Life at the Olympic Training Center

Before I say anything, I have to say this.

I LOVE the Velodrome!

I am still in awe of everything I experienced this past week. For 6 days I lived in a facility that has been home to the greatest athletes this country has produced and they let little Aaron Trent come play for a week.

There were people on regular bikes (CP, amp, Spinal Cord Injury), Tandems with Visually Impaired Stokers and sighted pilots including a Cat1 out of Knoxville, and the wheelchair crew were on handcycles.

Then there was the staff that made our camp run smoothly save for the punctuallity of our rides, haha. Pam was the camp organizer, Ian works for USA Handcycling, Rick and Scott coached, Vanessa was plain awesome and drove the van and various other things, Ron helped and took meticulous notes, and Good Looking Johnny G was our wrench and he helped out with everything. All of the staff was great and I want to thank them for doing their thing!

Tuesday: Started at 3AM so I could catch my flight. When I got to the OTC I got my key and my cafeteria card (freakin sweet!) and built up my bike for a shakedown ride. This was my first experience with handcyclists and on our ride they were drafting me at 27 mph! I have so much resprect for the power those jokers than produce with their arms.

Wednesday: Skills and drills in the parking lot were pretty basic, but I picked up a few things about cornering and bumping. Our afternoon ride was out and back on a rolling highway. I drafted a handbike at +35mph down a hill on the way back.

Thursday: Morning time trial on the air force academy. Our camp coach, Rick, told us it was 10k and undulating. It was a lot closer to 13k and it was all uphill out and all downhill back. Not exactly 10k or undulating. I was dying on the way out and kept watching my speed. I was wondering why 16-17mph hurt so bad and I was wondering where on earth the turn around was. Finally, on the horizon I saw the white OTC van that signified the turn. I started on the way back and was absolutely hauling tail. It was all downhill! That's why the first half hurt so bad. I was running hard trying to make up for lost time and came into the home stretch and buried myself to the line. Ouch! The times and times per kilometer were posted at the camp meeting after dinner. My time/km was markedly better than I did at Nationals in June and I am knocking on the door of making the national standard so I was very happy with my effort. The National Team standard is based on the average per km time of the 6th place finisher in each category over the past 4 years of major races (Worlds and Paralympics); the Elite Standard is based on the bronze medal times. Hitting the national standard is the key to getting on the Paralympic Team and is my biggest goal for 2009.

Our evening ride was skills in the grass outside the Velodrome. We started off with bump drills and I was paired with Greta since she came out to ride with us. She rode right into me with a shoulder and I learned real quick how to shoulder back. I fell over a few times while trackstanding. Matt and Andy did the bump thing together. I haven't talked about them here but we hung out a lot and got the nickname of "the three stooges". We were the only people on regular bikes, there were 7 tandems, and 10 handcycles, so the 3 of us rode together a lot. I'll look forward to seeing and racing with them in the future.

It's late and I need to study, I'll write more later.

Vista Crit

I rolled up at 6:30AM to help set up. One of Scott's buddies had a bike I could borrow. Sweet! I would be racing after all. I was racing with the big scary Cat3's in the 3/4 race. We went off and I decided to play tail gunner because the brakes on Robert's bike are opposite of mine; I have the front brake on the right side and everyone else has their rear brake on the right side. 5 or 6 laps in we came around turn 3 about 30mph and I grabbed a handful of rear brake. Rear tires lock up very quickly and like to loose traction so I went sliding through the turn. I kept the bike upright, but I decided that this race wasn't important enough to risk crashing and pulled out.
The 2/3 race was very exciting to watch. Props to Sammy and Derek for their efforts.
The P/1/2 race was not quite as exciting but I got to ride in the pace car. That was fun! Jay Charels did pretty well in that race.
After the racing I helped tear down. It was quite a long day, haha.

I'm packing and doing laundry and I fly out tomorrow.

SST

I was recently introduced to the idea of Sweet Spot Training and the logic seems solid. I don't know if I'm doing it right yet.

