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| Keeping my skills sharp |
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| But will I hear any better? |
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| What everyone wants to wear to work |
Monday, December 31, 2012
Your Mom Was Right!
Here is your medical warning to start 2013 - I noticed a dry spot on the top of my ear and let it go for about a year before having it looked at. After a few visits and tests, turns out it was Basal Cell Carcinoma (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001827/) a slow growing skin cancer. It is the most common skin cancer in the United States and since mountain bikers are outside in the sun, something you need to be reminded of. Most basal cell cancers occur on skin that is regularly exposed to sunlight or other ultraviolet radiation. This includes the top of your head, or scalp. Turns out mom was right and we do need to put and keep our sun screen on. Nine days before my 53 birthday I went through 4.5 hours of Mohs (the best way) surgery and came out with 23 stitches and a clean bill of health (plus yearly doctor visits for skin exams). Put your sun screen on, watch for changes in your skin and get them checked early. Now go ride!
Sunday, November 18, 2012
The DSR & BPE Rides 2012
This has been the year of the "epic" rides and events. The latest was Dave's Stupid Ride (DSR) and the Best Plan Ever (BPE) ride. Both of these are night rides. One of the best things about mountain bike riding is riding with great friends and a second thing is riding with great friends at night. We've talked about night riding before, but it doesn't hurt to talk about it again.
First, night riding doesn't have to be expensive. I'm using lights that cost less that $100 each. For a successful night ride you'll want to use two lights. One one the bar and one on your helmet. The reason for this is that the bar light keeps the trail lit up, and the helmet light allows you to look into the corners and hairpins.
The DSR came about from Dave, one of our "old men" who tried to come up with the craziest night ride he could come up with that hit all the hard trails and climbs. It was approximately 20 miles and 4300 feet of climbing. It included the Face, Skillings Trail, Southside Slip, etc. Just a great ride.
Best Plan Ever (BPE) came about as a result of wanting to do something very memorable before the rains set it. It turned out to be an all night bike ride adventure. It started by picking up team members about 9 p.m. and driving to Sisters Oregon where we road the Peterson Ridge Trail, then we drove to the McKenzie Trail head and riding down about halfway and back. Finished this ride about 5:00 a.m. and back to Corvallis for breakfast at 7:30! Thus, the best idea ever. Needless to say we also slept a lot of the next day.
These are the kind of rides that break up the regular weekly rides, build friendships and give you something to talk about for weeks!
First, night riding doesn't have to be expensive. I'm using lights that cost less that $100 each. For a successful night ride you'll want to use two lights. One one the bar and one on your helmet. The reason for this is that the bar light keeps the trail lit up, and the helmet light allows you to look into the corners and hairpins.
The DSR came about from Dave, one of our "old men" who tried to come up with the craziest night ride he could come up with that hit all the hard trails and climbs. It was approximately 20 miles and 4300 feet of climbing. It included the Face, Skillings Trail, Southside Slip, etc. Just a great ride.
Best Plan Ever (BPE) came about as a result of wanting to do something very memorable before the rains set it. It turned out to be an all night bike ride adventure. It started by picking up team members about 9 p.m. and driving to Sisters Oregon where we road the Peterson Ridge Trail, then we drove to the McKenzie Trail head and riding down about halfway and back. Finished this ride about 5:00 a.m. and back to Corvallis for breakfast at 7:30! Thus, the best idea ever. Needless to say we also slept a lot of the next day.
These are the kind of rides that break up the regular weekly rides, build friendships and give you something to talk about for weeks!
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
C2C 2012
Just completed the 7th C2C (Corvallis to Coast) Invitational mountain bike ride. This year we had 11 riders and perfect weather. It was 48 degrees when we left at 5:45 a.m. and 70+ when we arrived in South Beach for the BBQ at 2:02 p.m. Time in the saddle was 6 hours and 2 minutes and total time was 8 hours and 17 minutes. The route includes 6000 feet of climb. This year we had a mix of bikes, hard-tails, 29'rs, carbon, full-suspension, and even two single speeders. We had only one flat about five miles in and one broken derailleur hanger about 25 miles in (and we had a spare). Even with all that we still set the second fastest time, which is impressive considering the large group we had (which included 5 first time riders).
