La Reine......

 I am trying for the Ultimate Challenge on the Tour de Zwift 2025. This means you ride all three of the routes in every stage. I missed 2 in stage one. I missed 1 in stage two. I completed all three in stage 3. This left me at Stage 4 which was named "Summit Seeker".

For those that don't know, the Tour De Zwift 2025 is 6 stages around Zwift to get people checking out different routes around the worlds. I was happy to complete my 2024 version of the Zwift Base Camp. So when this one came out I was interested in trying.

Each stage has 3 levels to choose from. Short, Standard, and Long. The descriptions pretty much explain what each one is. But Stage four was a bit different. Looking at Stage 4 gave me pause. Summit seeker means climbing. While I am better at climbing, I am far from a pure climber. I am still fairly heavy and would prefer flat and downhill to those routes pointing upward. Still, I cannot shy away. In order to complete the Ultimate Challenge riders have to complete each distance in each stage. 

Here were the 3 options in Stage 4.

Petite Douleur was the short route. At 16 miles the distance wasn't a concern. The 1270 feet of climbing really wasn't terrible over that distance. It was basically 2 laps of the course, with 2 climbs over the Petit KOM. Not scary by any means.

The standard distance was Lutscher. Interesting enough, a shorter distance with more climbing. The worst part of this route is that the "loop" doesn't start until the top of the Innsbruck KOM. So a long lead-in to the top, a bombing descent, and then another jaunt up the KOM. The Innsbruck KOM is a 4.6 mile climb averaging 5.4%. Not bad once, but the second time around was rough. I generally look at climbing as feet per mile. This route was 177.8 feet/mile.....which is massive. In contrast, Barry Roubiax courses are around 75-80 feet per mile. So, big challenge. 

The long course was indeed La Reine. Looking at the estimated finishing times around 2 hours (for my power output) made me pause. Do I want to sit on the trainer for 2 hours? Well, that is one aspect of this route. Riding for 2 hours versus climbing for 2 hours have way different definitions. 

Looking at the distance I kind of paused, then I saw the elevation and my heart sank. A massive 272.8 feet/mile. Almost 100 feet more per mile than the Lutscher route. Nearly 4 times more per mile than Barry Roubaix. What the hell?!??! 

So I dug a bit deeper into why its so much climbing. Not only does this route include the Petit KOM (from the short course), but it heads up the daunting Vontoux. While it wasn't the full Vontoux, it was the lower and steeper parts. from the profile below you can see that there was a nice lead-in and then nothing but uphill.

I didn't push the flats. I found a group and we rode together at around 19mph to the base of the Petit KOM. The group always gets destroyed at the climb. Petit KOM is considered a Level 4 climb, so not easy. I just found my rhythm and settled in...knowing that I had a long way to go.

When I started the climb I believe I was under 30 minutes of ride time. So instantly my brain started to wonder how roughly 9 miles was going to take 90 more minutes. Having done the Petit KOM just a few days prior I knew it wasn't easy but I was holding basically the same pace. I hit the top only 20 seconds slower than my previous time up. I knew I was doing right by pacing myself.

Then the real climb began. Steep and brutal for miles. Just a slow grind up Vontoux. There were a few riders that would pass. And I passed a few. But in general, I was just grinding away alone. As the time ticked by I was mentally cracking. There is just so much pressure on the legs to keep turning and it feels like you are getting nowhere. The scenery moves slow. The other riders are barely in sight. once in a while someone would fly past. But, these are stronger riders that started late. Solitude found me.

I just put my head down and kept turning the pedals. Slowly my elevation was going up and my distance remaining was going down. At 4 miles to go I noticed my heart rate had dropped. I was steadily in the 130's and had dropped to the low 120's. As bad as my legs felt, my heart was just relaxing. Strange, but it makes sense. This climb was far from cardio. It was like doing 10,000 squats at a slow rate. Just squat...stand......squat....stand. For miles.

