One of the key aspects of prepping for the AZTR 300 is getting out and pushing limits. All of the AES rides fit the bill. These aren't your typical rides. They look innocent enough on the surface - big but manageable miles and elevation gain... but just looking at the numbers doesn't do them justice. There are usually decent chunks of HAB, weird route choices, and general route WTF moments and shenanigans.
So this Saturday is the Aspen Asphyxiation ride. As always - my goal is just to finish. I'm usually DFL or close to it - I can't keep up with the cyborgs who crush these courses. I've never been able to get out on the actual race day, instead doing them as Individual Time Trials when I was able to get out there so it will be nice to meet up with some people I only know through Strava/FB, etc.
I managed to get my buddy Marcus to take the bait, so it should be a good epic day.
More info here: Aspen Asphyxiation
I'd also like to point out that the last 4 weeks really built up on me, I was getting more tired as each week went on. I'm pretty sure that's just due to my rapid buildup in miles/hours. I need to work on getting more sleep or naps.
I'm not going to be doing my commute by bike on Friday, though I did today. I'll probably get some short rides in Wed or Thursday. Or Friday haha.
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Monday, May 9, 2016
Grind up Humboldt Mountain
I've never done this, but I've seen others do it in my Strava feed, so I figured it would be a great training ride. I was a little bit apprehensive about it; I just wasn't sure how my legs would be doing the day after a Friday commute. I know I need to get used to putting in good efforts on consecutive days, so I just had to go for it.
I committed to it and roped my buddy Marcus into driving to meet me and make the climb.
We started from the intersection of Cave Creek and Pima and began the grind up Cave Creek which turns into Seven Springs Rd. It was a rude start to the day to be sure. It's not a steep climb but it is consistent. There are a few steep punchy climbs and descents to break up the monotony of the road grind. Marcus had to stop and stretch out and I slowed down and held up for him.
This is a true grinding training ride. No sweet singletrack... just roads and dirt roads and then a service road to the top. Having never done the route, we were trying to figure out which mountain we were going to the top of. Eventually, we saw a mountain way off in the distance with a bunch of towers/communication equipment on the top. It looked daunting to me to be honest. It felt like forever away. Keep grinding.
We ended up going through some really nice areas - neither of us had ever been back here via any means of transportation so it was cool to check out a new to us part of the state. I will take my truck back there and scope some stuff out for sure. Anyway, we kept grinding away and the towers would come in and out of our view.
We finally got to the service road 562 which heads UP UP UP. I knew it was going to be steep based on the elevation profile, and it was. It's cool though because the traction is abundant due to the asphalt surface. Just pedal and pedal and try not to blow up.
It took about 50 minutes to get to the top once we started. I was just concentrating on keeping my breathing in check and not let my heart explode. I did a good job of that actually. I ended up stopping to rest/wait for Marcus a few times. On my last stop, I was taking some pictures and Marcus said something and then kept going without stopping. He got a decent lead on me, but I was able to catch up to him on the final approach and then we were there. We were treated to absolutely stunning views of Horseshoe and Bartlett lake, plus an amazing expanse of mountains all around. We also rode into a cloud at the top - we were above them. Pretty cool.
We hung out at the top for a bit, but it was honestly getting chilly and we knew we were gonna get colder on the descent. Marcus led the way and flew down. I played it a bit safer as there are quite a few potholes on the way down, plus that's just how I roll anyway.
We got back down to the main road and began the return back to our vehicles. We thought it was mostly downhill, but man there were a steep couple of climbs that we had to fight to get over. The final return on the road was fast on the final down hill. I just couldn't catch Marcus. I was spun out on my 32 chainring. Marcus has a 34 so that explains that.
I know I mentioned I want to try to hit this every weekend, but now after doing it I'm not sure I can. It's a big time commitment with the drive, and it's also a big effort to try to do every week. I will try to get out regularly though.
I committed to it and roped my buddy Marcus into driving to meet me and make the climb.
We started from the intersection of Cave Creek and Pima and began the grind up Cave Creek which turns into Seven Springs Rd. It was a rude start to the day to be sure. It's not a steep climb but it is consistent. There are a few steep punchy climbs and descents to break up the monotony of the road grind. Marcus had to stop and stretch out and I slowed down and held up for him.
