Yankee Springs TT Recap

Yankee is generally the first MTB race of the year. With over 700 racers, it is usually one of the bigger events. This year didn't disappoint with nearly 800 people showing up to test their early season legs. I got to Deep Lake a little after 8 to help Jeff and Jacque set up the tent on team row. We watched the Elites take off and just watched as the population grew in the campground.

My Soul Sister Lisa P.

Soon enough it was time to warm up. Got a good luck hug from my sis Lisa and off I went for a few laps of the campground. Temps were in the 50's so it was very comfortable to be riding. Warmed up and started to line up. Then it was time to go..

Leaving every 10 seconds is brutal. It took all of 30 seconds for the guy behind me to pass. This was a solid indicator of how the rest of the ride was going to go. I spent the next 11 miles with people passing me like I was sitting still. I barely rode alone....even though I rode alone the whole time. It was just a steady stream of riders from the first mile to the last mile. 

At the Start ~Photo by Belen F.

Here is where if you are looking for a nice and positive recap....is where you can stop reading. The only thing positive about this race was that I finished. I took dead last by over a minute...and was 30 minutes off the lead pace. I knew it was going to be bad, but I didn't imagine it was going to be this awful. 

Bottom line is.....I am a long way from being competitive at any level right now. It won't stop me from trying again next weekend at Fort Custer, where I know the trail better and it is WAY flatter than Yankee. 

Yankee Springs TT goal....kinda

Photo stolen from Yankee Springs Facebook page

If you look at the picture above it shows a very clear "1st" right on top in the middle. For obvious reasons, that is not my medal. For starters, the race is Saturday. Secondly, there are currently 24 Sport Clydes signed up and I know at least 20 of them are extremely faster than me. Lastly, its Yankee....and I have a lot of work to do before I am on the podium here.

As of this point in time I am not even sure if I will be at Yankee on Saturday. Life is happening around me a furious pace. As with life, everything seems to be out of my control. So, I waffle on whether or not I will race, show up, or just hide from the general public for a day. 

Anyway, if I am able to throw my leg over The D.U.F.F. and head out for a lap of Yankee in a few days, I figured I should post a goal time. FYI, it won't be incredible. Yankee and I disagree on about 60% of the decisions that are made during this race. That doesn't bode well for me, because as you know....hills don't just move.

I have had the chance to get out and ride Yankee in the Yellow (clockwise) direction. I don't care for it. Well, let me be specific....I hate it. There are a few sections, and one in the middle, that I just cannot ride clean. The super long switchback climb that finally reaches its apex before dropping into the pines is my worst enemy right now. I just cannot make it. My average speed will already be slow, but a long climb just kills it even more. On the plus side, make it to the last 3 miles....and ride hard...because that section is fun...right up to the climb to the finish line.

So, I know the course ok in this direction. I have ridden enough the other direction to be able to determine where I am. That is a slight advantage. Disadvantage, I am heavy and Yankee has climbing. Knowing that I ride harder in a race, I will push my goal time lower. Again, it won't be impressive. I guess I have put it off long enough...

Goal time: 1:15:00

Average speed of a blistering 8.8 mph.

Secondary goal: NO DFL

So, I might be there...I might not. If I am, wave hello. If I am not, stop and say hi to my team. Until then....

10th Annual Barry Roubaix race recap

Relive 'Barry Roubaix'

Calm before the storm!

The day started early for this event. With Hastings hosting over 3,000 racers it can be hard to find a parking spot early. We rolled in around 7:20 and parked where I normally park, about a block from the finish line. I rolled down to Ace hardware and grabbed my packet. Then, we headed to breakfast. Michelle and Zoe were with me so we headed into the restaurant and Mike joined us (thankfully, because he paid...they don't take plastic there....).  Had a breakfast of a ham and cheese omelet with sausage gravy over the top. Perfect for this event. 

