tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8365180334066937942024-03-05T17:38:14.425-06:00ElMonoLocoCraighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201558895293047296noreply@blogger.comBlogger117125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836518033406693794.post-8124522776512471662014-08-10T19:06:00.001-05:002014-08-10T19:32:02.108-05:00What I did this summer<div style="text-align: center;">
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<i>Rolling out.</i></div>
<br />
In keeping with the college tradition (for me, anyways), I once again find myself scrambling to finish my homework on the last day before it's due. That being said...<br />
<br />
On July 11th at approximately 4:30 in the afternoon (a half hour late, of course) I headed out to the center of the bridge crossing the Big Sioux river with my friend and riding partner Don. A few weeks earlier we had signed up for the Trans Iowa Masters Program, a 380 mile individual time trial that traversed from one side of the state to the other run primarily on gravel roads. There was no official time limit on this trek, but the rules stated that you couldn't stop for more than four hours at a time. Our plan was to finish no later than Sunday afternoon.<br />
<br />
We took off from the middle of the Big Sioux, through Hawarden and on to the gravels with little fanfare as only my girlfriend Deb was there to see us off. The skies were overcast and we'd seen some minor sprinkles while getting ready (foreshadowing) , but apart from that the early portions of the ride were pretty unremarkable. Flat, straight roads were the order for the day and Don and I just focused on putting miles behind us with little conversation.<br />
<br />
Let's just Tivo past that and into the good stuff.<br />
<br />
So there we were, huddled in home made bivy sacks underneath a flatbed trailer at 5am while rain dripped through the slats and mosquitoes hovered overhead searching for an opening in our thin protective shells...<br />
<br />
Wait, that's too far. Let's rewind a bit.<br />
<br />
The time is around 3am and we're cruising down a gravel road in steady rain. Don's not doing so well and having a very hard time staying awake. For the last hour or two we've been looking for a good spot to stop and grab a couple hours of sleep when about a mile ahead we see headlights. After a minute or two we realize they're not getting any closer. As we approached, we realized it was a police car parked on the gravel at an intersection with a paved road. I flew right past him, not wanting to answer the questions of a suspicious officer wondering what two cyclists were doing on a gravel road at 3am in the rain, but Don's a bit more social than I am and decided to stop and chat. I turned back and joined in on the following conversation.<br />
<br />
Don: blah blah blah not on RAGBRAI, blah blah blah Trans Iowa, blah blah blah oh, I guess I should turn off my nuclear powered headlight so it's not shining in your face. Hey, by the way, are there any parks in the next town we could bivy in?<br />
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Officer: Uh, I don't know. That's out of my jurisdiction.<br />
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Don: Well are there any good barns up this road we could sleep in?<br />
<br />
Officer (looking uncomfortable): Uh, well, I don't really know of any.<br />
<br />
Me, about two minutes after rolling on: So you realize you just asked a police officer if he knew of any good places we could trespass, right?<br />
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And on we continued, until the next town, where we found a lot full of flatbed trailers. We picked one we could squeeze under and climbed into our Tyvek bivvies four an hour and a half of soggy, restless slumber. At around 6:30 I started getting cold and woke Don up. We packed up, hit the convenience store in town, answered all the requisite RAGBRAI questions and continued on. Three miles later we saw what would have been the perfect bivy spot.<br />
<br />
Dammit.<br />
<br />
Continue we did, rain off and on (but mostly on) for the rest of the day. I was digging it, but not so much for Don. Sleep deprivation and wet chamois issues wore at him throughout the day and by the time we made it to Forest City, about halfway through, I knew he was probably done. We agreed to grab a hotel room for a couple hours of sleep, but it wasn't enough. After a lengthy discussion, it was decided that he'd stay the night and catch a ride back in the morning while I would continue on. At just before 10pm, and within minutes of the four hour maximum stop time, I was on my way again. I hit up a convenience store for a resupply, rode back to the part of the course we diverted from, and continued on.<br />
<br />
Five miles later I had pulled up to Pilot Knob state park for the mid-term exam. After initially missing the turn-off onto the equestrian trail, I located it and hopped on for the next mile or so. While it had stopped raining and there was a full moon, I was also under heavy tree cover after dark on a very soggy trail. If I had been in a bad state of mind, this would have been my undoing. I was freshly rested and pumped though, and despite a little guesswork in areas that the trail diverged I made it through without getting lost, injured or eaten.<br />
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From this point on, the rest of the night was pure bliss. The moon was full, the skies were clear, there was no wind and a light mist shrouded many of the hills. The road was still soggy and slow, but the night was serene. As many night rides do, the hours blended together and the night boiled down to two images that I can still imagine as vividly as if I were there. One, standing at the top of a hill and looking out over miles of rolling terrain, moonlit with a fine mist pouring through the valleys. The second, on a concrete bridge with steel truss side rails, spanning a rippling creek. Both banks lined with trees and the full moon shown down the middle, shining off the water.<br />
<br />
In spite of the two naps the day before, by sunrise I was finding it very hard to stay awake. After an hour of nearly nodding off while riding, I pulled off to the side of the road and laid down on the gravel for a short, ten minute nap. Two more times I needed to do this, laying down, falling asleep immediately, and popping back up five to ten minutes later. The third nap finally stuck and I was set for the rest of the day.<br />
<br />
Almost.<br />
<br />
While most of me was still feeling strong and reasonably fresh, my feet were starting to suffer from the combination of miles, worn out insoles and dampness. My shoes and socks never had a good chance to dry out after all the rain and as the day wore on my feet drifted from discomfort to pain to "hey, this is really not cool". I pushed on through Decorah, into the steep hills of northeast Iowa, trying to baby a set of contact points that really couldn't be rested. I started counting down miles by the tens, then the fives, then just focusing on making it to Whitetail Drive and the inevitable long downhill to the Mississippi river finish in Lansing. At around 5:30pm, 49 hours after leaving the Big Sioux, I coasted up to the Mississippi and dipped my wheel while Deb cheered from the road.<br />
<br />
And so another summer adventure wraps up, one among many. Thanks to G-Ted for organizing this little shindig, Don for rolling half of it with me, and as always a huge thanks to Deb for not only chauffeuring us around but also taking a day of vacation to do so. Now, on to the next... <br />
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<i>Breakfast at the start of day 2.</i></div>
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<i> Heading back out.</i></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> Pruney...</i></div>
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<i>I jumped over this while pyrotechnics exploded from both sides.</i></div>
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<i>Done! 49 hours later.</i></div>
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<i>More pruniness...</i></div>
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<i>No A&W at this finish, but I still got my corn dog and root beer float.</i></div>
