24 weeks

Yes it was a long winter, but at the end of my 24th week of training I pinned on my number and pedaled toward the start/ finish. Some may think that nearly 6 months without racing is too long but... I would agree. How about that argument? I would have liked to race in Boulder at the begining of March but the race was cancelled so I settled for some intense group rides and some "tear your legs off" climbing epics. Heck, I would have raced Valley of the Sun in mid-February had I received my Cat 1 upgrade in time. But it wasn't meant to be and now it is April and I have less than 3 hours of racing in my legs. I'm not complaining about the racing here in Michigan, I'm a creative guy so I make it work. I have invented the "Spring Training Series Sandwich" using 2 slices of hearty, two-hour endurance rides. So even though the race is less than an hour, I end up with a 5.5 hour, 100+ mile day.
Saturday was a beautiful early spring day with temps around 40F, a slight breeze and a clear sky. I wasn't feeling very well in the days leading up to the race but managed a 4th place on the day. The important thing is that I made it a hard race, attacking often, and riding most of the day in a small break. What amazed me while riding in the break was how inefficient we were. I was very close to "going Belgian" on my breakaway companions and screaming at the top of my lungs about pulling off into the wind and riding withing inches side to side... but I refrained and muttered "godverdomme" under my breath. My last lap attack was unsucessful and my unmatchable sprinting prowess (it's true, I'm now a pure sprinter) could not secure the "W." Since I didn't win, my mom told me that she wouldn't drive me home unless I rode another hour at 300 watts... so I did. And that was Saturday.
I'd imagine all Michigan bike racers know Runway Plaza, the venue for the Spring Training Series. 4 Sundays in the spring, a simple 1km crit loop, a perfect 2 hour ride from my driveway, and 24 years running. That right this series has been going on longer than I've been alive. The man who runs the show, Paul Alman, is the cornerstone of Michigan bike racing and truly cannot be thanked enough for his contributions to the sport. The weather on Sunday didn't draw record numbers but at least 40 riders made it out for the first day of Runway 2008. I don't do these races to sit in, socialize, or even practice my tactics. I do these races to train, to attck a lot, and to go hard for the race's short duration. So that's what I did. Within the first 5 or 10 minutes we had ourselves a little breakaway. I pushed it hard up the small rise to the finish on many laps and attacked more times than I can remember. Lapped the field and placed 2nd. The day wasn't over though as I scarfed some food, filled my bottles, bundled up and pedaled for home. I beat the rain home and hit the couch. A day on the bike doesn't get much better than that. Unless you win of course. Note to self: win next week. 8 more days, 2 more races, Belgium here I come.

Blood

I did a lactic test this past weekend to check the numbers and see where my fitness stands. For those of you who don't know how the test works, I attach my bike to a machine that reads wattage and start pedaling at 100 watts. Every 3 minutes the wattage increases by 50 watts and a small blood sample is taken from my ear to measure the lactic acid concentration. Basically it's a kamikaze mission crossed with a night out with a vampire. You keep pedaling until you blow up and end with a little less blood than you started with. I was pleased to see the improvement in my lactic curve from the last test I did. I'm getting to the point where I can pedal as easily as I can sit on the couch. In fact my new training program incorporates couch lounging intervals... not quite. Anyway, after an excellent Easter brunch with the family on Sunday I headed out to put those calories to use. After a few miles I turned my head to expel some mucus from my running nose. I have this down to science and don't even use my hand for assistance. I blew like I've done thousands of times and out came my precious endurance liquid: Blood. Great. So I pedal with my head cocked up and breathe heavily through my nose for a while but the blood keeps a coming. This was the nose bleed from hell on Easter day itself. I eventually came across a sheriff parked in a lot along my training route and inquired about paper products. I was in luck. Inside a paper towel, he stored some magic cookies... not quite as powerful as magic beans, but pretty darn close. He didn't give me any of the cookies but the paper towel was mine and guess what: it smelled like cookies! So I jammed a piece up my nose and was teased by the scent of magic cookies for the rest of my ride. True story.

Other than that, not too much is going on here in Michigan. Same old, same old. Training is going good, got a new chain, Detroit's mayor has been charged with a few felonies, and I'm getting ready to race this weekend. Yep, I guess the chain is the highlight of the week. So I'm going to try to hang on to my blood for the next few days and then try to win some bike races this weekend.

Ode to the Fender

For as long as I recall I thought it was dumb
To have a bike with a fender and look like a bum.
But after some training in Boulder, Colorado,
"A clean and dry backside" is my brand new motto.
Puddles, streams, and even a lake,
I'll ride through it all... for my fender can take
The abuse, the dirt, the spray, and the spew,
After every wet ride my ass says thank you.

Yes the detachable fender was a piece of equipment I acquired in Boulder and I'm putting it to good use here in Michigan. The snow's a melting and the puddles are prospering. Other than the poor weather MI, it's good to be home and sleeping in my own bed rather than a futon in someone's living room. Don't misunderstand me, I loved being in Boulder and I hope to return but it was time to move on. Right now I'm focusing on the begining of the racing season. It's been quite some time since I last rolled to the start line of a race and I'm getting that early spring itch to get going once again. I am especially eager to get back to Belgium... cold, wet, and gray Belgium. It's a sick addiction I think: the desire to race in those conditions, or maybe it's more of compromise I make to be able to race those long, hard, prestigious races. I'll deal with the conditions to be able to race those Top Comps, those stage races, even those kermis races. I feel like every spring I have the chance to rise to a new level. The winter months of training are nearing an end and no one, not even myself, knows exactly what I'm capable of this season. That's exciting to me.

Got outside for a long ride yesterday and realized that I've been riding indoors way too much in the last week:
I put on shorts and a baselayer and thought I was ready to go.
While dressing I was thinking about what to watch on TV while I ride.
While riding I was surpised to see pavement rather than basement tiles.
I briefly forgot how to turn.
And remembered what coasting feels like.