Rev Rider

Yes, I rode yesterday.  It was a slow easy ride with Bryan and Clint who were out for the first time since the 600k.  Once again it was nice to ride a relaxed pace and talk through all sorts of topics.

Throughout the day yesterday, I also worked to keep track of RAAM.  Crewing for a solo rider was one of the highlights of 2011.  I’m absolutely amazed at the pace of the younger riders.  This morning, the leader has averaged over 22 mph for the 300 miles he has traveled.  Remember, when he stops, the clock keeps running.  I quote my speeds in bike moving time and I’m proud of what I can accomplish.  Those speeds will come down as soon as a sleep break happens, but don’t count on that until sometime well into day 2.

All of that got me thinking.  I’m pretty sure I’ll not be doing RAAM solo anytime, but there is a RAAM-related goal that might be achievable.  I started exploring it and I’m ready to commit to the goal.  It is a big one.

By age 60 I intend to qualify for solo RAAM.

There are several possible paths to this goal.  One is a 24 hour race in which at least 400 miles are covered.  Others include supported rides of over 350 miles and an average speed above 10.5 mph or the ride’s cutoff.  Riding in a 2 or 4 person RAAM team or riding the Pro PAC Elite Tour are other alternatives.  In any case, I have to get faster, lighter, and have more endurance to accomplish this goal.  Then, once I get the invitation to race RAAM solo, I’ll politely decline.

That was on my mind this morning as I hit the road for the regular morning ride.  I wasn’t very fast on my way to the meet-up, averaging only 16.2 mph for the first 5 miles.  I had conflicting goals.  I had the opportunity to ride a little extra distance because of a flexible schedule, but I also thought I might ride fast this morning.  As it was, I chose fast.

The speed didn’t pick up until Jennings Road.  I played with Scott as we moved along.  He was in front moving quickly, and I pulled up along side of him and passed him holding about a bike length ahead of him.  Every time he increased his speed, I matched it to stay just ahead of him, until we got to the “S” turns, then I dropped back and became part of the group moving down the trail pretty fast.  By now, we had split the group.  Crossing Robinson Road was tricky because of vehicular traffic, but we regrouped and continued a fast pace.  Bryan and I remained on Old County Road while four others peeled off for the loop through Round Bay.  I tucked in behind Bryan and stayed there to the end of the trail, encouraging him when he lagged, and coached him on the speed we needed to maintain to remain in front through the end.  None of the other riders were in sight when we hit the turn around, and rather than waiting, we pressed on.  We were caught at Glen Oban.

At that point, a decision had to be made.  I decided to stay with the group as we flew down B&A Blvd.  We had a pretty quick paceline going, and everyone was taking a turn at the front.  Dave commented on how much faster I had become, and wondered if I had been doping since my surgery.  Just before McKinsey Road, I was spent.  By the time we were back on the trail, I had caught my breath and was able to hang with the group pretty well.  I noticed my average speed was pretty good, so I kept up the pace on the way home as best as I could, and decided I was ready for the barn rather than one three mile lap before getting home.

The Garmin showed an average speed of 18.8 mph.  I was anxious to plug those numbers into my riding log and check out what Strava said about how fast this ride was.

Today’s Strava Segment Accomplishments

1. My personal 3rd best time on the group route. (this one is questionable)
2. My personal best time on Old County Road trail to trail
3. My 3rd personal best time on the Old County Road climb
4. My 2nd personal best time on the sprint to the end of the trail from Joyce Lane
5. My personal best time on what is referred to as “Jennings Gut Check”

In a little more self congratulatory aggrandizement:

May 22 Ride Splits were at: 17.4, 19.4, 19.7, 19.0, 18.7 mph

June 14 Ride Splits were at: 16.2, 18.7, 20.2, 21.3, 18.3 mph

It was a fun morning ride.  Bike maintenance is required today, and it looks like it will be the perfect weather for it.  I’ve still not reassembled the fixie from the Eastern Shore Ride, and I want to ride it tomorrow for breakfast.

This Ride: 23.6 miles
Month: 180.6 miles
2012: 2655.7 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 16,509.4 miles

Regular readers noted that I was in a funk yesterday.  I’m not all the way back, but on my way.  This morning’s ride was a good antidote.