The route this year had a lot of downed trees because of all the snow the coast received this past winter (there was 4" to 6" inches in Newport on the beach). So there was a lot of getting on and off the bike, especially through the Nettles section. The late rains then warm temperatures over the past two weeks really made the vegetation grow, many of the old fire roads are single tracks this year. The best part is always the BBQ at the end. The families are there to meet us and we spend the afternoon eating, enjoying the hospitality of our hosts and laying in the sun recovering. It was a perfect adventure this year.
The route this year had a lot of downed trees because of all the snow the coast received this past winter (there was 4" to 6" inches in Newport on the beach). So there was a lot of getting on and off the bike, especially through the Nettles section. The late rains then warm temperatures over the past two weeks really made the vegetation grow, many of the old fire roads are single tracks this year. The best part is always the BBQ at the end. The families are there to meet us and we spend the afternoon eating, enjoying the hospitality of our hosts and laying in the sun recovering. It was a perfect adventure this year.
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| Made it |
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| Adventure on the Nettles |
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| Lots of Green |
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| Lunch on the Randal Saddle |
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| 40 miles in at the Clear Cut |
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| Heading down to Big Rock road |
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| Party Time |
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| The Rig |
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| All Smiles at Mile 10 |
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| Steel Bridge Damage |
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| The ground and a Camelback never felt so good |
Friday, July 6, 2012
TOE 2012
The year of races continues with the Test of Endurance (TOE) on June 16. It was the first mountain bike race event I have ever been in and as it turns out, I made all the classic rookie mistakes. I was part of the Old Men Couch Potatoes team and we trained for this ride by doing longer and longer rides which included doing several course rides (one lap). So I was feeling very comfortable going into the race.
The day started bright and sunny. I watched the weather report and for most of the time leading up to the TOE it looked like it was going to be overcast and damp. But on race day the sun was out with a forecast in the 70's. I took my brother Darin to the race at 5:30 for his 6:00 a.m. start of the 100 race (I was only doing the 50), and then came back at 9:00 a.m. for our 10 a.m. start.
There were 170 people signed up, and that was my first mistake, not riding my race. I'm not a racer, and I don't climb fast, and I stop at the top of climbs and catch my breath. In this case, with the temperature almost 30 degrees warmer than any ride that year (it was the hottest day of the year), I didn't follow my ride plan. At the rolling start I caught caught up and went out to fast with the peleton. Then I didn't stop to settle at the top of the first two climbs, and by the 3rd of 6 on each lap, I had been in the red zone to much. I got very light headed and thought I was going to pass out, from then one every time I started to climb, I would get dizzy and my skin was clammy.
I was eating, drinking, and taking electrolytes, but I didn't rest long enough (my guess) to get things under control. I could fly down the downhill, but bonked on the climbs. It went that way for the first lap (approx 25 miles). Two of the other riders on the team also were in bad shape and started cramping really bad. The three of us found ourselves together and limped in doing one lap.
While we felt bad, it was a great experience. Mike Ripley and his team at Mudslinger Events (http://www.mudslingerevents.com/) do an amazing job of running a first class event. The two aid stations had all the food and drink you would need, bike mechanics, medical staff, etc. I just wish more of his events were on Saturday. The Couch Potatoes came away with 4 age/class awards, including Darin for his 2nd place in his age group for the 100 (he did it in just under 12 hours).
Redemption for me, came two weeks later when a group of the Old Men did the Tour de Blodget (the TOE again). We did our first lap under cloudy skies in about 3 hours and I felt great. I knew I could do a second (though I was still very tired, the 23 mile gate to gate TOE course has 5000 feet of climb), and we were scheduled to do it, but I just didn't want to spend another 4 hours doing it. Turns out that was a great decision as the skies opened up and it rained hard for the next 3 hours and we would have been right in the middle of it.
