Tomorrow, Saturday January 3, will be my first event of the year. Brandy and I will be doing the 200km on our tandem. Neither one of us put in the winter miles of base training this year. I had a fractured thumb and Brandy’s work schedule changed. We are going into the event just looking to enjoy the precious time we have to ride together without any expectations on time.
Brandy and I took the tandem out for a short ride. 34 miles and ~1900 feet of climbing . We did two repeats on a local 1.5 mile climb called Newport Coast Dr (1700 feet in 12 miles). We are new tandem riders and it was quite humbling to climb a 6% at about 8 mph. When I got home I realized that the 34 miles on the tandem felt harder than when I do the same route by myself. I found that interesting. Interesting because we plan on doing our first century on the bike the x-mas holiday and our first Ultra on January 3rd, the San Diego 200km Brevet. You can also find information on the event website here.
Well not like before. But I have taken a few short rides. According to my surgeon I should not be riding for at least another three weeks. And even then I think he will not allow me to ride. I don’t blame him it is still very painful to use my right hand. When I ride I hold my left shoulder with my right hand (the busted one).
There is actually a lot of benefit to riding this way. Firstly, I am working on my riding skills. Secondly, I am able to focus on using my core to hold my body up and straight. I ride without a lot of pressure on my left hand. Thirdly, I focus on producing all power from good pedal mechanics. Pushing and pulling up on the pedals without the aide of my hands and arms pulling on the bars. Fourthly, I am doing my climbs seated and really working on my climbing technique. You know the old saying when given lemons make lemonade!!
Here’s what I have done lately:
Saturday November 22– 55 miles with 5000 feet of climbing (with a client)
Sunday November 23—60 miles with 2000 feet of climbing coastal ride
Thanksgiving Day..27—30 miles on my Fixed Gear 49 x 16 (81.5 GI) coastal with Brandy
Sunday ..November 30—30 miles on Fixed Gear 49 x 16 (El Chart below)
Where typically I would be doing 250-300 mile weeks this time of year I am barely getting 100 per week. My first event is the SAN DIEGO BREVET SERIES 200KM ON JANUARY 3, 2009.
Here I am barely 3 weeks from having completed my goal event of the year and I’m already thinking about next year’s goals.
I have penciled in the San Diego Brevet Series. The 2009 schedule is up on my website with registration links. You can also go to the San Diego Randonneurs site and get more information.
200km
300km
400km
600km
1000km
I am falling behind on my blogging. I’m racing so much and trying to recover. I did the 400km with 13,000 feet of climbing. I was brutal I didn’t have a good day and I didn’t have much fun. I finished first in 20 hours which meant I was awake 24 hours.
Pictures sign in as a guest.
Finish Line photos with Kevin McNulty
POWER NUMBERS
Total kjs= 6454
Best 30 min— 220watts— 3.24 Watts/kg
Best 60 min— 213watts— 3.13 Watts/kg
Best 120 min— 189watts— 2.78 Watts/kg
Max Power 704— Avg Power 152— 2.24 Watts/kg
On Ultras it’s all about pacing so power numbers aren’t all that high. In additon, long descents bring the average wattage down significantly.
First of all I would like to take this opportunity to thank my sponsors who are supporting me for the 2008 season. Kenda C2C Tires Sportquest makers of CarboPro, CarboPro 1200 and Interphase, Woolistic makers of the best cycling specific wool clothing, Skins compression garments and as always my club Team Velosport/ TEAM SHO-AIR/SONANCE.
Jan 19, 2008
The route covers some of East San Diego’s more rural roads. The stats are
Distance: 177 miles
Elevation gain: approx 13,000 feet of gain (Polar 720i 12,700)
Highest elevation point: Santa Ysabel 2936 feet
Climbs along the way: Honey Springs Rd, Harbinson Canyon, Hwy 67, Old Julian Hwy, Old Hwy 80, Japatul Valley Rd.
WEATHER
It was a chilly morning in the low 40’s. Clear skies most of the day and the best thing no RAIN.
BIKE SETUP
I chose my Serotta again. I think the fit is dialed in now. I rode my Powertap powermeter which is built on Velocity Deep V rim. They are very sturdy very stiff and very reliable. I have them laced 24H and have never had them go out of true. Tires of course were Kenda C2Cs. For lights I carried two small headlights powered by “AA” batteries and a tail light.