Rain was forecast overnight, but we were spared the wet … until the minute I pushed out the door.  I saw that it was coming on the radar, and still pushed through the mental objections, got dressed and out the door to a light sprinkle.  By the time I hit 100 yards, it was a steady rain and I simply kept pedaling.  It felt like I was on the last Eastern Shore Ride.  Within moments my shoes were full of water and all of my clothing was soaked.  I had intentionally chosen no rain gear.  It was 75° F and warm enough without it (although the rain felt cold).  My thoughts drifted to the Race Across America (RAAM) which starts today with senior solo riders and tomorrow with most other solo riders.  That was a good 11 days last year crewing for Randy.  I settled into a rhythm, and I must say that I was a little disappointed when the rain ended about the time I got to the Rusty Bridge.  Four of us were out, and we had a relatively easy pace.

Instead of following Dave and Scott into Round Bay, Chip and I continued on Old County Road.  He is still working out the lactic acid from this past weekend’s 600k.  We discussed the ups and downs of moods on the bike, and how sometimes just pedaling another foot seems to be the most challenging thing in the world.  We laughed.  We commiserated.  We wondered where in the world Dave and Scott were.  As it turns out, Scott flatted and they were delayed.  Never mind, Chip and I had a good easy ride, just what he needed … and apparently just what I needed too.

It is absolutely amazing what can be accomplished before 7:00.  When I got home, I was mostly dry except for my feet.  My socks held a lot of water and although none poured out of my shoes, it will take some time to dry them.

Cure the funk?  Ride in the rain with a friend.

This Ride: 20.1 miles
Month: 134.8 miles
2012: 2609.8 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 16,463.5 miles

It has been hard to get excited about riding much this month.  It has been even harder to attempt to keep up with some ride reports.  I’ve been overwhelmed with work and home responsibilities.  Since last I posted, I rode Wednesday (a very easy ride), Friday (short ride for a Friday) and this morning for Mosey Monday.  They were routine rides, enjoyable enough but I could tell that my heart wasn’t into it.  I rode because that is what I do between 5:30 – 7:00 am weekday mornings.  I suppose there is more to say about all this, but this is all I’m going to say.

Meeting my mileage goal for June is going to be quite a challenge now that I’m so far behind in miles for the month.

Here is to an attitude adjustment!

This Ride: 23.7 miles
Month: 114.7 miles
2012: 2589.7 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 16,443.4 miles

Yep.  Rode yesterday.  Didn’t post anything about it.

This morning the streets were wet as a result of some overnight intermittent showers.  I was so tempted to remain in bed, but habituation gets me up and getting ready before my brain fully engages.  It was chilly.  The past two days I’ve worn arm warmers and long fingered gloves (although the gloves might be just a bit much).  There was a threat of more rain.  The ominous clouds were moving fast.

The initial pace of the 7-8 riders was quick, but not unreasonable.  The wet conditions kept us tentative around the curves and on the paint.  Trail traffic was pretty heavy the first third of the ride, requiring a good deal of attention in the early morning gloom.  When we got to Old County Road, I thought I’d have company when I continued straight, and I did, but from an unlikely source.  Jim was ahead of us, and I soon caught up and we chatted along Old County Road.  When we hit the trail, he asked if the others were riding hard this morning, and I responded that I didn’t think so.  A glance in my rear view mirror told me otherwise.

What happened next helped me to set a personal speed record on one of my Strava segments.  There was some confusion as some of the riders passed us.  Dan was in front moving fast (I thought he was sick).  Jim was behind me and although I wanted to jump onto the fast group, I hung back with Jim.  After a few moments of hesitation, Jim accelerated past me, and now I’ve been gapped and am off the back.  I had some moments of indecision also, but eventually decided to catch everyone, so I started to spin up and maintained the distance of about 30-40 yards behind.  As the group slowed to cross Joyce Lane, I kept the speed up and closed some of the gap.  My Strava segment starts at Joyce Lane and goes to the end of the trail.  I accelerate to close the gap once we cross Joyce Lane, and I notice I’m riding at more than 26 mph catching them.  I pass a couple of the slower riders and latch on to the wheel of the last rider in the main group.  Just as I’m settling in, the sprint to the finish starts.  We move up to around 28 mph and hold that for a time, eventually easing near the finish line as the leaders sprint for the bragging rights and the rest of us work to catch our breath.  I thought then that I might have had my best time on the segment, but at the same time was fried.