This is a true grinding training ride. No sweet singletrack... just roads and dirt roads and then a service road to the top. Having never done the route, we were trying to figure out which mountain we were going to the top of. Eventually, we saw a mountain way off in the distance with a bunch of towers/communication equipment on the top. It looked daunting to me to be honest. It felt like forever away. Keep grinding.
We ended up going through some really nice areas - neither of us had ever been back here via any means of transportation so it was cool to check out a new to us part of the state. I will take my truck back there and scope some stuff out for sure. Anyway, we kept grinding away and the towers would come in and out of our view.
We finally got to the service road 562 which heads UP UP UP. I knew it was going to be steep based on the elevation profile, and it was. It's cool though because the traction is abundant due to the asphalt surface. Just pedal and pedal and try not to blow up.
It took about 50 minutes to get to the top once we started. I was just concentrating on keeping my breathing in check and not let my heart explode. I did a good job of that actually. I ended up stopping to rest/wait for Marcus a few times. On my last stop, I was taking some pictures and Marcus said something and then kept going without stopping. He got a decent lead on me, but I was able to catch up to him on the final approach and then we were there. We were treated to absolutely stunning views of Horseshoe and Bartlett lake, plus an amazing expanse of mountains all around. We also rode into a cloud at the top - we were above them. Pretty cool.
We hung out at the top for a bit, but it was honestly getting chilly and we knew we were gonna get colder on the descent. Marcus led the way and flew down. I played it a bit safer as there are quite a few potholes on the way down, plus that's just how I roll anyway.
We got back down to the main road and began the return back to our vehicles. We thought it was mostly downhill, but man there were a steep couple of climbs that we had to fight to get over. The final return on the road was fast on the final down hill. I just couldn't catch Marcus. I was spun out on my 32 chainring. Marcus has a 34 so that explains that.
I know I mentioned I want to try to hit this every weekend, but now after doing it I'm not sure I can. It's a big time commitment with the drive, and it's also a big effort to try to do every week. I will try to get out regularly though.
Thursday, May 5, 2016
First triple digit ride of the year...
Yesterday had the distinction of being the first 100 degree day. No biggie here in the PHX. Just kidding, it kinda sucks. It's the price we pay for some pretty damn amazing weather the rest of the year though!
I'm going to try to switch these afternoon rides (except the commute home obviously) to mornings. We'll see. It's hard enough getting up early on the commute days. I guess it's not the getting up that is hard, it's the getting to sleep early enough. With one teenager and one pre-teen, they don't exactly go to sleep early like they used to. And something feels weird about crashing out before they do. This will be an ongoing challenge...
I thought I would lay out what my plans are right now as far as training. Mostly for reference for me so I can see what I was thinking at the time and how it's working out for me.
Right now here is my training plan:
Monday (PM) - Technical riding practice. Fairly steep and some steps and rough switchbacks. 45-60 minutes
Tuesday (AM/PM) - Commute to and from work.
Wednesday (AM hopefully) - Random dirt ride. This is to get the road bike feeling out and be on dirt. The riding is SO much different. This will be intervals if I'm feeling motivated, or just a spin around my local trail. No more than 60 minutes.
Thursday - OFF. Maybe a hike or walk around the hood with the wifey.
Friday (AM/PM) - Commute to and from work.
Saturday - Going to start to a fairly big climb (Humboldt) starting from Cave Creek Rd and Pima. 33 miles and 4k elevation gain. This will be interesting given the commute miles the day before. I need to get used to putting in good efforts on consecutive days.
I'm going to try to switch these afternoon rides (except the commute home obviously) to mornings. We'll see. It's hard enough getting up early on the commute days. I guess it's not the getting up that is hard, it's the getting to sleep early enough. With one teenager and one pre-teen, they don't exactly go to sleep early like they used to. And something feels weird about crashing out before they do. This will be an ongoing challenge...
I thought I would lay out what my plans are right now as far as training. Mostly for reference for me so I can see what I was thinking at the time and how it's working out for me.
