So this week I was on-call, so no racing for me. When this is the case I do blocks of intervals, but I also will get in some group rides to simulate race-level efforts. The first group ride of the week was the Tuesday Night Ride by the river - one of the only flat roads around Asheville. I was looking for some hard tempo, sprints, and VO2 level efforts. Unfortunately, despite Marios' (the new ABRC president) best efforts the A group again swelled to somewhere around 30 people. Too big for a good workout, good paceline, good sprint workout, or good safety for that matter. Just an all-around bad situation. I may have ruffled some feathers as non-diplomatic Chris was out that night, but the bottom line is it is a great ride with a lot of potential if we can tweak it a bit.
My second group ride of the week was today, where I met a group out of Marshall to do the French Broad Classic Road Race course (to be held in July). What a sweet course! 2 long 2-3 mile climbs, tight, windy roads and beautiful scenery are going to make this an awesome race! I'm really psyched for this event! I was able to get a good workout in while having fun with some of the other local riders as well as some from Mars Hill College. The ride also gave me a chance to test my nutrition plan for next weekend's road race at Rock Hill. I had my typical pre-race or long-ride meal, 3 hours prior, of homemade granola (I love my wife) with greek yogurt - although sometimes I'll have eggs or hot oats. On the bike nutrition was simple - about 200-300 calories an hour. Honey Stinger is a sponsor this year (which I'm super-thankful for since I think their gels taste better than anything else on the market!), but they don't have a drink mix. So I used Perpetuem from Hammer Nutrition (my old sponsor), spiked with Honey Stingers every hour. Perfect! No cramps, good energy levels, 550kcal total consumed over 3 hours.
So after a relaxing weekend, I'm ready for a productive week at work and a great race weekend next week. I hope you are too!
- Chris
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
UNCA Race Reports: UGA
By Jed Hinkley:
After a weekend off due to more bad weather, sickness and injury among our riders, we were back at it this past weekend in Athens, GA.
Only two riders went down for the races on Saturday, but they had a strong showing in both races.
Drew Cistola pulled off a 5th place finish in the Men's C road race on a course that included a super steep climb and lots of rolling terrain.
In the Men's A races, our star Brendan Dillow had two great races with a Top 10 in the Time Trial and a 7th place in the road race.
He missed the breakaway, but finished strong and was 3rd in the field sprint.
On Sunday, Drew missed the start of the race unfortunately because the organizers changed the location of the race without our knowledge.
This was disappointing, but they apologized.
I did not have my best race, after being off the bike for 10 days with the Flu, but hung in until the end and scored a couple of points.
These races gave us a good idea of where we are because they included all the top schools like Lees Mcrae, Clemson, and Georgia.
Next race is Auburn which we will not be attending because it is so far away and then the following weekend is Lees Mcrae.
After a weekend off due to more bad weather, sickness and injury among our riders, we were back at it this past weekend in Athens, GA.
Only two riders went down for the races on Saturday, but they had a strong showing in both races.
Drew Cistola pulled off a 5th place finish in the Men's C road race on a course that included a super steep climb and lots of rolling terrain.
In the Men's A races, our star Brendan Dillow had two great races with a Top 10 in the Time Trial and a 7th place in the road race.
He missed the breakaway, but finished strong and was 3rd in the field sprint.
On Sunday, Drew missed the start of the race unfortunately because the organizers changed the location of the race without our knowledge.
This was disappointing, but they apologized.
I did not have my best race, after being off the bike for 10 days with the Flu, but hung in until the end and scored a couple of points.
These races gave us a good idea of where we are because they included all the top schools like Lees Mcrae, Clemson, and Georgia.
Next race is Auburn which we will not be attending because it is so far away and then the following weekend is Lees Mcrae.
