It turns out that the blood result were real good. There was nothing adnormal in the results. I did get wierd looks from the doctor when I told him about the 24 hour races. I didnt think he believed me at first.
Its been almost three weeks since the Laguna 24 (well 12 for me ) race and I have been starting to feel normal again. Still have some fatigue IO working thru but other wise I feel real good and no more chest pains. So I have been training but not as much as before and have cut down my volume for know. I need to get strong and healthy before attempting anything stupid. Im still sticking to my heart rate cap and do not go over that. Its real hard buit it will pay off huge in the long run. I will do tempo and long sustained work but will not go over the heasrt rate cap.
Watched the 24 SOlo race with Chris Etough working on his seventh World title. If you havent watch it you should. As a 24 hour racer I really dont get to see the other side of thing, so it was kind of cool to see what geos on in the pit. I had an IDea of what geo's on but it was an eye opener. I still have the Cd so If you wan to borow it let me know. Also one other thing I took away from the movie is when cris lost he said he has learned more from that race than anyother one, so It made me think about my LAguna seca races the last few years is that I learned a lot from those races. I just have to not repeat them.
I will be doing WOrld in September so that is my main focus for the next few months. Im going to race in the pro division so it will be cool to see where I land.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Change is alway's good
SOme of my afterthoughts on my less than stellar performance at LAguna Seca 24 hour race. Some many thoughts come to mind but I have narrowed it down. I had such a awesome race 5 weeks prior to this race. My pace was so fast I even impressed myself. I hit such a high peak for that race it was almost impossible to hold it. That was nor a bad thing or good but an observation to think about for the future. I think it would of been better nt to peak so high and instead have a more level peak. It took a tone of energy from me. Also I feel at this time my pace was to high in the beganing and burn all my fun cookies to soon. And not enough rest after the race 5 weeks ago. I always get this high from winning a race that I get to eager to hit it hard to soon.
It funny how thing have worked in the past but are not working at the moment. Things change and my training is going to have to change also to keep my results going. I am reading alot of differnet books at the moment and have come across some good infromatiion and things are making sence know. SO I hope I can take this knoledge into my second half of the season. I know there is no quick fix so this is going to takle some time. Change is always good and I ready.
It funny how thing have worked in the past but are not working at the moment. Things change and my training is going to have to change also to keep my results going. I am reading alot of differnet books at the moment and have come across some good infromatiion and things are making sence know. SO I hope I can take this knoledge into my second half of the season. I know there is no quick fix so this is going to takle some time. Change is always good and I ready.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Lets see here, what I have been up too. REst, rest, rest. Its tuff for me just torest and relax. MOst people have a hard time getting motivated to exercise, BUT NOT ME!. Im just the opisite. I have a hard time just lounging around and not training at moch three, breaking the sound bearier...lol Thats just not what I want to do is kick back, but sometimes you just have too. So I have been watching T.V., sitting on my ass eating ice cream and stuff I usually dont get to do. Letting the mind rest and try not to think about training or racing. Although its pretty hard. So in my off time here doesnt really mean I get to sit on my ass all the time. Over the weekend got to explore the outer world I live in. I went to IKea to get some book shelves and new computer desk. WOW! what a place. The reason its so cheap is that you have to assemble the stuff when you get home. It comes with all the screws and hard ware but you have too put it together, wich is fine with me. So I built 10 book shelves, and 1 computer desk. Plus also I build three bike rackes for the garage. So this off time I have been trying is pretty cool after all, but I cant get used to it yet, I still got more kicking ass to do in a few months. So I will be back at it by next week turning the peddles once again.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Time for reflecting...
Amanda here. You know, sometimes it can be a good thing to stop and take stock. To reflect on where you have been and what you have learned. It's nice to see Brian doing that right now. DNFing a race will make you do that I suppose. So I think it's important to remember what we've learned in the last five years and nine 24 hour events that Brian has raced...so here's my list of lessons learned...
1. Always have fun. Always. That is what these races are about. The first 24 hour race thought us that. Well, I should say that Dave Smith taught us that. He introduced Brian to his first 24 Hours of Adrenaline event back in May 2002 @ Laguna Seca where he raced a 5 man team for Granite. Seems soooooo long ago now, doesn't it? My how things have changed. I still remember how burned that Brian was that Dave was pulling faster laps than him all while Dave was going up against his 24 beers in 24 hours goal. Yep, it was all about having a good time out there! :)
2. It's as much about the competition as it is about having fun. The second 24 Hours of Adrenaline Race, May 2003 @ Laguna Seca, Brian sweet-talked Miles Wadsworth into racing a two-man team with him. As I recall, at this point, Brian was still thinking those solo guys were "absolutely nuts." ha ha ha ;) It was all about working hard with a good riding buddy and friend for bragging rights. Miles and Brian both worked hard and pulled out a well-deserved second place with 27 laps that year.
3. Always push the edge of the envelope. It wasn't enough to do it once. It never will be. It's about setting goals, reaching them and making newer even more ridiculous goals! In May 2004, Miles and Brian came back to beat their finish from the prior year and win first at 24 Hours of Adrenaline @ Laguna Seca. None of us were disappointed when they met their goal and won a first place that year!
4. Dream big - you never know what you may accomplish. There was that time where Brian shook his head and said those solo guys were crazy. He may deny it now, but he did - I still remember. :) In May 2005, Brian raced his first year solo at 24 Hours of Adrenaline @ Laguna Seca and he rode hard through that race like it was nothing. We had no idea what to expect, but wow was I impressed. Not only did he do it, he won his first time out on his own. What a difference a few years can make! What an amazing lesson to learn - no dream is too big if you just set your sights on it and go for it.
5. Nutrition is key, so don't get behind yourself. A hard learned lesson indeed. One learned with Brian's first DNF in May 2006 at 24 Hours of Adrenaline @ Laguna Seca. In retrospect today, we knew so little. It really can happen to anyone at anytime. Your stomach just won't cooperate. You're less than your best. There isn't much you can do except be mindful not to get behind. Definitely something we remember and it permanently changed the path of what we do to support Brian from the pit.
6. You can't plan for everything. This includes tornados, disasterous rain, ridiculously bad maps, SuperWalmarts, missed flights - all compliments of the Wisconsin 24 Hours National Championships near Wausau Wisconsin, July 2006. By far one of the most bizarre experiences of our lives - one that will never be topped. At least we hope. But that's the whole point, you simply cannot plan for the unexpected like that...
7. Hard work eventually pays off, as does good planning. After a couple of tough races, all the work and planning that those tough races provoked, paid off. BIG. And resulted in winning the 30-34 age group category at the World Championships of the 24 Hours of Adrenaline @ Conyers, Georgia last year. It wasn't a flawless race, but it was close.
8. Nothing beats having lots of support and a good attitude. Brian always races with a good attitude and we always try to maintain one in the pit. You're only as good as your weakest link or so they say. The Coolest 24 @ Cool California this May was awesome, but I think we learned that it is all about having a positive attitude and making that a priority. It's also nice to have family and friends to cheer you on, isn't it?!
9. And last, but not least, the most important lesson to date? Recovery time is crucial. Brian thought he had learned this lesson when he had to DNF his Florida Ironman last November 13 miles short of finishing the run with qualifying for Worlds in his grasp. This following after only 4 short weeks of rest from his 24 Hour win @ Conyers, Georgia. Five weeks isn't much different than four I suppose. Recovering from the race is still a lesson Brian is learning. It's hard for me to speculate what he needs - how much time, how much rest. It's just not built into him to take it easy. Now his body isn't giving him a choice about it. It should be interesting to see how this affects the future. At this point, I couldn't say, but I can tell him I hope he figures this out soon cause I hate seeing him struggle through this!