With about 2 miles to go I had to stop. I had to give my legs a break. I didn't stop for long, but holy hell my legs were screaming for mercy. I rested for a second, then started again. I couldn't give up now, I only had 2 miles to go. But the time was ticking away and was running out of gas.

With around 1.3 miles to go, I had to stop again. Legs were just not cooperating anymore. How, how can I stop now when I am this close to the finish. I took a breath and started to pedal again. The route flattened out a little, and it was amazing how 7% felt compared to the 10+% I had been struggling with. 

Slowly the distance to go got under a mile. Then half a mile. When I got there I got a bit of a spark knowing the finish was close. .4 left and I was back pedaling with my head down. Just keep going. When I looked after what felt like an eternity I was a .3 miles to go. lol. This ride was just brutal. Eventually the decimals gave way to how many feet remaining. I kept turning as fast as I could until I crossed the banner and competed the route.

Done and dusted. I had just done the single hardest ride I have ever done. Pure climbing for nearly 2 hours. Awful. Had this not been part of the challenge it is likely I would never have done it. After my ride I had to climb the stairs out of the basement. Not a problem. Usually going down the stairs is more of a concern. lol.

I took a shower, got some food, and sat on the couch with my Air Relax leg system. I cranked that baby up to 20 minutes and started my recovery. This system was some of the best money I have ever spent. The next day my legs felt great. I was able to do my normal workout and not have much discomfort. 

What a ride this was. Another accomplishment for me. I knew I had to get these climbs done and out of the way so I can cruise the rest of the Ultimate Challenge. Some of my friends have done this route too, and they all say the same thing. It sucked. lol. Proud of my friends for finishing. It was truly a mental battle to keep the physical side moving. I wanted to quit at least 5 different times towards the end. Knowing that if I quit I would waste the effort to this point was enough to keep me going. 

What a ride.

January, the month that never ends

 After a few months in a row with holidays, January gets here and things change. Everyone starts settling into their new routines, or falls back into the normal rhythm of life. For some, exercise becomes the norm as those New Years Resolutions are firing on all cylinders. By the end of January, the gyms are already slowing down as many people don't follow through on their goals. The weather is generally ugly here is Southwest Michigan. We had that super nasty cold week with a lot of snow. So hopefully that is out of Mother Natures system, and the weather pattern can return to normal, just like everything else.

I had a solid January. While wedding planning is in full swing, I have been steadily making gains on the bike. I set a goal of 10 miles a day for 2025. That is a 3650 goal for the year. Overall, 10 a day doesn't seem terrible. So, how did I start the year? Well, January was very good. 

I ended 2024 with a solid December.

December 2024

All things considered, I think I did pretty good. I know I had days where I just didn't feel like it, but I continued to build off of November, which was steady from October. Just making those steps to get that foundation built back up. This foundation is what I need to tackle my longer rides in June. (remember, I have back to back centuries).

January 2025

January was more of an improvement. I was able to hit 10.38 miles per day, and stay ahead of my goal for the year. When I look at the number of activities, that means that my rides were longer and I was taking rest when needed. While I had 18 activities, I was only active (on the bike) for 15 total days. Basically I was riding every other day for the month. 

That means my average distance per ride was 21.5 miles. I will take that for January.....on the trainer (for the most part). 

I was able to ride at Riley and Merrell on the Albert (fatbike). Riding outside is so much better, but with the darkness and the access to trails being limited, I hit the trainer. Trying to maximize my efforts, I didn't shy away from nasty challenges. Sometimes I question my sanity....plodding away for seemingly endless time on the trainer. I am thankful I can do it mentally. 

Overall, January has been solid. My weight is trending down. My fitness is trending up. My determination is solid. 2025 is off to a great start. I just need to continue to stay focused on the goal. I am looking forward to spring and more adventures with my friends! 

Keep moving forward! 

Merrell Ride

 

I had an interview in Grand Rapids at noon. After the interview I headed further north to Merrell Trail in Rockford. Love the trail in the summer, and I can't remember if I have ever ridden it in the winter. With Albert in the car, and being about 20 minutes away, it was a no brainer.