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<br />Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201558895293047296noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836518033406693794.post-1875274448586237122013-08-13T22:12:00.000-05:002013-08-13T22:12:19.447-05:00Moonshine Metric 2013The preliminary date and start time for the 2013 version of the Moonshine Metric is September 21st, rolling out from Mount Vernon, IA at 7pm. Further details will be posted on the <a href="http://moonshinemetric.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Moonshine Metric site </a>this week. Hope to see you there.Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201558895293047296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836518033406693794.post-89895827166726401192013-04-24T22:21:00.000-05:002013-04-24T22:21:24.682-05:00Trans Iowa V9 Gear and Nutrition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>View inside seat bag</i></div>
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Last week I went over my bike setup for Trans Iowa. You can see that post <a href="http://ocolonomle.blogspot.com/2013/04/trans-iowa-v9-bike-setup.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Now, I'll go over the specifics of my gear and nutrition.<br />
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<b>Clothing:</b><br />
As of today, the forecast is for temps ranging from the upper 40's to the lower 70's with light winds the first day and moderate winds the second day. It looks like the race and roads will be dry, with the exception of the B roads which will probably be a crap shoot due to last week's heavy rains. Based on this forecast, I would wear the following:<br />
<ul>
<li>Bibbed shorts</li>
<li>Summer jersey</li>
<li>Summer bike socks</li>
<li>MTB shoes with flexible sole (for walking comfort)</li>
<li>Light full fingered gloves</li>
<li>Sunglasses with daytime lenses</li>
<li>Helmet</li>
<li>Cycling cap</li>
</ul>
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I would also pack away the following clothing in my seat poack for when it cooled off at night (mid to upper 40's).</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Knee warmers</li>
<li>Light wool socks</li>
<li>Wind vest</li>
<li>Long sleeve base layer</li>
<li>Skull cap</li>
</ul>
<div>
I'll bring along some alternate clothing in case the forecast changes or it starts looking like there will be some rain. These will likely get left behind though, since I want to keep my pack weight light.</div>
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<div>
<ul>
<li>Bibbed knickers (a little on the warm side for sunny and 70's)</li>
<li>Leg warmers</li>
<li>Neoprene shoe covers lined with cut up wool socks</li>
<li>Rain jacket</li>
<li>Full wind jacket</li>
<li>Mid-weight winter gloves</li>
</ul>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Repai kit</i></div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Tools/repairs:</b></div>
<div>
Most of my tools and field repair items will be kept in a stuff sack located in my seat bag unless otherwise noted. My list for this weekend:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Multi-tool with chain breaker</li>
<li>Two tire levers (one kept in a more accessible bag for cleaning B road mud off of my shoes)</li>
<li>Spoke wrenches (my wheels use non-standard spokes)</li>
<li>Razor blade (wrapped with duct tape and kept in an old patch kit box to prevent premature slicage)</li>
<li>Two spare tubes</li>
<li>Patch kit</li>
<li>Two quick links</li>
<li>Spare handlebar bottle mount clamp (light, so might as well bring it)</li>
<li>Zip ties </li>
<li>Derailleur cable</li>
<li>Safety pins</li>
<li>Velcro strap (wrapped around chainstay)</li>
</ul>
<div>
I was hoping to have some replacement spokes by now, but unfortunately they haven't come through yet. Bummer.<br />
<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Gas tank, partially loaded. Zip locks will be ditched for accessibility.</i></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Nutrition:</b></div>
<div>
My plan this year is to start out with enough food to make it through at least half the race before needing to resupply (current list has me good for around 24 hours at 250 cal/hr). At some point I'm going to start craving other things, which is one of the reasons I'm not carrying enough for the entire race (the other two are weight and storage). I will have five water bottles with me, two of which get plain water, two get my sports drink mix, and one carries my trail mix. One of the water-only bottles will be kept in my seat pack and all the others will be in my frame or handlebar mounted bottle cages. This should be enough water/fluids to get me 100 miles under the current forecast conditions, but I can always throw in another water bottle if I find myself drinking more than what I had originally planned on. As for my nutrition break down, it will look something like this:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>1/2 water bottle of home made trail mix consisting of peanuts, sunflower seeds, M&Ms, chocolate covered raisins and a handful of gummy bears to perk it up a bit. Approximately 1200 calories.</li>
<li>Home made granola bars. Approximately 1000 calories.</li>
<li>Mini Snickers bars. About 500 calories.</li>
<li>Gummy orange slices. About 500 calories.</li>
<li>Clif Shot Bloks. Four packs, two of which will be saved for night since those have caffiene. 800 calories.</li>
<li>3oz Firehouse mild beef jerky (my favorite). 300 calories.</li>
<li>Ham and cheese subway sub. Two 6" subs at 400 calories each.</li>
<li>8 bottles worth Skratch Labs Secret Drink Mix. About 1000 calories.</li>
</ul>
<div>
I may end up only going with one sub, but for the small amount of extra weight it's probably worth it to carry the second. When I need real food then I'll want to have it available. If the craving hits when I'm three hours from the nearest convenience store... Well, that'll kinda suck. As far as resupplies, I'll just leave it up to what I'm craving when I need to restock and skip food restocks altogether early on. I'll still need to get water at regular intervals though.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Night pack</i></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Miscellaneous:</b></div>
<div>
Apart from what I've listed above, here's the odds and ends of what I'll be taking. Some will be kept in a dry bag located in my seat bag (my "night pack") and others that need to be more accessible will be kept in my <a href="https://www.revelatedesigns.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=store.catalog&CategoryID=4&ProductID=18" target="_blank">Spocket</a>. </div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Night pack</li>
<ul>
<li>2AA batteries (for GPS)</li>
<li>2 spare light batteries</li>
<li>Spare cell phone battery</li>
<li>Headphones (night use only)</li>
<li>Toilet paper</li>
</ul>
<li>Spocket</li>
<ul>
<li>3 packets of Chamois Cream</li>
<li>Tire lever (for cleaning off shoes after B road hike-a-bikes)</li>
<li>Ibuprofen</li>
<li>Antacids</li>
<li>Pepto Bismol</li>
<li>Teflon chain lube</li>
</ul>
<li>Other</li>
<ul>
<li>Phone</li>
<li>ID</li>
<li>Money</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So that's the rundown of what I'll be bringing to Trans Iowa this year. Everything is pretty much waiting to go at this point so that I'm doing a minimal of last minute stressing and gear swapping. At this point I'll leave you with a few final notes.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>A frozen burrito tossed into a pack to thaw out helped make a miserable ride less miserable down the road last year.</li>
<li>My head light will be resting on a handlebar mount when not in use. It's light, but you still feel the weight. This allows me to store it or install it on the fly.</li>
<li>In order to keep my gear minimized, my phone will double as my MP3 player at night. Hence, the spare battery. </li>
<li>A ziplock bag, a strip of duct tape and a couple zip ties make for a great cue sheet holder.</li>
