The Saddle Sore Chronicles

Long Time Away

2009-07-28T14:08:00.000-07:00

A long time away from my blog but here's a long winded update.

I spent some time in the Mid-west after finishing a job there and got to spend time with my parents. My dad just got a new Trek Madone for his birthday and had to break it in with a 40 mile ride to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. I think his longest ride for the season had been 12 miles so I was impressed that he hammered out the ride with no problem.

After the ride we took the plane out for a buzz around the lake.

Since returning to Bend I had a friend visit from Chicago for four days of biking and climbing. We were able to get in some good rides on the upper trails and spend a day on the McKenzie where I tested the strength of my helmet after many over-the-bar endos.

To give the legs a rest we spent one day at Smith bagging a few pitches in the park.

Since then I've been trying to put in some serious mileage on the bike. I pulled of an 11 hour day on the single speed biking from town, up the North Fork, down to the Metolious Windigo to Lava Lakes, over to Edison, and fire roads back to the river leading me home.

After a few days rest I dusted off the road bike and did a five hour ride from town to Bachelor, around and back home. My legs are tired but I'm starting to get some endurance back. I hope to put in a few more long rides in the next couple of days and see if I can push my envelope a little bigger.

Okay, okay...here's a blog update

2009-06-01T06:43:00.000-07:00

Between computer issues and work I've been neglecting the blog and posting nothing the last four weeks. I'm back in Bend and I'll try to be more diligent.

I had to spend a week in Pittsburgh for work and got a chance to see my old team mate Sue.

She's the pretty one with the smile above.

Notice how she's always smiling while I seem to be suffering immensely?

Sue is currently training for her 3rd Primal Quest race which is held this year in the Badlands of South Dakota. I'm very impressed!!

To Race or not to Race

2009-05-05T04:44:00.000-07:00

Running and more running. Wisconsin weather has been sunny and 70's so I've been trying to log a lot of running miles. I have been considering a race this weekend which includes an eight mile run and a 12 mile kayak. The lake temperature is still very cold and if the weather turns ugly by the weekend it could make for a miserable race. Today I am shooting for a 10 mile which makes my total mileage 31 over the past four days. Maybe I should get in the water and paddle?

Bees Part II

2009-04-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

Rain and more rain is soaking the mid-west, not the best training conditions. There was a break long enough to transport the bees to their new apartment. There was only one Bee suit and I had to thumb wrestle my Dad for it.....I lost.

Buzz Off......

2009-04-26T10:44:00.000-07:00

Today is raining and have to wait for the weather to clear up before I attempt another run. My father harvests his own honey every year. Today he sent me up to Wisconsin to pick up a shipment of Bees.

Back in Chi-town

2009-04-25T14:28:00.000-07:00

I'm back in the Chicago area for more work. This always seems to screw up my training but I'm trying to make an effort to keep in shape while I'm here. Over the past three days I've been able to log 4:26 running. I tried to get a long bike ride in but had some mechanical issues on a borrowed bike. Looks like rain for the next week so I guess I'll keep my running shoes on and keep putting on the miles.

Kudos to Kevin

2009-04-20T21:12:00.000-07:00

Today I have to honor my friend Kevin (aka Chicken Legs) who just completed the Leona Divide 50 ultra marathon. Chicken Legs is the guy in the green helmet wearing the leg gators hoping it will make his legs look bigger. He's a runner, great athlete and phenomenal climber but has never run so much as a marathon. I'm not sure if he's ever tired a half-marathon. Anyway, he set his goal on a 50 mile ultra and pulled off a stunning finishing time of 10:53:10. It must be said that he woke up late and arrived at the race 8 minutes after the start making his true time a more impressive 10:45:10. His finishing time qualifies him for the Western States 100 in 2010 which he is now considering. My hat is off to his accomplishment....GREAT JOB C.L.!!!!

Back from the Desert

2009-04-18T14:25:00.000-07:00

I took a little break from training and headed down to Las Vegas with Marsha for some climbing at Red Rocks. We hoped for some warm desert sun but endured cooler temperatures and even snow. We stayed at the Luxor where the people watching was very interesting. I have to say the casino clientele is a very sorry group. Together we bet $1.00 on a slot machine and lost it all...better luck next time.

