First Snow of the Year!

The first snow at the resorts usually happens around this time of the year and every year I hope its a sign of things to come.  But I've learned it means very little in terms of how much snow we'll be getting or how early the resorts will be opening.  Really, I don't start praying for snow until the middle of October.  Any snow that falls before that always seems to melt anyway.  Still, I can't help but get excited to see the white stuff up high.

Snowbird Web Cam 9-25-12

Snowbird Web Cam 9-25-12

Enjoying the Color.

The changes in the seasons in Utah are amazing.  This is one of the things I love about living here.  Just when I start to complain about the summer being long and hot, things change.  First, you notice the darkness.  Getting up for your early morning ride feels even earlier due to the lasting darkness.  Then, you start to notice the ever cooler air as you try to get warm at the beginning of your ride.  Last, you begin to see the beautiful colors. Beginning on your rides up to the tops of the canyons but quickly they work their way down to the lower valleys.

Now, the colors are almost at their peak in the mountains.  I got so see them up close going up Butterfield and Alpine Canyons this past week.  So pretty.

The Road up Butterfield Canyon 9-22-12

Panoramic View of Butterfield (my hands were a bit shaky)

What To Do Now?

I'm feeling somewhat lost in my training now.  Though I was not to be focused on one particular race this year I have found that Lotoja gave me a purpose and goal that was easy to train for because you knew that if you didn't you would be in world of trouble.  I also feel a sense of relief.  I don't have to be riding for a purpose except to have fun.  I can ride whenever and wherever I like.  I don't have to worry about peaking or tapering.  If I feel like riding up Little Cottonwood I can.  f I feel like taking it easy, no problem.  There is a definite sense of freedom now, but still I feel somewhat lost.

I was back on my bike on the Monday after Lotoja just to do an easy spin-out of the legs.  I could feel a bit of knee pain but for the most part I felt good.  I didn't get back into full rides until later in the week and now I'm back to riding ever day feeling great, but like I said, with no real training plan in mind.  Really, I guess my plan is to enjoy the good weather while it lasts, ride the canyons with the amazing fall colors, and wait for the snow to come.  (In fact, I had a skiing dream last night, and it was all in Italian.  It was awesome.)

With my training this year I think I peaked a little too early.  I think I rode perfect as far as distance and climbing where concerned but I don't think I got the timing just right because by the end of August I was feeling a little tired.  Next year I'm going to try to hold myself back at the end of winter/beginning of spring and time my training schedule a bit better.  It's hard because of the lack of riding you get during the dark winter and riding the rollers can get boring but I'm going to try.

One thing I've decided to do is change my set-up of my bike a little bit.  It's not a big deal but I figure now is the time to do it, with plenty of time for my body to adjust.  Below are pictures of the before and after set-ups.  Can you tell the difference?

Besides the fact that I have a new saddle, which I changed months ago, there is something different, and I'll give you a hint.  It has to do with the stem.  Yes, I flipped my stem so that it is angling straight instead of up.  This puts me in a more aggressive, aerodynamic position.  It's also a little bit more of an uncomfortable position, but so far so good.  Like I said, I have plenty of time to get used to it. 

Lotoja 2012 Report Part II

Looking back at the different feed zones I was pretty lucky.  Earlier in the year I had convinced Jen to be my support in this race and she reluctantly agreed but she really didn't know what she was getting herself into.  I didn't really didn't know what she was in for either, I'd never done it before but I admit that I had a pretty good idea that it wasn't easy from what I had read from previous years.  I may have downplayed that fact a little and it was probably good I did.  I don't know if I could have convinced/coned her otherwise.  Apparently it's pretty crazy trying to get in, park, find your rider and be prepared with all that you need.  Once she witnessed this at our first stop she realized that it would take all of her fighter pilot skills to make it to the next two meetup points.  Even with her amazing skills she admits that it took a lot luck for us as well.

Once outside Montpelier I began my treck up Geneva Pass, the next major climb.  My stomach began to hurt at this point from the sudden intake of food and I wasn't feeling my best.  I made it up, and my legs felt good though my stomach hurt.  It was the next climb up Salt Creek that just about killed me.  As I approached the foot of this climb I remember feeling drained and tired and that the sun seemed to be really beating on me.  That's when it dawned on me that with all my excitement getting ready I had completely forgotten to put on any kind of sunblock.  It was now later in day and though I hadn't really noticed up to that point but I'd been riding in the sun for hours now.  I was sure this couldn't be helping my energy level and I wondered how I could get a message to Jen to bring some to the next stop.  The problem was the next stop was still far away and I I'd better get some on right away.  I began looking for anybody on the side of the road who might have some and after asking the first person I saw she was able to hook me up.  I was grateful and quickly got back on the road.

