Cheating on My Bikes

My bikes aren’t speaking to me right now.  Of course, since they’re not speaking to me I don’t know what’s wrong.  My cyclo-cross bike, the Masi, seems to be the most upset.  As I look to them for guidance, I only get the “if you loved us you’d know what’s wrong” look in return.  Since I want to keep my bikes happy, I thought long and hard about what might be bothering them as I went for my morning run.

Thomas

Then it hit me!  As my running shoes were out enjoying one of the most gorgeous fall days ever, my bikes were all stuck in the cold, dark garage with nothing but their growing anger to keep them warm.  And there you have it!  My bikes are all upset because they think I’m cheating on them with my running shoes.  I’ve never even heard of running shoe infidelity but apparently my bikes think it’s a thing.

Surely this can’t be the result of a single run.  I’m guessing this has been building up for a while now.  I think back to when I started receiving the silent treatment. That was about a week ago.  At that time, I was busy signing up for my latest challenge.  I could sense the excitement of the bikes as they became giddy with anticipation waiting to see which one got to go.  Then, they discovered it wasn't a ride but a 25k run in the Marin Headlands.  I think that was the final straw.

The Vegas

As I reflect back over the last few months, I slowly begin to see their point of view.  Earlier this year, I registered and began training for the 200 mile Ragnar Relay (see My Ragnar Relay for how it went).  I think they were tolerant of this dalliance into running since I was also signed up for some major rides.  

As the year progressed, their attitudes began to change since I did not complete any of the 100 mile rides I registered for as I opted to ride shorter distances instead.  Why?  I needed to save my legs for running.  Then in October I quit riding completely to focus on my final training for Ragnar.  I’m sure at this point they were pretty upset.  At least they could console themselves with the thought that this would all be over after Ragnar.

Instead, the first event I register for is a monster run.  At least that’s the way they see it.  I don’t think this is fair since I signed up for the Bottega Gran Fondo bike ride first.  Somehow, they seem to have conveniently forgotten about that.  And now, their hanging out in the garage plotting who knows what to get even.

The Masi

While none of them are talking to me I need to figure why the Masi seems especially mad?  Well, it's cyclo-cross season and a month ago I spent a Saturday afternoon getting him ready.  He got all cleaned up, got new tires and tubes, and basically everything needed to be dialed in and ready to ride.  And what has he done since then?  Hung upside down from the garage ceiling as my running shoes enjoy one adventure after another.  To be honest, that would probably piss me off as well.

What’s the first step in fixing this?  I somehow have to convince them that my legs have enough love to be a rider and a runner.  I’ll give them all a little extra treatment to show them how special they are to me.  And, I’ll make sure to ride them, a lot.  I just hope it’s enough to put us back on speaking terms.

Ciao!!!

Chasing Balloons

With my Ragnar Relay run behind me, it was time to get back in the saddle and ride. I decided not to ride with my team since I hadn’t been on the bike in a month and I’d been sick with a cold for much of that time.  I had no idea how the body was going to feel so instead of chasing my teammates for 50 miles (assuming I couldn’t keep up), I decided to do my own thing.

Now, I just had to figure out my route.  On Thursday, I checked my saved routes in Ride with GPS and came up with a 45 mile route with plenty of bail out points.  On Friday, I changed to a different route.  Saturday morning I changed it again and by the time I finally started rolling I probably changed my mind 3-4 more times.

Balloon and moon.

Eventually, I ended up on the Santa Rosa Creek path heading out towards Willowside Road.  Of course, once I reach the road I have no idea where I’m going next.  Then I saw the hot air balloons coming my way.

There were three of them in close proximity out enjoying a simply gorgeous fall day.  They were also very low.  So, since I didn’t have a plan I could follow, I decided to ride to them and take a few pictures.  I cruised down Olivet Road heading north where I caught the balloons.  However, there were lots of wires and such in the way so I didn’t like the photo options.  

Balloons over the vineyards.

The balloons were heading south, which meant they would be crossing Guerneville Road over the vineyards.  This is the photo I wanted.  So, I made a u-turn and headed that way.  Once I reached Guerneville Road, I rode up and down the road, while constantly watching their progress, looking for just the right photo.

About this time I saw the three chase vans and realized the balloons were going to land near me in an open field.  I’ve actually never seen that although we see balloons in the air on almost every ride.  So, I decided to hang out for a bit and watch the landing.

My next target.

With the balloons on the ground, it was time to roll.  I immediately noticed two things after I started.  I had ridden a whole 10 miles at this point and I was back to not knowing where I wanted to go.  Then, I looked to the north, saw another balloon towards Healdsburg (about 15 miles away) and took off on the chase.

