Training Log Archive: Mr Wonderful

Work was too busy, so I finally rode over to the bike shop in Canton to pick up my new mountain bike tires. While there, I grabbed a shock pump, some tire sealant, and one somewhat rare item....mtb chain.

Then took a slightly longer way home with some gravel and some through-park shortcuts.

I went back to the trail where my compression? lever fell of my shock, hoping to see it. No luck. It didn't help that:

* it's dime sized
* I don't remember exactly where I heard the noise
* rain knocked down a bunch of new leaves
* A single touch of another wheel could have careened it off trail

I am, however, now grateful that I didn't land in glass.

It's been too long, I forgot just how awesome this place is.

w/ my neighbor, who was the fast father from GYB. Turns out he lives like 1.5 dozen houses down. Nice guy, would be good to add to the roster. He's looking for a C burg 10 hr team if anyone has an opening. He is in the Nicholson ballpark for fitness, at least of 2019.

Standard lunch route.

Seems the crash may have tweaked the rear shock locking lever, which fell off somewhere on the trail. :(

No other harm done this time. I was able to push a few hills, which was nice. Napping with Harvey beforehand probably helped!

You ever have not much going on at work, so you take your late lunch on your MTB, and that is the one time someone calls all day for something urgent?

And then the software that was supposed to be done in February, is still broken and needs another week of calibration and then another week of testing?

C • I put it on my calendar as ... 2

Congrats to Scott, the fastest on AP, and Peng, 5th.

C • and here was I wondering wh... 8

My time finally came, in the form of hubris. Bike was feeling good, I had more watts, thought I would try to get a decent run through the Newburgh Lake section, only I misjudged a turn slightly and clipped a tree. The bike went left and down, I went straight and out. Slight scuff on arm, medium scuff on knee. I need to dial it back or figure out how to turn that bike just a bit more.

I could tell even grabbing some laundry this morning that I was down on power today, not like yesterday when everything was okay. I did roll over and was awake for a while, I should try logging sleep for a correlation.

128 w, 69 rpm. Ran out of time for a lunch time crack at single track.

Event: 2021 Spring Kensington
 

Took Harvey on his first White course.

Pre race, he had a banana.

We cleared and checked. He punched start. On the way to #1, he said he needed to eat a bar, so he ate a bar. Mike Keating caught us at #1, and Harvey would consistently be concerned for the whereabouts of Uncle Mike for the rest of our outing.

A family also passed us, and Harvey was concerned when that little girl turned off on Yellow.

Harvey got to pet a horse at #4!

I did carry him down the narrow slippery trail leaving #5.

Harvey got hungry en route to #6, so he ate my bar.

Harvey made a pit stop just before #7.

Harvey seems to have enjoyed himself.

C • Love this! 4

Super fun GYB, this year with Cris.

As is my custom, I will often do points sequentially, as that's easier to keep track of.

Go! We jog to #1. I accidentally trip on a dead branch, and it flips up and nearly impales Barbara. Sorry!

We are pretty good through this section. Also as is our custom, we end up several spots back, but we have some idea of our all day abilities and trust they will come back.

On to the bikes! We make decent time. I don't see red, although I'm slow up the back road. We have a minor wait at the light, but thankfully someone else had hit the crosswalk button. We maneuvered ahead here, then tried to reel in some family teams. This section is good for passing so not too bad.

The uphill in the single track got me up near redline. I was worried. But I was okay.

Then onto Old Planck and then Dawson. One of the mild hills on Dawson shoved me up into the high 160s and that didn't feel good, so I eased back. Thankfully there was not too much biking so I was able to keep going.

Ended up with a decent but not unbearable wait to recross Milford Road. Then in my exuberance, heading to the group camp, I forgot to punch 9, but we fixed that up. Then in Ken and Karl's exuberance, they overshot the group camp, and Cris was swept up in their energy, so I calmly parked and yelled a bit.

We opted to do this trek in order, since it makes things easy to keep track off. No real troubles here, other than trying to decide to river cross or jog around for 15-16. I couldn't figure out if the flood zone was solid or not, and then couldn't remember how deep, so we went around. Not terrible on 1:7500 anyway.

Then onto the boats! We saw Barbara and Todd headed to #16, so we knew we had a little margin, but would have to push hard to hold them off, especially if I went red again

We reeled in some of the single bladers and got through the paddle right on pace.

That opened the door to a probably clear of the final trek. We again went with sequential. #30 was confounding, maybe there is a case for that 2nd. But we saved it for the end.

We made good time, with no big bobbles. Brad from Thunder Road was HOT on our heels. He cause us at 24, Cris and I went cross country to 25, he went around, again just behind us. We went straight to 26 (well, almost, I drifted in the scratch a little), he came around, again, right there! We flew through 27, but I misread the open area a little at 28, and dropped below and came up. 28 was the source of all leg scratches. We didn't lose much time. I tried to be stealthy but Brad saw me again! (Plus he's well skilled, so it's not like I was going to make a difference).

We really thought he would reel us in on the uphills to 29, and then over to 30, but we must have had just enough lead to keep him from pushing. We walked the final hills but jogged all the flats and just held him off.

C • Congrats on a great race! 2

Wheelie mojo is coming back. #2 today was 1000'.

HR seemed stupidly high for the perceived effort. I didn't get perfect sleep, but that can't be all of it? I even ate closer to parity yesterday. :-|

Not much wheelie mojo either, although back tire was a little down so maybe that was a factor.

I took today off to relax and prep for a 9 am interview tomorrow. Also, to pack a little for GYB. And to see if I own anything dressy enough anymore or have to run to the store.

Power's not all there, but enough for GYB, especially as the Edge shorted me 10% versus the bike computer or Apple Watch.

Trying for as much sleep as possible this week to optimize the chance of the right one of Jekyll or Hyde to show up on race day.

117 w, 68 rpm

100 w, 63 rpm

Tough week for work/exercise balance, but fingers crossed home stretch.

I usually sleep spectacularly, but haven't been the last two weeks. Bolt awake at 4:15 or so.

Cut short for two reasons: work and then HR seemed oddly elevated, not sure why.

Part II, after a break for work.

Event: 2021 Spring Brighton Rec
 

Honest effort per HR, just not a great pace for the exertion. I blame my belly and not figuring out MeOS start list import until after midnight

Great course, not terrible other than 6 where I parallel errored my short cut, parallel errored my trail exit, assumed I overshot when I undershot, found other credible rootstock (not topographically), realized I was a marsh off then fixed it.

Also...sub 230 woo woo. I'm sure that will bounce back but it's at least directionally correct. I hesitate to say "sub 200 Ludington or bust", since at the rate I've been going, it would be nothing but explosions, so I will instead say "not this much by September".

C • Thank you for helping! 1

Red - Splits

I think 87 starts for tomorrow, pandemic boost continues. Numbers jumped up 60% on Friday alone.

110 maps needed (before cushion).

71 rental sticks being assigned, versus 90ish available.

115 w, 67 rpm