Pierre’s Hole 100

Sweet Singletrack

I was going into my third 100 mile MTB race of the year a little nervous.  I had a lingering saddle sore since the prior weekends race, the Laramie Enduro, and I didn’t feel recovered from the same race either. Also, on paper, the Pierre’s Hole says there is over 18000ft of climbing (4600 per lap).   Regardless, I was looking forward to a road trip with some great guys, Jon Davis, Brandon Newcomer and Ernesto Marenchin.  I have never been to the western slope of the Tetons, I was excited to be on new dirt and see new sites.  It was very green all around the mountains, and the views of the Teton valley, and the Grand Tetons were awesome.  The race is held around and on the Grand Targhee Ski Resort.  There are only a few lifts, but the terrain looks excellent for novice and expert skiers.  This is a place I plan to come back to in the Summer and Winter.

Race morning, I woke up at 4am for a 6:15 start.  My legs still didn’t feel great.  I told myself I would start off at a mild pace and see how I felt after the second lap.  I was as ready as I could be, and regardless of the outcome, I was going to have fun.

At the start, I was lined up on the second row just behind the NUE racers, Josh Tostado, Jeff Schalk, Ernesto Marenchin, Cary Smith, Eddie O’Dea, and a number of locals that knew the trails really well.  I knew the start would be fast and I reminded myself to stay calm and start slow.  This strategry paid off in the end.

So after the word go, a big group started out fast and I hung back and I held my pace to the first descent, then to the first big climb. On each of the climbs I watched my HR very close and paid attention to how my legs were feeling.    Three quarters through first lap, Jon and Brandon, who were doing the 50 miler gave me a hand up.  They gave me some encouragement and said I was doing really well. But I didn’t know what that meant, so I kept cranking away.  I did pass a few people on the first lap, so I knew I was doing ok.

Lap two was more of the same, just kept cranking way, enjoying the sweet single track and pass a couple of more people on the climbs.

Lap three was tough, it was getting hot, and the mid course climb was about to crack me.   I got to the top and slowly pushed  to our pit, which was right near aid #4.   I was burning up from the heat, and I was shutting down fast.  I decided to take some of the ice water from my cooler and dump it on my head and back.  Grabbed my bottles and pedaled away.  By the time I finished my third lap I was feeling much better, and the pain in my legs were gone.

Lap four  I picked up the pace a bit but wasn’t sure how I would handle the mid course climb.  I got to the road climb and passed another racer, then to the mid course climb, and passed a couple of other racers. Dumped more water on my head at aid stations, which REALLY helped me.  I’ll be doing this more often, especially when the temps are above 70f.  After the mid course climb I picked up the pace again and passed a couple of other guys in the single track.   I finished in 9:24, fast enough for the belt buckle, and 1st place in the 40+ group.  11th Overall.

Total climbing was at 14600, not even close to the 18600ft advertised.

Laramie Enduro 2011

2nd Place 40-49 group

I got a last minute entry to the Laramie Enduro thanks to friend Josh Bezecny.    I wasn’t sure if I should race, only because I have another much larger and harder race next weekend, the Pierres Hole 100.  But I couldn’t resist, it’s a great event, fun trails, and I wanted some redemption from last year.

Last year I went out too hard and blew up big time in the last 20 miles.  This year I planned to take it a little easier and watch my HR (no power meter at this race) that it didn’t get too high.

Again, this race proved to be a challenge.  The first 50 miles, are very fast, but no too difficult. There is some fast single track and fast open fire road/double track.    A few miles before the course gets really hard, a course marshal said I was in 17th Overall.  There were a few guys on my tail, so I kept the pace high.

After aid 4, the course gets more technical, the hills are steeper,is mostly single track and rocky.  If one was fresh, it wouldn’t be so bad, but after 4hrs of hard racing, this setcion is tough. This is where I had a hard time last year.  I went backwards fast this last year, lost about 15 spots between aid 4 and the finish.   This year, I held my place better, but I was really hurting again.  It was terribly hot, almost 90f, and that was taking it’s toll on me.  I was passed by  a couple of guys, and I passed a couple of guys.  I lost count of where I was, but was really trying to hold the top 20.  I was digging as deep as I could to hold the top 20.

In the end, I finished 16th overall, and 2nd in my age group, again.   I beat my time by almost 20 min.   I wasn’t expecting it, but got a nice check too.

Next up, a course that climbs 18,400ft in 100 miles, the Pierres Hole 100.  I’m a bit nervous for this race, for the the amount of climbing, and  that I just raced at the Laramie Enduro.  I had a good break after the Breck 100, so I think I will be fine.  I will probably start off the race a little more conservative then I have in the past.  I am really looking forward to racing some new dirt and road tripping with some cool dudes.

