New Team For Me

Hopefully this turns out to be a good move for Andy H and I. Participation within the team is high and there will even be other folks in my category at the races. I also sent in my USCF upgrade request on Sunday. Holy crap Mike W. is on top of things. It was approved Sunday evening. So I am officially a Cat-2. Yeah, let the real fun begin. I honestly can't wait. I started training Sunday with a two hour trainer ride. No plan yet and it was really only one session so I'm not exactly in the full swing of things...

Training?

I don't need no stinking training. I've ridden my bike maybe 3 times since Gateway. Rode with Austin and some Dent Wizard juniors today. We put down a powerful 15.5 mph average for the ~55mile loop. Shattering records all along the way. It was a good time though. Very relaxing. When I get back from Las Vegas the planning for my 2007 season conquests will begin. So don't ask me about training plans, how many miles I'm doing, what team I am gonna ride for, have I upgraded yet, what will be my first win of the season... I am still resting and have no idea.

Sedalia

Wow, that place is far away. Great venue. More light would be nice, but not bad. I got 7th in the 3/4 race and 6th in the 1/2/3. Yeah, figure that one out. I can't move in a 3's race w/o being swarmed and the 1/2's could give half a crap about me. I didn't get to bed till just after 3am so my Sunday was totally shot. The season is almost over and all that is left to do is rest and see how Gateway Cup plays out. With the fields full all weekend long it's really gonna be a crap shoot.

Training After The Fact

My zone2 training was back on track as of last night. I'll be doing low to moderate intensity for the rest of the week to get my head back on straight. Then fire it up for two weeks to prep for the state RR weekend using the 'ole Hellbender as a dry run. Blaze into Columbia like rolling thunder and blow everyone's F'ing doors off. Just gotta get the band back together first.

Joe Martin and the Rest of My Season

So, I'm only gonna bitch about this one more time then it is over. Don't ask me about how I did or how hard was that race or anything. Pretend I was just a spectator. I'll talk to you about how impressed I was with some of the guys that were down there and a bit disappointed in the arrogance of others, but nothing about me.

Two weeks ago I had high hopes for this weekend. I was on top of the world, feeling strong, healthy and confident. I actually felt fast. Apple Pie went well if you exclude the last mile of the race and I was set to destroy the field on Sunday for Andy H at the Cougar Crit. That never happened. Instead I got sick from some bad pizza. I still love pizza a lot and that will never change, but the folks making better watch out. Cause if this crap happens again I'm not staying home puking and crap'n my brains out, I'm come'n up there for ya. So I loose about another 10 pounds on top of the 5 that I lost from racing earlier that day. No race for Rusty on Sunday. In fact I couldn't even muster up the strength to ride my bike till the Tuesday night crit. I felt weak. Sure I was in the break on Tuesday night, but I could barely turn the cranks to stay in. Training pretty much dropped off from there. I wasn't able to do adequate zone2 workouts let a lone the short high intensity sessions I had planned for race week. Things didn't change on race day. I still had no power for the road race and my stomach was in knots the whole time. I finished well inspite of the scoring which I refuse to even look at. The TT was more of the same. I got a pretty good start, and passed 2 guys. The whole time I couldn't get on top of my pedal stroke. I always felt like I was way behind. I even put in a slower time than last year. SUCK! Crit time. This is always a hard one. Just gotta make the selection to save a little face, getting dropped here would have surely meant the end of the season for me. Downward spiral of depression for sure. I managed to stay in the front group. I pretty much "cheated" up the hill every time by rolling to the front on the flats and small chainring up the hill, then hop onto the end of the train when it came by. No power. All systems were failing and I was barely surviving a weekend that was suppose to be a break through. That's it. No more. It's over. No questions. Nothing. The weekend is behind me and I'm moving on.

Weekend Recap - Tour of STL

Tour of St. Louis.