2009-04-10T15:41:00.000-07:00

Went to the gym today to work on chest and back. I'm getting much stronger and I'm starting to gain a little bulk. Just in time for summer. I'm gonna look sooo good in a speedo!

After my killer strength work out I went on a 1:20 trail run with my favorite running partner. She gets a little excited for our training sessions......

Dress for Success

2009-04-09T16:42:00.000-07:00

The Clouds have moved in and it has been spitting rain off and on all day. I managed to squeeze in a 2:00 mountain bike ride on the single speed today and I have to say the trails are sweet.

One thing I notice here in Central Oregon is that every rider is sporting a fancy Kit. Could everyone be a sponsored athlete in this town? Do they buy these cool outfits or do they accept hand-me-downs like I get from Ironman Drew? My father got me into running when I was sixteen just as running was the new cool thing to do. Check out these duds. My Dad is on the left (matching outfit and awesome lamb chops) but I love the pajama / camo hat outfit on the right. Functional yet elegant...I love it!

Temperatures Spike - Time to Ride the Bike

2009-04-07T11:54:00.000-07:00

Great weather continues here in Central Oregon with temperatures hitting the 70's. I dusted off the road bike yesterday morning and headed out for a 35 mile road ride west of town which offered great views of the mountains.

I went out on my ride looking cool in the old hand-me-down jersey I got from Ironman Drew. Later I found out he makes a habit of passing out his old smelly jerseys.

The ride was great but my legs feel weak and I should think about taking a day off. The weather man keeps predicting rain but with each failed forecast and continued sunshine, I just can't stop. I just returned from a 1:00 trail run on another sunny day. Give me rain or accept the pain - it can't be sunny forever.

I'm Back Baby!

2009-04-06T15:27:00.000-07:00

Whew! It's been a long time!! I left Bend in early February for Chicago hoping to stir up some business. Business is what I got and it kept coming. Four projects later I finally returned to Bend at the end of March. My training has gone to hell and I lost a lot of what I gained going into the Boulder Mountain Tour. Oh well, spilled milk, water under the bridge, gotta make up for lost time.

Ullr the snow god blessed Bend with a nice Spring dump giving me four great days in the mountains. Marsha and I Skied Bachelor (my first day on the mountain this year) in some sweet powder and we took a little video to share.....

I woke up on day two to six fresh inches of snow and had no choice but to head for the back country. I decided to hike into Todd Lake and stay sheltered from the wind. By the time I arrived for my first turns a the top of the ridge the sun was shinning and winds were calm. I noticed some skin tracks heading off in a direction I had never skiied so I decided to see where they went. OMG!!!! I found the mother load! I think the next video will give some indication as to how excited I was.....

On day three I skated with hopes of flushing out some of the soreness from the previous days teleskiing. It didn't work. I was beat and my heart rate was through the roof. Still it was a nice sunny day and no better place to be.

Finally on day four I had to return to Todd Lake and take advantage of the great powder and my new little stash. At 6:00AM I headed up with Ironman Drew to see if we could still get good powder since the previous day was sunny. I had fears the snow would set up and we'd have to battle some crust. No such thing. The powder was perfect. I'll bore you with one last video....

Boulder Mountain Tour Results

2009-02-10T07:28:00.000-08:00

Here is my up date from the 2009 Boulder Mountain Tour:
The weather this year was nothing less than perfect. With an inversion in effect the temperatures at the start of the course were in the mid 20’s. Clear sky’s and sunshine led to increasing temperatures throughout the race which translates to faster conditions as the race progresses. I took a gamble and waxed a little warmer than recommendations hoping the snow would warm up soon after the start. My skies felt a little slow at the beginning but, overall, I think my wax choice paid off in the end.

