Tom, Larry, Bobby, John and Camille met us on the road)...

Two for One

Dan and Jill McNamara are joining us on TEAM headstrong.

Both have a long background in cycling and endurance sports.   Dan, through his company, Metro Reprographics has sponsored and ridden on a cycling team here in Greenville for many years (Metro).  Jill has focused on time trialing and multi sport.  They hope to take their cycle racing up a notch and feel TEAM headstrong offers the climate to do just that.

Both Dan and Jill currently spearhead an effort at Brookwood Church to encourage people to cycle.

They will bring fitness and enthusiasm to the TEAM.   Welcome Dan and Jill!

Skills Clinics Coming in 2013

You can race better when you can control your own bike! TEAM headstrong skills clinics are coming in 2013!

Use Your Noggin

These guidelines are posted by the League of American Bicyclists. They were created in Portland in response to some bike/car accidents.  I think they are great rules to follow, and will help keep us safe on the roads.

1. Be courteous and share the road. Being courteous gains respect and helps make the roads safer for all  cyclists.
2. The law allows you to ride two abreast, but it may not be the courteous or safe option.
3. If you hear a vehicle approaching from behind, ride single file. Don’t ride three abreast.
4. If you’re blocking a whole line of cars and there’s a place to safely pull off be courteous and stop.
5. Don’t wander all over the road. Try to ride predictably and as far right as safely as you can. This does not mean to ride in an area that is littered with road debris or places you at risk. 
6. Do take the lane if it safe to do so if there is a blind corner, high-risk junction or narrowing of the road.
7. Use common sense – don’t pee in people’s yards or hang out across the entire road if you’re waiting for a regroup.
8. Stop at stop signs and signals. By law, cyclists must obey all traffic control devices.
9. Signal your intentions if you can safely do so. If you are turning, point in the direction you plan on going. If you are slowing, put your hand out behind you.
10. If you wave a car around you, don’t get impatient. Remember that it is their decision to make as to whether it is safe to pass.
11. If you’re in a group, take leadership, set a good example and do your best to make everyone ride courteously.
12. Pay attention! While it is the responsibility of drivers to avoid hitting you, ride defensively to minimize risk!
13. Remember the 5% rule. 5% of drivers are jerks. Don’t let that 5% get to you. Take a deep breath and move on.
14. Be friendly. If someone is courteous to you and does the right thing, wave and smile.  Everyone likes to be acknowledged for doing the right thing.

And some of my own that I think are courteous to everyone on the road and trail:

1. If you are going straight across an intersection at a traffic light, stay in the straight lane.  Don’t crowd the  right turning lane so that cars can’t get through to turn. And definitely stay out of the left lane at stop signs, etc.
2. Pass information forward from the back of the pack.  Riders dropped, flat tire, car back, etc. Those at the front do not necessarily know what is happening at the rear. Communication is important.
3. The riders in the front need to point out obstacles in the road.  Keep it realistic.  A hole is not a tiny little piece of missing pavement. This includes signaling turns.
4. Watch the “throw back” on inclines.  Ease up off your seat while maintaining speed and pressure on the pedals.  This is a skill that everyone should learn.
5. You owe it to your fellow pack rider to learn the skills needed to ride in a pack.  Everyone’s safety is at stake.
6. Carry whatever you need with you, and that includes a spare tube, CO2, food, gels etc.  No-one wants to use up their spares because you aren't prepared.
7. Keep your eyes in front of you and watch what you’re doing, even when having a conversation with the rider next to you.
8. Never weave through cars waiting at a traffic light, just so you can take off first when the light turns green.
9. Team Headstrong’s cycling uniform is bright, stands out, and is memorable.  We need to be good ambassadors for the sport.  Leading by example is very effective.
10. The speed limit on the Swamp Rabbit Trail is 20 miles an hour.  That doesn't mean blow past other trail users as close to 20mph as possible. The trail is not our personal training ground. We have to share the trail.
11. Get a bell for your bike and use it on the trail.  Other trail users appreciate the warning, and little kids on the trail will think you are cool.
12. I can’t think of another one right now, but I like round numbers.  Talking about round numbers, how about always wear your helmet, and keep your head round?!

Shamed into it.......seriously..

I have been reprimanded for wearing the wrong kit, not matching pieces of cycling gear, pushing the pace.... AND for having "nasty" handlebar tape.......

So a heads up to everyone.... It is a good time to do bike inspection and maintenance..   My habit is every fall I check things out replacing those things you put off and don't think about for winter riding.. ....