The ride back wasn’t pretty.  I got dropped and dropped hard.  I only saw any of the others late in the ride because Bryan had a flat.  I stopped to help and then cut the ride short to get home.

We did encounter a few brief passing sprinkles along the ride, some of it reminiscent of last Wednesday’s ride across the Eastern Shore.

Once I got home I checked on the Strava segment, and sure enough, turned in an average speed of 25.5 mph for that 0.88 mile segment, beating the old record set in March by 6 seconds or 1.1 mph average.  Nice.

These Rides: 41.6 miles
Month: 41.6 miles
2012: 2516.7 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 16,370.3 miles

As I posted earlier, I had some anxiety about this ride.  It was my longest fixie ride and it was solo across the Eastern Shore.  The original forecast was for quite warm temperatures.  I was back and forth about doing the ride and had several people tell me not to do it.  When early Tuesday evening I saw the forecast for 40-60% chance of rain, cloudy conditions, very light winds, and highs not expected above 83, the ride was a go.  Yes, temperature and winds were the most critical factors.

I slept poorly.  I got up 30 minutes earlier than planned, accomplished final preparations, and was out the door around 5:30 am.  After crossing the Bay Bridge, I parked in the lot at the Lutheran Church in Stevensville as previously arranged, and just before 6:00 pushed off.  As soon as the pedals started to turn, the light sprinkle of rain started.  Since there was a 50% chance of rain, I figured that it might rain half of the time, so I settled into a comfortable pace.

Crossing Highways 50 and 301 were nightmares, and took considerable time to cross safely.  The heaviest traffic was all headed toward the Bay Bridge.  By Queenstown the sprinkle stopped and it appeared as if the sun might make an appearance.  That was short-lived.  The rain started again within a few miles and never stopped. Thank you Tropical Storm Beryl.  Seriously … the rain kept the temperatures down.  Temps never varried more than about 2 degrees all day!  Yes, the rain got old.  I cursed it at times.  I dared not wish it to stop for fear of rising temps and high humidity.

I was moving well and worked to keep my heart rate below 140, a level I believed would be manageable for the entire ride.  I had a timer set on my Garmin so I was drinking every 15 minutes whether thirsty or not, eating something every half hour, and popping E-Caps every hour.  I did not want to bonk.  I really enjoye the scenery.  Wheat was nearing harvest, deep golden brown with full heads.  I hadn’t noticed wheat on the Eastern Shore before.  This part of the ride was quite enjoyable with everything new and the day ahead of me.

After about 2 hours I arrived in Ridgley (mile 36) and stopped in a Subway.  I had the worst service possible (let’s just say the clerk is not a morning person, and it shows) but still managed coffee and a flatbread breakfast sandwich.  Status updates were texted, and I was back on the road within half an hour.

I was pleased with my pace, and as I remember it, had to keep working on the plan for pace and hydration/nutrition.  The rain teased me.  It would ease up to a sprinkle then without warning increase to a steady rain.  If I were to pick a low spot in the ride, it was between about mile 50 and 75.  It was all I could do to work the plan.  The miles seemed to take forever to cover. At one point, I was getting tired of the relentless pedaling.  I wanted to coast! I stood up, and for some stupid reason, coasted.  In an instant the rear wheel left the ground and I was doing a front wheelie!  The rear wheel slammed down, skidded on the wet pavement, and drug me to a very squirrlley stop. Out loud I said, “What were you thinking?”  I gathered my wits and self respect (to my knowledge no one saw this blunder) and vowed to never try that again.

