Turned 51 today, and when I got off work, I "celebrated" by going for a nice long ride. I hadn't ridden that long in a while, due to the Godawful August heat and humidity. But the weather was relatively cool, and there wasn't much wind, so I decided to go for it.
Started out at the 41st St. trailhead of the Riverpark East Trail. Went north on the trail to the 21st bridge. Crossed the bridge and continued west to Avery Drive. I was averaging about 17 mph when I reached Avery Drive.
Avery Drive is one of my very favorite stretches of pavement. It's a 2-lane, tree-lined, road with nice shoulders that winds around the side of a large hill. The grade is a series of rollers that give you a decent workout on the climbs and a fair bit of fun on the descents. I pushed the pace a bit on this stretch, and was averaging 17.7 mph when I reached the junction with SH-51.
SH-51 is almost dead flat for the next 4 miles, but I've only done about 10 miles at this point, and I keep it at about 19 mph. When I make the turn back, I'm averaging about 18 mph. The 4 miles back to the junction are uneventful, and I manage to pull my average speed up to about 18.2 mph.
Avery Drive tends upward going east, and I push hard enough to hold an 18.1 mph average at the top. 21st St. is almost dead flat for the next few miles. I manage to get my average speed back up to 18.2 mph, but there are a couple of overpasses with stop lights at the bottom, and by the time I cross the 21st St. bridge and turn south onto the Riverpark East Trail, my average is back down to 18 mph.
I'm starting to fade a bit, and I can't manage to keep up the 18 mph. But I hang in as best I can. I take the trail to the turn-around loop at 71st St and back to the 41st St. trailhead, where I stopped and refilled my water bottles. I've done about 34 miles at this point, and my average speed has dropped to 17.7 mph.
I continue north on the trail to the turn-around loop at 11th St. and turn back south. I have a little over 40 miles in when I pass the 41st St. trailhead. I do the math, and I need to go out another 5.2 miles and come back to make my 51 miles. I'm down to about 17.5 mph average speed, and it's tie a knot in the end of my rope and hang on time. My feet are starting to hurt, my right knee is complaining, and the sun is getting closer to the horizon. But I keep going. Past the 71st St. turn-around, past the Creek Nation Casino at 81st St., to the magic 45.8 mile point where I can turn around and head for home.
Those who believe the dead do not return to life have never seen me on the last five miles of a ride. The trail was almost dead flat, there wasn't enough wind to disperse a good fart, but it was like a reserve battery just switched into the circuit. Before the turn, I was working to hold 17 mph. After the turn, I was cruising at 18 to 19 mph, and even hit 20 mph on short stretches.
Of course, it's hard to change your average speed much when you've already done 46 miles, and I finished up with an average speed of 17.5 mph. Max speed was 32.8 mph. Average heart rate was 147 (78% of max). Maximum heart rate was 164 (87% of max).
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Friday, August 17, 2007
Hammered Today
The heat has been really bad, this month. I've been riding relatively short (less than 2 hrs) rides, but pushing the pace. Today, I turned in my fastest average speed ever for a ride of more than 20 miles. The route can be seen here.
Started out at the 41st St. trailhead of the River Park East Trail. Didn't really push the pace hard on the trail section. Kept my speed at or under (mostly under) 18mph on the trail portion of the course.
Crossed the Arkansas River at the 21st St. Bridge. Took 23rd St. over a couple of overpasses, nothing worth shifting out of the big ring. 23rd St. curves back into 21st St. I'm averaging about 17.2 mph at this point. It's pretty flat, and I grab the drops and push it up to about 19-20 mph. I'm averaging about 17.7 mph by the time 21st St. becomes Avery Drive.
Avery Drive is one of my favorite stretches of road. It's tree-lined, has good shoulders, nice, rolling hills that aren't too tough to climb and are fun to descend. I hit my max speed of the ride on one of the descents, 33 mph. I'm averaging 18.2 mph by the time I reach the SH-51 junction.
SH-51 is another nice, flat stretch of road. The shoulders are nice and wide and the pavement is in good shape. I grab the drops and kick it up to about 20-21 mph. About 4 miles of this pulls my average speed up to 19 mph when I make my turnaround.
I've been running in the high 70s to low 80s percent of my max heart rate for most of the ride, and I'm starting to tire a bit. Coming back I have to push my HR up to around 83-85% of max to keep my speed in the 19-20 mph range. I manage to pull my average up to 19.2 mph by the time I reach Avery Drive.
I really drop the hammer coming back up Avery drive, hitting 89% of max heart rate on one climb, and managing to average 19.1 mph by the time I reach 21st St.
21st St. tends downhill coming back, but even at 83-86% of max HR, it's all I can do to keep my speed in the 19-20.5 mph range. I manage to pull my average up to 19.2 mph again, when I hit the first of two overpasses. The pavement's really crappy, but I jump out of the saddle and give it all I've got. I top the overpass going about 14 mph, and my average speed dropped to 19.1 mph, but I get lucky and catch the green light at the bottom of the overpass and get the average back up to 19.2 mph within a couple of blocks.
