Testing

Time for coach to hit the lab. With the days quickly counting down to race start, accurate training intensity is getting more and more critical by the day. Too hard, you are fried. Too easy, not going to make it to Durango! Larry Foss of the Fix Active Studio performed the tests - he uses FaCT protocol that when coupled with good baseline lactate data taken from the warm-up phase (or as a separate stepped test) is hands down the most comprehensive and accurate lactate data one can collect(in my opinon). This also gave me a good benchmark for watts and power to weight ration moving forward. If I'm not consistently increasing my power at threshold (aka showing progress), some component of my training isn't correct and changes will need to be made. Currently I'm putting out 220 watts at my threshold HR(173). Compared to my tests just before i left to race in Alaska when i was totally rested and tapered, I've stayed about the same (was at 228/177 then). I feel pretty good about where i am as i took a break after that race, did tons of easy long base riding, have been doing very little intensity, tons of strength and not getting lots of "quality" bike time (15 below zero and snow)....so as i begin some ski racing now (oh it's going to hurt), and continue my solid riding/lifting schedule, things should continue to slowly progress forward. Then come April and May when i hit the fitness phase hard, i 'm confident my numbers will climb to near 245/180. That will put me at 4 watts per Kilo which is what i'm looking for at race start. The adventure continues.

Skiing is Here!

Man, i love skiing. I headed out for my first ski at the premier training venue in St Paul (in my opinion), Battle Creek, and had a sweet training session. Snow was falling and the trails are getting very nice. Doing OD skis there are superb, 3hrs goes by in a flash (especially when you can tune out to Weezer). I really think the leg and core strength i will gain from a good amount of ski training this winter (not to mention aerobic building) will help when i have to push out 300 mile days in June. A few high school teams were out and in was nice to see the trails full. Get out and ski!!

Round'n Round

Well, i'm trying to get into the groove of my winter training back in the thick of Minnesota winter. Below zero temps coupled with little snow has made it challenging. Last night we finally got another dump of snow so skiing is back in the fray. My lifting has been going ok, but it really needs to get consistent for the next 8 weeks - i think it can be a huge help. i got the winter ride (old Specialized StumpJumper with drop bars and Veloce) finally up and running - it makes riding in crappy, snowy conditions a breeze and is good for my strength building (riding around on a near 30lb bike).

With that said, i thought it time to try something new.....speed skating! Bruce Adlesman (www.skinnyski.com) and i headed up to the oval in Roseville and took the Wednesday night class. It was awesome! You can really fly on those things. I see a new form of racing in my future, once i get it down. It is super technical - like anything, the pros on TV make it look so effortless, but once out there and you begin to learn, you quickly realize how difficult it is. Our instructor Steve was patient and really helped us so we didn't pick up any bad habits from the start. If you are looking for something new, it was a gas. Super hard on the legs and lower back.

Day 5 - Mission Complete

While my stay here in San Diego has been awesome, time has come to return to "normal life"...yea, whatever that is??? I had 4 hours this a.m. before i had to catch my plane, so i planned on some neuromuscular stuff and then a short ride to round out the time. My legs actually felt much better today, maybe they are getting used to this routine. I headed down to Fiesta Island (little island just off of San Diego by Sea World with lots of beach and a huge dog park amongst other things) as it is flat and perfect for 1-leg pedal drill. I completed an hour of 1 leg pedaling and my hip flexors were ready to kill me- dun! I never did catch-up to Arnie Baker's ride, hopefully next time, but they do have a TT down here every month - sounds pretty cool, maybe next time too. Well, it has been fun, very educational and exhausting, just what i needed. Using this experience, I've already got my training planned out for my next trip out here in late January...anyone for a little training trip? 70 and sunny has been nice, but i'm excited about getting back to some nice white stuff and long skis at Battle Creek. (ski pic - skinnyski.com)

Day 4 - Roll'n Up the Coast

I'll have to admit, i'm tired. I woke up this a.m a bit sore and the legs have a certain ache in them. As i climbed the stairs to the kitchen i realized my legs are worn out....but that is what i need to do. On top of that...lets ride more. Today i decided i wanted to get some easier volume in, so i headed up the 101 to Oceanside. Wasn't exactly sure where i was going, but it ended up working perfectly. As i went through Del Mar, there were some "Radical Dudes" ripping it up out on the surf - looked fun...evidently even Lance surfs? Guess I'll have to try it some day. Anyway, only bummer today is that when i got home and checked the map, i realized i stopped about .5 mile from the actual race start - oh well, I"ll see that in a few months. I guess i could have kept riding up into camp Pendleton as well, but again, i had no idea i was so close. The ride up was sweet - huge tail winds(thus a bit slower home!), a nice little tour of UCSD and just for Sumo, i stopped by Torrey Pines on the way by...what da-ya-know...no tee times available for me??? The ride was good. Ended up with 8hrs on the bike, slow, but steady. This little "mini camp" was a good wake up call and helped me realize just how long and hard this "race" is going to be. I was starting to wonder why i was doing it, and then Larry helped me remember..."if it was easy, everyone would do it...yea it's hard, that's exactly why you are doing it" Enough said.
Tomorrow a.m. before i catch my plane, I'm heading down to the Fiesta Island ride with Dr. Arnie Baker - he has coached Floyd L. and has worked with many RAAM racers...I'm hoping i can pick his brain while we are out riding as i don't think i can afford his $250/hr consult fee. Time for a bowl of Edys and bed.