CLOTHING
I wore Assos S2 Bib Shorts, in my opinion the best cycling shorts, with knee warmers. I also wore a wool base layer from Woolistic under my 2XU base layer. I wore my Furnace Creek 508 finisher’s jersey with matching vest. This is one I am very proud to wear since I did the race on a fixed gear bicycle. I had a Descente Velom jacket which is very thin, compacts into a sandwich baggie and provided just the right amount of warmth for the first hour of the ride. I was fortunate to have chosen the perfect layering system and felt great temperature wise all day.
THE RIDE
The 300km attracts mainly brevet riders. You no longer find road racer types or people that “Gee I’d like to try a brevet.” It is just short of a double century but I find it just as hard because you don’t have support every 25-30 miles. The controls were spread out as such:
Control #1 55.1 miles —with 4300 feet of climbing
Control #2 96.1 miles— with 3500 feet of climbing
Control #3 140.1 miles— with 2450 feet of climbing
Finish 176.4 miles— with 2520 feet of climbing
NUTRITION
I estimated I would be on the course 12 hours and needed an avg of 300 calories per hour. 12×300= 3600 calories
1. The night before I mixed VIGOURSLY 1 bottle of CarboPro 1200 (16oz) and 6 scoops of CarboPro in a water bottle. I then split the mixture in two 8oz flasks. 1800 Calories
2. I then made two water bottles of 300 calories each with CarboPro 1200.
3. For the drop bag at mile 96 I sent another bottle of CarboPro 1200. 1200 Calories
So that meant I had 2400 calories I was carrying with me and 1200 calories waiting for me at the turnaround point mile 96 for a total of 3600 calories
Obviously, I expended more calories than 3,600 but I have found that consuming more than 350-400 for too long really causes me GI issues. Using the CarboPro1200 was so easy on my stomach that I strongly recommend that you should try it on your next Ultra. I felt well fueled all day. I went on a liquid diet meaning no solids and felt great
The powermeter said I used 6454 kjs which is pretty close to the number of calories. A heart rate monitor will show many more calories expended.
Start to Control #1 55.1 mile Arrived at 9:33am
6am start and it was cold. I saw Kevin McNulty and thought I should try and ride with him and I would finish with a good time. Well that wasn’t to be. Kevin took off right from the start and I just could not keep up. After seven miles of killing myself I let him go and settled into my own grove. Soon enough about five riders (Bruce Taylor, Chris Kostman, Chris Haddikan and others) caught up to me and we chit-chatted for a little while until the Honey Springs climb and then I did my own thing. Bruce Taylor got ahead of me because I was having issues with my gearing. I couldn’t get the 27T to stay in gear. Not a big deal at this point but definitely necessary on Japatul Valley Rd at mile 145. I eventually caught Bruce on Steele Canyon and we rode for a couple of miles and then I climbed Harbinson Canyon at my own pace.
Control #2 96.1 mile Arrived at 12:44pm
I was feeling a little warm on the Hwy 67 climb. I removed my vest and climbed the rest of the way to Ramona. Once I turned on to Old Julian Hwy the winds started to pick up. I would guess about 20-30 mph. All I kept thinking was “I can’t wait to turnaround and take advantage of this tailwind.” I like Old Julian Hwy. It is a great climb and there is very little traffic on it.
Control #3 Mile 140.1 Unmanned Arrived at 3:30pm left at 3:39pm Carl’s Jr
There was lots of descending from Santa Ysabel with little rollers here and there. I like the climb up Old Highway 80. I used to live in Santee and would climb up to Alpine often. When I got to the unmanned Control at Carls Jr I couldn’t believe how long the line was. It took me almost 10 minutes just to get a reciept. But I had to keep in mind that this is not a race. Although I was frustrated since I had worked really hard on the climb up to Alpine.
To the Finish
I wasn’t looking forward to the Japatul Valley Rd climb. All day I was conserving energy so I would be able to tackle the 10-14% grade ramps found on this climb. I got through it eventhough I hadn’t done that much climbing since Furnace Creek. I made the right turn on Lyons Valley and thought for sure there would be a long descent. I guess I forgot that it isn’t that much of a descent. I was happy to make the left turn onto Honey Springs Rd because I knew that would be the last climb of the day. As I summited the climb, I read a text message from Brandy that said “I’m at the finish”. Oh that felt great. I read that and found new motivation and sped on to the finish.
