Heroes and Generosity: Tour Divide Race

 About 2 ½ years ago I had the good fortune to participate in an amazing project called Burning River for Ben. Ben O’Daniel was diagnosed with Lymphoblastic Leukemia type B and in his third year of chemo, we put together a team to raise money to help families that were having to deal with childhood cancer. The plan was for me to run the 100 mile Burning River 100 race and Ben, even though still going through chemo, would run the last mile with me through the finish line. Ben trained all summer and instead of one mile he ran the last five miles to the finish! It was incredible, and in the end, we raised over $10,000 to help families with costs such as parking, meal tickets, lodging, and other needs not covered by insurance. This was Ben's idea by the way. The generosity and outpouring of support was incredible.

Ben (on my left) and Friends - Finish Line Burning River 100

During this experience I had the privilege to meet some of the staff that dedicate their lives to caring for these kids. I was humbled. The doctors, nurses, and volunteers are so dedicated and will do anything for these kids. Their whole mission is to save these kids lives and make their ordeal as pleasant as humanly possible. Unfortunately, they are not always successful and it is truly devastating. But they drive on. These people are true life heroes.

Ben, by the way, is doing awesome these days, attending Kent State University as a math major.

Dr. Horde and Ben
His dedication and the dedication of his staff is truly humbling

That brings us to Tour Divide and Children’s National. The Tour Divide Race is going to be an incredible adventure. I’m quite sure it will be the most challenging undertaking I’ve ever attempted. However, as with Burning River I would like to use this adventure to help a positive cause.  I’ve partnered with my employer to use this race to raise money for the Children’s National program which will help families going through childhood cancer and cardiac birth defects. The program is supported 100% through donations. My employer, Plus3 ITSystems, will generously contribute a matching donation for the first $2,500. We have set up a donation page and the ball is rolling. I was blown away, when within 48 hours after posting on Face Book, over $1,000 was donated. But we’ve just begun. And any donation will be matched and will help so many kids and families. Thank-you so much.

 

Good Morning Colorado Sprngs!

As far as training goes, this past week has been a recovery, or I like to call it “recharge” week. I essentially cut my training down to about half and slept in till 5:00 or so to recover from the previous three-week build-up. This week, the three-week cycle starts all over. Although training was reduced, there were still some highlights:

·     

Battling the Wind

• After a morning run in 4 degrees Fahrenheit, I got to work and there was no hot water. The shower was much more challenging than the run!
• It was incredibly windy this week. Sunday’s ride was 5+ hours of battling side winds than forced me to put my foot down several times to keep from being blown over. Head winds that had me pedaling forever and going nowhere. And of course, tail winds that were effortless. Through it all I just told myself “this is good training, there will be entire days like this on the Divide”. 
• The highlight of the week however, was when I stopped to piss, dropped my glove, and peed all over it.

I think all this kind of stuff is good prep for the Divide. Anything can and will happen, except hopefully, peeing on gloves.

Thanks for reading & thanks for your support of Children’sNational

-larry

Donations can be made here

Wow What a Week! Tour Divide

I don’t think training for Tour Divide could be going better at this point! My training plan, which is pretty standard in endurance training, is to progress intensity and quantity over three weeks, recover and recharge for a week, then start the cycle all over again at a higher level. I know I’m on track when I’m still strong and enthusiastic going into the third week but also looking forward to the recovery week.

 

Some of the "Boys" out for a good ol fashion hammer fest

It seems during this 3-week phase I had the perfect mix of high intensity, recovery, and endurance. Hit some of the highest power numbers in a couple years and got in some great 8+ hour rides. It’s a mix of fun and work. Getting out with the boys (ranging from mid 40s – 60) each Saturday, we hammer each other like we are still in High School. These rides remind me so much of my high school track and cross-country days. I’m SO thankful that I can still go out and play, just like back in high school. 

Saturday Morning Run/Hike with Max the Dog

Red Rocks on Saturday

This was the third week of the latest cycle. It was brutal but extremely rewarding. Core strength training Monday, long 2 ½ - 3-hour morning commutes Tuesday and Thursday, High Intensity Intervals Wed morning, evening commutes, recovery day Friday, Runs with Max, 4.5  hours Saturday (including 2-hour hammer fest with the boys), then 11 hours Sunday with almost 9,000 feet of climbing. This ride also included hooking up with Kevin Cahn and Tom Turney after six hours in the saddle. For 2 ½ hours I hung on for dear life following them through fast technical single track in Ute Valley and steep climbs in Red Rocks Canyon. For 2 ½ hours they chewed me up then spit me out, and then went home, leaving me with another 2+ hours to ride.

Sunday - Good Morning Colorado Springs!

Looking at Pikes Peak from 9,500 Feet 

Back Down in Town at 6,400 feet

Needless to say, I was a hurtin puppy those last two hours. My butt hurt (I’m still wearing in the new saddle), my feet hurt, and my wrist hurt. The wind picked up and I struggled. But guess what, this is just a small taste of what the Tour Divide is going to be like every day. I couldn’t help but be thankful that I was suffering those last couple hours. Great training!