I got there and the parking lot only had a few cars. One guy was just heading out. I got geared up and headed out. Its been long enough that I wasn't sure which direction to go. I had to swing by the first sign and get my bearings. Then it was off to the races! 

I say races, but lets be honest here...it was a slow ride. The trail was in great shape. The groomers have done an amazing job to get a base down. but, you get to the edge and it is game over. The singletrack snow ribbon was fairly wide, but the edge was deep. There were lots of snow angels along the entire route where people had gotten just off track a bit. Ha. 

The ride was going good until I got to the intersection above. This is Wynalda loop. While I know the trail, I actually wen the wrong way here because I couldn't remember which way on this day. So I headed to the left. In hindsight, I should have known better. But I plodded along until I got part of the way around and saw a sign telling me I was headed the wrong way. Thankfully there were no other rides coming or I would have caused a bigger issue. I was able to right the ship and then the memory of the trail started to come back. 

Looking back at my Strava it makes sense....been nearly 4 years since I have ridden out here. Which doesn't make sense because its such a fun trail. At any rate, the pic above is the way I should have gone. I did on my second trip through. It make much more sense. 

I just plugged away and was enjoying the ride. 

I got done and headed home. Overall just under 9 miles. Not fast. But I had lots of smiles and was enjoying the challenge of snow riding. I realized I am not the best at it simply because I haven't done it as much as I should have. I have had this bike for many years and it barely has any snow miles on it. But as long as the weather holds I will try to get out and get some miles in. 

Outdoors is so much greater than indoors. 

Something new.....a finish.....

I had taken a week off the bike. Some by intent, some by accident. Its amazing how fast a week can pass. My last ride was the snow filled adventure at Riley. Then I got a minor sickness and didn't want to push and tear myself down. So, two days off turned into four...then it was a week. Whoops.

I joined the Tour De Zwift group ride yesterday to get my legs moving again. My intent was to just cruise the 20ish miles and be done. It turned into something I didn't expect. 

First, I had a weird connectivity issue with Zwift. My trainer was telling my legs CLIMB when I was on a flat. So I had to leave the ride for a minute and recalibrate. Then I joined back in and it was fine after that. 

This was a massive group of nearly 450 people. I was in the middle of the group for most of the ride. Towards the end the climbs started and I got pushed back to the mid 300's. Legs were feeling pretty good, and I was just cruising.

First climb

The first climb wasn't massive. I was just finding my rhythm and people were ripping past. This isn't a new occurrence for me. lol. Not a terrible climb, just over a mile and a half at a 2.2% average grade. Being heavier, I still slow down here. I found my cadence and just plugged away. Most riders were gaining on me and passing at this point. I believe I went from high 300's to around 350 on this climb. It really gets thinned out.

I notice the same names on the screen when I am on these longer climbs. One guy passed me, and I passed him back, then he passed me again. It makes a little competition when you can see the same names. I don't care if they don't know I want to beat them.....lol. It just gives some incentive to keep pushing when you yo-yo with similar riders. I had a few names on that first climb that I rode with. 

Second climb

This one is a bit tougher. It is considered a Category 4 climb seeing it is 1.5 miles long at a 3.6% grade. Still not brutal, but good strength building for me. Sure enough the same few people were around me. A few riders would fly past and I caught a few others. But in general my placement was in the 340's as we ascended. This climb had a small flat and then a final kick before reaching the banner. I was able to put in a bigger effort and pull away from the guy I had been riding with. Felt good to put some distance on people I had been riding with for almost 10 miles.

The payoff

There is a massive downhill after the climb. What goes up, must come down. Instead of just cruising I just kept my power up and was pushing toward the finish. I caught a couple of guy and they dropped in behind me. Being heavier, I have the downhill advantage and I was using it. We were flying down the hill and enjoying the speeds.

Eventually we caught 3 other people. Our group turned into 6 and it started to feel different. This group was actually working somewhat together and all pushing at the front as the remaining distance ticked away. At roughly 2 miles to go we reeled in another ride. This group of 7 forged ahead, and I was already plotting my finish.

