The Roder-Blog

Creepy Easter Bunnies

2011-04-15T12:37:00.012-06:00

While doing some harmless interweb surfing today, I came across a notable creepy photo of an innocent child with the Easter Bunny. No doubt many families have similar photos in their albums. I'm not sure what it is about Easter Bunnies (or bunny costumes in general) that gives them such great creep-o potential, but they've sure got it. Mom and Dad: I don't think I had bunny nightmares (before writing this anyway) so was probably not subjected to this kind of terrorisation. However, if you have dodgy bunny photos, please send them to me and I'll post them. I mean, LOOK at this thing! Did someone actually buy/make that costume and say to themselves "the kids are gonna LOVE this!"? Anyway, it was this image that sent me on a Google Image search for more creepy Easter photos. The criteria are:

Actual Easter Bunnies (not intentionally creepy bunny costumes)

Not photoshopped

Preferably featuring a terrified child

Here's what was uncovered in cyberspace. I have no rights to any of these images. Please don't sue me (I mean, YOU posted them on the internet, people).

This search has made me reconsider ever taking my own child to see the Easter Bunny. Santa, maybe. But then again...

Burgertime

2011-04-15T12:35:00.002-06:00

Yes, that's Burgertime. Contain yourself.

Qix

2011-04-13T16:01:00.003-06:00

Anyone who had a C64 will hopefully remember this. Consider this the first in a long line of time-wasting arcade throwbacks that I plan to post here.

I found this game at www.shockinglyfun.com.

Bike Build Timelapse

2011-03-28T13:39:00.008-06:00

Put this video together while building my new mountain bike the other day. More on the build kit, etc. to come. For now, here's the video:

It was made with a Nikon D300 set to shoot every 10 seconds. It took about 980 frames total that I then put together and added the soundtrack. The music is the track 'Double Pump' by Girl Talk. It was a great track with a nice steady beat, so really easy to set the frame rate on the images to match the tempo of the track. Not a bad first effort, IMHO. More to come, I'm sure.

2010 Music Recap

2011-01-27T07:19:00.007-07:00

So, according to my iTunes play count, these were my favourite albums of 2010. I’ve gone the extra mile and divided these into 1) albums released in 2010; 2) albums not released in 2010 but albums that I (re)discovered in 2010; and 3) songs that creeped into my high play count…somehow. Probably happened when I loaned my iTunes library to someone totally lame.

Albums released in 2010 (in no particular order):

1) Penny Sparkle by Blonde Redhead

A surprise addition to the list, thanks to an absolutely fantastic live show that BR put on in Seattle. We happened to land there the same day they were playing. Catch ‘em live if you can. The album doesn’t do it justice, but is still excellent.

Worth the price of admission: “Oslo”

2) The Suburbs by The Arcade Fire

It took me a while to warm up to Funeral, but once I did, I was deeply into it. Same goes here. A couple immediately catchy tunes, but the goods required some deeper listening for me.

Worth the price of admission: “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)”

3) Plastic Beach by Gorillaz

I will paraphrase Demitri: as soon as Snoop comes on, you know you have a winner. Probably the best front-to-back Gorillaz album yet, with a featured artist list to make you drool.

Worth the price of admission: “Stylo” (feat. Mos Def and Bobby Womack)

4) The Deepest Dive by Tomothy Carroll

Go buy this album. Not because it’s awesome (which it is), but because Timothy Carroll is such a nice guy. While you’re at it, buy For Bread and Circuses too.

Worth the price of admission: supporting a fantastic artist.

5) Running on Air by Bliss N Eso

Following up Flying Colours is a tall order, but I think B&E succeeded…mostly. Time will tell if I keep returning to this album the way I did with FC. This is Aussie hip hop at it’s best.

Worth the price of admission: the between-track discussion of HGTTG.

6) The Rain Water EP by Citizen Cope

Deeply underrated and underappreciated, IMHO, Citizen Cope offers up another soulful and addictive album. The only diss: it’s way too short.

Worth the price of admission: “Healing Hands”

7) All Day by Girl Talk

This one just snuck in uder the 2010 wire. Another solid offering, though not as catchy as Night Ripper, I don’t think.

Worth the price of admission: picking out the ODB samples.

8) God Willing and the Creek Don’t Rise by Ray Lamontagne and the Pariah Dogs

With a voice like Ray’s, it’s hard to do wrong. But then again, Darius Rucker managed it, I suppose.

Worth the price of admission: the title track, on a summer cabin veranda somewhere.

9) Nice, Nice, Very Nice by Dan Mangan

Bridget’s best contribution of 2010, no doubt.

Worth the price of admission: listening to “Road Regrets” the next time you hit the highway.

10) So Runs The World Away by Josh Ritter

I have nothing to say except “go buy this album.”

Worth the price of admission: pick one.

11) Are You My Mother by Katherine Calder

This EP by the long-time New Pornographers member was one of Bridget’s contributions this year. While my first listen was underwhelming, I find myself constantly heading back to it and getting better with each listen.

Worth the price of admission: “Arrow” (best played loud)

12) xx by The xx

I was hooked into this debut album in the first 30 seconds. Hopefully this is the first of many solid offerings from the (offensively) young British trio. Seriously, are these guys even old enough to really know what a VCR is?

Worth the price of admission: being able to talk about “the ex ex”, which makes you sound super cool.

13) Ivory Tower by Chilly Gonzales

Like the xx, I found this late in the year, courtesy of Andrea and Demitri. Better than the album itself are the videos. While his conservatism about public support for the arts makes me squirm, I can’t fault the music one bit. The awkward but strangely catchy rap reminded me of hearing The Streets for the first time. At times it seems obscure for the sake of being obscure, but maybe I just don’t get “the art” of it all.

Worth the price of admission: stealing the album, just to give Chilly the middle finger about art having to survive on its own in a market economy.

A few more albums that I acquired late in the year that show promise to make next year’s list:

Here are a few albums that would have made the list for sure if I hadn’t picked them up so late in the year and if the xx and Josh Ritter hadn’t monopolised my iTunes.

1) Koonyum Sun by Xavier Rudd (2010)

2) Champ by Tokyo Police Club (2010)

3) Flood by Jeremy Fisher (2010)

4) Business Casual by Chromeo (2010)

5) Belle and Sebastian Write About Love by Belle and Sebastian (2010)

6) Together by The New Pornographers (2010)

7) Night Train by Keane (2010)

Albums that I (re)discovered in 2010:

1) Another Late Night by Kid Loco (2002)

2) Dog Problems by The Format (2006)

3) Genetic World by Telepopmusik (2001)

4) A Book Like This by Angus and Julia Stone (2007)

Songs that somehow made it into my frequently-played list of 2010:

1) “Family Affair” by Mary J Blige

2) “Dancing With Myself” by Billy Idol

3) “Youth Gone Wild” by Skid Row (This one I can blame on leading spin class…honest.)

4) "No Diggity" by Blackstreet (Surprised? Me neither.)

5) "Omaha" by Counting Crows (The greatest song by one of the greatest bands ever. No shame here.)

6) “Empire State of Mind (Broken Down)” by Alicia Keys (I have a crush on AK. Again, no shame.)

Some notables from 2008/2009 that didn’t get their due credit because I couldn’t be bothered to write a year-in-review last year:

This year, I can’t be bothered to write anything about them again, except that they’re all worth the ten bucks to buy on iTunes (and more than worth the ten minutes to illegally download).

1) Kings and Queens by Jamie.T

2) Sigh No More by Mumford and Sons

3) In Ghost Colours by Cut Copy

4) Fixin’ to Thrill by Dragonette

5) Fantasies by Metric

6) It’s Not Me, It’s You by Lily Allen

7) The Open Door EP by Death Cab For Cutie

8) Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix by Phoenix

9) Troubadour by K’Naan

11) State of the Art by Hilltop Hoods

Agree? Disagree? Did I miss something? Let me know.

New HR Max??

2010-07-24T13:49:00.005-06:00

Okay, I'd love to hear people's input on this one..

Went for a run today. First run since the Half Ironman 3 weekends ago. Since that race, I've been mountain biking a lot at high-intensity. There were 2 big mountain bike races on the last 2 weekends. Since last weekend, I've been resting and relaxing (a couple mid-effort hour-long bikes, but keeping the HR under 155bpm as I felt tired).

My HR max prior to today was about 176 bpm. I haven't seen it above this in a few years (and I pretty much always train with my HR monitor on). My max for the mountain bike races on the last two weekends was about 171 bpm (peak in a 2 hour race). My usual running/cycling threshold is about 168bpm for a 1hr run/2hr bike.

Today, however, something different. I maxed out on my run at 182bpm. I haven't seen my HR this high in probably 5 years. So what's going on? I would say that this is an outlier on my HR monitor. However, it's the same monitor I've been using. I had good HR connection for the whole workout. And it wasn't a short one-off reading. The graph clearly shows a clean incline up to 182bpm (Garmin Forerunner 305, recording every second). If the elevation/pace looks jumpy, I was in the trees, so GPS may not have been great, but HR is independent of that.

So what's the deal here? Is this a new max indicative of some superior fitness that I've achieved this year? Or, is this a product of a few weeks of peak races and a week of rest and recovery? Or...what?

I suppose the next workout will be telling...

The Big Run, Calgary - May 1, 2010

2010-05-03T23:28:00.009-06:00

I don't really have much to say about this one. My race went something like this:

We showed up. It was chilly and early.
Some guy yelled go. I started running way too fast.
Settled into a pace just over 4min/km after the first km. Feels too fast.
See leader coming back shortly before 10km turnaround. Come around the corner and see the turnaround a long way away. Realize that I'm not "shortly" before anything.
Turn around at 10km. Hmmm...headwind and uphill now. Apparently I'm not the world's greatest runner, as I had thought for the first downhill tailwind 10km.
Start to head really uphill at km 12. Doesn't feel so good.
Big uphill at km 15. Feeling okay. Can see the two dudes in front of me now. They look like they're cracking a bit.
Pass two dudes at km 19. They definitely cracked a bit. Suckas.
1 km to go: lots of time to get in under 90min. Once again, I'm the greatest runner ever.
~500m to go: realize that I forgot about the "bonus" 100m on the half-marathon. Start to panic about the time. Speed up a bit. Feel the puke coming on. Once again, I'm no longer the greatest runner ever.
Slide through the finish line happily in under 90min.
Water. Coffee. Family & friends. No puke. All good.

That's pretty much it. I don't know much about Bridget's, Shari's, Mom's, Richard's, or my brother's race, except that they all seemed pretty happy with their day. That's all that matters.

The Fiera team has posted a quick write-up here with a fun photo from the run. All I can offer for the moment is this image of my heart rate (red), the course profile (blue), calculated power (brown), and my pace (green).

Spring Series Road Race: April 25th, 2010

2010-04-25T19:50:00.004-06:00

Sorry that's it's been a whie without a post. I had fully intended to post some stuff while we were in Japan. But seriously, who has the time?

Anyway, here's a race report from the Spring Series Road Race this weekend. Just an informal fun race, but good times!

Spring Series Road Race: April 25th, 2010

There was a lot of red and a lot of blue on the start line. I think ERTC and Juventus made up about two thirds of the field. Trouble for us handful of Lone Wolves. If there was ever any question about Hardcore and Fiera working together, it was settled quickly. We needed each other.

This one was a bit spicy from the start. I think it took all of about 4 minutes before the first ERTC attack. Though it didn't last long, it was followed immediately by ERTC attack (hereafter ERT'ack) #2. Tracy and the Juventus group did an admirable job of keeping the ERT'acks in check for most of the first few laps (when ERTC wasn't chasing down their own guys anyway). ;)

On the fourth of six laps (on about the 8th ERT'ack), a Juventus rider managed to get away also, prompting a collective slow-down from the remaining two thirds of the ERTC-Juve peloton. Suddenly our day got a lot harder.

Jan had been getting away with a few of the ERT'acks and Pat had been honourably helping to pull in the few others. They showed great form (in Pat's first road race ever!) and were doing a fair bit of work early on, but I was hoping they still had some fuel. With two and half laps to go, a widening 30 second gap to the break, and ERTC-Juve soft pedaling at the front, I knew we had to get moving.

With only a few 1200W pedal-strokes, Joe was up the outside and leading the group, me safely on his wheel, Pat and Jan close behind. The pack responded nicely and held us without drama, but the pace was set. Joe pulled his share and slid aside as I moved to the front. Getting away from the group wasn't happening, but the pace was up and we were bridging quickly. My legs started to falter, so I looked over my shoulder expecting to see Jan, Joe, or Pat: nothing but a sea of red and blue. Shit.

Well, I was committed now, so I finished the bridge to the break in about a half-lap and promptly sat up to find my lungs and quietly throw up in my mouth. And wouldn't you know it, the next ERT'ack left without a seconds hesitation. Good on you guys. But screw you all the same.

It didn't take long for the ERT'ack to get a good gap on what was left of the peloton. Jan was still in the thick of it, but I didn't see Joe or Pat. Two ERTCs were away alone for the better part of the next lap, and the peloton seemed to be faltering. We weren't going to catch them. So, with just over a lap to go, I decided (at the very least) that I would make this last ERT'ack work for it. I took off on my own and (with a bit of help from Travis, I found out later), I got away and began bridging myself.

It only took a mile of cross-wind or so to halve the gap to the break, but turning with the tailwind changed that. I made a little ground but not much more until we again turned with the cross-wind. I managed to finish the bridge just before we turned into the headwind (lucky for me, as I never could have caught them into the wind). Surprisingly, the ERTC duo seemed happy to have me sit on a wheel and recover for a few minutes before we started pulling back through the wind towards the finish.