A solo ride is a mental game.  I noted the 1/5, 1/4, 1/3, and halfway points in the ride.  I decided somewhere around mile 75-80 that the rain was pleasant but that I didn’t have to stay in it any longer than necessary.  I decided at about the same point several other things that worked well.  I decided to skip going into Milton and save 5 miles (in the rain).  It was about 11:00 and i was feeling well physically. I also decided to let my heart rate go to between 145-150.  I knew that could be risky, but the decision to embrace the rain was also buoyed by the fact that it looked possible that I could match or beat my first OC ride pace.  On that ride a year and a half ago, I rode a pace of 17.7 mph on a group ride.  I was amazed at the time.  To match that effort solo on a fixie became my goal.  I had to work at it, and I had pretty good roads the rest of the way in to Ocean City.

The 10-12 miles into Millsboro were quick.  I stopped at a convenience store just as I entered town.  I bought a Snickers, orange juice and water, and stayed long enough to witness a whole lot of drama between the staff and a panhandling woman.  She tentatively approached me for money.  I said I didn’t have any.  She said, “I didn’t think so.  I could tell.”  What was the giveaway?  Looking like a drowned rat?

Leaving Millsboro, I soon encountered a roadblock.  A very bad accident closed the road.  I asked about a detour.  I was told it was a long detour.  The emergency worker got on the horn, & eventually got permission to let me through.  On the other end they were turning vehicles around.  I got the feeling that this road closure would take hours to resolve.

Soon I was pressing on again and had a great pace going.  The rain increased in intensity the closer I got to Ocean City.  At mile 97.5 I heard a noise in the front wheel that was consistent with the rotation.  I checked the brakes.  They were fine.  The wheel seemed true.  The tire was firm.  Still the noise persisted.  I checked the firmness of the tire again, and sure enough, it was going flat.  The rain was steady.  I’d be fixing a flat in the rain.

The first part of the repair was relatively quick.  I located the triangular piece of glass and carefully pulled it out.  It had cut the tire pretty well, so a dollar bill went in as a boot between the tube and the tire.  I had a lot of trouble seating the tire properly on the rim.  I inflated and deflated the tube several times before it was right.  These wheels have caused me trouble in perfect conditions and i didnt want to be stopping again, so i was quite precise in this repair.  I used the tire pump I bought on Tuesday instead of CO2 because in the rain I was concerned that I’d freeze my hand to the cartridge.  It wasn’t a 4 minute flat repair by any stretch of the imagination, but it held, was done in the rain, and is my first flat since September on any bike.

Soon I was on Coastal Highway north of Ocean City. With 120 blocks to go to my hotel on 21st Street.  I was pleased to see that my average speed was 17.7 at that point!  Now to hold it there in traffic. The Bike/ Bus lane was mostly flooded, so I rode in the lane far left. I had 20+ mph pretty consistently.  I think I was stopped only about 4 times for traffic lights. Several times I was forced into the pooling water by traffic.  The water flooding my shoes was quite warm and pleasant.  Once I nearly fell as I hit a long narrow drain in the center of the lane, invisible because of the standing water.

I made it to the hotel just before 2:00 pm and the Garmin confirmed 17.8 mph average rolling speed.  I had done it!

I had ridden smart.  My plan for hydration and nutrition worked in the rain but would have needed considerable modification if it had been hot.  As it was, I consumed about half of the food I thought I would and only drank 2 Camelbacks and one small bottle of water.  again, the rain saved me there.

This Ride: 115.2 miles
Month: 877.2 miles
2012: 2475.1 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 16,328.7 miles

Click on the map to go to the Garmin page if interested

I can’t believe the anxiety I’m having over my next ride.  In fact, I’m still not 100% convinced I’m going to do it.  Some of that showed on this morning’s ride.

I was hesitant about getting out for the 5:45 ride this morning.  The only thing that got me out of bed was a decision to spin easy and ride my own recovery ride.  Yesterday’s heat took its toll on me.  I made sure I kept the speed down and my heart rate below 120 as I rode to the Rusty Bridge.  I announced to the gathering group that I was simply spinning easy this morning.  I took the trail rather than any of the hills in the first half of the ride.  Bryan was content to ride with me and it was a great opportunity to listen to his story of a spectacularly ridden 400k last Saturday.  He rode it in under 18 hours.  At the end of the trail, we met up with part of the group and took it easy back, although I must admit I picked up the pace above the easy spinning I had planned.  I cut the ride short because of another early meeting.