I get another break at the stoplight at the bottom of the second overpass, but try as I might, I can't keep the average speed from dropping to 19.1 mph, and my speed won't come back up much going down the overpass.
I have to do two walking-pace U-turns to get from the bridge to the MUP, and the MUP isn't really suited to high-speed riding, so I pulled the computer about halfway across the bridge. I rode the rest of the way home as cool down, keeping the HR under 65% of max.
The ride was 25.5 miles, not counting the cool down. I averaged 19.1 mph, the fastest average speed I've ever managed on a ride of more than 20 miles. Max speed was 33 mph. Moving time was 1:20:09. Total time was 1:20:39. Average HR for the ride was 153 (83% of max). Max HR was 169 (89% of max).
Started out at the 41st St. trailhead of the River Park East Trail. Didn't really push the pace hard on the trail section. Kept my speed at or under (mostly under) 18mph on the trail portion of the course.
Crossed the Arkansas River at the 21st St. Bridge. Took 23rd St. over a couple of overpasses, nothing worth shifting out of the big ring. 23rd St. curves back into 21st St. I'm averaging about 17.2 mph at this point. It's pretty flat, and I grab the drops and push it up to about 19-20 mph. I'm averaging about 17.7 mph by the time 21st St. becomes Avery Drive.
Avery Drive is one of my favorite stretches of road. It's tree-lined, has good shoulders, nice, rolling hills that aren't too tough to climb and are fun to descend. I hit my max speed of the ride on one of the descents, 33 mph. I'm averaging 18.2 mph by the time I reach the SH-51 junction.
SH-51 is another nice, flat stretch of road. The shoulders are nice and wide and the pavement is in good shape. I grab the drops and kick it up to about 20-21 mph. About 4 miles of this pulls my average speed up to 19 mph when I make my turnaround.
I've been running in the high 70s to low 80s percent of my max heart rate for most of the ride, and I'm starting to tire a bit. Coming back I have to push my HR up to around 83-85% of max to keep my speed in the 19-20 mph range. I manage to pull my average up to 19.2 mph by the time I reach Avery Drive.
I really drop the hammer coming back up Avery drive, hitting 89% of max heart rate on one climb, and managing to average 19.1 mph by the time I reach 21st St.
21st St. tends downhill coming back, but even at 83-86% of max HR, it's all I can do to keep my speed in the 19-20.5 mph range. I manage to pull my average up to 19.2 mph again, when I hit the first of two overpasses. The pavement's really crappy, but I jump out of the saddle and give it all I've got. I top the overpass going about 14 mph, and my average speed dropped to 19.1 mph, but I get lucky and catch the green light at the bottom of the overpass and get the average back up to 19.2 mph within a couple of blocks.
I get another break at the stoplight at the bottom of the second overpass, but try as I might, I can't keep the average speed from dropping to 19.1 mph, and my speed won't come back up much going down the overpass.
I have to do two walking-pace U-turns to get from the bridge to the MUP, and the MUP isn't really suited to high-speed riding, so I pulled the computer about halfway across the bridge. I rode the rest of the way home as cool down, keeping the HR under 65% of max.
The ride was 25.5 miles, not counting the cool down. I averaged 19.1 mph, the fastest average speed I've ever managed on a ride of more than 20 miles. Max speed was 33 mph. Moving time was 1:20:09. Total time was 1:20:39. Average HR for the ride was 153 (83% of max). Max HR was 169 (89% of max).
Friday, July 20, 2007
New Wheels
My rear wheel gave up the ghost the other day. It had stress cracks at numerous drive-side spoke holes, and was starting to get squirrelly on me. Fortunately, the LBS had a sale on some Mavic Ksyrium Equipes for 30% off.
I'd gotten in a couple of short rides with them, but today, I got to try them out for the first time on a longer ride. Started at the 41st St. trailhead of the River Park East trail, crossed the 21st St. Bridge, took 21st St./Avery Dr. to SH-51, and part way up the first of 2 good-sized hills east of Lake Keystone. A map of the route can be seen here.
It was a hot, humid, breezy, day. The winds were mostly cross winds, and the temps were in the mid-90s. I was averaging 18 mph at the turn onto SH-51. The portion of SH-51 that I rode is flat, and I was able to raise the average speed to 18.5 mph by the turn around point. I managed to raise my average a little more, to 18.7 mph by the time I turned onto Avery Drive.
Avery Drive is rolling, trending slightly uphill when heading east, and my average speed dropped to 18.5 mph by the time I hit 21st St. Back on flat ground, I let her rip, and pulled my average back up to 18.8 mph by the finish.
Total distance was 28.9 mi. Average speed, 18.8 mph. Max speed, 32.4 mph. Average heart rate was 150 (70% of max). Max heart rate was 171 (90% of max). Total time was 1:32:50, moving time was 1:32:10. Split times were 34:49 at the SH-51 junction going out, 1:02:41 at the junction coming back, and 1:32:50 at the finish.