Approaching the last corner (the pack long behind and only a mile to go), we got the 'Stop' sign from the marshall (we were yielding to traffic on this day). The three of us coasted into the corner just slow enough for traffic to clear. I figured I was toast if I let these two get out in front of me, so I used the sprint-from-stop the best I could to get away. I put my head down and went. I could hear the humming of carbon wheels behind me for a few pedal strokes, but they gradually faded and I managed to stay out front to the finish.

ERTC did an awesome job of keeping it interesting for all of us today, so thanks to Travis and the crew for that. Congrats to Pat on his first road race. He showed excellent composure and looked like a steady veteran in the pack. Jan did his share of work early on, which made all of our lives easier later on, so thanks for that! And Joe, solid the whole way, got the first bridge started off right.

Stefan also deserves credit for holding his own with the A Group all day. The shenanigans of the B Group are kiddy play compared to the heavies up in A. Nice job Stefan!

And of course, special thanks to Becky for cheering and taking photos (and freezing), all in the name of team support. Woot!

Posted some photos on my Flickr here. Thanks again Becky!

A short rage from my internal bike commuter self

2010-01-11T13:57:00.007-07:00

This post stems from two events in the past months.

First, I had a conversation with a friend regarding cyclists taking up too much room in the lane in the winter. I would not consider this friend as bike-hostile in the least, so I think this is a representative opinion of many people out there. Coincidentally, the same evening that I had this conversation, another friend on his bicycle was hit by a truck (thankfully not injured, but bike damaged).

Second, I have frequently been yelled at, swerved at, threatened, had objects thrown at me, and been generally abused (thankfully not physically...yet) by motorists while I’m cycling and commuting. I commute through residential streets, all year round, mostly on designated bike routes (not paths, but roads marked as bike routes). Sadly, this is not an uncommon occurrence for urban bike commuters. This morning was the worst incident to date. An older man in a sedan swerved into a snow bank while yelling at me to "get the fuck off the road" because "it’s not biking season anymore". Nice.

Before I get into the legal stuff, I would just like to point out a few things to the general population of anti-bike motorists (because I know you’re reading). These are cool-headed responses to some of the verbal abuse that I’m sure every cyclist has heard:

There is no "bike season". It’s not baseball. There’s no "opening day". My commute sucks in the winter too. Yes, I wish the city would plough every road every day.
I can’t ride on the sidewalk. It’s illegal. Nor do I want to ride on the sidewalk. I have to ride on the road and I would rather ride on the road. No, there’s no route I can take that will get me where I need to go without leaving the bike path.
I pay taxes too, which means that I pay for the roads just as much as you do. I also own a car, but I choose not to drive it, because it’s stupid to commute by car in the city. I am not a hippie tree-hugger, and even if I was, I WOULD STILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THE ROADS on which you drive your SUV.
Yes, I have a right to take up an entire lane when I can’t move over safely. Yes, I realise that your motor-commute will take you an extra eight seconds because I’m not willing to put my life at risk. Deal with it.
No, I don’t have an obligation to keep up with traffic (even though I do on most roads in the city). There are select roads on which bicycles are prohibited because they can’t keep up with traffic and, in failing to do so, endanger themselves. You are an idiot if you ride on these roads. The road I am riding on isn’t one of these roads. My obligation is to keep to the right when it is safe to do so, and I do this.
Yes, watching you tear past me aggressively and then catching you at the red light in half a block makes me happy. You look like an idiot when you do this. Just so you know.
No, I cannot perform such derogatory acts with myself. Please stop asking...sicko.

Okay, I feel better now.

Primarily, the item that I constantly hear about is a cyclist’s duty to move over for traffic—especially in the winter, when snow banks, ice, and other debris on the road can make travel difficult for everyone. I reiterate: there is no bike season. If you think cycling is a summer activity, then think again. For twelve months of the year, cyclists are entitled to use bicycles for transportation on the roads. If biking to work makes sense for us in the summer, it also makes sense in the winter. If there are snow banks on the side of the road, we can’t bike there. So we’re in the lane. This is our legal right and it is your legal obligation to only pass when safe (ie. I shouldn’t be able to reach out and touch your car, nor should you yell, honk, or throw things at me). As cyclists, we will certainly move back to the right when it’s safe to do so. If you can’t handle this, then you’re not mature enough to drive a car.

Just a suggestion: if you’re a raging anti-bike motorist, why don’t you write to the city or province and demand that they put in separate bike lanes. This way, the bikes are out of traffic and you can talk on your cell phone, drink your Tim Horton’s, and smoke a cigarette all at the same time while driving without having to worry about killing a cyclists. Believe me, cyclists want the same thing.

Most bike commuters also own motor vehicles. We can be on the other side of the wheel. I understand that it can be frustrating to be stuck behind a cyclist for a few moments on a narrow stretch of road on which you can’t pass. But guess what? The Universe won’t unravel if you need to slow down for 5 seconds. Honest. Try it yourself if you don’t believe me.

Everything I’ve said here is based on what is written in the laws. I have taken the CanBike certification several times and consider myself well-informed both on how to ride in traffic and the laws pertaining to cyclists. However, if you find any law in Edmonton, Alberta, or Canada that suggests something other than what I have stated here, I would love to hear about it. Please comment below.

Some resources about bikes on the road:

The Alberta Traffic Safety Act does not discriminate between cars and bicycles, considering them both as motor vehicles. This means:

Bicycles have the SAME RIGHTS as drivers of motor vehicles.
Bicycles have the SAME RESPONSIBILITIES as drivers of motor vehicles.

Edmonton Bicycle Laws:

A few highlights...

As a vehicle, cyclists must obey all rules of the road. Cyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as motor vehicles.
Cyclists must ride in single file except when passing another vehicle.
Whether riding on the road or on a shared use pathway, cyclists must always yield to pedestrians.
Bicycles are allowed on all of Edmonton's roads, although cyclists are encouraged to use shared use pathways, bike lanes and bike routes as safer alternatives to major arteries with high speeds and traffic volumes. Always obey signed road closures.
Standard size bicycles are only allowed on signed, shared use sidewalks that are 2.5m wide or greater. Bicycles with wheels less than 50cm in diameter (children's bikes) are permitted on all sidewalks.
Cycling is permitted on all shared use pathways and unimproved trails 0.5m or wider. People are not allowed to use paths and tracks less than 0.5m wide to protect the natural area. Always obey signed trail and park closures.

From the Alberta Motorists’ Handbook, Chapter 8: Sharing the Road:

Bicycle operators / cyclists

There are many bicycles on today's roads. More people are using bicycles to get around for commuting, fun or for exercise. Some people use bicycles to help save natural resources like oil and gas.

Motorists should remember these tips when sharing the road with a cyclist:

A cyclist riding their bicycle is considered by law to be a vehicle. When a cyclist has stopped and remains astride their bicycle at an intersection waiting for a traffic control signal, they are to be treated as a vehicle waiting for their turn to proceed.
If a cyclist dismounts completely and is walking beside and pushing their bicycle, then they are considered by law to be a pedestrian.
When passing a cyclist, go around them like you would any other vehicle. Leave lots of room.
When you are preparing to make a right turn, watch for cyclists who may pull up alongside your vehicle. Remember to shoulder check your blind spots. Cyclists are entitled to make left turns in the same manner as motorists. Since they are more exposed to traffic on left turns, they will need extra consideration, especially on multi-lane roads.
When pulling away from the curb, always check for cyclists who may be trying to pass you.
When parked at the curb, always check for cyclists before you open your vehicle door. It is the driver’s responsibility not to open the vehicle door into traffic.
Do not follow too close behind cyclists. They do not have brake lights to warn you when they are stopping.
Cyclists are required to ride as close as practicable to the curb, however, they may need to ride further out when they have to steer away from drainage grates, pot holes, debris, loose gravel or sand, wet or slippery surfaces, rutted or grooved pavement and even dogs. Be aware of the roadway conditions that may affect a cyclist.
Do not sound your horn unnecessarily when you are overtaking a cyclist. It may frighten them and cause them to lose control. If you feel that you must use your horn, tap it quickly and lightly while you are still some distance away from the cyclist.
Many children riding bicycles on the street may lack the necessary training and skills for safe cycling. They may not be aware of all dangers.
Be alert for small children on oversized bicycles. This may increase the likelihood of loss of control.
Cyclists should remember that the law requires cyclists or passengers on a bicycle who are under 18 years of age, to wear an approved bicycle safety helmet. For a listing of the bicycle safety helmet standards, refer to the Traffic Safety Act, Vehicle Equipment Regulation 98 that is available from the Queen's Printer web site.

Cyclists using the highways* should:

Keep both hands on the handlebars except when making a hand signal.
Keep both feet on the pedals.
Not carry more people at one time than the cycle was designed for.
Not hold onto, attach themselves or attach the cycle to any other moving vehicle.
Ride single file except when overtaking and passing another cycle.
When cycling at night, make sure their bicycle is equipped with at least one headlamp (but not more than two), one red tail lamp and at least one red reflector mounted on the rear of the bicycle.
Be sure the bicycle has effective brakes.
Ensure that the bicycle is equipped with a bell or horn.

* Note that "highways" refers to pretty much any road in Alberta that isn't a freeway (eg. Deerfoot, Whitemud).

The Alberta Bicycle Association also has good information here. It would be nice to see a bit more on bike laws (rights, responsibilities) on ABA's website, but this is a good start.

The Pact: Movie Trailer

2009-12-21T19:08:00.002-07:00

A little video to get you stoked for the season...if you're not already. It's not very often that the tele crowd gets the spotlight, so this is sweet:

Tri Club Volunteers Needed

2009-12-01T16:48:00.006-07:00

I don't really expect any volunteer responses from this posting. I really just wanted to post the awesome video that Josh made on the subject.

Josh is the race director. You can mail him at jkrabbe@ualberta.ca if you're keen.

West Edmonton Mall Waterpark: Triathlon Club Social

2009-11-24T14:08:00.002-07:00

Okay, here's the edited headcam footage from the WEM Waterpark. YouTube pulled some copyright mumbo-jumbo on me, so my selected soundtrack (which is awesome) isn't on the video anymore. Luckily, someone else uploaded the same song, so we can just simulcast them!

Here's the deal: push play on both videos simultaneously, sit back, and enjoy the ride...

The Video

The Soundtrack

('Fancy Footwork' by Canadian band Chromeo)

CHROMEO Fancy Footwork
Uploaded by 7_seas. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

Effects of Mountain Biking: Social and Environmental

2009-11-24T13:40:00.002-07:00

There's been extensive discussion recently about the fate of Mountain Biking trails in Jasper National Park. In particular, there have been calls to close most of the trails surrounding the townsite to mountain bikes. Most have cited the usual "Bikes to more damage than hikers" and "Bikes are worse for wildlife" lines.

However, I did some digging and it appears that the scientific jury is still out on this one. A few studies have found some mixed results, but most conclude by suggesting the more research is needed before conclusions can be drawn. I've added a list of references at the bottom of this post (just a list, as the actual articles are copyright material).

I did, however, find a review published by the New Zealand Department of Conservation that I think takes a solid, level-headed approach to the subject. It's worth a quick read if you have a few minutes. Essentially, it confirms most of what we already know. That is 1) that we don't know much about the environmental impacts of mountain bikes and 2) that the real issues here are more related to perception and social values than ecology.

Anyway, have a look and let me know what you think. If you know of any other research, I'd be keen to read that also.

Hipsters Discuss Cyclocross

2009-11-18T11:55:00.000-07:00

Cyclocross: Devon Dairy Queen Double Dipper

2009-10-25T10:27:00.005-06:00

I have nothing to say about this race, except that United put on a great event. Josh made a nice video of the elite men's race. You can check it out here:

The soundtrack is pretty intense, so if you're not into it, you can use this video as an alternative score. Just mute the volume on Josh's video and play this one simultaneously. I think it gives the 'cross video a distinctly different feel. Sorry Josh.

Mom & Dad: if you're looking for me, I'm the guy at the back in green and black, white helmet, white shoes, blue bike, being lapped by the leaders. :(

Bike Snob NYC

2009-10-21T21:42:00.002-06:00

Stop reading my stupid blog immediately and read this one instead. You will pee your pants.

http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/

Dave's Review: 2009 Team Marin

2009-10-21T10:05:00.005-06:00

So, here are my thoughts about my XC race bike this year. Hardcore bikes (for whom Bridget and I both race) were good enough to bring these in for us this year. While the rest of the team went with the Titus X this year, Bridget and I went back to our roots and hit the hardtails once again. We were not disappointed...

I will add photos soon.

MARIN TEAM MARIN HARDTAIL

Stock weight: About 26lbs (19”)
Weight as set up: 10.1kg/22.3lbs (19”)
MSRP: $3045 (CAD) before shipping, stock build

Stock Setup (and my snarky comments in italics):

Frame: Marin’s G7 Scandium/Aluminum (triple-butted main tubes, double-butted stays)
Fork: RockShox SID Race
Shifters: XT
Derailleurs: XT front and XTR Shadow rear
Brakes: XT hydraulic discs
Crank/BB/Chain: Shimano XT
Pedals: Shimano M520 (Why bother at this price point?)
Wheels: XT / Mavic 317, 32 hole, Centerlock hubs (See rant below)
Tires: Maxxis Ignitor, 26 x 2.1 Kevlar
Saddle: WTB Devo Team
Seatpost: FSA SL-K Carbon, 27.2 x 350mm
Bars: Marin’s in-house double-butted alloy (31.8) (Should read: “Double-fat-assed alloy”)
Stem: FSA OS115 Alloy w. Carbon Face Plate (31.8)
Grips: WTB Moto
Headset: FSA Orbit ZS-4 Cartridge (integrated)

For complete specs and geometries, check Marin’s website.

The Spec – What’s Good

Aside from the frame, the parts mix is the old standby stuff. I’ll admit to being a SRAM guy for road stuff, but the XT/XTR has always treated me well and the new 2009 group is no different. The XTR Shadow rear derailleur, for all the hype, seems just as good (and not noticeably better) than my old XTR stuff. Go figure.