Monday, March 23, 2009
RACE REPORT: Out Like a Lion RR
Since I couldn't race this weekend, this is a guest post from Jason Sprouse:
3/22/2009 Out Like A Lion RR, Salisbury NC
Because of family and work commitments, only Jacob, Chris E, and I were able to make the trip to Salisbury for the Out Like a Lion Road Race. The weather was looking good (no wind for once this year), and we headed out with plenty of time to spare....or so we thought. Between catching up, spacing out, and some faulty directions, we managed to get lost three times on the way down and arrived at the venue with only 30 minutes to spare. After taking care of the essentials, we got pinned and did a superb 8 minute warm up and got to the line. The conditions were nice with 60 degree temperature and little wind, and arm warmers and knee warmers were optional. Jacob and I were going to try to be active early, so after the neutral start, we made some hard moves that got shut down quickly. Probably because of the late arrival / no warmup, I was struggling after these efforts and was hanging on at the back early. The course was more challenging than expected with some good rollers, one steeper hill that could be powered over with a low cadence in the big ring, and a subsequent (and more challenging) longer grade after a hard right hand turn. This grade is what ended up shelling folks after a couple of the 9 laps. Chris E was active throughout the race, but nothing was getting away for a while. His new Industry 9 wheels served him well as he felt a noticeable difference in handling and acceleration with the new setup. A late break went with two to go and with one to go, I took off to attempt to make the bridge. One guy from Storm Endurance went with me, but got dropped on a hill and I ended up maintaining a 20 second gap on the lead group of 6 by myself for the last 6 miles. I ended up 7th, and our team goal of a top 10 finish was achieved. Chris E ended up doing well in the field sprint, and Jacob was happy with his performance as well. Most importantly, we managed to make it home with no miscues. As always, our I9 wheels performed admirably, the Treks are the best bikes we could have, and all of our sponsors' contributions are appreciated.
Jason
Thanks to all our sponsors: Industry 9, Trek, Hutchinson, Liberty Bicycles, Rudy Project, Honey Stinger, Dr. Miller, PML, Eco Concepts Realty, ABRC, Champion, Velosports, and Affordable Home Inspections. We couldn't do it without you!
You can check out their websites here: http://www.ashevilleelitecycling.com/officialsponsors.html
3/22/2009 Out Like A Lion RR, Salisbury NC
Because of family and work commitments, only Jacob, Chris E, and I were able to make the trip to Salisbury for the Out Like a Lion Road Race. The weather was looking good (no wind for once this year), and we headed out with plenty of time to spare....or so we thought. Between catching up, spacing out, and some faulty directions, we managed to get lost three times on the way down and arrived at the venue with only 30 minutes to spare. After taking care of the essentials, we got pinned and did a superb 8 minute warm up and got to the line. The conditions were nice with 60 degree temperature and little wind, and arm warmers and knee warmers were optional. Jacob and I were going to try to be active early, so after the neutral start, we made some hard moves that got shut down quickly. Probably because of the late arrival / no warmup, I was struggling after these efforts and was hanging on at the back early. The course was more challenging than expected with some good rollers, one steeper hill that could be powered over with a low cadence in the big ring, and a subsequent (and more challenging) longer grade after a hard right hand turn. This grade is what ended up shelling folks after a couple of the 9 laps. Chris E was active throughout the race, but nothing was getting away for a while. His new Industry 9 wheels served him well as he felt a noticeable difference in handling and acceleration with the new setup. A late break went with two to go and with one to go, I took off to attempt to make the bridge. One guy from Storm Endurance went with me, but got dropped on a hill and I ended up maintaining a 20 second gap on the lead group of 6 by myself for the last 6 miles. I ended up 7th, and our team goal of a top 10 finish was achieved. Chris E ended up doing well in the field sprint, and Jacob was happy with his performance as well. Most importantly, we managed to make it home with no miscues. As always, our I9 wheels performed admirably, the Treks are the best bikes we could have, and all of our sponsors' contributions are appreciated.
Jason
Thanks to all our sponsors: Industry 9, Trek, Hutchinson, Liberty Bicycles, Rudy Project, Honey Stinger, Dr. Miller, PML, Eco Concepts Realty, ABRC, Champion, Velosports, and Affordable Home Inspections. We couldn't do it without you!
You can check out their websites here: http://www.ashevilleelitecycling.com/officialsponsors.html
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Blocking, Rolling, and Fasting
Being on call every other weekend tends to suck a little bit, but I try to make the most out of it. It gives me an opportunity to get in some long rides around Asheville (with the cell phone on of course), spend time with Jess and Jackie, and hang out in Asheville. This weekend was a typical call weekend: 1 case, not a ton of riding, lots of time in the woods with Jackie, worked on the bikes, and updated training plans for my athletes. Unfortunately Jess is out of town - running the Shamrock 1/2 Marathon in VA Beach (go Jess!).