We headed to the team tent and set up shop where the team stationed us. We wandered over to the vendor tents and signed up for all the freebies and looked at what they were offering. Then, before I knew it...it was time to get ready to roll. 

Waves 2 and 3 were already staging, but I had time until my wave. I headed out for a warm-up and did just that. Spun my legs lightly for a few miles just to get them going. I am usually very tight the first couple of miles, so my warm-up was just over 2 miles. Then I headed to the tent and my wave was staging. I saw a few buddies and they were all yelling 'go Sean' and "good luck today". I was feeling pretty confident that I could hit my goal. 

3, 2, 1..GO. The start was not fast...or furious. It took me probably 15 seconds to even get to the start line because it was such a relaxed start. It didn't take long before the pace was lifted. I dropped in behind a few guys and just cruised to the first turn. The wave was pretty much together still, but starting to string out. By the time we hit Yeckley road the group was broken and riders were scattered all over the place.

The first sister wasn't bad, the second wasn't bad, but the third was worse. My heart rate was up and I was pushing to get over that damn hill. Made it, and took off again. I was pushing, but I was riding a pace I figured I could hold the whole time. Miles started to tick away. Groups would pass with anywhere from 30 riders all the way down to a single rider. Unlike Lowell a few weeks ago, I was riding with or withing view of someone the entire time. My first hour went by pretty quick, and I was right on goal pace of 12.7 mph. It felt faster, but I was on pace.

I was settled into my pace, just letting people go and even passing a few. The long time of riders on Gun Lake road was an impressive sight of color from top to bottom. The long climb to the top was made so sweet by the stupid fast descent on the other side. Knowing Sager was ahead, I kept on my pace. Not really talking much...just riding my race and giving people room. Conditions were a mix of rock hard gravel, loose gravel, pavement, and powdery sand. There was no such thing as riding in a straight line.

As I was making the turn on to Sager road I was taking stock of where everyone was around me. There were a few people behind me, not super close. There was a handful of people ahead of me and I was right behind a couple of people. As I hit the sandy entrance a rider just in front of me clipped a big rock and flared across in front of me, forcing me to lock up and lose my momentum. I hear "oh fuck!" from behind me and realize someone is in the process of crashing...thankfully not onto me. I crested the hill...it was pure carnage as far as I could see. People walking, falling, riding, bitching. I just rode where I could and was forced to walk some sections. No worries, only a mile long right? Finally I see the last hill and make my way back to normal gravel.

I start to get settled in again and I am thinking my average speed is doing okay still. I was feeling alright and was still pushing. The miles were ticking away and I started to feel a twinge. I realized I hadn't been drinking enough so I started to focus on hydrating more. Thankfully I never cramped, but that was in the back of my mind. 

I realized I was on the last tough climb for me. It gave me some motivation because I was close to goal time, so I started to press harder. Passed the "jackass" section and headed into the rollers. Stand, go, pedal, go. First roller down, hammer, go. GO. Second one down, third one, pavement....GO GO GO. I put my head down and just pedaled as hard as I could. I started to pull in a few people and was sure to call out my passes. I got to the last block and took the inside corner and buried myself to the finish line. DONE.

I missed my goal time by only 52 seconds. Considering I was nearly a full mile per hour faster than my last training ride, I will take that all day long. I knew I would be toward the back of the pack, but I am still proud of my race, how I approached it, and how it ended. Considering I am 40 pounds heavy and only missed my fastest time ever by 6ish minutes....yeah.....I will surely take that.

Side note:

I got to thinking about my finish and I remembered that Strava has a segment of the last pavement section for Barry. I know I finished strong, but I had no clue how strong it actually was until I dug up this info. I averaged 19.7 over the last 2 miles of a 36 mile race. I cannot hold that kind of average on my road bike, so I am encouraged that I was able to finish this solid on a mountain bike. 

As always thank you to all of the Volunteers that make Barry Roubaix such an amazing event.