I wasn’t convinced about the SID before the bike arrived. I had a SID way back when, but have been a devoted Fox guy for the last few bikes. I would have to say, however, that the 2009 SID Race is probably the best XC fork I’ve ever ridden. At ~175lbs, I found that the old SIDs always felt a bit noodley under power when cornering or under hard breaking. The new SID doesn’t suffer from this at all. I think I ride my bike pretty hard. I’m heavy, tend to put a lot of weight on the bike in corners and descents, and tend to ride off stuff that I probably shouldn’t on a 22lb hardtail. That said, the SID has handled (and well) anything I’ve thrown at it. I’m not the type to mess around with my fork that much, but with a bit or positive/negative air adjustment, and after a break-in period of a few rides (in which the fork had a sticky out-of-the-box feel), the SID was excellent.

I should mention that I did have to warranty my stock fork. The dropouts were actually not level, so the wheel sat noticeably off-centre in the fork. The fact that this fork even made it out of the Rock Shox factory is a bit troubling. The crown also began to creak a bit early on. To their credit, however, Rock Shox replaced the lowers and the crown on the fork without questions (but took a while to do it). In the meantime, I was riding a friends’ Fox 32 F-Series. Wow, what a difference. After riding the SID, going back to the Fox (at least this model in particular) was like strapping my wheel between to cannelloni. The bushings were loose too, so that could account for some of the sloppy feel. But the stiffness of the SID was even more evident to me then.

It’s nice to see a carbon post come stock on a stiff aluminium hardtail. And the integrated headset makes for very clean lines up front. The XT brakes are totally fine and work well both with the older Avid rotors on my Crossmax and with the lighter Magura rotors that I put on the Industry nines.

The Spec – What’s Crap

The parts mix was mostly fine. Mostly. Marin, in typical big bike company fashion, tries to sneak in some totally shit parts hoping people won’t notice. So, if you’re reading this and you work at Marin or any other big bike manufacturer (a large part of my readership, I’m sure), take note: cyclists notice. Please don’t do this anymore. Anyone buying a race-quality hardtail will notice these shitty parts and will spend more to change them out, so please just spec better stuff. We will pay for it off the floor if it’s good stuff. Thanks.

The first part destined for the bin is the bar. Seriously.

While we’re at it, toss the saddle. I really didn’t like it. Neither did Bridget. Besides, it’s ugly. However, some dude at the shop was super keen about getting it for his bike, so I guess some people like it. Just not me. Or Bridget. Or anyone else I know.

I hate to go here, but the XTR shadow deserves a quick mention (we can throw the new SRAM X0 in here too, as it has the same problem). Whose terrible idea was it to put a carbon cage on a mountain bike derailleur? This is a perfect case of what I would call ‘Californgineering’. That is, a bunch of dudes in California (where grasses and wussy herbaceous shrubs dominate the dry, warm-weather testing ground) designed this part*. Here in Western Canada, we have two things: willows and trees, both of which will very quickly reach out and grab the $195 carbon derailleur cage and break it effortlessly. (OK, we have three things. Add to that list: chicks that actually ride their bikes and break their carbon cages.)

How much weight did the carbonification of this part really save? Less than the Slurpee change in my pocket? Doubt it. And yes, you read that right. A new carbon cage is CAD$195 from Shimano. Want an aluminium replacement instead? Tough. You can’t get one. The good news is that you can buy an entire XT derailleur for the same price as a carbon cage. Now you have a new derailleur with an aluminium cage which leaves you free to make a Christmas ornament out of your flashy XTR Shadow minus one side of the cage. SRAM: don’t think you’re off the hook here. The X0 is spec’ed with a carbon cage also, several of which the DH boys at the shop have managed to destroy.

*Incidentally, the Californgineers are also responsible for designing the hydraulic struts on the back hatch of my station wagon. I curse them in the winter every time that door drops on my head because the hydraulics are frozen. Curses.

The Spec – What I Changed

Alright, the benefit of all those crap parts is that you have an excuse to spec anything you want (or that your wife will let you buy…same thing in my case). :)

Wheels:

For a training/everyday wheelset, I use my 2004 Mavic CrossMax. These are still some of the best wheels I’ve ever ridden. Nicely stiff for handling, but still very forgiving on the hardtail. They're not light, but they're for training, so no biggie. Yes, the freehub is total crap and it dies about twice a season (collectively known on the interwebs as the "Crossmax Howl of Death"). At the shop, we’ve been working on fixing this chronic problem. Mavic’s suggestion is to rebuild the freehub once a month. Seriously? Seriously. Right now at the shop, we’re trying an oversized freehub bushing made by some dude in the States that he only sells on E-Bay. Will keep the blog posted about this one.

For race wheels, I ordered a set of Industry Nine Ultralights. These bad boys are 1) hot looking, 2) sickeningly light at 1410g for the pair, 3) hot looking, 4) reasonably priced at USD$1030 MSRP, 5) crazy stiff, 6) have a ridiculous number of freehub engagements and 7) hot looking.

Let’s face it. These wheels will pick up chicks for you. You’ll be like “Yo, check out my ano wheels.” and she’ll be like “Dude, those are so 1994.” and you’ll be like “So not! Ano is back baby.” and she’ll be like “Wanna make out?” Seriously.

Fair warning: the I-9s aren’t just stiff, they’re like a shot of Mezcal with the little worm thingy in it. When paired with the SID, the ride can get a bit jarring on really hard-pack stuff. The payoff is in the ride. The cornering is euro-trash-sports-car tight and the 105 freehub engagements points means instant power when you move the pedals. I’m not sure how much of advantage this would be on the road where your pedal stroke tends to be fairly even. But on the mountain bike when your pedals are stop-start all the time, the quick catch of the freehub is noticeable (so much so that my Mavics can feel sloppy in this regard when I go back to them after racing on the I-9s).

The I-9 hubs laced to the Notubes.com hoops makes for a strong, light, reliable build. I added Schwalbe Rocket Ron rubber (at a svelte 380g per tire) and Salsa skewers just to make sure the wheels didn’t revolt. They haven’t yet.

Bridget is running the Ultralight Race wheels from Industry nine (weight rating on them is too low for this guy). She’s also a big fan of the wheels. Her wheelset comes in at just under 1300g (claimed 1320g, even with a triple-cross spoke lace), which is disgusting. The hubs and spokes are the same, just laced to the ZTR Race rims from Notubes.com. Notubes.com guarantees that their Race rims will be under 300g each and even goes as far as etching the measured weight of each rim into the rim. Bridget’s rims came in at 286 and 287g each. I-9 also provides a few extra spokes when you purchase a wheelset.

Put all this together and it amounts to one of the best wheelsets I’ve ever ridden from one of the better companies out there. Highly recommended.

The Other Parts:

The bar was removed, thrown across the shop (with a resounding clang), and replaced with an Easton Monkey Light (the ol’ standby). The 350mm post was a teeny bit too short (I’m 6’0” on a 19” frame), so I threw on an Easton EC70 zero setback. The saddle was replaced with a Selle San Marco Bilanciata and I threw my old (and the best ever) time ATACs on her. The stock grips (of course) died quickly and were replaced with flanged Oury grips. Much better.

The Ride

The frame itself is nice looking, nice fitting (for me anyway), and nice to ride. The scandium blend is snappy and lively, but a bit harsh when the trail gets rough (as aluminium usually is). Put simply, one of the best feeling aluminium hardtails I’ve ridden. Feels much more lively than my Fisher ever did. The ride is comparable to my old Rocky Vertex T.O. (back when they were still made in Canada). This is good.

I wish I had more to say about the ride. Honestly, it’s just really good. It’s definitely a race hardtail, so it’s light, nimble, and unforgiving—everyhting youd expect from a Scandium hardtail. I’m looking forward to racing it again next season.

Summary

The good:

The geometry seems spot-on (for me at least)
Looks sharp; clean lines
Handles unexpectedly well; shines in the tight, fast stuff

The Bad:

Sucky stock parts
Stock bike is heavy
Pricey (for what you get)

The Bottom Line:

As a stock bike, it’s unbalanced. The tight, clean scandium frame deserves better than the stock wheelset and some of the stock parts. With a bit of tweaking and a good light wheelset, this bike is among the best XC race bikes I’ve owned. The price isn’t cheap, but isn’t offensive either. For 2010, nothing has changed on this bike (not event he paint).

2009 School of Cross Bar-Cam

2009-09-30T12:54:00.004-06:00

Here's the edited footage from the bar cam I was running at the School of Cross cyclocross race this year. I added a few shots from the spectator handycam to show where on the course I am. I also slowed down my barrier run so you can pick apart my technique to your heart's content.

Apologies again for the YouTube quality and the bunk gamma correction. One of these days I'll figure out how to make YouTube recognise the HD format.

The song I chose is the song that I'm pretty sure everyone has stuck in their head during a cyclocross race. Remember, it's a nice day to staaaaaart agaaaaaain!

...Connected to the Leg Bone

2009-09-29T23:38:00.006-06:00

A little while ago, Bridget slammed her foot into a curb in the dark while wearing flip flops. A little while later, she decided to get x-rays to make sure it was(n't) broken. Gone are the days of squinting at archaic plastic x-ray sheets, I guess. Welcome to the digital age of sweet take-home CD-Rs full of digital x-ray images. Enjoy (and see if you can spot the broken toe)...

Insert photo where you can actually see the broken toe...

MTB Provincials - August 30th, 2009 - Hinton, AB

2009-08-31T17:26:00.006-06:00

Written by David. Photos by Shari Claire (on the way).

THE COURSE

I’ll start with a brief discussion of the course itself, because it is unique among Alberta race courses: it’s the only course I rode this year in which I wish I had a full suspension bike. Kudos to the course designers and builders (from Freeskool) for making a truly challenging (ie. punishing) course. There aren’t any crazy technical moves on it, but the descents are tough, and especially tough to ride fast. The climbs, while not technical at all, make no apologies and head straight up the hills. Mix in a bit of cursed false flat and soft, power-sucking loam and you’ve got one hell of a tough race course. Nice job boys. Please pass me the 20lb ultra-efficient fully that I can’t afford...

The course itself is 9.5km and took us about 50 minutes to pre-ride at a pretty mellow pace. A few guys ran hot laps the day before at about 30-35 minutes. All in all, it was shaping up to be a long 4-lap race. I figured I’d be lucky to be in before 2hr 30min. Given the heat, I was concerned about getting only 4 bottles for the race. But it turned out that drinking was difficult on the course and I was lucky to eat and drink as much as I did.

THE RACE

About 5 minutes into the first lap, just after entering the singletrack, Cam McKnight broke his chain about 20m ahead of me. Always willing to help a fellow rider (and perhaps anticipating the beer that Cam would owe me), I pulled my tool bag out of my jersey pocket and tossed it to him as I rode by. It's always a bit risky to leave all your tools with another rider, especially when your CO2 inflators are in there too. But I figured that I hadn't had a flat all year and never on these wheels, so it was probably a safe move.

Now, any half-intelligent person should see where this is going...

And so it was that I found myself on the third lap walking down the trail with a flat front tire, desperately in need of a source of compressed air. Thankfully, Justin Middleton, whose pedal seemed to be continually falling out of his crank (that kind of day all around), and Andre Sutton both stopped to offer me their inflators. Within a few minutes I was back on the bike and feeling descent again...er, decent again.

That didn’t last long, however. Heading into the singletrack on the last lap, I caught the loose loam badly in a corner a once again “burped” the air out of my front tire (which likely wasn’t seeded well after the last flat).

“No problem” I figured, as I knew I was just in front of Jon Benskin (who started a minute back). So I walked and waited...and waited...and walked some more. And then I got to the obvious bail-out option back to the start. A quick mental tally of the potential riders behind me was enough to convince me that (given the day everyone seemed to be having) I was very likely the last person on course. (As it turns out, Benskin had also just flatted behind me on the trail and had begun walking back. That kind of day indeed.)

Decision made. A DNF will have to stain the record this year. I hate DNFs. I would rather spend an extra hour out there crawling through shit and not DNF. Certainly there comes a point when you’re 1) doing yourself (or your bike) more damage by continuing or 2) being unfair to the volunteers and organizers by making them wait for you (especially if the weather is bad). Those conditions aside, finishing with a time is definitely preferable.

Nevertheless, I pulled the chute, cut course, and walked the few kilometres back to the start/finish. In the words of Nuke Laloosh: “Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. Sometimes it rains.”

LINKS

Full results at the ABA.

XTerra Canmore – August 23rd, 2009

2009-08-24T12:54:00.016-06:00

Alpine water, sketchy corners, and hills. And hills. And hills.

(Written by David; Photos by David)

This was a much anticipated race for me, as I always figured I would more at home in an offroad triathlon. This turned out to be the case…sort of. In general, this was a successful day for both Bridget and I. The race organizers and volunteers did a fantastic job, making this even one of the smoothest and most professional races of the year.

The ladies' swim start. You can clearly see Bridget in the black wetsuit.

The clear, crisp, alpine water of Quarry Lake was the venue for the swim portion of this race. Bridget and I have often dipped in this lake after day-long rides and runs, so it was a treat to actually swim here (with a wetsuit, of course). The water was actually quite pleasant (quoted at 18C on race day. Yeah, maybe the 6" deep water at the shore.). I was definitely happy to be wearing neoprene armour. There were a few brave souls without wetsuits, but they seemed to fare well also.

It was nice to start in the last heat, as I was able to watch the ladies start and exit the water into T1. Bridget (despite her disappointment with her swimming) actually had a great time coming out of the water (and looked hot too)—only a few minutes back from the first ladies.