Since I can't race every weekend I tend to train in 'blocks'. I'll ride hard (or race) for 2-3 days and then rest for 2-3 days. During the 'on' days I'll typically do intervals in the AM on my e-motion rollers with my powermeter, although I'll also get out for a long ride or double session during the week if my schedule and weather allows. My 'off' days involve easy spins, walks with the dog, yoga, or a light strength and/or core workout. 7-10 hours is not the 20-30 hours I used to put in, but I'm in better all-around shape than I used to be and I'm still competitive, but more importantly I'm healthy (I haven't been sick in over a year)!
Since this weekend ended up being 2 'off' days, I decided to try something new - an IF or intermittent fast - not eating for 24 hours. Now 10 years ago I would have freaked out at the idea (although I did do a 3 day fast during grad school), but nowadays I place overall health at the pinnacle of my fitness priorities with results a (very) close second. So I decided to try something different. I ate dinner last night around 7 and I'm not eating until dinner tonight. I'm heading out for an easy hike with the dog and after some time at the spa (courtesy of a birthday present from Jess!) I'm going to go grocery shopping and then cook a bunch of stuff for dinner and meals this week. It will be an exercise in self-control, but I'm going to think of it as 'foreplay'. I figure that today gives my body a break from work, digestion, stress, and training. I'm already anxious to get back on the bike, and I'm looking forward to seeing how my body responds to a day without food.
Think you could do it? Read more about intermittent fasting here: www.marksdailyapple.com/fasting/
Since I can't race every weekend I tend to train in 'blocks'. I'll ride hard (or race) for 2-3 days and then rest for 2-3 days. During the 'on' days I'll typically do intervals in the AM on my e-motion rollers with my powermeter, although I'll also get out for a long ride or double session during the week if my schedule and weather allows. My 'off' days involve easy spins, walks with the dog, yoga, or a light strength and/or core workout. 7-10 hours is not the 20-30 hours I used to put in, but I'm in better all-around shape than I used to be and I'm still competitive, but more importantly I'm healthy (I haven't been sick in over a year)!
Since this weekend ended up being 2 'off' days, I decided to try something new - an IF or intermittent fast - not eating for 24 hours. Now 10 years ago I would have freaked out at the idea (although I did do a 3 day fast during grad school), but nowadays I place overall health at the pinnacle of my fitness priorities with results a (very) close second. So I decided to try something different. I ate dinner last night around 7 and I'm not eating until dinner tonight. I'm heading out for an easy hike with the dog and after some time at the spa (courtesy of a birthday present from Jess!) I'm going to go grocery shopping and then cook a bunch of stuff for dinner and meals this week. It will be an exercise in self-control, but I'm going to think of it as 'foreplay'. I figure that today gives my body a break from work, digestion, stress, and training. I'm already anxious to get back on the bike, and I'm looking forward to seeing how my body responds to a day without food.
Think you could do it? Read more about intermittent fasting here: www.marksdailyapple.com/fasting/
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Training Camp . . . or NOT
So this past weekend the plan was to go to my grandparents' farm (The Farm) and host some of my old teammates for a training camp. Well, as you can see from the picture, the weather didn't want to cooperate. Instead of 250 hilly miles on and around the Blue Ridge Parkway around Charlottesville, we got a 10 mile hike in and about 550miles of driving . . . After waking up to an inch of snow on the ground Friday morning, we decided to go with 'plan B' - a 10 mile hike to The Priest on the Appalachian Trail. Regarded as the 'hardest part of the AT' I earned the nickname of 'Riis' by the time we hit the top. A dozen middle aged cyclists were feeling the hurt, although the younger guys (and the guy without his shirt) didn't seem to mind! We had a great workout, and I cooked up a full tenderloin rubbed with coffee, cocoa, cayenne, and cumin that went nicely with a grilled veggie salad, baked potatoes, and homeade deserts from Mimi (my grandmother).
The next morning was even worse in my opinion. 35 degrees and rain greeted our second day of the camp. I decided that was my que to get in my warm, leather-coated, heated seat SUV and drive home. The others, being more brave (or less intelligent) went for a 4 hour ride. After the 5 hour drive I hit the rollers for 2 x 20 LT workout for the second day of 'Training Camp'.
