tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42589255640185697852024-02-19T05:20:09.950-06:00Pensacola CyclistPrentisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04340786561850905893noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258925564018569785.post-23795094691043158132012-02-29T19:58:00.001-06:002013-09-11T08:25:26.832-05:00Rollers TrainingI've been riding the rollers quite a bit this year. I didn't ride the rollers today, but I did the three previous days; I was definitely ready for some road riding today.
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For me, riding on the rollers started last year when my son and I were going to the track (DLV) to race quite a bit. My son's coach had a rollers workout for him to work on his leg speed. I thought I would give it try too.
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It didn't take too long to get fairly comfortable riding rollers. I believe it has more to do with getting over the fear, but it does take practice. Now I'm riding rollers almost once week and I feel pretty comfortable riding on the rollers. I believe that riding on the rollers has helped improve my bike handling as well as my spin. I'm really glad that I committed to riding the rollers on a regular basis.
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I had a set of rollers years ago, but I never felt comfortable on them. The set I had at the time had a fork clamp that you could attach so that is what I did. I used my rollers as a trainer. Over the years I have had a few trainers. Most people absolutely hate riding a trainer. I'm not real fond of it and I've always worried about the different stresses that a trainer puts on a frame.
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I do like being able to control all the factors of riding a bike though. I find it easier to do a structured workout on a trainer or rollers. I have also found that I can get a pretty good workout this way in a shorter amount of time than I can riding on the road. It is pretty easy to ride under these conditions at a high intensity. I think the longest I've ever spent on a trainer is one hour, 1.5 max. The workouts I'm doing now are 45 minutes.
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I currently have two workouts both of which are 45 minutes:
<ol><li>Spin 45 - This workout consist of a 10 minute warm-up followed by a sprint and then almost 4 minutes of a high spin followed by a one minute slow recovery spin for a total of five minutes. Repeat until done trying to increase the cadence each five minutes if possible. It isn't possible for me to spin more than 115 for 4 minutes at this time. On yeah, the gearing is 39x23. The easy spin is done at 95 rpm or slightly higher. The first fast spin after the sprint is suppose to be 100 rpm; each fast spin afterwards is suppose to increase by 5 rpm until you reach the highest you can sustain.</li>
<li>Interval 45 - This workout also starts with a 10 minute warm-up starting in 39x23. For the first interval I only drop down one gear to the 21. I ride this for 4 minutes followed by a 1 minute easy back up to the 23. At fifteen minutes at drop down 2 gears to the 19 and spin at 105 for 3.5 minutes followed by a 1.5 easy spin in the 23. At twenty minutes I drop down to the 17 for 3.5 minutes followed by 1.5 minutes easy in the 23. At 25 I go back to the 19 (2 gears). This repeats until done alternating between the 19 and 17 every 5 minutes. The easy spin is done at 100 rpm or higher depending on how I feel. I try to maintain 105 for the interval section.</li></ol>
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I think one of the biggest mistakes people make when they start riding a trainer or rollers is trying to ride at the same speeds that they do on a road ride. Depending on the device a person is using it just isn't the same; it's an apples and oranges comparison. The resistance is relative to the device. This takes a little experimenting to find out what works. You might have noticed that my workouts start in a 39x23 which is my easiest gear on the bike I'm using for these workouts. Because of the resistance of the rollers I'm using, this works out pretty good for a nice workout, but if I look at the miles I've put on my bike for that 45 minutes it can make me feel like I've not worked hard enough and something must be wrong. Just remember, it is all relative.
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It should almost go without saying the different things you need to start with, but I'll create a list anyway. Most of it is obvious, but some of maybe not. I'm still learning too.
<ol><li>Device - yep, pretty obvious. You need either a trainer or rollers. I prefer the rollers. To me a trainer can help a rider get a good workout but it does nothing for bike handling and spinning.</li>
<li>Fan - I have a big fan I put on high when I ride the rollers and it's blowing straight at me.</li>
<li>Headband - Yes, I look like I'm out of the 80's when I ride the rollers, but the headband helps keep the sweat out of my eyes. Riding a trainer or rollers will cause a rider to sweat excessively.</li>
<li>T-shirt - What? My son came up with this one. When I first started riding the rollers I wouldn't wear a shirt. I would sweat so much that I would have a pond under me. If I wear a t-shirt when I ride the rollers I only leave a puddle of sweat under me. This makes clean up easier as I have tile floors.</li>
<li>Music - I have an iPod Shuffle that I listen to when I ride the rollers. The music helps a lot.</li>
<li>Water - I drink a full bottle of water when I do these workouts. At first I didn't because I didn't feel that comfortable on the rollers, but now I do. I think drinking water helps with the workout even if it is for only 45 minutes.</li>
</ol>
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There are several manufacturers of rollers and trainers. I had done some research on rollers a couple of years ago and I decided on the E-Motion Rollers by <a href="http://www.insideride.com/">Inside Ride</a>. These rollers aren't cheap at $850 with free shipping. However this price does compare with other high quality rollers. What makes these rollers different is that they float giving more of a road feeling. This does have a downside in that you can't fold the rollers up; so they are not very transportable like some other rollers are.
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<a href="http://s428353027.e-shop.info/online/templatemedia/all_lang/resources/E-motionRollerModelH-1-480pricing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="178" width="480" src="http://s428353027.e-shop.info/online/templatemedia/all_lang/resources/E-motionRollerModelH-1-480pricing.jpg" /></a></div>
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I really like our rollers. In fact, I really enjoy riding our rollers. That almost sounds sick, but it's true. I have a trainer too, but I never use it now that I have the rollers. My plan is to continue to train on rollers at least once a week.Prentisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04340786561850905893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258925564018569785.post-64630610592094448022012-02-21T20:41:00.000-06:002012-02-24T15:05:52.508-06:00Battleship Ride 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuTSSLa6TfwgM_K8LRAsn8S_DRTP3ze-EKT3NQAejxeZt6KFPhyphenhyphenRlevdYTQbwBUw3ii1XhDGwN-qIC9E7Rkj7k1iPL3pyX-n80Rbrzs_8vac1mpQ_YUywsHw3yyAI7fHl30dO1qxZy7c/s600/BattlehipRide2012GroupPhoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuTSSLa6TfwgM_K8LRAsn8S_DRTP3ze-EKT3NQAejxeZt6KFPhyphenhyphenRlevdYTQbwBUw3ii1XhDGwN-qIC9E7Rkj7k1iPL3pyX-n80Rbrzs_8vac1mpQ_YUywsHw3yyAI7fHl30dO1qxZy7c/s600/BattlehipRide2012GroupPhoto.jpg" /></a>
<br><i>Photo taken by <a href="http://gilhernandez.smugmug.com/Cycling/2012-Battleship-Ride/" target=new>Gil Hernandez</a></i>
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I got to ride the Battleship Ride this past Sunday. There were over 100 total riders that participated. I found it to be a tough ride with the very windy conditions and hillier than I had thought it would be. The ride was well supported I thought.
