I've been looking forward to an event for a year now...the 12 hour race at the Texas Time Trials in Cleburne, TX. I was hoping to be able to best my personal record of 156 miles in 12 hours which I set long ago in a different (thinner/younger) body.
Last Friday's ride proved to me that there was no way I was going to be able to hit 160 miles in 12 hours, since I can't even do 2 hours without low back pain. So I dropped my expectations to doing the 6 hour event and justified that the logistics were much easier this way.
Looking at the entry form this morning, reality set in. $95 entry fee, plus a $20 late fee = $115.00 for a self-supported century. Too much. If it was supported, maybe. But I can essentially do the same thing by doing a 20 mile loop starting and ending at my house...free. Without having to drive 90 minutes to get there.
Understand this is no knock on the promoter...they have every right to charge what they want and I respect that. My job is to decide if I am willing to pay it.
Nope.
So...on the flip side, I will go do 2 track races that weekend for Texas Cup points and have a good time. I may decide to do the "local 6 hour" this weekend, just to say I did it.
Aging Cyclist lesson: None of us are as young as we once were, and we have to be relistic in our goals.
Cyclist to pray for: Gabby (she just got her first new MTB)
DB
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
Ahhh....life.....
Hazards of being responsible :)
I was hoping to get in a 6 hour ride this Saturday, doing various 20 mile loops startnig and ending at my house, which would have left me no more than 10 miles from my house at any given time. This was for two reasons: Refueling, and I was on call.
A side note about my job: I am an escalation engineer in the IT world, and am on-call every third week for 7 days, 24 hours. Then off-call for the next 2 weeks. If a "Severity A" call comes in, I have 30 minutes to be in front of a computer. "Sev B" I have 4 hours. 99% of the time, this is not a problem as Sev A calls are rare.
So Saturday I'm on my first loop, really just getting good and warm on an out and back. Went out 12 miles and turned around. 4 miles later, the phone rings and I actually hear it! Missed the actual call but dialed up the office to find out I've been hit by the 1% of the time something serious has blown up. So...back to the house. Got there in exactly 30 minutes.
An hour and a half later, problem solved so I head back out to go try to salvage some of the ride. Of course I'm completely cooled down and momentum is shot but I need the miles. Head down the road to do a 15 mile out and back (different from the previous one) that I generally do as a time trial effort. I get all the way to the far end and the phone rings again. Call the office and get voice mail. Nobody is willing to claim having called me, one dude won't even do me the coutesy of asking the guy next to him, and nobody left voice mail or sent an email. Crud. Back to the house.
Get to the house and there are two more calls I didn't hear. This time they actually left VM, and it is something I could put off a few hours. But my ride is toast.
Got in 40 miles, 2 customer issues and lots of frustration. No more calls the rest of the day.
Didn't even bother to ride Sunday.
Aging cyclist lesson: Sometimes the job gets in the way of training, but the job pays the bills and that's part of the game until you get that "Master's pro" contract ;)
Cyclist to pray for: Stephen W.
DB
I was hoping to get in a 6 hour ride this Saturday, doing various 20 mile loops startnig and ending at my house, which would have left me no more than 10 miles from my house at any given time. This was for two reasons: Refueling, and I was on call.
A side note about my job: I am an escalation engineer in the IT world, and am on-call every third week for 7 days, 24 hours. Then off-call for the next 2 weeks. If a "Severity A" call comes in, I have 30 minutes to be in front of a computer. "Sev B" I have 4 hours. 99% of the time, this is not a problem as Sev A calls are rare.
So Saturday I'm on my first loop, really just getting good and warm on an out and back. Went out 12 miles and turned around. 4 miles later, the phone rings and I actually hear it! Missed the actual call but dialed up the office to find out I've been hit by the 1% of the time something serious has blown up. So...back to the house. Got there in exactly 30 minutes.
An hour and a half later, problem solved so I head back out to go try to salvage some of the ride. Of course I'm completely cooled down and momentum is shot but I need the miles. Head down the road to do a 15 mile out and back (different from the previous one) that I generally do as a time trial effort. I get all the way to the far end and the phone rings again. Call the office and get voice mail. Nobody is willing to claim having called me, one dude won't even do me the coutesy of asking the guy next to him, and nobody left voice mail or sent an email. Crud. Back to the house.
Get to the house and there are two more calls I didn't hear. This time they actually left VM, and it is something I could put off a few hours. But my ride is toast.
Got in 40 miles, 2 customer issues and lots of frustration. No more calls the rest of the day.
Didn't even bother to ride Sunday.
Aging cyclist lesson: Sometimes the job gets in the way of training, but the job pays the bills and that's part of the game until you get that "Master's pro" contract ;)
Cyclist to pray for: Stephen W.
DB
Friday, September 5, 2008
How to feel young again....
