16 Days...

Not much going on today...I'll just be getting in a good strength workout as soon as I am finished typing this up.  Yesterday, I went through my race bike, getting it cleaned up and putting new racing tires on. I will most likely ride it once...maybe twice more before packing it up for the big trip.  The racing tires are not for everyday use...they are very light, and nowhere near as beefy as the tires I usually run on my bike.  I have heard that the tires I normally run are a little overkill for the terrain in New Jersey, so I figured I could shed a little weight by using the racing tires that Ellsworth Bikes sent me.  

My Beefy everyday tires...

As you can see in the pictures below, the knobs on the race tires are much smaller and and not as tall as those on my normal tires.  I am a little concerned about this, so I will definitely need to get at least one ride in with these new tires, so that I can see how they handle.  If I don't like them, I'll swap them back out and just go with the overkill!  I really don't want to crash!

...and my 'not so beefy' race tires

I can't remember whether or not I shared with all of you the deal I received on my bike transport case.  Tri-All 3 Sports is a small company out of San Clemente, California.  They make, hands-down, the best bike transport cases, and are used by a great number of professional cyclists, triathletes, etc.  Their cases are not cheap however, but I was fortunate enough to get a partial sponsorship from the company owner Bill Langford, who was sympathetic to my needs.  He offered to sell our team cases for wholesale cost...which by the way, is a savings of over $300 per case!  I was the only one who took him up on his offer, so in turn I promised to take pictures of the packing process, and even do a short You-tube video for him that he could place on his website.  Thanks Bill and Tri All 3 Sports!

Bike luggage! Thanks Tri All 3 Sports!

How is that bike going to fit in there?

Well, I think that is all for today...oh wait...one more thing.  I received the final art revisions yesterday for the custom jersey I am having made (actually two jerseys...one for me, and one for Paul...the other mountain bike racer on our team) for or race.  I'll explain what everything on the jersey represents...On the front is my bike sponsor Ellsworth (they got top billing for their huge support!)  On the left sleeve is the Sun City Fire Department Maltese, and on the right sleeve I have placed a 9-11 Memorial logo in honor of those who perished during the attacks on the World Trade Center.  The side panels of the jersey display the logos of Athletes' Performance (who gave both money and nutritional product and services) and TRX (who generously donated a TRX Suspension Training system to each member of the team, for training).  On the back of the jersey, I have placed the words KEEP BACK 500 FEET, which is often seen on the back of fire trucks...I thought it was fitting.  Finally, on the water bottle pockets that are on the back of the jersey, I have placed a saying familiar to firefighters, honoring the 343 firefighters killed on 9-11...Never Forget 343.

My race Jersey...that I'll wear in New Jersey...

17 Days...

It's been a few days since I last checked in and blogged.  Since my last post, I have begun to slowly taper my training down, which means that the intensity and volume of my riding has now begun to slowly decrease.  I will continue this progressive taper for the next two weeks, as I begin to actively rest my body before my race.  At this point, I am in as good of shape as a I can be.  Could I be in better shape?  Absolutely.  But I am pretty happy with both my weight and fitness level at this time.  I am holding steady at 185 pounds, and my body fat is somewhere in the 11% area.  This means that I have not leaned out as much as I had hoped, but that's ok...I still have nearly two weeks to lean out a little bit more.

All along my plan has been to finish this race, then take a nice deserved break.  Those plans have changed a little now...you see...I have committed to riding as part of a 4-man team for the 24-Hours of Fury race in November.  I swore I would never do another 24-hour race...only 12-hours, but I was sort of talked into doing this one by my buddy Mike.  I'm in really good riding shape right now, so I figure a couple more months of training wont kill me, and it will allow me to complete the 24-hour challenge without killing me like it has in the past.  So you all might have to put up with this blog for a little longer than you had expected.  My training will change somewhat, as I will have to gear up to turn 10-mile loops, once every three hours...for 24 hours.  If all goes right, I will successfully complete a total of six ten-mile loops over the course of 24 hours.  It really doesn't seem that bad...60-miles...but on a mountain bike, its a lot of riding.  Especially on the course where we will be competing.  It's pretty rocky, and there is a good deal of climbing...and you all know just how much I love love to climb!

