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...