Verdict: I think I'm going to like these wheels. I can't find anything in my records of any ride of this length and difficulty with equal average speed. The old wheels served me well, and I wasn't wild about shelling out the money for a new wheelset, but there just may be something to that old saw about better wheels being faster.
I'd gotten in a couple of short rides with them, but today, I got to try them out for the first time on a longer ride. Started at the 41st St. trailhead of the River Park East trail, crossed the 21st St. Bridge, took 21st St./Avery Dr. to SH-51, and part way up the first of 2 good-sized hills east of Lake Keystone. A map of the route can be seen here.
It was a hot, humid, breezy, day. The winds were mostly cross winds, and the temps were in the mid-90s. I was averaging 18 mph at the turn onto SH-51. The portion of SH-51 that I rode is flat, and I was able to raise the average speed to 18.5 mph by the turn around point. I managed to raise my average a little more, to 18.7 mph by the time I turned onto Avery Drive.
Avery Drive is rolling, trending slightly uphill when heading east, and my average speed dropped to 18.5 mph by the time I hit 21st St. Back on flat ground, I let her rip, and pulled my average back up to 18.8 mph by the finish.
Total distance was 28.9 mi. Average speed, 18.8 mph. Max speed, 32.4 mph. Average heart rate was 150 (70% of max). Max heart rate was 171 (90% of max). Total time was 1:32:50, moving time was 1:32:10. Split times were 34:49 at the SH-51 junction going out, 1:02:41 at the junction coming back, and 1:32:50 at the finish.
Verdict: I think I'm going to like these wheels. I can't find anything in my records of any ride of this length and difficulty with equal average speed. The old wheels served me well, and I wasn't wild about shelling out the money for a new wheelset, but there just may be something to that old saw about better wheels being faster.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Video of the Week
This week's Video of the Week happened last week. Fabian Cancellara sticks it to the wheelsuckers in stage 3 of the Tour de France.
Friday, July 13, 2007
New Personal Record
Yesterday, I set a new record for average speed. The course was an out and back on the Tulsa Riverpark East Trail, starting at the 41st St. trailhead, and turning around at the fork where the trail branches under or across the 96th St. Bridge. Winds were light, about 7-10 mph out of the South. The trail is almost dead flat, with no significant climbing.
The outbound leg was almost straight into the wind, and I had to push to average 18.4 mph going out. Coming back with the wind, I averaged about 21.1 mph for the return leg.
Sat down for a few minutes to catch my breath, and when I got back on the bike to ride home, I noticed the back tire had gone flat. I have no idea how long I rode on the flat tire.
I did the 12.4 miles in just 37:56, for an average speed of 19.6 mph. Maximum speed was 27.2 mph. Average heart rate was 158 (84% of max). Maximum heart rate was 171 (90% of max).
The outbound leg was almost straight into the wind, and I had to push to average 18.4 mph going out. Coming back with the wind, I averaged about 21.1 mph for the return leg.
Sat down for a few minutes to catch my breath, and when I got back on the bike to ride home, I noticed the back tire had gone flat. I have no idea how long I rode on the flat tire.
I did the 12.4 miles in just 37:56, for an average speed of 19.6 mph. Maximum speed was 27.2 mph. Average heart rate was 158 (84% of max). Maximum heart rate was 171 (90% of max).
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Video of the Week
This week's Video of the Week features Flatland versus Kunst in an amazing display of artistic cycling. You simply gotta check this out.
Back on the Bike
Took a couple of days off after the Tour of Payne ride. Got a pretty good ride in, today. Rode 21st St. to Avery Drive to SH 51. Rode 51 to the last turnaround before the two hills east of Keystone Dam. Map is here. Weather was partly cloudy, temp in mid 90s, little or no wind.
I was pretty well rested, and I knew I wouldn't be riding tomorrow, so I hammered most of the way. I was averaging 17.9 mph, at the SH 51 junction. The portion of SH 51 I rode is pretty flat, and I was managing between 20.5 and 21.5 mph most of the way to the turn around point. Average speed at the turnaround was 18.3 mph.
I managed to get the average speed up to 18.4 mph on the way back, but lost some time on the Avery drive section of the course. I stopped to check my back tire on one of the climbing sections, and by the time I was back up to speed, I was down to 18.2 mph average speed. Held that average the rest of the way home, though.
Counting the distance I rode to and from the start point on the map, I rode 27.9 miles. Average speed was 18.2 mph. Time was 1:32:04. Max speed was 30.7 mph. Average heart rate was 144 (76% of max). Maximum heart rate was 164 (87% of max).
I was pretty well rested, and I knew I wouldn't be riding tomorrow, so I hammered most of the way. I was averaging 17.9 mph, at the SH 51 junction. The portion of SH 51 I rode is pretty flat, and I was managing between 20.5 and 21.5 mph most of the way to the turn around point. Average speed at the turnaround was 18.3 mph.
