This number represents my the number of miles I have ridden when compared to last year. I rode 1200.99 miles last year....and I hit 1200.42 last night. I am riding at a 2 to 1 pace over last year. The super scary thing is that I have only ridden 4 times in June...and we are more than halfway through the month. Not good when you consider I have a race next weekend and my toughest race at Boyne coming in about three weeks. I am hoping for a peak at the Boyne race, so I am starting to build miles this week. I rode 30 last night...and I am hoping for 30 more tonight.
The ride last night was very good. I took my route towards every hill I could find. Aiming for the largest and longest that I know about in this area. I was feeling pretty good when I got to the longest climb on the ride. I literally climb for over 8 minutes on this hill. The plan was to climb it and then ride back down for another go. The road construction pushed that idea aside. The climb was terrible. The road crew had just peeled the top layer of blacktop off....so the road was like riding on cobbles....hey...Paris Roubaix right? I do ride a mountain bike with skinny tires....so I didn't get beat up too bad....but 15 minutes on the shingles had me ready for to get off the bike. Once the road went back together I had another long climb. I held a decent pace and was awarded with a nice rest on the downhill. Knowing that I needed a few extra miles I turned and found a few more hills. Then I took a different road than normal and it was all uphill. So I was thinking to myself....the hills will know my name. They can call me........daddy.........
Overall....30 miles at a 15.5 pace in the hills. I will take it.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
That "left behind" feeling
Do you ever get the feeling that you have been left behind? I mentioned this feeling a few weeks ago....and I touched on how I didn't like it. I am still having this feeling...but it isn't involving a group ride. I think I am bringing this feeling onto myself. Here is why....
I am trying to get an overall award in the MMBA CPS this year. I figured that it would be relatively easy....I would just need some middle of the pack finishes and one or two high finishes. I have been close to the high finishes...with two 6th place destinations. Because I am a numbers geek I know where I stand in the CPS standings. I have done three of the four races, and I sit in fourth place. At first glance....not bad. When I look closer at the numbers I realize the gap is big enough that I might not be able to close it down.......hench...falling behind.
I am planning on 3 more races in the series....and I figure I will need a top three finish in two of them. This is a tall goal...but one that I have had since the season started. I have had a terrible week of riding since my half century....as in I have zero miles since. I was going to ride tonight....but things happen. Now the forecast calls for rain until Monday. There is another step behind....
As I fall behind I start to think
they vanished ahead of me in just a blink
I pedal as hard as I possibly can
but I just cannot seem to catch that man
he was there, but now is out of sight
"you will never catch him"....you might be right
the thoughts that are spinning right through my mind....
are he is gone....he left you behind.....
I am trying to get an overall award in the MMBA CPS this year. I figured that it would be relatively easy....I would just need some middle of the pack finishes and one or two high finishes. I have been close to the high finishes...with two 6th place destinations. Because I am a numbers geek I know where I stand in the CPS standings. I have done three of the four races, and I sit in fourth place. At first glance....not bad. When I look closer at the numbers I realize the gap is big enough that I might not be able to close it down.......hench...falling behind.
I am planning on 3 more races in the series....and I figure I will need a top three finish in two of them. This is a tall goal...but one that I have had since the season started. I have had a terrible week of riding since my half century....as in I have zero miles since. I was going to ride tonight....but things happen. Now the forecast calls for rain until Monday. There is another step behind....
As I fall behind I start to think
they vanished ahead of me in just a blink
I pedal as hard as I possibly can
but I just cannot seem to catch that man
he was there, but now is out of sight
"you will never catch him"....you might be right
the thoughts that are spinning right through my mind....
are he is gone....he left you behind.....
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Milestone
This post is a day late....but I was being slammed by an allergy attack yesterday!!!
Sunday morning I got up with full intentions of riding 50 miles. I have never ridden that far before and I was thinking it was time. This morning offered me temps in the low 60's and rain filled cloudy skies. I filled the water bottles and headed out.....the route.....50 miles.
When I left the house my eyes kept turning skyward. I really didn't want to ride in the rain, but I really wanted to turn the wheels. Thankfully I stayed dry. The first nine miles of my route are simple with a few rollers. I was feeling pretty good climbing the hills but I decided to back off a little so I had some gas left in the tank for the last 15 miles. From mile nine to mile 23 the roads are mainly flat. The wind was coming from at a 45 degree angle but it wasn't blowing very hard. I managed to keep my average speed above 16 all the way to the lakeshore. That is Lake Michigan for those who are wondering!
The turn south was easy! The wind pushed me for about 4 miles until I turned back towards home with over 20 miles to go. At this point I was approaching my longest distance for the year, which was 33 miles. The only thing that kept me going was that I was going towards home. I kept pushing the pedals and the miles ticked away. At 40 miles I started to get excited about what I was doing. I was actually going to ride 50 miles without stopping. As the odometer climbed closer to 50 my mind started to get the better of me. Doubt was creeping in and I thought I was going to have to stop. Then the sun came out.....and the warm glow of our star revived me enough to get home. Final distance was 50.33 miles in just over 3 hours. Longest distance ever.