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I had been encouraged by a couple of the regular Firestone and Summit riders to do this ride. We rode over to the start together. The plan had been to stay together, but with so many riders that didn't work out too good.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHvGpbzuGdhWM8XJA1X9CvMsYUBjXmocitzzVHg8hyAE_JVTQGxD0zSeByJYJPUjOZb_fOXd39BBe3ZYKIeZVJDp-h04bT635A6hQ_jAh42PJ2B5u5-yTQ5qq9CTjjlEJO1kJFfaOMA_A/s872/BattleshipRide2012Start1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="" width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHvGpbzuGdhWM8XJA1X9CvMsYUBjXmocitzzVHg8hyAE_JVTQGxD0zSeByJYJPUjOZb_fOXd39BBe3ZYKIeZVJDp-h04bT635A6hQ_jAh42PJ2B5u5-yTQ5qq9CTjjlEJO1kJFfaOMA_A/s872/BattleshipRide2012Start1.jpg" /></a>
<br><i>Photo taken by Liz Schuster</i>
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From the beginning I found myself very close to the front. I was able to stay there until the hill coming into Seminole where I found myself near the middle. After the first rest stop things really picked up a bit. There ended up being lots of small groups; the wind and hills did a number on several riders. I ended up riding across the causeway solo into the wind, not fun.
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Once at the Battleship I topped off the bottles, grabbed some snacks, got into the group photo then departed. It was very cold with the wind; everyone was freezing and ready to hit the road. We were doing 30+ headed back across the causeway. Of course the hill up to Spanish Fort split people up again. I found myself riding in small groups again because I kept getting dropped on the hills.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGXiTdbv7sMjHmNQcWnTAFEUgvrtIQoHDnQbd1-HtPqeeZdJRQzcFuOMGXeNB07wCxwgMxHwuh9QQ1xqj6DzMoOgFHx1bNEgiiVg7na1CetjfEF0eoUVqr_ll9rp7qvpipjIMBZFl_8M0/s600/BattleshipRide2012PBerry2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGXiTdbv7sMjHmNQcWnTAFEUgvrtIQoHDnQbd1-HtPqeeZdJRQzcFuOMGXeNB07wCxwgMxHwuh9QQ1xqj6DzMoOgFHx1bNEgiiVg7na1CetjfEF0eoUVqr_ll9rp7qvpipjIMBZFl_8M0/s600/BattleshipRide2012PBerry2.jpg" /></a>
<br><i>Photo taken by <a href="http://gilhernandez.smugmug.com/Cycling/2012-Battleship-Ride/" target=new>Gil Hernandez</a></i>
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I was very glad to reach the last rest stop. My back was really hurting. I regrouped with my Firestone buddies and we headed out with a few other riders for a group of about 16.
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I slowly worked my up towards the front. Hwy 90 in Alabama has rumble strips. Those things are really painful and are not a cyclist friend. Once we got back into Florida the rumble strips were gone but then there we the hill which I knew I would get dropped on. Sure enough the group of 16 split into small groups again.
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I worked my way back up and took what I thought was a reasonable pull on Hwy 90 after the split with Alt 90. When I pulled off it was just me and one of my training buddies. Everyone else had dropped off. So my buddy and I traded pulls all the way back to the finish. My total ride time was just under six hours.
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It was a hard ride, but I am very glad that did it. I had hoped that we would have all stuck together better, but I'm not very surprised that things split up quite a bit. There were so many riders of varying abilities and experience.
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It has been interesting talking to people since about the ride. Most people I've talked to enjoyed it. I did talk to some people today that had gotten dropped very early on. Apparently the pace was a lot different at the back than it was at the front. I thought we were doing a reasonable pace of 17-18 at the start. People were talking and we were riding a double paceline. But the story from the back is that we were doing 26 mph. I will admit that maybe it was a bit of a quick start, but honestly believe that the people at the front were trying to keep a study reasonable pace; at least until the first rest stop. After the first rest stop everything went a bit crazy. I even heard stories of some people riding 21 mph into the wind across the causeway where I had slowed to 11 mph. For some people this was their first attempt at a century. I don't think this was the ride for a first attempt unless you were with a committed group. It's just too early in the year and the weather just wasn't that good.Prentisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04340786561850905893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258925564018569785.post-66080171303947969482012-02-13T14:33:00.000-06:002012-02-13T14:33:02.166-06:00Group RidesThere was a bit of division in the Firestone and Summit Saturday ride this past weekend. The wind was wicked and if a rider got dropped, then that rider was in purgatory. You can read some <a href="http://www.firestoneandsummit.blogspot.com/2012/02/purpose-of-group-ride.html">comments here</a> from that blog. During some portions of the ride the group stuck together pretty good, but then in others it divided into two groups. The division wasn't so much about ability as it was circumstance and taking risks. On such a windy day it probably would have been better to stick together as one group instead of dividing.
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It does bring about the question of can everyone get something out of a group ride? The answer is yes of course. There is a very good <a href="http://www.usacycling.org/how-can-everyone-benefit-from-the-group-ride-just-roll-with-it.htm">article on the USA Cycling</a> website that addresses that very question.
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Lately on the group rides I find myself getting dropped here or there. If I don't get lucky due to a traffic light or something, then I might not catch back up. The attitude seems to be that's ok. Sometimes it is ok. There are places in every group ride where things naturally split apart only to regroup later. Often times these places are pretty close to the rest stops or near a natural place of regrouping. But, in the last few months riders are getting dropped early and there doesn't appear to be much concern about that.
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While I'm complaining, here is another complaint about group rides. When the rider takes over the pull and speeds up. This often times causes the riding who was pulling to get dropped because he can't match the acceleration to attach onto the back of the group. I do see where there is a natural tendency to speed up but not 2-3 mph faster; that's just not very considerate. If the rider wants to pick the pace up that much higher then at least wait until the person who had been pulling to get back onto the group.
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That's enough of my complaining about life on the group ride. The temps dropped for the weekend. Looks like they will rise for this coming weekend.
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Later...Prentisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04340786561850905893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258925564018569785.post-16410101515374414572012-01-23T11:34:00.000-06:002012-01-23T20:09:55.838-06:00Spring in JanuaryThe weather has been very spring like lately often times with temperatures in the 70's. Sometimes I think it even smells like spring. All I can say is "enjoy it while you can".
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Last week was a good week for me on the bike. I rode five of seven days which is pretty normal for me, but I increased the distance. For Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday I did a 30 mile loop; I call it Hour Loop plus Scenic. I did group rides on Saturday and Sunday (Three Amigos and Sunday Afternoon Ride). I ended up with around 175 miles for the week. That is actually pretty good for me and may be the most I've ridden in one week for a long time.
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I have been wanting to ride Hour Loop plus Scenic for some time now, but never really had the time. I like the Hour Loop because it is simple and takes me a little over an hour. I have always liked Scenic 25, but I just don't ride it like I use to. I've come to the conclusion that I MUST start riding Scenic Highway more just to get the hills in. So, by combining the two routes I get a route that is a little longer, has some hills, and combines two of my favorite loops.