If you look at my Strava map, you would think I was drunk.  I would start down a road, realize it was putting me close enough so I would turn around and head back.  It was also hard to see the balloon due to trees and hills so I actually lost sight of it for while.

The final landing.

Once I found it again I realized I had gone too far north as it made its way south faster than I anticipated.  So, the chase is still on.  On one road I actually made three u-turns as I tried to determine which road got me the closest.  I finally caught them on Olivet Road and watched it land on the baseball field of Olivet Elementary School.  By the way, this was almost exactly 1-mile, as the crow flies, away from where the first balloons landed.

It was an awesome ride.  In the end, I managed 37 miles (50 would have been way too long) and I didn’t have to think about my route.  I simply made impromptu turns, and u-turns, based on what roads brought me closer to the balloon I was chasing.  It was a blast.

I hope to do more rides like this in the future.  I just hope the balloons will be around to guide me.

Ciao!!!

My Ragnar Team

There’s a lot that goes into the having a great Ragnar experience. To begin with there’s the running (see My Ragnar Run).  Lots and lots of running.  Then, there’s the general fatigue that comes with pushing yourself for hours with no sleep.  Finally, there’s your team.  I can honestly say my Ragnar teammates were frigging amazing and they made participating in Ragnar one of the greatest endurance challenges I’ve ever completed. 

Van 1 crew.

Their website states that Ragnar is the overnight running relay race that makes testing your limits a team sport.  However, simple group dynamics tells me that confining 6 people who are tired, hungry, sleepy and emotionally drained in a van for 30-hours (or longer) is what will really test your limits. 

So, how did our team come together?  It was actually quite simple.  To begin with, we all work together.  One day at work Lorielle and I somehow started talking about Ragnar and how cool it would be.  The more we talked the more excited we became and a few minutes later I’m sending out an email to a select group of colleagues inviting them to join this crazy adventure.

Van 2 crew.

How did we select who to invite?  That was pretty easy as well.  Our company had recently completed a wellness fitness challenge which identified those of us willing to push the limits of our endurance.  There is also an annual 10-mile run for credit unions, which a few members of our team ran.  Long story short, within 3-days Lorielle and I were co-captains of a kick-ass 12-member Ragnar Relay team.

Since all of this occurred in early April, and the race wasn’t until late October, we had plenty of time to plan.  To be honest, any slight concerns I had were gone after our first team meeting.  It was obvious that everyone would train and be prepared to run.  It was even more obvious that everyone would be willing to pitch in and do whatever was needed to have a great event.

Crossing the finish as a team.

Mostly, it was blatantly obvious that we all just wanted to have fun and that became our single goal.  Every decision we made as a team was based on having fun first, running second.  I think this went a long, long way into ensuring we had a great time.

Finally, after months of planning, we loaded the supplies and ourselves into our vans to get things started.  I was in van 1 with 4 other teammates (sadly, one of our team had to withdraw).  We met at 4:30 am, rolled at 4:45 and were laughing by 5:00.  This was a trend that would continue for the next 30 hours.  

Greatest Ragnar team ever!!!

After just over 30-hours of laughing, driving, relaxing, and lots of running (but no sleep) we crossed the finish line together, as a team.  I really can’t describe the experience.  I keep using the word awesome but that’s not quite right.

It’s been a week since Ragnar and we are still on an emotional high.  As we pass each other at work, we give a secret smile that can only be earned by working as a team.  We talk about what we saw, what we experienced and how supportive everyone was to each other.

When it’s all said and done there is one really easy way to determine if you were on a great team and that’s talking about next year.  We all want to do this again, with each other.  I am already checking the Ragnar web site for next year’s dates.  I also already know who will be on my team with me.

Ciao!!!

My Ragnar Relay

Special Note:  I am going to tell this story in 2-parts.  The first is about my runs.  The sequel will be about hanging out with my amazing team.

Game face for 1st run.

There’s nothing quite like getting up at 3:30 am to signal the start of a great adventure.  And, that’s precisely what happened on Friday as I headed out to complete the Ragnar Relay Napa Valley.  Our official start was 7:30 am but they want there an hour early so this meant rolling towards San Francisco by 5:00 am. 

We cruised to the city, found the starting line, parked Van 1, and checked in.  Once we completed the official stuff it was back to the van to prepare to run.  Then, it was back to the starting line to get ready for go time since I was the first runner.

Just pass 7:30 we started the final countdown and I was off.  My first run was a 2.6 mile route the went through Golden Gate Park, along the Pacific Ocean, up the small hill by the famous Cliff House and finally stopped at a beautiful vista point.  I started nice and easy, stayed in my zone, and by the time I put the slap-wrist bracelet on Angela to start her leg I was feeling great.

Starting run #2.