Saturday, Carondelet Park. Man, is there always a wreck in the last lap of this race? There aren't any f'ing corners. I didn't see it so I won't comment on what happened, but I will say something about what I saw on the cool down lap. Some jerk stores ripping the poor kid from Columbia a new a-hole about the wreck. Was it his fault? I don't know or care, but show a little respect especially when it looked like the kids dad was standing right there. Enough on that. The rest of my ranting will be about me and my racing deficiencies (see Sunday). So, back to the race. Small field, kinda cool and damp. I hate that kind of weather. My tires slide, I get zero traction when I sprint what ever. So, last lap going into the first bump before the finish I'm screaming at my lead out guy to go faster. He poops out and I am alone. All I remember is trying to sprint my ass off and my bike is sliding all over the place. I get maybe every other pedal stroke to connect. I start freaking out cause I think I'm gonna get caught, and guess what. I did. A Mesa fella came past a bit before the line and out of no where Nick Coil saves the day for the win. I got 3rd. No problem, I felt great. Can a guy get a little F'ING TRACTION? Is that too much to ask? Totally my fault. That was lesson number one learned from the weekend. Here is lesson number 2. So, during this race I keep hearing people yell at Andy in the pack and from the side and I'm thinking WTF? I am the only one that gets to yell at Andy. Come to find out there is more than one Andy in St. Louis and he rides for Mesa. So, Andy from Mesa if you ever hear me cussing your name in a race again, I'm not mad at you, just trying motivate a teammate.

Saturday, TT. I drove out there with Danny B. The wind was throwing us all of the road and the sky was getting bad. This TT is not for the faint of heart when it is dry and actually light out. I'm thinking the worst. Maybe me over the cliff kinda thing. It was slick out on the course with the leaves and oak or whatever that slippery crap was. I ended up with a pretty good time that stuck for the win by like 38 hundredths of a second over my teammate Nick Coil (5:57 something). He is now my bitch.

Sunday, Forest Park. I thought I had my head in the game. I had a good warm-up and felt great. Almost too good. That's the problem with flat courses. All the fatties were there and I got beat by at least half of them. You just can't drop fatties on a flat course. So, that's lesson number 3. Why can't I get it through my thick head. It is not worthwhile to try to drop fatties on a flat course. Race your race, attack in moderation, and cover breaks that look good. So, I got 12th. SUCK! But that's bike racing. Get your head in the game and keep it there. Don't be stupid. I still picked up second in the overall by like 1 point and Nick Coil got 1st in the overall. More racing next weekend.

That was for you Dave Brez. Now I gotta get to the Crit.

Dogwood

This is the first year I have done the Dogwood road race. I examined the topo and noted the climbs. I was fully aware of the amount of climbing to be done today. I even put my 25-12 cassette on. I thought I was pretty prepared. Lets just say you have to see it to believe it. This is the toughest course I have ever raced on. Without going into a play by play I'll just throw out some general observations in no particular order.

Fast, crap that was a fast start for a 100+ mile road race. Not having much experience racing in the "A" race since I'm a suck ass 3 take it how you want. The start was f'ing FAST.

Quite a few people were dropped before we summited the first climb which was HUGE!

I was feeling great, almost too good if ya know what I mean. At the start of the race I was one of the silly people up front chasing people. About 35 minute in Brewer asked me how I was feeling and I told him I wished we were 1:35 into the race. Not good since we had at least another 4 hours ahead of us.

These guys can climb. We're going up these dare I say hills big chain ring style. Some were steep enough to throw it in the 39, but when there was a surge you better be tough enough to get back in your 53 cause the group ain't wait'n.

One would think that the second lap would be more tame cause of the smaller group and ~55miles of climbing in your legs. Wrong. First climb second lap. DRILLED IT! The surges started again. I kept myself up near the front and was fine.

Man, these guys get more and more horse shit with each other the farther along the race progresses. By horse shit I don't mean poop in the road, or people being mean and calling each other names. This is a term I use for those times in the race when the attacks start, and people counter, and there is chasing and PAIN all with the intention of dropping people out the back! The anticipation of "horse shit" behavior is the worst. It is almost a guarantee that when there is a climb 1/2 to 3/4 of the way up someone will attack and then counter and then hammer at the crest.

All in all this is a great course and I will be back next year. I ended up finishing 8th. Yeah believe it, 8th in a 1/2/3 road race. I wasn't just sitting in, I continued to chase/attack for the duration of the ~110 miles. I learned so much from this race and have a new respect for the 1/2 field.