The swim course was two laps of a 500m loop (all in the water, no re-entry required). This meant six buoy corners. This meant I should have practiced more buoy cornering before this one. Actually, the swim was straightforward and felt good, despite filling my goggles with water right off the start (and chronic goggle water all swim). But once again, my swim split was frustratingly long when I came out of the water. Maybe I just hit two slow courses in a row. Maybe I’m just old and tired at the end of a long season.

Bridget exits the swim headed into T1.

Transition 1 was smooth, although a bit weird to be hopping on my mountain bike this time. The run from the lake to the bike racks was long, but carpeted. My dainty feet were definitely getting tender by then end of the run along the matted gravel path.

Swim:
Dave: 16:54 (18th overall)
Bridget: 19:52 (22nd female)

The bike was, well, interesting. It took me longer than usual to shake the usual swimming dizziness and anaerobic transition—probably due to the uphill start to the bike. The first 2km to the Nordic Centre gains ~70m and the next 4km of course gains another 120m. I really didn’t settle in (ie. my legs and head didn’t clear up and feel good) until the mid-point of the first bike lap.

A note about the bike course: it was better to race on than I expected, but I still have issues with it. I completely understand that this cohort of racers are not mountain bike racers and therefore the course can’t (and shouldn’t) be a traditional mountain bike race course. No problem with that.

However, if the goal was to make a course that was safer for novice mountain bikers (ie. most triathletes), it did not happen. The majority (90%) of the course was on the wider, double-track, XC ski trails at the Nordic Centre. It was generally a fast, smooth, rolling course (I averaged about 2kph faster than a typical mountain bike race) with a few steep, loose, double-track climbs and a few very fast descents. And herein lies the problem.

I would argue that this course was more dangerous for novice mountain bikers than would have been a course featuring a mix of rolling (not too fast) double-track trail with winding, not-too-steep singletrack sections. Novice riders will ride singletrack (even wider singletrack descents) reasonably slowly—making any crashes that occur relatively harmless. A good example of this is the 24hrs of Adrenalin course (featuring a 50-50 split of double & singletrack) of which even novice riders can competently ride 95%.

Designing a "novice" course with fast, wide, loose descents may encourage less walking/running and a few more incidental crashes, but it avoids the few high-speed, high-carnage crashes that result from novice riders bombing down sketchy, loose trails and high speed—regardless of how wide they are. (FTR, I saw two people brought back by EMS: one separated shoulder and ne unfortunate dude on a spineboard.)

In summary, I think a course of rolling double-track connected with extended non-insane singletrack sections would be perfect for novice mountain bike riders—triathletes and non-triathletes alike. For a perfect example, have a look at the Canmore Canada Cup course (minus the Coal Chutes and Shorty’s Chute). This is a perfect mix of non-threatening singletrack and passing-zone doubletrack.

Sorry to go on about that. Just my two cents worth.

Anyway, once I settled into it, the bike was good. With its steep rollers and high-speed corners, this course was 100% about clean gearing and short, powerful climbs. Thankfully, there was nothing too long and sustained to really abuse the legs, so I was feeling fresh and confident heading into the run.

Bike (incl. T1 & T2):
Dave: 1:01:47 (3rd overall)
Bridget: 1:13:03(3rd female)

Transition 2 felt slow, as I wasn’t really able to undo my shoes or gloves while on the bike. But I came out reasonably quickly, passed up the water station, and headed up the hill out of the stadium. I was expecting this brick to be worse than usual due to the hilly, higher-intensity mountain bike (vs. spinny road bike). I was pleasantly surprised, however, to have fresher legs than expected, even on the first hills.

The course steadily dropped below the stadium for ~1.75km down to the turn-around point. The second half of the lap climbs steadily for ~1.75km back up to the stadium (well, above it actually before dropping down to the finish/lap). Headed out of the stadium I saw Bridget flying back towards the lap/finish. She looked fresh and fast and that helped motivate me also. I counted only one quick lady in front of her, so I figured she was in a good position. But there were also two fast-looking ladies not far off her tail, so she definitely had she work cut out for her. I did some quick math and figured that 1) she was finishing her first lap and 2) she had a dynamite bike split. I was correct about both, and I saw her again as I headed out of the stadium after lapping through once. This time, the two fast-looking ladies were breathing down her neck. It was gonna be close, for sure.

I was trying to spot a few of the men headed back on their run laps. I recognized Heat McCroy, so I could guess at where the leaders were (it was all a bit difficult to assess the competition, given the multiple start heats and multiple run laps). One reeeeally fast guy flew past me on my second lap and I’ll admit to being greatly relieved to see "team" written on his calf—no need to chase that guy. In the end, I just had to run against the clock as I had no idea where the race leaders were. So I pushed out a decent negative split on the run and finished it happy and puke-free. Woot!

I gained on Bridget a bit, but not much. She was waiting with a hug at the finish line: a great finish to a good race. She was a bit frustrated that the two other fast ladies had caught her rght near the end of the run. But she seemed pleased with her race, smiles all around.

Run:

Dave: 33:14 (12th overall)

Bridget: 37:36 (9th female)

TOTAL:

Dave: 1:51:54 (4th Overall, 4th Male, 2nd in M30-39)

Bridget: 2:10:30 (34th Overall, 4th Female, 1st in W20-29)

Bridget and Amy on the podium.

RESULTS

Karen Fedoruk from Hardcore had a great race: despite claiming to have not swam since April, she put the hammer down in the water and followed it up with a great bike and run, finishing 19th in the women.

Andrea Kreitz, racing her first Xterra (and first race on a mountain bike, I believe), put together a consistent race to finish 28th in the women.

Derek Mackenzie finished in a solid time and smiling at the finish line (I’d give more details but his splits have been lost into the ether by Results Canada), finishing 80th overall.

Amy Woodward, our old mountain bike teammate, was likely looking for a reprisal after flatting on the bike at Calgary. And she got it, finishing 12th female and third in her age category (just minutes behind Bridget). I’m looking forward to watching these two duke it out in future races!

I was pleasantly surprised to see Scott Buchanan at the start line. And by the looks of his results, I’m thinking he had a great day also, finishing as 30th male, and beating Bridget (much to her chagrin) by 4 seconds! I’m also fairly certain he was the dude that drafted off me for the entire swim (evidently he is a much smarter swimmer than I).

Bridget again proved her strength by putting three solid splits together to win her category (W20-29) and finish as the 4th female overall. She also posted the 3rd fastest female bike split. For someone with only two other triathlons under her belt, this is exceptional. She should take great confidence from this race into the Half-Iron World Champs in Florida in November.

I finished well under my 2 hour goal with the 3rd fastest bike split of the day. I had another disappointing swim, but made up for most of it in the bike and run to finish 4th overall and second in my category (M30-39). A great last race of the triathlon season.

Thanks Magi for the pre-ride and the cheering! Thanks Mr. and Mrs Kreitz for cheering and packing our stuff back from the lake! Thanks to Dave Kennedy for the cheering and photos. And thanks to the other friends, family, volunteers, and organizers for making it a great race day!

Links:

Official results and race info is posted here.
I didn't like that the relay teams were mixed with the Results Canada results, so I redid them (of course) and posted them here (in Excel format).
I have posted a few photos that Bridget and I took on race day.

Jasper Bar Cam Video

2009-08-15T09:16:00.004-06:00

Here's some video that we shot in Jasper a few weeks back with Hardcore's new Hero Cam. The quality is bunk here (thanks to YouTube). I'll try to post a high-res version and link to that too. In the meantime, enjoy the pixelation.

In this video: Bridget, Jon, Loni, Joe, Shari, Andrea.
Oh, and please note that I got impatient with Jon, so I passed him when he took a weak line through the rocks. I could barely keep up with Bridget though.

Calgary 70.3 Half Ironman

2009-08-05T00:32:00.013-06:00

OK fine. To call it the “70.3 Half-Ironman” is redundant. But so is “PIN number”. So stop saying that too.

Ahhh, where to begin? How about pre-race?

When I first saw the plan to bus competitors out to Ghost Lake on race morning, I had my doubts. This sounded like a plan just waiting to go pear-shaped. I mean really, dozens of school busses loaded full of triathletes at 5am arriving at the swim on time?! No way.

To my pleasant surprise, however, the morning T2 bag drop, body marking, and bus loading was a smooth operation (to the credit of the loverly volunteers, who I’m sure had been there since 4am). So with the late-night gamblers still dragging themselves out of the Grey Wolf Casino, we pulled out of the parking lot and hit the highway headed west, pre-dawn.

The bus ride was surprisingly pleasant. It was actually nice to have an hour or so to just sit, relax, and focus on the race. Normally, (at my house anyway) race mornings always seem hectic and rushed, so this was a nice change. The busses pulled into the parking lot at Ghost Lake well before the first (pro) start. Plenty of time to get the tires pumped, T1 bag set up, wetsuit on…and then I saw the queue for the washrooms. Uncool. This could be tight. Thankfully, our late heat start (the last one, in fact) made a late washroom visit relatively efficient (with half the racers in the water instead of in the line-up).

Note for next year: more washrooms at the start!

The pro race commenced perfectly on time, sending the fast kids off swimming under a beautiful sunrise. The first wave of age groupers, however punctual, did present a concern: with a larger group of swimmers heading out, the start/finish of the course looked suspiciously…well…tight. It took about 15 seconds for the age group swim pack to spread from one line of boats to the other as they headed out. It immediately occurred to us that the pro field (and any other field for that matter) could have some issues swimming head-on back through the washing machine of outgoing swimmers. With only two poor kayakers out to keep order, the prognosis did not look good at this point. Surely, the organizers would notice this. Surely, they wouldn’t start the next wave of swimmers directly into the oncoming pro field. Surely not.

But they surely did.

It was a bit like watching two freight trains from across a wide valley headed straight for each other. There’s nothing you can do about it, you know it won’t end well, and you absolutely can’t look away. By some miracle, however, the two swim fields passed through each other (yes, head on in directly opposite directions) without major incident. Except for the surprised-looking heads popping up out of the water when they met the oncoming pod of age-groupers, the pro athletes seemed to flow through the swimmers like play-dough through a strainer—slowing down a bit, but coming through and regrouping unscathed.

Note for next year: Wider start/finish swim lane…or maybe just more kayakers.

Having to wait for the last wave start was now fine with me, knowing that we wouldn’t meet another out-bound swim pack on our way back in. With that confidence in mind, we took to the lake, promptly peed in our wetsuits to counteract the glacial water, and headed out on the horn.

THE SWIM

The swim passed uneventfully enough. I felt good in the water: relaxed, fresh, and smooth. Swimming under the highway bridge was a nice treat, and on a breath-stroke I was lucky enough to spot my mom on the bridge waving and taking photos. I tried to wave on my next stroke. Not sure she noticed, but it was fun.

The fun ended a bit when I turned back towards shore for the last few hundred metres. I have no idea where it came from, but the swell and chop was suddenly enough that I couldn’t even see the shore at times. Despite the tricky swim course (an L-shape out-and-back) I was able to sight the buoys without issue for most of the course and racked off the distance quickly…or so I thought. Exiting the water, I lapped my watch expecting to see 30-mnutes and change. Not so. Crap. What happened there? (After the race, we all compared times and are convinced the course is long. For statistical evidence, see Josh’s nerd-work here.)

Transition 1 was the usual gong show. The wetsuit strippers were unusually effective (as evidenced by Stefan’s torn zipper), though some carpet in the stripping area might have been nice to keep the mud of everyone’s backs. The T1 bags were easy to grab and the run to the bike racks was long…but not as long as the run to the mount line which seemed to take forever. Nice photo op for mom, though.

Swim: 34:51 (goal: 30:00)
T1: 4:18

THE BIKE

I felt great coming out of the water and onto the bike. There was a light breeze out of the northwest, so the first 10km towards Calgary were fast. Turning north up Grand Valley Rd., I could see a long line of cyclists stretching gradually uphill to the horizon. Starting in the last heat was helpful on the bike as there was a constant stream of cyclists to work on catching. This helped pass the time as we climbed to the high point on the bike course right before turning back south on Horse Creek Rd. towards Highway 1A. Thankfully, the grade was mellow enough for most of the climb that I was able to stay in the aerobars the whole way, keeping the steadily growing headwind from really slowing me down.

The turnoff back onto the 1A was fast as the end of Horse Creek Rd. is a decent downhill (a decently downward descent?). It was only at the turnoff that I relaised the importance of the police and traffic marshals on this course. The cars on westbound 1A were lined up back almost to the 4-way stop in Cochrane (which is now a 4-way street light, but the Calgarians will always know it as the ‘4-way stop in Cochrane’ so I’ll stick with that). Riding through Cochrane, although busy with traffic, was fine. The bike lane was tight in places and there was a marked no-passing zone (which, as of yet, hasn’t ended).

The hill out of Cochrane is “the biggie” on the course, but I was looking forward to it, having ridden it many times on road circuits from Calgary. The grade is definitely steep, but not unreasonably so, and the cheering crowds (especially Pat, Becky, and Lenka!) made it hurt a bit less. The rest of the climb, which I would consider more of a false-flat than an actual climb, was the toughest part of the course. At least I had the miles of highway traffic jam cars to keep me company.

The rest of the rolling bike course through the pastures and modestly disgusting homes passed quickly. The only other point of interest was the second feed zone on the bike. Whoever decided to set it up on the downhill side of a roller is obviously not a cyclist. I came into the feed zone at about 55kph and, even on the brakes, had to be very attentive so to avoid 1) the other cyclists who were STOPPING to get water and food and 2) the line of pylons down the centre of the road. Yes, I know you’re prohibited from crossing the centre line, but between the feed zone tables, the volunteers, and the stopped rides, I had about two feet to sneak through. It would have been safer to cross the yellow.

Note for next year: I don't think I need to spell this one out.