Day 3- Venga! Venga! Venga!

Today was all about going up, up and up some more. I kind of felt like the tour guys going over multiple passes in a day - only difference they do it twice as fast and with crazy fans on the side of the road yelling and screaming. Only screaming i heard today was the howls of motorcycles screaming by as they flew, i mean flew up the mountain. You can hear them coming from a mile back as they throttle out of the corners. It was cool to watch the good ones fly by setting themselves up for corners at 60-70mph - 21 switchbacks worth! On the way down my last time i saw this guy shooting photos - a Bruce Adlesman, Skinnyski version of Mt Palomar, motorcycling - Rick Clemson. Super nice guy, think i'll have to buy a shot as a reminder of December RAAM Camp.

Anyway, since it was my last day with a car, i wanted to go north one last time and climb as much as i could. I had 6 hours, so i figured i could climb Palomar 3 times - worked out to be perfect. I started in Rincon where the climb begins. It climbs 5 miles to South Grade Rd, where the real climbing begins for the last 7 miles. It took me 1.5hrs up, .5 down. I felt pretty good, and was happy that each one was 5-6 minutes faster than the previous, so i was staying consistent. Went with mainly liquid nutrition today as i wanted to test it out when going harder - as that is when i seem to get into stomach trouble...and it seemed to go ok. More needs to be done with this before the race. It is a huge issue and has to be totally dialed in. Also made me realize, i need a 29 for climging. The 25 is great, but when my legs get totally blown, a 29 will be essential so i can continue to spin and give my legs a break every once and a while. Day 3 done, tomorrow a long ride finally.

Day 2....the Desert!

So, into the desert i went. I'll have to admit i was a bit worried about riding there, not really knowing what to expect....bad roads? no shoulders? cars going mach 1? Hot? Flat? NOPE. This was by far the best ride i've ever had in San Diego. I left from Lake Henshaw TimeStation, rode up the gentle climb to Ranchita and then barreled down the "Glass Elevator" 4000 ft to Borrego Springs below (more about Montezuma Grade on the way back). The traffic was quite light except for some trucks with dirt bikes heading out into the desert to rip it up and there was a good shoulder, or even bike lane for most of the ride - who knew how nice riding in the desert was!! I filled my bottles in Borrego Springs, then headed further into the desert another 25 miles, just past Ocotillo Wells. Who knew there were elephants in the desert here?? Anyway, since i wasn't sure about additional water past this, and daylight issues wouldn't allow me to ride all the way to Brawley, i planned to turn around here - making it about a 100 miles, but again with around 8,000 ft of climinb for the day...as once back to Borrego Springs, i had to climb back up Montezuma Grade (the longest graded road in San Diego Cty), 6% for 11 miles, just shy of 4000 ft. I filled up again in Borrego Springs ( really quite a nice little place) and headed up - for nearly an hour and twenty minutes! Finally i made it up - seemed hot climbing (75ish) and it is December....makes me worried about next summer - i have a long way to go to get ready for this thing. The final 20 miles home were and easy spin back down to Lake Henshaw and a ride back to San Diego. Looking forward to dinner tonight with my buddy Dana who i did 2-man RAAM with in 2002 as he just happens to be in town visiting relatives. So, the bottom line, don't be scared to ride in the desert...an oh, it ain't flat!

RAAM Recon - Day 1

Well, after a terrible day of travel yesterday (I'll only fly direct from now on), i finally got on the bike today in San Diego. Was a bit tired and slow, but it felt great to ride in shorts, arm warmers and a vest. I decided to ride the first 50 miles of the race course today from I15 to Lake Henshaw - tougher than i thought. After some rolling up for the first 20 miles, the climb to the base of Palomar was hard....then it was a gradual up from there into a pretty stiff headwind. I was really wondering why i was going so slow, but upon turning around i quickly realized how tough the climb out was.