All I know is that each race takes it's toll, good or bad. Each race a lesson was definitely learned and it only served to improve his racing, his attitude, his outlook on life. I hope to look back on this post at some point later this year or next and be able to say that this last and newest lesson was finally learned. Until then, at least some stuff will get done around the house and we'll get the quality time together that we've been missing! ;)
1. Always have fun. Always. That is what these races are about. The first 24 hour race thought us that. Well, I should say that Dave Smith taught us that. He introduced Brian to his first 24 Hours of Adrenaline event back in May 2002 @ Laguna Seca where he raced a 5 man team for Granite. Seems soooooo long ago now, doesn't it? My how things have changed. I still remember how burned that Brian was that Dave was pulling faster laps than him all while Dave was going up against his 24 beers in 24 hours goal. Yep, it was all about having a good time out there! :)
2. It's as much about the competition as it is about having fun. The second 24 Hours of Adrenaline Race, May 2003 @ Laguna Seca, Brian sweet-talked Miles Wadsworth into racing a two-man team with him. As I recall, at this point, Brian was still thinking those solo guys were "absolutely nuts." ha ha ha ;) It was all about working hard with a good riding buddy and friend for bragging rights. Miles and Brian both worked hard and pulled out a well-deserved second place with 27 laps that year.
3. Always push the edge of the envelope. It wasn't enough to do it once. It never will be. It's about setting goals, reaching them and making newer even more ridiculous goals! In May 2004, Miles and Brian came back to beat their finish from the prior year and win first at 24 Hours of Adrenaline @ Laguna Seca. None of us were disappointed when they met their goal and won a first place that year!
4. Dream big - you never know what you may accomplish. There was that time where Brian shook his head and said those solo guys were crazy. He may deny it now, but he did - I still remember. :) In May 2005, Brian raced his first year solo at 24 Hours of Adrenaline @ Laguna Seca and he rode hard through that race like it was nothing. We had no idea what to expect, but wow was I impressed. Not only did he do it, he won his first time out on his own. What a difference a few years can make! What an amazing lesson to learn - no dream is too big if you just set your sights on it and go for it.
5. Nutrition is key, so don't get behind yourself. A hard learned lesson indeed. One learned with Brian's first DNF in May 2006 at 24 Hours of Adrenaline @ Laguna Seca. In retrospect today, we knew so little. It really can happen to anyone at anytime. Your stomach just won't cooperate. You're less than your best. There isn't much you can do except be mindful not to get behind. Definitely something we remember and it permanently changed the path of what we do to support Brian from the pit.
6. You can't plan for everything. This includes tornados, disasterous rain, ridiculously bad maps, SuperWalmarts, missed flights - all compliments of the Wisconsin 24 Hours National Championships near Wausau Wisconsin, July 2006. By far one of the most bizarre experiences of our lives - one that will never be topped. At least we hope. But that's the whole point, you simply cannot plan for the unexpected like that...
7. Hard work eventually pays off, as does good planning. After a couple of tough races, all the work and planning that those tough races provoked, paid off. BIG. And resulted in winning the 30-34 age group category at the World Championships of the 24 Hours of Adrenaline @ Conyers, Georgia last year. It wasn't a flawless race, but it was close.
8. Nothing beats having lots of support and a good attitude. Brian always races with a good attitude and we always try to maintain one in the pit. You're only as good as your weakest link or so they say. The Coolest 24 @ Cool California this May was awesome, but I think we learned that it is all about having a positive attitude and making that a priority. It's also nice to have family and friends to cheer you on, isn't it?!
9. And last, but not least, the most important lesson to date? Recovery time is crucial. Brian thought he had learned this lesson when he had to DNF his Florida Ironman last November 13 miles short of finishing the run with qualifying for Worlds in his grasp. This following after only 4 short weeks of rest from his 24 Hour win @ Conyers, Georgia. Five weeks isn't much different than four I suppose. Recovering from the race is still a lesson Brian is learning. It's hard for me to speculate what he needs - how much time, how much rest. It's just not built into him to take it easy. Now his body isn't giving him a choice about it. It should be interesting to see how this affects the future. At this point, I couldn't say, but I can tell him I hope he figures this out soon cause I hate seeing him struggle through this!
All I know is that each race takes it's toll, good or bad. Each race a lesson was definitely learned and it only served to improve his racing, his attitude, his outlook on life. I hope to look back on this post at some point later this year or next and be able to say that this last and newest lesson was finally learned. Until then, at least some stuff will get done around the house and we'll get the quality time together that we've been missing! ;)
Monday, June 11, 2007
24 hours of Adrenilan Race Recap
This weekend was sure to be put in my record books, and not in a good way at all. And a weekend definitely not to be repeated.
Everything started out real good. Got up Early Saturday morning so ready to race. I felt real good and was ready to ride my ass off. I ate a huge breakfast, loaded up the truck and off we went. I had a huge support of family and friends. Witch is so cool. After setting everything up it was time for the race meeting at 9 am and the race started at 10 am. Well we were off racing, I tried to stay out front for the run and to get on the trail in the front off the pack so I can stay out of trouble. After about the the third lap I really started to feel really weird. I know for me sometimes this will pass and go away. I had major pain in my chest and my breathing wasn't the same as in the past. I could understand this feeling after 20 hours of racing but not only 3-4 hours into the race. I kept going hoping it would pass and tried to work through it but it just got worse. Yuri Hauswald and I at this point we changing leads a lot. Yuri would come in front of me and then I would come in front of Yuri. Yuri was real strong this race and I knew he was really shooting for the win. After about 8 hours I ended up getting a small gap on Yuri, but things were getting even worse with my pain and breathing and wasn't looking very good. I tried to keep upbeat about it and also keep real about it. I was going to go Intel I couldn't go anymore without killing myself, hopefully. After the second night lap everything turned to shit! My breathing became very erratic and the pain in my chest grew so intensely I had to stop and walk to the first aid station and catch a ride to the start/finish line where the pit was. When I got back to the pit and laid down my breathing and pain wasn't going away. Thank god I had such a wonderful and caring wife because she wanted to have me looked at by the EMT just to make sure I was okay. Every seemed to be okay with my EKG"s ( what ever that was), but took the ambulance ride to the hospital to get blood work and check everything out just to make sure everything was okay. The blood work came back negative for heart enzymes in the blood when having a heart attack. SO I just over exerted myself way to much. I'm not sure of the cause yet, there are so many variables to go over and think about. So that's what I will be doing over the next few rest weeks. I really hate the DNF monster but it's part of racing, you win some and you loose some. I'm not going to get all depressed like before and I will just chalk it up to a learning experience and move on. I am still sad about it because I have such a wonderful wife (Amanda, I love you) and family and friends support I wanted to do real good for them. So I am a little sad for that. In a way it kind of feels like I let them down. But I feel I gave it 110% and very happy with that. Right know I'm just going to to make any quick decision about anything until the fog clears out of my head and take a break. Again like I said there are so many variables to look at and will go over them the next few weeks and go from there.
I do want to thank my family and friends for there support and good words of encouragement. I just wish I did better for you all. Thanks again!
Everything started out real good. Got up Early Saturday morning so ready to race. I felt real good and was ready to ride my ass off. I ate a huge breakfast, loaded up the truck and off we went. I had a huge support of family and friends. Witch is so cool. After setting everything up it was time for the race meeting at 9 am and the race started at 10 am. Well we were off racing, I tried to stay out front for the run and to get on the trail in the front off the pack so I can stay out of trouble. After about the the third lap I really started to feel really weird. I know for me sometimes this will pass and go away. I had major pain in my chest and my breathing wasn't the same as in the past. I could understand this feeling after 20 hours of racing but not only 3-4 hours into the race. I kept going hoping it would pass and tried to work through it but it just got worse. Yuri Hauswald and I at this point we changing leads a lot. Yuri would come in front of me and then I would come in front of Yuri. Yuri was real strong this race and I knew he was really shooting for the win. After about 8 hours I ended up getting a small gap on Yuri, but things were getting even worse with my pain and breathing and wasn't looking very good. I tried to keep upbeat about it and also keep real about it. I was going to go Intel I couldn't go anymore without killing myself, hopefully. After the second night lap everything turned to shit! My breathing became very erratic and the pain in my chest grew so intensely I had to stop and walk to the first aid station and catch a ride to the start/finish line where the pit was. When I got back to the pit and laid down my breathing and pain wasn't going away. Thank god I had such a wonderful and caring wife because she wanted to have me looked at by the EMT just to make sure I was okay. Every seemed to be okay with my EKG"s ( what ever that was), but took the ambulance ride to the hospital to get blood work and check everything out just to make sure everything was okay. The blood work came back negative for heart enzymes in the blood when having a heart attack. SO I just over exerted myself way to much. I'm not sure of the cause yet, there are so many variables to go over and think about. So that's what I will be doing over the next few rest weeks. I really hate the DNF monster but it's part of racing, you win some and you loose some. I'm not going to get all depressed like before and I will just chalk it up to a learning experience and move on. I am still sad about it because I have such a wonderful wife (Amanda, I love you) and family and friends support I wanted to do real good for them. So I am a little sad for that. In a way it kind of feels like I let them down. But I feel I gave it 110% and very happy with that. Right know I'm just going to to make any quick decision about anything until the fog clears out of my head and take a break. Again like I said there are so many variables to look at and will go over them the next few weeks and go from there.
