Racing in my Front Yard!

Raced the Ute Valley Pro XCT Mountain Bike Race Saturday and it was a certainly a shock to the system. I think it’s the first bike race under four hours I’ve done in years. Needless to say it was a sprint right out of the blocks and I was dangling toward the back with my lungs ripped out and legs screaming right from the beginning. The course being practically in my front yard; I know it like the back of my hand. I just haven’t rode at that intensity in years. I’m used to the long stuff! By the second lap I was finally able to adjust to the tempo and get into a rhythm, but the damage was done, I was definitely out of the hunt for top spot in the 50+ age group. I started catching people and focusing on staying relaxed while going fast, especially on the short power climbs. By the third lap I was feeling stronger and reeling in more when I flatted. I had no tools because I thought the race was so short that any mechanical would end the day. It was close to the end of the lap so I rode it flat to the ROTOR tent and re-inflated the tire. It seemed to be holding and off I went. I caught about four more riders in the first half of the fourth and final lap and then another flat. I had nothing to fix it (silly me I left my tools back at the ROTOR tent) so I rode the last half of the lap very slowly and carefully with a flat. Everyone I passed over the last two laps passed me back and I ended up dead last. It was still a lot of fun and just under 1 ½ hours of pure anaerobic hammering; a great workout and an intensity I rarely experience any more.  Just wish I hadn’t forgotten my heart rate monitor, I’d be interested to see how the ol ticker did. Great seeing all my old racing buddies again!

Steve heading up our Mountain

Come dad you're holding us up!

Throughout the day the dogs stopped to take in the view too

To completed the LeadMan sandwich, on Sunday Steve Bremner, Max & Chewy the dogs, and I took a nice 29+ mile jaunt on Pike’s Peak. We got a nice early start at 5:30 am and ran/hiked Barr Trail to the top. We took a different route down, starting with the cog railroad then to an old wagon trail that eventually led to a series of reservoirs.

Following an Old Wagon Trail

The reservoirs were a good thing as it was warming quite a bit the lower we went and the dogs definitely needed water at every opportunity. Both Steve and I eventually ran out of water having to drink from the creeks. At one point we made a right when we should have made a left and ended up in Albequrque. No wait that was bugs bunny.  We ended up at McNichols Reservoir behind Mt. Baldy. We were way off course and had to backtrack until we eventually found the trail leading back to Barr Trail. We came out at no name creek in sweltering heat and had another three miles to the bottom and the next source of water for the dogs. We kept a good pace and the poor dogs were dragging quite a bit. I was super worried for them as it was in the  vicinity of 95 degrees. We had not planned on being out this long but there was nothing we could do now but try  and get them to water as soon as possible. We eventually made it to the bottom where they both headed into the creek and practically laid down in the water. Just a quarter mile more and we were at Steve’s house and finished a truly epic run. Max was pretty shot the rest of the day but he's looking like he may be fully recovered now on Wednesday. As a matter in fact he was very disappointed when I didn’t take him running this morning. I think I’ll give him a couple more days.

Chewy & Max Cooling Off

This week's Training Log

Mon: Core Strength, crunches, reverse crunches, back bends, and trunk rotations

Tues AM: Worked on downhill running this morning. My greatest weakness. Went to Ute Park and ran tempo of various rocky hills then ran as fast as I could down them, focusing on looking ahead and relaxing. Did the NW Corner, the Ridge behind the school, and the no bikes section from the valley. Felt good the whole run. Definitely need to work on downhill trail running at least once a week. 9:37/mile pace. 1.3 hrs, 8 miles
Tues PM: Tues ProCycling shop ride. Felt extremely good today, very reminicent of my old self. 22:18 up Cheyenne Canyon which is about 1 1/2 min faster than last week and I didn't feel like I was pushing it that hard. Felt super strong op Gold Camp also but didn't clock it. HR going up Cheyenne Canyon 149/156. 10:17  up Orion with HR 141/153. HR for entire ride 119/157. 4441 ft of climbing. 2.2 hrs, 30 miles
Wed AM: Tempo Run with Max. Easy pace  to Woodman/Santa Fe Trail head then tempo from Trail Head to AFA South Gate: 1.6 miles in 12:19 @ 7:37/mile, easy past Ice Lake then tempo on AFA hill climb: 0.8 miles in 8:12 @ 9:55/mile. Ran relaxed but fast down hill then third tempo from AFA south gate to Woodman Trail head: 1.6 miles in 11:57 @ 7:24/mile. Easy run back home. Overall pace 8:35/mile Felt really good this morning, running with a big smile! 1.4 hrs, 10.1 miles
Wed PM: Easy ride home from work on mountain bike. Took Santa Fe Trail then an easy loop around Hank's Open Space. Felt pretty tired. HR 102/130. 0.8 hrs, 9.3 miles
Thur AM: Rode over to Ute Park and did a lap of the race course before riding to work. It's kind of flagged so I think I got it right. Felt good riding the course, but felt a little tired riding to work. HR 108/141 1.3 hrs, 14 miles
Thur PM: Worked on my bike to get it ready for race Saturday.
Fri AM: Very easy recovery run with Max - Hank's Loop. Felt kind of stiff and sore at the beginning but limbered up after a mile or so. 9:36/mile, 0.5 hrs, 3.1 miles.
Sat AM: Ute Valley Pro Tour MTB Race. Big shocker - very fast start and I was close to the back right from the start. Too bad I didn't have my HR monitor. Really suffered 1st lap (even though did a 6 mile warm-up including a lap of the course. Felt better on the 2nd lap and started catching people. Flatted on the third lap, stopped at the pit and filled the tire. Unfortunately it was a sidewall tear with a slow leak and went flat again about 1/2 through the 4th lap. Had no CO2 so had to ride last half of lap with a flat. Everyone I passed earlier passed me. Kelly got me right at the finish and I got dead last in the 50+.  1hr: 21 min time.  30 min warm-up, 3 mile cool down after. Total 2.3 hrs 26 miles
Sun AM: Run to top of Pikes Peak then down tracks to Windy Point. Cross Country to old toll road but made wrong turn and ended up at McRenolds Reservoir.  Back tracked and eventuall got back to Barr Trail near No Name Creek. Bar Trail down. 95% when finished, very rough on the dogs Max and Chewey.  8.9 Hours, 29.3 miles