I had ridden with some riders intermittenly up until mile 30 and then I rode Solo the rest of the way. I felt well fueled and comfortable on the bike. The only thing lacking was good legs. I’m happy with my result and placing second to Kevin McNulty — who holds the two person RAAM, and two person Furnace Creek 508 records and won the California/Nevada State Climbing Championships in the Cat 4/5 isn’t bad at all.
RECOVERY
I downed a bottle of Interphase and Recover Amino Power capsules just as I got off the bike. I then gave in and ate McD’s…I figured I had earned it. I used the restroom of McD’s to get out of my cycling gear and put on my Skins Travel and Recovery tights to begin the passive portion of my recovery and because I had a 1.5 hours drive before getting home.
I’ve been asked if I sleep in them— YES! My legs feel so much better the next morning. Sunday morning I went out for a 22 mile recovery ride and then came home and took a 1.5 hours nap. By Monday, I was commuting to work from Huntington Beach to Encinitas (65 miles).
THANK YOU
I’d like to say a huge thank you to all the volunteers!! Mike B. great route and Japatul in the latter stages of the event is a real leg zapper. You all great THANK YOU FOR VOLUNTEERING!!
Kevin McNulty way too strong to keep up with. The guy’s an animal!!
NEXT UP THE 400KM BREVET.
On Jan 5, 2008 I did the San Diego Brevet Series 200km.
First off let me thank my sponsors who keep me equipped and fueled. Sportquest– makers of Carbopro 1200, Interphase and other fine products, Kenda Tires, and Woolistic makers of the best wool clothing and as always my club Team Velosport/ TEAM SHO-AIR/SONANCE.
It was forecasted to rain … rain alot. Much to my chagrin, the weather forecasters got it right this time. It rained and rained and rained some more. It rained for the first 5+ hours and didn’t taper off until I reached the coast and was heading South towards the finish in La Jolla. I finished 2nd (yes I know brevets are not races, but don’t tell that to the frontrunners). My time was 7:56 for 125 miles with over 7,200 feet of climbing. Not bad considering I had only ridden six times since Thanksgiving (bad cold), the weather, not being able to descend at full speed, getting lost twice and navigating in the rain while riding is difficult at best. That is the short story those wanting more details read on.
The two biggest decisions I had to make the night before were which bike to ride and what rain jacket I was going to wear.
Bike Setup
The bike of choice ended up being my custom Serotta CSI– Sarah. Yes my trusty ol’ steel bike got the nod. I would like to ride Sarah for the entire brevet series and wanted to get my position dialed in. Sarah is a recent rebuild with a new fork and new cockpit. As far as wheels, I went with Easton Orion II because they are comfortable and come with traditional round spokes. Even though I own a pair of Mavic Kysrium SLs I don’t ride them in stormy weather because bladed spokes can be a handful in crosswinds and on stormy weather rides you never know which way the wind will catch you on a descent. I also didn’t want to ride my Powertap. For tires, I rode my Kenda C2C’s because I know I wouldn’t puncture. I inflated them to 100psi instead of the usual 120psi because I wanted just a little larger contact patch on the road. I went without lights because I typically finish the 125 mile loop in fewer than 8 hours.
Clothing
On days when inclement weather is imminent I love wearing my Assos bib knickers. The pad is great and the material is ideal when getting rained on all day. My legs didn’t feel cold at all. Up top I wore a Woolistic long sleeve baselayer and a Vitadello Long Sleeve also from Woolistic and both made from 100% Merino Wool. Now the jacket. There were three jackets in contention. My Adidas rain jacket, my 2XU Membrane Jacket and my O2 Rainwear. Three jackets to be shared by two riders since Brandy would be doing an 80 mile ride on the same day. My preferred jacket would have been the O2 Rainwear. But I have put on almost 15lbs since RAAM and the O2 didn’t fit with the wool base layer and the wool jersey. Good thing Rainshield is sponsoring me this year now I can get a larger size. Then I tried on the Adidas rain jacket and realized (had never worn it yet) that it didn’t have any vents. So from three jackets down to one jacket. By default, I would wear the 2XU Membrane Jacket.
I was curious how the “impossible” claims from 2XU would work in reality. From their website:
“Using 2XU’s revolutionary 8/10 Membrane (mid layer) delivering waterproofness of 8,000mmH2O making the penetration through the fabric face through any conditions, from a shower to a snow storm impossible.”