I managed to get the average speed up to 18.4 mph on the way back, but lost some time on the Avery drive section of the course. I stopped to check my back tire on one of the climbing sections, and by the time I was back up to speed, I was down to 18.2 mph average speed. Held that average the rest of the way home, though.
Counting the distance I rode to and from the start point on the map, I rode 27.9 miles. Average speed was 18.2 mph. Time was 1:32:04. Max speed was 30.7 mph. Average heart rate was 144 (76% of max). Maximum heart rate was 164 (87% of max).
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Tour of Payne
Rode the Tour of Payne today. Did the 66 mile course. Their usual 62 mile course had a section closed for repairs, so the organizers added 4 miles of detour around it. A map of the route can be seen here.
The ride started from the Best Western Motel in Stillwater, OK, at 7:30. The weather was cool and overcast. We went South on Perkins Rd. I hung with the lead pack until the first climb. A second pack overtook me, and I managed to grab onto a pretty good paceline. Hung with them for a while. We were averaging around 18-22 mph on the flatter sections (of which there were few). I lost them on a nasty climb at about the 18 mile mark, but passed them a mile or so later, when one of them had a mechanical problem. Made the turn onto SH 108, passed through Ripley, OK (believe it or not), and skipped the rest stop there. This was about the 20 mile point, and I was averaging about 17.2 mph.
Crossed the Cimarron River, north of Ripley, and hit a long, gradual climb to Meehan Rd, where I turned east. Meehan Rd is mostly steep climbs and steep descents, with a relatively flat stretch from mile 27 to mile 30 on the map. The hill work I'd been doing paid off on the climbs in this part of the course. I even passed a couple of guys that were significantly lighter than me on one of the climbs. I was still holding about a 17.2 mph average, when I turned onto SH 18.
SH 18 climbs into Cushing, OK, and my average speed dropped to 17 mph by the time I pulled into the rest stop. Time was about 2:05. I made my second mistake at this point, and it nearly ruined the ride. I started out with 64 oz of Gatorade in three bottles. My first mistake was not drinking enough. I should have been out of Gatorade when I reached the stop. I had better than 1 1/2 bottles left. I compounded my first mistake, by chugging those bottles down before filling up. I spent most of the rest of the ride wondering whether I should pull over and barf. I was dehydrated, sick at my stomach, and tired from hammering out a faster pace than I'd planned.
I started out slowly, managed to make it over the high point of the course, and started to catch a second wind, as the course trended downhill. My average speed had dropped to about 16.2 mph when I rolled into the Ripley rest stop. I had to cool down (temps were in the high 90s, by this time), and I pulled a chair under a ceiling fan and vegged for about 10 min. I managed to get a piece of watermelon down, but I didn't bother filling my bottles. I only had 20 miles to go, and I still had more Gatorade in my gut than I really wanted.
I was still making better time than I'd expected going in. Made the turn (west) onto Meehan Rd. This section of Meehan Rd. was reasonably flat, and the climbs weren't too bad. I managed to hold my average speed, and might have gained a bit, but I don't remember.
Turned south onto the detour, and hit one of the hardest climbs of the day. Made it over the top, and really appreciated the 5 miles of almost unbroken descent. I passed up the last rest stop, about 8 miles from the end of the course, and held an average speed (on the bike time) of 16.2 mph to the end of the course.
Lessons learned:
The ride started from the Best Western Motel in Stillwater, OK, at 7:30. The weather was cool and overcast. We went South on Perkins Rd. I hung with the lead pack until the first climb. A second pack overtook me, and I managed to grab onto a pretty good paceline. Hung with them for a while. We were averaging around 18-22 mph on the flatter sections (of which there were few). I lost them on a nasty climb at about the 18 mile mark, but passed them a mile or so later, when one of them had a mechanical problem. Made the turn onto SH 108, passed through Ripley, OK (believe it or not), and skipped the rest stop there. This was about the 20 mile point, and I was averaging about 17.2 mph.
Crossed the Cimarron River, north of Ripley, and hit a long, gradual climb to Meehan Rd, where I turned east. Meehan Rd is mostly steep climbs and steep descents, with a relatively flat stretch from mile 27 to mile 30 on the map. The hill work I'd been doing paid off on the climbs in this part of the course. I even passed a couple of guys that were significantly lighter than me on one of the climbs. I was still holding about a 17.2 mph average, when I turned onto SH 18.
SH 18 climbs into Cushing, OK, and my average speed dropped to 17 mph by the time I pulled into the rest stop. Time was about 2:05. I made my second mistake at this point, and it nearly ruined the ride. I started out with 64 oz of Gatorade in three bottles. My first mistake was not drinking enough. I should have been out of Gatorade when I reached the stop. I had better than 1 1/2 bottles left. I compounded my first mistake, by chugging those bottles down before filling up. I spent most of the rest of the ride wondering whether I should pull over and barf. I was dehydrated, sick at my stomach, and tired from hammering out a faster pace than I'd planned.