I do want to thank my family and friends for there support and good words of encouragement. I just wish I did better for you all. Thanks again!
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
The big taper
My taper is in full swing. Last week I was so worried and nervous. I had all kinds of weird aches and pains all over my body. I thought I was falling apart. But this week is a lot better and everything is comming together. I rode last night and felt very strong and fast. Rest period does wonders for the body. As I going throught this rest phase before the big day, I always look back at all the training and realize how much work was done, and how on the verge of over training I get. I know I train way to much sometimes but really realize during weeks like this. SOmetimes I dont know how to act without all kinds of pain. Everyday I have to fight not to go out and hammer away. Its like my body is going through adrenilan withdrawls. Only a few more day's left and I can rip it up. The days have been nice though, only an hour or so a day of training. Feels weird though. But in the bigger picture I know I cant keep training like I have been and have good results at the big races. I will not do anything but rest and get the bikes ready on thursday and Friday.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Im Alive!!!!!
Another epic weekend, I'm just glad to be alive. You really never know how a bike ride will go. You might get a flat tire, or have some kind of bike malfunction. But what it usually is, it sure wasn't that way for me on Monday. I knew it would be epic, but shit! I had many thoughts on rides before but none of having to be air lifted out from the middle. I was so close to waving somebody down to rescue me on my epic journey but some how managed to make it. 140 mile total for the day. It never really dawned on me, going through what I did, and realizing when watching the Tour Or the Giro when you somebody having a bad day and could loose up to 30 minutes on a stage. Well I have a new respect for the sport know.
SO my journey started out with an hour swim. Then I drove to King City and park, jump on the bike and headed to Coalinga. Its a nice hour climb tot he top of bitterwater rd down the other side. I turned left onto hwy 25, rt onto Coalinga rd and topped at the fire station for the last stop Intel coalinga. Its awesome out there, no traffic, all along, pretty much on your own except for the occasional rancher. I get some weird looks, like what the hell is this biker doing out here. I was ticking along nicely. You past the entrance into Clearcreek, where all the motorcycles go ride. About here thing started to warm up a lot. And soon as I got to Los Gatos park I knew I was in hell. Kicked up to 90 degree's and it wasn't even 12 yet. Before the last going into coalinga I even thought of turning around but thought what the hell, Im here might as well make a day out of it. SO I get into coalinga, refuel got something to eat. One thing I have to remember is how hot it is and its three hours before the next water stop. I also go back the same way I came. I had 2 20oz bottle on the bike, 70 oz camel back, and three 1 liter bottle in the jersey pockets. Plenty you would think. So I knew I just wasn't in the best of spirits but no time or no way to contemplate anything else but keep going. It a long gradual climb but up too the mountain top flat. Going back you have 5 climbs. The first one is long and gradual rollers. Takes 1.5 hours. Well it took me all of 2 hours. In some spots I could swear it was close to 100 deg. Things just weren't good at all. I had no power, Things started to get real fuzzy and I had hours to go. The next passes were kind of comical. I never had to stop in the middle of a climb to catch my breath. By half way back I could eat, only sip on water. If I would of had cell reception for I would of definitely called for backup. So I got to the fire station, witch is 20 miles form the truck. I took an extend break here to catch up with myself. There usually some fire fighters there. There was a guy washing the fire truck. He was half way through soaping the truck when he walk over to me to talk to me. I really didn't realize it Intel later but I must of really looked like shit to have stop with soap still on the truck. It was nice to chat some with somebody though. I somehow manged to make it eventually. I remember telling Amanda I would be home by 5. Well I didn't get home until after 6:30. She was worried, I was worried, not a good day. So I'M just glad to be alive and feeling pretty good today.
I have two weeks until Laguna Seco 24 hour race, so I'm in need of some very deserved rest. I'm tired, I miss my wife, and am looking forward to our time together the next few weeks so we can get re aquatinted all over again!!!!
SO my journey started out with an hour swim. Then I drove to King City and park, jump on the bike and headed to Coalinga. Its a nice hour climb tot he top of bitterwater rd down the other side. I turned left onto hwy 25, rt onto Coalinga rd and topped at the fire station for the last stop Intel coalinga. Its awesome out there, no traffic, all along, pretty much on your own except for the occasional rancher. I get some weird looks, like what the hell is this biker doing out here. I was ticking along nicely. You past the entrance into Clearcreek, where all the motorcycles go ride. About here thing started to warm up a lot. And soon as I got to Los Gatos park I knew I was in hell. Kicked up to 90 degree's and it wasn't even 12 yet. Before the last going into coalinga I even thought of turning around but thought what the hell, Im here might as well make a day out of it. SO I get into coalinga, refuel got something to eat. One thing I have to remember is how hot it is and its three hours before the next water stop. I also go back the same way I came. I had 2 20oz bottle on the bike, 70 oz camel back, and three 1 liter bottle in the jersey pockets. Plenty you would think. So I knew I just wasn't in the best of spirits but no time or no way to contemplate anything else but keep going. It a long gradual climb but up too the mountain top flat. Going back you have 5 climbs. The first one is long and gradual rollers. Takes 1.5 hours. Well it took me all of 2 hours. In some spots I could swear it was close to 100 deg. Things just weren't good at all. I had no power, Things started to get real fuzzy and I had hours to go. The next passes were kind of comical. I never had to stop in the middle of a climb to catch my breath. By half way back I could eat, only sip on water. If I would of had cell reception for I would of definitely called for backup. So I got to the fire station, witch is 20 miles form the truck. I took an extend break here to catch up with myself. There usually some fire fighters there. There was a guy washing the fire truck. He was half way through soaping the truck when he walk over to me to talk to me. I really didn't realize it Intel later but I must of really looked like shit to have stop with soap still on the truck. It was nice to chat some with somebody though. I somehow manged to make it eventually. I remember telling Amanda I would be home by 5. Well I didn't get home until after 6:30. She was worried, I was worried, not a good day. So I'M just glad to be alive and feeling pretty good today.
I have two weeks until Laguna Seco 24 hour race, so I'm in need of some very deserved rest. I'm tired, I miss my wife, and am looking forward to our time together the next few weeks so we can get re aquatinted all over again!!!!
Friday, May 25, 2007
One of the greatest thing about the internet is informatin. You can pretty much find anthing your looking for. I have so much info on nutrition and training, and keep finding new stuff on a weekley base.
The reason I say this is because I think everybody can gain something from changing what they eat. Wheather it be what you eat or where it came from. ANd if you are anybody who knows me Im very particular on what I will put in my body. WHen going on vacations I will call near by resturaunts and find out what kind of oils they use to cook with. Or if they use organic foods. Its hard to eat totally organic foods but I try real hard and feel real good about it. With so many people geting diabeties these day's and they have no clye to why> I believe its the food you eat. One of the big main killers is partially hydrogenated oils. If this is in your diet that's bad. This type of oil when going through your blood stream it will attached itself to the walls of your veins. And will intern give you high blood pressure. Another killer is sugar. There is just to much sugar in every body's diet. When I go home from work and the school kids are walking home 90 % of the kids either drinking soda's or eating chips and I cream. Its just sad.