Thank you to my wife, Michelle, and daughter, Zoe, for coming to cheer me on.

Thank you to my friends, for cheering me on and offering encouragement before, during, and after the race.

Thank you to our team sponsors for all you do!

Custer Cyclery

Giant Bicycles

Territorial Brewing

Kong Coolers

My Barry Roubaix plan

There it is.....36ish miles of gravel and pavement. I heard that Sager is indeed part of the race this year so that is a nice wrinkle to create more chaos during the race. Thankfully, that section is far enough into the race that the field will be spread out and there shouldn't be issues. Here is what my "plan" is for tomorrow in a mile by mile scheme.

Start

I will be starting in wave 5 with who knows how many people. I know the pavement start is always fast. Being on a mountain bike and knowing my limits will be my best bet here. I will start toward the back 1/3 of the pack and take an outside position. This allows me to stay with the group and avoid any wild riders. When the clock hits 10:12:00 am I will start my journey out of Hastings.

Mile 1

First left hand turn out of town towards Yeckley road. By now the wave will be spread out but people will still be jockeying for positions. At this point I will be doing my best to know blow myself up while still holding someones wheel.

Mile 2

We just turned off of the pavement and  will be making our way towards the 3 Sisters. The group will be more scattered now and the chase from the waves that started after me will be passing. I can see the pile up starting on the first sister. It continues over the top of the 3rd sister. I will be on the right side, plodding away up the climb. There will be a steady conga line of people passing on the left and handfuls of people walking on both sides. I wonder if Eye of the Tiger will be playing this year.....

Mile 3

Just over the top of the 3rd sister and it is time for a sweet descent. The gravel gives way to pavement for a fast descent across Tanner Lake Road before dropping back onto gravel shortly after. It is important here to hold your line and carry speed up and over the next climb. After that hopefully the corner marshal closes the corner at M-43 and I don't have to stop like I did a few years ago.....

Mile 4

Heart rate is still elevated, short jaunt on M-43 before a fast flatter section. More fast people from the waves that started after me are flowing past. Time to fnd a wheel and hold on!

Mile 5

Just made the left hander toward the dairy farm....time for some climbing. The first smaller ones are not bad, but then the terrain really ticks uphill for the last part of this mile. Just keep spinning!

Mile 6

Finally crested the climb and now a nice descent. Hopefully the wind is down because this area is exposed by the farm. Keep finding wheels! (in the event that any of the 22 mile riders have caught up, they turn off on Hull road)

Mile 7

A few climbs and a few rollers, I am sure the herd will be thinned even more by here....even with the people catching me from the later waves

Mile 8

Fast little downhill before the left hand turn onto Whitmore Road. Hope it is dry down there, because if not it could be interesting riding thru peanut butter! This trip south has a few rollers and nothing spectacular stands out.

Mile 9

After the road turn right use the momentum to get to Otis Lake road. Here I am thankful they took out the Sager to Shaw Road section...because...ugh. Again, a few rollers. Keep on a wheel.

Mile 10

One bigger climb and then solid rollers to the pavement of Gun Lake road. By now, a ton of people have passed and are still passing, but just keep riding your race. Should be good and comfortable at pace now.

Mile 11

A solid climb started before this mile did...and goes for a while before any relief is given. Thankfully it is pavement, but that doesn't keep gravity from reminding me of how much I weigh. Spin...find a wheel....

Mile 12

Enjoy this descent, you earned it. Get a drink, take a gel if needed. Take a deep breath, still a lot of riding to be done. Then hammer the descent and crest the next roller before the downhill to Yankee Springs Road. 

Mile 13

The marshals will stop traffic because bikes will be ranging from 15-40 mph thru this section.

Mile 14

Hold your speed on the first climb and use the descent to recover. There is a longer climb in this section but nothing super difficult. 

Mile 15

Descending toward the pond? on the right side use your speed to carry the next hill as far as you can. Then climb up and out before a left hand turn onto Hastings Point road. Nice little downhill will give you some speed, soak up this last bit of smooth pavement, gravel is coming back.