The third day of camp greeted those remaining at The Farm with warmer weather - 40 degrees and rain so they headed to Front Royal to get in a few quality miles. I suited up for another workout on the trainer after taking about 3 hours to catch up on all the e-mails, bills, etc. that had piled up during my 48 hour hiatus from Asheville. Lucky for me, the weather cleared for a bit and I met my teammate, Jacob, for a sweet 3 hour ride up Elk Mountain Scenic Highway and then up to Mt. Mitchell. A solid hour and a half of climbing took the edge off of missing the training camp.
The weather doesn't always cooperate, but as I sit here sweating (from a hot bowl of my wife's homemade chili) and drinking a cold beer I think the weekend turned out just fine.
I hope everyone has a great week and enjoyed the weather! ;)
ABRT's version: http://abrtcycling.blogspot.com/2009/03/elite-team-training-camp.html
Sunday, March 8, 2009
3/7 & 3/8 RACE REPORT: GTS #5/6 - River Falls RR & BMW Performance Center
Another great weekend of solid racing and awesome weather! Saturday started the final weekend of "training" races in Greenville, SC. and the plan was for the team to be out in force for the first time this year. Unfortunately, an ill-timed stomach virus knocked Jason out the day of. My friend, John Delong, and I headed to Greenville in 75 degree, sunny weather and the team spun for about an hour before the race to warm up and discuss race tactics. We agreed to all be aggressive, stay in the front and take turns going with moves. Unfortunately, this proved to be tough on such a narrow course!
The course was like a shortened version of Fleche-Wallone with a steep finishing climb every lap. The bigger teams hit the front and it was 'balls-to-the-wall' every time up that climb! My 38mm I9 wheels were the perfect setup for the short steep hill and lots of in the pack riding other than the hill. Of course having the Trek built up at 14.5lbs total didn't hurt either! The field split up a couple of times, and I worked on riding smart and staying in the front group without expending too much energy. I ended up in a couple of brief moves but unfortunately wasn't strong enough to go with a counter-attack that stayed away for the rest of the race. Andrew rode strongly in the field all day, while Chris Emory was the usual power house and even towed me across a split before finishing strongly on the final climb. I started the climb in 5th, but too big a gear, and just didn't have the power at the point in the season to finish off what should've have been a perfect course for me. Chris Emory was 23rd, I was 24th, Andrew was right behind us, with Jacob using the race to fine-tune his Spring fitness.
See my race file here:
http://www.trainingpeaks.com/sw/TRDCUN5P3XRCGHE43D2XJZF43M
Sunday we headed to the BMW Performance Center in Spartanburg, SC for a short 1 hour + 2 lap race. John and I decided to meet one of his former teammates, Boy Johnson, in Traveler's Rest and ride down to the course to get in some extra miles before the race. It was nice to get in a solid warmup after the efforts yesterday. Legs felt OK and the team decided to watch moves, but be conservative. I made a personal commitment to get in an early move since I foresaw carnage like a couple of weeks ago (due to the wind). Again, I rode my 38mm I9 wheels, but can't wait to get the 68mm wheels for races like this!
Like yesterday, and 2 weeks ago, we missed the winning move, although we were all near the front of the race. I started following counter attacks and after 5 guys went up the road, as well as another 5 guys from Mountain Khakis (can you say 'team time trial'?). 4 of the 5 guys I was with got dropped, and one Lees Mcrae rider bridged across. I flicked my elbow and noticed that it was me in 'no mans land' - it was at this point that I almost shut it down and went back to the field . . . ALMOST. I thought, "what am I going to tell my teammates"? So I put my head down to the stem and drilled it 'til I caught the 6 guys in front of me. Then I watched as one by one the MK team shattered each other until it was just me, Lees Mcrae, Adam Myerson, and Spencer Beamer. We finally settled into a rhythm (after the requisite bickering) and lapped the field. Unfortunately the 5 had already gone through the field and we were fighting for 6th. The team did a tremendous job getting me to the front at the end, but The Blue Train was out manned by Mountain Khakis and I had a solid finish, but ended up 9th on the day. The great thing was we showed our quality with:
All 4 in the top 20! Not bad for a 'little' team of working dads (almost all) from Asheville!