Anyway...I had a good ride this morning, cranking out about 13 miles all in all.  Nothing to intense, just enough for the beginning of my taper down phase.  Between now and September 1, I will actually begin to focus more on strength training, rather than riding.  I don't think I will ride more than twice per week...just enough to stay technically solid on the bike.

Time is ticking away very quickly...don't touch that dial...keep it tuned right here for up to date info!

Thanks for reading!

BTW...my friend Scott's travel blog was expected to hit 10,000 page views today!  Very impressive!  If you haven't taken the time to check it out yet, you are missing some great stuff.  Click here to be taken directly to his blog.

21 Days...

I had my third ride in three days today...and it was a big one for sure!  Today I did some climbing training at Deem Hills...yep, that's right...the same place I crashed hard on July 4th.  I have been avoiding that ride since crashing there, so I figured I had better face my fears, get back in the saddle, adapt and overcome!

My challenge is right in front of me

I really have been dreading this ride for some time...to put it bluntly, I was scared of it.  I knew yesterday that today I would be heading out to do this ride, and to be honest with you, I didn't sleep well last night.  I had at least two dreams about my crash...neither of them turning out very well...worse than the real deal.  When I got up this morning I came very close to changing my mind, and just staying home.  After a little mental battle with myself, I decided that I needed to get this ride completed...it was something that I absolutely needed to overcome.  When I left, I didn't share my fear with my wife, as I didn't want to worry her.  I did tell her where I was going, but I was not sure if she realized that was where I had crashed.

I love this veiw...but there's nowhere to go but down!

The lead-in to my crash...I jumped over this rise, then crashed.

Fear is something that I am not used to.  I don't say that to brag, or to make myself sound tough, or even fearless.  What I am saying is that I am not afraid of too many things....it's just not an emotion that presents itself too often in my life.  It may have something to do with my profession...or my profession may be the result of relative fearlessness.  Don't get me wrong here...I'm not saying that I am not afraid of anything, because I am.  The things that scare me are those things that I have no control over.  For example...you will probably never see me bungee-jump or sky-dive.  I was a rock climber for many years, so I learned early on that you must trust in your equipment.  When I climbed or participated in rope rescue, I used my equipment...not someone else's.  In this manner, I had some degree of control over the situation.  Bungee-jumping however, is performed using an elastic cord (made up of numerous bundles of smaller elastic cords) that has been subjected to an unknown number of shock-loads.  I have no idea what kind of shape the equipment is in, as it gets used over and over by different people, none of which weigh exactly the same, which in turn imparts repetitive stress on the cords.  I have no control over this situation...understand?  My profession is dangerous...there's no question about it.  I am not scared of the inherent dangers of the job however, due to the fact that our actions are based on a number of calculated risks, and continuous training.  So...while the act of firefighting may seem somewhat chaotic, it is conducted in a relatively controlled manner, thereby increasing the overall safety (and effectiveness) of the operation. 

This is the rock I hit...you can see a little scuff on the point.

This morning's ride however, did not seem to be the kind of controlled chaos that I am used to.  The crash left a mark on me...an emotional mark...and I couldn't help but feel that what happened was uncontrollable.  So for me, today's ride was similar to bungee-jumping.  While I had checked, double-checked, and even triple-checked my bike prior to the ride, there was still a great sense within me that I was entering into an uncontrollable environment.  Needless to say, I began my ride with an elevated heart rate, as my brain struggled to focus on the task at hand...climbing.  It was difficult not to think about what lay ahead...after the difficult climb. 

After climbing for what seemed like an eternity (about twenty minutes actually) I was at the top, overlooking the valley...what a beautiful view!  After stopping to enjoy the scenery, down a few gulps of water, and letting my heart rate return to normal, I was ready to begin my descent off of the mountain.  Once again my mind raced as I worked to think about what I needed to do, rather what I had done before...crash.  As I slowly began to creep forward, I realized that my heart rate had not come down much.  A quick glance at my heart rate monitor confirmed that I was pretty wound up...my heart rate was sitting at about 155!  My normal resting heart rate is somewhere between 48-52.  Slow deep breaths, in and out.  I took it easy this time down the mountain...no hot-dogging.  I elected to keep both wheels in contact with the terrain at all times today...I was not going to take any chances which would effectively decrease my level of control any lower than I already perceived it to be!

This pic shows the climb to the right, and the descent to left.