Right now here is my training plan:
Monday (PM) - Technical riding practice. Fairly steep and some steps and rough switchbacks. 45-60 minutes
Tuesday (AM/PM) - Commute to and from work.
Wednesday (AM hopefully) - Random dirt ride. This is to get the road bike feeling out and be on dirt. The riding is SO much different. This will be intervals if I'm feeling motivated, or just a spin around my local trail. No more than 60 minutes.
Thursday - OFF. Maybe a hike or walk around the hood with the wifey.
Friday (AM/PM) - Commute to and from work.
Saturday - Going to start to a fairly big climb (Humboldt) starting from Cave Creek Rd and Pima. 33 miles and 4k elevation gain. This will be interesting given the commute miles the day before. I need to get used to putting in good efforts on consecutive days.
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Yesterday I tried out another "less stops" and "kinda less cars" commute. I hit up the 51 at Grovers and took the bike path north which got me under the 101 and onto Reach 11. This took me over to Cave Creek Rd and Deer Valley. I proceeded north on Cave Creek. It was OK. I'm definitely not a roadie (though I am pretending to be one on these commutes) and having traffic fly by at 50 MPH was a little bit weird. Some sections were worse than others as there are places on the road where there is a 20 foot shoulder section. The other sections were the standard 3-4 foot bike lane.
This got be to Dove Valley which was a great ride. Nice road condition and more people on road bikes, but everyone was on the other side of the road going the other way. All in all a great section. I cut through the edge of the neighborhood and then made my way over to Dixileta which sees very little traffic except for the people leaving the dump site. This leads to a nice easy crossing of the 17 and then a little used (for now) frontage road which got me back into some neighborhoods for the final section to home.
Even though this is about 4 miles shorter than my other "long" commute ride, I think I prefer the longer one. It goes through some nice neighborhoods and isn't as isolated. It won't matter much, because I think the long way home is going to get cut once the temps get over 100. I'll just want to get home. 1.5 hours in the heat will be good enough. I'm really going to try to keep this up through the summer. We'll see.
I do need to get fitted on my bike. I didn't notice it when I had more stops, but when I have bigger chunks of just spinning, my positioning is off, and I experienced some hand numbness.
I'll get that taken care of soon.
This got be to Dove Valley which was a great ride. Nice road condition and more people on road bikes, but everyone was on the other side of the road going the other way. All in all a great section. I cut through the edge of the neighborhood and then made my way over to Dixileta which sees very little traffic except for the people leaving the dump site. This leads to a nice easy crossing of the 17 and then a little used (for now) frontage road which got me back into some neighborhoods for the final section to home.
Even though this is about 4 miles shorter than my other "long" commute ride, I think I prefer the longer one. It goes through some nice neighborhoods and isn't as isolated. It won't matter much, because I think the long way home is going to get cut once the temps get over 100. I'll just want to get home. 1.5 hours in the heat will be good enough. I'm really going to try to keep this up through the summer. We'll see.
I do need to get fitted on my bike. I didn't notice it when I had more stops, but when I have bigger chunks of just spinning, my positioning is off, and I experienced some hand numbness.
I'll get that taken care of soon.
Monday, May 2, 2016
It's been a while...
It has been a long freaking time (almost three years!!!) since I've posted anything. I have good reason to start again. Keep reading to find out...
I've been commuting via bike again twice a week. The shortest route I have is 23.5 miles. I have various options I am checking out to add mileage typically for on the way home. The first optional route I looked at checked in at 36 miles, but has a nice stretch along the AZ canal that means I get to avoid all vehicle traffic and stops. It's a slick setup, it's just too bad that it's a bit out of the way for me to get to.
The commuting thing has a couple of benefits. I get some good base training, at least six hours per week just for the commutes, with minimal impact to the family schedule. Score! This on top of my mountain bike rides will get me between 10 and 11 hours per week on the bike.
Why so much time on the bike? Well, first and foremost... I really need to get/stay in shape. It's a great stress reliever and it's great exercise.
Second, I need my butt in the saddle a lot as I have committed to doing the AZT 300 next year. Feels funny to type that, but this race has been on my radar for years now. After completing several AES rides and a solo overnight bikepack adventure, I feel like I just might be able to tackle this beast.