1Jonathan Clarke Jelly Belly Pro CyclingAsheville, NC
2David Forkner Global BikeFranklin, NC
3Thaddeus Dulin Myogenesis p/b United Health CareGreenville, SC
4Sondre Thorbergsen Lees McraeBanner Elk, NC
5Nicholas Reistad Jelly Belly Cycling TeamATHENS, GA
6Adam Myerson DORCHESTER, MA
7Spencer Beamer Team Mountain KhakisKNOXVILLE, TN
8John Doyle Lees McraeMATTAWAN, MI
9Christopher Larsen INDUSTRY 9Asheville, NC
10Steven Gordon DLP RacingWarrenton, VA
11Andrew Olson DLP RacingBlacksburg, VA
12Patrick Weddell Global Bike p/b CatomaStatesboro, GA
13Benjamin Miller Standard Pacific HomesCharlotte, NC
14Joshua Whitmore Sylva, NC
15Bill Short Juice Plus Cycling/NC CyclingGREENVILLE, SC
16Chris Emory Arden, NC
17Scott Jackson Richmond Pro Cycling TeamBanner Elk, NC
18Gentry Arnette Johns Creek, GA
19Andrew Erskine Industry 9Asheville, NC
20Jacob McGahey Asheville, NC
Thanks to all our sponsors who helped us pull together this year: Industry 9, Trek, Hutchinson, Liberty Bicycles, Dr. Miller, PML, Eco Concepts Realty, ABRC, Champion, Velosports, Honey Stinger, Rudy Project, and Affordable Home Inspections. We couldn't do it without you!
You can check out their websites here: http://www.ashevilleelitecycling.com/officialsponsors.html
The course was like a shortened version of Fleche-Wallone with a steep finishing climb every lap. The bigger teams hit the front and it was 'balls-to-the-wall' every time up that climb! My 38mm I9 wheels were the perfect setup for the short steep hill and lots of in the pack riding other than the hill. Of course having the Trek built up at 14.5lbs total didn't hurt either! The field split up a couple of times, and I worked on riding smart and staying in the front group without expending too much energy. I ended up in a couple of brief moves but unfortunately wasn't strong enough to go with a counter-attack that stayed away for the rest of the race. Andrew rode strongly in the field all day, while Chris Emory was the usual power house and even towed me across a split before finishing strongly on the final climb. I started the climb in 5th, but too big a gear, and just didn't have the power at the point in the season to finish off what should've have been a perfect course for me. Chris Emory was 23rd, I was 24th, Andrew was right behind us, with Jacob using the race to fine-tune his Spring fitness.
See my race file here:
http://www.trainingpeaks.com/sw/TRDCUN5P3XRCGHE43D2XJZF43M
Sunday we headed to the BMW Performance Center in Spartanburg, SC for a short 1 hour + 2 lap race. John and I decided to meet one of his former teammates, Boy Johnson, in Traveler's Rest and ride down to the course to get in some extra miles before the race. It was nice to get in a solid warmup after the efforts yesterday. Legs felt OK and the team decided to watch moves, but be conservative. I made a personal commitment to get in an early move since I foresaw carnage like a couple of weeks ago (due to the wind). Again, I rode my 38mm I9 wheels, but can't wait to get the 68mm wheels for races like this!
Like yesterday, and 2 weeks ago, we missed the winning move, although we were all near the front of the race. I started following counter attacks and after 5 guys went up the road, as well as another 5 guys from Mountain Khakis (can you say 'team time trial'?). 4 of the 5 guys I was with got dropped, and one Lees Mcrae rider bridged across. I flicked my elbow and noticed that it was me in 'no mans land' - it was at this point that I almost shut it down and went back to the field . . . ALMOST. I thought, "what am I going to tell my teammates"? So I put my head down to the stem and drilled it 'til I caught the 6 guys in front of me. Then I watched as one by one the MK team shattered each other until it was just me, Lees Mcrae, Adam Myerson, and Spencer Beamer. We finally settled into a rhythm (after the requisite bickering) and lapped the field. Unfortunately the 5 had already gone through the field and we were fighting for 6th. The team did a tremendous job getting me to the front at the end, but The Blue Train was out manned by Mountain Khakis and I had a solid finish, but ended up 9th on the day. The great thing was we showed our quality with:
All 4 in the top 20! Not bad for a 'little' team of working dads (almost all) from Asheville!