The finish

Our group was huddled together and reached about one mile to go. Suddenly one guy took off and generated a small gap. I didn't want to let him go, so I pushed harder to close him down. The group followed. I was still at the front, and the finish was getting closer.

.5 miles to go, another guy tried to take off. this time, instead of just reeling him in I mashed as hard as I could and created a gap off the front. Not massive, but at the speed we were going I was hoping I could hold it. Instead of giving up, I pushed hard again. I could see the w/kg of the chasers going up and up with mine. (Nothing crazy here, but when the watts double....that is fairly serious). 

I was running out of steam, but I made a final push across the line. I finished ahead of the small group by  mere 2 seconds. I don't know if they were having the same experience as me, but it did feel that way. This was a new thing for me. I was able to build a group, work with the group, and then finish strong enough to cross before the group. Not bad for a Clydesdale.

Overall it was a harder ride than I anticipated, especially after being off the bike for a week. But it was a fun ride for sure. Like I said, I don't care if they knew we were racing or not, but I won regardless. That is why I like the bigger group rides. It is similar to racing. Around 10 miles in everyone is settled into their paces and the groups start to form. Or a quicker group might catch up and you can jump in and try to hang. I am actually getting more out of training when it feels real. All of this will benefit me come the race season. I just have to keep building and losing weight. The mental training I am getting on situational will help in the long run. 

This year just feels different for me. I am nowhere near where I want to be, but I am improving. My biggest competition will always be myself. But I am looking forward to more mountain biking, racing my mountain bike, and seeing how I can do against other people.

Keep moving forward. 

1st outside ride of 2025

I loaded up Albert and headed to Holland for my orthodontist appointment. Roads were clear and it wasn't snowing at all. After my teeth were wrenched on I headed out to Riley Trails. 

Beginning of the ride.

It was pretty early, but the parking lot only contained a handful of cars, along with a few inches of snow. In hindsight, I wish I had brought my GoPro with me. This short ride was a bit more adventurous than I imagined. 

At the end of the ride.

A few people heading out when I finished.

It did start snowing when I was out on my ride. There were times that all I could do was smile and question my decisions. It was just good to be outside and actually riding versus plugging away on the trainer. 

Most of the trail had a few inches of fluffy snow and a thin ribbon like what is shown in the pictures. Because the snow isnt super deep and there wasn't much of a base it was good riding. I just found a comfortable pace (slow) and plodded along through the woods. 

These pictures don't show the whole story. There were times when it was clear, followed by times that I was questioning whether I was on the trail or not. The snow would get so heavy that it was like riding in a dense fog. At one point a guy passed me. He snuck up on me because it was so quiet out there. I had no idea he was behind me, and just as quick he was around the next corner and gone.

At my speed this wasn't scary.

At one point I scared the bejezus out of a woman. She was working on setting up for ring light for the perfect shot when I came out of nowhere and she jumped. lol. Not my intention. I don't think she realized there was a trail so close to where she was setting up. 

I mustered three laps before I decided to head home. It was around 4:30 when I finished. I easily could have gotten another lap before dark, but the snow was falling so hard that I called it a day. A solid 13 miles hauling around Albert in the snow. It was a fun ride overall and I imagine I will have plenty more in the future. It was a nice change of pace to be off the trainer and actually feeling the ride with my whole body instead of just my legs. 

Albert in its natural environment.

My buddy Tom has some new property and we will hopefully have a nice trail there to ride. This will be close to home and short for some fun. I am going to try and get out this weekend again. The season will be here before we know it, and I need to do all the work I can. 

 

2025 Preview

 Getting the year set up right is key. Well, one of the keys. There are many keys. Lets get into what they are.

This year will surely look different than years past. Clearly 2024 was not the best. Well, it was a decent year, other than the surgeries. And it lacked in riding. But overall the year was ok. Highs and lows. 

So far January has been ok. My training is where it needs to be a week into the new year. Win. Keep eating right and I should see more fitness gains this month. Developing better routines. 