...ride with a kid.
I spent an hour riding all over the neighborhood last night with a 12 year old and his 10 year old brother. We played follow the leader, slow race, drag race, etc.
More fun than I've had on a bike in years :)
Cyclist to pray for: Landon.
DB
I spent an hour riding all over the neighborhood last night with a 12 year old and his 10 year old brother. We played follow the leader, slow race, drag race, etc.
More fun than I've had on a bike in years :)
Cyclist to pray for: Landon.
DB
Friday, August 29, 2008
Aches and pains are part of the gain
Whine, gripe, moan, complain....the hazards of pushing yourself too hard
Did the HHH race/rally on 8/23 (dropped at 40 miles, rallied my way in to the finish. Yay me for 100 miles!). I decided somewhere about mile 50 that despite how much I spent and how cool the Selle Italia SLR Gel Flow saddle is...it sux. For me. Fine for some other dude, but my old bones need some cushion.
I picked up a Specialized Rival of the proper width (slightly wider than the the SI), and lots of cushion. Stuck in on in the parking lot Tuesday before a 35 mile hammerfest known locally as the "Popsicle ride" which implies something nice and pleasant....not so much. Be ready for 20 avg, bursts to 30. I felt good durng the ride, but the adjustments are still to come as I strained a back muscle with bad positioning.
Rode again Thursday night after lowering the saddle 1 cm, hoping to get 40 miles in. Heat got me and I abandoned my 27/33 mile loop and cut it to 22 miles. Heavy bike, aero bars, CamelBack, saddle issues, etc. Felt like I was riding a 1970s Raleigh Touring bike (which I happen to have one of for sale in my garage!) complete with fenders and a rear rack.
I'll make another small adjustment tonight (lower the nose, scoot it forward) before Saturday's Tour de Bikemart metric attempt. need to get a metric this weekend (or two), a trial run at 6 hours next weekend, another metric at the Patriot Pedal on the 13th and hopefully another metric or hundred on 9/20.
All of this preparation is for my 12 hour attempt at 160 or more miles at the Texas Time Trials on 9/27.
I might go race the Superdrome on 9/19, mainly because I have a new junior teammate that has just started his track training, and I am targeting that as his first race. Local, low key and he can watch a lot of different skill levels when he's not on the track to learn from them.
Thing to learn if you're old: Make adjustments in fit or equipment well before your event.
Cyclists to pray for: John S, Todd, Dan. All for different reasons.
DB
Did the HHH race/rally on 8/23 (dropped at 40 miles, rallied my way in to the finish. Yay me for 100 miles!). I decided somewhere about mile 50 that despite how much I spent and how cool the Selle Italia SLR Gel Flow saddle is...it sux. For me. Fine for some other dude, but my old bones need some cushion.
I picked up a Specialized Rival of the proper width (slightly wider than the the SI), and lots of cushion. Stuck in on in the parking lot Tuesday before a 35 mile hammerfest known locally as the "Popsicle ride" which implies something nice and pleasant....not so much. Be ready for 20 avg, bursts to 30. I felt good durng the ride, but the adjustments are still to come as I strained a back muscle with bad positioning.
Rode again Thursday night after lowering the saddle 1 cm, hoping to get 40 miles in. Heat got me and I abandoned my 27/33 mile loop and cut it to 22 miles. Heavy bike, aero bars, CamelBack, saddle issues, etc. Felt like I was riding a 1970s Raleigh Touring bike (which I happen to have one of for sale in my garage!) complete with fenders and a rear rack.
I'll make another small adjustment tonight (lower the nose, scoot it forward) before Saturday's Tour de Bikemart metric attempt. need to get a metric this weekend (or two), a trial run at 6 hours next weekend, another metric at the Patriot Pedal on the 13th and hopefully another metric or hundred on 9/20.
All of this preparation is for my 12 hour attempt at 160 or more miles at the Texas Time Trials on 9/27.
I might go race the Superdrome on 9/19, mainly because I have a new junior teammate that has just started his track training, and I am targeting that as his first race. Local, low key and he can watch a lot of different skill levels when he's not on the track to learn from them.
Thing to learn if you're old: Make adjustments in fit or equipment well before your event.
Cyclists to pray for: John S, Todd, Dan. All for different reasons.
DB
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Season is almost over
HHH is coming!
In preparation for my last two events of the year, I've been trying to log some serious saddle time the last week or two, and will continue up through next Tuesday.
HHH (Cat 4, 100 miles) is August 23, 7am start. I don't expect to win, place or show in this one. I'd like to still be there at 40-50 miles, since my best Cat4 performance ever is 37 miles with the pack down in Copperas Cove back in January. I've gained back up to 172 lbs, and its not all muscle. When/If I get dropped in this race, I'll find others or wait for the rally riders on team IC3 to catch up with me and roll back in to Wichita Falls with that group.