As far as training and stuff goes there are a few sight I love to read. So much good information on training and racing. Gordo Byn is and endurance athlete that has started out like me, overweight, ate unhealthy and started training/racing at the age of 30 or so. Same with me. Then got into endurance training/racing and doing the longer events. Anyway he has always got something good to say about it. Here's his blog. Check it out. I always find something good in there. I know he's a triathlete but were all out for the same thing, do go faster. Also check out Mark Allen online website, on the bottom if the page is some good info. Its what I have been following this season. Pretty basic stuff. But that's what I read.
The reason I say this is because I think everybody can gain something from changing what they eat. Wheather it be what you eat or where it came from. ANd if you are anybody who knows me Im very particular on what I will put in my body. WHen going on vacations I will call near by resturaunts and find out what kind of oils they use to cook with. Or if they use organic foods. Its hard to eat totally organic foods but I try real hard and feel real good about it. With so many people geting diabeties these day's and they have no clye to why> I believe its the food you eat. One of the big main killers is partially hydrogenated oils. If this is in your diet that's bad. This type of oil when going through your blood stream it will attached itself to the walls of your veins. And will intern give you high blood pressure. Another killer is sugar. There is just to much sugar in every body's diet. When I go home from work and the school kids are walking home 90 % of the kids either drinking soda's or eating chips and I cream. Its just sad.
As far as training and stuff goes there are a few sight I love to read. So much good information on training and racing. Gordo Byn is and endurance athlete that has started out like me, overweight, ate unhealthy and started training/racing at the age of 30 or so. Same with me. Then got into endurance training/racing and doing the longer events. Anyway he has always got something good to say about it. Here's his blog. Check it out. I always find something good in there. I know he's a triathlete but were all out for the same thing, do go faster. Also check out Mark Allen online website, on the bottom if the page is some good info. Its what I have been following this season. Pretty basic stuff. But that's what I read.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
New jersey's comming in
So I have been working hard on wanting to do something special for all support I get from my sponors. From product to racer support on discount product. So I enclosed a picture of what they will look like. I put an order in yesterday so should see them in a couple of weeks. They look so sweet and the company I have been working with has been so helpful in getting it the way I want. Thanks ZAAVY! The price was right too.
The pic on the left is the front and the back is on the right. A lot of work went into these. Let me know what you think?
The pic on the left is the front and the back is on the right. A lot of work went into these. Let me know what you think?
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Please help me( what my body is saying)
SO last week after adding up the hours in training it scared me. I tend not to keep track because I have been trying to be just happy what I can do these day's and focus on quality stuff and not get buried into someone else training program and stick to what I can handle and not what everybody else is doing. I do this because I get so caught up in everybody else's shit I forget about my own. If you think about who knows what kind of life there living, if they work full time or what ever is. Than when I'm not pulling the hours I start to push harder and dig myself a hole, and the benefits of training diminish instead of moving forward I go backwards. SO I have been just focusing on what I can do or what I can handle, with the full time job, wife, and pets. I'm still on the high end of the hours but train smarter. Also this year I have really focused on my mental aspect of training and racing, weather its stupid shit. What I mean is sometimes I focus on thinking that I'm fast, Strong and can do this. Well it seems better and makes more sense when I think about it. I just try and focus on positive thing about what I do and what I can accomplish. Also getting away from results, although they are nice to win but just focusing on finishing strong and not worrying about where I place but just feel good that I don't get hurt or just finish strong. I can remember a few times last year I got so caught up in my result that I got depressed a few times for not placing real well. Then I would go home and drill myself into the ground in order to get better but my results were still shity. And it seemed I was going in reverse. So I really believe my mental aspect is getting better. I just try and have fun out there and not get to caught up in the racing part or results part. Not saying I still don't drill myself, I just don't drill myself 10 feet into the ground, only 5 feet know. Its easier to dig myself out there. For example this weekend was long. ON Sunday I did a nice 3 hour ride, 1 hour swim, ! hour bike, 2 hour run, 1 hour bike. Without resting at all in between. And a lot of tempo work. I worked out monday morning but took the afternoon, tuesday and wednesday morning off. SO today I feel really good and strong and not injured.
I feel really good coming into my 24 mountain biker ace on June 9th. 2.5 weeks. I will start to imagine my laps and what I'm going to do and it and all the scenarios I can think off. I got some new strategy's on my eating and have been hitting my nutrition needs on all my workouts. So feel really confident with everything.
I will start another build up for one more week. I have to work on Saturday so will hit the miles on Sunday and Monday then focus on getting all healed up and ready.
I feel really good coming into my 24 mountain biker ace on June 9th. 2.5 weeks. I will start to imagine my laps and what I'm going to do and it and all the scenarios I can think off. I got some new strategy's on my eating and have been hitting my nutrition needs on all my workouts. So feel really confident with everything.
I will start another build up for one more week. I have to work on Saturday so will hit the miles on Sunday and Monday then focus on getting all healed up and ready.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Another weekend down and one more to go before I can start to slow down some. Im so glad Im so tired today. Things have been so tuff getting back into the swing of things since the 24 hour race. They take so much out of you. Depending on how I feel after next week I might even take it easy for 2 weeks intel the race because I still have a lot of fatigue, and really don't want that going into the 24 hours race at Laguna Seco on June 9Th. I will wait to see though. I suprised my self today. I got up at was out the door at 8:30 am this morning and just got back a few minutes ago and know it 6 pm. A lot of biking, some swiming and a long run. In the afternoon I went to the pinnacle to run and was loviong the heat, I forget how much I love the heat. Well I have Giro to watch and some sheep to count....... See Ya!!
cccx race report. Out of the 9 races series you have to do at least 6 races and the final totaling 7 races. Yesterday I finish my sixth race so I really dont have to race anymore if I dont want to. Im glad for that. They were getting real tuff, they are real hard and its an all out hammer fest for 1.5 hours. I really dont train like that but they do do me some good though to help me get in some major intensity's. The race start's at 1 pm. Kind of nice. You dont have to get up so early. Anyway were were of and just as usuall the pace was real high. Brock and Keith were out front and pushing the pace. Well mainly Brock, Keith was sucking his wheel most of the time. And I was sucking there wheel. I wasn't feeling the best and didn't take any rest for this race so I was just going to see how long I could last. Lap after lap Brock was doing 90% of the work. There were a few times I felt good enough to get up front and give Brock a hand but it was tuff for me to do anything. I just didn't have nothing in the legs. But I felt bad he was doing all the pulling. Going on the third lap I was impressed with myself for still being in this break of 4 of us. I think at one piont during this lap 2 single speeders caught us. I seem to be always in the back getting spit out the back when the pace went up. I managed to stay with this group intel the last lap. Brock put a hard effort on the last little climb and that was it for me. I spent the rest of the last lap in no mans land, suffering like a dog in 100 degree heat with my tail between my legs. Humility is good once in awhile. Keeps me in check. I was real happy with 4th place and felt good afterwords about my effort. And I didn't crash and hurt myself so thats always good. If everything goes good the last race I might have 4th wraped up. For this race it was all about getting in a real hard workout. In the morning before the race I did three laps of the 24 course then imediatly raced. I figure it will help me push ahrd when Im fatigued. It has worked so good so far. I think it helped me so much winning the 24 hours of Cool 2 weekends ago. Its real hard to be rested for all your races, I would love to do good at all the races but its tuff.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
I got to brag yesterday
Yesterday I got to speak in front of the Soledad Chamber of Commerce. My friends are always bragging about me in some way or another. So I was ask to tell my story in front of the town peers. At first I thought why, I'm nobody special. But after speaking in front of everybody I know have the answer why? It was real cool to have this opportunity to do something like this. It was even very motivating for me as it was to the group I spoke to. It wasn't a very big group but I feel I did make an impact on a few people. Whether it would be to exercise more or even to start exercising, and also maybe eat a little healthier. I was so nervous talking, my lip kept on twitching while I was up there. I could even see it with my eye's when I kind of looked down. But like I said it gave me a lot of motivation to keep doing what I have been. I didn't realize I could have that much influence on people. There were a couple of people I knew in there so they could elaborate on some of the crazy and insane stuff that I do. Like when I'm riding weather it is raining or snowing. The times people see me riding at night or in the wee ours of the morning. Also it has made me feel a lot better about what I have accomplished in the last few years. I really don't get to see that to much because I'm always focused on today or the next few day's on how I am going to squeeze in those extra few hours of training. I got to meet some really nice people too. Also I am motivated to maybe even speak at some high schools when things cool down on the training and racing. Plus I was invited to speak to the rotary club sometime soon. Again I can't believe how motivated I am.