February will be more of the same. Just keep riding. Keys here are to build endurance, build strength, and keep eating right. I should see a steady weight loss again this month. Continued development of routines and positive habits. 

March means more outdoor riding with continued ramping of miles. I will be riding with Tom more around Allegan. I plan to hit Yankee and Barry Roubaix as regimented training. The race season is nearly here.

April, lets get it started.

Barry Roubaix

First off, I had to skip 2024. Secondly, my 2023 was cut short for a few reasons. I was out of shape, and it was HOT that year. So I bailed out. I believe I have grown mentally stronger since that event. I have learned to like climbing more. I still don't love it, but I am learning and growing stronger. I am currently on the wait list, but I plan to train as if I am in. I am on the list for the 66 Mile Thriller event. I hope I get in, because I was only 33ish miles in the last time before I tanked. I want to have a solid ride on this event. It will be a great way to kick off my season.

Yankee Springs Time Trial 

A short 2 weeks later is the Yankee Time trial. I have steep goals for this event, personal goals anyway. Sounds like the course will run in the counter clockwise direction so its more familiar to me. However, in the month or so leading up to this event I do plan on being at Yankee a lot. I need to get tough mountain bike miles in to get my body ready for the season. Fun course. Fun event. Perfect kick off to the mountain bike offroad series. 

Things get quiet in May. I only have 1 event. This will be a continued month of building endurance. A lot of Yankee and more Barry Roubaix miles are a perfect mx. The event I have is early in the month.

Fort Custer Stampede

One of my favorite courses for sure. I know it like the back of my hand, so it gives me a bit of that home course advantage. Because its early in May, and only a few weeks after Yankee, I will still be building. This will be a good test of my mtb endurance at speed. While the race is only 16 miles, I want to push hard for the whole race. Custer is a great place to ride hard and fast because its not technical and its pretty flat. After this event I just need to build endurance and work on climbing. 

June is where things get really crazy. As it stands right now I have an event every weekend in June. 5 weekends in a row of racing. One of these might get moved, but if not....gonna be a busy month. It will be a huge month regardless. On top of a busy schedule...its my birthday month too! ha. So, lets see whats on tap....

Island Lake Challenge

I cannot tell you for certain when I did this race last, but it has been a while! I remember liking the course, in bits and pieces. This is the first weekend in June, so a great way to kick off the month. A relatively flat 18 miles of XC style racing. Not exactly the way to start tapering for LJ. ha!

Maybury XC

Another one that has been a minute since I have done it. I think last time I raced at Maybury it was still a Time Trial. Should be a fun course. Another 19 miles of fairly flat riding. Just more technical than Island Lake (if I remember right). This race is scheduled for 2nd weekend in June, but its likely that it will be moved to another date. More to come here.

Luton Park Time Trial

A race I have never done, it is still a relatively new event. I love riding at Luton so this should be another fun ride. 2 solid laps of the course will offer plenty of variety of trail with all the climbing in the second half of each lap. Again, not a long ride and not a lot of climbing. Should be a fun event charging full speed around a super fun course! This is the weekend before Lumberjack. 

Lumberjack 100

It is time. This is the A race on the schedule. Last time I was here I broke a frame and had to walk out of the woods. Now I have a new whip and I plan to be in better shape. There are some format changes this year (4 laps instead of 3) as a throwback to the old days. I guess this is the 20th year for the event. I can't wait, as I have some redemption to achieve here. 

Coast 2 Coast gravel grinder

Pump the brakes, I am only doing the 100. Only...100. lol. This is a fairly flat gravel century the weekend after Lumberjack 100. What in the hell am I thinking here. I am thinking that I had a race credit to use and I used it. lol. From what I have heard this is a fun event. Last year was super rainy. My buddy Tom actually won cylde in the 200 mile version. So I trust him to help me train and be ready for these back to back centuries. 

My schedule pretty much falls off after this. I will need some recovery after June. The Holland 100 does fall in July, but not sure I will be up for a 3rd century in 2025. We will see on that one. 

August is welcomed with a single gravel event. 