I started out slowly, managed to make it over the high point of the course, and started to catch a second wind, as the course trended downhill. My average speed had dropped to about 16.2 mph when I rolled into the Ripley rest stop. I had to cool down (temps were in the high 90s, by this time), and I pulled a chair under a ceiling fan and vegged for about 10 min. I managed to get a piece of watermelon down, but I didn't bother filling my bottles. I only had 20 miles to go, and I still had more Gatorade in my gut than I really wanted.
I was still making better time than I'd expected going in. Made the turn (west) onto Meehan Rd. This section of Meehan Rd. was reasonably flat, and the climbs weren't too bad. I managed to hold my average speed, and might have gained a bit, but I don't remember.
Turned south onto the detour, and hit one of the hardest climbs of the day. Made it over the top, and really appreciated the 5 miles of almost unbroken descent. I passed up the last rest stop, about 8 miles from the end of the course, and held an average speed (on the bike time) of 16.2 mph to the end of the course.
Lessons learned:
- Drink!!! You brought the Gatorade to drink, so drink it!!!
- If you forget to drink, don't try to compensate by chugging down more than your stomach can handle.
- If you want to get better at climbing hills, climb more hills. I did, and I did.
- Total distance:
- 66.3 miles
- Total time:
- 4:35:03
- Riding time:
- 4:05:08
- Average speed (riding):
- 16.2 mph
- Maximum speed:
- 34.9 mph
- Average heart rate;
- 140 (74% of max.)
- Maximum heart rate:
- 171 (90% of max.)
Friday, June 29, 2007
Almost Rained Out
It rained off and on most of the day. Instead of doing the 20 miles I'd planned to do today, I just did 14. But I really hammered them out. Did 14.2 miles in 46 minutes flat. Average speed of 18.5 mph. Average heart rate was 80% of max, and maximum for the ride was 89% of max.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Tapering Down
On July 4th, I'm going to be riding the Tour of Payne. I'll almost certainly ride the 100k course, but I might go for the 100 miler, if I make good enough time up to the decision point at Cushing, OK, and feel strong enough to do the extra 38 miles.
Having ridden a 100k on Monday, I'm taking it a bit easier on my riding for the rest of the week. I did a bit over 20 miles, Tuesday, took Wednesday off, and only did 20 miles today. Weather permitting, I plan to do fast, flat, 20-milers on Friday and Saturday, with an easy recovery pace ride on Sunday. If I ride on Monday, it'll be less than 20 miles, and If I ride on Tuesday, I'll do less than 10.
Having ridden a 100k on Monday, I'm taking it a bit easier on my riding for the rest of the week. I did a bit over 20 miles, Tuesday, took Wednesday off, and only did 20 miles today. Weather permitting, I plan to do fast, flat, 20-milers on Friday and Saturday, with an easy recovery pace ride on Sunday. If I ride on Monday, it'll be less than 20 miles, and If I ride on Tuesday, I'll do less than 10.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Monday, June 25, 2007
Mannford Metric
Rode long today. I'm signed up for the Tour of Payne 100 k ride on the 4th of July, and I wanted to do a hilly 100 k to get a feel for my conditioning and what to expect. The route I rode can be seen here. I was out of Gatorade, but I took 2 bottles of water, my hydration pack (holds about 3 bottles, and a hammer flask full of apple cinnamon flavor gel.
Took it easy starting out. I knew I was going to have some pretty tough climbs (at least for me), so I held it down to about 16.5 mph average speed up to the hill at the 12 mi point on the map. The hills from the 12 mi. point to Mannford pulled my average down to about 15 mph. Stopped at the Sonic at Mannford and got a 44oz. Powerade slush. I poured about 2/3 of it down me and the rest went in an insulated bottle. Got back on the road, and managed to keep my average speed at 15mph up to the turn on to SH-48.
Some people prefer riding hills over windy, but flat, courses, and some people prefer windy, but flat, courses over hills. But what really sucks is when the course is hilly and has a headwind. I would guess the wind was about 12-15 mph, straight out of the South. The highest point on the course is on SH-48, and fighting the wind and the grade pulled my average speed down to about 14.4 mph. Temperature was getting pretty bad, too. My bike computer's thermometer was reading 102 degrees
Stopped at a convenience store at the junction with SH-33. Didn't go in, but found some shade, and sucked down the rest of the Powerade slush (still cold, gotta love those Polar bottles), and got my breath back. Got back on the road, and enjoyed a nice, fast descent, which fed into a hill that was so steep that it had a third lane for trucks to grind their way up. The wind was blowing straight across the highway, and even though the route trends down, on this stretch, I could only bring the average speed up to about 14.8 by the time I reach the outskirts of Sapulpa.
I missed a turn in Sapulpa. I meant to take SH-97 to SH-166 and take old US-66 to Southwest Blvd and back to Tulsa, but I ended up on New Sapulpa Road (SH-66), where I missed not one, but two chances to get back on my intended route. Ended up taking 49th West Ave, which ran me over some of the steepest hills on the ride. Had to stop part-way up one of the hills when I dumped my chain shifting down to my smallest ring. Also stopped for a couple of minutes to catch my breath after grannying my way up it at about 6 mph. That stretch pulled my average speed down from 15 mph on New Sapulpa Road to 14.7 mph, which I held for the rest of the ride.