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<a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/59988676">Hour Loop plus Scenic</a><br/>
<a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/?location=Pensacola, FL">Find more Cycling Routes / Bike Rides in Pensacola, FL</a>
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I am hoping that I can make this route my standard ride. I have created some variations that add the Escambia Fill and/or UWF in order to add a little more distance to this route. The biggest problem in doing the longer routes is going to be time. As it is, this route takes me close to two hours. I am hoping that I can start riding this route twice a week (maybe Tuesday and Thursday) and then on Wednesday ride something a little longer. I have a 50 mile route that I'm really wanting to ride, but I'm not sure I want to try in solo.
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So far this year has pretty good. That's nice, only three weeks. Hope your year is going smoothly as well. Later...Prentisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04340786561850905893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258925564018569785.post-81102753189430712762012-01-12T18:29:00.000-06:002012-02-21T16:07:46.214-06:00DLV News for 2012The <b>Dick Lane Velodrome</b> (DLV) in Atlanta has published the dates for the 2012 Pro Series. These races are very exciting to watch and racers from all over the country come to participate. It is truly amazing to watch the pro-level riders race against each other.<br>
<blockquote> 5/12 - The Kerin<br>
7/7 - The Omnium<br>
9/8 - The Madison
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All of the above dates are Saturdays. Racing starts at 3pm with the main event starting around 6pm. There is a spectator fee of $5 for these events. On the preceding Friday night there are also races called "Need For Speed". I don't think there is a spectator fee on Friday nights.
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DLV has also published the dates for the beginners classes. For those that are not locals to Atlanta it is best to participate in a weekend class. Currently there are two scheduled: 3/12-13; 7/30-31. Every rider that wants to ride on the velodrome must participate in a beginners class. For all information on the <a href="http://www.dicklanevelodrome.com/pages/beginnerprogram.html">beginners class click here</a>.
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I am really looking forward to race season at the velodrome. Weekly racing starts the first week of April.Prentisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04340786561850905893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258925564018569785.post-88855172683589866842012-01-09T18:37:00.002-06:002012-01-09T18:38:26.499-06:00Beautiful WeekendThis was past weekend was absolutely beautiful with temps in the 70's. You would have never guessed it was the first week of January. <br><br>
Saturday we took advantage of the weather and road <a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/63454108">Around the Bay</a> with the Firestone and Summit group. It was a bit cool to start; my son and I both wore arm warmers which we took off at the first rest stop. Riding across the Escambia fill we did encounter some thick fog. It was so thick I had to take my glasses off to see. After reaching the end of South Spencer Field Road the group split into short/long route groups with the hope of rejoining at the 2nd rest stop. The ride down Hamilton Bridge Road into Milton was very nice as the road had recently been repaved. None the less, we were ready for that first rest stop to shed some clothes and get some stores.
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The 2nd leg of the route was quite pleasant with a strong pace. Again we had a little split into 2 groups with the slower group going down Garcon Point Road (county rd 191) and the faster group taking county road 191C to later rejoin. The faster group did catch the slower group on Garcon Point Road not too far north of the toll booth. We waited at the toll booth for some of the slower riders. My son got yelled at by the toll booth attendant for not riding on the sidewalk; so in the future, everyone should ride on the sidewalk when going through the toll booth. Riding over the Garcon Point Bridge was the easiest that it has ever been; there was no wind to speak of. The water was so glassy and pretty.
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We regrouped at the Walmart gas station and then headed home via Tiger Point and along the sound for the 3rd leg of the route. The short route group had already come and gone before the long route group arrived. I personally had gotten dropped and chased all the way to the Gulf Breeze Hospital where the group was waiting to regroup before going over the Pensacola Bay Bridge. Again, the water was slick and beautiful.
<br><br>At the end of the ride I had roughly 60 miles with and average of 18.7 which isn't too bad considering all the really slow sections. In the faster sections we all worked pretty good together trying to maintain a steady pace. I really enjoyed this ride and I'm glad that my son got to ride it too. I always enjoy riding with him. Sure wish I had some pictures to share.
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Sunday I road with a small group out of Firestone and Summit. We did a little loop that took us around University Mall and then downtown and back home. It was a nice spin to work out some of the soreness from the previous day. Again, the temps were nice; it was shorts and short sleeve weather.
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All I can say is it sure is great to live in Florida.Prentisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04340786561850905893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258925564018569785.post-25282427262985002492012-01-02T10:38:00.000-06:002012-01-02T10:38:55.506-06:00Good Bye 2011 - Hello 2012It's that time of year again to do the self-evaluation and setting of goals for the new year.
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First I need to talk about the last couple of rides.
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Saturday, the last day of 2011, saw my son and I riding with the Firestone & Summit group doing the <a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/fullscreen/62523426/">Perdido Key Route</a>. It was a foggy day, the worst of it being on Lillian Hwy as we rode by Perdido Bay. We had a fairly strong group for this ride, but Dana did a lot of pulling and I had to work really hard just to stay on his wheel. When it was over I had an average speed of 19.2 mph which might be a record for me on a group ride.
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On Sunday, the 1st day of 2012, I rode with my son and a friend of his from college; we rode the <a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/fullscreen/62000046/">Spanish/UWF/Scenic route</a>. I was really feeling tired from the previous day's effort. Needless to say I couldn't keep up. It was a very hard ride for me. The hills just killed me.
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<h2>
2011 Review</h2>
I did a <a href="http://pensacolacyclist.blogspot.com/2011/06/midyear-review-of-2011-goals.html">mid-year review here</a>. Not much changed since that review; I continued to go out of town a lot for business which set me back. I knew when I made the goals I was going out on a limb, but I really thought I would make those goals. I'll address some of the 2011 goals:
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<ul>
<li>I only raced 3 events, not the goal of 6. These 3 events were earlier in the year. I could have raced our local Pensacola Classic, but I just didn't believe I was anywhere close to competitive. I did go to the DLV track in Atlanta quite a bit during the summer.</li>
<li>Mileage for the year was 3,342 miles, not anywhere close to the goal of 5,000. I find it interesting that for 2010 my mileage was 3,280. When I compare 2011 with 2010 I basically did one more long ride for 2011. Not much difference between 2011 and 2010.</li>
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2012 Goals</h2>
After the disappointment of not reaching goals for 2011 I am very hesitant to publicly state goals for 2012, but I'll give a try.