My legs were stiff.  I had a little lingering pain.  I kept telling people that if everything works out right I’ll be riding the fixie 115-120 miles across the Eastern Shore tomorrow.  The emphasis has been on the “if everything works out right” part.  I’m still not sure.  My concerns?

1. The forecast is for hot.
2. It is the fixie and the longest distance attempted on it.
3. It will be a solo ride.
4. The forecast is for hot.
5. There is also a good chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon.
6. Long stretches of the hot ride are without shade.
7. Friends of mine have dehydrated enough on hot rides to end up in the hospital.
8. Did I say that the forecast is for hot?
9. If I have to bail, I’ll be lucky to find a rescue ride within hours.

You see … I’ve got some anxiety about this.  The decision will be made tonight.  If I decide to go, I need to decide and not fret over it all night.  I’ll prepare as if I am going.  That will mean a drop bag for the hotel taken by a friend.  Install another water bottle holder on the fixie.  Make sure  the Camelback is fresh and clean.  Decide on a hydration and food plan in advance.  Make sure all components are good.  Make the final decisions on the gearing to be used.  Take enough of the right emergency supplies for a solo unsupported ride.  Establish my baseline limits (which tell me whether I’m pushing too hard).  Review the course once again.  Sleep.

If I go, I’ll push off as early as it is light.  I’ll want to get as many miles in as I can before the heat or storms set in.

This morning’s ride numbers:

This Ride: 18.8 miles
Month: 762 miles
2012: 2359.8 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 16,213.5 miles

It is a tradition around these here parts and around the Severna Park Peloton to travel to Sweet Sue’s Bakery in North Beach the holidays of summer (unless we go somewhere else).  There are two different starting points.  Start one begins in Shipley’s neighborhood and leaves at 6:30 am.  Start two begins at 7:30 am at the Davidsonville Park & Ride Lot, about 15 miles from Shipley’s.  Get it?  If you start early, your ride is 30 miles longer than if you start at the Park & Ride.  Eleven of us started at Shipley’s and had a good and relatively easy ride to Davidsonville.  Temperatures were pleasant, and there were partly cloudy skies to keep the strength of the sun down.

When we arrived at the Park & Ride, we were pleased to see that our numbers would more than double.  We pushed off in great spirits and it was as fun as ever to be riding in a group of nearly 30 riders.  We made short work of the 30 miles to Sweet Sue’s.  Clint called about 30 minutes out to warn them of our approach.  They were ready for us.  A breakfast sandwich and two strawberry smoothies were what I ordered.  I drink half of one of the smoothies to cool down and suck down the carbs.  The rest I use to fill an insulated water bottle for the next hour or so of riding.  It stays pretty cold.  We encountered quite a number of other riders either solo or in groups descending on Sweet Sue’s.  SPP was by far the larger group.

As we pushed off for home, the temperatures were climbing and the clouds had disappeared.  There were at least two distinct groups that formed, a fast group and a faster group.  I started in the faster group and we pushed the miles behind us pretty quickly.  After about an hour, the heat was getting to me and I could tell that I was dehydrating despite my best efforts to remain hydrated.  I just didn’t drink enough water on the way to Sweet Sue’s and it caught up to me.  My heart rate spiked to around 160-165 and it was tough to bring it down unless I traveled at around 14 mph.  I’m glad I knew the route.  I knew that the Citgo in Harwood was close, and I informed my two companions that now formed the small group between the fast and the fastest groups that I was stopping.  I used the toilet (good sign) and bought a bottle of water.  I re-filled my now empty bottles on the bike and poured about a liter of ice cold water on my head in a steady stream for about 20 seconds.  That felt absolutely wonderful!  It also did the trick.  I was able to pick up the pace, and it was a good thing too, because the fast group passed by as I was dumping water on my head and I was able to lead the group of three of us and catch this group.  Over the next several miles, individual riders within this group suddenly discovered our presence and wondered where we had come from.  Last they knew they were behind us and they knew they hadn’t passed us.