Breckenridge 100 Result

MTBCoach on Podium Breckenridge 100

My 2nd 100 miler is the books.  It seemed like it took for ever to start.  I really enjoyed last years race, and couldn’t wait to do it again.  I wanted to come a little more prepared.

Quick Stats:

• 21st Overall
• 2nd in Age group
• finished in 10:03:24
• 7:30min faster then last year
• Started in the RME Series Leaders Jersey

Going into the race, I felt like I was ready for this race, I really thought I could have a better time.  But from the first point it turned up I felt slugish and no power.   The long climb up to wheeler pass was slow, and I think I was 50th going into the single track.  The second loop I felt better and started pulling in a few people, but by the end of the second loop I was really didn’t want to go any further.  And on the third loop, I limped around, but still pulled in a couple of people and didn’t loose any spots.

I’m very happy with my result, and retained the RME Series leaders jersey.  I’m looking forward to the next 100 milers which is entirely on new dirt, the Pierres Hole 100, in Alta WY, which has about 3-4k more climbing then the Breck 100.

Improving Race Starts

The start of a MTB race is one of the most demanding parts of the race for many people.  Whether you want a good position before heading into the singletrack or you want to stay with the leaders through out the race, the start is a key part of a high finish.

If you are having trouble in the start of a race, be it a 2hr XC race or a multi hour marathon or 100, you need to adapt your body to the demands of those conditions.  You do this by practicing the starts.  This should be one of your weekly high intensity workouts in the build period of your training cycle. You should practice the start that is similar to the next course you are racing.  If the course starts out with a big climb, then practice on a big climb.  If the course starts out rolling, then practice some something similar.

An example workout to improve your starts may go like this.  From a standing start, (unclipped from your pedals,just like a race) go all out for 2-3 min, then settle in zone 4-5 for the rest of the interval. Go for 10-15 min total. Fully recover before doing the next start, 10-15 min with easy spinning.

Another good workout is V02 Max intervals. 6-8 3×3 or 4×4 also once a week. Full gas for the interval, then rest the same duration of the interval. There are a lot of benefits to this workout beyond the starts. You’ll notice an increase in power, speed and endurance.

These workouts should be after a rest day and  done earlier in the week when there is a race that weekend.  I like to practice starts Mondays or Tuesdays, and  the V02 Max workouts on Wednesday or Thursdays.  Give yourself a rest day or active recovery after these workouts.

Yes, intervals are not fun. However, if you are having trouble meeting the demands of certain race conditions, intervals are a great way to adapt to those conditions. Sometimes riding just doesn’t do it.  If you have time after these intervals, you can still ride at your own pace.  Don’t feel you have to stop riding after the intervals.  Go enjoy some fun single track after your hard work!

Ridgeline Rampage Report

Before the race even started, I thought I was out.  While warming up, on the first turn into dirt I was down and broke the strap on my shoe.  After I calmed down a bit I found some electrical tape, repaired the shoe and was back to a warm up.  Whew!

The trail system for this course is brand new, and this is the first event they had.  I had no idea what to expect, but  heard it fun.  I get a little nervous about racing trails I haven’t ridden before.  My plan was to sit back on the first lap to watch the lines of the other riders.  During the race, I thought to myself how fun the course was and I never got bored even with six laps.

The neutral start was chill until the first turn up hill.  The pace picked up pretty quickly with a local guy (Ed T.) attaching before we hit the dirt.  Ed helped design the trails and it showed he knew the lines.  I entered the dirt in 4th position, and we were ripping though the course.   About 1/2 way through the first lap, I ended up leading,  which I didn’t care for.  The downhills were a little tough being off camber and sandy, not part of my skill set.  I came through the first lap in first, was keeping a good pace and trying not waste energy attacking so early in the race.    Soon after the start of the second lap, Dwight Hall from Fort Collins , a 40 something who races a lot of road as a  Pro 1-2 joined me (he has won his last three races).  I let him take the lead on the second lap.  I never let him get more then 10yds from me, and after the second lap I was back in the lead.  I think I lead the rest of the race, laps 3-6.  There were a couple times I put a gap on him  but he would always come back.   I was impressed by this and wondered how the race would be won.  I never really put on an attach, I just rode my pace and hit the climbs to try to break him, but he never cracked.   Somewhere around the 3rd lap, another racer in the 30′s said that he was leading his class, and we were about to catch the pros, who started 9 min ahead of us.   So we had passed all the 20, 30 and now catching the pros.