So I learned a lot of lessons about myself how to do a race, but the main lesson was I'm not a racer, I'm a rider, and I live in a great place to ride, with great people to ride with. Next stop is the C2C.
The day started bright and sunny. I watched the weather report and for most of the time leading up to the TOE it looked like it was going to be overcast and damp. But on race day the sun was out with a forecast in the 70's. I took my brother Darin to the race at 5:30 for his 6:00 a.m. start of the 100 race (I was only doing the 50), and then came back at 9:00 a.m. for our 10 a.m. start.
There were 170 people signed up, and that was my first mistake, not riding my race. I'm not a racer, and I don't climb fast, and I stop at the top of climbs and catch my breath. In this case, with the temperature almost 30 degrees warmer than any ride that year (it was the hottest day of the year), I didn't follow my ride plan. At the rolling start I caught caught up and went out to fast with the peleton. Then I didn't stop to settle at the top of the first two climbs, and by the 3rd of 6 on each lap, I had been in the red zone to much. I got very light headed and thought I was going to pass out, from then one every time I started to climb, I would get dizzy and my skin was clammy.
I was eating, drinking, and taking electrolytes, but I didn't rest long enough (my guess) to get things under control. I could fly down the downhill, but bonked on the climbs. It went that way for the first lap (approx 25 miles). Two of the other riders on the team also were in bad shape and started cramping really bad. The three of us found ourselves together and limped in doing one lap.
While we felt bad, it was a great experience. Mike Ripley and his team at Mudslinger Events (http://www.mudslingerevents.com/) do an amazing job of running a first class event. The two aid stations had all the food and drink you would need, bike mechanics, medical staff, etc. I just wish more of his events were on Saturday. The Couch Potatoes came away with 4 age/class awards, including Darin for his 2nd place in his age group for the 100 (he did it in just under 12 hours).
Redemption for me, came two weeks later when a group of the Old Men did the Tour de Blodget (the TOE again). We did our first lap under cloudy skies in about 3 hours and I felt great. I knew I could do a second (though I was still very tired, the 23 mile gate to gate TOE course has 5000 feet of climb), and we were scheduled to do it, but I just didn't want to spend another 4 hours doing it. Turns out that was a great decision as the skies opened up and it rained hard for the next 3 hours and we would have been right in the middle of it.
So I learned a lot of lessons about myself how to do a race, but the main lesson was I'm not a racer, I'm a rider, and I live in a great place to ride, with great people to ride with. Next stop is the C2C.
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| The Old Men Couch Potatoes (less Darin who was on the course) |
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| The rolling start - my first mistake |
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| Darin on the course of the 100 |
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| The downhills were great |
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| As were some of the climbs |
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| Who's in better shape, the 50 or the 100 guy? |
Sunday, May 6, 2012
CPR 2012
This is the year of the "rides." I've never been one for large organized rides or races. The C2C is the "biggest" I have organized (that and the weekly Thursday night rides and Saturday morning rides), but for some reason everything is falling into place. The 2012 "season" so far includes the Beaver Freezer, CPR, MDE, TOE, and C2C. Others on the schedule are the McKenzie Trail, Mary's Peak and Black Rock. I would also like to do the NUT, Oak Ridge and Sandy Ridge.
This past week it was the CPR. This is a great local supported group ride that is put on by Michael Jacob and his supportive team. I don't know how many years they have done it, but I heard rumors of it and finally got on the mailing list. This brought together many of the local hard core (meaning dedicated year round riders) and visitors from other cities. I'm terrible with names it was so great to see 25+ riders (men and women) and try to put names I've heard about with their faces (making the BBQ would have helped).
This is wear I made my mistake of the day. I didn't rest my legs for the final climb up "poison" a long step gravel road climb to the 5-way. I should have some great treats at the aid station (loved the potatoes and potato chips and salt drink) and added water to my Camel Back, but we pushed on. For the first 3rd of the climb I was okay, then the "wheels" fell off and my head took over. When that happens I can't make myself push through, so once again I found myself hike a biking the middle part while I recovered. I was the 3rd rider over the top, but it wasn't pretty.