The first six kilometers are hilly with some narrow sections making it hard to pass other skiers. After about three kilometers I was making good progress moving to the front of my wave when we approached a steep downhill section. While trying to pass on the outside I was railroaded off the course and crashed in deep snow off to the side. As I pulled my head out of the snow drift I watched my whole wave ski off down the hill. After pulling myself together and bridging the gap I started to gain position in the middle of the wave again. While making another attempt to pass on a narrow section of trail I hit a rut and went down for the second time. Feeling like an idiot and my heart rate spiking off the charts I gathered my self up and started the process all over again.

I ended the race with a time of 1:28:37; sixteen minutes faster than my previous time for a new PR. The summary results are as follows:

Overall Winning Time 1:10:55
My Finnish Time 1:28:37
Overall Place 161
Overall Men Place 131
Division Place 26

Waxed and Ready

2009-02-05T16:16:00.001-08:00

Taper week has been going well. I did an easy run Monday, one hour skate Tuesday, one hour easy spin on Wednesday and I just returned from a one hour skate today. I feel good and my sore legs are gone. The weather is predicting snow Friday and Saturday but reasonably warm temperatures. With a little luck the snow won't accumulate too much and the conditions will be fast.

Check in Later next week for the results.

Boulder Mountain Tour Count Down

2009-02-01T06:58:00.000-08:00

"If you don't got it, you won't get it"

2009-01-29T14:47:00.000-08:00

I drove to the mountain on Tuesday to put in 30 kilometers on the skis but weather in the parking lot was 30 mile per hour wind, 1/4 mile visibility and drifting snow. I couldn't muster up the energy to get out of the car. After having so many great days of skiing I wasn't about to pull a 2:00 suffer fest. I drove back into town and climbed on the rollers for a 1:25 spin. Wednesday looked better but still high winds so I opted for a long 1.5 hour run and a 1 hour spin rather than test the nordic trails again.

Today was the turning point in the weather. Winds are calm on the mountain and not a cloud in sight. I did the usual Kettlebell workout at 6 A.M and then hit the nordic trails for 2 hours. With 40 degree temps on the mountain the conditions were perfect. I did 1.25 hours at race pace keeping my heart rate between 155 - 165 followed by .75 hour, light intensity cool down. My legs feel good and all the Gunther hops I've been doing in the gym are starting to pay off. Saturday will be my last high intensity workout and then I go into taper.

Taper is the worst. It always feels like I'm giving back all the effort I've but in to getting strong but it's a necessary part of the process. I'm tired all the time and my legs are constantly sore. The taper period should restore my energy and the soreness should fade as I focus more on light intensity workouts and lots of yoga. The trick will be to control my eating so I don't gain weight over the next week leading up to the race. Hopefully my hard work will pay off. As my old coach used to say just before each race, "If you don't got it, you won't get it."

Closing in on the BMT

2009-01-26T13:21:00.000-08:00

There is just under two weeks before the Boulder Mountain Tour. This will be my last hard week of training before the gun goes off. I taper next week with short duration, light intensity workouts and eliminate the strength training altogether.

I’ve been focusing on race pace intensity and course distance workouts. I think I have my heart rate figured out and know where my lactate threshold is. I hope to keep this under control for the race and not let the excitement push me outside the envelope. Last year’s experience was too painful to repeat; I let myself get carried away and blew up early in the race. With any luck I hope to reserve my energy for the back end of the course.

Training Update

2009-01-22T14:08:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since my last post but don't think I haven't been pushing the pedals and skating like a mad man. As a matter of fact, I've been skating alright. Marsha and I took her nieces to the rink to see how strong our ankles were.

As for skate skiing, I've been able to bag 160 kilometers since my last post. Weather is Bend continues its strange pattern this season. We have had an inversion hanging over town for almost a week. This means cold frosty temps in town with 50 degree sunshine on the mountain. This has made for stellar nordic conditions and the need for a good sun block.

I haven't been out on the road much but I'm still getting in some good spin sessions. I spent a few good hours with Ironman Drew at Juniper Fitness Center. We pushed out a two hour session on the spin bikes followed by 1,000 meters in the pool. I haven't been swimming in over a year but I managed not to drown.

As you can see, the spin room is a very popular place to be on a Sunday afternoon.