Long story short (too late), I decided not to stop for water (a decision that would come back to haunt me) and rather carry some momentum into the next uphill (about 300m down the road…and a darned nice lookin’ place for a feed zone). Before I knew it, I was rolling into my old neighbourhood and into transition 2. T2 was fraught with helpful volunteers (Thanks Dan and Mel!) and I was in and out quickly.

Bike: 2:29:06 (goal: 2:30:00)
T2: 1:46

THE RUN

Leaving T2, my legs felt excellent. No real brick to speak of at all. Ahhh…the false sense of strength and confidence was excellent while it lasted.

I put down the first 2km of the run at about 4:20/km, feeling great. Within site of the first aid station, the leg cramps set in severe. I wasn’t alone in this suffering. It seemed like half the field was pulling up lame rubbing and stretching their quads. Trouble.

I’ve dealt with precisely these cramps for years mountain bike racing, so I was disappointed but not surprised when they set in. Fortunately, a few glasses of warm water at the first aid station and a handful of E-lode tablets cleared things up a bit. But the damage was done. As I ran back up towards T2 again, I could feel the muscles threatening to tighten again. By the top of Weaselhead Hill, I was down to 4:40/km on the Garmin, and by the hill out of Weaselhead at km 6, I was struggling to keep under 5:15/km.

Things were falling apart, and quickly. I was eating, drinking, sponging, and generally being a disciplined racer. I just didn’t have the capacity to refill the water that I’d lost up to that point in the race. The body was definitely shutting down and I could feel it. I began to walk the aid stations, being careful to drink everything and eat what I could. I worked through my stash of

electrolytes and Tums in a vain effort to stave off the cramps. At about km 7, I passed Stefan in the other direction who looked fast and comfortable. Shortly after, Bridget flew by the other way. She looked great, smiled, and yelled encouragement. That made it hurt a bit less.

At near the halfway point, I caught up to Simmon. He was digging deep, but looked like he was in much of the same boat as I. He and half the other racers. The heat was taking its victims one by one as people pushed on through the course. A few aid stations were out of Gels and Coke and the water was so warm as to be difficult to swallow. The usual “suffering-racer camaraderie” developed quickly out there and people were wonderfully encouraging to one another. Once again, the blessed volunteers were fantastic.

Eventually, I rounded the turn-around and settled into a slow but steady pace back towards the North side of the reservoir. 100% survival mode. I got a mental boost by the cheering near the finish line and finished the last 3km or so running, albeit very slowly, and crossed the finish line in just under two hours for the run.

Run: 1:56:14 (goal: 1:40:00)

The run course itself was excellent. I don’t think the racers could ask for a better, prettier, and more spectator-friendly run course. I might be biased because I grew up there, but the Weaselhead Area really is the perfect place to run: a few challenging hills, lots of shade, good facilities. Also, running through the crowds at the finish area 3 times was fantastic.

Thanks (in no particular order) to Jon, Karen, Sarah, Paula, Mom, Dad, Pat, Becky, Michelle, Lenka, Josh’s parents, Tara, Jeremy, Dawn, Jay, Ian, Natalie, and Kether for all the cheering! And sorry if you were there cheering and I didn’t see you. With your first name printed on your race bib, you become accustomed to people cheering you on by name so you tend not to notice your friends specifically.

But thanks sooooo much for all the support. You guys are awesome!

POST RACE

Finish the race: check.

Get the t-shirt: check.

Food: check.

Water: check.

Feel good for about an hour: check.

Crawl away during the awards and throw up in the trees: check.

Yeah, that’s pretty much how it went down…and then came up. Now, I’ve felt rough after races before (refer to Ironman race report), but this was different. In retrospect, I’ll chalk this one up 100% to dehydration. All the signs were there: muscle cramps, low sweat levels, um…thirst, nausea, etc. I think my calories in were good as I never really hit the energy wall. I believe I was also fine for electrolytes (I use pure e-lode on the bike and take electrolyte tablets on the run). Water, however, was lacking. I probably needed another litre AT LEAST on the bike and probably could have put down at least double that comfortably without feeling sloshy (technical term).

I visited the medical tent after puking the first time. Their wisdom was “if you feel better now (after puking) then you’re probably fine.” Awesome. Pizza Hut buffet, here I come! Or not. Despite the momentary reprieve, I was not fine. No less than an hour later, I was driving the porcelain bus back at my friend’s house. I also made the mistake of weighing myself post-gut-emptying. I had lost over 8lbs. On man…

Yes, this is funny in retrospect. No, this was not funny at the time.

At this point, I had to eat and I needed pharmaceuticals to help me do it. The lunch menu became two Gravol, half a box of Wheat Thins, a few glasses of water, and chocolate milk. And wouldn’t you know it? An hour later we were at the pub putting back burgers and beers. The body is an amazing machine.

RESULTS

So, despite the late race fall-apart and post race “adversity”, my result was better than expected. It pales in comparison to the rest of the crew, however, so I’ll start with them (out of 1057 racers who finished):

Stefan simply rocked the house:

S: 33:08, B: 2:19:29, R: 1:35:27, TOTAL: 4:34:01, 30^th Overall, 2/66 in M25-29

Bridget had an equally impressive day:

S: 39:16, B: 2:46:02, R: 1:50:04, TOTAL: 5:21:44, 201^st Overall, 3/52 in W25-29
(Only 7 minutes behind the women’s pro field!)

Josh was hot on Stefan’s heels:

S: 37:00, B: 2:19:47, R: 1:43:03, TOTAL: 4:44:37, 47^th Overall, 3/26 in M20-24

Simmon’s race was totally solid:

S: 32:43, B: 2:34:28, R: 2:10:09, TOTAL: 5:24:02, 217^th Overall, 22/66 in M25-29

My day was a success overall, as I was going to be happy with anything sub-five hours:

S: 0:34:01, B: 2:29:06, R: 1:56:14, TOTAL: 5:06:12, 119^th Overall, 8/98 in M30-34

I hear you: “Um…Dave, you weren’t sub-five hours.” Yes, I know. But watch this:

Average speed over 94.4km was 37.7kph X 90km = 2:23:14 (credit: 5:52).
Average speed per 100m swim (based on Josh’s distance calculation of 2116m) was 1:36/100m X 1900m = 30:29 (credit: 3:32).
5:06:12 – (5:52 + 3:32) = 4:56:32 Woot!

The big deal of the day was that Bridget, Stefan, Josh, and I all qualified for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Florida in November (hurray, roll-down!). Alas, only Stefan and Bridget accepted the spots. I had just crawled out of the bushes, still wiping puke off my chin, when they offered me the spot, so you can understand why I didn’t accept. Josh also declined. But that makes sense. He’s just a kid. He’s got plenty of racing years ahead of him. :)

RACE STRATEGY

My strategy going into the race was a bit different this time. The swim is what it is. Swimming isn’t my strength, so the goal is always to just get through it in a reasonable time, feeling good. The bike is different. For the Half-Iron last year (Oliver) and for Ironman, my bike strategy was admittedly conservative—but not for a lack of confidence on the bike. I tended to ease off on the bike in order to “save up” for the run. Precisely what I was “saving up” is unclear even to me now (definitely not saving calories, ‘cause those were gone early). It quickly became evident in last year’s races that my legs were going to be tired, my energy was going to be low, and my body was going to hurt on the run—regardless of how easy I went on the bike. So the strategy for this race was different. The plan was to treat the bike like a 90km (okay, 95km) time trial and hopefully the run wouldn’t hurt much more than usual.

I know what you’re thinking: “Shouldn’t you plan for the run not to hurt at all? Aren’t you being a bit cynical and pessimistic expecting the run to go badly no matter what?” My answer is this: hell yes, of course the run will hurt. Realism people!

RACE RECOVERY

The next day was dedicated to race recovery. So, naturally, we headed out on a 6-hour mountain bike ride over Jewel Pass with our friend from New Zealand. It was hard. It rained. I cracked half way up the climb. And it was awesome. Thanks Kether for a great ride! I posted a few soggy photos here.

RACE STATS

Swim Course:

Estimated at 2116m
4:01 = 1:36/100m

Bike Course:

Measured at 94.4km (on Garmin)
Moving average speed of 37.7 (on Garmin)
Total climb: 507m

Run Course:

Measured at 21.2km (on Garmin)
Average pace of 5:31/km
Total climb 252m

Here are some links and photos:

Full results: here.
I took a bunch of photos at the start and my mom took a bunch during the race: here.
A couple YouTube videos have been posted. This one is fun (check 6:26 for a smooth dismount and 8:12 for an inspiring finish). This one is more like a slideshow, but it's fun too.

Dave's Big Fat Heart

2009-07-31T14:19:00.011-06:00

I recently participated in a heart study at the UofA. One of the perks, aside from getting a bunch of physiological info on myself, was getting these sweet (yet slightly creepy) MRI videos of my heart.

According to the doc, the first image is "a cross-section of your heart, with the left ventricle being the round chamber, and the right ventricle the moon shaped one" and the second image is "your left ventricle, with blood being pumped into the aorta (going to the body) on the upper right, and filling from the left atrium (from your lungs) on the upper left".

Image 1

Image 2

I know. Super rad.

UofA Tri Club Featured in Triathlon Magazine Canada

2009-07-15T00:09:00.004-06:00

(This is probably breaking all kinds of copyright laws, so hopefully no one sues me.)

The UofA Tri Club was featured in this month's issue (July 2009) of Triathlon Magazine Canada. Thanks Becky for making this happen and thanks Andrea and Darren for a great photo!

Canada Cup Canmore - June 20, 2009

2009-06-21T21:21:00.004-06:00

No Race Report Yet, Just Some Links.

Bridget is busy writing a very detailed race report (yeah, right). In the meantime, here are a few things to look at:

Complete race results are posted here.
My photos from the Elite Race are posted (in low-res) on our Picasa site here. Please mail me if you would like hi-res files of any of the photos.
A brief write-up, results, and some photos posted by Pedal Magazine.

Canada Cup: A note on racing Master Expert vs. Elite

2009-06-16T15:57:00.008-06:00

OK, so this is a contentious one, because to race as a Master (30+) when you could race as an Elite seems like sandbagging. Well, here’s what I think about that:

This issue affects me directly because:

I am a Master (30+) by UCI standards
I have enough points (as of the last ABA race) to license as an Elite

Normally, guys who are fast enough to race competitively with the Elites should do so. In the usual Alberta Cup circuit (where categories are broken down by ability), this one’s a no-brainer. If you have enough points to race Elite and your laps are fast enough then you should, no matter what your age. For the most part in Alberta, I think this happens.

To me, Canada Cup is a different story, and here’s why: because the UCI makes it that way. Elites are required to check-in for races 48 hours ahead of time. Sure, no prob...if you live near the race venue. The Edmonton Canad Cup doesn’t pose a problem for Edmontonians. But what about Canmore? All Edmontonians who wish to race Elite must now drive to Canmore on of before Thursday of this week in order to check in (that is, show your license to the commissaire and get your number plate). This requires driving to Canmore on or before Thursday morning and finding a place to stay in Calgary/Canmore for at least 2 nights before the race.

Now I ask: does this seem like a reasonable expectation for the average 30-something-year-old racer with a full-time job and potentially a wife and kids? I certainly don’t think so. It would seem to me that this UCI regulation is clearly geared towards racers without full-time jobs who have little to do during the week except travel from venue to venue and check in for races. It is absolutely unrealistic to expect most people to take minimum 2 days off work to attend every race.

This is certainly one reason (in my humble opinion) that a Master racer with a job and/or a family and/or a life shouldn’t feel the least bit bad about racing their age category for Canada Cup races.**

Lastly, we can chat about the nature of the race in which you will participate. For someone like me, a race with the Elites at Canada Cup is a much different race than a race with the Master Experts. In the Master Expert field, I would say that I race against* the top 5-7 racers in the category—any one of whom who could grab a podium spot at any time. In the Elite field, we would all be still racing one another closely, but for a finish somewhere around the bottom third of the field.***

So, now I ask the philosophical question: what is an racer’s obligation to race up if he/she knows he/she will be thrashed in the higher category, even though they know they are at the top of the next category down? I think this is an important question, as I’m sure if affects a great number of riders out there. Is it sandbagging to enter a race in Master Expert when you know you are likely to finish in the top 5 when you COULD enter the Elite field and race for the bottom third?
I pose that question openly, and I don’t profess to have an answer to it. So please weigh in with your own thoughts if you have any.

I grappled with this question prior to signing up for the Canada Cup and I actually didn’t fully decide until I saw the confirmation list of who was racing where. I decided that the racing itself would be better (more exciting, more fun, more friendly) in the Master Expert category than in the Elites (influenced in no small way by the fact that there would be three of us Hardcore members racing for some of the top spots).

* We can start an entirely different discussion about why there can’t be a second check-in location for Elite racers in..say...Edmonton for this weekend’s race (let’s face it, at least half the Alberta Elites are going to be from here anyway, not to mention that a whole bunch of the out-of-town Elites are likely still here after this weekend’s race.) But that’s another discussion. ;)

** Yes, in theory everyone in the field races against everyone else. But in reality, so long as everyone races reasonably within their ability level (ie. doesn’t explode), you are racing against the same 5-7 guys that you usually finish with.

*** Based on this weekend’s results (based on who I usually finish with in ABA races), the top three Master Experts this weekend would have finished (out of 34 Elite finishers) somewhere around 20th-25th. The field is pretty spread out in there, so I’m guessing that we all would have been close together in the results.

Sandbagging (a few definitions):

To downplay or misrepresent one's ability in order to deceive someone, especially in gambling (from Dictionary.com)
When a player in any game chooses (on purpose) to not play their best. Normally this is because they are too superior, they want to hustle you, or they are too lazy to play their best with nothing on the line (from The Urban Dictionary)
The definition on Wikipedia may be the best, but there's no way that I'll copy and paste it here.