Fast Fitty

Not really sure what it is about this event, but I just like it. Dale (and his team) do such a great job that I just keep coming back. This is a flatter 50 miles of gravel that should be a breeze after June. I should be recovered and ready to rock again when its time to let the gravel fly. 

September has a race in Traverse City, but I am 50/50 on that event. I will see how I am feeling when that gets closer. Also, Maybury might land sometime this month. Kind of a wild card month.

October brings on the fall colors and what will be my final event of the year. There are so many good events that I might sneak in the Peak 2 Peak or the Lowell classic. We shall see how things are going when the time comes. I do plan to do Custers last stand as the MORC finale. 

Custer's Last Stand TT

In 2024 I drug my fat bike over to Custer to do some course marking for Dale. I was just back into riding again and knew I couldn't do any damage racing. As this is another close race, and because I love custer, I will be there racing this time. Another 2 laps to finish out the year and see where I land in the points series.

The point series you ask? I am glad you did. There is a new mountain bike series back! What was once the MMBA CPS is now a Michigan Off-Road Championship series. I am stoked. While I love gravel, I just haven't been competitive enough to sign up for a series. The MORC series has 8 offerings for 2025. 

Stolen from MORC facebook page (please don't sue me)

This is a nice mix of cross country and time trails just like the old days. At the moment I plan on 6 of the races. Addison is out for sure in 2025 because that is the same weekend as C2C. Not even going to ponder that. The other question mark is the Traverse City Trails event. I will take a look at points and my fitness to see how I stand. If I believe I can leverage my standings I will think about racing. If not, the finale at Custer will have to do!  The Maybury race is still a wild card here too. But with the series taking the best 5 finishes for points, that event will be helpful. 


So there you go.....that is my plan for the season. With all of the choices of events I could easily race every weekend from the end of March through the end of September. I love to ride, but I also love my relationship and plan to grow that as well. ha! 

While June is busy, I will still be doing long recovery rides after the races. I will post up and would love people to join me for rides. I will post about the rides coming up in the next couple of months too. Lets all get fitter and faster in 2025!!!

2024 is gone!

 Not really why it feels like it happened so fast, because in the midst of the year it felt like the days were long. But here we are.....already a few days into 2025. 

2024 was surely a mixed bag of emotions....as usual. Things started off well enough, but then my elbow just would not heal. That resulted in my first surgery in May, which effectively ended my riding for months. While it was good to get the tendon fixed, 3 months off the bike took what little bit of endurance I had left. My fitness level dropped.

When I was cleared to ride I started back for a few weeks....then I had yet another surgery. That one was my fault....well...my choice. It has been worth it.....as I have been feeling much better and I have been more active since. This surgery will have benefits to my health for years to come. I still have work to do, but I am doing good overall.

Since I was cleared to ride after that surgery I have done a slow build. Nothing special. Nothing over the top. Nothing damaging. Just a steady progression thru the end of the year. My first ride post surgery was a whopping 15 minutes. It progressed into longer rides in December. I did find myself hiding indoors, because after the surgery I notice I get cold faster. I will be changing that this weekend, as I plan to get outdoors with Albert (fat bike) and get some miles in. Not sure where yet, but gonna bet outside and turn some "real" miles.

Minus the surgeries it was a decent year. I got to go to Hawaii where I proposed to Christine. I hopefully stomped the brakes on any health issues. I met a lot of interesting people. 

I survived.

I won't lie, tired of being in survival mode. Feels like I have been there a long time and I am going to change that. Not making any resolutions. Just going to work on me like I have been. Keep getting better. Keep learning. Keep growing. 

2025 will be stocked full of activities and adventures. Not sure yet where they will be, other than one planned in March. I did manage to get signed up for Lumberjack 100 and the Coast to Coast 100 miler. This will make for an interesting couple of weeks as they are back to back. 

AND....there is a Mountain bike point series again this year. I am signed up for that and plan to do many of the events. Spring into June will be very busy. 

So I hope everyone that survived 2024 has an amazing 2025. Lets get out there and ride!