So, here goes:

1. Read more books. I read a couple books in 2011, but I really would like to be a bit more diligent about diving into the stack of volumes that are whispering to me, urging me to open their covers and get lost in the pages.

2. Plan another big trip. Iceland was a surreal, magical, wonderful experience – and one that sprite and I planned mostly by happenstance. I’m not sure that this next big trip will happen in 2012, but getting the wheels in motion now wouldn’t be a bad idea.

3. Cook and prepare more things that I would otherwise buy. Often I’m in a rush to leave in the morning and don’t pack lunch. That means having to uy lunch, and the cost adds up. So I’d like to have the foresight to pack more lunches. Also, I’m a sucker for gourmet coffee drinks that I can totally make myself (e.g. espresso, Starbucks’ gingerbread lattés). For Christmas, I received an Aerobee Aeropress, and sprite pointed me to this DIY gingerbread latté recipe, so…. there ‘ya go!

4. Clean a little bit every day. The Burrow is a tiny apartment, and it’s often far from the sanctuary it should be. I’d like to rediscover the space inside by cleaning it a little each day and, like sprite, concentrate on sectors. It may mean that we’ll have guests over more often, and that would be great.

5. Let go of things. This goes hand-in-hand with cleaning, in a sense: I tend to hold onto things, sometimes to the point of obsession. This leads to messes, both literal and figurative, which leads to unnecessary stress. I’ve been working on this for a few years, and it’s a continuing process.

6. Really crush the Death Ride. It’s my big event ride for 2012, and I want to be super-strong in it! So it will involve training smartly, eating well, resting, keeping the bikes in shape and always looking forward.

7. Go hiking in both Rock Creek Park and Shenandoah National Park. One is just blocks from my front door. The other is only 60 miles from my front door. And I really haven’t hiked in either park. I love hiking, so…. let’s do it!

8. Draw more. I have a lovely set of Prismacolor pencils and sketchbooks – I should use ‘em more!

9. Post more on this blog. It’s fallen somewhat by the wayside. This will change in 2012.

10. Say “thank you” far more often. I’m often not grateful enough for the friends and family I have, and the things they do to help me through life.

Do any of you have things you want to do in 2012?

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2012 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

ten on tuesday: things to do in 2012

Last year, I rode the Diabolical Double – a.k.a. the Garrett County Gran Fondo – and called it “truly diabolical.”

And it still is – but this time, I was prepared.

Oh sure, in 2010 I believed I was ready, and I probably was, by and large. However, this year things simply were, well, better.

The ride organizers tweaked some of the checkpoints, adding an extra one between Westernport and Deer Park to prevent the mass dehydration spectacle that plagued the field last year.

I equipped my bike with lower gearing, taking my own advice from last year to heart.

I stayed at the base of Wisp the night before the ride, which was a big plus, as any extra sleep netted before the 7:00am start is “money” (i.e. energy) in the bank.

I ate a dinner that was balanced “comfort” food: Mexican, with plenty of protein and carbs and a little bit of fat, chased by a locally-brewed oatmeal stout and plenty of water.

And the next morning, it looked dank, misty and cloudy – possibly the best part of ride day.

In 2010, it was sunny and hot for the ride, especially after dropping down to Westernport and during the climbs back out of the river valley. It was at this point last year where I ran into a battle against dehydration.

But this year was different – very different.

Chris and I drove out to McHenry on Friday afternoon, shortly after he picked up his new bike (yes, he rode a 125 mile event on a brand new bicycle – he’s a brave man), and marveled at the undulating geography that would present itself to us first-hand the next day. After checking into the hotel and meeting up with Mark, we headed to dinner at the Santa Fe Grill to eat the aforementioned Mexican dinner, then headed to the local grocery to pick up breakfast rations (our hotel room had a fridge, so fresh juice and yogurt were nice breakfast perks). We settled down around 10:30pm.

The alarm went off at 5:00am – a painful hour, but I managed to get moving rather quickly. We wanted to be on the road to the summit of Wisp (only a 2 mile drive) by 6, as there could be a traffic jam as people arrive for the event. This year, the field was expanded to 600 riders in the various distances, with approximately 250-300 of them riding the 125 and 100-mile rides. We arrived at the summit by 6:15, prepared the bikes and decided how to approach the cool, misty morning. While Chris opted to go with short sleeves and shorts (he thrives in the cold), I opted to layer a long-sleeve tech shirt under my Connecticut College jersey, knowing that I could doff it at either of the first two checkpoints. Mark also opted for a warm layer that was a bit more substantial, made of wool.