The last lap was tough.  It was hot, and I was getting tired.  I was feeling some cramps creeping in to my legs and Dwight was still right on my wheel.  Just after the second last climb Dwight attacked and tried to pass.  I heard his tires in the grass next to me, but I shut him down with my own acceleration, and then I put the pressure on.  We had about 3 miles to go.    He was a better descender, than I and I didn’t want him to pass me with only one climb left.  I railed the last downhill, with him still on my wheel, less then a bike length away.  At the base of the last climb, I attacked as hard as I could and soon, the sounds of his bike were fading away.  He was nowhere in sight at the top of the climb and I just kept going as hard as I could.   I finished 8.2 seconds head of Dwight, sealed the win, and the series leaders jersey.  Dwight is a strong rider and I am impressed by his skills and endurance.  It would be fun to race with him again.

I ended up 6th overall,  1st in my age group, and obtained the series leaders jersey for my age group.  I also won some cash for the 6th fastest time, a nice Rudy Project travel bag and other SWAG.

I had planned to race the 24 hours in the Enchanted Forest solo, but with all the forest fires in AZ, smoke is very close to the race venue.  Weather reports  indicate hazardous air conditions and wind expected over the weekend.  I pulled the plug on this race and was able to get an entry into the Bailey Hundo.  I’m really looking forward to the Hundo with so many of my friend racing it should be a great time.  It will also help me with some prep for the Breck100 a month away.  I’ll be racing the Hundo in Men Pro/Open, but I’m not expecting a high placing; these guys are young and fast.  I’m just happy to be racing on awesome trails for a great cause with great people.

Slowly Building Form

Here is a 90 day view of my Performance Management Chart from TrainingPeaks. You can see the spikes of pink and yellow, which is my build and recovery.  The blue line is slowly pointing upward indicating an increase in form.

Click on image to see bigger view.

• Blue line: Form=Fitness+ Freshness
• Yellow Line – Freshness
• Pink Link – Fatigue (Fitness)

Original Growler IV

The 2011 version of the Original Growler went much better for me then the 2010 version. Yes, I suffered, but everybody suffers at these events.    This year the course took the opposite direction, which I enjoyed more, and maybe suited my skills better.  I’m not a great technical rider, and when it gets real technical, that is where I fail.    Lucky for me, there are only a couple of spots on this course where I couldn’t ride.  So I kept a good rhythm throughout the race.

Where I live, it’s almost never calm, so I am always riding in the wind.   This year, the wind was one of the biggest challenges of this race  It didn’t seem to be much of a problem for me.  I gained time when it got real windy.    I was happy that I had spent so much time training in the wind this year.

My goal for the race was 6hrs, and when I came in the first lap, I was right at 3hrs. So I was  on track,  However, the second lap became slower with a couple of sections we skipped on the first lap, and the winds  were much stronger.  My average speed drop almost a full MPH.

I completed the 64miles in 6:16, getting 27th overall, and 4th in my age group.  I’m pretty happy with this result.  It was an improvement over last year where I got 42nd overall and 8th in my age group.   I can’t compare times, since the course changed.   I still think I can do better, and I plan on trying again for 2012.

The next race is the Warriors Cycling Ridgeline Rampage, in Castle Rock, CO.  this will be another fast 60 miler similar to the FR60 two weeks ago.   Then I’ll be heading south to the race solo at 24hrs in the Enchanted Forest in McGaffey, NM.

VO2 Max Workouts

Once of my usual rides is on the Peak to Peak Hwy, between Black Hawk, CO and Nederland, CO. There a bunch of short hills that last 4-6 min.   When I do  the ride as an out and back, I get 8 good intervals, and each hill I use as the interval, then the short descent is my recovery.  Checkout the picture below of my workout from today. It’s a good example of a VO2 Max workout. Blue is elevation changes, read is heart rate, and yellow is power.

VO2 Max Workout

VO2 Max workouts are hard, but they are critical in building power, and speed as you approach your peak. Not only are these type of workouts needed for short 1-2hr races, but can also improve your speed and endurance for longer races, even 24hr events. They are also great for quality workouts when time is short. My weekday workouts are generally only 1 to 1.5 hrs long, so they must be quality workouts, such as this one.  I’ve been doing at least one VO2Max session a week, sometimes two.  I’ve been doing them on the trainer which is not much fun at all, but now that the weather is getting better I’ve been able to do them outside.  Not only is it more fun, but I can put out more power, for longer durations and get a better workout all around.

Here is a good technical description of VO2 Max.

Generally the workout includes intervals of max effort that last between 3-5 min, with the same amount of recovery in between max efforts.  For example, do a good warm up, with a couple of good short  hard (1min ) effort and recover.  Start the interval with max effort you can sustain  for the period, then easy spin for the same duration, repeat 5-8 times.  It’s important not go too hard at the start, and to pace yourself to finish the interval strong.   Complete the workout with an easy spin or do some Tempo effort pace to finish up your allotted time. Start with 3 min intervals, then try to work up to 5 min.  It may take a while to get up to 5 min.   The whole workout (without the tempo) is only 1hr and you’ll be amazed what type of fitness you can gain from these.   This doesn’t mean you can skip the longer endurance rides zone 2-4 workouts, you still need these.