Training has going good again, slow but expected. I was worried over the weekend about my fitness. I'm not sure why I get so worried. It was only a week after my 24 hour race. Its not like I'm superman or spider man or any other super hero. So I'm glad I got things in perspective here. I don't think it would be real productive to be hitting big volume so soon anyway, although would be nice. Maybe next week if I feel better. I've been sleeping and eating a lot. I did get to see the new spider man movie this weekend so that was cool. It even felt like a date with my wife. She was happy to get to spend so much time with me as I was also happy to have that quality time with her. Although I find it Ironic/funny sometimes when we get to spend so much time together I really don't think we know how to handle all that time together, since most the time we are together I'm either asleep or racing. And vacation are hole other funny topic.
So I will see how I feel in the upcoming weeks as to how my training will go. I am looking forward to the Yuri Huaswald and Brian battle. Since he did win the overall last year I will definitely give him a run for his money.
Training has going good again, slow but expected. I was worried over the weekend about my fitness. I'm not sure why I get so worried. It was only a week after my 24 hour race. Its not like I'm superman or spider man or any other super hero. So I'm glad I got things in perspective here. I don't think it would be real productive to be hitting big volume so soon anyway, although would be nice. Maybe next week if I feel better. I've been sleeping and eating a lot. I did get to see the new spider man movie this weekend so that was cool. It even felt like a date with my wife. She was happy to get to spend so much time with me as I was also happy to have that quality time with her. Although I find it Ironic/funny sometimes when we get to spend so much time together I really don't think we know how to handle all that time together, since most the time we are together I'm either asleep or racing. And vacation are hole other funny topic.
So I will see how I feel in the upcoming weeks as to how my training will go. I am looking forward to the Yuri Huaswald and Brian battle. Since he did win the overall last year I will definitely give him a run for his money.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Let's see, its been 4.5 day's since the race ended. My body has been so tired. I just can't seem to get enough sleep. There has been no training for me. just rest and relax. I can remember after all the my long events in the 9-24 hour range, I would be training again right away. Even then I would know that it was to soon to be hitting high volume of training. But my ego would not let up. Maybe its my age? Not really sure. But I have no desire to dig myself in a black hole no more. Noy saying I'm not going to extend myself from time to time but not week after week anymore. I am going to heed some of my own advise. So my plan is after feeling well enough to train, take 2 more day's easy before starting again. At this point my chest still hurts a lot, and I have a shortness of breath when doing anything taxing.
I did have big plans for this week to get my garage in order but looks like that's going to have to wait. I'm going to spend some time with my wife! This time of ours is well needed & deserved. She sacrifices so much of our time already. But understand what it takes to be on top. Not to many people can grasp that consept or even understand it.
I did have big plans for this week to get my garage in order but looks like that's going to have to wait. I'm going to spend some time with my wife! This time of ours is well needed & deserved. She sacrifices so much of our time already. But understand what it takes to be on top. Not to many people can grasp that consept or even understand it.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Race Pics
Mom & Dad before the start of race
My BAD ASS wife!!
BAD ASS Miles Wadsworth. One of the fastest Santa Cruz riders, when Im not there.lol
ME! The winner with 25 laps.
This is one BAD ASS bike company!
This is one BAD ASS Construction Company!!!
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Perspective from the pit crew...
Brian always wonders what it is like for us in the pit area during the race, so he asked if I wouldn't mind writing about this last race from my perspective. Well, be careful what you wish for Brian! :)
So when the race is over, the dust has settled and, well, we've all gotten a little sleep, we spend a lot of time rehashing the race and talking shop about what could be done better next time. Hard to criticize when he wins, but there's always room for improvement, right?!
We took off early on Friday morning for a long weekend of visiting with the family and racing. I was looking forward to *finally* having a mountain bike race near Sacramento. I was even more excited that it was in Cool, only fifteen miles up the road from a house we lived in when I was growing up! I knew the weather would be nicer than Laguna Seca and that we would get the chance to see lots of family come out for the race.
Leading up to the race, Brian is always restless. This time, I suppose you could say I got lucky that my schedule put me in Colorado the weekend before the race, because I came home from that trip to find our two cats shaved, his car washed and the all the gear packed for the race! I'm surprised he didn't put in the new back yard while I was gone too! lol Many of the nights before the race, he tosses and turns - drives me nuts! So I was happy the race was finally upon us. We headed up on Friday, checked into our hotel in Folsom. Later that afternoon, we finally got out to Cool, found the school and tried to figure out where to set up camp. We ran into Terry Wahlberg and her husband Rick. We were pitted next to them last year at 24 Hours in Monterey - such nice people, so I was happy to pit right across from them again this weekend. Brian took off to do a "quick" lap of the course (he ended up hopelessly lost!) and I caught a cat nap in preparation for the long weekend ahead of us!
When it got down to the race on Saturday, we had everything ready to roll. It gets a little easier to plan for each race I think. The start of the race was a little crazy, but fun and we were shocked to watch Brian roll through the chute in first place! All I could think was ah crap, he doesn't even know the course! What happened to the plan?!? THE PLAN!!!! Apparently, that was already out the window and left somewhere back behind him, maybe with the slow little puddle jumper of a motorcycle that was supposed to be leading the race?! It's funny to be a spectator at an event like this. The start is so exciting, but then after a few minutes there's this huge void of nothing. The pit area falls silent and we just hang out. There's not much to do but wait and wonder how long the laps will be!
When the first rider came down the hill, I was shocked to see Brian! This type of race, all the solo 24 hour riders are usually pacing more slowly than the team riders or 8 hour riders, so it was a huge surprise. It worried me a little, but one look at him and I could tell he was working at his own pace. The nutrition plan is what I really worry about. That's my job or so I'm told. :) I also keep track of his lap times, what he's doing each lap (like changing bikes, etc) and make sure that his laps are being tracked correctly. This race had a different lap tracking system than we've grown used to, so I wasn't checking the postings every lap this time - it gave me more time to kick back and relax, which was nice considering we had lots of family and friends around to hang out with.
Brian's nutrition plan wasn't always a big worry for me until 24 Hours in Monterey last year when he had trouble with his stomach after dark, so he stopped eating for a few laps, which resulted in him laying on the ground at 4 am completely miserable and unable to finish because he was so far behind. I never want a repeat of that, so I incessantly hound him to keep eating. This resulted in some hilarious exchanges between us as the day progressed. Examples? About lap seven or so, Brian started gettin' cranky and said (and I quote): "If you want something to worry about, why don't you count my calories?" Of course, I am left with no time to respond so the next lap, I asked him if he wanted any food. His reply? He lifted his shirt pointed to his stomach and said "this is 2,000 calories right here!! Didn't you count my calories?!" It took everything not to laugh at him! :) It's amazing how unreasonably cranky riding a bike for 24 hours can make you!
Mid afternoon on Saturday, Brian requested a bottle of water. Of course, the one thing I hadn't anticipated. Given the lack of shade, the water was hiding out under the back of the truck to avoid the sun. I ran to grab a bottle and as I came back around into the tent, he was already running to go out again. *SIGH* Good night. I'm supposed to chase him? He runs a six minute thirty second mile average on a MARATHON. I can't even keep up with him while he's running and I'm riding a bike! Somehow I managed to dig deep and catch him before he hit the out tent to start his next lap. I almost ate it by stepping in a gopher hole - must have looked funny. :) I doubt he'll even remember this happening!