After the usual pre-event running around (the queue for the men’s bathroom was long, though only for the toilet stalls – thank goodness I didn’t need them!), we moseyed over to the start area around 6:55, where we met up with Tim, Mike, Jeff, and John, waiting for the end of the pre-ride announcements (“this is not a race… be careful on the descents… you still need sunscreen, even on a cloudy day…”). Of this group of Potomac Pedalers riders, I was the only one who had previously ridden the course, so I knew that the initial descent might be a bit scrappy.

So when the starting call went out at 7:11am, I made sure to work my way toward the front. Tim did the same, while the others hung back a little ways. So the descent wasn’t bad for me at all, while others, according to Chris, experienced flat tires from…. well, who knows what. Within the first few miles, I had distanced myself from my crowd and settled into a nice pace through the first two checkpoints.

I spent very little time at the checkpoints: 5 minutes at the first one, maybe 10 at the second one. I saw Jeff again at the second stop, as he was arriving and I was departing. I dropped off my base layer at checkpoint two, and while it was a chilly start for the third leg of the ride, it was a good move as I wasn’t in any risk of overheating. I was eating and drinking well, too – things just seemed right.

The third leg of the ride is the hardest in terms of hills. While previous hills were steep, they weren’t particularly long, so it was possible to power up the slopes and recover quickly. The hills on leg three, however, were long, steep and relentless. Bowman Road and “Killer” Miller are epic climbs that, while separated by eight miles, seem to lie atop each other. Both feature sustained steep sections that, while scenic, wear on legs that have over 45 miles of other hills already under foot. I tapped into my power and made it up them without much difficulty, and wasn’t passed by many people as I climbed – in fact, I passed people on both the climbs and the descents, which served not only to build my confidence, but also put me in the position where I was riding with very few people close by.

The third checkpoint was another shorter stop, where I considered leaving my car keys for Chris – he originally stated his intent to ride only the century on his new bike, which would have put him back at Wisp at least an hour ahead of me. In hindsight, I’m glad I kept them with me. The next section included a lovely dirt road segment, where I bombed past a team of triathletes on time trial bikes. Let me state for the record: I have no idea why anybody would ride a TT bike on this course! The terrain is ill-suited for the extreme geometry of a TT bike, and even if it is equipped with better climbing gears, it’s still best suited for, well, a TT or flatter triathlon stage.

Ahem.

After descending into Westernport (where I did not climb “The Wall” this time, and where the temperature was in the low-70s), I pulled into the Luke P.O. checkpoint to the cheers of excited volunteers (as a side note: all of the volunteers at this event are so positive and supportive, and they make a huge difference to the riders). I spent a few minutes chatting with the women at this stop, all the while drinking (water, HEED and Coke) and eating (mixed nuts and PB&J sandwiches), knowing that the upcoming segment was my undoing in 2010.

I got back on the road (again, to much cheering from the volunteers), and started up the Route 46 climb into West Virginia. This is a longer, more “western style” climb that isn’t very steep, but is very tough after 86 miles of riding. One of the few people I saw during the ride – Tom, from Baltimore – joined me on the climb and we chatted the whole way up, all the while keeping up a brisk pace. This continued to the top, where I distanced myself on the descent (broke 50 mph on the bike for the third of five times on the ride), and he spun back up for the climb. We pulled into the new rest stop at mile 100 (Kitzmiller, MD), and I made it a very quick stop to top off the (still mostly full) bottles and drink a quick cup of Coke. Tom also made it a quick stop, and we both scaled North Hill at a nice pace: not too hard, but not slow, either.

As I passed the Deer Park water spigot at mile 103, I remembered spending a lot of time there last year, trying to cool down and re-hydrate. But not this year.

Pulling into checkpoint six in the town of Deer Park, Tom got a spot of cramp (he’d never ridden more than 87-or-so miles in one day before the DD), and after a quick stop, I left him behind and forged on toward Wisp.

13 of the final 15 miles are mostly mild rollers, with one steep climb up to US 219. The road passes farms and hugs the shore of Deep Creek Lake, passing vacation houses large and small, new and old, most available for rental (something to consider next ski season or, indeed, at next year’s DD). This is ideal time to enjoy the scenery and spin any lactic acid out of the legs (if possible), because….

….the final two miles up to the top of Wisp are a killer climb. Actually, only the first 3/4 mile is tough: a 13-15% grind to the ridgeline that is the summit of Wisp. Fortunately, Tri Team Z had established a wonderful cheering station for riders. I passed many riders who were cramping terribly on this pitch, and I cheered them on as I spun past, legs feeling remarkably fresh. As I rounded the final turn toward the finish, I upped my speed, and I finished the ride in a standing sprint, with many cheering me on.