I rode about 2 miles to get to the start of the mapped course and 2 more to get home, giving me a total of 67 miles. Time on the bike was 4:31:38. Average speed was 14.7 mph. Max speed was 40.7 mph. Average heart rate was 126 (67% of max). Max heart rate was 174 (92% of max). Total time was 4:51:58.
It looks like, barring mechanical failure or injury, I should be able to manage the Tour of Payne metric century course, but the imperial century is out of the question (this year). This was, by far, the longest, most difficult unsupported ride I've ever done, and all things considered, I'm pretty pleased with it.
Took it easy starting out. I knew I was going to have some pretty tough climbs (at least for me), so I held it down to about 16.5 mph average speed up to the hill at the 12 mi point on the map. The hills from the 12 mi. point to Mannford pulled my average down to about 15 mph. Stopped at the Sonic at Mannford and got a 44oz. Powerade slush. I poured about 2/3 of it down me and the rest went in an insulated bottle. Got back on the road, and managed to keep my average speed at 15mph up to the turn on to SH-48.
Some people prefer riding hills over windy, but flat, courses, and some people prefer windy, but flat, courses over hills. But what really sucks is when the course is hilly and has a headwind. I would guess the wind was about 12-15 mph, straight out of the South. The highest point on the course is on SH-48, and fighting the wind and the grade pulled my average speed down to about 14.4 mph. Temperature was getting pretty bad, too. My bike computer's thermometer was reading 102 degrees
Stopped at a convenience store at the junction with SH-33. Didn't go in, but found some shade, and sucked down the rest of the Powerade slush (still cold, gotta love those Polar bottles), and got my breath back. Got back on the road, and enjoyed a nice, fast descent, which fed into a hill that was so steep that it had a third lane for trucks to grind their way up. The wind was blowing straight across the highway, and even though the route trends down, on this stretch, I could only bring the average speed up to about 14.8 by the time I reach the outskirts of Sapulpa.
I missed a turn in Sapulpa. I meant to take SH-97 to SH-166 and take old US-66 to Southwest Blvd and back to Tulsa, but I ended up on New Sapulpa Road (SH-66), where I missed not one, but two chances to get back on my intended route. Ended up taking 49th West Ave, which ran me over some of the steepest hills on the ride. Had to stop part-way up one of the hills when I dumped my chain shifting down to my smallest ring. Also stopped for a couple of minutes to catch my breath after grannying my way up it at about 6 mph. That stretch pulled my average speed down from 15 mph on New Sapulpa Road to 14.7 mph, which I held for the rest of the ride.
I rode about 2 miles to get to the start of the mapped course and 2 more to get home, giving me a total of 67 miles. Time on the bike was 4:31:38. Average speed was 14.7 mph. Max speed was 40.7 mph. Average heart rate was 126 (67% of max). Max heart rate was 174 (92% of max). Total time was 4:51:58.
It looks like, barring mechanical failure or injury, I should be able to manage the Tour of Payne metric century course, but the imperial century is out of the question (this year). This was, by far, the longest, most difficult unsupported ride I've ever done, and all things considered, I'm pretty pleased with it.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Video of the Week
Found a cool video of a bicycle-riding robot. His hill climbing style is a lot like mine.
Longitudinal Cracks
Longitudinal cracks (pavement cracks that run parallel to the road) are one of the more dangerous road hazards around. I had a run-in with one on today's ride that could have been fatal.
I was riding out to Lake Keystone on SH 51, when I tried to avoid a rough patch of shoulder by moving out into the lane. My back tire caught a crack between the shoulder and the lane, and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground, squarely in the middle of the lane, looking back the way I came. If a car had been passing me, it would have knocked me into the next county.
I ended up without a scratch, or even a bruise, but the bike took a good, hard lick. The crash ground a chunk of metal off of my rear quick release lever. The Look logo on my left pedal is mostly gone. The ratchet buckle on my left shoe was badly scuffed. The left brifter was knocked out of line, and I'm going to need some new bar tape on the left side.
I hauled the bike onto the shoulder and checked it out. Had to put the chain back on the chain rings. Gave the wheels a once over, got back on the bike and finished the ride.
The route I took can be seen here. The crash happened at about the 15 mile point on the map. The full ride, including about 4.4 miles round trip to the start point on the map, was 37.9 miles. Time for the ride was 2:14:30. Avg speed was 16.9 mph. Avg. HR was 139 (74% of max.).
I was riding out to Lake Keystone on SH 51, when I tried to avoid a rough patch of shoulder by moving out into the lane. My back tire caught a crack between the shoulder and the lane, and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground, squarely in the middle of the lane, looking back the way I came. If a car had been passing me, it would have knocked me into the next county.