On the way back i decide to climb the final portion of the Palomar climb that the T.O.C. will be using. The total climb is 12 miles, 4,100ft, 21 switchbacks, 6-8% grade and relentless. I was already at 2500 at that point, so i only had the final 7 miles, 25oo feet left. I was dehydrated and going slow - took me 45 minutes to get up (note: on the way back i ran into a guy who was telling me Floyd does it in 27 minutes when fit!). I had climbed this before with Dino and didn't remember it being so hard. After a quick Sobe energy and a microwave hotpocket, i was ready to get back to the car. It only took me 14 minutes to go back down what took me 45 to climb! The final 4 miles down off the mountain only took 6 minutes, and that was with my progress slowed by a semi...fun that can't be had in Minnesota!!
Good ride today with over 10,000 feet of climbing, in a 6hr effort. I was hoping for a little more volume, but the climbing was tough on me. Tomorrow, into the desert!

Rolling Along

Training is finally starting to roll after a short setback due to a bout with a little cold. Back in the gym lifting, hitting the trainer for 1-leg pedaling drills etc (which are getting tough as i put a 2lb weight on my helmet to help strengthen the neck muscles to try and avoid Shermmer's Neck), the CX bike for great long winter rides under "high-tension" circumstances (snow) and some hill climbs to keep in touch with intensity. Todays ride with Sumo, Brownie and the Mexican Mafia was awesome- the river bottoms are always great with fresh snow.
I'm pretty fried after a 20hr week, so i'm looking forward to a few easy days, a massge from Larry (The Fix) and then heading to San Diego for some quality volume and mountain training - on the RAAM course....oh, and 70 degrees, 4 layers of clothing not necessary!

The Plan

Well, with this huge of a race, all the prep and training, a sound plan is in order. I'm in the final stages of assembling an amazing crew, vehicles are coming together and other support is coming in. I've decided to drive a van round trip from St. Paul so i don't have to ship all my bikes, racks, light bars etc. As luck would have it, my parents agreed to drive the van out, help at the start and then fly back...watch my 2 year old twins for a week, only to fly out to the finish and repeat van driving duty...totally amazing!
Lots to figure out, but I'm heading to San Diego in a few days and hope to ride the first few hundred miles of the race - for confidence more than anything. Time Station I to Lake Henshaw has over 6,000 feet of climbing in just over 50 miles!
Perhaps the greatest puzzle to figure out is the training plan - should be easy right, after all it is what i do for a living?? Not so much. I've got a base plan done that started last summer after Fireweed, but have since made 4 or 5 modifications as things change. Luckily i have a good friend and amazing athlete for a neighbor, Chad Giese so having someone to bounce ideas off is easy. So, here it is in its simple overview form.
The Plan

Fireweed 400 - Success

The Fireweed 400 this past summer is what gets me to this place - winning it qualified me for RAAM this year and got me inspired....Check out the recap here.

Well, 214 days left, so far away, but yet not really when i think about all that needs to be completed - maybe thats the draw!

Other Shoe Drops!

The a.m. ride today was a good reminder that fall in Minnesota doesn't mean 65 and sunny....I love it! Guess this means it's time to get the woollies out and be prepared to ride in the cold.

On a RAAM crew note, had a huge day yesterday...Both Owen Hanley and Peter Abraham agreed to crew for me. They are both elite ski racers and great people. I coached them both at Carleton. Owen crewed for me at the Fireweed 400 this summer in Alaska and Peter is a good friend of Owens - this is a huge piece for me- I'm stoked!

Gathering Info

I had the opportunity to chat with 2003 RAAM champion Allen Larsen last night - oh what a wealth of knowledge he possesses. From rookie to champion to covering the race for the media, he has seen lots, done lots, knows lots! I could still be asking him questions. Unfortunately, he had to cut his racing career short due to Shermers neck, but he is hoping to find a solution and get back on the bike. The take home message, efficiency, efficiency, efficiency! Don't diddle around, keep moving. He also reminded me to be prepared that in RAAM even the best laid plans will go by the wayside- so expect it. I'm still working on nutrition solutions, sleep and ride schedules/amounts, solutions to the heat...oh the list is long!

Well, it is a start. I hope to keep running ideas by him as I progress down this road. The more info i can gather the better off i will be in my mind. Knowledge is power!

"If your bike isn't moving, your loosing time as someones else's bike is. The east coast never gets closer when you are stopped." -larsen

It Begins

Well, it's official, RAAM 2009 is going to happen for me. It is going to be a crazy ride for not only me, but my family, friends, business...really anyone in my life I guess. I hope to use this as my training log and general recap of all the preparations that go into this crazy endeavor. Well, kids are down for a nap, mom has the day off and it is 60 degrees here in St. Paul on October 31st...must mean it is time to be on the bike. Something to leave you with I live by:

"The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare." -Juma Ikangaa (NYC Marathon champion)