<li>Pack your gear with accessibility at the forefront of your mind. Time stopped is time wasted.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Good luck to everyone else who will be rolling out at 4am Saturday morning. It's going to be a long ride, and you're going to suffer, but you can hate life all you want as long as you keep moving while you're doing it.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201558895293047296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836518033406693794.post-65545028187784106192013-04-15T00:17:00.000-05:002013-04-15T00:17:53.090-05:00Trans Iowa V9 Bike Setup<br />
The bulk of this weekend was spent getting my bike prepared for Trans Iowa. This will be my third attempt at this race and each time I've built on past experiences to fine tune it. Since I tend to geek out about other folk's setups leading up to a big race, I'd like to take some time to share mine and explain why I do what I do. In this post I'll be covering bike, storage and contingencies. Later this week I'll cover food, clothing and other details.<br />
<br />
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<b>Big Picture:</b><br />
This year, as I have in my other two attempts, I'll be rolling on my Surly Cross Check. I recently switched my wheels to a set of Ultegra road tubeless wheels to save a chunk of weight and allow for an easier conversion to tubeless. I have the rear set up tubeless with a Kenda Happy Medium that I had sitting around the garage. I used the tire briefly last year and switched to Clement MSO's after Almanzo, so it hasn't seen much use and is fairly fresh. The front is a Clement LAS that I tried to get set up tubeless, but it didn't take. I finally gave in and threw a tube in it today. I've probably lost a little bit of wheel strength moving to these wheels, but then my previous wheelset was overbuilt and pretty heavy. Plus, the Ultegra wheelset uses straight pull spokes so if I break one on the drive side I can replace it in the field. I can't do that with my other wheelset. The down side is I had to special order replacement spokes and nipples. They should still be here before Trans Iowa though.<br />
<br />
For storage I'll be using a Revelate Viscacha seat bag and a Revelate Gas Tank. I tried the Revelate Jerry Can as well, but my legs rubbed on it too much so I removed it. The seat bag will house my spare clothing, tools, extra food and water bottles, and other miscellaneous goods. This eliminates the need for a Camelback, which for me is a big deal. It's lighter, can carry more (though I'll keep it minimal) and most importantly gets the weight off my back and on the bike. The Gas Tank will be used for food storage and probably nothing else. For water I've got two frame mounted bottle cages and I've added two more bottle cages to the handlebars. One of these will be dedicated to a trail mix that I'll be keeping in a water bottle.<br />
<br />
One thing I won't be using this year is a frame bag. The last two years I've used a Revelate Tangle bag, but I'm skipping it so that I can shoulder my bike for the B road hike-a-bikes. Previously I'd sling it across my back, which worked well, but it's awkward getting it up there when I'm fresh and mighty tough when fatigued.<br />
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<br />
<b>The cockpit:</b><br />
For navigational duties I'll be using a Garmin eTrex GPS in data logging mode only. GPS mapping will get you DQ'ed in this event, but supposedly can be used in bike computer mode (gonna verify this). In the past I used a Garmin Edge 500 in conjunction with a regular bike computer due to the limited battery life of the Edge and inability to charge while running. The eTrex takes care of this though since it runs off of AA batteries and has a longer battery life. Additionally, it doesn't reset your current data when you swap out the batteries. Usually it's mounted to my stem, but I moved it to an aerobar computer mount located on the handlebars so that I can place my cues over the stem.<br />
<br />
Shifters are Retroshifts set up 1x9 with a 9 speed barcon shifter. I love this setup since it's damn near bulletproof and easy to service. Regular brifters are just too much of a liability for me to ever use on a dedicated gravel rig again. Bonus, they're lighter, cheaper and can be set to friction shift on the fly if your shifting goes to hell because you tried to ride that muddy B road. Handlebars have been double wrapped for comfort and bottles are held in place with velcro. Still need to tweak the bottle retention to make them easier to access on the fly though. Finally, after experimenting with my stem an inch lower I moved it back up 3/4" to take some strain off my lower back.<br />
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<br />
<b>Lighting and Visibility:</b><br />
Lighting will be handled by two Cygolite Milion headlights. One goes on the helmet and the other gets mounted to the fork leg. The fork mounting is key for me since the angle of the light is such that it highlights the features of the road in a way that helmet and handlebar mounts don't. The run time for each light is 7-8 hours on low (100 lumens) and the batteries can be swapped on the fly if you have them accessible. The batteries are about the size of a roll of pennies, so they're easy to pack away and not very heavy. On the rear, I have a typical red blinkie mounted to the left seat stay and LEDs in each handle bar end. Finally, for added visibility I have white reflective tape wrapped around two places on each seat stay and in one place on each fork leg. This is something I picked up from my friend Robb and later reinforced by Charles.<br />
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<b>Contingencies:</b><br />
I've had my share of road and trail mishaps, and assisted others with plenty more. As a result, I always try to think ahead to what could possibly go wrong on a ride and plan for it. Part of that plan is to build spare parts and repair materials into my bike if I can. Here's a couple examples:<br />
<ul>
<li>My Cross Check has a number of unused rack and fender mounts that I like to stick extra bolts of various lengths into. Even though I Loctite nearly everything that threads onto my bike, things can still come loose. Added tip: Make sure a couple of those spare bolts are cleat bolts.</li>
<li>This is new for this race, but I used double sided Velcro strapping for my chainstay protector. This could just end up getting crudded up with dirt and mud, but worst case it's still a chainstay protector. I secured the ends with electrical tape and folded the ends over on themselves so it's easier to peel if I need to remove it.</li>
<li>I like to attach a few safety pins to various straps on my bags. Once upon a time I was mountain biking and came across a guy a few miles out from the trail head walking his bike. He'd hit a rock and suffered a 3" gash on his sidewall. The gash was too big to boot and I ruined a tube trying to air it up, so after a few trial and error attempts to get him rolling we ended up stuffing his tire with field grass to get him out. If I'd had safety pins, we may have been able to close up the gash enough to boot it. In any case, the hula-skirt-wheel approach does work in a pinch, as we found out, so put that in your back pocket for later use.</li>
<li>The handlebar bottle mounts are extruded aluminum and I had to screw them down pretty tight to keep them from moving. This makes me a little nervous, so I'll be placing a loose zip tie through them to tie them together. If one breaks, that should keep it out of my wheel. They'll probably be fine, but I could use the peace of mind.</li>
<li>Since I won't be using a frame bag, I'll likely attach my spare spokes to the frame using Velcro ties. If that doesn't hold them well enough, I'll switch to electrical tape.</li>
</ul>
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<br />
<b>Other notes:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>I keep my bike pump attached to the fork leg, using one of the rack mounts and a zip tie to hold it in place. If you do this, put some electrical tape underneath it to prevent it from rubbing on your fork leg. You may also want to consider placing your pump in a gallon size ziplock before strapping it in to protect it (credit to Davie Gie for that idea).</li>
<li>The handlebar mounted bottles and double wrapped bar tape make for a decent set of makeshift aero bars.</li>