My second run was another short 2.7 miles through Sausalito.  I started this leg at 9:14 and once again felt fine as I ran along.  A short 25-minutes later I was giving the bracelet to Lorielle as she began her grueling 8.7 mile run.  Finally, we were all done with our first 6-legs and we passed the bracelet off to Van 2.

We went to get real food before going to exchange 12 to wait for the final Van 2 runner.  Then, we were off again.  Gina and I had decided to pick up the extra legs for Runner 1 so she got us going this time around.  Around 7:15 pm, less than 12-hours from my first run, I started my 3rd run of the event.  This was an 8.3 mile jaunt that was by far the longest of the 5 legs I was running.

I started out nice and easy one more time and be honest the run was uneventful.  I maintained a steady pace and even managed to pass a few people along the way (I was also passed).  While the length of this run concerned me, what worried me the most was how I would recover for my final 2 runs.

Starting run #4 at 3:50 am.

After failing to get any sleep at exchange 24 I was ready for my next run, which began around 3:50 am.  This was an easy 3.1 flat route.  I once again took it slow however I notice my inside thigh muscle on my right leg was very tight.  Fortunately, it loosened up and I finished just fine.  This would not be the case for my final run.

My 5th and final run, which started at 6:00 am was 3.4 miles and 35 minutes of pain.  The thigh muscle never warmed up and every step hurt as I ran almost a full minute per mile slower.  Still, I sucked it up, kept running, and finally made to the exchange point where I gratefully passed the bracelet to a teammate for the last time.

If you do the math, I finished my final run at 6:35 am.  This was a mere 23-hours after I started it all at 7:30 am the day before.  That’s 5 runs, covering a total of 20 miles, in 23-hours.

In the end it was an amazing adventure made even greater by my awesome teammates. How do I know?  We’re already checking for next year’s dates when we all plan to this all over again.

Ciao!!!

Working on My Mental Toughness

Until I started trail running I was never tough mentally when it came to sports and exercise.  My motto was more like - When the going gets tough, I’m getting coffee!  I simply didn’t care if I finished or not.  As I started running in Annadel more and more, I found that my mental toughness started to improve.  

While this late-blooming mental resolve also carried over to cycling, I can still talk myself out of just about anything.  So, I knew that yesterday’s ride was going to be a test of my mental resolve in more ways than one.  After leaving work, I had a full line of excuses already in place by the time I got home.

The first issue was the heat.  Everyone in my cycling world knows I do not perform well when it’s hot.  Heat has been my demise in two major events, the Terrible Two and the Mendocino Monster, where the temperature hit 112 degrees in both events. When I got in the car around 5:00, it was 95.  It had cooled down to a lovely 93 by the time I hit the road.

My next issue was hunger.  Or, more specifically, bonking.  You know you’re in for a long ride, regardless of the real distance, when you start to bonk on the drive home.  As I was getting ready I began to chow down on nuts and energy food.  This is where I began to really talk myself out of the ride.  Instead, I finished getting ready and was on my way.

As soon as I started rolling, a third issue popped up.  My Garmin has been acting up on and off for the last year.  Yesterday I was getting a steady chorus of be-deep (pause), be-deep (resume).  It was happening every 2-3 minutes and starting to drive me a bit crazy.

Then, something kind of amazing happened.  The planned route was flat and easy, which was perfect given all the issues (heat, hunger, Garmin).  However, about 3-miles into the ride I made an interesting choice.  I went left into Fountaingrove versus right towards the flat land.  Apparently, my new plan is doing hill repeats.

I am a little proud of myself for tackling the hills and this in turn helps me ignore the heat and hunger.  The only thing I was having trouble ignoring was the frigging Garmin!  After going over the first climb, and bombing down a great descent, I started climb #2.  At this point, the Garmin is doing it’s pause-resume thing continuously.

Apparently, that was one mental resolve too many for me.  As the Garmin continued it’s constant be-deep, be-deep chorus I had already decided it was time for a new one.  After a few more minutes of constant be-deep, be-deep I was done.  I won’t describe the next few seconds but suffice it to say that I finished the ride in silence and I have to stop by NorCal Bike Sport later today.

I finished the climbs without any issues by focusing on things like my rhythm and breathing and not the feeling in my stomach.  The temperature had cooled down nicely and it turned out to be a great evening for a ride.  It was so nice that I decided to add some flat-land miles and slowly make my way to Riviera Ristorante for some food to go.

That was my plan all along.  Get in good ride followed by some excellent bolognese fettuccine from Riviera.  Then I realized, perhaps it wasn’t my mental resolve that got me through this ride after all.  Perhaps it was the promise of a great reward at the end.  That works for me and now I have a new motto.  When the going gets tough, I’m going to Riviera.

Ciao!