I heard the finish timer say “4:28….” as I passed.

Wait a minute: nine hours and seventeen minutes?!?!?

Hot damn! I had eclipsed the previous year’s time by over two hours!

Needless to say, I was elated! I let out a cheer, pumped my fist, then proceeded to the scorer’s table to get my finisher’s shirt. I was 23rd over the line for the day amongst the long-haul riders (125 and 100-mile riders), which made me even more amazed.

It was a perfect ride: perfect preparation and execution.

I cheered on many others who finished after me. Mike, John, Chris and Mark all made it across a while after I did. Tim crossed at some point, as I never saw him again after the morning. Jon and Elizabeth arrived back, as well. And we all celebrated a great day of riding with beer and pizza at a local brewery that evening.

Another diabolical day, somehow made anything but. I’ll take it!

(Note: the ride is also a fundraiser for the Joanna M. Nicolay Melanoma Foundation, and I’m still raising money for this worthy cause. Click here to donate – thank you!)

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2012 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

cycling log: 25 june 2011 (diabolical double)

For most of these cyclists, training for the big event has been taking place for months: racking up the miles, working on climbing form and endurance. And that’s all well and good, but what about the weekend of the event? That’s where I want to share my advice as a veteran of this ride.

The week leading into Mountains of Misery:

• Tapering. After this coming weekend (and, indeed, during the weekend for most), you’ll want to taper off your preparation work. This means reeling in the tendency to hammer on the climbs, drive a mean paceline on the flats, and so forth. Rides during this coming weekend should be long, but not terribly long, and need not be chock-a-block full of big climbs. Work on a smooth pedal stroke and keeping the heart rate well below maximum. Basically: you don’t want to drain your energy resources now; on the contrary, you want to start building them for the big event. Any mid-week rides should be taken at a moderate tempo, so let the folks who aren’t riding MoM contest the town line sprint. Do ride – just not to excess.
• Nutrition. The week before the event is a great time to make sure your engine is primed for the effort. That means eating quality food: a balance of protein and carbohydrate, with a minimum of processed ingredients and refined sugars. This doesn’t mean you need to “carb load,” as this is more likely to slow you down on event day (though it’s OK to up the carbs a touch the afternoon/evening before the event). Eat a lot of whole grains, in-season fruits and vegetables, lean protein (possibly the most important part of fueling) and antioxidants. Taper off the caffeine and alcohol intake a bit. Drink a lot of water! And be sure to have a great breakfast every day of the week.
• Bicycle Mechanics. If your bike needs new brake pads, cables, chain, cassette, tires or bar tape, the week before the event is a great time to do these things, especially if you are like me and do most of your own wrenching. On a hilly ride in a really rural area, you don’t want any part of your bike to fail, so preventive maintenance is key. I plan on changing out my front brake pads, bar tape and tires before the big event. Bring a spare tire, pump and tubes with you to the event – you’ll want to carry a spare tube with you on the ride, anyway. Clean and lube your drivetrain (and, if you have the time, wash your whole bike).
• Sleep. Gearing up for a big event means storing energy, which also means getting a good night’s sleep. If you’re eating well and riding an easy-going week, getting sleep shouldn’t be too difficult.
• Clothing, Etc. Make sure you do your cycling-related laundry early in the week and keep an eye on the weather for the event weekend. That way, you’ll have all of your kit ready for any eventuality. I’ve been on MoM rides when it’s been chilly and raining, hot and brutal, and everything in between. Set out a favorite jersey (or two), some shorts you know will be comfortable on a long ride, socks, arm and leg warmers and other bits and bats (e.g. headband). Check your bike gloves and helmet for wear and tear, and wash or replace if needed. (Washing a bike helmet is easy: take it with you into the shower!) Check your bike shoes and their cleats: if the cleats are loose, tighten them, and if they’re worn out, get new ones.

The evening before the event:

• The Drive to Blacksburg Get there in the late afternoon or early evening, and plan some delay in the drive. Stressing out over the drive doesn’t help. If you can, drive with others and share the workload.
• Dinner. Eat something that you are familiar with and has a nice balance of protein and carbs. Eat some fresh greens. But don’t wolf down a meal like it’s your last one ever, because it might disturb your sleep and drain energy stores.