<li>Rear cassette has been switched from an 11-34 to an 11-32. I didn't like the spacing on the 11-34 so it was worth it to ditch a couple teeth in order to jump from 11 to 12 instead of 11 to 13. It'll make some of the hills tougher, but still worth it overall. Front ring is a 38.</li>
<li>Carbon seatpost was swapped for an aluminum for added peace of mind. Only paid a 50 gram weight penalty to do so and since I noticed a crack in the carbon post after I removed it I'm glad I took the time to do it.</li>
</ul>
<br />
That about covers it for the bike. Later this week: Gear and nutrition. <br />
<ul>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201558895293047296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836518033406693794.post-50824508639990593042013-02-24T21:48:00.000-06:002013-02-24T21:49:28.680-06:00CIRREM2011 finish time: Six hours, six minutes.<br />
<br />
2012 finish time: Five hours, twenty-three minutes.<br />
<br />
2013 finish time: Four hours, thirty minutes.<br />
<br />
I'm digging this trend...Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201558895293047296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836518033406693794.post-59220579151408049342013-02-16T19:16:00.000-06:002013-02-16T19:16:28.032-06:00Winter in Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The good times: me at the I AM FAT fatbike race in Iowa City.</i></div>
<br />
In some cases this winter has been a lousy one for me, and in others it's gone fairly well. Might as well get the bad out of the way.<br />
<br />
I signed up for three winter ultras this season and didn't finish any of them. I pulled out of the Tuscobia 150 after a paltry 63 miles due largely to a sore back. Arrowhead ended for me at the second checkpoint when a mid-race snowstorm dumped 8-10" of fresh, unrideable powder on the trail and I found myself unprepared and unwilling to push 65lbs of bike and gear for the next 60+ miles. When the racers at Triple D were rolling out, I was riding the couch and nursing a flu. And that flu? That was the second time this winter that I got sick when it's rare for me to fall ill once in a year.<br />
<br />
But lets focus on the good.<br />
<ul>
<li>We had more of a winter this year, allowing me to get a fair amount of quality snow riding in. I rolled quite a bit of snow with Charles, which was a lot of fun. I also got a few good chances to do some cold weather gear testing, something that didn't happen much last year. That allowed me to do my first ride in sub-zero temperatures at a peak low of -7F after bivying out in my backyard overnight. </li>
<li>I've lost 15lbs since Halloween. Only five away from my Trans Iowa goal weight.</li>
<li>Back in December I rolled my fastest gravel metric ever, stopping the clock at 4 hours and 15 minutes when I hit 62.1 miles. This was no cupcake of a route either, with damp roads and 3000 feet of climbing. </li>
<li>A couple days ago I headed out for one of my weekly night rides with Charles and set an new PR for getting to Ivanhoe road, knocking two minutes and 30 seconds off my previous best over seven miles. </li>
<li>The week before Triple D I did the I Am Fat fatbike race. There was no snow at that point so it ended up being a cold weather MTB race in a three hour format. I raced the solo category and took third place behind Charles and Dennis Grelk with 19 laps. That had me finish ahead of about 80% of the relay racers as well.</li>
<li>Technically pre-winter, but I won the American Gothic Gravel Invitational back in October. This was a 60 mile gravel race out of Marion Iowa and this was the second year I've raced it. This marked the first time I'd won a race since 1999, so that was pretty exciting.</li>
</ul>
So what's next for me? With CIRREM coming up next week I'm hoping to finish out the winter strong. My best time for the course is about 5:25, but I'll be shooting for sub-five hours this year. Hoping for another good one to close out the season.Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201558895293047296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836518033406693794.post-75595286332024103152013-01-25T22:47:00.000-06:002013-01-25T22:47:07.523-06:00Vision QuestingI'm packed up and ready to head to International Falls, MN tomorrow morning for my second running of the Arrowhead 135. For those interested, you can follow my progress through one of the magical interweb portals below. I can't promise much as far as updates go, but I'll try to throw out a few twits whenever I discover internet access.<br />
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<a href="http://www.arrowheadultra.com/index.php/results/2013-results" target="_blank">Official race updates and time splits.</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Arrowhead-135/140879779273203?ref=ts" target="_blank">Arrowhead Facebook.</a><br />
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My Twitter handle: <a href="https://twitter.com/10ftmidget" target="_blank">@10ftmidget</a><br />
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The race starts Monday morning at 7am and should finish for me sometime Tuesday afternoon or evening. With any luck I'll regain some measure of coherence by Wednesday morning. Have a good weekend!Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201558895293047296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836518033406693794.post-63792589795912007462012-12-28T08:15:00.000-06:002012-12-28T08:15:08.048-06:00Off For Tuscobia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Ojaq8wzsIw0h-UzT_FfXBOljo3S0HpijmsvyjtnV3J9cdhKfvb4K9rU3b8vGKMsPQm0CjBEyXramPTWA02OWHHnfkIOKkbKz2zKT9mpZBTcv3fpNDlKFvIrhPXAliVNfyebC2cw55zY/s1600/2012-12-28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Ojaq8wzsIw0h-UzT_FfXBOljo3S0HpijmsvyjtnV3J9cdhKfvb4K9rU3b8vGKMsPQm0CjBEyXramPTWA02OWHHnfkIOKkbKz2zKT9mpZBTcv3fpNDlKFvIrhPXAliVNfyebC2cw55zY/s400/2012-12-28.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Training run - photo by The Powergoat</i></div>
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Shoving off for Tuscobia in a few minutes. I'll be doing the 150 mile bike flavor starting at 6am Saturday morning. For those interested in following, here's a couple clickables to get you there. Have a good weekend and enjoy the snow!<br />
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Aj_FBc2lt32OdDNNQ0xEd1IxcDBJbzA2U3B1Q1RIYlE#gid=1" target="_blank">Live tracking</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/groups/466452860039385/" target="_blank">Facebook updates</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://tuscobia.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Tuscobia website</a><br />
<br />Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201558895293047296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836518033406693794.post-11646255438081437352012-12-11T00:02:00.000-06:002012-12-11T00:02:22.055-06:00Geeking on Gear<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh07p-OW-aaPZEEFYAXh_UHt3izdgI96DGxnuYQk1EOIXKbjzg8pb4YV11LPb26tD55x2C_6lKLlF-slaqHZpYxyohYHi09LTDtKnlnh9a27OBFRJj91VpYsZF1SFk4Rye8CzWl1X_WtgA/s1600/2012-12-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh07p-OW-aaPZEEFYAXh_UHt3izdgI96DGxnuYQk1EOIXKbjzg8pb4YV11LPb26tD55x2C_6lKLlF-slaqHZpYxyohYHi09LTDtKnlnh9a27OBFRJj91VpYsZF1SFk4Rye8CzWl1X_WtgA/s320/2012-12-10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Partial gear check.</i></div>
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Sometimes it's almost as fun to get geeked out on the gear as it is to actually use it. This is the mode I've been in the last couple weeks with Tuscobia and Arrowhead coming up. I've been tweaking my clothing, gear and setup based on lessons learned from last year's races and current test runs and I'm liking how it's coming along. I've ditched the panniers this year for a handlebar bag, which will be less kludgey and will force me to be more selective with my gear. I still have to put my rear rack back on to hold my sleeping bag, and add my gas tank and feed bags to the mix, but otherwise I've got a decent shakedown of how I'm storing stuff. A quick breakdown of my setup from tonight's test ride (not complete at this time):<br />
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Handlebar bag<br />
- Bivy sack<br />
