My First Race

Hello,

I participated in my very first bicycle race on Sunday, March 29. It was called the "Piece of Cake Road Race" and was sanctioned by OBRA, the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association. I raced as a CAT 5, the lowest level possible. I could have raced as a "Master", meaning over 40, but I chose to race with all ages of rookies. I had a great time and finished 9th out of about 40 who started.

What I was happiest about was my ability to stay on the wheel of some of these guys who had a lot of racing experience. I was never dropped. I did a lot of work at the front of the pace line and even had another rider thank me for all of my work at the front. There was a pretty bad crash involving several riders right in front of me, but I was able to react and avoid crashing myself. I had the wits to immediately accelerate and put a large group behind me, thus joining the front runners. I think I could have finished a little higher if I had made a stronger move at the "One Kilometer" flag.

I never imagined that I would start racing bicycles, but I had such a good time I have decided to continue doing it. Tuesday nights from April through August, OBRA hosts racing at PIR. the racetrack near the airport. So I will use those races to increase my possibility of actually finishing the Race Across Oregon in July, which is what all this is about.

I did about 30-40 minutes of yoga after the race and felt great later that day and the next. I took the following day off from training (it was an off day with or without the race) and hit the trainer this morning. I must say I felt fantastic this morning. The yoga as a recovery jump start is so effective I wonder why every bicycle racer in the world doesn't make it a focus of their training. I had no sore spot anywhere but the insertion point of my hamstrings, behind my glutes. And a good round of Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana (pigeon pose) done Yin Yoga style did the trick there.

Now, I am off to bed for another 5 AM start in the garage, on the trainer. I can't wait for the weather to improve enough for me to do the majority of my miles outside.

Bye for now,

Namaste,

Jim

200KM in the Bag

Hello,

I finished the Seattle International Randonneurs 200KM "Chili Feed" brevet on Saturday in 8 hours, 35 minutes. I cut an hour off of my best time from last year, but finished well behind my target time. I either seriously underestimated the course, or seriously overestimated my fitness. Probably both. Still, I am pleased with my improvement over last year and with my numeric result of being the 13th rider in out of 118 who started. Even if you remove half of those other riders from the formula (as noodlers), I feel pretty good about my result.

The key is "pretty good". I am not satisfied with my fitness or my time. This ride really showed me that it is time to start the next phase of my training. I will now work on continuing to increase my endurance while really focusing on leg strength. My aerobic condition was above average, but I suffered on the climbs. I was dropped by two guys riding in a pace line and I didn't want to be dropped. I tried to stay on their wheel, but I couldn't. The lead rider commented that it took them a long time to catch me, but they caught me and I was dropped. I did hold my own in a six-rider pace line, taking my turns on point and, if anything, upping the pace when it was my turn. But I got dropped on that climb and I didn't want to get dropped because I knew a control was coming up and I wanted to hang with them until the control. And I got dropped.

Back on the bike.

Namaste,

Jim

The First Brevet of the Season!

Hello,

Tomorrow is the first brevet of the season for me. I am riding the annual Chili Feed 200KM with Seattle International Randonneurs. There are over 90 people signed up. I have never ridden with SIR but I have heard they are very well organized.

I am leaving today and staying a world renowned resort known as the Kent Howard Johnson's. I am hoping to use this as an early season benchmark for my training. I want to finish in less than seven hours. My only 200KM time last year was 9'36" or so, so 7 hours would be quite a difference. I am in much better physical and mental shape for this now, however. I know much more of what to expect on a 124 mile ride.

I will report back upon completion.

Namaste,

Jim

The Ride Up Newberry

Hello,

I finally got out of the garage today. I had an unexpected day off and decided to go on a ride OUTSIDE. The weather was gorgeous, but cold. I added an extra layer of wool and was out right after Emilia went to school. 36 degrees F. according to my bike computer.

I warmed up from my house on Mt. Tabor to the I-84 footbridge at the transit center in Hollywood. From then on I pushed myself as much as felt good. I ended up having a great ride and would have cut quite a bit off my best time for this particular route had I not flatted right after using the men's room at the MAC (where I work). I still did quite well, flat or no flat.

The most difficult stretch of this ride is Newberry, a hill a little over two miles long than runs about 10% grede, with a couple sections that are around 15% grade. After doing this hill I could really feel the effects of the yoga and the time on the trainer in the garage. I finished Newberry and felt fresh, strong even. There are plenty more hills after Newberry, but it is the real test. After feeling so lousy during and after my last garage workout, it was nice to feel so upbeat after something so hard.

The total ride was right at 40 miles, but the climbing is what made it a workout. Forty miles on the flats is not that hard once you have done it a couple times, but throw in 3500 feet of climbing, including a section of 10-15% grade and things start to get a little tough.

After I got home, Caroline and Carrie were out, so I did about twenty minutes of recovery yoga and took a shower. I was hoping that the good weather would satisfy my spring fever, but it has only made it worse. I can't wait for the next nice day that I can get out and ride. I plan on doing a 100 miler. But no Newberry.

Namaste.

Jim