Ultra Amazing

What drives someone to travel 100 miles on foot?

What has to be inside a person to start running, knowing that for the next 24 hours or so he'll probably still be running? And how must this person's brain be wired to convince his body to keep doing what it probably isn't made to do?

I wanted to know, and so Dave and I volunteered to help at an aid station along the Burning River 100 Trail Race, which started yesterday at Squire's Castle in North Chagrin, and ended somewhere in Cuyahoga Falls this morning. Our shift was 2:00 AM until the cut-off at 6:22 AM.

Our aid station was situated at Everett covered bridge, at miles 80.8 and 85.5 (the trail here was a 4.7 mile loop, so we checked bib numbers as runners started the loop, and recorded their time when they came back out.)




It was a strange, subcultural kind of event. Family members and supporters in lawn chairs lined the bridge, waiting for the tiny little dot of a headlamp (or two, since many runners had 'pacers' with them) emerge out of the middle-of-the-night blackness. Some appeared strong and fresh, as if they maybe had been running for an hour or so. Many others seemed a bit worse for wear, but persisted at whatever pace they could sustain.






Some dropped out at that point, unable to face the final 15 miles and the prospect of another 3 or 4 hours of this brutality.

I give them ALL credit. They are amazing, incredible, and I would imagine a bit insane.

I for one, could/would never do anything like this, but I can maybe see why someone would. Or can I?

I have other friends who participate in ultrasport events:
- Tim Marks, who will be doing the AdventureCorps Furnace Creek 508 (508 miles of cycling through Death Valley and environs, with a 48 hour time limit) in October.
Tim's wife, Jill, and I rode a century together last February, in Death Valley, which looks like an average club ride in comparison...
- Susan Reed, an addiction counselor and recumbent bike rider who regularly logs 10,000 miles a year.
- Our friends Kari and Larry Newman, and their son Nathan who are riding across America (actually, I DO want to do this at some point in my life)...
- A bunch of Grunt Girls just recently ran the BT50K. I know lots of these gals embrace the ultrasport mentality.

So, what DOES it take to be able to do something like this?

• What's your motivation? Why do you want to do ultrasport?
• What keeps you moving when your body wants to stop?

Please submit your comments through this blogsite, if you don't mind.

Shifting into an easier gear...

I'm taking a break from racing for a while.

I was fortunate to be able to do the Tour of the Valley (Youngstown) road race last weekend, riding for my first time ever as a team with some very talented women (Nancy, Sara, Angie, Tiffany, Tiffany - you gals ROCK.) It was a huge learning experience for me, not only because of the team tactics (I'll save the particulars for another blog), but also from racing alongside women up through Cat 1/Pro.*

*Mostly, I learned that I have a LONG way to go if I ever want to be that good. I'm not even sure if I can ever be that good, but I know I'll have fun trying.

Anyway, the very next day was Akron Bike Club's annual "Absolutely Beautiful Country" ride (affectionately renamed by Bob as "Absolutely Brutal Climbing").

Tuesday I rode with SFW, a ride into unknown territory for me. No other "B"s showed up, and I would have lit myself on fire to keep up with the "A"s if a newcomer hadn't shown up to hold me back. Ended up having to find my own way around Bath/Yellow Creek. Of course, all the turns I chose led me up 15% grades.

So, I admit it: I'm tired. I think I need a break. Any riding I do between now and my Hudson Valley Ride is going to be small chainring, recovery pace (i.e. under 18 mph), and I'm not going to seek out hills just for the fun of them. Scout's honor.*

*Is Snowville considered a hill?

To get this laid-back party started, Dave and I went out on the Medina Ice Cream Odyssey yesterday, a flat-to-rolling 42-mile ride made all the sweeter by the stop at Hartzler Dairy for a cold and creamy treat.

Bob claims that that they didn't give him enough ice cream. I would argue that there's no such thing as 'enough ice cream'.

Dave poses with the Hartzler mascot

Dan & Tina

This Sunday is the Richfield Sweet Corn Challenge, and I'll be riding with Jackie, Dave, Gail and Mike ("fresh" off their Muddy Buddy adventure in Detroit), Tiffany from Tour of the Valley, and anyone who wants to join us for a leisurely 50-miler. And maybe a couple of Optional Horrendous Hills!*

*(I know, I know - but is Snowville really a hill????)