- Self inflating matress (won't self inflate in the cold according to what I've read, but I can blow it up)<br />
- Mid-weight merino wool long underwear<br />
- Fleece pullover<br />
- Wind vest<br />
- Lobster gloves (might look at swapping these for mittens that fit over gloves)<br />
- Down jacket<br />
- Tuscobia Beanie<br />
<br />
Frame bag<br />
- 1 pint titanium pot<br />
- Esbit stove (in pot)<br />
- 12 Esbit tablets (in pot)<br />
- Matches (in pot)<br />
- Aluminum foil for wind screen (in pot)<br />
- Light winter gloves<br />
- Mid weight winter gloves<br />
- Mid weight fleece balaclava<br />
- Cold Avenger mask <br />
- Glasses case<br />
- Peanut butter (3000 calorie required minimum food)<br />
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Other bike gear<br />
- Aero bars (handy for pushing a heavily loaded bike up steep hills)<br />
- ATV bar mitts<br />
- Bar ends (a must for me on flat bars)<br />
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Clothing (note: I was pretty overdressed for the temps that were in the mid teens. This was intentional since I'm playing around with temperature regulation right now)<br />
- Long sleeved, mid-weight base layer (synthetic)<br />
- Long sleeve thermal jersey with full length zipper<br />
- Mid-weight fleece with full length zipper<br />
- Light balaclava<br />
- Lightweight glove liners<br />
- Bibbed shorts<br />
- Lightweight, synthetic long underwear<br />
- Soft shell pants with zippered leg vents and suspenders. I'm really digging the suspenders. Makes them comfy like bibbed shorts<br />
- Mid-weight wool socks<br />
- Insulted hunting boots sized 1.5 sizes larger than I normally wear for extra sock room<br />
- Safety glasses<br />
- Helmet <br />
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I was only a couple miles into my ride tonight before I had my top two layers almost completely unzipped and my leg vents open. I figure this setup should be comfy at zero degrees and possibly down to -10F. With the extra layers I had on board, I figure I would have been good down to the low end of Arrowhead extremes, with the exception of my feet. That may just be a matter of more socks, but worst case I have some overboots on the way that should get me down to those temps.Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201558895293047296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836518033406693794.post-33786586644279828852012-11-27T22:59:00.000-06:002012-11-27T22:59:09.458-06:00A Good Start<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtwdgv__EZ6qOrkkjOayB0sNK5fP3j-9hHHUx3uMsnxaYZjXzBWHPJqk_Q6QfsDVcRJyFzrz-53U9tRYhuP5O5VJmbgGpK84n44E_a_oDEZH0jxUpe1wi5YVaAfFptxmnlbvcev5R0xQw/s1600/2012-11-27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtwdgv__EZ6qOrkkjOayB0sNK5fP3j-9hHHUx3uMsnxaYZjXzBWHPJqk_Q6QfsDVcRJyFzrz-53U9tRYhuP5O5VJmbgGpK84n44E_a_oDEZH0jxUpe1wi5YVaAfFptxmnlbvcev5R0xQw/s320/2012-11-27.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<i>Halfway there.</i></div>
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<i> </i> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
With winter racing coming up and Trans Iowa on the calendar again, it's time once again to set my well intentioned goals that I have a habit of failing to follow through with. So far I'm doing a lot better this year though. My TI goal weight is 160lbs, which would be 20lbs lighter than I raced at this year. Right now I'm on track to hit that by the end of the year, which is a couple months ahead of schedule. Whoooo me! On top of that my training is going better than it was at this time last year, and between that and the weight loss I'm starting to see real improvements. </div>
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There's a downside though... I'm kinda missing that extra fat in this colder weather. Between the dieting and lower body fat I'm finding that I have to re-think my layers. Last night over the course of an hour I couldn't manage to get warm despite doing hill intervals. Temps were upper teens with high single digit north winds and I thought I had dressed well enough for it. A mid weight base layer, heavy long sleeve jersey and windbreaker vest up top, lightweight tights over long underwear on the bottom. Wool socks with my winter cycling shoes for the feet, mid weight ski gloves and a beanie rounded things out. Last year that probably would have been fine after 10-15 minutes of warming up. Not so much now. Toes froze, fingers were right behind the toes, and my core was chilly at best.</div>
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Tonight I was determined to be warm, even if it meant sweating a bit more than I'd normally like. I traded the light vest for an insulated soft shell vest, the tights made way for soft shell pants, I added some neoprene covers to the shoes and finished things off with my Cold Avenger mask. Winds were slightly less and the temps were about 5 degrees warmer. Much, much better. The mask ended up coming off less than two miles in since it just wasn't working well with my helmet and glasses (need to work on that) and I was never cold during a 45 minute light spin. Additionally, the vest and jersey both have full length zippers so temperature adjustments could have been made on a longer ride to minimize sweating. The kit weighed a few ell-bees more, but it was worth it. Now I'll just have to hope for some colder temps to adjust my lower temp clothing.</div>
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Practice, experience and such. Can't have enough.</div>
Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201558895293047296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836518033406693794.post-91695662306216030452012-09-27T19:46:00.000-05:002012-09-27T19:46:12.061-05:00Moonshine Metric Forecast<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1tHPZDGxF6gabgy_BQ5TPDngQ1ADwpObCyJkklCvajE5ODqF12z6xDvcBUCnCQ5xMmumS5K_GZYc9Yy159QymUpaUT_BMmph1TeydTinFz0TZ0N8dwqazOSZSiN8HQpZr6HHyjprK2kw/s1600/MM2-forecast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1tHPZDGxF6gabgy_BQ5TPDngQ1ADwpObCyJkklCvajE5ODqF12z6xDvcBUCnCQ5xMmumS5K_GZYc9Yy159QymUpaUT_BMmph1TeydTinFz0TZ0N8dwqazOSZSiN8HQpZr6HHyjprK2kw/s640/MM2-forecast.jpg" width="492" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://moonshinemetric.blogspot.com/">It's not too late to sign up... </a><br />
Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201558895293047296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836518033406693794.post-61514778661053269062012-09-10T23:21:00.000-05:002012-09-10T23:21:15.983-05:00Gravel Conspiracy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAMGMZygav1GMyfjIuLEDh4UgGGIOwNfXJmciOSF4FUcbFv4JNJJwsCJtqw5FK6IeQzgMp5I3YqClGbKvgzPg_pws9V4md76F23h-7vCLX63F81L9hDgJ2bg5XmzR2lJljRINixjdg2o/s1600/IMAG0657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAMGMZygav1GMyfjIuLEDh4UgGGIOwNfXJmciOSF4FUcbFv4JNJJwsCJtqw5FK6IeQzgMp5I3YqClGbKvgzPg_pws9V4md76F23h-7vCLX63F81L9hDgJ2bg5XmzR2lJljRINixjdg2o/s320/IMAG0657.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yep, that's pretty much how I felt. Detailed ride report to come...Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201558895293047296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836518033406693794.post-1933769884667750402012-08-30T23:08:00.002-05:002012-08-30T23:08:57.030-05:00On The UpswingRegistration opens tomorrow for Arrowhead, count me in. Signed up for the Tuscobia 150 a week ago. Hitting the Night Bison this weekend and the Gravel Conspiracy the following week. Gonna try to squeeze in a weekend of mountain biking in Wisconsin before the Moonshine Metric at the end of the month. Things are picking back up and a laid back summer has me feeling fresh and excited to grind again. I'm a month into the base building period of an actual structured training plan and I've already set a new PR on one of my one hour gravel loops. I'm still a slow guy but I'm feeling the strongest that I have since '99, a year I fondly remember as "that one that I could actually win shit". <br />