But none of these definitions appear to fit perfectly how we use the term in cycling. I would suggest that definition number 1 is close, but not quite right. My suggestion:

To intentionally downplay or misrepresent one's ability in order to compete at a lower level for which one is obviously over-qualified

The key here is “for which one is obviously over-qualified.” I think in order to be a true sandbagger, you need to

Know that you are too skilled/fit/qualified for the division/category in which you compete and
Continue to do so (compete at a lower level) for the purpose of achieving success.
(optional) and do all this because you don’t have the gonads to show up and compete with your equals.

Sandbagging: it's just not cool.

Canada Cup Edmonton – June 13, 2009

2009-06-16T15:37:00.010-06:00

An All-Hardcore Podium in Master Sandbag...er...Expert

(Written by David; Photos by David & Bridget)

The weather was scheduled to be a bit too nice for this one, as the forecast was predicting temperatures in the high 20s. Thankfully, my race at 10am was somewhat more tolerable (I believe it was 29C for the 2pm Elite start). And without much rain in the last...well...month, we were primed for a dust-bowl.

I chose to race this Canada Cup as a Master Expert (more on this decision below...much more), largely because I thought the racing would be fun and competitive—especially after seeing Steve Martins (Hardcore), Mike Blennerhasset (Hardcore) and Pete Yez (Mud, Sweat, and Gears) on the confirmation list. And I was not disappointed. This race proved to be one of the best so far this season.

The paved road start was fast. And I mean fast. The guys took off and my first thought was “Oh crap. This one’s gonna hurt today.” Peter was off the front early and held that position for most of the first lap. Steve, Mike, and I didn’t catch him until the second feed zone, well into the lap. And even then, I couldn’t shake him for some time.

In no time, Steve was gone and out of sight. By the second lap, I knew we’d never see him again. That guy has some serious base this year and I just don’t think fading in the late laps is going to happen. So Mike and I raced most of the race together, sharing the draft on the flats and riding as smooth as we could through the technical singletracks.

The calibre of riding amongst the Masters is always high, and Steve, Mike, and Peter helped raise the bar again. I consider my technical riding one of my strengths and usually rely on it to gain a bit of time on course, but it wasn’t happening today against these guys. Whenever I pulled into the singletrack on Mike’s wheel, I would watch him gradually slide away from me.

Mike and I rode alone for pretty much the whole race, with the exception of the lapped sports and novices that we began to catch. With a men’s novice field of over 60 riders (which is awesome!), it was pretty busy out there. All thanks and props to the other riders on course though. Everyone (well...almost everyone) was very polite and made every effort to allow us to pass, often giving us cheers of encouragement as we lapped by. It was a friendly atmosphere and it made me appreciate NOT racing in the Elite field (not that it’s always bad in the Elites, but I’m sure Bridget will tell you a few things about it if you ask).

I had a small crash on the western loop of the course as I lost my rear tire on a loose corner. Nothing serious, but definitely left some good road rash on my leg. Showering hurts: like week-long feedback every morning reminding you to ride better next time. Yeah, I get it already. Sheesh. Thankfully, the skid-out (I won’t even call it a “crash”) didn’t cost me much time. I say “thankfully” because we didn’t have much room for error out there—less than we thought, it turns out.

Peter is a very strong rider and was always in the back of our minds. He has amazing endurance and always seems to finish races faster that he starts them. Every race against him, I’ve been impressed at how quickly he’s tracked us down in the late laps. I figured, going into the last lap, that Mike and I had maybe a minute on him. If it was that much time, Peter made it up, and made it up quickly. Heading out of the long rooty climb on the last lap, the course doubles back on itself a bit. Sure enough, there was Peter, maybe 30 seconds behind us. He said something to Mike and I like “Nice work hardcore!” I’m convinced that what he really meant was “Get moving boys. I’m comin’ for ya!”, but he’s way too nice to say that out loud.

The course finished on a long gravel road into a flat grass section and into a pure street sprint for the last few hundred metres. I was gaining a bit on Mike in these flat section on previous laps (mostly thanks to the 30lbs or so that I have on him, I think). So I figured if I could get into the road ahead of him, I could hold him off. If there was one thing I didn’t want, however, it was to have to outsprint Peter on the pavement (if you’ve ever seen Peter’s legs, you know why). So I figured I had to get moving, stat.

Peter’s arrival gave me a bit of motivation and I stepped up the pace a bit, with Mike still stuck on my wheel. I was lucky to get into the last singletrack ahead of him and was really lucky that he lost his rear wheel a bit on a sketchy corner. I came out of the singletrack a few pedal strokes ahead and held him off until the finish. Mike also managed to hold of Peter, but he was close. Another lap, and I think that guy would have put the hurt on us.

Crossing the finish line for second was a good feeling. And then I saw Steve. Man, the guy looked like he’d been done for 20 minutes, had a shower, drank a beer, and made a sandwich. Did the guy even race? At least he could look tired while I tried to gather my lungs off the pavement! Seriously.

In the end, it was a Hardcore sweep of the Master Expert podium, which was awesome. Overall, the course was excellent, the race direction was (again) very smooth and well executed, and the racing was fast, fun, and challenging. I’m looking forward to this event for 2010 for sure.

A Training Note

For me, this was the first peak race of my season. I was somewhat concerned heading into this race that, because I had been down with a cold for a few days a couple weeks ago, that I had peaked early for last race and was on the downward slide this weekend. Thankfully, that proved not to be the case. I was able to race the first two laps well into the 170s on my HRM (my race threshold is typically about 167), maintain for the majority of the race at threshold, and still ride the last lap and finish back up above threshold.

It was a good feeling to perform above my expectations, so that was exciting. I have a sneaking suspicion that Canmore Canada Cup next weekend wont treat me so well now that I’m decidedly beyond my peak weeks. I guess we’ll have to see how it goes. In the three days since the race, I have definitely noticed that I’m slower to recover, both in my cardio and my legs.

I’m especially keen now to evaluate my performance at my next two peak races for the year (Calgary half-Ironman in early August and CX Nationals in October). I’ve never followed a strict periodized training plan before, so I’m not totally sure what to expect. Certainly this race is encouraging, but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how the others go.

Links:

Full race results, another race report, and more photo links are on Bike Alberta are here.
Bridget and I posted our photos here.
Ryan Hidson posted some photos here.
Sheldon Smart made a nice video from the race.
The Edmonton Journal published a story about the race (just ignore the ridiculous photo of everyone running their bikes. Sheesh.).

Commenting Goes Public

2009-06-12T18:39:00.002-06:00

Just a note: we've changed our Blog settings so that now anyone can comment (that means you). Sorry it was so cliquey before--only letting registered users comment.

We're all about open access, so please go ahead and comment away. I'm sure you all are totally thrilled.

Dave Matthews Band - Big Whisley and the GrooGrux King (2009)

2009-06-11T12:16:00.003-06:00

It’s time for something completely un-cycling-related.

Translation: I’m procrastinating and don’t have another race report to write. But I just picked up the new Dave Matthews album, so I’ll give my opinions on that. I’m sure you all (well, all three of you) have been waiting with bated breath in front of your computers wondering when I was going to weigh in on the latest offering from the band that got me through my undergrad.

So, my review in a nutshell: it’s actually pretty good.

If you detect a tone of pleasant surprise there, you’re very astute. I mean, it’s not that I wasn’t expecting great things. DMB has a good habit of producing well-oiled, tight music that has wide appeal—almost to the point of making one sick.

Big Whiskey is the no different. It’s big band, big sound, and primed for big live jams. But it still makes for great stereo listening (which is a relief, as we can't all make cross-country commutes to DMB concerts anymore).

Highlights for me have to include the opening Shake Me Like a Monkey (though without the brass this track would fade into the background). As well, the final track You & Me is reminiscent of the lovingly honest tracks of DMB albums past. The wife is keen on this one too, so it evidently passes the “couples test”.

In short summary: for a reformed DMB fan this album represents a homecoming of sorts—like dropping in on your parents to find your favourite kind a peanut butter from when you were a kid in the cupboard. Or something like that. You know what I mean.

Now, if only Mr. Matthews himself could get back with the program: http://www.theonion.com/content/node/39670.

Iron Lung XC – June 6th, 2009

2009-06-09T00:32:00.013-06:00

Sunshine, Snow, Fast Cyclemeisters, and Open Water Swim Training

(Written by David; Photos by Amy Woodward)

Neither the weather forecast nor the bank of clouds masking the Rockies inspired confidence for the race weekend. The pillar of reliability known as Environment Canada was promising snow, rain, and freezing temperatures all weekend. Heading out of Edmonton, motivation was at a serious low. Even the sweet ride (the Hardcore team van and new trailer) wasn’t much consolation. We were primed for hypothermia, mud, crashes, and filthy bikes.

Even with impending pain and suffering on the horizon, a bunch of us Hardcore-ians piled in the van (Mike B., Jon B., Karen F., Bridget, and I) and headed to the race. Cam “McJedi” McKnight (ERTC) hitched a ride with us in the Hell-of-a-Delica. This was a pleasant surprise. First, I had someone with whom to chat about retro mountain bikes (there was an extensive conversation about the merits of Paul’s Love Levers and Kooka Cranks), breaking up the monotony of lame conversation about art, music, philosophy, and the intrinsic post-modern humanism in Snoop Dog’s rhymes, biatch.

Second, Cam’s attendance provided a inviting atmosphere to vent about the ABA to no end. Much to Jedi McKnight’s obvious delight, we covered just about every topic—from the Saturday vs. Sunday race-day to the intricacies of upgrade points and lap times. I think he was particularly glad to hear that the entire Hardcore team knew precisely why women’s road racing in Alberta was doomed to fail (if only they would listen to us!). If you have any criticism to add, Cam said he’d be happy to hear from you via e-mail. Please contact him directly at redirect_to_trash@albertabicycle.ab.ca.

Thankfully, by the time we arrived at the Canmore Nordic Centre (CNC) on Friday night, the weather was beautiful. If we were only sheltered momentarily in the eye of the storm, we didn’t care. We got down the business of pre-riding (which was dry and fast), eating dinner, and checking into the hotel.

We awoke on Sunday morning to a beautiful, if crisp, mountain morning. Apparently the weather gods were happy with us this weekend. With renewed enthusiasm, we rolled up the hill to the Nordic Centre.

The CNC has to be one of the best racing (and just plain riding) venues in the province (and probably in Western Canada). The terrain is fantastic and seemingly endless. There are numerous choices of beautiful singletrack, big technical descents, gut-wrenching climbs, and fast rolling doubletrack—all of which was included in the Iron Lung course.

I’ll admit my temporary disappointment at the exclusion of the coal chutes. Admittedly, my last encounter with them was about as successful as Obiwan’s final face-off with Darth Vader—a sort of resigned apathy to complete and utter defeat. It’s been several years since I’ve been on this race course and I was keen to meet the chutes again (but this time, I would be the master). But it didn’t happen. But it would have been awesome if it had. Which I didn’t. So let’s move on.

The Men’s Expert field (mine) was a decent size, as was the Women’s Elite (Bridget’s). Off the gun, Jon Benskin (Hardcore) took off with strength, leading the prologue lap and the first half of the first lap. Right on his wheel, I followed him into the first run down the Devonian Drop. The Devonian was in beautiful shape (see photos), thanks to a complete re-route and overhaul (thanks to Magi and the rest of the trail crews at the CNC!).

By the end of the first lap, I had settled into a small break with Kris Dahl (CMC/Bow Cycle). I’ve never raced with Kris and he proved to be a strong, well-paced, and technically competent rider—exactly the kind of guy you want with you in a mountain break. We swapped the lead in and out of the singletrack and shared the draft on the bottom flat stretches and up Georgetown (yeah…drafting up Georgetown…honest). Thankfully, the first two laps passed without much drama.

And then it snowed.

The snow wasn’t tenacious enough to stick on the ground or even cool things off that much, but it was just enough to make everything a little bit slick. Roots and rocks that we had floated over in the first two laps suddenly took on a more sinister appearance. Funny, when that stuff gets wet, it has a tendency to reach up and grab your tires, sending them (and your whole bike in turn) spinning and sliding in unpredictable (and often…uh….uncomfortable) directions. Very quickly, I felt like a complete newbie out on trail. On a course that demands technical proficiency, it was frustrating and exhausting to get knocked around that much.

It took about a lap before I made the mental adjustment to the conditions and cleaned things up again. But not before landing myself in a lake. And I’m not speaking metaphorically here. I landed in a freakin’ lake.

Coming down Devonian for the third time, I was feeling confident and comfortable—exactly the time to expect a big mistake. Despite riding the drop cleanly, I came out of it a bit hot and my wet tires lost what little traction they ever had on the ladder bridge and I came off straight into the pond.

Now, my feet were cold before this happened, but tolerably so. No more. Goodbye ego, hello Rocky Mountain glacier water. In knee deep and wide awake, I hauled myself out and jumped back on Kris’ wheel as quickly as I could. At least I provided some entertainment for the spectators gathered at the drop—gathered precisely to watch people do what I had just done. Vultures.

Maybe I had some subconscious guilt about missing the open-water swim training with the tri club this weekend. Maybe I was subconsciously sympathising with friends racing the lake Summerside Triathlon this weekend in 9-degree water. Maybe I was just yearning to hear the perfect C chord that my disc brakes emit when they’re wet. Whatever it was, I WANTED to get wet. Deep down, I wanted it.

As an aside, I’ll just say I wasn’t the only Hardcore-ian who went for a short swim on the Devonian. Both John Clark & Jon Benskin joined me on that one. Though Benskin curiously didn’t mention it all the way back to Edmonton. I had to hear it from his soon-to-be-wife (who is now, no doubt, officially in the doghouse). To add insult to injury, there were even prizes for people who went into the pond and I missed them. Weak.