I ended up without a scratch, or even a bruise, but the bike took a good, hard lick. The crash ground a chunk of metal off of my rear quick release lever. The Look logo on my left pedal is mostly gone. The ratchet buckle on my left shoe was badly scuffed. The left brifter was knocked out of line, and I'm going to need some new bar tape on the left side.
I hauled the bike onto the shoulder and checked it out. Had to put the chain back on the chain rings. Gave the wheels a once over, got back on the bike and finished the ride.
The route I took can be seen here. The crash happened at about the 15 mile point on the map. The full ride, including about 4.4 miles round trip to the start point on the map, was 37.9 miles. Time for the ride was 2:14:30. Avg speed was 16.9 mph. Avg. HR was 139 (74% of max.).
Friday, June 22, 2007
Wind vs. Hills
Some people prefer climbing hills over riding into a headwind, but I'm not one of them. I can cope with wind. I can hide in the pack on a group ride. I can grab my drops if I'm riding solo. I get to drop the scrawny little buggers that drop me on the hills. And the headwind on the outbound leg of the ride becomes a tailwind on the return leg. I've never ridden into a headwind bad enough to force me to get off the bike and walk. I've encountered several hills I couldn't climb on the bike.
Hills, on the other hand, are a pain in the... legs. I make it a point to include at least one or two climbs on almost every ride, but only because I need the training. Never out of any enjoyment of the climb. For me, climbing hills is like banging your head against a wall. It feels good when you quit, and that's the only thing to be said for it.
I'm trying to get ready for the Tour of Payne ride this Fourth of July, and the course is one damned roller after another. If there's a quarter mile stretch of flat road anywhere on the course, I don't know where it is. This is sort of course that fat guys like me hate. I get dropped by scrawny little buggers that I'd beat like stepchildren on a flat course. The July heat hammers me, in spite of the Gatorade I chug at the rest stops. So why do it? Because it forces me to learn to deal with hills and summer heat, and that makes me a stronger, faster rider. Sometimes, you gotta do rides that get you out of your comfort zone.
Hills, on the other hand, are a pain in the... legs. I make it a point to include at least one or two climbs on almost every ride, but only because I need the training. Never out of any enjoyment of the climb. For me, climbing hills is like banging your head against a wall. It feels good when you quit, and that's the only thing to be said for it.
I'm trying to get ready for the Tour of Payne ride this Fourth of July, and the course is one damned roller after another. If there's a quarter mile stretch of flat road anywhere on the course, I don't know where it is. This is sort of course that fat guys like me hate. I get dropped by scrawny little buggers that I'd beat like stepchildren on a flat course. The July heat hammers me, in spite of the Gatorade I chug at the rest stops. So why do it? Because it forces me to learn to deal with hills and summer heat, and that makes me a stronger, faster rider. Sometimes, you gotta do rides that get you out of your comfort zone.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Took it Easy, Mostly
I was still feeling a little flat from Monday and Tuesday's rides, so I took it easy yesterday. Did about 15 miles of flat MUP at an easy recovery pace. The only part of the ride that was any challenge at all was a hill at the West end of the Creek Turnpike Trail that I used to have to walk the bike up, when I was starting out. I climbed it sitting down, using the middle chainring. Wasn't that hard, really. Of course I'm 30-40 lbs lighter than I was when I had to walk up that hill, and that probably makes a bit of difference.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Back in Town
I spent a couple of days at my Mom's house. She's 80, still drives, but doesn't drive in Tulsa traffic. So every couple of weeks or so, I go over to her place, spend my "weekend" (I work Saturdays and Sundays, get Mondays and Tuesdays off) there, and take her shopping.
Took the bike, and managed to get in a couple of decent rides. Monday, I rode from Wagoner to Hulburt and back. It had rained the night before, but most of the pavement was dry by the time I started. Not much wind, but warm and humid. I didn't ride Sunday, so I was reasonably well rested. The route is mostly small rollers, and I averaged about 17.2 mph on the outbound leg. Stopped in Hulburt for a couple of minutes to catch my breath and take a swig of Gatorade.
Turned around and headed back. The wind might have picked up a bit or shifted my way, because I made much better time coming back. Average speed on the return leg was about 18.7 mph, and the last 4-5 miles I did between 20 and 22 mph. Got sprinkled on a bit on the return leg, which might also have been a motivating factor. Average speed for the whole ride was 17.9 mph.
Tuesday, I rode from Wagoner to Muskogee. Took SH 16 thru Okay and turned around just short of US 62. The route is flat to rolling. Couldn't manage as good a pace as yesterday's ride because my legs were still a little tired. Light breeze from the south. Averaged 16.8 mph going out, and 18.2 coming back. Average speed overall was 17.4 mph.
Took the bike, and managed to get in a couple of decent rides. Monday, I rode from Wagoner to Hulburt and back. It had rained the night before, but most of the pavement was dry by the time I started. Not much wind, but warm and humid. I didn't ride Sunday, so I was reasonably well rested. The route is mostly small rollers, and I averaged about 17.2 mph on the outbound leg. Stopped in Hulburt for a couple of minutes to catch my breath and take a swig of Gatorade.