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Also, I'm pretty sure I just farted a rainbow.Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201558895293047296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836518033406693794.post-33721628355026051212012-08-21T23:08:00.000-05:002012-08-21T23:08:02.625-05:00Metaphor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5kf1reUrZjZf6IEuH3FL9u6WOOnieaka3LrWaCIzSaBAHLl3lWKiwrOb2DZgD-O21WV1o5KUcU0Ne8VX7kq46ohba4gfwMCUOz4ZWw3eeCFGMxyjrLSUc9fqbe_dk8eGi4lSPaxG8Ky0/s1600/2012-08-21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5kf1reUrZjZf6IEuH3FL9u6WOOnieaka3LrWaCIzSaBAHLl3lWKiwrOb2DZgD-O21WV1o5KUcU0Ne8VX7kq46ohba4gfwMCUOz4ZWw3eeCFGMxyjrLSUc9fqbe_dk8eGi4lSPaxG8Ky0/s400/2012-08-21.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201558895293047296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836518033406693794.post-504452834779188242012-08-01T23:37:00.000-05:002012-08-02T13:53:04.571-05:00The Summer Of...... Whatever the hell I want to do.<br />
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I'll save you the three margarita sappiness I'm currently in the midst of. Here's some pics.<br />
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Inspire away.<br />
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<br />Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201558895293047296noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836518033406693794.post-56009993398726448652012-07-26T20:12:00.000-05:002012-07-26T20:12:21.856-05:002012 Moonshine Metric Date Announced<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Mark your calendars for September 29th. Nighttime gravel metric FTW.<br />
<br />
For more details, hit up the website.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://moonshinemetric.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Moonshine Metric Official Website</a><br />
<br />
See you there.Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201558895293047296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836518033406693794.post-74641259132206280522012-06-20T00:04:00.000-05:002012-06-20T00:04:00.627-05:00From Then to Now<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>3GR ride from this weekend.</i></div>
<br />
Oh yeah, that's right. I have a blog. I should probably write stuff on it.<br />
<br />
I could write about Almanzo, and how it was no picnic for all the opposite reasons as last year. Hot, dry, windy... Ok, so the wind wasn't new. I came into this one expecting a fun DK prep ride and hobbled away from it with a fisherman's story that will grow as it ages. As of right now the temps were in the 90's and winds were 20+. Next year we'll be sitting at the start line talking about how it was 112 in the shade and Buddha himself was pelting us with jello filled garden gnomes.<br />
<br />
Speaking of fish stories, what about Dirty Kanza? By the morning of the race that muddy B road from last year had grown to over five miles. Sorry, folks. It was 3.2 miles exactly. I kept track as I rolled through on my way to the finish. You'll have to switch to stories about the freak storm that moved through. Those are much harder to verify. Let's start the bidding at three funnel clouds and a flying llama.<br />
<br />
I could talk about the weekly rides I've been doing with the local roadies, but I get dropped every time so let's skip that story.<br />
<br />
How about a ride I didn't get dropped on. I did 3GR last Saturday with Guitar Ted and Robert Fry. 25 miles of gravel at a brisk (for me) pace and a little pow-wow afterwards. Definitely going to do that again, it was well worth getting up early for.<br />
<br />
Maybe I'll write about non-bike stuff. Charles has been on the DL since Trans Iowa so we've been getting together roughly once a week to hang out and shoot the toilet matter. Tonight we cleaned a carburetor. Next week we build a trailer mounted boom box. The week after? Good question. When it happens though, I'll let you all know. Or maybe not. Guy stuff, yaknow.<br />
<br />
Hmmm... I seem to be at a loss for words these days. Bloggers block? Gypsy curse? Indigestion? Better sleep on it and try again later. <br />
<br />Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201558895293047296noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836518033406693794.post-59673710893187363852012-06-03T15:49:00.001-05:002012-06-03T15:49:39.214-05:00Yo Kanza!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201558895293047296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836518033406693794.post-58657141888657174242012-06-01T07:23:00.001-05:002012-06-01T07:24:27.616-05:00Glorious Kanza<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Last minute shuffle and I'll be out the door. Meeting up with Don and Courtney in Emporia, KS for 200 miles of <strike>why the F#$! did I do this</strike> sweet Flint Hills gravel. Weather's looking pretty perfect right now, a first for me in any gravel race. As usual, I'll try to post updates on my Twitter feed (@10ftmidget). <br />
<br />
I suppose once it's over I'll get off the slack wagon and actually post some bloggage again. No posts in May? Weak...<br />
<br />
Enjoy your weekend :-)Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201558895293047296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836518033406693794.post-91384050687276109132012-04-29T22:24:00.000-05:002012-04-29T22:24:10.583-05:00Trans Iowa 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Failure pile.</i></div>
<br />
At around 6:30 Saturday night, I sent Charles a text message.<br />
<br />
<i>"Eating delicious Chinese right now</i>. <i>I asked, but they don't deliver to B roads. Sorry."</i><br />
<br />
He didn't mention it at the finish line. I'm sure he had a well rehearsed comeback in mind, but I don't think he could lift his leg high enough to kick me in the crotch.<br />
<br />
I was eating Chinese at 6:30 on Saturday because once again I had failed to finish Trans Iowa. That morning I had teamed up with Courtney and together we drove through 20mph headwinds, soft peanut butter roads, fresh gravel and eventually a seemingly endless stream of rolling hills. I was determined to make the first checkpoint before the cut this time and we rode the bubble for the first 40+ miles, pouring every bit of strength into a 10mph average. We made it in time, and had even managed to bank an 18 minute buffer, but the damage had been done. We used up our savings at the convenience store in town and even borrowed a few minutes from the next checkpoint. We set off feeling decent, but it wasn't long before I realized I didn't have it in me to reach the next checkpoint in time. 60 miles into the race I urged Courtney to go on without me. I'd rather ride alone than cost him a shot at making it through. A couple miles down the road he started pulling ahead. I sat up and watched him head off. A short while later I stopped to call Deb and asked her to pick me up in Hedrick, conveniently located about 100 miles into the course. I set off again, eventually joining up with Dave Mable and the two of us finished out our Trans Iowa centuries together at the Hedrick city limits.<br />
<br />
Charles, on the other hand, was not eating Chinese because he was too busy pollinating the landscape with his awesomeness. He had ridden the race with the fast folks up near the front and managed a 6th place finish in his first Trans Iowa, despite losing his rear derailleur near the end. Two racers passed him as he walked the last seven miles of the course. I told him I couldn't believe he hiked the last stretch. He responded with a hoarse "what else was I supposed to do?"<br />
<br />
So I sat there eating my shrimp and scallops while reflecting on the day. I DNF'd for the second year in a row, but this time I wasn't upset about it. I had improved significantly on last years performance and managed to push myself harder than I thought I could. Even though I was spent after 60, I still eeked out a hundy on course with a little help from Dave. I felt like I had walked away with a couple minor victories in the wake of failure. <br />
<br />
This race is bigger than I am, but I'll keep coming back. Someday I'm hoping steady improvement and a bit of luck with the weather will finally see me through. Until that happens, I'll keep scratching for those little wins. After all, the only way I can truly fail is to stop trying.<br />
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Until next time...<br />
