81 Days and Counting...

I received a comment from a good friend of mine, in response to yesterday's post.  He was asking me about Plan-B...what was I going to do if my bike didn't arrive in time for the race in September.  Well...I am hoping that implementing a Plan-B won't be necessary...I hope.

You see, I am still very happy that Ellsworth Handcrafted Bikes was gracious enough to offer me such a great deal (although I wish it was already here), and I certainly don't want any of you to get the feeling that I am dissatisfied with them in any way...I'm really not.  The bike that I specifically asked for, is brand new to their line-up, and there are only a handful of people who actually have them currently.

Ellsworth is internationally known as high quality, boutique bike builder.  Until recently, all of their bikes have been handcrafted right here in the good ol' US of A.  When they decided to enter the 'carbon game' however, they wanted to make sure they did it right...and not just right for the consumer...but right for the environment.  Ellsworth has always been committed to a greener manufacturing process, using both wind and solar collected power on their facilities, pumping plenty of energy back into the grid.  When it comes to the production of their carbon frames however, they decided to do something even bigger...they secured their own Rare Earth Carbon facility in China.  Carbon product manufacturing is bigger than ever these days, due to the ever increasing desire for lighter, stronger, higher-performance products for virtually every facet of our lives...many of which we don't even know about.  The process of manufacturing carbon products however, has its drawbacks...it's not the greatest process in terms of sustainability for our environment.  Ellsworth however, was committed to creating a better, safer manufacturing process. 

This is where China fits into the picture.  The process of producing sheets of carbon fiber is very labor intensive.  Additionally, the cost of building a carbon fiber plant is astronomical.  Ellsworth Bikes decided that they would rather not have to pass on those costs to their customers, therefore they partnered with an established carbon fiber production facility overseas.  Tony Ellsworth, the CEO, was pleased to learn that many carbon fiber production plants in China employ underwater sanding procedures, which prevents carbon fiber dust particles from becoming airborne, and ultimately harmful for workers.  Unfortunately however, it is also standard practice for this water to be pumped out of the facility without filtering the carbon fiber dust.  Ellsworth Bikes installed an elaborate filtration system on their plant, which returns the water to the condition it was in prior to the sanding process, thereby eliminating any health hazard...a very responsible, sustainable practice! Additionally, their Chinese plant also uses wind and solar power generation equipment...pretty cool!

So...I suppose I could be ticked off that it is taking so long for my bike to come in, or I could just look at it from a different perspective.  A perspective that enables me to see how environmentally responsible their company is being, and that they are ultimately trying to effect a change in the way manufacturing is performed...worldwide.

I know...you really want to know what Plan B is huh?  Well, here it is....

Yep, that's right.  If my new bike doesn't come in, I'll be riding my current bike.  An incredible Ellsworth Evolve, full suspension 29er Cross Country machine!  It's no slouch...this one I had to shell out full retail price for...no sponsorship...ouch!  It was well worth it however, due to the amount and type of riding that I do.  I'm a firm believer in the old adage You Get What You Pay For!

82 Days and Counting...

I know, I know...the frequency of my blog posting has decreased.  I was once a prolific writer, but now it seems as though I have slowed down.  To be honest with you, it is painful to write.  Yep...the elbow.  This thing hurts!  

I am amazed at just how bad something that I once thought of as a 'whiner's injury', could be so bad!  Maybe its the fact that I now am 47-years old (today) and my old age has caused me to become one of those 'whiners'...no way...this is real!  This condition affects the most mundane, simple tasks of daily life that we all take for granted...like typing, or shaking someone's hand, even brushing your teeth.  It sucks, to put it bluntly!

Oh my aching back, I mean elbow...both really

I visited my friendly orthopedic surgeon recently, to speak with him about some alternative treatment options.  The result...either stop training, or suck it up until after the race.  That's pretty much how it went down.  So what can I do?  I certainly wont elect to stop training...not when the race that I have been training for, and spent a great deal of time and money preparing for, is just around the corner.  So yes, I will continue to suck it up, but unfortunately the frequency of my blogging will surely continue to decline.

To make matters worse...I followed up on my bike today with Ellsworth Handcrafted bikes, and was told (yet again) that the frames are still enroute from their Rare Earth Carbon manufacturing plant in China...blah, blah, blah.  I was told that they are currently on a ship, headed for the United States, and that once they arrived, they would have to go through customs...blah, blah, blah.  This is the exact story I got the last time I called, and the same story I blogged about in Day 115...A Close Call.  If you remember, at that time, they told me it should be about three weeks.  I figured, since three weeks was fast approaching, I would call and see where we stood.