The Day of the Event:

• Breakfast. Eat something familiar, simple and filling. Again, try to balance protein and carbs. Make sure you get some salt and other electrolytes. Fresh fruit, oatmeal/cereal, eggs, juice, coffee/tea and water all make a great breakfast. Make sure you can take your time eating it, and finish eating at least an hour before ride start time.
• Newport Rec Center. Get there early! Drive there (there’s no easy way to ride there from Blacksburg: big climb, busy road). And use the port-o-lets early, too.
• Bag For The Finish. Send a small duffle/drawstring bag of stuff up to the finish: a change of clothes, towel, wet wipes, deodorant, hair brush, sunscreen, camera, recovery drink powder, etc. – it will all be handed to you as soon as you cross the finish.
• Starting Waves. The first wave is full of alpha dogs who treat the ride like a race, so only go with them if you are prepared to ride fast and furious. Otherwise, fall into a later wave – you all end up at the same place in the end.
• Pacing: Part 1. The first 56-or-so miles of the 102 mile route are rolling hills, so pacelines are bound to develop. Make sure that you take your turn at the front, but don’t go for too long, or at full effort, when taking your pull: maybe 100-110 pedal strokes, then fall back. If you stay up front for too long, you’ll blow all your energy early on, which isn’t smart. If you go too hard, you’ll also blow up early. If the paceline you’re in is too fast for comfort, let it go, because you’ll need the energy for the climbs. There is one steep descent at mile 27, and it’s best to let the confident descenders take the lead on this.
• Rest Stops. There are rest stops all along the ride route. I try to wait to stop until the top of the first major climb at Johns Creek (mile 62), but that’s often too much for many. Stop when you must, but don’t linger for long and let your muscles and cardiovascular system cool down.
• Refueling. MoM supplies some great food and fluids at their rest stops. They have water, soda, fruit, cookies, sandwiches, energy gels, and both Gatorade and Hammer HEED (the latter being my fave). However, if you are conditioned to a specific product (e.g. GU2O, Endurox or Accelerade), bring your own powder with you – an event is not the time to try something new. And be sure to have some snacks with you on the bike, just in case.
• Pacing: Part 2. The climb to Johns Creek is steep and tough: 2.8 miles and 1,100 feet of vertical, top pitch around 19%. Pace yourself up the climb, saving some “oomph” for the top. The rest stop at the top is a great place to refuel. After this, there is a nice descent, then some rolling road before the…
• Lollipop Loop. This loop is all about rollers, some very steep, between miles 72 and 85. Save some energy for these, as it’s essentially a lot of interval riding for the middle 8 miles. Some of the curves are sharp and can have gravel in them, and potholes are a norm – be careful!
• Last Rest Stop. The last practical rest stop is at mile 95, not long before the big, final climb. This is a great place to top off the water bottles, use the loo, take in some last bits of solid food and affix the number to your bike frame (this is used to reclaim your bike back in Newport after the event – they take it back to the start on a truck).
• The FINAL Climb. This is the big one: up Doe Creek Road to Mountain Lake. It’s long (4.1 miles) and steep (1,800+ feet of climbing, topping out at 17%). Pace yourself, as before. Spin, if you can. Stand to relieve boredom and engage other muscles. Take advantage of the rest area 2/3 of the way up by having them hand you cups of water, as well as having them dump some water over your head or onto your back (the cooling provides an instant energy boost right before the steepest pitch of the climb). Keep going – don’t stop at this rest stop, just roll through it and let the volunteers help you!
• The Finish. The finish area is like that of a Grand Tour: people lined alongside, cheering you on; the MC announcing your name as you arrive; and a big, overhead banner. If you have the energy, give the final 200-250 meters your all and DRIVE through the finish. Once you cross, volunteers will steady you and take your bike from you, ask which wave you started with (used to calculate time), hand you your finisher’s shirt and your bag.
• Relax! Get cleaned up and changed. Drink your recovery drink. Eat some grilled burgers. Get a massage (highly recommended, especially if you plan on driving back home that night). Reflect on the task you just achieved.

Good luck!

ETA: I’ve added some bits remembered on a subsequent read. And thanks for all the feedback, guys!

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2012 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

mountains of misery: a primer

That’s my mileage total for 2010. That’s 30 fewer miles than in 2009, 249 fewer than 2008.

And I’m not unhappy with that.

After two marathon years that made sprite lament my time away from her (let’s face it: long distance rides take time, and most of the better long rides are far away from DC), I rejiggered my training and riding schedule, placing ride quality over mile quantity.

In other words, I blew apart the classic cyclist’s belief that more miles make a better cyclist.

How did that work? I looked into my riding needs – e.g. climbing, distance, power, sprinting – and broke my training into focused efforts on each, mixing and matching as needed. And this helped, as I had a late start to heavy-duty riding due to the excess of snow that socked in the DC area last winter (made for great skiing, though).