Today's ride was about an hour on the TT bike, this whole sunset at 7:25 thing really cuts into ride time. I went out without a HRM or a power meter. I don't own a Power Meter and I think a sugar momma or adopted uncle is in order. Anyways, I was riding on Perceived Exertion and was solidly in zone 3 area, the SST range. I did a few gravity aided spin-outs and hit 148 and 144rpm, not bad for the TT bike. I felt pretty good the weather was gorgeous. This weekend is going to be fun; I'm participating in the Mud Run, helping at the Vista Crits Sunday.

That Was Unexpected

I got an email yesterday explaining that a few of my teammates are leaving the team next year to pursue another team project.  The rumors were true, I suppose.  I think the move is supposed to take effect next year.  I guess it doesn't make too much difference, the last races of the year are upon us and the season is coming to a close.  

The Vista Crits are Sunday, I'll the helping unless someone lets me borrow a bike.  

I leave for the OTC in a week.

I Think

I think I am ready to see this season come to a close.  It's been that full gamut of adjectives you could use to describe something like a racing season.  I will have a very clear focus going into 2009, but it's getting close to being time to focus on relaxing.  I'm sick of looking at the weather and seeing "high of 94 with 71% humidity".  All I have left is the Vista Crit next Sunday if I can snag a bike to ride, camp at the OTC (the reason my bike will be absent), and the state Time Trial on the 4th of Oct.  The weather in CS is to die for, the high is slated to be 72 when I arrive next Tuesday.

I'm just tired.  I think I failed to take a long enough break from killing myself along the way.  That will be something to schedule in for next season.

I'm not Sayin'

Yesterday's trainer ride was as follows. Spin for a while. 4x1 minutes single leg, alternating between legs, 2 minutes rest between sets. Since my hams and hip flexors were sufficiently angry I only did 2x5 minutes in my biggest gear, the 50-12.
I have to preface this next part by saying that I was on the trainer, there was no wind resistance, trainer resistance is not the same as rolling resistance, I was not on a fixed gear bike, and any other caveat you can think of for riding the trainer.
I wanted to see how long it would take me to ride 3km on my second 5 minute big gear effort. I rolled over that mark in 4:07. Now, I'm not sayin', I'm just saying.

Silly Season

It is upon us.  In the pro ranks you have teams dissolving, riders switching teams, new sponsors, bike manus switching teams, lots of juicy gossip for us crazy bike fans to talk about.

There is, apparently, a local silly season as well.  The future of my current team seems to be unknown.  I can't go into detail because I don't know a lot and I don't feel like turning the rumor wheel.  So who will I be riding for next year?  I could potentially race unattached, but I think I would prefer to ride with a team.  

In any case I feel I should increase my stock so I could prove to be a valuable asset to whatever team I ride for, or to get picked up by by a team if I'm riding unattached.  

Here's a question.  Weight?  I'm up a few pounds from my season low of 131 to 133-135.  I was pretty gaunt but I didn't feel like eating, something to do with heat and probably mild burnout.  I will gain weight some as my mileage decreases during early base, but I am pretty good at controling it through diet (it's easy if you know what you are doing and have discipline).  I could maintain or I could break 140 for the first time in my life.  The added weight and power would help in TTs (my ticket onto the Paralympic Team), crits, the flatish races around the region, and my fantasies of being a Pursuit Racer.  Maintaining weight goes along with my fantasies of being a climber, but there are no hilly races in this area.  I guess climbing is just the romantic side of cycling.  The logical path is to gain weight as my aggregate gain will be higher.  And I'm just rambling by now.  I just need to come out of the offseason strong and ready to get stronger as the season moves along.

All Antsy

I have some sort of of massive desire to race.  They cancelled the races in Augusta because of the Hurricane, but she bypassed us altogether.  I want to race, I want to feel that competitive animal.  It's been a month since I last felt like that.  I didn't have that feeling at the State RR, I just wanted to hit the line and stop.  I did have that feeling in Elberton, which I did not blog about.  It was a 60 miler in near 100* weather, 2 man break stuck, I launched with 800m and overcooked the last corner, cyclocrossed through the grass, and finished 11th.  So I missed my first podium and my first upgrade points.  I had the pit bull feeling that day and I liked it, I want to feel it again!  I'd be up for a Du, a Tri, or a 5k if it started in the next hour.  