After a while it gets easier to get him to eat - I just shove food in his pockets and he doesn't even pay attention. By nightfall, we start putting all the food options out on the table so Brian can just grab what he needs and go. It works pretty well actually. I always sleep from about midnight to sunrise so I can pack us up and drive us to where we're staying. Chuck stays up drinking his Rock Star energy drinks and chatting with our neighbors.
It was fun to watch Miles race hard and visit with his wife, Melissa and play with Madeline - she's such a cutie! I bet in a few years we'll see her racing hard in the 24 minutes of adrenaline out at Laguna Seca! :) Congrats on the win Miles - awesome considering that rough start with a flat on both your first and second laps!!
As the day wore into the night and back into the day, I was impressed by the atmosphere of the race. It was great to see the race director, Jim, walking around and spending the time talking to everyone. I may have been tired, but I seem to remember him walking around at one in the morning with a Chewbacca costume on?!? That was hilarious and I have to give him props for making the effort to make all the support crews and spectators comfortable. It was also fun to watch the competition that developed between the top two single speed riders and the collegiate teams - it was a fun, competitive atmosphere and we had a good time.
I always look forward to waking up in the morning to see what Brian has done in the night. I wasn't disappointed this time - he managed to stay completely consistent. It was a first that he only had two slow laps right before sunrise. I was impressed. According to Chuck, he only had one hard time where he stopped, put his hands on the table and looked like he was having a tough moment. Apparently, Chuck told him to knock it off and get back on the bike, which he did! I'm impressed and I'm glad to see him getting very tough mentally during this race. I was greeted the next lap with quotes and the vocal stylings of Carlos Mencia over the radio. :) I knew Brian was having fun when he started saying "dee da dee!!!" and singing "Would you like an apple pie with that?" If you have no idea what I'm talking about, just google that song line and you'll find one of the funniest things I've ever seen!
So I guess to sum it up, the first daylight laps always go by fast, the nights go so slowly and once dawn hits, it's an exciting race to the finish! It's always hard to get used to the lack of sleep, but we've gotten used to making it work. It wouldn't be possible without Chuck's help - he keeps the bikes running perfectly and makes it fun around camp. Definitely owe him a big thanks!! Especially for the yogurt! ;) LOL
Special thanks this race to all the family and friends who showed up to support Brian. It was nice to have both my Dad and my father-in-law Tim there to help hand Brian his nutrition bottle and take pictures, our moms to cheer him on, my sister Katie (who brought us fresh Starbucks coffee and cookies from work - thanks Kate!), her boyfriend Kile and friend Mike to cheer and Miles and Melissa who stuck around that extra 15 minutes part his award ceremony to support Brian with Madeline about 3 hours past her bedtime! It made a huge difference in his morale for this race and I think he looked forward to seeing everyone for the 30 seconds he was in the pit each lap. :) A special thanks also goes out to my Dad for calling from Starbucks on Sunday morning to get us hot coffee (I know Chuck and Rick appreciated it too!) and my Mom for bringing a roll of TP cause the bathrooms were out of it! It was great to have the support and company :) We hope you can all come out again for the next big race in five weeks!
We'll get some pictures up here this week. I'm off to bed....still trying to catch up from this weekend!
So when the race is over, the dust has settled and, well, we've all gotten a little sleep, we spend a lot of time rehashing the race and talking shop about what could be done better next time. Hard to criticize when he wins, but there's always room for improvement, right?!
We took off early on Friday morning for a long weekend of visiting with the family and racing. I was looking forward to *finally* having a mountain bike race near Sacramento. I was even more excited that it was in Cool, only fifteen miles up the road from a house we lived in when I was growing up! I knew the weather would be nicer than Laguna Seca and that we would get the chance to see lots of family come out for the race.
Leading up to the race, Brian is always restless. This time, I suppose you could say I got lucky that my schedule put me in Colorado the weekend before the race, because I came home from that trip to find our two cats shaved, his car washed and the all the gear packed for the race! I'm surprised he didn't put in the new back yard while I was gone too! lol Many of the nights before the race, he tosses and turns - drives me nuts! So I was happy the race was finally upon us. We headed up on Friday, checked into our hotel in Folsom. Later that afternoon, we finally got out to Cool, found the school and tried to figure out where to set up camp. We ran into Terry Wahlberg and her husband Rick. We were pitted next to them last year at 24 Hours in Monterey - such nice people, so I was happy to pit right across from them again this weekend. Brian took off to do a "quick" lap of the course (he ended up hopelessly lost!) and I caught a cat nap in preparation for the long weekend ahead of us!
When it got down to the race on Saturday, we had everything ready to roll. It gets a little easier to plan for each race I think. The start of the race was a little crazy, but fun and we were shocked to watch Brian roll through the chute in first place! All I could think was ah crap, he doesn't even know the course! What happened to the plan?!? THE PLAN!!!! Apparently, that was already out the window and left somewhere back behind him, maybe with the slow little puddle jumper of a motorcycle that was supposed to be leading the race?! It's funny to be a spectator at an event like this. The start is so exciting, but then after a few minutes there's this huge void of nothing. The pit area falls silent and we just hang out. There's not much to do but wait and wonder how long the laps will be!
When the first rider came down the hill, I was shocked to see Brian! This type of race, all the solo 24 hour riders are usually pacing more slowly than the team riders or 8 hour riders, so it was a huge surprise. It worried me a little, but one look at him and I could tell he was working at his own pace. The nutrition plan is what I really worry about. That's my job or so I'm told. :) I also keep track of his lap times, what he's doing each lap (like changing bikes, etc) and make sure that his laps are being tracked correctly. This race had a different lap tracking system than we've grown used to, so I wasn't checking the postings every lap this time - it gave me more time to kick back and relax, which was nice considering we had lots of family and friends around to hang out with.
Brian's nutrition plan wasn't always a big worry for me until 24 Hours in Monterey last year when he had trouble with his stomach after dark, so he stopped eating for a few laps, which resulted in him laying on the ground at 4 am completely miserable and unable to finish because he was so far behind. I never want a repeat of that, so I incessantly hound him to keep eating. This resulted in some hilarious exchanges between us as the day progressed. Examples? About lap seven or so, Brian started gettin' cranky and said (and I quote): "If you want something to worry about, why don't you count my calories?" Of course, I am left with no time to respond so the next lap, I asked him if he wanted any food. His reply? He lifted his shirt pointed to his stomach and said "this is 2,000 calories right here!! Didn't you count my calories?!" It took everything not to laugh at him! :) It's amazing how unreasonably cranky riding a bike for 24 hours can make you!
Mid afternoon on Saturday, Brian requested a bottle of water. Of course, the one thing I hadn't anticipated. Given the lack of shade, the water was hiding out under the back of the truck to avoid the sun. I ran to grab a bottle and as I came back around into the tent, he was already running to go out again. *SIGH* Good night. I'm supposed to chase him? He runs a six minute thirty second mile average on a MARATHON. I can't even keep up with him while he's running and I'm riding a bike! Somehow I managed to dig deep and catch him before he hit the out tent to start his next lap. I almost ate it by stepping in a gopher hole - must have looked funny. :) I doubt he'll even remember this happening!
After a while it gets easier to get him to eat - I just shove food in his pockets and he doesn't even pay attention. By nightfall, we start putting all the food options out on the table so Brian can just grab what he needs and go. It works pretty well actually. I always sleep from about midnight to sunrise so I can pack us up and drive us to where we're staying. Chuck stays up drinking his Rock Star energy drinks and chatting with our neighbors.
It was fun to watch Miles race hard and visit with his wife, Melissa and play with Madeline - she's such a cutie! I bet in a few years we'll see her racing hard in the 24 minutes of adrenaline out at Laguna Seca! :) Congrats on the win Miles - awesome considering that rough start with a flat on both your first and second laps!!
As the day wore into the night and back into the day, I was impressed by the atmosphere of the race. It was great to see the race director, Jim, walking around and spending the time talking to everyone. I may have been tired, but I seem to remember him walking around at one in the morning with a Chewbacca costume on?!? That was hilarious and I have to give him props for making the effort to make all the support crews and spectators comfortable. It was also fun to watch the competition that developed between the top two single speed riders and the collegiate teams - it was a fun, competitive atmosphere and we had a good time.