So there was some “winter weight” to contend with at the beginning of the season, and in a normal year I’d slowly drop the weight. But given the short build-up to Mountains of Misery, my focused plan paid off: between mid-April and mid-May, I shed most of my winter weight, built a lot of power and climbing shape, and had a superb Misery ride.

All of this happened with a minimum of back-to-back days of long riding, and I’m pleased that I was able to work out a new training scheme that balanced cycling life and non-cycling life. I plan on doing the same this year, though I’ll likely tweak it a bit depending on the winter. I also plan on adding more mountain biking to the winter riding plan, as it offers a better all-around workout.

Other data from 2010:
100+ mile days: 8
Longest ride: 125.88 miles (Garrett County Gran Fondo)
Miles on the Pedal Force ZX3: 4,416
Miles on the Jamis Eclipse: 302 (this bike is stored in Connecticut)
Miles on the Marin Indian Fire Trail: 155
Commuting miles: 830
Potomac Pedalers rides: 36, for a total of 1,801 miles
Chains used: 3
Tires used: 7 (two completely trashed, one via a deep cut, the other by wearing through completely)

I’ve already logged 94 miles in 2011, including an extremely fun mountain bike ride last weekend (pictures here) and the traditional New Year’s Day laps at Hains Point. My schedule in 2011 is busy (I’m the new chair of Potomac Pedalers, which will be a bit of a time suck), but I plan on making 2011 my best cycling year ever.

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2012 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

4,873

But not a road bike (I didn’t own a proper road bike until 2002). Nope, these were the days when I was riding – and racing – mountain bikes.

Me, my old Scott bike, the old team jersey and a lot of energy before a race.

With that, let’s go back to 1989 (at least I think it’s 1989 – the photo is a Polaroid of an Ektachrome slide that is buried somewhere in Salt Lake City at the moment). I was racing mountain bikes in the summer as part of my off-season training for ski racing. My dad and I would criss-cross Utah and Colorado to attend races. By this time, I was sharing some of the driving duties, much to his relief (or stress, it’s hard to say).

At any rate, July’s big race in the Utah Mountain Bike Championship Series was the Blue Mountain Bike Chase, a 25-mile ride up and down the Abajo Range west of Monticello, Utah. At 16, I was the youngest racer in the field by a few years, and didn’t really know what I was getting into. But I loved racing my bike, so my dad humored my request to enter this race.

The course climbs Abajo Peak: at almost 11,300 feet, it towers 4,500 feet above the farming town of Monticello. The course was a mix of paved roads, dirt roads, USFS roads and hiking trails, and involved a lot of climbing. The first 13 miles encompassed 95% of the uphill riding that would happen on the course, some of it very, very steep.

I don’t remember a lot of specific details of the course, other than I stopped to admire the view from the top of Abajo Peak after pushing my bike the last mile or so to the top, looking forward to the fast descent back to town. A couple of hikers and a county sheriff greeted me at the top, checked to see that I was OK, and cheered me on. I hopped back onto my bike, slipped my feet into the toe clips on my pedals (no clipless systems in 1989), made sure my knee pads were tight and flung myself down the mountain.

These were the days before suspension became de rigeur in mountain biking, so my arms took a bit of a pounding with all of the washboard road surfaces. But I finished without incident, some 5 hours after starting, hot, sweaty and happy. I had won the junior division (being the only entrant has its perks), and my dad was happy to see me back at the old, golden Jeep (seen in the picture).

After I cleaned up and changed clothes, we drove back to Salt Lake City. I insisted that I drive some of the route home, but my dad put the brakes on that (literally) when I found it almost impossible to keep my eyes open, so drained I was from the race.

That was a fun summer.

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2012 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

wayback wednesday: racing the bike in the 1980s

As my token tip ‘o’ the hat to bike racing in 2010, I returned to the Giro di Coppi, a race I last competed in back in 2008. That year, the race was rained out on its initial date (a hurricane-induced rain), so it was rescheduled for September, when the weather in the DC area is a bit cooler than in July.

So how was it this July?

It….

was….

HOT!!!!

Seriously, it was a very tough day for racing in Barnesville.

The Cat 5 men started their race at 1pm, when the air temperature was already in the mid-90s (°F), with temperatures on exposed tarmac topping 101-105°. My group raced three laps of a 12.5 mile loop, which can be seen here and here.

There was a neutral roll out to the start from the Barnesville School, at the intersection of Barnesville and Peach Tree Roads, so we started out on an uphill – always a tough start, even after some warm-up riding on Peach Tree Road’s gentle hills. The route is rolling, covering a lot of familiar ground for Potomac Pedalers (PPTC) folk, albeit at a faster pace than usually seen on club rides and with the ability to really fly through the corners at warp speed – and all of it with a police escort!