Got to the car at 3:30, and by my computer I was at 32 miles and 4:58 in the saddle (I didn't go down Bonzi, but when straight down the road). I got to the car with my knees shaking trying to get my heart rate down and covered in mud (but a big smile). The only real incident as the hug cramp I got in my left calf as I tried to step up into the Explorer. It was also humorous watching Wayne almost drop his bike as he tried to lift it onto his car rack on top (I as glad to have a rear rack or I would have done the same thing).
Made it home at 3:45 and we got on the road at 4:10 for a 6:00 p.m. start at OSMI. It was great, I could eat everything I wanted, but I did miss the after-ride BBQ and swag give-away, but I have the pictures, t-shirt and memories of a great event. I only got a mosquito bite of poison oak on my arm and one on my leg. I think all the mud protected me, but the blackberry's on Little Frank got me good.
This past week it was the CPR. This is a great local supported group ride that is put on by Michael Jacob and his supportive team. I don't know how many years they have done it, but I heard rumors of it and finally got on the mailing list. This brought together many of the local hard core (meaning dedicated year round riders) and visitors from other cities. I'm terrible with names it was so great to see 25+ riders (men and women) and try to put names I've heard about with their faces (making the BBQ would have helped).
The ride started at 9:00 a.m. at PV and wound through Mac and Dunn forests for 34 miles and 6600 feet of climb. It had been raining off and on all week, but Saturday's weather was dry and overcast. Perfect for along ride. First peak was Vineyard Mountain going down the Tower Trail, then down Beta to the first aid station at Sulfur Springs bridge. Then the second peak was the top of Stick n Eye, from there it was a wild slick ride down Shout, and I was the first rider down. It was more wild as the progressed. Then it was up to Lunch Counter for a well deserved rest (and lunch). The fourth peak was a long haul up to NW Passage. I was feeling it then, but had a great time riding new trails (Vince's and Tin Can) and All About Frank (Chuff). Then it was time for the "Signature Climb" up to Forest Peak, this one did finally really wear me out (I hike a biked about 100 yards to my legs under me again at the top). We went down the Ritz trail system (Tunnel Vision, Viagra, etc) and out to the final aid station. By now it is about 2:45 and I promised Janet I would be home at 3:30 so we could head to "Food Cart Fest" in Portland.
This is wear I made my mistake of the day. I didn't rest my legs for the final climb up "poison" a long step gravel road climb to the 5-way. I should have some great treats at the aid station (loved the potatoes and potato chips and salt drink) and added water to my Camel Back, but we pushed on. For the first 3rd of the climb I was okay, then the "wheels" fell off and my head took over. When that happens I can't make myself push through, so once again I found myself hike a biking the middle part while I recovered. I was the 3rd rider over the top, but it wasn't pretty.
Got to the car at 3:30, and by my computer I was at 32 miles and 4:58 in the saddle (I didn't go down Bonzi, but when straight down the road). I got to the car with my knees shaking trying to get my heart rate down and covered in mud (but a big smile). The only real incident as the hug cramp I got in my left calf as I tried to step up into the Explorer. It was also humorous watching Wayne almost drop his bike as he tried to lift it onto his car rack on top (I as glad to have a rear rack or I would have done the same thing).
Made it home at 3:45 and we got on the road at 4:10 for a 6:00 p.m. start at OSMI. It was great, I could eat everything I wanted, but I did miss the after-ride BBQ and swag give-away, but I have the pictures, t-shirt and memories of a great event. I only got a mosquito bite of poison oak on my arm and one on my leg. I think all the mud protected me, but the blackberry's on Little Frank got me good.