Mile 16

Holy cow a lot of people have passed me. I have passed a few as well. Those silly people that think they can hold 20 mph for the whole race only to find out they can do it for 7 or 8 miles. Another left off the pavement to a fairly deceiving climb. This section might sneak up on some people. I will be spinning here...as usual.

Mile 17

Another climb, which is the norm out here. But hold on, there is a short pavement section coming. 

Mile 18

Last little downhill before Sager Road. I am confident there will be a traffic jam here....even this distance in. The pavement ends as we turn onto Sager Road. This nasty 2 track will be an interesting combination of sand, loose sand, deep ruts, rocks, and a mud pit. This will be a heart rate elevating mile of tough riding. A few climbs, none of them nice. Sager ends with a climb and then a descent back to regular gravel.

Mile 19

Now that we are halfway done, its all down hill from here! Not really....there are still some long and tough climbs ahead. For now, we will enjoy the rollers!

Mile 20

More rollers then a trick left hand off camber turn. This corner tends to sneak up on people because we are coasting at 25-30 mph down the hill, then an abrupt left onto a corner that is less than 90 degrees. This mean you have to shave speed to get around the corner. Then, off to the races again!

Mile 21

Keep the speed up and enjoy what downhill you can find! Are you still hydrating??

Mile 22

Hang a right onto the pavement for a bit then enjoy the scenery of Little Pine Lake Road. This is a moderate uphill section but it is made enjoyable by the beautiful nature that is surrounding you. Plus, it is curvy...so you can't see the top of the hills...

Mile 23

More of the same, and then a longer climb that doesn't seem like it will ever end, because of the curves. Just keep going, it will get better eventually.

Mile 24

At the top, crush this downhill and do what you can to hold speed, the Wall is looming in the distance. Keep your eyes open when making the right hand on to Head Lake road, there might be a rider from the 22 mile course still coming thru. 

Mile 25

Welcome to The Wall. This climb will be a parking lot. There will be people walking, riding, and standing all over the place. As much as I will want to put my head down and pedal I will have to keep an eye on my surroundings. This hill is one of the toughest climbs on the entire course...and having 25 miles in  our legs will only make it hurt that much more. Whatever you do, keep going. Even when you get to the top and make the left....for another short climb, keep going. Another climb to end this mile and then  you have 10 to go!

Mile 26

Honestly....I am drawing a blank on this entire section....must mean flat. Just kidding. Enjoy the descent because the graveyard climb finishes this mile. Put your head down and pedal, you are getting closer to the finish.

Mile 27

You can feel Hastings getting closer with every pedal stroke. A solid climb that ends up at an open field ends this section. Remember, if there is a head wind, tuck in behind another ride and draft. Take every advantage you can get!

Mile 28

Last time crossing over M-43. You will come to a left hand climb that is made easier by the pavement. Lots of people start ramping up their speeds here and others are starting to tank. Which one are you?  When you turn off of M-43 stand and attack the short rise before settling back into some gravel. 

Mile 29

More climbing....are you freaking kidding me? Nothing terrible, but my legs are getting tired. Can we just be done?

Mile 30

More of the same.....gravel....people scattered all over the place. Nobody wants you to draft off of them, but because I am the size of a billboard they sure as hell want to draft off of me. Too bad I am not faster...but I don't apologize. You can't have everything. Shoot, I should drink something....

Mile 31

It sure is pretty out here, but I swear to God if this dude doesn't get off my wheel...oh wait....another climb...and there he goes. Nice dude...thanks for sucking my wheel and then not pulling me up this climb. Wait, I will try to follow this...nope. Why are walking and passing me? How is that even possible. 

Mile 32

Ok, enough of this bullshit, it is time to go....wait....another climb. Come on man. Ok, I gotta keep up with this dude. I know he is only 11 but he is gonna pull me up this hill with every ounce of his being. Awesome, thanks Kid. But now I have gravity and I know I am on the home stretch....SEE YA.