I decided to stop and take some pictures on the way down, of the area where I had crashed.  This would allow me to rest...you see, my heart rate was now around 160, and I was simply coasting down the trail!  I got some great pictures of the crash site, and eventually continued on with my ride, feeling good that I had overcome my fear, and finally put that crash behind me!

22 days...

OK!  Our team is 1/5 of the way to reaching our uniform goal...thanks to a generous donation!  

Today I had an early morning ride with my friend Mike...you know, the F16 Pilot who got me into this sport in the first place.  It's been some time since I have had the pleasure of riding with him, so this morning's ride was great.  Mike was actually battling a sinus infection, but soldiered on and made the ride...personally, I would have stayed in bed, but that's Mike.

We rode our typical trail, which is located not too far from where we live...it's nice to have great riding so close to home!  We rode and talked just like we always do, and before I knew it, our ride was finished.  Most of my riding is done alone these days due to the fact that I am training, rather than simply riding for pleasure.  I miss riding with others, but I especially miss riding with Mike.  Even though I am a pretty good rider, I almost always learn something from Mike when we ride...and today was no exception.  Today, Mike showed me a new line to take through a particular dry-wash section, that always causes my suspension to bottom out.  This morning however, I followed his line through the wash, and came out clean...no bottoming out...so thanks Mike!

Time is ticking away, and my training will be coming to an end here pretty quickly...for the most part anyway.  Soon I will have to start tapering (reducing the intensity and volume of my riding) so that I am primed and fully recovered before my race.  In upcoming posts, I will talk a little about carb-loading, and how to do it right.  No...gorging on pasta the night before isn't considered carb-loading!  

The real term for carb-loading is Carbohydrate Super-compensation, and utilizes a six day protocol, which involves periods of glycogen depletion and repletion.  Follow along and see how it works!

A Call for Help

Those of you who have been following this blog since the beginning may remember that the team I am part of, The Sun City Fire Olympic Team, had established a goal to raise $2000 of support per team member, to offset some of the costs associated with preparing for, and getting our team to New York to compete.  We had planned on much of this support to come from generous corporate donations.  Our goals however, did not come to fruition...understandably so during these crazy economic times.

I was blessed to have secured a few sponsors, one of whom generously donated cash and nutritional services (thank you Athletes' Performance!), and others who graciously provided product (thank you Ellsworth Handcrafted Bikes, TRX Fitness Products, and Athletes' Performance).  On behalf of our team, I thank you for your generous contributions to our team!

Much of the money that we were able to raise, has gone towards offsetting both airfare and lodging costs associated with representing the Sun City Fire Department, the great state of Arizona, and the USA in these 2011 Games.  This is where I now must humbly as for your help.

Our team, while finely tuned and ready for competition, does not look like a team...we do not have any uniforms!  Myself and Paul, the two mountain bike competitors, have ordered custom cycling jerseys, but as a team, we have nothing.  We would like to order a set of sweats for each member of our team however, at this point (after spending a great deal of money), it is somewhat cost prohibitive.  Below is an example of what we are looking for...

The cost to outfit each of our athletes is roughly $100.  We have five team members, so our need is $500 total.  If you would like to donate to our uniform fund through either a personal or business/corporate gift, please email me at metzger@suncityfireolympics.com.  Our team would be grateful for any donation you could make.

Thank you in advance for your generous support!

23 Days...

Wow...it seems like just yesterday there were 24 days left...like I said, time is moving fast! :)  I had a great ride this morning on my race bike.   I feel like I am really starting to get the hang of this new bike, and I have found that it is so much more maneuverable than my full suspension bike.  I suppose that is due to the race oriented frame geometry, and to some degree, the weight (or lack thereof) of the bike.  It just seems really easy to throw around underneath me.  

Just a couple of days ago, I was talking about the possibility of selling the frame after my race, and using that money to buy another Ellsworth full suspension frame, building it up with all of the new parts from this bike.  My reason for considering this alternative is due to my dislike for the way this bike handles on rocky terrain.  After today's ride however, which just so happened to be on some pretty rough stuff, I am not s sure that I want to sell it.  We'll see after some more time in the saddle.  Today felt really good...and fast!