Riding for Raspberries

2009-01-12T06:05:00.000-08:00

A great, sunny weekend with temps reaching the 50's made for good training. An hour and a half spin Saturday morning followed by 40 kilometers of skating produced a good Bonk. Drooling, incoherent speech, rubber legs....I had it all. Gotta love a good Bonk. It sets the threshold that I need to break through. Hopefully I can break the 50 kilometer mark later this week.

With good weather again on Sunday I pushed out 40 miles on the road bike. With three block to go I hit a patch of cinder and went down in a round-about. Now I get to carry around a few good raspberries for the next few weeks....all in a days work.

Spin & Skate, Skate & Spin

2009-01-09T15:22:00.000-08:00

Strange weather we're having here. Over the last week we have seen snow, rain, freezing rain and, to top it all off, hurricane force winds. Hundreds of trees have blown down around town and on Mt Bachelor. Until today the weather has forced me to pull out the rollers and spend mind numbing hours making the pedals go round. The wind has died down and the sun finally broke through allowing me to get on the mountain for some skating. It felt good to skate in the sunshine and hammer out 36 kilometers in perfect trail conditions. The week ahead looks like more of the same which means good skating and road riding are in my future.

Boulder Mountain Tour

2009-01-03T07:28:00.000-08:00

I just sent in my application for the Boulder Mountain Tour in Sun Valley, Idaho. This will be my second time at this event and hopefully I can break last year's time of 1:44:37. Since the bike trails are under snow and ice, skate skiing is a good cross training alternative. I put in 1:45 on the skis yesterday in great conditions. Plan to head up to the mountain today and bag another 20 - 30 kilometers.

Hang Up The Bike - Wax Up The Skis

2008-12-30T12:16:00.000-08:00

Before leaving for Chicago a few weeks ago we were able to get out for one last ride before the snow covered the trails. Rob and I tested out a new trail where the free-riders have been going crazy building jumps, ramps and log rails. Not a good idea for the single speed, rigid fork guys like myself but for the riders that like it painful....looks like fun!

Mt. Bachelor went from an eight inch base, before I left, to an 80 inch base, when I returned. A group of us got out early this morning for Dawn Patrol on the cinder cone. Conditions were better than expected and big smiles all around as we farmed out some of the first turns of the season.

Trail Art

2008-12-11T10:46:00.000-08:00

I got out for a few hours of riding today. The winter is closing in fast and it looks like snow will be here by the weekend. That could put an end to the trail riding for the season. I hope to get one more long ride in tomorrow before the storm.

Breaking the Five Hour Mark

2008-12-07T07:45:00.000-08:00

The beginning of a long day.....

With two hours of biking down, I stash the bike in the woods and get in a run.

Back on my bike, I was able to finish the day with a total of 5 hours 35 minutes.

Whoa Pilgrim!

2008-12-06T07:15:00.000-08:00

Some of us pilgrims gathered in the Ochoco Mountains this last thanksgiving weekend to give thanks for still being mobile in our old age. It was a good chance to get some training in. We took a spin up Lookout Mountain thinking the trails would be hard and firm. With unseasonably warm temperatures (50’s), the permafrost gave way to thick, sticky mud.

What is the GDR?

2008-11-02T12:47:00.000-08:00

2,490 miles of riding...Ouch!

200,000 feet of climbing....Ouch, Ouch!!

Self-supported race across four states from Canada to Mexico....Ouch, Ouch, Ouch!!!

No matter how you look at it, this is going to hurt. Call it a MLC (Mid-Life Crisis), chemical imbalance, planetary alignment, I have locked my sights on this event and fully intend to give it a GO. The GDR is a self-supported race starting in Roosvile, MT on the Canadian boarder. Riders have 25 days to complete the route which ends in Antelope Wells, NM on the Mexican boarder. According to the rules, riders are allowed to resupply in towns along the way but any pre-arranged, outside support is prohibited. This means I can buy food along the way, do laundry and even get a hotel room. It also means I cannot accept any outside assistance with food, navigation, bike maintenance, or the occasional foot massage. Call it lonely, call it sick, but in the words of Lou Reed - "It's the beginning of a great adventure".