<br />Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201558895293047296noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836518033406693794.post-73384053333387828172012-04-26T23:12:00.000-05:002012-04-26T23:12:53.988-05:00Rematch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha0Ei_DHkiHG1KMvsdjqrazN77oWW-BW9-osnyD8nP_h6weQ572ws7xZl0vb7iMAhqTUpGPNby-65f66Hoc6IOiRSqbUH_o4CLY-jj9g4oyyiLCcTiB4OXz2z7Mhx_m8QMLRft0YnT1KQ/s1600/2011-04-26_helmet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha0Ei_DHkiHG1KMvsdjqrazN77oWW-BW9-osnyD8nP_h6weQ572ws7xZl0vb7iMAhqTUpGPNby-65f66Hoc6IOiRSqbUH_o4CLY-jj9g4oyyiLCcTiB4OXz2z7Mhx_m8QMLRft0YnT1KQ/s320/2011-04-26_helmet.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Once upon a time there was a story called failure. I sure hope the sequel is better...</i></div>
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Here we go again. This time I'm considerably more prepared, although my April schedule has been wonky and I haven't got a lot of quality riding in over the last few weeks. Still, training up until this month has been good and I'm feeling positive about where I'm at. <br />
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For those who want to follow the race, Guitar Ted will be posting audio updates on his blog. Don't count on hearing my name since I'll be hanging in my normal spot at the back of the pack, but at least it's updates. If you want to know whether or not I'm still rolling, check my Twitter feed. I doubt you'll see much from me during the race but I'll post when I'm done, DNF or otherwise.<br />
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<a href="http://g-tedproductions.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Trans Iowa V8 Audio updates</a><br />
Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/search/realtime/10ftmidget" target="_blank">@10ftmidget</a>)<br />
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Have a good weekend, folks. Think of me every so often and realize that if I'm lucky...<br />
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<i>I'm still out there.</i>Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201558895293047296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836518033406693794.post-9043915946666633872012-04-16T19:58:00.000-05:002012-04-16T19:58:44.008-05:00Exclusive! My Secret Cross-Training Methods Exposed!!!Even among the crazy world of gravel grinders, Trans Iowa stands alone as the pinnacle of manliness. Such a race requires training far beyond the norm, so five days ago I hitched a ride down to the Gulf of Mexico on the back of a flatbed hauling the next batch of champion fighting chickens, fashioned a raft out of no less than 12 live sea turtles and one slightly annoyed marlin and set sail for the Yucatan Peninsula. What follows is a look inside my never before seen by man, super secret cross training program. What you are about to see is so powerful, I guarantee you will grow at least three new chest hairs by the time you are done reading. <br />
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Are you ready?<br />
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Prepare to have your eye holes rocked!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkng4iMPRCXjFbzvseSVJ_AP8tRR__G0C76K8wNqnGNHWz50mkhTl44sw43W1yHu1-orKGhb_98uYnWHF3iIlVXuAfYnOStNRIneCmWjiIdQoGK6C_Jdd0OGXZAUV4RNw27qXFGhZbhLE/s1600/2012-04-16_ropes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkng4iMPRCXjFbzvseSVJ_AP8tRR__G0C76K8wNqnGNHWz50mkhTl44sw43W1yHu1-orKGhb_98uYnWHF3iIlVXuAfYnOStNRIneCmWjiIdQoGK6C_Jdd0OGXZAUV4RNw27qXFGhZbhLE/s320/2012-04-16_ropes.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Laying waste to the entire shoreline with a power flex shockwave. Those waves are moving back out to sea, fleeing from my awesome might.</i></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgHBtXJf122r-LDNSg1UZfrjqwBMkna1o0KEyZd_AQ8EBXCq8lsExYMnCXml6UHTjvz91VymLMKjLQzPl5N70zmyX7iBLxD-EH08jP8-0KtziQ25YtjPYMl3lQKhPrv2cfYn3sJvel8zc/s1600/2012-04-16_mind_bullets.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgHBtXJf122r-LDNSg1UZfrjqwBMkna1o0KEyZd_AQ8EBXCq8lsExYMnCXml6UHTjvz91VymLMKjLQzPl5N70zmyX7iBLxD-EH08jP8-0KtziQ25YtjPYMl3lQKhPrv2cfYn3sJvel8zc/s320/2012-04-16_mind_bullets.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Destroying the clouds with mind bullets. I keep my electrolyte levels high by filtering ocean water through my</i> <i>leg hairs.</i> </div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMFcFmfqATWsY0jkO5CgCTzQV8z0JsBmY59e7ZTrKVLzmt67oMN6rl_WXCY3XbSqe29ew-UoLK1c3hxbgViYn0_WWZe1pgz1T63WJ1YqUGRPeRjughaLPGy_O8nOqN-VMA4H-KXz-dWFM/s1600/2012-04-16_mental_throwdown.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMFcFmfqATWsY0jkO5CgCTzQV8z0JsBmY59e7ZTrKVLzmt67oMN6rl_WXCY3XbSqe29ew-UoLK1c3hxbgViYn0_WWZe1pgz1T63WJ1YqUGRPeRjughaLPGy_O8nOqN-VMA4H-KXz-dWFM/s320/2012-04-16_mental_throwdown.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>I'm not reading, I'm absorbing the essence of a thousand mighty redwoods.</i></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguxbkpVYMxWSFmoGzZFhyphenhyphenMhV16aX-wnmeynyh1kh1iv59ZA3H0o_D3p8BYUp5gO9uZD6pDZfRG_XSRrEqbx-QXdNrSFivSJUpcbBI2RrxSYzQEBP_veiFO9J6kteGGhJyxjnGDS-E7owo/s1600/2012-04-16_ox_blood.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguxbkpVYMxWSFmoGzZFhyphenhyphenMhV16aX-wnmeynyh1kh1iv59ZA3H0o_D3p8BYUp5gO9uZD6pDZfRG_XSRrEqbx-QXdNrSFivSJUpcbBI2RrxSYzQEBP_veiFO9J6kteGGhJyxjnGDS-E7owo/s320/2012-04-16_ox_blood.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>During training, I subsist on a strict diet of fermented ox blood and local water.</i><i></i> <i>I find the ox blood to be rich in minerals and raw, visceral power. I drink the water because I like to break a gastrointestinal sweat too.</i></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYM3H9hsAR3qth_aMe50tn1e6GwAawbw5YmxO6UPB8n1JpQEL7VH7sjnbhTlNgLJCizy_zJQzf5Zemfm5Eh4pMzywhk3Fq8E4dQlZp9dCtMjkXgv9V2Rio3sthios4dh-3K-SFR_55SE/s1600/2012-04-16_recovery.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYM3H9hsAR3qth_aMe50tn1e6GwAawbw5YmxO6UPB8n1JpQEL7VH7sjnbhTlNgLJCizy_zJQzf5Zemfm5Eh4pMzywhk3Fq8E4dQlZp9dCtMjkXgv9V2Rio3sthios4dh-3K-SFR_55SE/s320/2012-04-16_recovery.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>Every training plan should include a recovery session.</i> <i>Here, I relax in a hammock hand kitted for me by the mermaid I seduced with my superfresh dance moves.</i></div>Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201558895293047296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836518033406693794.post-49780585673581756712012-04-03T22:53:00.000-05:002012-04-03T22:53:34.398-05:00Two-TenGot up Sunday morning at 12:30 in the AM, picked up Charles at 1:30 and arrived at Courtney's house in West Des Moines at around a quarter to four. The three of us rolled out shortly after 4am for the Missouri border. Details? You betcha...<br />
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<ul><li>Trip stats:</li>
<ul><li>210 miles in the bank, 120ish being gravel.</li>
<li>18 hours and 30 minutes to get the job done.</li>
<li>My best guess: four to five miles of hike-a-bike and a couple dead ends. </li>
<li>I believe our final B road count was 11. I lost track though.</li>
<li>7400ft of climbing through 192 miles, but sure felt like more. That's on pace with Trans Iowa though. I didn't get the last bit because my Garmin died, but it was fairly flat. </li>
</ul><li>How I held up:</li>
<ul><li>Pretty zen for the first 80 miles or so. Didn't even mind the B road hiking. Then I bonked a little. Then I recovered. Then I bonked big time. I couldn't eat or drink much of anything the next 110 miles without wanting to throw it back up. The lone exception was the frozen beef and bean burrito I tossed in my frame bag for a later treat. That thing was mighty tasty when I finally got to it.</li>
<li>Physically I held up pretty well. Legs felt fine until the end and my body was doing well. Contact points were getting sore, but were still manageable. My pace dropped a little after my first minor bonk, but not significantly. I dropped off a bit after the big one, but picked it back up and did well enough the rest of the way that I'm not too worried about Trans Iowa, barring nasty conditions of course.</li>