My only goal is to finish.
So much to do. My family knows my goal. A few of my biking friends know. Now it's out there on the internet...
More to come. It's gonna be a crazy year.
I've been commuting via bike again twice a week. The shortest route I have is 23.5 miles. I have various options I am checking out to add mileage typically for on the way home. The first optional route I looked at checked in at 36 miles, but has a nice stretch along the AZ canal that means I get to avoid all vehicle traffic and stops. It's a slick setup, it's just too bad that it's a bit out of the way for me to get to.
The commuting thing has a couple of benefits. I get some good base training, at least six hours per week just for the commutes, with minimal impact to the family schedule. Score! This on top of my mountain bike rides will get me between 10 and 11 hours per week on the bike.
Why so much time on the bike? Well, first and foremost... I really need to get/stay in shape. It's a great stress reliever and it's great exercise.
Second, I need my butt in the saddle a lot as I have committed to doing the AZT 300 next year. Feels funny to type that, but this race has been on my radar for years now. After completing several AES rides and a solo overnight bikepack adventure, I feel like I just might be able to tackle this beast.
My only goal is to finish.
So much to do. My family knows my goal. A few of my biking friends know. Now it's out there on the internet...
More to come. It's gonna be a crazy year.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Warm weather commuting lesson
Commuted yesterday for the first time in a couple of weeks due to illness and other commitments. This is the first real warm weather commute that I have done and I learned a thing or two - I just wasn't feeling right on the way home. Almost bonk-ish. Needed some carbs for sure prior to my afternoon portion.
First, there is a huge difference between riding in when it is close to 80 degrees at 5AM and 60 degrees. The extra temp means you go through more of your body's resources.
Second, I need to eat something before I leave the office on the way home, and I need to have some food with me. I felt like my blood sugar was low for pretty much the whole ride home. Oh, and the headwind was stiff so it was not very fun. I kept my eyes peeled for an outdoor vending machine so I could buy a soda, but it never happened. I ended up trying to keep the intensity dialed down; I made it home so I guess I accomplished that. I guess sometimes it is good to have to push myself through discomfort like that; it is good practice for when it will inevitably happen out in the mountains.
First, there is a huge difference between riding in when it is close to 80 degrees at 5AM and 60 degrees. The extra temp means you go through more of your body's resources.
Second, I need to eat something before I leave the office on the way home, and I need to have some food with me. I felt like my blood sugar was low for pretty much the whole ride home. Oh, and the headwind was stiff so it was not very fun. I kept my eyes peeled for an outdoor vending machine so I could buy a soda, but it never happened. I ended up trying to keep the intensity dialed down; I made it home so I guess I accomplished that. I guess sometimes it is good to have to push myself through discomfort like that; it is good practice for when it will inevitably happen out in the mountains.
Post sickness ride
I haven't been riding as much this May as I wanted to. First I ended up subbing for a bass player in a musical that had my schedule packed Wed - Saturday. I woke up Sunday feeling terrible, but went riding anyway. I took it pretty easy and did some exploring to check out some new but incomplete trail that has been being constructed:
I really shouldn't have rode, but I did anyway. Got home and it really started to hit me and my body kinda shut down. I ended up sleeping most of that Sunday. The rest of the week was basically a self-imposed no-ride week. I wanted to get healthy as fast as possible, so lots of rest and probably a few too many calories. By time Friday came around, I figured I was going to be good to head out on Saturday, so I did. I wasn't really planning on this big of a ride, but at my turnaround point, I ran into someone I knew and one thing lead to another and I ended up riding with him up to a summit which at that point I was committed to doing the full enchilada:
I really shouldn't have rode, but I did anyway. Got home and it really started to hit me and my body kinda shut down. I ended up sleeping most of that Sunday. The rest of the week was basically a self-imposed no-ride week. I wanted to get healthy as fast as possible, so lots of rest and probably a few too many calories. By time Friday came around, I figured I was going to be good to head out on Saturday, so I did. I wasn't really planning on this big of a ride, but at my turnaround point, I ran into someone I knew and one thing lead to another and I ended up riding with him up to a summit which at that point I was committed to doing the full enchilada:
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