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| Smiles, Clean and Happy at the start |
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| First Aid Station |
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| Lunch Counter for Lunch |
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| Lunch Counter and 1/3 complete |
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| Log Crossing on All About Frank (Chuff) |
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| Coming Down Beta |
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| Aid Station #2, should have ate, drank, and waited longer - Poison Oak Protecting Mud |
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| A T-Shirt to prove it |
Friday, April 13, 2012
Cross Training - Beaver Freezer Triathlon
I needed something to motivate me through the winter months of "road" riding. So I signed up for the Beaver Freezer which is put on by the OSU Triathlon club (it happens to be the largest indoor, because you swim indoors, sprint triathlon in the country). This was their 20th year and they have almost 500 racers. I trained for about 10 weeks (swimming twice a week), running on the treadmill and riding his mountain bike. I never did them all in a row, but I would combine two (bike then run, swim then run). This is a very easy race to do, and I enjoyed the fitness the swimming gave me. Here is how it went:
They cap at 500, and this year they had 481 finishers (256 men 225 women). They run relay, road, and mountain bike divisions with age groups. Average time was 1:26:11 for the road and 1:41:47 for the mountain.
I was in the Mountain Bike division with a 7:35 a.m. start time. Start times are determined by swim time, you have to put down a time in advance and I put 15 mins, which is a slow time, so I went off in the second set of swimmers. They try to match you to similar swimmers and you go in 5 second intervals with a max of 5 to a lane. I turned in about 12 min times for the last week of practice, and I swam this one in 10:38 (including getting out of the pool and running through the doors (you are wearing a timing chip), and I could have been even faster I think.
I realize now that time is lost or gained on your competitors in the transitions. I wasn't that fast (though it seemed like it to me), with an average of about 3:30 minutes (again the timing chip tracks that). I road my 29'r with my tubeless mountain tires at 60 lbs. Slicks would have been much better, something for next year.
So here are the mountain bike results:
The mountain bike winner did it in 1:15:47, I finished in 1:28:06 (average time was 1:41.47 for the mountain bikers). That gave me 17th overall, 15th in the men, and 3rd in the 50-59 age group (winner was 1:20:52 in the 50-59 group). Sunday night Monday morning is when I felt the stiffness in my legs, and you get great permanent marker tattoos on both legs and arms to prove it. Now 3rd sounds great (and I'll take it), but the mountain division only had 72 riders (32 men and 40 women) because we are tougher it scares everyone to road bikes. So there was not a big pool compared to the road division and to be total transparent, there were only 4 in the 50-59 group. The road bike riders had 409 participants. The male winner of the road ride did it in 55:12.
Here are my stats and the mountain bike winners stats:
Swim: 10:28 (8:44)
Transition 1: 3:36 (4:02)
Bike: 45:17 (39:09)
Transition 2: 3:34 (1:29)
Run 25:10 (22:21)
Total 1:28:06 (1:15:47)
Great fun and I would recommend it to anyone.
http://people.oregonstate.edu/studentgroups/triclub/freezer/
They cap at 500, and this year they had 481 finishers (256 men 225 women). They run relay, road, and mountain bike divisions with age groups. Average time was 1:26:11 for the road and 1:41:47 for the mountain.
I was in the Mountain Bike division with a 7:35 a.m. start time. Start times are determined by swim time, you have to put down a time in advance and I put 15 mins, which is a slow time, so I went off in the second set of swimmers. They try to match you to similar swimmers and you go in 5 second intervals with a max of 5 to a lane. I turned in about 12 min times for the last week of practice, and I swam this one in 10:38 (including getting out of the pool and running through the doors (you are wearing a timing chip), and I could have been even faster I think.
I realize now that time is lost or gained on your competitors in the transitions. I wasn't that fast (though it seemed like it to me), with an average of about 3:30 minutes (again the timing chip tracks that). I road my 29'r with my tubeless mountain tires at 60 lbs. Slicks would have been much better, something for next year.
So here are the mountain bike results:
The mountain bike winner did it in 1:15:47, I finished in 1:28:06 (average time was 1:41.47 for the mountain bikers). That gave me 17th overall, 15th in the men, and 3rd in the 50-59 age group (winner was 1:20:52 in the 50-59 group). Sunday night Monday morning is when I felt the stiffness in my legs, and you get great permanent marker tattoos on both legs and arms to prove it. Now 3rd sounds great (and I'll take it), but the mountain division only had 72 riders (32 men and 40 women) because we are tougher it scares everyone to road bikes. So there was not a big pool compared to the road division and to be total transparent, there were only 4 in the 50-59 group. The road bike riders had 409 participants. The male winner of the road ride did it in 55:12.