Turned around and headed back. The wind might have picked up a bit or shifted my way, because I made much better time coming back. Average speed on the return leg was about 18.7 mph, and the last 4-5 miles I did between 20 and 22 mph. Got sprinkled on a bit on the return leg, which might also have been a motivating factor. Average speed for the whole ride was 17.9 mph.
Tuesday, I rode from Wagoner to Muskogee. Took SH 16 thru Okay and turned around just short of US 62. The route is flat to rolling. Couldn't manage as good a pace as yesterday's ride because my legs were still a little tired. Light breeze from the south. Averaged 16.8 mph going out, and 18.2 coming back. Average speed overall was 17.4 mph.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Hammer Time!
Took yesterday off as a recovery day. I'd done about 125 miles and almost 8 hrs in the saddle since Monday, so I didn't feel too bad about taking a day off. The rest did me quite a bit of good. I rode the same course I rode Tuesday, and took over 15 min. out of Tuesday's time. The route can be seen here.
I knew things were going well when I reached the junction of Avery Drive and SH 51 (about mile 7.5 on the linked map) with an average speed of 18 mph. Turned onto 51, grabbed my drops and cruised between 19.5 mph and 20.5 mph for the next 4-4.5 mi. The long climb beginning at mile 12 and the shorter climb which followed it knocked my average speed down to 18.0 mph from a max of 18.4 mph. Didn't have to use the granny ring of my triple, though.
Crossed Keystone Dam and cruised at about 18-19 mph on the flat section from mile 18 to 23. Average speed climbed to about 18.2, which I managed to hold through the rollers on Avery Drive (about mile 27.5 through 31 on the map). By this time I'm beginning to feel the strain, and my average slips back to 18.1 by the time I reach the end of the mapped course.
I rode (and counted in my mileage and time) about 2.25 miles each way to get to the start of the mapped route, which brought my total mileage up to 39.5 miles for the ride.
Time for the ride was 2:10:39. Average speed 18.1 mph. Maximum speed was 38.1 mph. Average heart rate was 151 (80% of max). Maximum heart rate was 172 (91% of max).
I knew things were going well when I reached the junction of Avery Drive and SH 51 (about mile 7.5 on the linked map) with an average speed of 18 mph. Turned onto 51, grabbed my drops and cruised between 19.5 mph and 20.5 mph for the next 4-4.5 mi. The long climb beginning at mile 12 and the shorter climb which followed it knocked my average speed down to 18.0 mph from a max of 18.4 mph. Didn't have to use the granny ring of my triple, though.
Crossed Keystone Dam and cruised at about 18-19 mph on the flat section from mile 18 to 23. Average speed climbed to about 18.2, which I managed to hold through the rollers on Avery Drive (about mile 27.5 through 31 on the map). By this time I'm beginning to feel the strain, and my average slips back to 18.1 by the time I reach the end of the mapped course.
I rode (and counted in my mileage and time) about 2.25 miles each way to get to the start of the mapped route, which brought my total mileage up to 39.5 miles for the ride.
Time for the ride was 2:10:39. Average speed 18.1 mph. Maximum speed was 38.1 mph. Average heart rate was 151 (80% of max). Maximum heart rate was 172 (91% of max).
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Fat Cells Are Like Bacteria
When you treat bacterial infections with antibiotics, the surviving bacteria pass their resistance on to their offspring, producing a strain of bacteria that is resistant, or even immune to the antibiotic used. Fat cells seem to behave the same way when subjected to diet and/or exercise programs. They eventually become resistant to whatever you're doing. Bodybuilders have known this for years. They even have an acronym describing the problem. S.A.I.D., or Specific Adaptation to Increased Demand.
The only solution to the problem is to vary your diet, your exercise routine, or both. Once you have a sound aerobic base, you can branch out into strength training, aerobic activities that work other muscle groups, etc. A cyclist might add swimming, or even (shudder) running to his training program.
Diet can be tailored to the exercise program's variations. You could mix a low-carb diet with a week of primarily weight workouts. A high-carb, low-fat diet would go well with a week of long bike rides. The idea is to keep your metabolism from settling into a routine until you've reached your target weight.
The only solution to the problem is to vary your diet, your exercise routine, or both. Once you have a sound aerobic base, you can branch out into strength training, aerobic activities that work other muscle groups, etc. A cyclist might add swimming, or even (shudder) running to his training program.
Diet can be tailored to the exercise program's variations. You could mix a low-carb diet with a week of primarily weight workouts. A high-carb, low-fat diet would go well with a week of long bike rides. The idea is to keep your metabolism from settling into a routine until you've reached your target weight.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Today's Ride
39.5 mi. by my bike's computer. That makes 81 miles so far this week. The route I took can be seen here. The mapped route is about 35 mi., plus about 4.4 mi. from my home and back. Total time 2:26:49. Average speed about 16 mph.
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