 So now we have come full circle...back to where my story started...at the point where I was being told, again, that my bike is "on the water".  That means that it still has not arrived at the Ellsworth plant.  This could mean that it is actually still on the slow boat from China, or that someone was trying to ship some illegal Chinese products in the crates of bike frames, and the whole shipment got caught up in customs.  Who knows.  Who knows if what they are telling me is the truth or not?  Certainly not me. I guess I just have to continue to be patient.

I think I see my bike on there!

87 Days and Counting...

I had a great trip to California over the weekend, and those of you who have been keeping track of my blog, know that I got to ride some pretty sweet trails in the Laguna Canyon.  I was planning on taking some video of my ride, but unfortunately I had some technical difficulty with my GoPRo camera, so I wasn't able to film it.  

It's amazing to me that I am inside of 90 days until race day!  I still haven't received my bike yet, but I am confident that I will have it in time to train on it, and get comfortable with it in time for the big race.  This week marks the start of my new cycle training program, which is designed to get me in the best possible shape for September 2nd.  

I am going to need to make some sacrifices over the next 2 1/2 months, as I will be getting up early...very early, to get some of my rides in.  You see, during the summer I begin training clients at 6am to beat the heat.  Riding in the heat of the day is not only brutal...it's just not smart.  It's so easy to get dehydrated riding in the heat, and once you get behind the eight ball, it's difficult to get back in front of it...so to speak.  Especially if I am supposed to ride again the next day...you can bet my performance will be lacking somewhat, thereby reducing the training benefit.  So...to prevent that from happening, I will need to ride very early in the morning before the sun comes up, or at night.  Either way, I'll be riding in the dark with lights...and I'm not a big fan of that.  Oh well, suck it up and do what it takes...right?

I had a good ride yesterday...short, but at race pace.  I rode 8.9 miles...all in the big ring, even the climbs.  It was hard, and I am really feeling it in my legs today!  A good workout indeed!  This morning I got up early and put in a good 45-min, high-intensity workout on the TRX Rip Trainer...man, that is one very cool new toy!  It's amazing just how much I feel it throughout my core musculature!

On a side note, I would like to congratulate two young men who I have had the pleasure of training over the years...Ryan Carpenter, who was drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays this week; and Mike Reynolds, who was drafted today by the Baltimore Orioles.  Congratulations go out to both of them for achieving a lifelong dream of becoming professional baseball players!

I love it when dreams come true!

90 Days and Counting...

Another great workout this morning.  I packed up the TRX, and it's new little brother...the TRX Rip Trainer.  Please check out the Rip Trainer...and if you are interested in purchasing one...please go to my website and purchase it from there.  (www.scisport.net) Click on TRX Training.  Thanks!

I took this equipment, along with a couple of elastic mini-bands to a park near where I am staying.  There is an outdoor basketball court where I decided to attach the TRX anchor strap...it was perfect.  I got in a 30-40 minute workout...and called it quits.  

If you are someone who travels, these tools are perfect for you.  They can be attached to a door frame inside your hotel room, or used outdoors the way I used them today.  

Sorry for the short post today...but I figured after yesterday's you all would appreciate some brevity :)

BTW...I just realized that I left my anchor strap on the basketball pole, so I need to get out of here and see if it is still there.

91 Days and Counting...

Today's workout involved a mountain bike ride...yep, that's right...I finally got back on my bike today!  Anyway...today's ride was great!  It was actually a real confidence booster.  My lackluster performance in Prescott left me wondering if I was in really bad shape, even after all of the training I have been doing.  

Today I rode in Laguna Canyon, where many pro riders train, due to the amount of climbing available, and the resulting training benefits.  Whenever I go ride a new area, I always get nervous.  Not nervous about crashing, but nervous that I don't have what it takes to make the ride.  I mean come on, I don't want to look stupid, or out of shape in front of anyone...you should all know that by now! 

This area is not entirely new to me...I have ridden here once before, but it was quite some time ago, and honestly I did not remember much about the trail system, in terms of difficulty.  So yes, I was nervous as I geared up at the trail head, and prepared to ride.  

The trail head is accessed by riding through a park,a park that is downhill from the parking area.  That means that you have to climb back out of the park when you are finished riding...and tired!  I had forgotten exactly which way to go, so I asked another rider who was getting ready to hit the trails also.  He seemed like a nice guy, and offered to lead me in.  Great.  More nervousness.  As we rode down into the park together, I took note of his bike...a very nice Specialized 29er.  So here I am, riding into the trail system with a guy that I am sure is in phenomenal shape (because he rides these trails all the time), getting more and more nervous as we near the entrance into the trails.  

As we are riding in, he recommends that I ride the Cholla trail, which will lead to the West Ridge Trail, which will then take me to the Top of the World.  Top of the World is the highest point on the canyon ridge, which overlooks Laguna, and the Pacific Ocean...a beautiful sight!  Anyway...he then tells me that he is going that way, and "we should just ride together".  Great...the nervousness is pretty much at it's peak now.  Oh well.  

As we enter the Cholla trail, my new riding buddy heads out first, in the little ring.  You are probably wondering what the heck that means, huh?  Let me explain.  Mountain bikes have many different gears...in fact, mine has 27 different gears.  Each specific gear is determined by combinations of the front chain rings, and the rear cassette.  More explanation needed huh?  The cassette is a grouping of cogs that is attached to the rear wheel.  Chain rings are cogs that are attached to the pedals.  The chain rings and cassette are attached via the chain.  As you pedal, the chain transmits force to the cassette, thereby causing the rear wheel to turn, and the bike to move forward.  Sooo....it is common for there to be three chain rings on mountain bikes.  One of the rings is large, and referred to as the 'big ring'.  The middle ring is smaller, and the little ring is even smaller.  When climbing steep terrain, the smaller the ring being used up front, and the larger cog on the cassette in the rear, creates a low gear, making it easier (and often possible) to climb.  Whew!

The Cholla trail takes riders from the bottom of the canyon up towards the ridge...so needless to say, it is a climb.  Not only is it a climb, it is a rude introduction to the climb, as there is virtually no warmup...its just straight into heavy duty, steep climbing.  So, as we are climbing Cholla, I notice that my riding partner is breathing very heavy...very quickly.  I also note that I am climbing in my middle ring...which means that I am working a little harder than him...yet not breathing too heavy, and actually having to ease up in order not to run in to his back wheel.  

We reach the top of the climb, and stop so that he can catch his breath.  I thank him for guiding me, and head out.  As I  reach the top of the next climb, I look back and see him still in the same spot that I left him.  This is what helped me regain some confidence.  I was glad to know that I could hang with the locals, and even ride away from one of them. 

Thanks for reading.

92 Days and Counting...

Today, I am sitting in front of the laptop of one of my favorite followers.  My wife is my favorite follower, so you know this individual ranks pretty darn high!  I must admit that today there was no workout.  Why you ask?  Silly you...it's because I am on vacation!

Alright...that's not  entirely true.  I do encourage everyone to continue exercising even when you are on vacation.  Remember...it's a lifestyle!  Vacation should not interrupt one's lifestyle, but simply serve as a rest and recovery period, removing daily stress...the bad kind anyway.

The main reason why I did not get in a workout today is because this morning I finished up a 48-hour shift at the fire station.  My shift ended at 8am, and by 9:30 I was on the road...heading west to California.  Tomorrow however, I  shall take on the world famous Laguna Canyon trail system!  I can tell you this...many calories will give their lives to support my efforts.

I  am planning on filming my ride tomorrow, so all of you can experience it with me.

Until then...

93 Days and Counting

Today marks the 3-month (and 3 days) countdown to race day.  It seems like a long time still, but I am sure it is going to fly by pretty quickly.  I still have a lot to do to prepare for the race.  I have not been on my bike since my race in Prescott, as I was trying to let my elbow heal...unsuccessfully, I might add.  But now, the clock is really ticking, and it is time to get back to the business of Getting Race Ready!

This weekend I will have the opportunity to ride some pretty well known trails in Laguna Canyon...which I am looking forward to.  When I return, I will be starting a new twelve-week cycle training plan, that should have me in the best riding shape possible (for me anyway), come September 2nd.

I need to be in tip top shape, as I have recently learned that my competition is bound to exceed my current level.  In fact, it seems as though I will be racing against people who are far, far better than me.  The races that I have entered so far, have been both age-bracketed and skill-bracketed.  I explained this in my post Foray at the Fort Part 2, but just in case you may have missed that one...I'll do it again. 

Mountain bike racing is divided into four main categories, beginning with Cat 3, then progressing to Cat 2, Cat 1, and Pro.  Within each 'Cat', riders are grouped into age-brackets.  I currently compete in the 40-49 age bracket of Category 3...the bottom of the barrel, so to speak.  In the World Police and Fire Games however, there will only be age brackets...no skill-bracketing.  This means that I could potentially be racing against pro level riders!  I know...it doesn't seem fair to me either.  Oh well, I wasn't necessarily training to win (I would like to take a top ten finish however)...but simply to do the best I could, and represent our department and our state at this event.  So...am I giving up already?  Have I let my poor performance at the Prescott Punisher take the fight out of me?  Absolutely not!  Which is why I will be starting my final training cycle on Monday the 6th. 

I will try to post my daily training routine so that you can see what these last three months will entail.  If you don't hear from me, please hit me up...keep me accountable...please!

As always...thanks for being faithful followers of my blog...only 93 days left!  Then what?  Stick around and find out...you might like it.