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<ul>
<li><b>Six events</b> - This is the same as last year, but I'm going to put a twist on it. By events I'm not going to limit it to races. That means <b>Ride Yellow</b> and similar rides will count as events. I do want to do more races than last year, but I'm going to have to take into consideration time, fitness, and costs. I hate to admit it, but costs is a factor this year. By the way, I've already renewed my USAC racing license.</li>
<li><b>Improve on the track</b> - I really enjoyed riding on the velodrome. I'm still considered a beginner, so hopefully for 2012 I can move up. The problem is that it takes going to Atlanta quite a bit and that costs both time and money. Non-the-less, I want to ride track and improve.</li>
<li><b>Be More Competitive</b> - I don't want to keep finishing last in my races. I would actually like to win. I've already started working towards this goal by making some life-style changes. The effects will take time to realize. I do need to lose weight so that I can go up hills better. Right now hills really do me in. Loosing weight is not going to be easy. I also plan to push myself more so that I can be a factor/player in the outcome of races. This goal is hard to measure except by not finishing last anymore.</li>
<li><b>Mileage</b> - for 2012 I'm going to set a goal of 3,600 miles. That isn't the 5,000 of last year's goal and it's just a little over the actual miles for 2011, but it's a goal and looking over the history of the last few years is both more than I've been riding and obtainable.
</li>
</ul>
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That's it, four cycling goals for 2012. I really believe I can reach these goals. Happy New Year every one. I hope that 2012 will be a great year on the bike for all of us.
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<b>PS</b> - I want to add another goal that is not really cycling related. I want to blog more and take more pictures. I want to add pictures to the routes that I map with MapMyRide, plus it would be nice if my blog posts also included pictures.Prentisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04340786561850905893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258925564018569785.post-90113491373300176252011-12-16T09:32:00.000-06:002011-12-16T09:32:03.829-06:00Megan BaabOne of my son's team mates from Lees-McRae College (LMC), Megan Baab, was killed yesterday in a cycling accident with a car while on a solo training ride. My son called me last night to tell me. He had had lunch with Megan the day he left to come home for the holidays. It is so sad. She had a bright future as a cyclist and was a freshman at LMC.<br><br>
Here is a <a href="http://www2.wataugademocrat.com/News/story/Lees-McRae-cyclist-killed-in-collision-id-006587">link to an article in the Watauga Democrat</a>. There are several posts to this article some of which really touch the heart. The comment below says a lot. I wonder if it is from her dad.
<blockquote><i>To all of you that have posted your concerns, THANK YOU from the bottoom of my heart! Megan was a wonderful daughter. My daughter loved riding her bike and did it to the best of her ability! She loved to compete and loved being at Lees McRae! This is a very sad time for us all, but we are all blessed to have her in our life! Megan will be missed and I will miss her on our rides together so much! Remember , she died doing what she loved! WE are blessed with her memories! Chris Baab</i></blockquote>
<br>As a dad I can totally relate. I love riding bikes with my son; it is always the highlight of my day. It is interesting that he points out she died doing what she loved, riding bikes. <br><br>
And then there are these two posts:
<blockquote><i>Heaven has a special place for LMC cyclist!</i></blockquote>
<blockquote><i>The streets are gold in heaven. Ride on...</i></blockquote>
It has been a tough year for Less-McRae College when it comes to loosing cyclist.
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As I tried explaining to my son last night, we all take a risk when we ride our bikes on the road. It is a risk that I am keenly aware of and accept. I love riding my bike. I didn't know Megan, but it sounds like Megan loved riding her bike too. I do know that she will be missed.Prentisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04340786561850905893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258925564018569785.post-23519109037265823032011-12-06T08:49:00.001-06:002011-12-06T08:59:17.696-06:00Riding RollersI rode the rollers last night for the first time in two months. It only took about 10 seconds to feel comfortable on the rollers again. I was worried about feeling comfortable, but there was no reason.
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It was tough going though. In the past I would ride for 45 minutes, but last night I last for 30. I'm sure I could have ridden a little longer, but I didn't want to push it too much.
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The whole purpose, or I should say my primary purpose behind riding rollers is to get my leg speed up for riding on the track. I do a 10 minute warm-up and then do a sprint followed by nearly 4 minutes of spinning at a high cadence, and then a 1 minute slower cadence; for 5 minute intervals in total. Repeat until the time has run out and with each repeat try to increase the cadence by 5.
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Last night I was doing good to maintain 105 rpm. A few months ago I was maintaining 110 rpm and at times could maintain 115 rpm for a few minutes.
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All this got me to thinking if it is too early to start this kind of workout. I still think it is important for me to ride the rollers and I think it is important to keep the leg speed up, but what exactly should I be concentrating on this time of year. Since I've not been able to ride much the last couple of months I figure I've had my break, so time to start training for next year.Prentisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04340786561850905893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258925564018569785.post-54431423977481795532011-12-05T10:26:00.001-06:002011-12-05T11:42:17.182-06:00Map My RideI've created some more routes on Map My Ride. I have posted about this before, maybe a year or so ago. The mapping tools are much easier to use now. It is truly easy to map a route now.
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I mapped the <a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/59976542">Firestone & Summit Hurst Hammick</a> route that we rode last Saturday. What I haven't been able to figure out is how to mark the route as a "Must Do".
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I also mapped out some of the routes that I either ride or would like to ride. The route that I ride most often these days is what I call the <a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/59985636">Hour Loop</a> which incorporates most of the Airport Loop. The other routes also include the Hour Loop but add more distance. You can see all the routes that I've made public on the right side of this blog.Prentisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04340786561850905893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258925564018569785.post-40169455796059088442011-12-04T08:06:00.001-06:002011-12-05T07:49:06.622-06:00Hurst HammickThis past Saturday saw the Firestone & Summit Group ride the Hurst Hammick Route, one of my favorite routes. Thirteen riders, including one Hand Cyclist, started the ride. We had David Mayo, Dana, Happy, Nester, Left Lane, Bugno, the Count, Retro Dave, and others who I don't remember their names. Several of us had been at the Wheelmen party the night before and might have stayed up a bit too late and/or enjoyed ourselves a little more than we should have. We lost one rider heading out to the Hammick; I think it was voluntary.
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The ride out to the Hammick was fairly calm with a tailwind. The group would split and then regroup quite a bit. It seems we lost another rider coming out of the Hammick; for some reason he never showed up at the first rest stop; we did wait quite a while. We all hoped he didn't take a left on Hwy 90 and head to Alabama.
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For some reason I was the last to leave the first rest stop and got delayed at the light on 9 Mile and Beulah Road, so I ended up chasing the lead group. I finally caught up with them about 500 yards onto Muscogee Road. I then was dropped again after the Happy RR Crossing when the road went up. Happy decided he wanted to attack after the tracks; I was maxed out after all the chasing and couldn't hold on. I briefly caught back up after making the right onto 97 at the bottom of the hill and crossing RR tracks again. But, that was short lived as the road went up again. Even after the road leveled out there was no catching the group with the head wind. I ended up riding solo until the second rest stop where every one was waiting for me. Thanks guys for waiting. That head wind was brutal and I sure didn't want to ride the rest of the ride without some protection.
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The third segment saw the group splitting a bit. We did regroup briefly at Palafox before heading down Johnson where we split again. I ended up in a four man group that had a fairly relaxing ride down Johnson and back to Maygarden. Nester jumped with about 500 meters to go and I think took the line followed by Bugno. I say I think because when Nester jumped I didn't even react; so I wasn't there.