Here are my stats and the mountain bike winners stats:
Swim: 10:28 (8:44)
Transition 1: 3:36 (4:02)
Bike: 45:17 (39:09)
Transition 2: 3:34 (1:29)
Run 25:10 (22:21)
Total 1:28:06 (1:15:47)
Great fun and I would recommend it to anyone.
http://people.oregonstate.edu/studentgroups/triclub/freezer/
.JPG) |
| Before the start with gear laid out |
.JPG) |
| Cool Tattoos |
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| Does he know what he is doing? |
Sunday, February 26, 2012
St. George Riding
The advantage of having a son who lives in St. George, is that when the weather is wet and cold in Corvallis, you can go visit him. That is just what I recently did. While the Saturday ride group were finding rain, mud and snow on Forest Peak, I was in clear blue and 65 degree weather in St. George. Started the trip by riding the Green Valley trail system which is just south of St. George in Bloomington. This is a great system of rolling trails and a great way to get acclimated to the riding style needed for this area.
The next day, we drove about 30 minutes from Hurricane to the Gooseberry Mesa trail head. We then climbed the dirt road up from the first parking lot and had one of the best rides ever coming down the North Rim trail, the Practice trail system, Drops and Ledges, and finished with the Windmill trail (this is a bucket list). Coming from the Northwest where you lots of fire road climbs and sweeping downhill runs through the trees, this was more rolling terrain over "slick rock" (sand stone) that worked through the natural obstacles and along the North rim. The interesting thing is that a lot of the trail is marked by white dots on the rocks. You can't climb the rocks in Oregon like you can in St. George. It was all it is advertised to be and more. Just a great event. Like riding in Bend, when you can hit these trails about a 5 days after a rain storm, the trails are in perfect condition and no dust.
The final ride is the Jem loop, which starts at the Over The Edge (OTE) bike shop in Hurricane (http://otesports.com/locations/hurricane/) which is a great place to get supplies and your bike fixed. They also have an espresso machine. This is about a 20 miles loop with a little double track. It is a very exposed ride, so it a good morning or late afternoon ride.
St. George also has some great bike shops like Red Rock (Specialized) and Bike Unlimited (Trek). Pick up one of the great color trail maps at any of the bike shops.
The next day, we drove about 30 minutes from Hurricane to the Gooseberry Mesa trail head. We then climbed the dirt road up from the first parking lot and had one of the best rides ever coming down the North Rim trail, the Practice trail system, Drops and Ledges, and finished with the Windmill trail (this is a bucket list). Coming from the Northwest where you lots of fire road climbs and sweeping downhill runs through the trees, this was more rolling terrain over "slick rock" (sand stone) that worked through the natural obstacles and along the North rim. The interesting thing is that a lot of the trail is marked by white dots on the rocks. You can't climb the rocks in Oregon like you can in St. George. It was all it is advertised to be and more. Just a great event. Like riding in Bend, when you can hit these trails about a 5 days after a rain storm, the trails are in perfect condition and no dust.
The final ride is the Jem loop, which starts at the Over The Edge (OTE) bike shop in Hurricane (http://otesports.com/locations/hurricane/) which is a great place to get supplies and your bike fixed. They also have an espresso machine. This is about a 20 miles loop with a little double track. It is a very exposed ride, so it a good morning or late afternoon ride.
St. George also has some great bike shops like Red Rock (Specialized) and Bike Unlimited (Trek). Pick up one of the great color trail maps at any of the bike shops.
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| Balancing Rock on the Green Valley Trail |
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| Painted Hills - Green Valley Trail |
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| 1st Parking Lot sign |
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| North Rim Trail as the sun is coming up, looking over the valley |
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| Breath taking views - Gooseberry Mesa North Rim |
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| Windmill Trail Head |
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| Go Beavers! |
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