Anyway…

My partner in crime, Mr. Dahl seemed to handle the arrival of the slippery conditions better than I did, keeping his riding clean and strong throughout the race. And that may have been the difference today between the top of the podium and the next step down, for Kris had a bit more left in the tanks coming into the last climb. He unapologetically attacked the last climb and dropped me like I was hot. Which I wasn’t. I was still soaked and I was cold. So he dropped me like I was, say, really cold. Dropped me like I was liquid nitrogen? Man, that’s weak. Anyway, you get the idea.

I made a brief attempt to keep with him on the attack, but I knew it was just for show. While my engine was good, my legs were done. The minute I stood up to hammer, my quads quickly informed me that I wasn’t going anywhere. So Kris took the win without challenge. Kudos to him on a great race.

From what I heard afterwards, the battle for third in Expert was also well contested. Jon Benskin held third convincingly for most of the race only to be caught by Peter Yez (Mud, Sweat & Gears) on the last climb. Once again, Peter proves his “wiley veteran” status and his late-race strength by stealing the last podium spot. Props to both Jon and Peter for another hard-fought battle.

Elite Women: The Bridget Update ('cause she won't write her own)

In her first race in Elite women, Bridget had a very solid day. She started hard near the front of the pack and stuck it all day. On the third lap, Pepper Harleton (Juventus) removed herself from the race (while leading the field) after a brief foray into exhibitionism after her shorts very nearly tore off entirely after a crash on the steep technical singletrack. Consequently, the women’s chase pack became the women's lead pack, racing for the win.

Early in the race, Bridget swapped the then-third spot here and there with Loni Klettl (Freeskool) as they suffered through the technical singletrack and Georgetown climb together for the first lap. Over the next three laps, Loni gradually pulled away, eventually catching then-second-place Trish (Deadgoat) and (after Pepper’s near-porn removal) took the win (yay Loni!). While slowly chipping away at the lead held by now-second-place Trish, Bridget ran out of race course, finishing in third place. (In doing so, she picked up her third podium spot in as many races, even after her Elite upgrade. Man, my wife is so cool.) Bridget attributes the performance to her new bike (the ultra light Marin Team HT, review to come soon). I think that’s modest. She rocked the house and I’m proud of her.

Other notable Hardcore finishes:

Karen Fedoruk took 2^nd in Novice Women (likely moving her up to Sport)
Mike Blennerhasset finished a very solid 6^th in Elite Men (easily his best performance against a very strong Elite field) followed closely by Andre Sutton in 8^th.
Steve Martins, in his 2009 North-of-49 season debut gets some tough-guy cred for breaking his crank spline while gapping into the singletrack at the top of Devonian. But that’s about all the glory for him on this day. (By the way, you should stop reading this blog and read Steve and Karen's instead.)
Peter Knight, also racing Elite, finished 12^th and landed himself a spot on the provincial team for the upcoming Canada Cups. Way to go Pete!
After what he described as a “bad day”, John Clark still took 7^th in his first Sport Men’s race.

Links:

Complete results on Bike Alberta can be found here.
Another (more succinct and better-written) race report on Bike Alberta can be found here.
Found this video on YouTube of the Devonian. Good video. See if you can spot me. (Here's a hint: I'm only in it for a split second, about to crash straight into the pond. You'll have to freeze-frame it to see me.)

Photos:

I haven’t found anyone with complete race photos posted, but please enjoy these few taken by Amy Woodward (thanks Amy!). These were taken at the bottom of the Devonian on the first lap.:

Perogy XC MTB Race – May 24th, 2009

2009-05-27T00:18:00.010-06:00

The View from Senior Expert

By David; Photos from Becky W. and Pat K.

Starting the Experts (us) with the Elites sowed the seeds of failure for me at this race. Those guys are fast. Or at least they’re fast off the start, because that pretty much all I saw of them.

Matt Krahn (Redbike) was the newcomer this weekend. Having decimated the Sport field long enough, he got his place in Expert for this race and quickly proved that he belongs not only here, but likely among the elites. Off the start, Matt made a concerted effort to stick on the elites for as long possible. I made on concerted effort to stick with Matt. It lasted about a lap and a half for both of us. By then, the damage was done.

Now, I know my limits when it comes to bike racing. My racing max heart rate is about 180. My threshold is about 167 +/- 2 BPM. I can maintain threshold for about 2hr30 before things go pear-shaped, and I’ll start cramping at about 2hr at threshold. In my humble opinion, that’s pretty good self-knowledge.

But that knowledge doesn’t do a lick of good if you don’t use it to your advantage. So when sticking with the elites put me at 173 BPM or so for the first 1 ½ laps (well above threshold), the reason-centres in my brain should have known better. But they didn’t. And I exploded for the second time this season. It was straight into survival mode after that.

I spent the third lap (of five) recovering from the first two laps. Just before the feed zone on the third lap, I had managed to drag my sorry self back close to the wheels of Matt and a few of the elites. However, a dropped bottle in feed ended that endeavour (100% my fault, so hopefully Becky didn’t stress about it), and I was safely off the back of the front pack for the remainder of the race. It seemed that, no matter what ground I made up in the singletrack, Matt would more than make up for it in the climbs and on the flats.

Enter Jon Benskin (Hardcore). My teammate. My friendly rival. Jon rode this race like we all should have—with patience.

I spotted Benskin not far behind as I rode the flats at the end of the fourth lap. By the feed zone, he was on top of me, and before the top of the first climb, he was out of sight. *Sigh* I’ll hear about this on the club rides too.

Jon put in an awesome effort (all race and particularly) on the last lap, putting well over a minutes on me and nearly 45 seconds on Matt before the finish. Patient, strong racing at its finest. I’m taking notes, so if you need me at the next race, I’ll be safely on Jon’s rear wheel for the first lap or two.

So overall, the Perogy XC proved another case of “Dave makes a mistake, knows he’s making it, but takes no action to stop making it” (see Velocity Road Race 2009 write-up). The lesson: know your limits AND race within them.

In mountain biking, there’s very little advantage (on most courses) to sticking on a wheel that you can’t realistically hold all race (contrary to road racing, where that might be your only chance). All this leaves me excited about the upcoming Canmore Iron Lung race. I look forward to another well-fought battle!

In the end, Jon finished in 1st with Matt 2nd and I clung on to 3rd. I don't think Bridget is that keen to write up her race, so I'll spoil the (not) surprise and mention that she convincingly won her second Expert race in as many weeks. ABA has since accused her of sandbagging and moved her up to Elite. (For the record, her lap splits would have put her on the podium in Elite also, so she should fare well with those ladies too.)

Once again, the race organizers and volunteers deserve high kudos. Results were fast and accurate again and the atmosphere was fun and friendly. Nice work ladies and gentlemen!

A special thanks to Pat and Becky for feeding most of the Hardcore team (and for the photos!) and thanks to the rest of the Tri Clubbers who came out to watch and cheer. You guys are awesome. When are you buying mountain bikes? Okay...'cross bikes?

Links:

Results are posted on Bike Alberta.
More photos can be found at Bike Alberta.
There are also some race photos and team results at the Hardcore website.

<-- Dave's Heartrate Profile

Bacon Buffet MTB Race - May 16, 2009

2009-05-20T01:32:00.025-06:00

All You Can Eat Bacon Buffet of Pain and Suffering

By David & Bridget, Photos from Becky W.

There’s not that much to say about this race. And that’s a good thing. Some days, things just go as planned.

Of course “as planned” implies that there was a plan to potentially follow. This being the first mountain bike race of the 2009 season, we really didn’t know what to expect. We knew that we’ve put in some good hours over the winter and that we’re mentally ready to go. But you just never know how the body will react on race day (never mind on season-opener day).

The start was ideal—an uphill start into a longer, wider section before diving into the narrow, technical singletrack sections of the course. The field was nicely spread out before this point, so no bottlenecking occurred. Jon Benskin and I got off the front at the start, only intending to get into the singletrack first to avoid jamming behind the slower technical riders. Over the first lap, the two of us helped each other and consistently put a small gap on the field.

Shortly into the second lap, Peter Yez (Mud, Sweat, and Gears) was the only we could see on the looping sections of the course. I had myself a weenie kind of crash on lap 2 while negotiating a slow but very loose corner. It also happened right in front of Benskin. No doubt I’ll be hearing about that one for a while at the club rides. In addition to the humility, it also left me half-covered in fine black dirt—a fact that didn’t go unnoticed at the lap-through by both friends and organizers. Thanks guys.

The end of the course was cursed, of course, with one of the worst climbs on the Alberta circuit. While not long, the “Houffalize Climb” is increasingly steep as you approach the top. Its toughest attribute, of course, is that it’s right beside the feed zone and start/finish area—nicely positioned to allow as much heckling as possible.

The first treat of the day was Jon calling his heart rate to Karen every lap near the top of the climb. For the first two laps I had the distinct pleasure of hearing Jon’s suffering—quantified and shouted loud and clear. Now, I knew that Benskin’s heart rate runs pretty high. But I had no idea. Wow. On average, he’s about 30 BPM higher than me.

The second treat of the day was coming through the second lap to find a large contingent of the U of A tri club at the top of the climb, cheering with encouragement. I can safely speak for Bridget, Jon, and myself when I say that it was absolutely fabulous to see friendly faces at the top of the gut-busting climb. Thanks guys for coming out and cheering. You were instrumental in Hardcore’s success on this day. We love you guys!

Meanwhile in the Expert Women’s field, Bridget was battling it out with Kelly Hall (Juventus). I’ll let her fill in here:

Sam Grover (newly acquired Hardcore teammate) and Kelly Hall made a quick break off the start line. It had been my plan to try and snag the front for the tech-ey sections but I just couldn’t keep up with those two off the start. I settled into a safe position in third and tried not to lose any more ground.

While maintaining my position in third I started to dwell on what they’d told us on the start line: if a racer eats five slices of bacon every lap then 10 minutes would be deducted from their finishing time. It was a repulsive thought, but the more I dwelled on it the more I considered it. I thought maybe I should join in the festivities, enjoy some bacon and perhaps make some time. I mean, it couldn’t possibly take 10 minutes to eat a total of 20 slices of bacon, but could it slow me down that much? There was only one way to find out. The other consideration was that I wouldn’t know if someone behind me had decided to take the challenge, so perhaps I should just go for it. That was the decision I made, “I’ll go for it.” After grinding my way up the Houffalize Climb for the first time I asked for the bacon. I shovelled one slice into my mouth and immediately realized that there was very little chance of me getting five down this lap, let alone 15 more over the course of the race. I ditched the bacon endeavour and set my sights on Sam and Kelly. A little ways away from feed I spat out the wad of bacon, I just couldn’t get it down. The Power Gel went down much more smoothly.

Somewhere during lap 2 or 3 I noticed that Kelly had taken the lead from Sam and that Kelly was pulling away. Then, I too passed Sam, encouraging my new teammate to push on as we continued through the singletrack. I continued to push for Kelly but I figured she had a good

minute lead on me. I just wasn’t sure that I’d be able to make that up over the course of one lap. Throughout the last lap there was a lot of positive self-talk. I had to convince myself that second wasn’t good enough and that if I didn’t keep it up the competitors from behind would be there. As I continued through the singletrack I realized that I was gaining on Kelly. That was all the motivation I needed. I came up on her on one of the last singletrack climbs. She moved over for me and that was it. I cranked it up to keep my lead but it turned out that Kelly had cramped up and was no longer a threat. I continued, driven by the fear of being caught but managed to maintain my lead.

Thanks Bridget for the report. Nice work out there!

The third highlight of the day was, of course, the results. Hardcore had (yet another) excellent day at the races. Bridget and I managed to win our respective Expert categories. Jon was eventually caught by Peter Yez but still had plenty of room to finish in a solid third in Expert, while our own Peter (Knight) took 6^th and Neil Johns, still in the top 10, took 9^th. Little John brought another Bronze for Hardcore in the Novice Men (John, when are you getting thrown of that cat so you can start beating the Sports?). Karen Fedoruk took 2^nd in Novice Women and Mike B. had a solid 5^th place in the Elite men. Kate Aardal also finished on the Elite Women’s podium with 3^rd place.

Serious props go out to the race directors on this one also. The event was well-organized, well thought out, and smoothly executed. The races started on time and results/awards were efficient and generally correct (the order anyway). This course and this race is one of the best on the Alberta circuit and I certainly hope it remains in the future.

The only note here is that the ABA seems to have just about everyone’s time wrong in the results. Within categories is all seemingly correct, but the total times for all the categories, with the exception of the elites, are incorrect. By the results, the entire expert field would have been well off the back of the elites. However, the expert leaders passed a sizable cohort of the elite field on course (while riding one fewer laps). This is bad news if you want to be upgraded, as ABA considers lap times when upgrading. This is good news if you want to sandbag, ‘cause the whole field looks slow.*

Thanks again organizers and nice work Hardcore-ians! See you all at the Perogy next weekend!

*As an aside, I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why ABA has so much trouble with race results. Especially at a mountain bike race, there’s really no excuse here. Don’t get me wrong, I have great respect for all the commissaires and I whole-heartedly appreciate the time and energy that every one of them puts in at the races. Without them, racing wouldn’t exist and (as racers) we all need to keep that in mind.

That said, there’s NO reason that road results should take over 2 hours to process and mountain bike race time should all be incorrect. These kinds of consistent results errors would simply not be tolerated in the running or triathlon community. But cyclists, on the other hand, seem to accept (and even expect) this. Maybe it’s time to outsource the bike race timing? Would chip timing remedy this? I doubt it, as it seems to be the results processing (not the gathering) that is at the root of the problem.

But what the heck do I know? I’m not a commissaire. Maybe I should just shut up and get a commissaire certification. But then who would race and write mediocre race reports? Right. The Speed Theory team. ;)

Links

The complete race results at the ABA can be found here.
You can find Bike Alberta’s race report here (with links to photos, videos, and results).

<-- Dave's heartrate profile.