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It was a nice ride, but really wore this rider out. I haven't ridden much lately and it showed. Several of the other riders seem to be in good shape and raring to push the pace on the front. After the ride I went home, ate lunch, and then took a nap. Later in the evening I was hurting. That ride had taken a lot out of me. On the plus side I feel that I was about in the middle of the group which isn't too bad considering how little I've been able to ride the last several months. I hope after the first of the year that I can start riding more and get back into shape.
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My training partner will be returning home next week from college. That should help with the motivation and hopefully the two of us will be able to ride with the group over the Christmas holidays.
I have added the <a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/59976542">route</a> to MapMyRide.Prentisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04340786561850905893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258925564018569785.post-28971128395387082762011-11-06T07:16:00.000-06:002011-11-06T07:26:23.201-06:00No MotivationI rode yesterday for the first time in two weeks. On the ride two weeks ago my son was in town and we went for a 40 mile ride. It was a great ride and I was feeling strong. Then I went to Arizona for a week to a software conference. Since returning home I've been very busy working. I've been so caught up in my work that I haven't made time to ride. In fact, I am so focused on work that I'm not even motivated to ride. For the month of October I only logged 177 miles, not good.<br />
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Yesterday I made myself go for a ride. I knew I needed the exercise. In fact, my wife was telling me I needed to ride. So late afternoon I went for a ride on my hour loop. The bike felt strange. I just wanted to take it easy and resisted the urge to push. After about 10 minutes the bike felt natural again, but I sure could feel it in my legs and my butt. It didn't take long before I <i>knew</i> I was sitting on a bicycle saddle.<br />
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The ride itself was nice. The temperature was almost 70 degrees and not much wind, and the traffic was lite; in other words.. nearly perfect conditions to be on a bike ride. It felt good to be on the bike again even though I sure could feel it. This morning my body is a bit sore and stiff. I believe I turned in the slowest time for this route, but then I was not trying to push, just enjoy the ride.<br />
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I still got a lot of work to do, but I've got to take time out to ride I have a feeling it's going to be a long winter and it's going to be difficult to keep my motivation up. I'm hoping that by the end of the year I'll have my work caught up and I can focus more on cycling, but in the mean time I <b>must</b> take the time to do a little riding or it's going to be a very ugly spring.. Just a few weeks ago I had all these high hopes of 2012 being a great year on the bike. If I don't do the training 2012 won't be any better than the past two years.Prentisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04340786561850905893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258925564018569785.post-83860931326243025432011-10-16T22:19:00.000-05:002012-02-21T16:26:56.057-06:00Bauer LoopYesterday I rode with the <b><a href="http://www.usacycling.org/">Firestone & Summit group</a></b> starting at the trestle. We did what was called the Bauer Loop. We road out towards Lillian via Jackson and Lillian Hwy then west on 98 to Bauer stopping at the Tom Thumb for a brief break and regrouping. Then on to Old Gulf Beach Hwy to Blue Angel, through the back gate to NAS and then back to town. It was a very nice ride and I made it home by 10am in time for birthday cake. Yep, that was my birthday ride. I felt strong, took several pulls and was almost always near the front. I really enjoyed myself. I was glad that I didn't cramp again, but the calves are still pretty tight.<br />
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Wednesday night was the last full moon ride. I missed it do to several reasons. As it turns out there was a crash during the ride which took out two riders who are now recuperating. It's a sad thing and I have many mixed feelings about it.<br />
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I didn't ride today, but instead played tennis with my loving wife. It's the first time in a long time that we have played tennis and tonight we are definitely feeling it. I would say it is probably pretty good cross training. Hopefully we will play again soon.<br />
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Tomorrow night I hope to ride the rollers doing the spin workout. I really want to work on my spin in hopes of doing good next year on the track. Speaking of track, I still need to edit and post some pictures I took at the track and make a post on the track which I had promised some time ago. Sorry... been really busy working and getting a ride in when I can.<br />
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Oh, and before I forget to mention it, on Saturday's ride I took some homemade <b>Ride Bars</b> with me that my wife had made for me. I had gotten the recipe from the <a href="http://www.usacycling.org/"><i>USA Cycling</i> website</a> and given it to her. The recipe was part of an article that talked about eating more solid food on rides and this was an alternative to using gels. The Ride Bars were really good and I should have taken more with me. I definitely will next time. I shared some with a few of the guys and they liked them too. They seemed to be amazed that my wife would do such a thing for me in support of my cycling. I guess I am really blessed. My wife has put up with my cycling for over 25 years now and she seems to truly understand. I am thankful...<br />Prentisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04340786561850905893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258925564018569785.post-5152183513650991722011-10-01T18:05:00.002-05:002011-10-01T18:05:41.961-05:00Cramping CalvesToday was the Lillian loop with the Firestone & Summit group. We had around 20 riders, cooler temps, and windy. We had a pretty nice pace going to Lillian. Not too long after reaching Lillian, when the group started heading south, my calves decided to start cramping. I got dropped. I ended up riding with Nate to the 2nd stop on 98 and Bauer Rd. Later I got dropped again on Old Gulf Beach Hwy. This time it took me a long time to a catch a rider I saw in the distance. I finally caught Left Lane about 3/4 mile from Navy Blvd. We rode into town together. Going up the Barrancus bridge was quite painful. Left Lane and I parted ways after reaching downtown. I ended up limping home at 13 mph. A little over 3 hrs riding time. Except for my calves cramping, I would say it was a great ride.Prentisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04340786561850905893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258925564018569785.post-25102065522418585772011-09-30T19:12:00.000-05:002011-09-30T19:12:18.479-05:00Finally Took The SprintYesterday I rode with the Firstone & Summit group. We did a modified version of the Super 8 since the days are getting shorter. I rode 2nd wheel for much of the ride doing a few pulls along the way. Coming down Spanish on the approach to Maygarden I was 2nd wheel. Bob Graves pulled off after turning on to Maygarden. I pulled for about 500-600 meters then pulled off. The pace increased. Doesn't it always after I take a pull? Several people took pulls and I hung on to the back. With about 300 meters to go riders were speeding up and positioning. With about 150 meters to go I saw an opening on the inside, so I took it. With around 100 meters to go I went by the other riders and then poured on the sprint. I couldn't believe it; everyone just seemed to stand still and let me go. It is almost as if I took them by surprise and then once they saw me it was took late.<br><br>
Yea, I'm pretty stocked about it. My first sprint win. I almost thought I had it if I could only be present for the sprint. I usually get dropped way before the sprint; so I've never really been there. I got to enjoy the win while I can. There is no telling how long it will be before I get that opportunity again.<br><br>
Tomorrow is the Lillian loop which is one of my favorite rides. It is going to be chilly in the morning and a lot of wind. No doubt there is going to be some suffering.Prentisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04340786561850905893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258925564018569785.post-57337139885311307582011-09-26T08:49:00.001-05:002011-09-26T08:49:46.195-05:00Nice Ride to Hurst HammickThis week end the Firestone & Summit group did the Hurst Hammick ride. It was a very nice ride with lots of tempo.<br><br>
My son had come home for a wedding. We were able to get two rides in together including this one. I enjoy riding with my son very much; in fact he is my favorite person to ride with. He tried to take a 5k flyer off the front at the end. He almost made it; he was caught 25 meters from the finish. As Bob Graves put it; "there was just too much horse power in the peloton". When my son and I rode home from the finish I decided to make a jump on Scenic Highway. To my surprise, my son didn't catch me. Sometimes all you have to do is put a little distance between yourself and those behind you. I bet he won't let me do that again.<br><br>
The Pensacola Classic was weekend before last. There were lots of racers and competition. I heard there were almost twice as many racers as the year before. I had really wanted to do the race. I had been planning on it for almost a year. But, I didn't do it. I've been out of town a lot; therefor I haven't been riding as much as I would like. Plus I've been having lots of skin cancer cut off lately. I just wasn't feeling it and decided I would let some one else have the privilege of paying to come in last. That being said, I'm already looking forward to next year.<br><br>
Speaking of next year, it seems strange to me that here it is the end of September and for many of us the racing season has come to an end. It seems to early to me to be thinking that way. But, the track racing is now over. I enjoyed the track a lot and I do plan to do it again next year. I just got to figure out how to train for that over the winter. We do have some more cycling events coming up, but those are just rides, not races.<br><br>
There is still lots of good weather ahead for some awesome riding. Fall is actually my favorite time of year. If I can just get work figured out, then I can get in some more really great rides this year.Prentisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04340786561850905893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258925564018569785.post-42483866145475641502011-09-03T16:12:00.003-05:002011-09-03T16:42:52.862-05:00Got to Ride When You CanThis morning the Firestone Group ride was scheduled to leave Fish and Wildlife at 7am. At 6:20 I get an email saying the ride was pushed back to start at 8am with a shorter course yet to be determined. You see, we have a tropical storm going on and it's been raining. There was to be a lull in the storm between 8 and 12; then stormy weather for several days to come.