Texas Time Trials is September 27 (for me). 12 hours, see how many miles you can do. This is a 20.01 mile loop in Cleburne, TX. My goal is 160 miles, since I have previously accomplished 156 in a 12 hour event in the past (1996). Once HHH is over, the aero bars get mounted and I start the longer training. 40 milers during the week, 80-100 on the weekends.
Crits and track are pretty much out for the year unless I just need a break.
Oh, and I start seminary classes on 9/15/08, which runs into November for my first class. My son starts a new school this year (cross your fingers) and my middle child goes off to college at the same time. Lots of changes around DB house in the next months.
Cyclist to pray for: Mrs. DallasBikr - she has to put up with me and watch our daughter move off to school. And yes, she is a cyclist. She has a recumbent trike!
Ride safe,
DB
In preparation for my last two events of the year, I've been trying to log some serious saddle time the last week or two, and will continue up through next Tuesday.
HHH (Cat 4, 100 miles) is August 23, 7am start. I don't expect to win, place or show in this one. I'd like to still be there at 40-50 miles, since my best Cat4 performance ever is 37 miles with the pack down in Copperas Cove back in January. I've gained back up to 172 lbs, and its not all muscle. When/If I get dropped in this race, I'll find others or wait for the rally riders on team IC3 to catch up with me and roll back in to Wichita Falls with that group.
Texas Time Trials is September 27 (for me). 12 hours, see how many miles you can do. This is a 20.01 mile loop in Cleburne, TX. My goal is 160 miles, since I have previously accomplished 156 in a 12 hour event in the past (1996). Once HHH is over, the aero bars get mounted and I start the longer training. 40 milers during the week, 80-100 on the weekends.
Crits and track are pretty much out for the year unless I just need a break.
Oh, and I start seminary classes on 9/15/08, which runs into November for my first class. My son starts a new school this year (cross your fingers) and my middle child goes off to college at the same time. Lots of changes around DB house in the next months.
Cyclist to pray for: Mrs. DallasBikr - she has to put up with me and watch our daughter move off to school. And yes, she is a cyclist. She has a recumbent trike!
Ride safe,
DB
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Where's DB?
Yes, I'm still a cyclist, and still aging :)
Lots of fun things get in the way of training...on-call duty, 100 degree weather, unexpected road trips, etc.
My middle offspring was coming back from a camp yesterday and the car she was riding in (not hers) decided to stop in the middle of nowhere. From the description, the motor seized up due to a lack of oil. So, I'm the logical person to drive from Irving to Childress, TX to home. Several hundred miles and about 7-8 hours at the end of a 7 hour work day. No..I didn't hop on the trainer to log some miles :)
This is not a complaint mind you...just part of being Mr. Dad/Father/Employee dude. If you are a teenager or young single dude reading this....get your race on now! Before you get old fat and slow! BWAHAHAHA!!!! Ok...better now ;)
I did ride Saturday morning, and a few miles on Sunday afternoon, but nothing to brag about. Am planning for a ride tonight as well.
Oh...and since I need at least one more thing to keep me from training "properly", I signed up for my first seminary class with Liberty University Online today: New Testament I. I start on September 15...after Hotter'N Hell, but before the Texas Time Trials.
Cyclist to pray for: Jennifer
DB
Lots of fun things get in the way of training...on-call duty, 100 degree weather, unexpected road trips, etc.
My middle offspring was coming back from a camp yesterday and the car she was riding in (not hers) decided to stop in the middle of nowhere. From the description, the motor seized up due to a lack of oil. So, I'm the logical person to drive from Irving to Childress, TX to home. Several hundred miles and about 7-8 hours at the end of a 7 hour work day. No..I didn't hop on the trainer to log some miles :)
This is not a complaint mind you...just part of being Mr. Dad/Father/Employee dude. If you are a teenager or young single dude reading this....get your race on now! Before you get old fat and slow! BWAHAHAHA!!!! Ok...better now ;)
I did ride Saturday morning, and a few miles on Sunday afternoon, but nothing to brag about. Am planning for a ride tonight as well.
Oh...and since I need at least one more thing to keep me from training "properly", I signed up for my first seminary class with Liberty University Online today: New Testament I. I start on September 15...after Hotter'N Hell, but before the Texas Time Trials.
Cyclist to pray for: Jennifer
DB
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Gettin' dirty
Did a little MTB ride last night with friends from IC3, and managed to miss every tree on the LB Houston beginner loops.
Pretty tame ride, but not a bad way to change the pace up. 7 miles, easy pace, almost completely flat.
Cyclist to pray for: TW.
DB
Pretty tame ride, but not a bad way to change the pace up. 7 miles, easy pace, almost completely flat.
Cyclist to pray for: TW.
DB
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