In other news, I am sick.  I have a head cold and a running nose.  I didn't train today because of it.  

Yesterday sucked hard, it was 95* and I couldn't sweat.  I was probably dehydrated.

The season is so close to being over.  I'm sad and happy.  The next thing I do will be the Training Camp at the OTC, it's 2 weeks away.  Then I have the state Time Trial, and I'm considering the G'Ville Crits.  I don't know if I want to do them or not.  Then it's over.  I'll go into base mode.  I'll have a somewhat more normal life, but I still intend to ride.  I didn't ride for 5 months last offseason and it cost me a lot.  I want to hit the Spring Series rolling, and I want to be white hot by the time Athens rolls around.

So Freaking Proud!

My little brother just graduated from Boot Camp and is now a Marine! I don't think it's possible to be more proud.
Get Some Mark!

That Little Twinge

The Paralympic Team is in Beijing and prepping to race. The Opening Ceremony is Friday. I'm just a little sad because I want to be with them. I know I haven't earned it yet, but it serves as good motivation.

Tuesday Night Worlds

The weather was beautiful!  It was 80 degrees and I was happy.  We rolled out for 45+2 since the sun is setting earlier.  I was feeling good (much better than Saturday) and because of my performance Saturday I was feeling feisty.  I saw a move go up the road with Jay and Toby and I thought it would behoove me to get in on it.  I took my pull and looked at my computer; 13 minutes, I was ready to settle in for 35 minutes of serious pain but it was not to be.  We were pulled back after a lap.  Then a little counter move went and Jay jumped after it.  I settled in to recover and that's the difference between a Cat1 an my little Cat4 butt.  I did some pulling and chased a few breaks, but my heroics aren't all that epic yet, I didn't go in any more breaks.  
We got around to the last lap and I tried my little move from the top of the backstretch (1000-1200m if it sticks).  I was caught 50m past turn 4.  

Augusta RR this weekend.

Labor Day Weekend Part 4: The Hincapie After-Party

So after racing Saturday, riding Sunday, and watching the Pro Race for several hours it was time to party.  Hah, I wasn't too sure if I would get there and curl up in a corner to sleep or hang out.  I also haven't been out and mingling in over a year, so I didn't know if I could talk to anyone after 10PM.  Fortunately, my people skills remain somewhat intact and I talked to a cute girl about her endurance horse racing.  I had no idea you could put a HRM on a horse, but hers has a max heart rate of 260bpm, wow.  Other than talking to girls I met George Hincapie and thought about talking to Dave Zabriskie but the poor guy looked like he had more than drained himself during the 2 races.  I noticed that Allen Lim (the physiologist for Garmin-Chipotle) was at the party and I wanted to meet him since I'm a nerd and think his work is terribly interesting.  He was sitting next to DZ when I said hello, and he asked if I realized he was sitting next to DZ.  I did, and I wasn't trying to snub him.  I just didn't want to be the annoying fan to the guy that looked like a zombie.  Allen is a cool guy, and it was nice meeting him, and he has such a cool job.  Why did I choose Economics as a major?  We rolled out before 11 and it felt like it was 2am, I'm an old person.  
This weekend was absolutely amazing!  Big shout out to Rick and Gail for putting me up.  Good luck to John in his first Ironman.  And congratulations to all the locals that raced so well this weekend.