I always look forward to waking up in the morning to see what Brian has done in the night. I wasn't disappointed this time - he managed to stay completely consistent. It was a first that he only had two slow laps right before sunrise. I was impressed. According to Chuck, he only had one hard time where he stopped, put his hands on the table and looked like he was having a tough moment. Apparently, Chuck told him to knock it off and get back on the bike, which he did! I'm impressed and I'm glad to see him getting very tough mentally during this race. I was greeted the next lap with quotes and the vocal stylings of Carlos Mencia over the radio. :) I knew Brian was having fun when he started saying "dee da dee!!!" and singing "Would you like an apple pie with that?" If you have no idea what I'm talking about, just google that song line and you'll find one of the funniest things I've ever seen!
So I guess to sum it up, the first daylight laps always go by fast, the nights go so slowly and once dawn hits, it's an exciting race to the finish! It's always hard to get used to the lack of sleep, but we've gotten used to making it work. It wouldn't be possible without Chuck's help - he keeps the bikes running perfectly and makes it fun around camp. Definitely owe him a big thanks!! Especially for the yogurt! ;) LOL
Special thanks this race to all the family and friends who showed up to support Brian. It was nice to have both my Dad and my father-in-law Tim there to help hand Brian his nutrition bottle and take pictures, our moms to cheer him on, my sister Katie (who brought us fresh Starbucks coffee and cookies from work - thanks Kate!), her boyfriend Kile and friend Mike to cheer and Miles and Melissa who stuck around that extra 15 minutes part his award ceremony to support Brian with Madeline about 3 hours past her bedtime! It made a huge difference in his morale for this race and I think he looked forward to seeing everyone for the 30 seconds he was in the pit each lap. :) A special thanks also goes out to my Dad for calling from Starbucks on Sunday morning to get us hot coffee (I know Chuck and Rick appreciated it too!) and my Mom for bringing a roll of TP cause the bathrooms were out of it! It was great to have the support and company :) We hope you can all come out again for the next big race in five weeks!
We'll get some pictures up here this week. I'm off to bed....still trying to catch up from this weekend!
Monday, May 07, 2007
24 hours of cool race report. When I think about it 24 hours is so long on a bike sitting on the smallest seat I could find just sometimes doesn't seem natural. And no its not, just writing it hurts. But the one thing, win or lose, when I walk away from these events they are so rewarding. I get to meet really nice people and we are all there to have a good time. I got to meet up with a few racers I have raced before plus some new ones.
10 days ago I really started to focus on getting 100% for this race. Getting rid of all the fatigue from prior training and focusing on my nutrition. Trying not to eat too much and not starve myself. I have been training really hard since December and have been pretty consistent. Also I feel really good that I keep up my running and swimming. I train like I would for an Ironman. Why? Because I like it.
I get there the day before the race to check everything out. It was in Cool California off HWY 49 North of Placerville. Very nice area. A lot off hills :) So I wanted to pre-ride the course to get a feel of when I can eat and drink on the course and get a rough idea of my lap times. Because they wouldn't be far off from riding it then racing it. I found the first part somewhat marked. And the last part...well lets say I never found it. It was a 1 hour course and I didn't get back until 2 hours later. Funny thing is I found Yuri Hauswald and Karl Etzel out in the middle of nowhere lost as shit! And to find out we were like 5 miles away down in this canyon and to ride the pavement on HWY49 at 5:30 in the evening on a Friday. There was so much traffic it was crazy. So I get back finish up everything, go back to the hotel and rest up. I ended up getting a hotel with a kitchen so I could cook my own food for dinner. Good stuff.
On race day I got up, packed the truck and headed off to breakfast with my wife, in-laws and Chuck, my favorite mechanic (well, my only mechanic!). I usually try and skimp on my meals most the time but I didn't think it was a good thing to do this time. So I ordered 6 pancakes for breakfast. Carb heaven. I was suprised how easy they went down. Don't know if that was a good thing but it seemed okay at the time. So we get there early as usual and set everything up. Man seemed like we had a ton of shit. Which we did. After setting up Miles and I rode some of the course just to warm up before the pre-race meeting. I was disappionted in the no run before the race because I have been training for that...lol. But I did eventually get over it. Once on the start line I started to strategize right away. I noticed that there were a lot of riders so I wanted to get on the course in the first bunch being it was really narrow. So we were off and Yuri Hauswald kicked it off pretty fast. I remember the announcer saying don't pass the motorcycle (it was suppose to lead us around a school before the official start), that was a joke. The bike probably did like only 10 miles an hour, hilarious stuff. We past the motorcycle the first few hundred feet. That poor guy got surrounded like a swarm of bee's on red bull. I bet he was last by the time he hit the start/finish chute! When we hit the start line I was so shocked I was up front. Usually the team guys hammer away and are so hard to keep up with. So I keep hammering away waiting for Mr. Miles to come up behind me but never happened. By halfway I found my self pretty far ahead of everybody and not one person in site. I remember before the race how unmarked it was and the reason for that was that the horse riders in that park would intentially go out and take down on the course marking before the race. So here I am out in the middle of nowhere in the lead with not a clue to know if I'm going the right way or not. After all I didn't get lost. I came in on my first lap at 45 minutes and not one person in sight. I felt really good and didn't feel like I pushed too hard so I just decided from there to go at this pace for as long as I could go. I started to take in calories after the first lap. Mostly liquid at this time. On the second lap there was a creek crossing that was about 4" deep and about 15 feet wide. This was something I didn't want to go through at the time because it was too early to have wet feet. So I opted to get off my bike and hop on a few rocks to get to the other side, yes I lost my momentum but the cost was too much of a risk. I did that every lap and kept my feet dry. I continued on this pace like I had a bomb fire under my ass. During these races they get so hard at a point to keep me motivated at all. So one of the thoughts or even conversations I would have is thinking what would lance do. And I thought he would say, "dont be such a pussy".
I kept eating - eating as much as I could handle, about 11 pm things got real tough. My stomach was bloated, everything in my body said stop. But everytime I got back to my pit I was told to "eat, shut up and get on your bike," so I really wasn't going to argue with my family and friends who put up with all my training. So as usual, as I have noticed throughout my five 24 hour events to date, is this is the way it always seems to go. You feel real good for the first few hours then its all adrenalin after that. I tried to ride hard when I felt strong and tried to hold my pace when my sprits were down. The sunset until sunrise is always tough for me. As long as I can make it until the sun comes up, then I'm fine. Weird shit I know. So I kept eating and drinking and tried to stay focused on making it until noon. Then I could rest. Well I came in first place with 25 laps and had my first money check from a race. WOW! That was so cool. And don't worry it's already spent so don't ask to borrow any money.
The Santa Cruz Blur held up so good. Flawless all night long. Yes I am sponsored by them, but I have been riding these bikes for years and they are well worth the money. One day later I'm pretty sore but tomorrow will be worse. My body is swollen from all the salt pills, which takes a few days to go away. This was such an awesome race in a awesome area. I will definitely be back. Please if you ever wanted to try out a 24 hour race or even an 8 hour race this is one to go to.
It was great to have my Mom and Dad there cheering me on. And even Dad got to help feed me bottles. He hasn't done that in a long time. (that was funny shit).lol. Thanks Mom and Dad... Love you!
A BIG thanks to my biggest supporter of all. My wife AMANDA! I couldn't have done this with her help and support through all the training. It takes so much energy and time to compete at a high level. I wouldn't want to have anybody else at my side than you sweety! I love you!
Also the second biggest key to all my laps at this race is my mechanic/friend Chuck Martin from Bob Cat Bicycles. Dude you rock! Without you none of this would be possible, thanks for all your support and help buddy! I LOVE YOU MAN!!!!!
It was a big weekend for us local boys. Good job for Miles Wadsworth who took the 8 hour race victory, another stud! Congrats!!!
It was so awesome to have so much family support at this race. Thanks to my in-laws, Bonnie and Bill, my sister-in-law Katie, her boyfriend Kile and friend Mike, who came out. Just being there to cheer me on had such a big impact on me. Special thanks to Bill for hiking the hill to give me my nutrition bottles and take pictures and to Katie for making the best coffee and bringing me some to help kick off the night ride!!