Sylvan Springs

Been pretty busy to even post training info if any even cares about it. I only post it to keep my plan honest and to motivate me to not miss any workouts. I now have new motivation. You better save this picture cause it's not gonna happen much this year.

Third in the 3/4 race isn't too bad especially for the first crit of the year. Definitely nothing to brag about. Andy H and I are getting a better feel for each other for the 2006 race season. He stepped up for the lead out when teams of about six didn't have the balls to. After a few more races to dial in our attack we should be a pretty tough combo. A 30minute plus 5 laps race doesn't mean SHIT!

The 1/2/3 race was a bit different. The hour of rest between the two races wasn't bad since the 3/4 was more of a warm and never put me in difficulty. I was aggressive and closed gaps, but when it was really gonna count I got a little intimidated by the field of riders. That was pretty dumb since I had a bunch left at the end and should have sucked it up and blew myself out for the finish. That won't happen again. I had fun though and finished 19th. Much better distance for me 60minutes plus 5 laps.

Let The POO Continue

I actually felt good this evening before my ride. I was ready for the short but hard efforts. I got on the trainer warmed up and fought through the first couple intervals. By the start of the fourth I could hardly turn the cranks. I shut down and did E2 for the rest of the time and went to bed. No sense in ruining the rest of the training week.

1:30 Zone2-5b
27.3 miles
A2 - 4-4-4 minute work intervals w/ 4 minutes rest (missed 2 intervals)
Trainer

I feel like POO

I got back yesterday before my hard M3 workout from a "business" trip to Chicago where I may have had a bit too much fun. Now I am tired.

2:30 Zone2
47.93 miles
Trainer

Week 17 Build1

I am now in the build stage of my 2006 training. Similar to Base3 with a few less hours and an extra day of intervals.


2:00 Zone2-5a
39.17 miles
M2 - 7-8-9-8-7 minute work intervals w/ 3 minutes rest
Trainer

Totals - Week of 02/20/06

Totals - Week of 02/20/06
Base3 7 hours
Training week #16

8:18
166.18 miles

It worked out that I had a rest week for Froze Toes. Can you believe people got dropped in the 1/2/3 field... Pretty easy to sit in and chill unlike what I had heard for previous years.

Totals - Week of 02/13/06

Totals - Week of 02/13/06
Base3 15 hours
Training week #15

15:15
286.72 miles

That week sucked. All hours done on the trainer due to weather and work. Nothing like busting out a few 3 hour and a 4 hour training rides in the basement....

Week 15

The longest scheduled hours of the season. It is Base3 with 15 hours.

M2 7-8-9-8-7 minutes w/ 3 minutes rest @ Zone4-5a

2:30 Zone2-5a
46.61 miles
Trainer

Totals - Week of 02/06/06

Totals - Week of 02/06/06
Base3 13.5 hours
Training week #14

14:14
250.27 miles

Cold in Illinois

We had snow, ice, cold, and strong winds. The long flat section by the river was a breeze compared to the conditions that layed ahead on the bluffs. It was an experience shared by Stover, Papa Pirtle, and myself. By the end of the ride our bikes were covered in ice, brakes frozen, and even a nice sheet of ice on our shoe covers. It was actually quite fun. Hopefully Stover will post some pics on his blog since he brought his camera along.

4:03 Zone2 ish
66.2 miles
Market Place to Maeystown with add-on climb

Babler

It was pretty chilly today. Babler park is a nice place to get some hill work in. There is a little of everything. Rollers, smooth down hills, and challenging climbs. The park is well protected from the wind which was nice. On the way back we ended up on Strecker/Valley Road to get to Clayton. Some yahoo in a white RX-8 traveling towards us lost control in a minor turn/downhill section right in front of us. Luckily he smashed into a tree on the embankment on our side of the road before his car could take us all out. Dumbass.


3:11 F2 - all zones on climbs
52.17 miles
Babler

Totals - Week of 01/30/06

Totals - Week of 01/30/06
Base3 11 hours
Training week #13

11:00
189.03 miles

Totals - Week of 01/23/06

Totals - Week of 01/23/06
Base2 7 hours
Training week #12

7:30
131.08 miles

Base2, Week 4

A week of R&R. Only gotta get in 7 hours this week. Hardest day will be testing on Saturday. Not sure if I could've gone any slower today without loosing complete interest in the ride.