My energy was at an all time low at this point.  I really struggled up this climb and watch as many people passed me.  I've heard people talk about their "dark time" on this ride. The time you start to loose strength and hope and your mind plays tricks on you and you think you're not going to make it.  I never considered giving up but I knew this was my dark time.  I thought that if I can just make it over this climb I'd be able to recover on the way down.  It did worry me that I was already at my "dark" time in my ride and I was just about half way through.  I slowly made it up the last steep portion of the climb and stopped at the neutral stop at the top.  I quickly ate as many oranges as I could and I couldn't get enough of the swedish fish they had available.  I knew I had lost a lot time going up that climb so I tried to hurry and not linger too long.

Once down the other side of the mountain I began to feel much better and recover.  I found a good group to work with and stayed with them all the way into Afton, WY., our next feed zone where I would hopefully meet up with Jen.  As I rode into the area I once again was met by Jen's voice calling for me and she was  ready to give me what I needed.  I thought to myself, "man she's got this down, like she's a pro."  Little did I know that she had just made it by the skin of her teeth, and basically got there at the same time I did.  She didn't mention this to me at the time as to not worry me.  Jen took this short clip of me rolling out of Afton.  Man, did I feel better at this point.

Afton to Alpine was pretty uneventful really.  I just rode as hard as I could and joined up with as many groups as I could to work with along the way.  I was making much better time and I felt much stronger.  With this stretch of road you have to be careful of the rumble strips, and do you best to avoid them, but you learn to time your pulls so you don't have to ride over them.  I remember thinking how pretty Star Valley was at one point and how it was a shame that I wasn't looking around much to enjoy it but with so many miles to get through you sometimes have to zone out.  It's actually a part of biking that I enjoy, being able to focus inward and think.

After a while we reached Alpine and my final feed zone to meet up with Jen.  It was only about 47 miles to the finish at this point.  Jen was there once again all ready and willing and I was grateful.  Jen mentioned this time how I must have been going really fast because she barley made it in time.  I think she was just trying to make me feel good about myself, but I did kind of get a sense of how much this was a race for her as well.  She seemed pretty happy that she was able to beat me there.  Jen mentioned to me to be careful because she heard that someone crashed and went over the bridge into the Snake River at Hoback Junction about 20 miles ahead.  I told her I would and I was off.

At this point you climb up Snake Creek Canyon and into Jackson.  It was so beautiful and dramatic with the big Snake River flowing out.  I did a quick stop at Hoback and with 27 miles to go I realized that I was probably going to make it to the finish.  It was now a matter of making my goal of under 11 hrs.  I knew it was going to be close.  I passed over the bridge where Jen had told me someone had crashed and fallen into the river.  I remember thinking that it probably wasn't true because "nobody could have ever survived that fall."  I also remember noticing how low the guard rail was and how easily someone on a bike could fall in.  It broke my heart to find out on my way home the next day that it was true, and that the guy had died.  The road was a mess during this stretch and there were people on the side shoulder telling everyone to slow down and be careful, but I still didn't really think it happened.  Thinking back, I'm glad I didn't know because it would have messed with me pretty good on that final stretch.

Coming into Jackson was a pretty ride.  I'm sure it would have been more so if it weren't for the wildfire that was burning up along side the road.  Right where the fire and the road met we turned left through some beautiful country toward Teton Village.  I road with a group that pushed it hard.  I enjoyed the strong pace and stayed with them all the way to the finish.

My timer said I finished in 10 hrs 54 min. but my official time says 11 hrs 5 min.  I had better go with the official time.  I felt good at the end.   I did much better on the last 100 miles vs. the first 100 miles.  This is something I will remember in the future.  No major pains and I still felt strong.  I had no flats the entire way and my bike ran smooth and quiet all day.  I later learned that the earlier start groups had over 200 people flat just before Preston due to some Goat Head thorns in the road.  This made me feel lucky that I had got a later start time.  The thorns seemed to have gone by the time I passed.

Jen had made it to the finish line to watch me cross and I was again very happy to see her.  I thought that the finish line had the same sort of excited feeling that the start did, which made for a fun atmosphere.  We then checked into our hotel and went to a cool italian restaurant for dinner in Jackson Hole called Nani's.   I ate like crazy and couldn't seem to drink enough water.  Over dinner we made plans for next year.

Lotoja 2012 Race Report - Part I

Maybe it's because this was my first time and maybe it's not always like this.  Maybe I'll have to do it during a snow storm or with major bike problems in order to get the true feeling of surviving.  But I thought Lotoja was actually a lot of fun.  200 miles in 1 day is a daunting task and I do feel a big sense of relief to be done but I had so much fun.  It worries me a little bit that it was so fun.  Maybe I didn't push myself hard enough? (though I did suffer.)  Maybe next year won't be as much fun?  I know the weather could never be better.  Is it all downhill from here?  I hope not.  One thing I know is that there is a lot of room for improvement as far as my own personal performance goes.  I'm already thinking about ways I could have been faster. (i.e. less time at feed zones, less feed zones, pedal faster, etc.)  I'm not unhappy about how I did personally but I think I can do better.  My main goals for this first time were to finish and to finish under 11 hours.  We'll I finished, and my official time was 11 hrs 5 min. so I'm calling that close enough.  Overall, I'm happy.  On a more somber note, I was really sad to hear about the cyclist who died on this ride.  My heart goes out to his family and friends.