Will post some pictures soon....
10 days ago I really started to focus on getting 100% for this race. Getting rid of all the fatigue from prior training and focusing on my nutrition. Trying not to eat too much and not starve myself. I have been training really hard since December and have been pretty consistent. Also I feel really good that I keep up my running and swimming. I train like I would for an Ironman. Why? Because I like it.
I get there the day before the race to check everything out. It was in Cool California off HWY 49 North of Placerville. Very nice area. A lot off hills :) So I wanted to pre-ride the course to get a feel of when I can eat and drink on the course and get a rough idea of my lap times. Because they wouldn't be far off from riding it then racing it. I found the first part somewhat marked. And the last part...well lets say I never found it. It was a 1 hour course and I didn't get back until 2 hours later. Funny thing is I found Yuri Hauswald and Karl Etzel out in the middle of nowhere lost as shit! And to find out we were like 5 miles away down in this canyon and to ride the pavement on HWY49 at 5:30 in the evening on a Friday. There was so much traffic it was crazy. So I get back finish up everything, go back to the hotel and rest up. I ended up getting a hotel with a kitchen so I could cook my own food for dinner. Good stuff.
On race day I got up, packed the truck and headed off to breakfast with my wife, in-laws and Chuck, my favorite mechanic (well, my only mechanic!). I usually try and skimp on my meals most the time but I didn't think it was a good thing to do this time. So I ordered 6 pancakes for breakfast. Carb heaven. I was suprised how easy they went down. Don't know if that was a good thing but it seemed okay at the time. So we get there early as usual and set everything up. Man seemed like we had a ton of shit. Which we did. After setting up Miles and I rode some of the course just to warm up before the pre-race meeting. I was disappionted in the no run before the race because I have been training for that...lol. But I did eventually get over it. Once on the start line I started to strategize right away. I noticed that there were a lot of riders so I wanted to get on the course in the first bunch being it was really narrow. So we were off and Yuri Hauswald kicked it off pretty fast. I remember the announcer saying don't pass the motorcycle (it was suppose to lead us around a school before the official start), that was a joke. The bike probably did like only 10 miles an hour, hilarious stuff. We past the motorcycle the first few hundred feet. That poor guy got surrounded like a swarm of bee's on red bull. I bet he was last by the time he hit the start/finish chute! When we hit the start line I was so shocked I was up front. Usually the team guys hammer away and are so hard to keep up with. So I keep hammering away waiting for Mr. Miles to come up behind me but never happened. By halfway I found my self pretty far ahead of everybody and not one person in site. I remember before the race how unmarked it was and the reason for that was that the horse riders in that park would intentially go out and take down on the course marking before the race. So here I am out in the middle of nowhere in the lead with not a clue to know if I'm going the right way or not. After all I didn't get lost. I came in on my first lap at 45 minutes and not one person in sight. I felt really good and didn't feel like I pushed too hard so I just decided from there to go at this pace for as long as I could go. I started to take in calories after the first lap. Mostly liquid at this time. On the second lap there was a creek crossing that was about 4" deep and about 15 feet wide. This was something I didn't want to go through at the time because it was too early to have wet feet. So I opted to get off my bike and hop on a few rocks to get to the other side, yes I lost my momentum but the cost was too much of a risk. I did that every lap and kept my feet dry. I continued on this pace like I had a bomb fire under my ass. During these races they get so hard at a point to keep me motivated at all. So one of the thoughts or even conversations I would have is thinking what would lance do. And I thought he would say, "dont be such a pussy".
I kept eating - eating as much as I could handle, about 11 pm things got real tough. My stomach was bloated, everything in my body said stop. But everytime I got back to my pit I was told to "eat, shut up and get on your bike," so I really wasn't going to argue with my family and friends who put up with all my training. So as usual, as I have noticed throughout my five 24 hour events to date, is this is the way it always seems to go. You feel real good for the first few hours then its all adrenalin after that. I tried to ride hard when I felt strong and tried to hold my pace when my sprits were down. The sunset until sunrise is always tough for me. As long as I can make it until the sun comes up, then I'm fine. Weird shit I know. So I kept eating and drinking and tried to stay focused on making it until noon. Then I could rest. Well I came in first place with 25 laps and had my first money check from a race. WOW! That was so cool. And don't worry it's already spent so don't ask to borrow any money.
The Santa Cruz Blur held up so good. Flawless all night long. Yes I am sponsored by them, but I have been riding these bikes for years and they are well worth the money. One day later I'm pretty sore but tomorrow will be worse. My body is swollen from all the salt pills, which takes a few days to go away. This was such an awesome race in a awesome area. I will definitely be back. Please if you ever wanted to try out a 24 hour race or even an 8 hour race this is one to go to.
It was great to have my Mom and Dad there cheering me on. And even Dad got to help feed me bottles. He hasn't done that in a long time. (that was funny shit).lol. Thanks Mom and Dad... Love you!
A BIG thanks to my biggest supporter of all. My wife AMANDA! I couldn't have done this with her help and support through all the training. It takes so much energy and time to compete at a high level. I wouldn't want to have anybody else at my side than you sweety! I love you!
Also the second biggest key to all my laps at this race is my mechanic/friend Chuck Martin from Bob Cat Bicycles. Dude you rock! Without you none of this would be possible, thanks for all your support and help buddy! I LOVE YOU MAN!!!!!
It was a big weekend for us local boys. Good job for Miles Wadsworth who took the 8 hour race victory, another stud! Congrats!!!
It was so awesome to have so much family support at this race. Thanks to my in-laws, Bonnie and Bill, my sister-in-law Katie, her boyfriend Kile and friend Mike, who came out. Just being there to cheer me on had such a big impact on me. Special thanks to Bill for hiking the hill to give me my nutrition bottles and take pictures and to Katie for making the best coffee and bringing me some to help kick off the night ride!!
Will post some pictures soon....
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Back to my old tricks. Getting up at 3:30 in the morning makes for a long day. Know I remeber why I quit doing it. Tends to burn you out. But you have to extend yourself in order to improve. I ran for an hour this morning and 45 minutes of lower body weights. I plan on doing some night riding tonight and will be my longest ride before the race. Looking forward to tonight, there will be three us nuts out there at Ford Ord.
10 day's left intil the big show. 24 hours of Cool, Ca. Im so ready, I put on some tread on both Blurs, the new maxxis 310 grams per tire. I will test drive them tonight. Bye!
10 day's left intil the big show. 24 hours of Cool, Ca. Im so ready, I put on some tread on both Blurs, the new maxxis 310 grams per tire. I will test drive them tonight. Bye!
Monday, April 23, 2007
Well another weekend in the bank. It was a little slow getting going after Sea Otter classic. I spent more fun cookies than original thought. The recovery time was longer than wanted also. But really cant rush that unless you want to start shooting yourself up with drugs, that would get you going. So I have to do it the old fashion way... SLEEP! I still have some fatigue lingering but with all go away on my tapper to the big day May5/6th. I have to be rested for that for sure. The magic figure for me is 10 days out for the body to heal itself and get rid of all those nagging pains, well at least most of them. I had a good weekend with 10 hours riding total. I went for an hour run this morning and my calf were on fire. Allot of climbing on the bike. I did cahoon grade, Tassajarra climb, Laurless grade. I'm not sure of the mileage but allot of tempo work, nothing crazy hard. I really don't focus on miles any more. I guess I would but I don't have a cycling computer anymore. With 5 bikes it gets to expensive to maintain that part. And really what does it mater, a peddle stroke is a peddle stroce, its not like you are going to do more than you can physically. You can only do so much and that's it, your done. I push myself to the limit all the time and don't need a mileage count to do that. The next few days will be tough but only a few to go and then I can absorb all the workouts and be in total fitness in a few weeks. I'm planning on a night ride on Wednesday at ford ord and that will be the last hard ride I will do. I will try and do 3-4 hours training a day until than. Its now or never. Bye
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