Ironman Canada 2008

2009-05-14T23:27:00.005-06:00

So, this is my write up from the 2008 Ironman Canada. It was quietly tucked away on the UofA Tri Club website where there was no risk of anyone reading it. I decided to re-post it here so that the family can read all the gory details.

A note in hidsight: immediately after this race, I had zero intention of ever doing it again. It wasn't that it hurt too bad or anything. It was just exhausting, mentally and physically (mostly the training, not so much the racing). However, the more I think back on the race and realise that I have so much room for improvement, the more motivated I am to give it another go. The next chance is Bridget's however (and she's getting keen too).

As I said in the original post, I decided to write this up as an information source for people planning to compete in a long-distance triathlon event. Hopefully you can learn from my successes and failures on race day.

My original race report:

Ironman Canada 2008 - Penticton, B.C. - August 24th, 2008

It was a perfect day for racing: high of about 25C and mostly overcast. We got some light rain (with a few heavy moments) at about 2pm, but it was refreshing and welcome during the run (though I can't speak for the people who got hit on the bike).

The race started well enough. I was there a couple hours early (about 5am) to get body-marked, drop off my bike & run special needs bags* and go through my usual pre-race routine. I made the mistake of leaving my pre-race bathroom visit too late and got stuck in a huge lineup for the port-o-lets. I made the start on time, but only with about 5 minutes to spare. Just enough time to get some water into my wetsuit and stretch out with a few swim strokes before the cannon went off.

(*Special needs bags: First, I'm not a fan. They take too long to deal with out on course. However, for a long race such as Ironman, it's worth having some emergency rations. I didn't pack a run bag, relying on the aid station food and drink (that I had trained with all summer). In my bike bag I threw an extra tube, a CO2, and a couple patches in case I was plagued with multiple flats. I had 1 tube, patches, and a couple CO2s on my bike also.)

I started the swim well to the outside of the pack, about 100m off the buoy line. This means (after a lot of deep math) that my swim to the first buoy (about 1500m away) was actually about 1503m. Swimming a few extra meters along the hypotenuse is well worth it to be out of the fray. I still had plenty of swimmers to draft off for the first 1500m. Despite having thinned out a bit by the corners, they were still a mosh pit. The swim back to shore (about 1800m) was excellent. I found a good draft at just above my pace and stuck in. I exited the water in 1:08, got a good wetsuit strip, and transitioned to the bike quickly (no clothes changes) in about 5 minutes.

The bike was an exercise in conservatism. I was concerned about the run ahead (i.e. not confident enough in my running training), so I took the bike quite easy (too easy). Drafting was a joke for the first 5km, as the stream of riders was so constant that avoiding draft zones was impossible. This, of course, didn’t stop the race officials from barking at a few riders (who were admittedly taking full advantage of the busy course).

The first bike challenge was the climb out of Osoyoos up Richter Pass. This was probably my favourite part of the course. I’m a much stronger climber than I am a flat-course masher, so I gained quite a bit of time here without pushing too hard. The ride down the back side of Richter was fast and fun, though most riders seemed to be very (over)cautious on the sweeping corners. The out-and-back near the course half-way mark was the distinct low-point on the bike for me. The road here is rough, busy, and the wind kicked up quite a bit.

I was able to eat and drink frequently and adequately at the aid stations (about every 20km), so I barely ate any of my own food. I carried a few bars, lots of Cliff Blocks, a dozen Fig Newtons, and 3 bottles of E-Lode (electrolyte beverage – no calories). At the aid stations, I gorged on bananas, pure water, and PowerGels. I tried to eat the occasional power bar chunk, but it wasn’t going down well, so I abandoned bars altogether.

The next big climb is up Yellow Pass at about the 150km mark. It’s a beautiful, winding road at about 7% grade. Again, the climb was enjoyable and quick. My legs felt really strong on the climbs, but I was still sitting back quite a lot, conserving (over-conserving?) for the run ahead. This climb was made extra-fun by the huge crowds of cheering spectators, including my wife Bridget and a few friends (thanks Dan, Stefan, Laura, Jeremy, and Demitri!). The descent down yellow pass (and pretty much all the way into Penticton) was fast and fun. The corners are a bit tighter here and again most riders were being very careful. The last 25km into Penticton was a great chance to eat, drink, and relax before the run.

I got off the bike in about 5:50, feeling very good. I had another quick transition at about 6 minutes (including a full clothing change, Body Glide re-application, and a quick snack of tasty Gummie Bears. Leaving on the run, my legs felt better during this brick than any other race. Whether that was due to more brick training or a conservative bike, I’m not sure. I was just happy about it.

The first 8km of the run through Penticton was enjoyable and fast. I was running about 5:00/km, which was about 20 seconds faster than I had planned, but felt okay so I went with it. I didn’t carry anything on the run except a small baggie of E-Lode tablets (electrolyte-sodium tablets). The aid stations were roughly every mile and I was drinking water and eating bananas and Power Gels. I was running the mile between aid stations and walking while I ate and drank.

All was well until near the run turn-around where I made a critical nutrition mistake. My stomach was beginning to feel a bit full when I arrived at the 12.5-mile aid station. I decided to drink water but not to eat until the turnaround (assuming, incorrectly, that there would be an aid-station there at the 13.1-mile mark). The last half-mile to the turn-around is down a reasonable-sized hill into Okanagan Falls. When I saw there was no aid station, I knew I was in trouble.

In the few hundred metres before the aid-station I was starting to feel my energy dropping a bit. By the time I turned around (21.1km at 2:04) and started up the hill, I was crashing hard. I ended up walking the half-mile or so to the next aid station where I filled up on all I could eat before walking/running the next mile.

I think I was probably drinking too much water (and a bit of chicken broth) on the run which filled my stomach. At that point in the race (about 8-9 hours in), I was running purely off what I ate immediately beforehand. I had no energy stores left so when I didn’t eat at the 12.5-mile station, I hit the wall in a big way. It took me the next 10km or so to really recover from this crash. I was able to run the flats, but had nothing in the tanks for even the slightest grade uphill.

In addition, my legs began to cramp quite seriously at about the 30km mark. I haven’t been able to handle Gatorade on the run and evidently the soup and sodium in the PowerGels just wasn’t enough. My quads cramped so bad at this point that I actually did think for a moment that my race was done. Leg cramping is something that I’ve managed for years of mountain bike racing, but those are 2-3 hour races, not 11-12 hour races. Thankfully, I remembered the E-Lode tablets that I had in my pocket. In a totally un-tested move of desperation, I swallowed all 5 of them in one go. I figured that I already felt nauseous and was prepared to throw up if I needed to. If anything was going to end my race, it was my legs, so I risked it. Much to my amazement and relief, the acute cramping in my legs disappeared in about 30 seconds. It was one of the more miraculous moments of my racing career. I think I even laughed out loud about it on course.

The last 8km back through Penticton was much improved from the last 13km of race course. My legs cleared up and my energy levels returned. I wasn’t able to run for more than a mile or so without being totally nauseated. Luckily, the aid stations were split at just about the perfect interval and I was able to maintain my pace without ever being sick. I noticed for the majority of the run that I couldn’t even push my pace the slightest bit beyond comfort levels or my heartrate would soar through the roof.

The difficulties in the second half of the marathon cost me about 20-30 minutes on course (the worst positive split I think I’ve ever recorded!). However, I was able to finish the run smiling and feeling reasonably well. My goal time (the “if everything goes perfectly” goal) was sub-11 hours. My finish time was 11:36:27. I achieved my “realistic” goals 1) of a sub-12 hour race, 2) to finish on my feet and running, 3) to know honestly that I did the best I could on race-day and 4) to have fun and finish smiling.

Despite spending an hour or so in the medical tent, my post-race experience was fine. I wasn’t able to eat for a few hours (hence the medical tent visit). However, after I got a wonderful injection from the on-site doc to settle my stomach, I was chowing down on pizza and Gatorade (and much happier) within about 20 minutes.

In the week following the race, I recovered well on a regimented diet of coffee, beer, and just about everything I could find to eat. My muscles returned to “feeling normal” within a couple days. However, for the next two weeks even the lightest exercise or exertion seriously fatigued my muscles and spiked my heartrate quite a bit. Today (15-days post-race), was the first time that my legs actually felt strong again on my bike.

So there it is: the culmination of a year of dedicated training (and who-knows-how-many-years of base building). Thanks for reading this (if you’ve made it this far). Hopefully there’s something in this write-up that you can use to help yourself in your racing or training. Thanks also to all the people that helped and cheered on race day. You know who you are and I really appreciate it! It means so much to see friendly faces and hear friendly voices out there...especially when you’re only a short step away from rock-bottom.

Thanks everyone!

- David

Velocity Road Race - May 9, 2009

2009-05-14T23:18:00.007-06:00

Lessons Learned: A CAT 4 Perspective

I’ve been racing mountain bikes for a long time. I started racing cyclocross last year and I’ve even done a couple road crits over the years. Road racing, however, is brand new to me, and it has to be the strangest of the disciplines.

The 2009 Velocity Road Race was my first ever road race and (somehow, don’t ask me how) I ended up in CAT 4. Maybe the ABA thinks years of mountain biking and some decent cyclocross results means I know what I’m doing out there. I was happy to discover, while chatting during the rolling start, that I wasn’t the only totally green rider in CAT 4 on this day. A few others had just as much potential as little ol’ me to crash the peloton. Thankfully, we all remained unscathed on this day.

PART I – The Rising Action

The race started harmlessly but annoyingly enough—much like a club ride full of club riders that can’t seem to maintain constant speed. I found myself constantly having to stand up and accelerate to catch up, only to have to brake and slow down minutes later. Maybe this is the road racing norm for the pack. I hope not. That in itself is reason to attack off the start line.
Somewhere around the end of the second lap, three riders broke away from the CAT 4 group. I say “somewhere” because I totally didn’t see it happen. I did, however, hear a few of the Juventus guys chatting about “getting ready”. The mountain biker in me probably thought they were talking about bunny-hopping manholes or locking out their suspension, so I paid no attention.

The pack spent the next two laps trying in vain to catch the attack. Actually, that’s not quite correct. I would say that a half-dozen riders spent the next two laps trying while the rest of the peloton was content to chill in behind (and assumingly sprint for fourth place at the finish). Props to Mike B. (Hardcore) for putting in his time at the front and Travis (ERTC) for trying to bridge (albeit without much help). Good work gents.

The other Juventus boys, to their credit, did a fine job of helping their attacking riders by making sure the entire pack never got any structure. Or maybe it was a combination of the Juventus blockers and the apathy of most riders. Credit is due here to the Speed Theory guys and a couple of the Calgary Cycle guys—the only other riders with any interest in working to catch the attack.

PART II – Dave Gets Schooled

Maybe the rest of the pack knew we had no chance to catch the attack (but I don’t buy that). Maybe the rest of the pack was already maxed out and just trying to hang on (but I don’t buy that either). Maybe the rest of the pack was content to sprint for fourth place (I might buy that).
Whatever the reason, I decided that I would try to bridge all by my lonesome. That lasted about two minutes before the peloton was safely on my wheel again. I tried a couple times—sometimes with Speed Theory help, sometimes not—to make up some of the one-minute-lead that the attack had gained. Nearing the end of the last lap, I was working hard for no advantage whatsoever. I knew I was making a mistake by working at the front for so long, but in my hubris I thought I might build a slight gap into the last stretch. Yeah, right.

Any idea of catching the attack was gone. The Speed Theory boys were helping (meaning that they were making the same mistake that I was). There was a late and admirable sprint by a Juventus youngster, but he simply didn’t have the power to get away from the freight train behind him. None of us did. We just didn’t know it yet.

Coming around the last corner and into the last few hundred metres to the finish, I was still at the front and still optimistic. And then I stood up to sprint.

Nothing. Gone. Done. Kapow.

I heard the rhythmic whirring of the sprinters from behind and they flew by like trucks on the highway. And then it was over.

PART III – The Lesson

So what did I learn about road racing on this day?

First, the riders that ride strongest don’t necessarily win and, in fact, may orchestrate their own demise. In the peloton, the more work you do, the worse off you are (and this just seems wrong to me). At least on the mountain bike course when I put out extra wattage, I get closer to the guys ahead and further from the guys behind. Tactics aside, the stronger riders win mountain bike races. This doesn’t happen in road racing, and I’ll have to move ahead with that in mind.

For the record, my teammate Stefan Schreiber proved the exception to this lesson in CAT 5 as he crushed the field by four minutes in a solo attack. I guess when you’re that strong, you don’t need sly tactics. Kudos to the German.

Jon Benskin also had a great day as he won CAT 3, almost 2 minutes ahead of the peloton. I’ll let him write up his own race report, as I was a bit busy during his race). All I know is that he owes Ben Adam (Speed Theory) a beer.

Little John went down in the CAT 5 crash, but came out unscathed (his body, not his bike). It may have ended his race, but thankfully not his season!

Bridget represented Hardcore in the Women’s field and (in her own road racing debut) managed to have pretty much an identical experience to my own. She did way too much work at the front of the group, but still finishing in a respectable 7th place, only 10 seconds behind the winner.

I'd like to say that we're both looking forward to the next road race, but that would be total B.S. We're actually just looking forward to mountain bike season so we have an excuse not to road race anymore.

- David

Welcome!

2009-05-13T12:00:00.002-06:00

Hi everyone!

So, we set this blog up so we can post stuff about races, trips, and other events that keep us busy. It's not just another thesis-procrastination tactic for Dave (honestly!). Hopefully it's a place where our parents, family, and friends can stop by now and then to see what we're up to in the City of Champignons.

We'll try to keep a steady stream of postings and photos up here. But honestly, we'd rather be out riding so don't hold your breath (especially when the weather is warm and sunny).

Thanks everyone! We love you!

- Bridget and David (The Roders)