(P.S. Check out the Twin Sizzler blog for newly-uploaded photos).

Twin Sizzler Re-Cap

The starting line on Court Street, July 4, 2010

I did fine in the Twin Sizzler on Sunday: 1:15:16 for the 27 miles. Slower than I wanted, but I'm happy with those results.

Finished 3rd in the Expert women's category, behind two very formidable riders. Jane and Leah were fantastic. I hung with them all the way to the last 2 miles or so, when I came off the pull and just kind of fizzled.

Jane finished first in a sprint, Leah close behind, I'm sure, although I didn't see it, obviously.

Not to bitch too much about the Twin Sizzler particulars, but with the chaotic and completely FUBAR finishing results, I was quite perturbed to see that the RUNNER'S may actually have had some sort of decent timing mechanism.

Twin Sizzler Race Organizers: There were HUNDREDS of cyclists out on the morning of the 4th. PLEASE stop treating us like second class citizens! We'll dis you, I swear...

Congrats to John Perchinske on his FIRST race, ever! Many more to come, I would imagine.

Congrats to to Jackie (still smiling), Dave (Category 6, yeah!), Trish Mc, and the gals who raced with me: Nancy, Tina, Angie.

Trish, Me, and Tina - after the race, popsicles for all!

Thanks to Sara for her presence at the finish, and for taking photos that I'll never see because I'm opposed to Facebook... Next time, you're racing with us, Sara!

Pre-Race Jitters

Seriously, why do I still have mini panic attacks before a race? Especially Twin Sizzler, for the love of Pete! I keep telling myself, this is the most disorganized ride all year:

• There's no official timing, results and standings are simply the order in which you reach the finish line, and even then aren't always accurate.
• The course is weird. Motorists have no idea there's a race going on, road conditions are atrocious, the final sprint is over a set of deeply-rutted tracks. One year I got stopped by a train.
• The rules are subjective. Riders hop on to any pack they can catch and hold, regardless of category. I've watched groups of riders centerline on the busiest streets - risky and dangerous, and would result in instant disqualification in a 'real' race, if anyone were actually paying attention.
• And the award ceremony is at least an hour after the last cyclist crosses the finish, at which time everybody has already gone home, showered, napped, fired up the grill, and cracked open their first beer. Not to mention that awards are handed out in no particular order among all the runners and cyclists and ages and sexes...

And yet, I kinda like this race.

Already I have all my stuff laid out, ready to leave at 6-ish tomorrow morning. I got some last-minute repairs done today (thanks, Randy!), and I've got a race strategy.

For the first time in my life, I'll actually be riding with other girls, as a TEAM. A bunch of us Grunt Girls all signed up for the Expert category, and we plan on working together tomorrow.

Which gives me something brand new to stress out about:

How do we ride as a team?

Luckily for me, I've got the expertise of some of the other girls to fall back on. Even though we've never raced together before, I'm sure we'll do just fine and have a lot of fun doing it. (Of course, it would be great to have the GGR team make a solid first showing).

I can obsess about race tactics -- how long to take a pull, what to do if someone is hanging on to the back, how to respond to an attack, etc. -- but I've set that all aside for now.

That kind of stuff is what makes me really nervous. REALLY nervous.

So, I fall back on my own strategy: Set a goal.

In this case, my goal is to finish in 1:13:00 or better. (That's my race record, from 2007. See, I AM obsessed!).

Having a race goal allows me to push myself hard, work with my teammates efficiently, and not really worry about my standing in the pack. Hell, I could come in dead last in my category, but if I meet my goal, standings don't matter (they don't matter anyway - see bulleted list, above).

So there you have it: a cure for the pre-race jitters, and a reason to ride my bike as though I stole it.

Can't wait for tomorrow!

Why I like to ride with the guys

Tuesday and/or Thursday nights I ride with the Summit Freewheelers.

They're a racing development club, which means they attract a lot of young males with shaved legs and very, very expensive bikes. But even the 'older' guys in the group like to ride fast.

And then there are the women in the club. Oh wait, that would be me.

When I joined SFW 5 years ago, I was intimidated. Just showing up the first time took a lot of courage on my part. When the pack of 20+ riders rolled out of the parking lot, I hung with them for about 15 minutes before falling off the face of the earth.

I vowed to come back next week and hang on longer.