• bike cables
• tires
• chain
• HANDLEBAR TAPE
• brake pads
• etc

Then I do it again in the spring after the inclement winter weather riding has passed and ready for "race" season... 

Everyone should know how to inspect and replace these... If you need help ask... a team mate would be happy to help you....

Debi Does Sassafrass

Here is my view the day "we" climbed Sassafrass........I will take everyone else's word on how much fun it was.......

I was busy holding down that rock at the bottom.........

Man Up!

I hadn't heard the above term in a long time when my good friend, Jim Hoffmeister, laid it on Teenie at Dupont the other day.

Nothing could fit our outing at the Texas State RR better.   Sure, you're probably thinking that I am referring to Teenie racing in the Master's Men 60+ field but that wasn't the half of it.   We will call this Man up #1.

With months since our last race, we knew we were fit but not race fit.   The field was 26 strong and these guys were racing for the State Championship.   Texas is a huge state and a huge racing state.   We were going to a gunfight, a big gunfight, with a knife.   Man up #2.

The course was seriously hilly, even by SC/NC standards.   Fifteen selection hills....yes 15.  Man up #3.

The wind.  Have I ever told how the wind blows in Texas?  It was coming out of the north at 18-20 mph!  Man up #4.

Rain.   It rained on us.  Big drops.........everything is big in Texas.  Man up #5.

Then there was the venue!  FT Hood is the home of the 2nd Armored Division and 1st Cavalry....that is tanks and helicopters.  The Reservation is open range......for cows!!  We had to watch for cows walking across the road!  Man up #6.

But, the best of all was the loud rapid gunfire.......sounded like high caliber machine guns and they were close.  Man up #7.

In the end, Teenie and I had record power performance over our best 60 minutes and we are feeling pretty darn good for El Tour de Tucson.

I finished in the main field with 5 others chasing a 2 man break.   Teenie was 2 minutes back in the next chase group of 6.  I was 8th and she was 14th as neither of us contested the sprint.   Hey, I am not getting in the way of a bunch of Texans trying to win a State Championship.   This was a training race....Man up or no Man up.

 

Lessons from a Sunday Ride

Last Sunday some of us rode from Clemson up into the Eastatoee Valley. Here are a few of the things I learned along the way.

1. If the rain keeps you from riding on Saturday as planned, try again on Sunday. It might pan out, and it might be one of those rides to remember.

2. If you know there's a vicious dog up ahead, a) shift into a higher gear before getting w/in earshot, b) stop talking before getting w/in earshot, and c) pedal continuously as you pass the house, so your rear hub doesn't make the ticky-tick-tick sound that, along with shifting and chatter taunts the dog that already wants to kill you. (Thanks Steve)

3. Don't heckle the guy with the big knife, even if he is getting ready to cut down a Clemson flag. (Thanks again, Steve)

4. Some days are so right for riding that you show up even after you've said you couldn't possibly make it. (Thanks Bird)

5. Make sure everyone knows when/where the water stops are. (Steve, again)

6. 20%+ grade for more that half a mile is steep. Really steep. It hurts. It hurts more the second time. The third time it's numbing. After that, it instills in us the euphoria of agony. (Thanks Bobby)

7. Suffering Sassafras with a friend is more fun than doing it alone. (Again, Bobby)

8. The patella oblongata will hurt if you put too much pressure on it via a long climb. (That's all Bobby)

9. To make the patella stop hurting you should massage the inner most quad muscle (vastus medialis) which attaches to the inside of the knee. (Thanks Sam)

10. 83 miles can be a walk in the park, but sometimes it can challenge you to climb to new heights, to push yourself beyond perceived limits. (Thanks Sassafras Mountain)

11. Putting in the hard work pays off down the road. (Thanks Debi)

12. Sometimes there is no getting around blogging. (Thanks Weinacker)

13. And finally, I love riding my bike, there's nothing like the back roads of Pickens County, and my teammates are the best in the world. (I came up with this one on my own)

New Team Member

We want to welcome Kendra Garret to our TEAM.   She has raced for about 2 years and is a Cat 3.  She works at the Life Center and focuses her racing on road racing vs TT's and crits.

She will joining us for TEAM rides effective immediately, as well as the Hincapie Granfondo.

Welcome Kendra!

Update on that Sassafras ride.....

You know it is steep when you look up and Bobby and Steve are zigzagging across the road…. 34x27 and I am zigzagging knowing we are in the first mile of a 5 mile climb…..