This is how my race went down:

Once in Logan we went to packet pick-up.  It was easy and quick, just like it should be.  We then wondered the staging area before heading to Randy and Nicole's.

I stayed at my Uncles and Aunts house who live in Logan and they were very gracious hosts.  They fed us a big pasta dinner, helped us prepare food for the next day, and even gave us their bed for the night while they slept downstairs with their kids.  A big thanks to them.

My start time was 6:58 a.m. in the Men's Licensed Cat 5 Group.  I was a little worried about the late start time compared to the other starting groups just because I would have less time to finish.  But, it turned out to be a blessing in the end.  After getting up around 5:15 and eating breakfast and packing up our gear we were off to the start line only a couple blocks away.  It was just getting light and I was grateful for that because it's always more fun, and safer to ride in the light.  I was a little nervous.



Once at the start we only had a little bit of time to joke around before they called my start group up.  Then we were off.

I was impressed with the starting/staging area.  I thought it was well organized and there was a lot of excitement in the air which made for a party atmosphere.  Time to start pedaling.  It was cool, in the upper 40's I think, when we left and once out of town the temps dropped noticeably.  We went along in our large group on the west side of Cache Valley at a fast but comfortable pace.  I noticed many riders from earlier groups off to side of the road fixing flats and I remember thinking that there seamed to be an lot them but it was just a fleeting thought.  I was just praying that I did not get a flat because I was riding on tubulars and I had no way of really fixing them except the pitstop stuff I kept in my pocket.  We soon caught the group that started before us which made for a very large riding pack.  It was uncomfortably large but everyone road safely along.

In what seemed like no time we came upon Preston.  My plan was to not stop in Preston and ride on through to Montpelier as my first stop.  The sun was just coming up over the mountains and I remember a guy riding next to me telling me to watch the sun as it would be all the way on the other side by the time we finish.  I found that funny.  I rollled on through Preston as a number of people stopped and dropped off their cold weather gear and grabbed food.  I kept going and took off my wind vest and arm warmers and stuff them in my jersey pockets.  I was still with the lead pack outside of Preston but I knew I'd have to stop soon to pee.  I came upon some port-o-potties along the side of the road and stopped but found that I had to wait for they were occupied.  This cost me some time and once I got on my bike again I had lost the front group.

We went through some beautiful country of rolling hills and as I went I heard some guy talking about strawberry pass.  It felt like we were going generally uphill so I wondered if we were already on it.  I didn't dare ask though in fear of sounding arrogant.  As if I were saying, "I'm so good I can't even tell that I'm going up a mountain."  But as we went for a while longer I realized that we hadn't started the official first climb yet.  Once we did I was well aware of it.  But it wasn't too bad.  It felt good to get in a rhythm and climb at a good pace.  I felt good all the way to the top and stopped at the neutral support near the top.  I ate what I thought I had time for and was off on the decent.  It didn't take long before I found a good group to work with all the way into Montpelier where I would first meet up with Jen.  I was getting hungry for some real food at this point and I knew it was important to keep eating.  I pulled up into the feed zone to find what looked like thousands of people crowded around the designated area looking for their riders.  I knew it was going to be a miracle if I found Jen.  But as I pulled up to our predetermined sub-zone I heard her call my name.  That was a big relief.



I ate as fast as I could and saw my cousin who happened to be their waiting for her husband in the same area and then I was off to do the next two big climbs.

Final Preparations....

Well, it's almost over.  All the work and training, all the worry and wondering, finally I'll just be able to get on my bike and ride for as hard and long as I can.  Jen and I will be staying with my Uncle who lives in Logan because hotel rooms are all long taken.  I'll be tuning and cleaning my bike tonight and I'll go for a short ride tomorrow morning just to make sure everything is working as it should.  Then, we'll be off.  Off to see if what I had once thought impossible for me might be possible.  Jen worried at the beginning of the year that Lotoja would become all consuming and I've tried hard not to let it, but right now, it's dominating my life.

Jen asked me what's it going to be like for me and my bike after this race?  Would I go back to "sane" riding (like only once a day)?  I told her I didn't know yet.  I would like to keep my fitness and continue to get better.  I really enjoy riding my bike.  But I've ridden hard this year.  Over 4000 miles and 287,000 feet of climbing since January 1st.  Maybe I'll look back at this year and think "it wasn't that much", but from where I'm standing right now, it seems like a lot.

The next post I put up on this blog will be my report of how the race went.  Wish me luck!