The next week, the pack turned up Everett Rd., and pushed the pace to 18 mph all the way up. I caught them at the top (OK, they stopped to regroup). Still gasping for air, I took off with them toward Hinckley and beyond. They rode like they were being chased by zombies. I watched them go.

I vowed to return next week and hang on longer. And to bring a map.

But I DO like riding with the guys, and here's why:

1. SPEED. We're riding on Riverview in a double paceline, and I look down at my computer and it says 28 mph. And I'm not pedaling.


2. SKILLS. I've learned how to ride in a pack, avoid road obstructions, and corner at high speed. I've learned to anticipate the sprint and try to respond to it. I've learned that when I think I'm ready to give up, I can go longer - and harder. I've learned to hang on.


3. MOTIVATION. There's nothing like being 20 miles from nowhere, pushing hard to keep up with the group because if I get dropped I've got no idea where I am or how to get back. (Oh yes - necessity is a mother...)


4. NEW ROUTES. I get to ride to places I wouldn't have known about otherwise. And still be back before dark.


5. NO WAITING. At least, I'm not waiting for anybody. I can't say the same for the guys...


6. POWER. Taking a pull at the front - even if it's short - is an endorphin rush.


7. CONFIDENCE. The fact that these guys don't leave me in the dust is kinda nice.


8. PERSEVERANCE. I've had to learn to set aside some inhibitions, insecurities, and indecision - as well as some delusions about my own abilities.


9. QUADRICEPS. Riding with the guys requires that I push my own physical limits, every time.


10. TESTOSTERONE. Do I mind being the lone female rider in a group of guys? What do you think?
    

Gals - if you're looking to shake up your riding routine, come on out for a club ride with SFW! You won't be disappointed.

Selene Yeager, Bicycling mag's 'Fit Chick', has lots to say about this topic, too (click here).

Twin Sizzler Training Ride

Just a few photos from our ride yesterday morning.
Group shot: Andrea, Kim, Trish, Stacy, Me, Tina, and Jackie. Sara started off with us, then had to rush off to a mountain bike race, so she's not in the photo. Then she had another event later in the day. Sara is on FIRE!





Dan and John were our token guys along for the ride. It was great to have you guys join us!




So, who's all in for the Twin Sizzler race on the 4th of July? (Tina and Dan tell me that the pancake breakfast is REALLY good, too.)

RECOVERY: Go out and play!

One of the hardest workouts for most cyclophiliacs and other athletic types is the RECOVERY DAY.

Why are we so reluctant to take a day off from our workout routines? Is it because we still haven't left the 1980's, when 'No pain, no gain' was our mantra? Do we really think we're going to lose all of our fitness if we decide to bag a workout?

I've been following a lot of training philosophies since my Jane Fonda aerobics videotape days. Thankfully, fitness science really has evolved since then.

Trainers like Phil Maffetone, Chris Carmichael, and Joe Friel (my favorites - I'll write more about them in the future) emphasize the critical nature of rest in any training plan. And I have to admit, the older I get, the more important recovery days become, not only to ward off injuries, but also to reap the most benefit from my training.

Personally, I like my recovery days. They let me take guilt-free time off from riding or running, and allow me to indulge in other fun things like working out in the yard or walking the boys or going out with friends.

Here's one of my secrets: I always take off at least two days before an important event. Prior to Double Duathlon Weekend, my last training session was on Wednesday, and it wasn't a hard workout, either. (Yes, I know I did a duathlon the day after a duathlon, but that was because of the planning capabilities of the event organizers - not my choice).

Monday and Tuesday were both recovery days for me, because of the intensity of the back-to-back workouts and because my life was pretty much consumed by race preparation stuff the entire week prior. In fact, I started 'recovering' early, with a celebratory Cucumber Margarita at Momocho!

Recovery doesn't have to mean 'no workout', either. It just means 'easy'. Leave the heart rate monitor at home. Go out and play.

My favorite recovery workouts:

• Walk with the boys or hike in Bedford Reservation
• Ride my Rockhopper on the Canal Towpath, preferably with Jackie and Dave, preferably with the Winking Lizard in Peninsula as a mid-point ride destination.
• Running, at a slow pace, on the Hike and Bike trail
• Yoga! I like the classes at Namaste Yoga Studio in Sagamore Hills.

What are your favorite recovery day workouts?