Mile 33

What are you looking at JACKASS. (side story: i was on a training ride many years ago with a buddy and we passed the farm that is on this mile. They have a tiny donkey that always looks so sad. So that day, I blurted out "what are you looking at Jackass?"...knowing my fried would think I was talking to him....then I simply pointed at the little donkey. HA). Ok, so this little flat is nice and all but this climb looks rough...focus. only a few to go....

Mile 34

Smash the rollers. SMASH them! Time to light any matches you have left. Do you see 7 riders in front of you, chase them down. Now isn't the time to feel pain in your legs. Now is the time to hammer the rollers and get this thing done! Wait, is this pavement?? GO GO GO. People are starting to ride together to work their way to the finish. Now isn't the time to be proud. Jump on a wheel or lead a train, just put the power down you are almost done!

Mile 35

Last right! GO GO GO, stay off the curb and ride a few feet inboard. You will be safe from potholes and cars on this final blast into town. Don't give up, BURN YOUR LAST MATCH!!!! There is no point in keeping it....GO. Hold your line and kill that last incline......last left!

FINISH

Take the last left at full speed and bury yourself to the finish line. Lots of people are watching...and it is downhill....so make sure you look impressive! Congrats, we finished. You have probably been done for a while....waiting for me to finish. Thats ok....I'm not mad or anything.

Good luck to all those racing Barry Roubaix tomorrow!

Barry Roubaix Goals

These videos will give you a feel for the event....that will be Year #10 for 2018

The last time I raced this event was in 2015. I made it all of 3.47 miles before a high speed flat ended my ride. The year before, I raced my road bike with skinny cx tires and had an average speed of 12.8. But that was 4 years ago.....yikes.

As I said before the Lowell 50, the early season goals might not be very impressive to some. For me, it is literally getting back in the saddle. My longest ride this year was the Lowell race at 34 miles. This event is only a few miles longer, so distance shouldn't be a factor; however, conditions will be.

Looking into the crystal ball it appears that the highs for Saturday, April 21st will be mid 50's. That will feel warm compared to the garbage weather we have had so far this week. Snow every day with lows in the 20's. Funny how cold that feels when you get used to a few 50 degree days. Anyway, the main roads are clear now, but there is one segment of Barry Roubaix that I really question my sanity with.....Sager Road. This short section almost made me switch to the 22 mile course, but here I am plotting for the 36 mile course. No worries, at least I am not insane enough to do the 62 miler...or God forbid the century version. Nope. 36 works for me.

So...here are the vitals for Saturday:

Temps

I am sure will be in the 30's at the start, possibly finishing in the 50's. This leads to either being under dressed and freezing, or over dressing and having to shed layers...which will add time.

Bike

Once again The D.U.F.F. will be thy trusty steed. Locking out the fork and rear shock worked well, as well as the 45 PSI in the Ardents...so same setup here.

Distance

The distance doesn't matter, as I usually just plod along for the entire race anyway. lol. It will be my longest ride of the year though....which is only 2 more miles than Lowell....so that is a wash. Especially when the last 2ish miles are fast pavement into town. Sager road is the wild card here. I imagine will be loose rocks, sandy, deep ruts, and a huge mud pit all piled into a short distance with hills. 

Me

Barry Roubaix shouldn't be tough mentally. I know all the tough hills and I know the course so I will be mentally prepared to suffer when necessary. Again, Sager road will be my issue but that is early in the race.

History

My rides this year on Barry Roubaix (short course) have gotten quicker each time, which make sense. But, I haven't clipped the 12mph mark (on The D.U.F.F.). So that will pull down the average some. My Lowell avg speed was 12.7 into the damn wind, so that is encouraging.