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<br />I really wasn't feeling it. The streets were wet and the trees were dancing in the wind. None the less, after another email I was encouraged to suit up and meet other brave souls.
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<br />I had woken up with a song in my head, <a href="http://prentisswakesup.blogspot.com/2011/09/girl-from-ipanema-stan-getzastrud.html"><b><i>Girl From Ipanema</i></b></a> that stayed in my head for the first hour of the ride much of which was with a tailwind. At the break it started to rain. So we got to practice riding in the rain. On one corner turning off of 10 Mile Rd onto Foxrun my rear wheel slipped a little, but no spill. I felt like I was suffering the whole ride and was relieved to finish with the group; they did wait up for me a couple of times; thanks guys.
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<br />The point is that we had to take advantage of the lull to get a ride in. It might be days before the group gets to ride again. It will be a week for me because I have some responsibilities to take care of that are going to keep me off the bike for a week. No, the weather was not perfect and we still got rained on, but the rain wasn't a hard rain. This afternoon it has really been raining and blowing hard. So I'm thankful I got a bike ride in today even if I did suffer a little. Lord knows I needed it.
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<br />I had something similar happen to me this past Wednesday evening. The group ride started at 5:30pm. I usually try to ride about 10 miles before the group ride to warm up. Well, I was busy working. I didn't get up from my desk until 6pm. I almost talked myself out of riding. It was a bit windy; I was tired; I wasn't feeling it. Well, I went for a solo ride anyway and I'm glad that I did. Riding helps settle my mind and it is the only form of exercise that I get. Again, I rode when I could. It wasn't the work out I had planned on, but it was nice to be on the bike.
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<br />With the Pensacola Classic coming up I'm still on the fence as to whether to race or not. I know that I should, but I'm not in the form I had hoped to be in. The last few rides have been hard for me. I have my doubts that I can be anywhere close to being competitive in the races. It's just not where I saw myself, but that is where I find myself; life ... well you know, it doesn't always cooperate the way we wish it would. More than likely I will race. Maybe I should say I will <i>ride</i>. To race one should be competitive.
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<br />It's kind of sad in a way. I'm already thinking about the end of the 2011 season and thinking about 2012. I'm hoping next year will be my breakout year. I'm feeling strong and confident. I just don't have the fitness right now. Sadness and disappointment aside, it has been a great year of bicycle riding for me this year and I have really enjoyed all the group rides, solo rides, riding with my son, riding on the track, and riding with my wife.
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<br />So fellow cyclist, enjoy that bike ride when you get the chance. You will most certainly be glad that you did.Prentisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04340786561850905893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258925564018569785.post-78514708033358471222011-08-24T10:53:00.005-05:002011-08-24T11:23:28.798-05:00All Roads Lead UpAlmost 2 weeks ago I moved my son to <b>Banner Elk, NC</b> to attend Lees McRae College where he will be riding for the cycling team. While there we got to ride 3 days together. The riding was awesome. The temps were great, but one day we actually wore long sleeves and still got cold at the tops of the climbs. There was very little car traffic. The dogs were friendly. The scenery was wonderful.
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<br />The problem is that all roads lead up; well not exactly. There was one road then went down, but of course you had to ride back up. We spent at least 75% of our time climbing. For this Florida boy that is a lot of climbing. I had a 39x27 for a low gear. At times this was not enough. For example, in the steeper sections I was out of the saddle doing 4 mph with a cadence of 30 and breathing very heavy. Our climbs ranged between 20 and 30 minutes. It was rough and tough. On the flip side the descents were incredible. I've never experienced descents like this before.
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<br />On our first day of riding we rode the popular Hickory Nut Gap rode that goes from Banner Elk to Newland. It starts up immediately after getting out of the town proper. After the climb the road descends to Newland. We went to Newland then turned around to go back up. Our distance for the day was around 18 miles with 1 1/4 hours on the bike. This was my first eye opener.
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<br />The 2nd day my son took me on what is a road race circuit. It started out ok heading out of Banner Elk on 184 and turning onto Dobbins Rd., but then up and steep on Horse Bottom Rd. then descending to Pdgeon Roost Rd. and then back to 194 returning to Banner Elk. I thought my heart was going to pound out of my chest. I was glad when that climbing was over; there were 3 very steep sections. After climbing we descended back into town. That was a short 7 miles. We then road 194 out of Banner Elk to descend into Newland. Guess what? It was a wonderful descent but then we had to climb back up into Newland. Then we road Hickory Nut Gap back to Banner Elk. Yes that's right; first we had to climb then descend again. On this last descent we got behind a car which slowed down. Total riding time was just over 2 hours.
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<br />On the 3rd day we road for a little over an hour. We were both a bit sore and tired from the previous 2 days. We road out of Banner Elk towards the Banner Elk Winery first going up 194 and then up Gualtney Road. There were 3 places where I had to get out of the saddle on this climb. The pavement ends turning to gravel a short distance after reaching the top; so we turned around. After returning to 194 we did the road race course in reverse and headed back to Banner Elk.