Well I am here to tell you that less than one hour into the event I was soaked. So much for the claims of “impossible” penetration.
The Ride
The 200km is the most popular of the San Diego Brevets. It attracts first time brevet riders, roadies, triathletes and of course experienced ultra riders. In the past I have seen the turn out range from 30 to over 100 last year (PBP year). Today’s turnout was a scant 15 riders. The rain and the impending winter storm kept many riders in their nice warm and comfy beds.
The start was a rolling start. I noticed people were slow in getting ready and at 7am sharp a small number of us rolled out. Mark Raybeck, Bruce Taylor, Jerry Brown, Ian Prowell, Tim Sullivan and I rode together the first three miles or so and then it was just Mark, Bruce and myself.
Control #1 AM/PM Mile 34.9
AT CONTROL #1
Mark, Bruce and I reached the first control together. There was coffee and restrooms in an RV. I was in and out in a couple of minutes. I knew I didn’t have the legs to keep up with Mark and I needed a jump. Mark caught me on the climb up Old Castle Rd. Shortly thereafter Bruce caught and passed me while still on Old Castle Rd. I kept Bruce in sight through Lilac, Couser Canyon and eventually caught him on Rice Canyon on the way to the Rainbow Market.
Control #2 Rainbow Market Mile 60.4
Bruce and I pulled in together to the Rainbow Market. By now Mark was long gone. I was in and out again in less than two minutes. Bruce and I said our goodbyes and I didn’t see him again the rest of the day. From here there was a welcomed downhill and then a climb up Hwy 395 from Hwy 76 and continuing on West Lilac until the “summit” of the day. To make sure we were on track we had an info control– the serial number of a fire hydrant on the course. And then another welcomed descent down Circle R to Hwy 395 and then Camino Del Rey.
One of the tenets (mine anyway) of Ultra Cycling is not getting lost. Well I missed the turn on Old River Rd and had to double back. I lost a good 10 minutes off course. But hey that’s all part of Randonneuring right?
The bike path we took off of Old River Rd was where I was launched for the official RAAM start back in June 2007. It brought back a thousand memories some good some not so good but all in all a huge sense of accomplishment!!!
Back to the brevet. On this same bike path I came across a territorial dog. He definitely took offense to me being so close to his “home”. As soon as I saw him I knew there would be trouble. Typically, I slow down shift into a good sprinting gear and just as the dog has chosen his “angle of attack” I punch it and avoid the dog. Well that wasn’t possible on Holly Lane. This street had speed bumps, potholes, and mud all over and all in very close proximity. I longed for a frame pump. He charged at me while barking and I had to think quick do I unclip and try to kick him away, or would that give him a better target, or should I steer towards him and force him to change his angle of attack, or should I try to sprint even though traction was almost impossible. As our trajectories met I decided to yell loudly (GO HOME!), growl back at him, change direction towards him(since dogs have a tough time walking backwards let alone running backwards) and then I found a somewhat clear section to accelerate. Why this dog was allowed to roam the street is beyond me. Maybe his owner doesn’t like cyclists.
Control # 88.5 7-11 on Vandegrift
This was an unmanned control. I went in, bought a banana and got my obligatory receipt. From the 7-11 onto the bike path and then to the coast. I had been riding solo since mile 60 and really wanted someone to share the work with me heading West into the wind. The headwinds were pretty strong but I knew I was homeward bound now. I reached the coast and knew I only had 30 miles to go. The rain had ceased and I was starting to warm up. I had been wet and cold for the last 6 hours. Only one hill left– Torrey Pines. Only one more wrong turn and then to the finish. This one cost me another 5 minutes off course.
The Finish
I arrived at the finish at 2:56 pm– 7 hours and 56 minutes since the start. I felt good, not overly tired not overly hungry and satisfied with my time. I knew my limitations based on the scarcity of my training rides since Furnace Creek 508. I had been sick since Thanksgiving and not getting in the miles. I was greeted by Stephane, Greg O. and his daughter. Greg’s daughter offered me a chocolate cookie and I gladly accepted. The cookies and my Endurox bottle were a great combination towards my recovery. The volunteers on the course make this event happen. Thank you to Mike Berry, RBA and all the volunteers whose names I’ve missed. I appreciate all your efforts.
Once I got home I took a long hot shower. It felt good to be warm again. I put on my Skins Travel and Recovery tights and eat a nice hot meal. It felt good to be home.
George's Epic Adventures 