All of the factors above lead me to a simple conclusion. If I rode that fast at Lowell, I can ride that fast at Barry Roubaix. So, my goal MPH is 12.7 which will be about 2:50:00 of continuous ride time. Realistically I will break 3 hours, but I want the steeper goal so mentally I will keep pushing the entire time. Remember, I am not a 200 pound cyclist....I am a two hundred plus pound cyclist that is closer to 3 bills than I am to 2 bills. So, I will go out and represent my team and do my best. It will be a blast!

Stop by my team Tent and say Hi!

Lowell 50 Race Recap

My first race of the season is in the books. It was quite a ride!

Matt got to my house early and we headed to meet Lisa in Otsego for breakfast. After fueling up we headed to Fallasburg Park in Lowell. Lowell is just East of Grand Rapids and it took us about an hour to get there. We found a place to park and picked up our packets. For this racing being in April, it was cold this morning. 

Unfortunately I didn't get a solid warmup, only a few minutes. But as time was running out, we headed to the start line. 2 minutes. Time to go. I lined up towards the rear of the wave because I didn't want to get run over. Well, not really. I knew it I would be one of the slowest riders, so I started at the back. The "controlled" roll out was at 20 mph. The group was together, but already starting to yo-yo in the early runnings. As we went thru the covered bridge the group bunched up, then exploded on the other side. 

We were not even to the first climb yet. We hit the first climb and the group got decimated. Well, I assume it was...because I was off the back. No worries as this was expected. It didn't stop me from pushing hard though. I crested the climb and was assessing the damage. The group was in sight, but they made a right hander...and the group was gone. I pressed on! About 5 miles in I was thinking...uh oh....I might need to ease up for I am toast. 

Myself, Lisa, and Matt

I was finally settling in and the miles were ticking away a a decent pace. I could see a few people up ahead of me, but I was alone for the most part. Eventually a rider caught me, and then another, and then a group. I tried to jump into the group, but it was on a climb and it just wasn't happening. I crested the climb and another group was coming past, so I tried again to tag along. I was able to reel in one guy and then the group opened the gap again. I found myself riding solo once again, but I didn't mind. I was just enjoying the ride.

At the Start (Photo courtesy of Julie B.)

I looked at the mileage on my Garmin and I was at 13 miles as the first hour passed. My goal was under 12.5 so I was doing well. I took a gel and kept moving. I was comfortable at the pace, but was starting to wonder about my endurance. (side note: you might think 13 mph is slow for a gravel race....and you're right...more on that later). Eventually I caught a younger guy. He was pushing a huge gear early in the race and when I caught him he was spinning easier. I pushed past him and started to hear music from the Freewheeler bus. B-52's. lol.

Another hill, and another. Then 2 guys went flying past me. I was maybe 24 miles. They were working together and I wasn't able to go with them. Coming into Smyrna I had them in sight and I felt like was closing the gap. I crested a hill and was surprised to see one of the guys struggling. The hill leading into town is nasty. There was a short section that reached 14% grade. Steep. I was gaining on them on the climb, then they started working together again and put a gap on me. One on of the corners I saw the guy on the niner stop and must have taken a gel, so I was able to close in on him....sorta.

I was chasing. I had the gap down to a bike length...and he looked over his shoulder. Not wanting to get caught he put his head down and buried me. I was left alone with my thoughts again. I realized that I had surpassed my longest ride of the year and was still holding a pretty good pace. My brain went directly to my goal time. Remember I set a goal of 2:45 or just under 12.5 mph. I was close to that average, but I was slowing down. Every turn I made put me directly into the wind. I kept waiting for a left hander to get me a tailwind, and it simply never happened. I would turn right, then back left and right again. ugh. I was starting to worry about my goal time because the hills were still coming and I was riding into the wind.....while running out of gas.