Labor Day Weekend Part 3: The Pro Race

After 3 hours in the saddle we were all ready to clean up and eat, so showers were had and we ate some burritos.  Tasty.  Downtown Greenville was HOT and a little crowded, I was excited to see a crowd gather for a bike race in SC!  Garmin-Chipotle was well represented in the race with 14 riders, one of whom won the National Champ Time Trial the day before.  Big shout out to Dave Zabriskie on that victory.  I also need to apologize, but that's for "Part 4".  The hometown hero was also racing, George Hincapie has become a local legend in Greenville since he lives there.  
Those guys are fast.  Wow, is all I can say.  
I saw Casey and Rob while I was sitting on the sidewalk, that was cool.  She's really fast, I'm kinda jealous.
I had to climb a tree to get a good view of the finish, but it was worth it.  I saw Tyler Hamilton of Rock Racing with a national title at the age of 37!  The year of the old athlete?  Garmin had 3 riders in the final break of 5 and managed 2nd.  I have to admit being a little surprised they didn't take the jersey.

Labor Day Weekend Part 2: Ceasar's Head

Sunday was shaping up to be a long day with a 7:30am start to the festivities (meaning my non-morning person self was away at 6am).  A group of 30 rolled out of Furman U. towards Ceasar's Head including Rick, Gail, Jim, and John Lockwood who will be doing his first Ironman next weekend in Wisconsin.  It's 22 rolling-to-lightly-hilly miles from Furman to Ceasar's and we were moving at a leisurely pace.  It was no problem for me because I was still feeling the race from the day before.
I came to realize that a really really hate partial zip jerseys.  I was wear a 3/4 zip and was taking a leak at the base of Ceasar's Head.  That requires the jersey to come over my head so i can get my bib straps pulled down.  My helmet had to come off as well.  The group had become strung out and was regrouping as I was trying to pull my jersey onto my sweaty, sticky body.  It's a tight fit, and as I'm wriggling around the group up and leaves.  I was 200 meters back already so I tried to catch up, then I realized we were going up a mountain and I would have to ride at my pace to survive.  Ceasar's Head is 6.2 miles from top to bottom, it doesn't mess around.  I have no idea how long it took me but I loved it!  It hurt, but there is something about climbing, real climbing, that I eat up.  The return trip was on the painful side; my quads were feeling all sorts of beaten to a pulp, and Greenville isn't flat.  We were going to ride up Paris Mountain, but having rode 57 miles by the time Furman arrived made the decision to skip Paris an easy one.  

I love climbing.

Labor Day Weekend Part 1: State Champ Road Race

I did enough this weekend to warrant a whole bunch of separate entries, so here's the first.

I got to Greenville Friday without too much trouble, I had Jim's kids with me but Caroline was well behaved.  I got to Rick and Gail's place and went for a little spin on the trainer to loosen up.  Dinner was pasta and chicken.  I settled in for some Tour of Ireland action before turning in.  Cavendish won the stage going away, again.  Amazing, but his bitterness over the Olympic Madison is off-putting.  I ended up in bed about 10:30 and didn't have to be up 'till 7!  I loved not waking up at 5am for a race.  I was a bundle of nerves trying to go to sleep, I have no idea why I get so freaked out the night before a race.  I wish I would just fall asleep.
So they sent us off at 11 and it was hot and humid.  We did 3 laps of the 15 mile course for 45 miles. I just sat in the middle of the field for most of the race which was a little packed with 60-70 riders starting.  A few flyers went, but nothing serious.  I started working my way forward early in the last lap and made it to about 10th before getting swarmed and failing to hold my spot.  I wasn't feeling very good the whole race so I didn't put up a fight.  I just sat there rolling along.  The final stretch was pure mayhem.  2 separate crashes claimed a number of riders and I rolled in 23rd and disappointed.  I sucked that day.  

Casey Gail finished 2nd/1st SC in the W1/2/3 race.
Rodney, Phillip Hare, Rob K, and Eric Cash raced the 4s with me.  
Lad Lumpkin finished 2nd/1st SC in the 35-39 race and Jay Charles was 6th/2nd SC.
Don finished 10th in the 50+ race.
Anna from the Sippy Cups (City of Forest Acres Jr Team) was 10th in the W4 race.
A whole bunch of local guys started the 1/2/3 race, but it was brutal.
Other local people raced, but I can remember the particulars.