I had two relatively scary moments today though...although none of them had anything to do with my bike.  First, a Red Racer snake darted out right in front of me...which startled me for a moment, as I was traveling pretty quickly, weaving in and out of some precariously placed Cholla cacti. As quickly as I became startled, my mind was set at ease as I recognized the beautiful pinkish-red coloring of the non-venomous snake.  The Red-Racer is also known as a Coachwhip Snake, and is indigenous to many of the southwestern states.  They have been called the fastest snakes alive, hence the name Red Racer.  This snake was big...close to five feet long!  It quickly crossed the trail in front of me, then paralleled the trail for about ten feet, slithering along right next to me, allowing me to get a feel for just how fast and long he was.  As soon as he saw an escape route, he was gone in the blink of an eye.

The non-venomous Red Racer Snake

The next startling experience came about one mile later, as I approached what many riders call Shooter's Bluff.  This is an area where people come out to fire off a few rounds of their favorite ammo.  It's actually a great place to shoot, as it does not cross any trails, and targets can be placed up against a soft bluff area that has been gouged out of the earth by occasional flooding.  It is common to hear the rounds being fired off from quite some distance, thereby warning those who may be approaching, that there is some shooting taking place, and to be cautious.  This time however, I did not hear any shooting until I was in very close proximity...which is why it was a little unnerving when I heard the first rounds.  These weren't just any ol' rounds though...it was clear that these were automatic weapons, and there were at least two of them being fired.  It was extremely loud, and I could not see just where the shooters were.  So needless to say, I found some extra energy to hammer the pedals, and get the heck out of there quickly!

Well...I made it back to the car without getting shot or bit by a snake!  The ride was great, and like I said, I am starting to feel much more comfortable on my new bike, as I begin to understand the subtle differences in the way it feels and handles compared to my other bike.  

Thanks for reading!

24 Days...

Time is ticking by faster than ever!  Only 24 days left until my race...which means that I only have 20 training days left...I better get working huh?  The Games are starting to take shape...what I mean by that is many of the unknowns are becoming known. 

I now know that I must register in person at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City prior to my event.  I registered for the Games, and payed my fees (not cheap by the way...everything is expensive in New York!) quite some time ago, but in an attempt to keep the legitimacy of the Games intact, each athlete must register in person, showing proper ID from their fire service or law enforcement organization.

 

This will be my badge...

...and this is Donna's...with pics of course.

 Once proper identification has been shown, athletes and registered guests will receive their official credentials, which must be displayed at all times.  The picture below shows what the blank badges look like.  I tried to download a copy of the badge with picture and athlete number on it, but then realized that for the same reason we must show ID, our badges cannot be printed out prior to the Games.  Just in case you are interested...the athlete's (or guest's) ID number will appear inside the 'tear marks', a head shot appears in the head shot area, and the Flag of origin is displayed next to the ID picture.  I will be proud to display (and represent) the United States!  I believe I am only one of three US athletes in my age bracket...and the only one from our great state of Arizona!  I'll do my best to represent!

The Jacob Javits Convention Center

I also found out that there are currently twenty-seven competitors in my event...that's larger than any race I have competed in yet.  The WPFG organization has set up a Facebook-esque website that allows competitors and guests to connect with one another, and even track the athletes' results.  As I was perusing the site, I was checking out my competition...and I must say that it looks pretty stiff!  Many of my fellow mountain bike competitors are also competing in a number of additional cycling events...which tells me that they are pretty hardcore cyclists.  So it appears that my quest for finishing in the top ten will be quite challenging.  Bring it on!

What I still don't know are the specifics of the race course.  Very little information has been released regarding the cross country mountain bike course.  I do know that it is scheduled to take place at the Diablo Freeride Park in Vernon, New Jersey.  The Diablo Freeride Park is internationally known as one of the best downhill and freeride parks in the World.  Their website however, makes no mention of any cross country trails, which leads me to believe that they may be cutting a trail just for the Games.  This is what has been released:

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS:
Cross Country: is approximately a 6 miles loop course with single track and old fire road of
varying terrain with small rock sections, possible water crossings and significant elevation
changes with climbing sections of 500 to 600 feet per lap. The duration of the event is about 1.5
hours.

The typical length of this style of race is 10-12 miles therefore, I am assuming we will be making two loops to complete the race.  I am also assuming that we might be climbing up some of the world famous downhill sections...ugh!

Gotta go train!