1Jonathan Clarke Jelly Belly Pro CyclingAsheville, NC
2David Forkner Global BikeFranklin, NC
3Thaddeus Dulin Myogenesis p/b United Health CareGreenville, SC
4Sondre Thorbergsen Lees McraeBanner Elk, NC
5Nicholas Reistad Jelly Belly Cycling TeamATHENS, GA
6Adam Myerson DORCHESTER, MA
7Spencer Beamer Team Mountain KhakisKNOXVILLE, TN
8John Doyle Lees McraeMATTAWAN, MI
9Christopher Larsen INDUSTRY 9Asheville, NC
10Steven Gordon DLP RacingWarrenton, VA
11Andrew Olson DLP RacingBlacksburg, VA
12Patrick Weddell Global Bike p/b CatomaStatesboro, GA
13Benjamin Miller Standard Pacific HomesCharlotte, NC
14Joshua Whitmore Sylva, NC
15Bill Short Juice Plus Cycling/NC CyclingGREENVILLE, SC
16Chris Emory Arden, NC
17Scott Jackson Richmond Pro Cycling TeamBanner Elk, NC
18Gentry Arnette Johns Creek, GA
19Andrew Erskine Industry 9Asheville, NC
20Jacob McGahey Asheville, NC
Thanks to all our sponsors who helped us pull together this year: Industry 9, Trek, Hutchinson, Liberty Bicycles, Dr. Miller, PML, Eco Concepts Realty, ABRC, Champion, Velosports, Honey Stinger, Rudy Project, and Affordable Home Inspections. We couldn't do it without you!
You can check out their websites here: http://www.ashevilleelitecycling.com/officialsponsors.html
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Is it bad too eat carbs and ride a lot?
Find out what these guys think:
www.marksdailyapple.com/mark-sisson-interview-rivendell-reader/
www.marksdailyapple.com/mark-sisson-interview-rivendell-reader/
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
UNCA Race Weekend #2 - North Georgia
I am really ready for spring.
As many of you know, 5 of us traveled to North Georgia this weekend for our second road race.
Saturday went quite well even with some wrenched thrown into the schedule.
We arrived to find out that there was an individual time trial in addition to a team time trial.
It was 50 degrees and pouring rain and the A riders opted to use road bikes instead of Time Trial bikes because
we were not really comfortable on them. It ended up being the wrong choice, but Brendan Dillow, Travis Fender, and I still pulled out a 2nd Place finish to
Cumberland University.
The highlight of the day was Lee Meroney Winning the Men's C Time trial by 30 seconds.
Sunday was even nastier and it was 40 degrees and raining. After getting gapped and becoming borderline hypothermic and unable to feel our fingers,
Travis Fender and I abandoned the race.
'However, Lee Meroney and Drew Cistola road strong and Lee pulled off a 2nd place finish in the Men's Cs with Drew Finishing a strong 11th.
Hopefully this coming weekend at Clemson will be warm and sunny.
Come on spring, you can do it!
I will keep you posted.
Jed
As many of you know, 5 of us traveled to North Georgia this weekend for our second road race.
Saturday went quite well even with some wrenched thrown into the schedule.
We arrived to find out that there was an individual time trial in addition to a team time trial.
It was 50 degrees and pouring rain and the A riders opted to use road bikes instead of Time Trial bikes because
we were not really comfortable on them. It ended up being the wrong choice, but Brendan Dillow, Travis Fender, and I still pulled out a 2nd Place finish to
Cumberland University.
The highlight of the day was Lee Meroney Winning the Men's C Time trial by 30 seconds.
Sunday was even nastier and it was 40 degrees and raining. After getting gapped and becoming borderline hypothermic and unable to feel our fingers,
Travis Fender and I abandoned the race.
'However, Lee Meroney and Drew Cistola road strong and Lee pulled off a 2nd place finish in the Men's Cs with Drew Finishing a strong 11th.
Hopefully this coming weekend at Clemson will be warm and sunny.
Come on spring, you can do it!
I will keep you posted.
Jed
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