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<br />This is an amazing place to ride, but takes some getting use to. I'm really looking forward to returning and exploring more. While I was there they were resurfacing many of the roads; so the roads should be even better when I return. I can only imagine how strong my son is going to get while there. But it is his dream and I really hope he gets very good on the bike, even if it means he will drop me even faster than he does now.
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<br />From what I've experienced so far riding around Banner Elk there is no such thing as an easy ride. I'm sure there have got to be some easier routes, but then that is quite relative to Banner Elk. There just is no way out of doing some climbing.
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<br />Next time I go up I hope to take some pictures. Sorry, I didn't get any pictures this trip.Prentisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04340786561850905893noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258925564018569785.post-25151413873457599972011-08-02T08:53:00.002-05:002011-08-02T09:21:15.693-05:00Three Days of SufferingNot exactly three days. I rode last Friday with a few riders from the Firestone group. It was an easy 20. I hadn't been on the bike for almost two weeks and one of those weeks was spent in WA state where one day the high reached 78 degrees. My rides on Saturday and Sunday were not so good. I'm afraid my body had gotten use to the WA weather and now I was back in 95 degree FL weather. It was a sufferfest for me.<br /><br />Saturday I rode with the Firestone group doing a new route called the Northwest Passage Loop. I would say there were close to 20 riders. The group stuck together pretty good, but I kept getting dropped on every incline. For some reason I just didn't have much energy and felt tired. The route was suppose to be 45 miles, but I got 35 with and average speed of 17.6 mph. I hadn't slept much the night before either; so I think that was also a factor.<br /><br />On Sunday I rode the Scenic 25 with my son in the afternoon. It was still pretty hot out. Again I had very little energy. Once we turned onto Scenic Highway I dropped bad, but I warned my son that I would probably go pretty slow on Scenic. Before we turned onto Scenic I had an average of 17.5, but once I got home my average had dropped to 15.8. The good news is that I found $12.86 on the side of the road on Scenic just south of Creighton Road. I was riding along and I saw this change on the shoulder which looked to be about $5 to me. I wasn't going anywhere fast so I decided to stop and pick up the change. My son got a good laugh out of it once I got home and emptied my pockets. He had seen the change too but he didn't stop.<br /><br />Yesterday I rode the rollers for 45 minutes. Lately (when I'm in town) that is what I do on Mondays.<br /><br />All this going out of town has really hurt my riding time. For the month of July I only got in 263 miles. My fitness is not where I had hoped it would be. I was really hoping to be in top shape for the Pensacola Cycling Classic, but at this rate that is not really going to happen. I don't even know if I will be in town then. If I am in town I will do the race, but not at the level I had hoped.Prentisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04340786561850905893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258925564018569785.post-7057143649009387692011-07-31T10:04:00.005-05:002011-07-31T11:32:18.820-05:00Two Book ReviewsFor Father's Day my son gave me two cycling books: <span style="font-weight:bold;">Bike Snob</span> by Bike Snob and <span style="font-weight:bold;">Come & Gone</span> by Joe Parkin.<br /><br /><table cellpadding=10><tr><td><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=prent00-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=0811869989" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /></td><td valign=top>In my opinion <b>Bike Snob</b> is for neo-cyclists. It was a bit interesting here and there, but if the reader has any cycling experience there isn't much to be learned here. The one thing I found interesting is that Bike Snob doesn't mind if drivers honk their horns at him; it lets him know that the driver sees him. A honking horn can mean a few things. Most of the time it's just annoying, but it could actually mean something for the safety of all.<br /></td></tr></table><br /><table cellpadding=10><tr><td valign=top><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=prent00-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=1934030546" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /></td><td valign=1op>On the other hand, <b>Come & Gone</b> was a much better read. That being said, I was a bit disappointed in a few places and this book was not as good as Parkin's first book, <b><i>Dog In A Hat</i></b> which was actually very interesting; so much so I think I will read it again.<br /><br /><i>Come & Gone</i> covers Parkin's professional career after returning to the U.S. having spent the previous six years in Europe racing. He really has a tough time of it only experiencing success in mountain bike racing. I would have liked to have seen more about his time with the Coor's Light Team.<br /><br />There were two things I was able to take away from the the book. First, rider support makes all the difference between a podium and simply finishing a race. Second, the support people rarely lie to the racer. When the rider is having a bad day, the support people feel his pain and it shows on their faces too.<br /><br />My heart really went out to Joe as he struggles to make a living in the U.S. bicycle racing. He seems to have more than his share of bad luck. But then again, Joe seems to be the type of rider that is either "on" or "off"; there is very little middle ground. It's like the stars have to line up just so in order for him to give a good performance. His bad days outnumber his days.<br /><br />While I don't think this book is as good as <i>Dog In A Hat</i> it is still worth the time to read.</td></tr></table>Prentisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04340786561850905893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258925564018569785.post-19755217017023363852011-07-08T07:25:00.003-05:002011-07-08T07:38:47.845-05:00The Sun Has Not Been Good To MeA week ago from today I had surgery on my lip to remove skin cancer. I have spots all over my body that is some form of skin cancer. I regularly have to get some of these spots tended to by a doctor. Well, what started off as chapped lips turned out to be more serious and actually required surgery which also meant general anaesthesia. I was being told that this was pretty serious and needed attention right away. A week later the swelling has gone down, but my lip still hurts and it is a chore to eat. I've lost almost 5 lbs. which I'm sure I will gain back once I can get my body back on a routine. Right now my body is out of sync.<br /><br />Having surgery also meant time off the bike. It was recommended I stay off the bike 2-3 weeks. I asked why and the reason is to avoid a crash and avoid breaking my lip open; otherwise I could ride my bike.<br /><br />On weekend rides I try to be home by 11am to get out of the sun. Now that summer is here I try to get home even earlier. I have to avoid the sun. Sure, I put on sun screen, but I quickly sweat that off. I'm afraid that at some point I will have to wear long sleeves even during the summer to minimize the damage to my skin.<br /><br />I rode this past Wednesday with the Firestone group. I got dropped. I couldn't keep up. I was very tired and I should have warmed up first. I was hoping for an easy ride, but it was not to be with the 22mph pace. I couldn't believe how much I was suffering.<br /><br />I tried riding again last night with better results. I rode for an hour with two friends and my son. The pace was more relaxed and I felt good. I still suffered a bit towards the end of the ride going up Scenic Hwy. but I felt good. Thanks for a nice ride guys.<br /><br />Today my son and I head to the Dick Lane Velodrome in Atlanta for a weekend of racing. I hope to get some good pictures this time and write about it next week some time with pictures.