There’s also lessons to be learned here. One; I need to come up with a better handlebar setup. Need more than just one position for my wrists all day. Possibly bar ends or aero bars or both. Two; hammering for 2+ hours in the middle of a 11-hour ride may be good for training, but it is definitely not something I want to do during the Tour Divide. I need to find my 3,000-mile intensity and stay consistent. That will come as we get closer to the race. The nearer the race the more race specific the training.

 

Kevin and Tom Came to Chew me up and Spit me Out

For now, I’m really looking forward to “Recovery and Recharge” week.

Happy Trails!

-larry

Week Summary

Monday:

PM - Core Strength Training

Tuesday:

AM – Run with Max the Dog 2.5 miles, trainer + morning commute 3 hrs (with flat) 52 miles

PM – Evening commute 40 minutes 7.3 miles

Wednesday:

AM – High Intensity Intervals (14 x 1 min uphill sprints) warm-up, cool down 1.2 hrs, 12.4 miles, morning commute 39 minutes, 7.2 miles

PM – Evening commute 41 minutes, 7.2 miles

Thursday:

AM – Morning Commute 3.2 hrs, 36 miles, 2,500 feet climbing

PM- Evening Commute 42 minutes, 7.4 miles

Friday:

AM – Recovery/Recharge high cadence spinning on trainer 1 hr, 17 miles

Saturday:

AM – Hike/Run with Max the Dog, 6.1 miles. Hard, fast, high intensity mountain bike ride 4.6 hrs, 35 miles, 4,800 feet climbing

Sunday:

All Day -  MTB Ride – 11:03 total time 9:37 moving time, 93 miles, 8,700 feet climbing

Total:

30 hrs, 274 miles, 19,849 feet climbing

How Bad You Want It? Tour Divide Race

David Goggins, as far as I know, is the only human to successfully become a Navy Seal, an Army Ranger, and an Air Force Para Rescue. On top of all that he has completed almost all of the toughest ultra-endurance events on the planet. He’s a bad ass; period. I’ve heard him talk, and the question he puts out to anyone who says they would like to do this or that is “How bad do you want it? What are you willing to do to accomplish it?”

8 Hours, 140 Miles, and a Very Sore Butt

I just finished out the week with an eight-hour ride in the basement on a stationary trainer. After about four hours I had to ask myself “How bad do I want this? What am I willing to do to finish the Tour Divide?” One of my goals for The Divide is to ride at least 15 hours a day until completion of the race. To get to that level, my plan is to increase my long rides each weekend until I can do back to back 15+ hour rides. Last Sunday I rode seven hours in freezing fog where the temperature dipped below 20 degrees F. This Sunday, an 8-hour ride was in the plan. A snow storm and single digit temperatures made riding 8 hours outdoors next to impossible (unless you're Jill Homer). How bad do I want this? Answer: At 5:30 am I was in the basement on my bike for 8 hours of suffering. It was tough, but in reality, I loved it!

Early Morning Rides in Garden of the Gods

How bad do I want it? For several months now, I’ve been getting up early, sometimes as early as 3:45, for interval workouts, long rides, strength training, or whatever it takes, before going to work. The funny thing is the more I do it the more I appreciate it. I find myself riding through The Garden of the Gods at 4:30 in the morning filled with gratitude. Grateful that I want this bad enough to get up and put in the work. Grateful that my wife supports me on these adventures. Grateful to work for a company that supports me on this project. And lastly, that at my age, I am still healthy enough to pursue such a quest. Yes, it's sometimes tough getting up so early, but once I'm on the bike I feel nothing but gratitude.

 

Looking Down On Colorado Springs after Early Morning Climb

When I did the Leadman in 2009, the first six months of that year I was working a project which required me to work 72 hours a week; 12 hours a day, six days a week. I wanted not just to finish Leadman but to win it. How bad? 3:30 AM runs, quick hard lunch time rides, and all day rides and runs on my one day off. 

I guess the lesson here is, if you have a goal, no matter how big or small, it comes down to you. How bad do you want it and what are you willing to do to accomplish it?

Happy Trails

-larry

Week in Review

Mon AM: Jog/Hike with Max the Dog.    

PM: Core Strength Training

Tues AM: Morning Commute 2hrs 31min/51 miles 

PM: Evening Commute 42 min/7.4 miles

Wed AM: Hill Repeats 1hr 5 min/13.4 miles 

PM: Evening Commute 40 min/7.4 miles

Thur AM: Morning Commute 2hrs 43min/30.6 miles 

PM: Evening Commute 42min/7.4 miles

Fri AM: Morning Commute 38min/7.1 miles

Sat AM: Hike with Max the Dog (6 miles) then High Intensity Intervals 2hrs 22min/45 miles

Sun AM: Endurance Ride on Trainer 8hrs 5min/140 miles

Total: 19hrs 22min/308.7 miles