1:00 Zone2
16.88 miles
Trainer

Totals - Week of 01/16/06

Totals - Week of 01/16/06
Base2 14 hours
Training week #11

14:30
259.6 miles

End of Base2

The hard part of Base2 is over for the season. All that remains is a well deserved rest week. Left in its wake are soar legs and a valuable lesson learned about mental toughness.

2:30 Zone2
45.98 miles
Trainer

Covered Bridge

Danny B., Carl Frederick, and myself, met up with Andy Hunsaker, Greg Giraurd, Chris Brewer, and Bruce G. for a go at the Covered Bridge ride. Good times were had by all. Carl worked a bit too much at the start and had to turn around almost half way through. Danny B. was quite playful until the real climbs started, but ended up finishing strong. He thought we left him in Antonia and he tried calling my cell phone as we watched him from the quick-mart. Pretty damn funny cause he didn't know where he was at or how to get home. Brewer put me in some difficulty on the first main climb and beat me to the top. He must be feeling better. The temperature was chilly and got colder as we rode. All and all a nice ride.

4:30 Zone-All
75.88 miles
Covered Bridge from Webster

Easy Day

7 x 1 minute spin-ups @ 5 minutes

1:00 Zone2
17.30 miles
Trainer

Another One Down

It was a little sloppy, but I got it done.

2:00 Zone2
35.96 miles
Trainer

Feel The Burn

Well, I don't have any blood gushing out of the holes in my head so I must be OK. Tonight was a long one. A nice way to rub in the pain from yesterday.

3:00 Zone2
55.73 miles
Trainer

Base2, Week 3

Second longest week of scheduled hours for the season at 14. It's gonna be a rough one.

1:30 M1 - 60 minutes of Zone 3 Average HR 172 bpm
28.75 miles
Trainer

Totals - Week of 01/09/06

Totals - Week of 01/09/06
Base2 12.5 hours
Training week #10

12:30
225.73 miles

Totals - Week of 01/02/06

Who knows what my totals were this week. Something like 4.5 hours. Training was going well until my bike commute to work on Friday. Bike commute? Yes, bike commute. I changed jobs in November to work closer to home, more predictable hours, and the ability to ride my bike to work. Well, the first commute didn't go well. I made it 2.5 miles into an 8.5 mile ride when I got smoked at a 4 way stop by some dude not paying attention. It was my turn to go through the intersection and about 3/4ths of the way through I heard the rev of the motor and the grill of a GMC Jimmy up in my face. Yeah, oh shit is what I thought. No where to go, nothing I could. Bang. I get hit and thrown off my bike and back into the intersection. I've never been hit that hard by anything before and we weren't going more than 10-15 MPH. Got to spend the morning at the hospital. Long story short I am still alive, my Lemond Tete De Course is busted as well as some miscellaneous bike equipment. SUCK ASS!

Base2, Week 1

Base2 is build up of Base1. The ride time gets increased plus a Muscular-Endurance workout is added. I am feeling great right now. No signs of over training yet and I am eager to start my next workout.

I went to the Trek Store STL to look at bikes today at lunch and picked out a 2005 Trek Madone 5.2SL. Brewer and his staff were able to get me fitted after work and the bike was 99% finished by the end of the evening. Exact setup as my Lemond Tete De Course. That is a quick turn around. The new bike, even with Ultegra, is ~1 pound lighter then the Tete. I am planning to pick it up tomorrow after work. It would have been done last night, but I needed the next size larger handlebar. Luckily in stock and ready to go. Pictures tomorrow hopefully.

Today's training was great. Short and sweet.

1:00 M1 - 35 minutes of Zone 3 Average HR 170 bpm
19.2 miles
Trainer

Totals - Week of 12/26/05

Totals - Week of 12/26/05
Base1 7.0 hours
Training week #8

07:40
136.9 miles

A little over time for the rest week, but feeling good.

Funny Math...

Never mind. Not gonna. At any rate, it was nice to see some folks out today that actually wanted to train.

2:40 Zone2
46.25 miles
Rock Creek Area