Heart rate should hit 102% of your LTHR (Zone 5a) which will take a minute or two to achieve.  If you are using power, 115-120% of FTP (Power Zone 5), which right away you’ll be able hit your target wattage.   You should be fully recovered from previous workouts before doing these sessions.  You’ll know you are not recovered if you can not sustain the wattage or can not get your HR up to mid zone 4.   Also, if you are using power,and you can not sustain the 115- 120%, then you should stop, finish your workout with an easy spin.  Not being able to sustain the wattage means you are too fatigued to continue, (one of the great advantages of training with power).  You won’t do yourself any good if you continue, you’ll only your hole deeper.

I hope you find this helpful as you come into your race season.

Front Range 60, 1st, 2nd or 17th?

leading the group up the first climb at the start. feeling really good.

The Front Range 60 went down this past weekend.  I was a little nervous going into this race.  Not sure why.  It could have been that I was afraid I’d blow up  like I did at the Voodoo Fire, or that it’s a ridiculously fast course with some super fast locals. Or maybe it was the fact that last year I broke my rear derailleur cable in the first 10 min of the race, and after a 1hr long repair I was back on course racing to not be last.

The race was scheduled to start in waves by age group, no classes (beginner, sport, expert, pro) three min apart.  Instead, they called the pros up and and started them with the single speed class to go first.

I ended up starting 6 min back in the third wave.  Since I was 2nd at the last race in this series I got a call up and was in the front of the group of 70 others in my wave.    From the start I was leading the group up the short climb and into the single track.   I wasn’t going full throttle, and even going slow enough to allow someone to take the lead, at least that is what I thought. I didn’t want to have the pressure of being in first so early in the race.   My heart race monitor wasn’t working, so I had know idea of my effort only that I felt good, and not breathing hard.

Front Range 60, Photo by Ben Welnak

After five min, I went off course and was put down to the 7th or 8th spot, which pleased me so I didn’t have the pressure of leading, but with in 5 min I was back behind the leader (Brandon Eifrid) and from there we road 5 laps together, drafting each other lap after lap.  I thought the race would go down with in the last 100yds right after heartbreak hill, and the long sprint to the finish.

Up until the last half of the final lap, we road together, not able to make much of a separation on each other.  I did sense some weakness from Brandon on the climbs.   At the base of the last climb up Mt Carbon (about 4miles to go), I put the pressure on, and took advantage of some SS’rs that were marching up a short steep section.  Brandon didn’t get around these guys with me and I put the hammer down up the climb.   I made enough separation to keep the lead until the remainder of the race.  No sprint finish.  He finished 46 seconds behind me.

I thought I had the win, and the series leaders jersey.  But within minutes of finishing, my team mates informed me I was also racing against the times of the pros in my age group that started 6 min ahead of me.  WHAT!!

After 4hr of racing for first place, and the leaders jersey, the rush I had was diminished to major disappointment in that race promoters decision to make these last min changes.

2nd place, Front Range 60

Doug Johnson, a  pro  from Colorado Springs took the win in my age group by 8:04 over my time, a screaming fast pace.  I’m not sure I could have stayed with him on this course.  If he had started in my group, I may have come in second anyway, but I’ve beat him before, so you just never know.  I ended up 17th overall, 2nd in my age group, 1st in my start wave, finish time 3:56:24.

This was a training race for me anyway, and I had a great time and felt like I did everything right during the race.  Brandon was a great competitor and I look forward to racing with him again.

Next up is the Original Growler, in Gunnison, CO.  A 64miler on some sick single track in the Hartmans Rock area south of Gunnison.  Dave Wiens is the race director and puts on a great event.

Keystone Condo for Rent – Mountain Bike week/weekend

I have a 1 bedroom condo for rent in Keystone.  It is located right at the foot of Peru Lift at Mountain House Base Lodge.  Great trail riding right outside the door.

It’s very quite and no traffic.  Great places to eat and drink within walking and riding distance.

15min from Breckenridge.

This is a great place to stay for a few days to ride  in Keystone, or for the MSC Keystone Revival, Firecracker 50, Breckenridge 32/68/100 or BreckEpic MTB races.

Other Activies include: Golf, Tennis, Hiking, Finish

$100 a night, + one time cleaning charge of $50, or $650 for a week with no cleaning charges (get one night free)

Sleeps 4

Includes:

• kitchenette
• cover parking
• two hot tubs
• views
• Free phone
• Free fast Internet
• Comcast TV

Contact me if you are interested.