I rode primarily with Shaun Sohljou (a fellow PPTC member) and his Whole Wheel Velo Club teammates, though I also did a bit of work with the DCMTB guys (I raced with their team, as a guest, in ’08). I made sure to keep Shaun and his guys in contact with the lead group the whole time, as that’s the key to this race: stay in the front pack and attack on the uphill leading toward the start/finish line. That way, you’ll be in the mix at the end, and anything can happen.

I'm racing here, on the right-hand side. It was HOT!

At the latter end of lap 2, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to keep up the pace for all three laps, given the heat, so I ramped up my speed and helped Shaun match an acceleration that was instigated by DCMTB and NCVC heading toward the start/finish line. After I was sure that Shaun was near the front, I dropped off, slowly drifting back and settling into a pace that wasn’t necessarily slow, but wasn’t full race pace, either. I joined a few other riders in this quest (“the quest for top 30 placement”), and we rode out the rest of the race, with my legs finding a bit of zip after Kirstin handed off a bottle to me during lap 3 that I used to both drink and douse myself, allowing me to pass some of the crowd in the final kilometer. I finished 18th, a few minutes behind the crowd.

And Shaun? He placed 4th behind two Squadra Coppi guys and (I believe) an ABRT guy. Not a bad way to finish in his last outing as a Cat 5.

The picture was taken near the end of lap 2, I think. And yes, I wore the PPTC colors in the race – gotta love that!

And boy, was I worn out that night! I slept like a brick.

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2012 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

cycling log: 17 july 2010 (giro di coppi)

This ride proves that there is always something more difficult to do on a bicycle.

Since it’s unlikely that I’ll be riding the Great River Ride this year, I decided to add another longer challenge ride to my 2010 schedule. That came in the form of the Garrett County Gran Fondo, specifically the “Diabolical Double” route: a 126-mile route that climbs and descends river-cut ridges through the Maryland panhandle and parts of northern West Virginia. It’s a route that few have ever completed, and this year the organizers of the Savageman Triathlon decided to stage an organized ride on this route to test the mettle of local endurance cyclists.

I didn’t enter into this ride lightly. Friends familiar with the area said that the terrain was extreme, and that every climb would have a sinister element to it: steepness, exposure, road surfaces conspiring against progress. Naturally, this meant some breakneck descents, tempered only by the prospect of gravel washed over the pavement due to recent torrential rains. There was also the factor of distance between checkpoints/aid stations, which meant the possibility of running out of water or food at later points in the ride.

But this ride still proved inviting. The prospect of beautiful terrain (including the “Westernport Wall,” a 31% climb that’s featured in the Savageman race) and riding with good friends, Mariette and Rick, in an area that I hadn’t explored outside of winter months was too much to pass up. And I’ve been climbing really well on local sinister roads like Massanutten, Coxey Brown, Francis Hollow and Park Central, so I felt ready to give this ride a go.

And it was truly diabolical.

To quote (and second) Mariette:

“[The DD] is is the hardest thing I have EVER done on a bike, and I have done some hilly doubles and some hilly centuries. This thing is like doing Naked Mountain, then Massanutten, then Vesuvius and then doing them all over and over and over until you get 126 miles. But the scenery was kicker.”

She was right. And Rick added the following in a message to Kyle Yost, the course designer:

“I’ve done the Mountains of Misery Double Metric Century five times, and your ride is consistently harder… Same amount of climbing, but the Diabolical Double takes an additional two hours of a serious suffer fest. I really enjoyed the flat section at the end am only too thankful you didn’t chart a final climb any more vicious than you did… I assume you simply couldn’t find one.”

Again, spot on.

A quick summary of the course: starting from the top of Wisp Ski Area, the ride begins with a fast descent (I hit 57.1 mph on this first stretch – some nearly hit 60), then gives you a taste of the climbs to come about 10 miles in: a 1/2 mile stretch at 15-16%. From there, the hills became more and more extreme, adding fuel to the fire. It got to the point where 10% seemed like a mild climb and not something that, on a normal club ride, would be groused at. We hit 20-21% at least 6 times on this ride. There was also a 1.5 mile long dirt stretch, the last 3/10 of a mile being a 13-14% incline – more a job for a mountain or cross bike than a road steed, but we made it up, all the same.

And then there was the Westernport Wall. It was an optional climb, not officially part of the course, but as Kyle said in the pre-ride briefing: you’re there anyway, so you might as well climb it. It’s a one-block-long stretch of poorly-paved road that is 31% for all but the last 10 feet of its length. Other than the residents who live on the road, nobody is allowed to drive it in either direction. In the Savageman Triathlon, any competitor who scales it without falling or dismounting gets their name on a brick at the climb’s summit.

And so I did – and I killed it! And truth be told, it was one of the easiest climbs on the ride, given the parameters are known (e.g. distance from bottom to top).

In Westernport was the fourth of five checkpoints on the route. The organizers required riders to check in at every checkpoint, such was the brutal nature of the ride. At certain checkpoints, it was possible to choose a shorter route, though checkpoint three is the “make or break” if you wanted to shortcut down to the 102-mile route. The checkpoints were well-staffed and equipped with plentiful food, water, HEED and ice (that last one was important as the elevation dropped and the temperatures rose – in Westernport it was 92 degrees, the hottest point of the ride).

The other challenge was that, after Westernport (mile 84), the next checkpoint wasn’t until mile 110, and there were three long, difficult, mostly-exposed climbs through West Virginia before said stop. Furthermore, this course is remote, and there are precious few convenience stores or vending machines along the way.

So when I started running out of energy around mile 92, I became a bit concerned. I slowed down my pace, which helped, but my bottles (even the slurry one) were dangerously low as the heat and sun exposure took their toll on me. Luckily, the town of Deer Park installed a spring water spigot at mile 103, and I made it there shortly after my bottles had run dry. I spent about 15 minutes at that spigot, dousing myself with the icy-cold water, refilling my bottles and eating some granola bar and energy gel. I felt renewed and carried on, Mariette and Rick ahead of me now due to my flagging energy.

The remainder of the stretch to mile 110, and indeed to the finish at mile 126.88, went well: I rode strongly (and solo) for the remainder, and climbed the final hill up to the summit of Wisp (the lower half of which is a 14% grade) with strong legs, sprinting through the finish.

Rolling time: 9h 21m
Elapsed time: 11h 23m

Yup – almost two hours of stoppage time. Some of that was to take pictures, some was waiting for Mariette and Rick at the checkpoints, some was necessary recovery time. But it was necessary, as this wasn’t a ride to take lightly.

Of note:

• Despite running out of water and getting into a slight energy slump, I didn’t cramp at all on the ride.
• My low gear of 36/25 was a tad too tall, though I never had to resort to tacking or walking. 34/27 would be the ideal bailout gear for this ride – possibly even 34/29 or 34/30. Rick’s low gear was 39/28 and it was tough for him.
• Having a positive attitude helped a ton.
• The event staff were top-notch all the way around.
• For the brave souls who want to try this ride on their own: be prepared with good brakes and a lot of food and other supplies, because some of the stretches between available supplies are very, very long. Checkpoints 2 and 5 only had supplies because of the event.
• Also: if you don’t start and finish at the summit of Wisp, it’s not the real ride (there is a variation of the cue that starts and ends at the base of Wisp Mountain Resort, starting off the ride with a climb.

You can see a set of the pictures I snapped on the ride by clicking here.

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2012 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

cycling log: 26 june 2010 (diabolical double)

This weekend I’m taking on the “Diabolical Double” at the Garrett County Gran Fondo. It’s a tough course: 125 miles with almost 16,000 feet of climbing, most of it in short burts of 12-16% grade. It’s insane, and should be a great challenge.

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This hot and sweltering weather is not a lot of fun for me, but I’m making do. Our garden is flourishing, and we’re trying a new crop this year: peanuts! We may have a crop come fall – yum!

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The DC political season is in full swing, and a PAC that I helped found, DC for Democracy, just held its endorsement vote for various offices’ primary elections. The meeting to vote was orderly and had great discussion – totally impressive, and the results of the vote showed a measured and thought-filled process of voting. Kudos, DC4D, you’ve grown up nicely.

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I’m loving the FIFA World Cup! The competition has been compelling and a lot of fun to watch. It’s great to see Team USA perform beyond expectations, and the same goes for Japan. Personally, I’m rooting for Germany, and have a soft spot for The Netherlands, my fatherland.

And how can you not like the drone of the vuvuzelas? My friend, David, isn’t fond of them (at least when it comes to his podcast, The FredCast), but I think he’s missing out on a goldmine. Listen to the possibility! (This is an AAC file that works in iTunes, FYI.)

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2012 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

getting diabolical (and other thoughts)

It’s been a while since I’ve written up a ride, so I figure writing this epic ride up is a fine place to catch up on things.

This season of cycling started slowly, due in no small part to the fact that DC had a lot of snow, both in December and February, with a colder-than-usual January. So the weather was great for skiing, and I managed to enjoy some of the plentiful snow up at Blue Knob, Pennsylvania, between some of the February storms.

This meant less time on the bike – at least less time that I’d use to build up to a ride like Mountains of Misery. I’ve trained a lot of hilly miles, working intervals, honing my cadence and spin, and shedding some winter weight to prepare for the climbs outside of Blacksburg, VA.

It was a lot of pain, but did it pay off? Would I beat my time from 2009?

First off, the day dawned humid and foggy. The temperature was rather mild (a t-shirt and shorts were fine just before dawn), and when Jonathan and I arrived at the Newport Rec Center, the foggy mist had just lifted from the town.

Our group of friends started in the fourth wave of riders: the ride organizers start waves of 40-50 riders every two minutes. They do this to keep the roads from getting too crowded, as this is not a closed course and they wish to keep riders safe and locals happy.

As we ride away, I’m feeling awake and ready. But my drivetrain isn’t. In fact, shifting is off: sluggish, imprecise, and markedly different from how things were the day prior. I assess things as we roll to find that my rear derailleur cable’s housing is on the verge of snapping at the frame boss: it’s bent almost perpendicular to the boss, the cable straining past the angle.

Not good.

I soon learn to compensate for the shifting – adjusting the cable tension, learning to over-shift here and under-shift there – but harbor a sneaking suspicion that my rear derailleur cable could snap at any point along the course. I soldiered on, regardless, and our group made great time over the first 61 miles to the top of Johns Creek Mountain, the first major climb on the ride (and our first rest stop). I’d fallen behind the group on the climb, though not by more than 30-40 seconds from the next-slowest person.

As I pull into the stop, I get a tiny cramp adjacent to my left hamstring, but quickly stretch it out, refill my bottles, eat some food and take some electrolyte supplements. The rest of the group does the same, and we descend quickly back to the New River Valley.

Once in the valley, Joyce and Geoff ramp up the pace. This proves too much for my legs, and after two attempts to shepherd me back into the group, I wave them off. So I ride mostly solo for the remainder of the ride. Sure, I see friends along the way: Tim and Mariette, who are both having personal bests on the ride. But I knew that I had to ride my own ride, so to speak. Tim rode ahead, while Mariette wasn’t far behind me.

I had a lot of time to think along this stretch, which was good: in allowing myself to think about things other than keeping up with the paceline, I was able to allow myself to relax and save energy for the big climb of the day: the steep incline to Mountain Lake.

Two quick stops – one at mile 84 to top off on fluids, pop at Tums (for the calcium) and eat some fruit, the other at mile 94 to top off the bidons with ice – translated into increasing energy, and by the time I hit the bottom of the last, 4-mile-long climb, I felt great! I spun the pedals with a decent cadence and quite a bit of efficiency, passing many riders who had lower gearing than me (my granny gear was a 36/26, while many others were using a 34/27 or 34/28) and keeping up my pace even as the grade steepened.

By the rest stop 1.5 miles from the finish, my cadence fell a bit (the road pitches up to 16% at this point) but I was still in good shape. Just prior to this stop, the fastest double-metric rider, Scotty Weiss, passed me with a lot of speed and shouted words of encouragement (he was the only person who passed me on the entire climb). I asked the staff at the rest stop to dump two cups of ice water down my back, which brought instant cooling and a burst of energy (as did the playful pat on my butt from the very cute Virginia Tech student who applied the water).

I powered to the finish, finishing 25 minutes slower than last year, yet shaving 9 minutes off my time for the final climb – not bad, all things being equal. My derailleur cable held up (as I later learned, on two intact strands out of 16), I didn’t cramp (most of my paceline mates did on the final climb), and I still had something left in the tank. After a wonderful 30-minute massage and a recovery drink, I watched and cheered as friends crossed the line.

And after Chris finished his long, weary ride (he’d driven down from Princeton, NJ, the night before and was very tired), I hopped the van back down to Newport to claim my bike, hop in the car with Jonathan, and return to DC.

Next year, Misery – I’m aiming for a personal record.

(Click to see my 2009 and 2008 write-ups for this ride.)

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2012 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

cycling log: 30 may 2010 (mountains of misery)

So for the most part, this is not a vacation, not a restful break from the day-to-day. It’s stressful. It’s frustrating. There are times of happiness and humor, too, but the rules are different when it’s time spent with a parent.

For those who like reading about my cycling, there’s a post coming on that, too. But my internet connections are fleeting (mom has no internet access – there’s a general fear of tech in her house), but it’ll be worth the wait (I hope).

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2012 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

zion’s land