I met Em, Steve/Sam, Debi, and Bobby south of 11 heading towards Pickens where I turned around and we headed North for our “date” with Sassafras….. Bobby and Em led the climb up past Bob’s with me trailing off and Shake&Bake settling in just back a bit… Debi content to ride her own pace (as prescribed)… after regrouping at the top we rolled over the next climb down to Rocky Bottom.. Bobby and I started up Sassafras at an easy pace but as no one was behind we turned around and waited for the grupetto.. 

The road tilted up and Bobby and Em started to put distance on S&B and me….. when all of a sudden Sam blurted out “oh shit you have to be kidding”…. a wall.. I mean a 20% freakin wall is all you can see! .... Sam immediately stopped to take her arm warmers off… Steve and I continued… first gear…. “Bird…you got a 27?”…me..  “yup”…….Steve.. “not enough gear”… big Bake is muscling it in a 39x25 and starts to zigzag… I look up and see Bobby up the rode doing the same, and I immediately follow suit….

pain…..pure and simple….. you focus on getting to the top of a pitch like a rock climber ascending a vertical wall hopping you get a rest … SOON…

NADA… it keeps going…. I tell Bake “curves to the right then back and you hit the top……. well for this pitch”  I follow in his “wake”  staring down at the road thinking this is the worse section….. which may be true…. merde!

Bake stops near the top of the wall to wait for Sam…. I continue on not wanting break my pain…. downhill .. 5 seconds and then you go up again.. short .. stand… down again..20 secs of flat at most then up and I mean up… then flattens then up again…  first gear standing.. sitting … standing…. Glady Fork….. pull out… stop…..

shaking my head…. I really thought it would not be this bad…..Steve&Sam  peaking at 25 rpms struggling up shaking their heads….”I need more gear, less weight……I am done”… “no top for me today….”   that is a consensus….

bobby and em long gone ascending to the top…Debi must have bagged it (her coach told her not to stress her legs out)….

I get to descend down Glady Fork for a 4 mile descend before riding mostly flat back to Brevard (20 miles)…. Steve/Sam and the group are looking at a 40 mile return trip starting with a 2mile ascent up McCalls Camp once they bottom out at Rocky Bottom (fitting name)….

I think that will be a hard 40 back to Clemson……

note: Steve said that he had not ridden that climb in 12 or 15 years.... I guess he can ride it again when he is my age.... me ... not again... no fun... tear that page out of the ride route planner... 

Missed Ride.... however...

Tomorrow may be another day... until then since Em did not get to "dance up" 178 and Sassafras, I thought I would post this about Neil Turners "insanely steep climbs" ride so you can think about what you are missing.. Oh and Becky's Mtn I can attest it is one steep *%&^((^ er of a climb....

"we began just north of Pickens, SC at the intersection of 11 and 176.  We hardly had time to warm up before the climb up past Bob's began.  We rode up Hwy 178 to Rocky Bottom...... The real climbing was about to start, most cyclists opt to continue on to Rosman avoiding  Sassafras........When I hit the mountain I understood.... To put it plainly, Sassafras Mountain is a beast of a climb"....click here to keep reading.. Insanely Steep Climbs

Oh and look forward to Bird's Verticle Ride coming soon.......

RIDEWITHGPS.. Asheville, NC Ride

If you ever get up to Asheville, here is a great little loop from downtown (Fuddruckers on Chestnut) that you should do.... it takes less than 1.5 hrs but offers some great views, good ascent, and a great descent back down Elk Mountain.. this is a standard Asheville ride (either direction)..

And if you are not familiar with www.ridewithgps.com check it out... for the detail on the map below (cue sheet etc)... click on .. http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1767520 

This is not Dupont.....

The Hoffmonster decided we should try something a little more "technical" than the fast tracks of Dupont.. His suggestion .....Farlow Gap to Daniel Ridge after ascending up from Glouchester Gap in the Pisgah National Forest.. this is the same route (one of the loops actually) that the Swank 65 does...

I asked Brandon Lee about it and without hesitation he replied "what are you crazy... count me out...no fun, just pain... "

Did that deter Jim, Beth and I ... of course not... a 3hr mtn bike ride with an hour of hike a bike.. my fillings are loose, my crowns are shot, my back is wrecked.... just another great day in the Pisgah.... 

I might just sign up for the Swank....

Teammates

I think this 30 second video sums up the word teammate: