11 Days...

I had a good ride on my older bike today...the one with full suspension.  It's funny how you can get used to something so quickly, that you didn't think you would get used to at all!  I'm talking about my race bike.  If you remember, I had commented that my race bike felt completely different than my other bike, and I wasn't sure I liked it...or if I would get used to it.  Well, the jury is out, and I actually think I like the way my race bike handles in comparison to the other.  Yep, that's right, I think I now prefer the race bike!  "What's the difference?" you ask.  The frame geometry (the angles of each specific tube in relation to the other tubes that make up the frame) is different.  The two main differences are the head tube angle and the length of the chain-stays.

The what?  What the heck is a head tube...and a chain-stay?  Today you get (for free) a little bicycle education...whether you want it or not!  I guess you could always just 'x-out' of my blog if you don't want to read it...but why not take a moment to learn something new?

The head tube is the part of the bike where the front fork fits into (at the bottom of the head tube) and the handlebar stem sits (at the top of the head tube).  The head tube angle refers to the angle of that particular piece of the frame, compared to an imaginary line that runs perpendicular to the ground.  The steeper the angle (closer to vertical) the more responsive the steering will be.  The slacker the angle (less vertical) the less responsive the steering will be.  My bike has a steep head tube angle, which provides for quick, very responsive steering as compared to my full suspension, non-racing bike.  At first I didn't like it...it felt very twitchy, but now I feel that I just might prefer it. 

The chain-stays are the horizontal frame components that, when combined with the seat-stays, make up what is known as the rear-triangle of the bike.  The rear wheel attaches to the point at which the chain-stays and the seat-stays intersect.  Typically, the shorter the chain-stay, the better the bike will climb, and the longer the chain-stay, the better the bike will handle on steep descents.  My full suspension bike has longer chain-stays than my race bike, which means it is less efficient at climbing (I have to work harder!) than the race bike. 

I haven't ridden my full suspension bike for a few weeks now, as I have been getting used to the race bike.  Today when I rode, the difference was really obvious!  I have always heard people talking about how they could feel the difference from one bike to another...how it handled, or how it climbed, etc.  To be honest with you, I always thought they were full of...well, let's just call it bull.  But now, I have to admit that I was wrong...there absolutely is a noticeable difference when it comes to frame geometry.  Hmm...you learn something new everyday.

The reason I rode my older bike today is because my race bike is all packed up, and ready for New York!  I wanted to get it packed ahead of time because I knew it was going to be a bit of a chore to pack it up securely, the first time.  Some of you may remember that I wasn't sure just how this bike was going to fit into the case.  You see, the case is actually made for a road bike, not a mountain bike with 29" wheels.  The owner of the company that makes the cases, wasn't sure just how well it would work either.  In fact, he asked if I would mind taking some pictures of the packing process so that he could use them in the literature for the cases.  I decided to pack it up a few days ago, just in case I ran into some trouble, and needed to swap it out for another type of case.  After a about an hour, I had it packed up...snug as a bug in a rug!  Here are a few pictures of the process:

How in the world is that bike going to fit in there?

First...off come the wheels...

Gotta protect that carbon frame!

Amazing...it all fits!

All closed up and ready to fly!

A great place for all of those stickers I have lying around!

12 Days...

Happy Day of Rest everyone (to quote my good friend Scott)!  As I have said before, things are really starting to come together now, so I wanted to share all of this with each of you.  Yesterday I received the uniforms that many of you helped us purchase.  Thank you to all of you who were able to help us with that...mucho appreciado!  

The artwork for the jerseys that I showed in my "16 Days..." post was not for the uniforms that you all helped us buy...those were for the cycling jerseys that Paul and I purchased...just wanted to clear that up in case there was any confusion.  The uniforms that we were able to purchase with your support, were for all five of the team members.  We were able to order some polo shirts and sweats for all five team members.  Check out the pictures below!

Our stylin' athletic sweats

Our team polo shirts

That's a cool logo...who made that?

I am really happy with these 'uniforms'...they will certainly make us look like a team when we represent the Sun City Fire Department, the state of Arizona, and the United States during the Games.  Once again, thank you to all who were able to help us out!

Another huge thank you to Nancy and Jim "Goose" Gosewisch of GNG Design Enterprises, who really helped us out by absorbing a great deal of the cost of producing the sweats.  Without their support we would not have these!  Not only did they absorb costs, they rushed these to us in a matter of days!  Please support them by visiting their website...they have years of experience in screen printing design and production, embroidery, tackle-twill, team uniforms, etc.  Check out there website here.

13 Days...

Alright everyone, we are officially inside of two weeks!  I got some more information on the race course today...not sure whether it is good or bad, but it is what it is!

The course is only 3.3 miles long, so I am assuming we will turn three laps total...roughly ten miles.  Here's the bad news...the elevation gain for each 3.3 mile lap is 755 feet!  That's actually a fair amount of climbing over a short distance.  If I am correct, and we turn three total laps, I will perform a total of 2300 feet of climbing throughout the ten mile race.  That's alot of climbing for a guy who doesn't like to climb!

Topo-map and course profile for the race course (yellow trail)

caption

I also found out some information about what the day will entail.  It appears that I will be able to pre-ride the course on August 31st, which doesn't really jive with my tapering plan, as I am supposed to rest the day before...meaning, no exercise!  On race day I need to check in sometime between 10:00-11:00 am, then I must attend a mandatory racers meeting from 11:30-11:45 am.  I am assuming that during this meeting I will be provided with details of the race, such as just how many laps we will be completing; any trail-dangers, rules, etc.  Racing is set to commence at Noon, and is scheduled to be finished by 3:00 pm.  I have a feeling that my start time will be somewhere between 1:00-2:00 pm.  The awards ceremony is set to kick off at 4:00 pm.

Then, for me, it's off to pack up my bike for our return trip to Phoenix, grab some dinner and wine (of course), then shut it down so we can be up and ready for an early morning flight back home. 

15 days...

Today was my last ride on the race bike until I pre-ride the race course two days before my race.  I rode early this morning, putting my race tires to the test, and to my surprise, they worked out very well.  I was really concerned about how well they would hook up and bite, due to the very low profile of the knobs...I've always been one of those 'bigger is better' thinkers when it comes to tires..."the beefier the better" I always say.  Interestingly enough though, I have to say that these 'minimalist' tires really did the job.  I'm taking two beefy tires with me just in case though!

I came upon another snake this morning...in fact, it was another red racer!  I haven't seen one of these in years, and now I've seen two inside of a week's time...pretty cool!  This little guy (actually he was quite big as you can see in the picture below) was just sprawled out across the trail, taking in a little sun light, regulating his body temperature.  Then, along comes man...destined to disrupt this snake's time in the sun!  Man notices snake, and man decides that snake must be played with.  Man dismounts bike, pulls iPhone out of pack, and takes picture of snake.  Snake does not move.  Man decides snake must like man, and that snake must want to play too.  Man puts phone away, and walks behind snake.  Snake still.  Man reaches down to grab snake's tail.  Snake makes lighting-fast 180-degree turn at man, and charges man.  Man may have screamed like little girl.  Snake races away, heading into small hole under brush.  Man gets on bike and rides away hoping no one heard him shriek like little girl, at non-venomous snake.

A wolf in sheep's clothing!

After I was nearly attacked by the snake, the rest of my ride went without incident!  It was just a nice easy ride in heart rate zone 2 (there are 5 HR training zones that I use...zone 2 is moderately low intensity) with a couple short bursts up into zone 4.  All in all it was a relatively relaxing ride that totaled about 7 miles, which I completed in 33-minutes.

Thanks for reading!

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!