Temperatures continued to climb.  It was all I could do to keep dehydration at bay and nutrition up enough to keep a decent pace.  I lagged a couple of times, made the right adjustment, and recovered.  It is here where experience pays off and I don’t get into a  full bonk that takes 20-30 minutes or more to recover.  I’m able to recover on the bike.

Soon we were saying goodbye to those who were finishing the shorter ride (63 miles) and now 9 of us were pushing off for home.  Why is it that those last 15 miles seem to be twice that long?  Alex M flatted just before Veteran’s Highway.  Mike C, Ravi, and Clint stayed back to assist, while 4 others pressed on.  When I got to the B&A Trail for the last 1.5 miles home, I was surprised at how full it was with runners and bikers (most of whom were not wearing helmets … just saying!).

Once home, the cool down took close to an hour before I felt like I was done sweating.  I consumed a glass of chocolate milk, several glasses of water, had two fans on me, and used a zip lock bag full of ice water on my head and neck.  Ahh, that felt good.

Bag O ice water on the head. That’ll cool me down!

I did take some video of parts of the ride.  You can see the video here.

This Ride: 90.5 miles
Month: 743.3 miles
2012: 2341.1 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 16,194.7 miles

Well, Mike was right.  It is “option c”, wear you out and strengthen your legs.

Regular readers will know that I changed cogs on the fixie last night, going from a 46/17 to a 46/16 gearing.  It is only one less tooth.  After a nearly 55 mile ride this morning, I’m toasted.  I’m seriously rethinking my strategy for the trip across the Eastern Shore on Wednesday.

It started out great this morning.  It was 70° F at the start of our ride, with 11 riders out.  I was the only one on a fixie.  We set an easy pace, and soon 10 of us were on our way to Annapolis for breakfast.  The food and company was good.  Myna supplied us with a nice desert.  We were on our way back to Severna Park by 7:00.  Fran was looking for a longer ride, so we rode together around the airport loop.  Before we crossed Aquahart Road, I was sweating profusely.  My headband was completely soaked and sweat was running into my eyes.  I had one 20 oz water bottle I was nursing for the whole distance.  (Note to self: get another water bottle cage for the fixie.)  Fran was anxious to show me another way back from the airport, and so I was riding on unfamiliar roads with rolling hills.  I hadn’t counted on rolling hills.  Here is a deadly combination  for me: Unfamiliar roads, rolling hills, high humidity (83%).  I started to get a little grumbly but kept it to myself.  After all, we are getting into summer weather here.  This is what we can expect for a few months.  Temps remained flat because of cloud cover.  Wind was light.  Those were two good things.

Once I got home, I was glad to be done.  There were quite a few times when the cadence was low, making it harder to press on.  Average cadence was only 2 rpm slower today for an average speed 0.4 mph faster.

Oh, I almost forgot!  Now that I have the smaller cog, I can go faster downhill.  I hit 36.1 mph (168 rpm) on the descent to the Naval Academy Bridge this morning.  That’s in less than ideal conditions (wind, humidity, fatigue).  I think there is still a little upside left here.

This Ride: 54.8 miles
Month: 652.8 miles
2012: 2250.6 miles
Total since 1/1/2010: 16,104.2 miles

Today I picked up my new 16 tooth cog I ordered at Bike Doctor on Monday.  They ordered me a Surley brand, which is great.  They make “bulletproof” components.  I installed it with only minor problems.  My chain whip isn’t well suited for the width of the cog, so I took it into Bike Doctor and had Jessie pull the old one off.  I’ll let you know how it rides tomorrow.

According to what I read, this new cog, one tooth less than the one I’ve been riding, should give me 1.2 mph more at 90 rpm.  I’ll be interested to see if I notice the difference on the climbs we typically ride and whether or not I can break my fixie speed record heading onto the Naval Academy Bridge.

I purchased the new cog because I’m anticipating a 115 mile ride across the Eastern Shore on Wednesday of next week.  In that distance, the same number of pedal strokes with the new cog will save me about half an hour.  It will also serve to strengthen my legs … or wear me out.  We’ll see which.