Then I saw the dude that passed me on the fatty, struggling up a hill. I closed in on him and caught him on the descent. Not wanting someone on my wheel I pressed harder to get away from him, only to have a huge hill again. I was about two thirds of the way up and I hear his voice. He was riding with me and we collectively were griping about "all these damn hills and wind". It was short lived though, because knowing there was only 3 miles to go I decided to it was time to go. I crested the hill, dropped a few gears...stood and mashed down the descent. Not wanting to look back I just kept going. 2 miles to go. I can't look, he has to be gone. 1 mile to go and I am giving all of my energy to the finish.

I dug as deep as I could. Over the last tough climb I could see there were a few rollers left. I pushed down the descent and stood to mash over the next rise. Carried my speed into the last hill and I see a strobes. Taking stock I realize the officer is standing at my LAST LEFT TURN. I put my head down and drove to the finish.

The segment above was shorter than the whole race for some reason

My finish time was.....2:40:00 exactly. This time was precisely 5 minutes under my goal time for the race. Average speed of 12.76 miles per hour. I am very happy with my time and how the race went. I made every climb and I was able to get away from a guy at the end....oh wait. Back to that for a minute. The guy on the fatty....he found me after he finished. He rode up and said "hey, that was an awesome finish....I couldn't stay with you". So that was a secondary accomplishment, a very strong finish. 

Overall, a great day of riding bikes on gravel roads!

573 days

Tomorrow it will have been 573 days since I rolled up to a start line with a bicycle. 

Just under 82 weeks. A year and a half....

That race I took dead last in my category....nearly 20 minutes behind the rider in front of me and over 35 minutes behind 1st place. But I was there....

I know you might be asking "why would he point this out"....or maybe saying "dang dude, don't beat yourself up"...because I am showing how far off the back I finished. 

I show this because I know where I am right now. I put myself in a position to be shot off the back early. I am ok with that. Back in 2016 I wasn't ok with it...because I felt like I was working hard to get my ass kicked. Right now, I am working hard and I know that I have a lot of work to do to be competitive again. 

Tomorrow morning I will line up for the first time a long time and I will do my best. I am simply getting back into racing, knowing what the outcome will be. Why? Because I need that measuring stick. The picture will become clear tomorrow after I cross the finish line. It will show me a few things....

1. How far I have come so far this year

2. How much further I need to go this year

3. Where my mental toughness is....

4. How much I miss racing....

This race will be more than just a race for me, it will be the measuring stick for the rest of 2018. When I line up for this same event in the fall, I will have a definitive time to shoot for on the same course...with a full year of riding in my legs.

So don't be surprised if you see me tomorrow. I will be heavier and putting just a bit more stress on the spandex I will be wearing. But I assure you, I will be having fun doing what I love to do with a bunch of friends...new and old. Sure, I might struggle. We all will at some point. But in the end....its all about the ride anyway right?

Lowell 50 goal time

It is time to set a goal for my first race of 2018. 

A few things to keep in mind....

1. I am heavy. (this seems like a given....)

2. I haven't ridden the course

3. I will be on a MTB

4. I haven't raced in a while

With the #1 item being the worst one of the group, this drops my average speed by a substantial amount. Add in the MTB and that drops my speed even more.

Lets say I would start at a middle of the road 15 mph. Not fast, but where I would normally expect to be this time of year....in past years anyway. That would put me just over 2-1/4 hours for the 34 mile course. Solid in my opinion. This would be me in 2015 on a cross/gravel bike.

Now, a few years have passed and I am HEAVY which means I immediately need to take about 2 mph off of the average speed. That means a 13 mph average speed and a finishing time just over 2-1/2 hours. ugh.

Now, factor in that I am on a MTB and I lose even more speed. Lets go with about 1 mph slower. That puts me at 12 mph average speed and a finish time of 2:50:00. Jeez that seems like a shitty number. 

All things considered I will set my goal at 2:45:00 and an average speed of 12.36 mph for this race. Slow I know, but my fastest Barry Roubaix this year was only 11.8, so this seems like a reasonable goal for my current situation.

See you Saturday!