Half Century.
Wow.
Sunday morning I got up with full intentions of riding 50 miles. I have never ridden that far before and I was thinking it was time. This morning offered me temps in the low 60's and rain filled cloudy skies. I filled the water bottles and headed out.....the route.....50 miles.
When I left the house my eyes kept turning skyward. I really didn't want to ride in the rain, but I really wanted to turn the wheels. Thankfully I stayed dry. The first nine miles of my route are simple with a few rollers. I was feeling pretty good climbing the hills but I decided to back off a little so I had some gas left in the tank for the last 15 miles. From mile nine to mile 23 the roads are mainly flat. The wind was coming from at a 45 degree angle but it wasn't blowing very hard. I managed to keep my average speed above 16 all the way to the lakeshore. That is Lake Michigan for those who are wondering!
The turn south was easy! The wind pushed me for about 4 miles until I turned back towards home with over 20 miles to go. At this point I was approaching my longest distance for the year, which was 33 miles. The only thing that kept me going was that I was going towards home. I kept pushing the pedals and the miles ticked away. At 40 miles I started to get excited about what I was doing. I was actually going to ride 50 miles without stopping. As the odometer climbed closer to 50 my mind started to get the better of me. Doubt was creeping in and I thought I was going to have to stop. Then the sun came out.....and the warm glow of our star revived me enough to get home. Final distance was 50.33 miles in just over 3 hours. Longest distance ever.
Half Century.
Wow.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Mosquito
For such a little package, these guys have a lot of bite. Because of the rain we have been experiencing, the mosquito factory has been busy. So busy in fact that I was afraid to stop at all on my ride last night. No bug spray let to a shortened ride. I still managed to get 11.75 miles in, but I was slow because of the wet trail. I didn't feel comfortable hitting the corners hard because I didn't want to crash. I still had a decent average and I feel great this morning. Good to get the wheels turning after 5 days....lol.
My goal of running everyday has not happened. I haven't run once actually. I need to get off my duff.....
My goal of 15-20 pounds down by Boyne is on its way. I lost 1.5 this week. I have a lot of work to do....but I need to continue to lose anything....even if it is only 1 pound per week. Those 1 pound weeks add up after a year.....
....now....where are those donuts?
My goal of running everyday has not happened. I haven't run once actually. I need to get off my duff.....
My goal of 15-20 pounds down by Boyne is on its way. I lost 1.5 this week. I have a lot of work to do....but I need to continue to lose anything....even if it is only 1 pound per week. Those 1 pound weeks add up after a year.....
....now....where are those donuts?
Monday, May 31, 2010
2nd post today.....
I am a little upset with mother nature. Apparently she couldn't decide what to wear so she was late with the thunderstorms and lightning today.....that I still haven't seen. I was going to ride a 1/2 century this morning....but the weather was calling for t-storms starting around 4am and going through the day. I got some much needed sleep, but I really wanted to add that milestone to my books today. Oh well....sooner or later I will get it!
Looking at the schedule I have another race in a month and then a very important race on July 10th. The State Games race is in June and we will be heading there for basically one reason. In 20 years I want to be able to say that I was at the very first one. The Boyne marathon is the July race....and I need to earn a podium spot there.....which means I have work to do!
I really want to lose 15-20 pounds by then to be lighter and faster. I need to continue to ride and I am thinking about running a mile a day. If I start running one mile per day for the first week and then move up to 2 miles the second week I will be up to 3 or 4 miles every time I run. This will help with cardio and the weight loss. I will always be a biker....I love it too much!!!
Here are my goals for the next month and a half
1. Lose at least 15 pounds by July 10th.
2. Run a lot.
3. Compete in the State Games with a smile on my face!
4. Hill repeats???
5. Show everyone what I am made of......
6. Keep smiling!!!
7. Have fun!
In my oldest daughters motto "if you had fun.....you won". Learn it.....live it.
Looking at the schedule I have another race in a month and then a very important race on July 10th. The State Games race is in June and we will be heading there for basically one reason. In 20 years I want to be able to say that I was at the very first one. The Boyne marathon is the July race....and I need to earn a podium spot there.....which means I have work to do!
I really want to lose 15-20 pounds by then to be lighter and faster. I need to continue to ride and I am thinking about running a mile a day. If I start running one mile per day for the first week and then move up to 2 miles the second week I will be up to 3 or 4 miles every time I run. This will help with cardio and the weight loss. I will always be a biker....I love it too much!!!
Here are my goals for the next month and a half
1. Lose at least 15 pounds by July 10th.
2. Run a lot.
3. Compete in the State Games with a smile on my face!
4. Hill repeats???
5. Show everyone what I am made of......
6. Keep smiling!!!
7. Have fun!
In my oldest daughters motto "if you had fun.....you won". Learn it.....live it.