<li>I got really cranky on the return trip. I blame the bonk because I'd like people to think I'm not a grumpy asshole, but I should still try to not be like that at Trans Iowa. Otherwise no one will want to ride with me.</li>
</ul><li> Random nuggets from the trip:</li>
<ul><li>It was kind of the drunken, shirtless rednecks to take a moment away from incoherently yelling at each other while trying to free their mud-stranded jeep at 5 in the morning to remind us that we're "bicycle faggots". Charles was nice enough to exchange pleasantries, mostly commenting on how much fun they must be having. Courtney waxed something fancy about having a vehicle that could be carried out of a mud pit. More concerned with the fact that they were drunk, greatly outnumbered us and still had a vehicle free, I kept my mouth shut and went to unholster my dickhead repellant. Thankfully, shorter attention spans prevailed and I didn't have to ruin a perfectly good frame pump.</li>
<li>Derby, IA is a depressing town. Main street is a post office buried in a row of abandoned and decaying brick buildings. </li>
<li>After trudging through the sixth or seventh B road, Courtney turned to his Garmin to try to reroute any other hike-a-bike sections. Unfortunately, the Garmin was even more sadistic with its reroutes, leading Courtney to claim that it was stuck in Guitar Ted mode. It was known as the Guitarmin the rest of the trip.</li>
<li>Gummy worms and candy orange slices aren't good endurance food. </li>
<li>We found out that people will drive a long way for cheap cigarettes. The lady working at the gas station in Missouri told us that she's had people drop $1000 in one trip on tobacco. Ironically, those are the same people that think it's crazy to spend $1000 on a bicycle. I can see their point though. Bicycles don't burn all that well.</li>
<li>Charles has gone from being destroyed by a metric in mid-October to doing sprints at the end of a double because he wasn't feeling worked over enough. I have to face the fact that I'll never be able to put the hurt on him again. That makes me a sad panda. By the way, he took third in a gravel race the day before. </li>
<li>Regardless of how tired or lousy you feel when crawling out of bed, watching the sun rise through the mist on a quiet country road is worth the early start. Always.</li>
</ul></ul>Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201558895293047296noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836518033406693794.post-90640629656793213442012-03-22T23:08:00.000-05:002012-03-22T23:08:11.627-05:00Where I'm AtWith Trans Iowa 5 weeks away I thought I'd spend a little time on a training recap. While I've only been riding twice a week for most of the year to date, the quality of the rides have been good and I'm feeling considerably stronger and more prepared than I was at this time last year. Leg cramps, which I was still dealing with a year ago, are well under control and physically I feel less beat after my hard efforts than I did back then. I'm actually feeling pretty confident about my chances of finishing TI this year. Anyway, in more detail... Here's what I've been doing and how I'll finish off my TI preparation.<br />
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<ul><li>I've been spending one night a week with Charles riding a section of hills south of town that we call the Rollers. It's a gravel loop a little over 8 miles long with about half of that being short, steep rolling hills. The other half has a couple longer hills, but is otherwise relatively flat. Total climbing per lap is about 600ft, with the biggest hill being 120ft of elevation gain. It doesn't sound like much, but these hills are <i>steep</i>! We hit the roller section hard, with me generally taking the early lead due to a wheel eating bridge at the bottom of the first descent that I tend to bomb my way across while Charles takes it slower. I can usually crest the first climb ahead of him but he always catches me on the second. From that point on he'll either wait up for me and alternate attacks, or he'll go off on a flyer. In either case, I redline it. This is arguably the most important training we do and I've been seeing much improvement because of it. We both ride out to it and meet along the way, so we get some extra bonus miles. 2-4 laps a night is typical, spanning 2-4 hours. We'll be doing this up through Trans Iowa.</li>
<li>Every weekend, Charles and I hook up again for a long ride that is typically between 5 and 9 hours. Last weekend we did our first gravel hundy of the year and we'll be doing 100+ mile rides through the second weekend of April, with April 1st being a double century with Courtney Hilton. To date I have 5 gravel metrics, one gravel century, one snow metric (fixed gear) and one snow century. I also have a 90 mile road ride under my belt. Last year by this time I only had one snow metric and two (almost 3) gravel metrics. </li>
<li>The last month or so I've been lifting 1-2 days a week at work, focusing on the upper body and core. This is good for 45-90 minutes a week. This is part injury prevention, part upper body endurance and mostly vanity.</li>
<li>I've also been spending 1-2 lunch hours a week on the new ellipticals we have at work. Idea being, working some of those non-cycling muscles ought to help with cramping and injury. My calves are seeing the biggest benefit here, but it also seems to be helping my B road slogging. 30-90 minutes a week.</li>
<li>The last couple weeks, and continuing through TI, I'll be spending 2-3 days a week doing whatever I want. This is my anti-burnout workout. Last week I did a night focused on B road hike-a-bike. I slung my fully loaded bike across my back and hiked it 2.5 miles down a local stretch of muddy B. Tomorrow I'll be doing a noon ride with some co-workers. I don't focus on anything other than enjoying myself on these rides.</li>
<li>I've been stretching a few times a week for the last few weeks. Again, this is mostly for injury prevention but I'm also hoping it helps with my bike positioning.</li>
</ul>For you numbers geeks out there, here's the stats from the last 6 roller rides (variance due to where we meet on the way). The last couple weeks have been huge for me in terms of improvement, but some of that could be due to the unusually warm weather we've been having. Still, it's an encouraging sign.<br />
<ul><li>2/16/12</li>
<ul><li>23.5 miles (1 lap)</li>
<li>1:53 ride time</li>
<li>12.5MPH average</li>
<li>1,342 ft climbing</li>
</ul><li> 2/22/12</li>
<ul><li>31.4 miles (2 laps)</li>
<li>2:29 ride rime</li>
<li>12.6MPH average</li>
<li>1923 ft climbing</li>
</ul><li>3/1/12</li>
<ul><li>42.4 miles (3 laps)</li>
<li>3:32 ride time</li>
<li>12.0MPH average</li>
<li>2742 ft climbing</li>
</ul><li>3/7/12</li>
<ul><li>31.7 miles (2 laps)</li>
<li>2:34 ride time</li>
<li>12.3MPH average</li>
<li>1922 ft climbing</li>
</ul><li>3/14/12</li>
<ul><li>50.9 miles (4 laps)</li>
<li>3:53 ride time</li>
<li>13.1MPH average</li>
<li>3046 ft climbing</li>
</ul><li>3/21/12</li>
<ul><li>42.4 miles (3 laps)</li>
<li>3:09 ride time</li>
<li>13.5MPH average</li>
<li>2438 ft climbing</li>
</ul></ul>Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201558895293047296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-836518033406693794.post-29497110597002767802012-03-12T20:25:00.000-05:002012-03-12T20:25:16.532-05:00Escape<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIcHA5wJU_WL5DSrywIlBFE0ZE0NiUw1QzP52VEpeLJU8aFXsoqOlzen_EQkpA0fWEVSMKlZaylYPk3sfNIfzeUMgKF71hX5UW2K3M8KPrCiAhFbHBHV9P0mBPg3kDXdSp4n7JnenccpA/s1600/2012-03-12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIcHA5wJU_WL5DSrywIlBFE0ZE0NiUw1QzP52VEpeLJU8aFXsoqOlzen_EQkpA0fWEVSMKlZaylYPk3sfNIfzeUMgKF71hX5UW2K3M8KPrCiAhFbHBHV9P0mBPg3kDXdSp4n7JnenccpA/s320/2012-03-12.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Take a little time for yourself.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Let your mind float on the breeze. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Think about nothing.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Think about everything.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Live in the moment and leave all else behind.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>You won't be disappointed. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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