Bloomer XC
The third installment of the MMBA CPS was on Saturday at Bloomer Park in Rochester Hills. As a west sider we had a long drive ahead of us for this race. Zack and I loaded up and picked up my friend Chris for the trip. Chris was taking pictures and corralling Zack after his race was done. When we got to Bloomer Park I was surprised by the amount of people.....or lack of people. I guess he holiday weekend chased off a few people and I have only raced where the turnouts are huge. It was nice to see that only a few people would be racing so I wouldn't get passed as much...lol. We got a parking spot right by the start area so we were not walking a mile to the car when we needed something. It was a sunny mid 80 degree day. My plan....hydrate and ride fast to get done faster! This would be the first time we have ridden here....and the intel we gathered from the locals and finishers was 'relative' to their beliefs.....No offense Jesse....but you weight half of what I weigh......so your perspective is slightly different than mine!!!
I lined up with seven other clydes for the start. We took off and right away I knew the podium was gone. The first four places were out of sight on the first flat. I just smiled and told myself to ride my race and just keep going. There is an interesting sledding hill that we bombed down, then turned around and rode right back up. I stalled on the way back up and walked up the hill...hoping things would get better. Not so much. As a big guy I need a little bit of recovery between climbs to get my heart rate under control. Bloomer offers an uphill/downhill combo in the first few miles that was fun, but pushed my heart to the max. The first lap was decent. My goal time was a realistic 1:30:00 for the race so a first lap of 43:46 put me about 3 minutes behind third. Not too bad!!! The problem is that we had another lap....and I pushed myself to the point where I thought I was going to puke. I had to back off and just enjoy the ride from that point on. I figured I was in last because I had slowed down so much, but the trail was a blast and I was starting to have fun and forget about the race. I finished with a time of 1:33:29 and ZERO crashes or injuries.
That kid with the orange shorts is a terror!!! He has only done three races and he barely rides his bike....yet there he stands on the podium in the 2 slot. His time was 51:39 which was only 8 minutes slower than my first lap!!!! He was super excited about his finish and he barely talked about the course....just that it was fun! WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU ZACK!!!!!
So....we drove 3 hours each way for me to ride for an hour an a half and Zack to ride about an hour.....we might be crazy....but we have fun! I learned a few things at this race. They are as follows:
1. Try to preride the course so you know exactly what you are in for.
2. Bring more fluids in a BIG cooler!
3. Eat correctly so you don't feel like you are going to puke 8 miles in.
4. that kid will pass you if you don't lose more weight!!!
As far as I can tell Zack and I are both in second place in the CPS standings. With his 2nd place finish he jumped ahead of me by 1 point....but I haven't told him that yet.....
On a side note....I had a guy introduce himself after my finish. He asked if I was Sean....that writes this blog!!! I am really sorry that I cannot remember your name!!!! You caught me right after I finished and I was still foggy!!! Anyway, thanks for introducing yourself because it was nice to know that someone actually reads this!!!!!
I lined up with seven other clydes for the start. We took off and right away I knew the podium was gone. The first four places were out of sight on the first flat. I just smiled and told myself to ride my race and just keep going. There is an interesting sledding hill that we bombed down, then turned around and rode right back up. I stalled on the way back up and walked up the hill...hoping things would get better. Not so much. As a big guy I need a little bit of recovery between climbs to get my heart rate under control. Bloomer offers an uphill/downhill combo in the first few miles that was fun, but pushed my heart to the max. The first lap was decent. My goal time was a realistic 1:30:00 for the race so a first lap of 43:46 put me about 3 minutes behind third. Not too bad!!! The problem is that we had another lap....and I pushed myself to the point where I thought I was going to puke. I had to back off and just enjoy the ride from that point on. I figured I was in last because I had slowed down so much, but the trail was a blast and I was starting to have fun and forget about the race. I finished with a time of 1:33:29 and ZERO crashes or injuries.
That kid with the orange shorts is a terror!!! He has only done three races and he barely rides his bike....yet there he stands on the podium in the 2 slot. His time was 51:39 which was only 8 minutes slower than my first lap!!!! He was super excited about his finish and he barely talked about the course....just that it was fun! WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU ZACK!!!!!
So....we drove 3 hours each way for me to ride for an hour an a half and Zack to ride about an hour.....we might be crazy....but we have fun! I learned a few things at this race. They are as follows:
1. Try to preride the course so you know exactly what you are in for.
2. Bring more fluids in a BIG cooler!
3. Eat correctly so you don't feel like you are going to puke 8 miles in.
4. that kid will pass you if you don't lose more weight!!!
As far as I can tell Zack and I are both in second place in the CPS standings. With his 2nd place finish he jumped ahead of me by 1 point....but I haven't told him that yet.....
On a side note....I had a guy introduce himself after my finish. He asked if I was Sean....that writes this blog!!! I am really sorry that I cannot remember your name!!!! You caught me right after I finished and I was still foggy!!! Anyway, thanks for introducing yourself because it was nice to know that someone actually reads this!!!!!
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