<br /><br />To my cycling friends, I hope you have good rides this weekend and keep safe.Prentisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04340786561850905893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258925564018569785.post-25274059959063529092011-06-28T15:18:00.005-05:002012-01-23T20:08:33.675-06:00Midyear Review of 2011 GoalsWow, it's been a long time since my last post. I figure it might be a good time to review the 2011 goals since it is almost the end of June. Let's see... not so good.<br /><ul><li>Join RUSA - didn't happen.</li><li>Get a route registered with RUSA - didn't happen.</li><li>Ride Yellow - didn't make it. My son felt sick so we didn't go. I wish I had gone because other people I know who did ride had a great ride.</li><li>Pensacola Classic - still a possibility if they put the race on.</li><li>Racing license - I did get a racing license but I've only ridden 3 events. I had other events on the calender but due to finances and work I have only made 3 events this year. The only other event I might be able to do is Pensacola Classic.</li><li>5k miles - doesn't look to likely at this point. I currently have 1,699. At this time last year I had 1,507. I guess I could say I'm doing better but I need to be at 2,500 if I were to make the 5,000 for the year.</li></ul><br />So what's been going on, why am I so behind?<br /><ol><li>I've been out of town a lot and haven't been able to ride.</li><li>A change in interest. I was very interested in RUSA; in fact, I still am. But now I'm also interested in the track. My son and I have been going to the <a href="http://www.dicklanevelodrome.com/" target="new">Dick Lane Velodrome (DLV)</a> in Atlanta. More on this later in the post.</li></ol><br />Yes, you will find me riding the group rides on Wednesdays and Saturdays when I can. Other days I'm pretty much doing my own thing. To be honest, I'm just not putting in the miles I thought I would.<br /><br />Now for the track. It all started when we got a good deal on a Dean track frame. My son really wanted it, so we bought it. It didn't get very much use there for a while. This is a true track bike and isn't been to be riden around town as a fixie. Later my son bought a set of track tubulars from a friend.<br /><br />Fast forward about a year. Turns out that <a href="http://lmcbobcats.com/sport.asp?sportID=6" target="New">Lees McRae College (LMC)</a> in Banner Elk, NC wants my son to be a part of their cycling team. LMC has a great cycling team with many national titles in several disciplines. One of the disciplines LMC pursues is the track and the coach is an experienced track rider. So, we have been encouraged to ride on the track at DLV. The team makes a couple of trips a year to DLV for training. BTW, my son is due to attend LMC in the fall. It is a small school in a small town; the cycling team currently has over 50 riders.<br /><br />We have made several trips to DLV. We both participated in a weekend beginner's class which they offer on occasion. You have to take a class before you are allowed to ride on the track. After completing the class we both went up to Atlanta for the beginner's races which are held on Tuesday nights twice a month. It didn't take long and my son was invited to ride in the categorized races on Wednesday nights. My son also participated in the first of the Pro Race series which was in May; the next Pro Race will be in July and another in September.<br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Aw0A6xxpmGiDG9MzsmcL0Lm-NYGpk87RELLY2WkE_T0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyt38YviBpAzrI3umLBwenD8I9uBNSJxOtHDrhziMHburKiYPaRuSBX6XEjRNwSLZMgSOfPY1eD6RGW-pB2d35W0TwutLaE-2dsMFu3DmC6QMIJFFr3j7FlwMf83XouSOKyHA3yXp-v11j/s400/IMG_2415.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a> <br /><br />Currently my son is a 'C' rider but hopes to move up to a 'B' by the end of the summer. It will take a lot of work. In an effort to reach that goal my son has a personalized training program which he has been following quite well. Part of this program is the Saturday group rides which are suppose to be 3 hours and then an easy 2 hours on Sundays. <br /><br />A couple of his workouts each week are on the rollers all done in an easy gear. The workout consist of a warmup for about 5 minutes then spinning at 100 for 5 minutes, followed by a sprint. After the sprint he is to spin at 110 for 4 minutes, then 1 minute easy, then sprint again; it is a 5 minute cycle. After each sprint the cadence is suppose to go up another 5 or 10 rpm depending. The total workout is 35 minutes. The purpose is to develop the spin. <br /><br />I also have been doing the rollers and spinning. It is really the first time I have ever ridden rollers for any length of time. After the first workout I felt fairly comfortable on the rollers. I'm actually enjoying the workout and I've made my workout to be 40 minutes instead of my son's 35. I like it whole lot more than riding the turbo trainer. Now you might notice on the group rides we are spinning quite fast. In fact, I rarely get out of the small chain ring anymore.<br /><br />So, the track has been taking a lot of our time. DLV has an excellent program in my opinion with a lot of great riders that are also friendly. It is definitely a community that gets to know each other.<br /><br />At first I was skeptical about the track. I had never ridden a fixed gear before. After my first day on the track I didn't like it. I went back for the 2nd day of the beginners class and we had races. I started to enjoy it then. I've heard some people say that track racing is little races. Yes, they are short, but they are very hard. It is amazing how much tactics come into play. There are several types of races and each type race has it's own set of tactics. <br /><br />I can't say I'm very good at the track. I am still considered a beginner or a 'D' rider. I do not do very good with the short races, but I do better at the longer races. The race I've done best at is the <i>unknown distance</i> which is a race where the racers have no idea how many laps it is. I like this race because it starts off slower and builds up so by the time the bell rings I'm warmed up. BTW, my son hates the unknown distance.<br /><br />One of the things about the track is it requires another bike. All of my track riding so far has been on 'school' bikes. DLV rents bikes for $5 per night/day if a rider doesn't have one. The problem is I have had a hard time getting fitted properly so I believe my performance suffered. Sounds like a good excuse to me. I just finished building up a track bike for myself so now I won't be able to use that excuse much longer. Here is a photo of my track bike; it is a Bianchi Super Pista.<br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/AUvfwX3UonMxD-z60_bGtA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVvc4KaSwsOYxFSKxzLg5OxTN0fhwfw40zRelYsymLt6tcbZjJp4r5WeVXMQXSnIIGe3ZHdEXJc5AhMHhqf0FshlN-sfViQMfjFw-a8Y_essr7C75MxS0_pvFcPgb5lMsOWyVhLIHc4LFa/s400/IMG_2907.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a><br /><br />Speaking of posting pictures I hope to post pictures of the velodrome soon with a little bit of information about the track.<br /><br />Track riding is very different from road racing and, just like road racing, isn't for everyone. It's another discipline of cycling and I believe participating in track will make my son and I both better cyclist. It is a long haul to drive to Atlanta twice a month, but I really want to help my son reach his goals. After he goes away to school I can't say how often I will continue to go. I do enjoy it; I just wish it were closer. I know, instead of a ball park downtown let's build a velodrome instead.Prentisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04340786561850905893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258925564018569785.post-28843710803415846272011-01-02T15:30:00.002-06:002011-01-02T18:52:02.108-06:002011 GoalsI've been sick the last week so I haven't been on the bike. I did manage to get 3,280 miles in for 2010. It's time to look back and look forward.<br /><br />Looking back on 2010, it has been a good year for me on the bike. I had put 1,672 miles on the bike for 2009. I had set a goal of 2,400 miles for the year 2010, so I exceeded the goal. Once I saw I was going to exceed the goal I reset it to 3,000, so I exceeded that one too. My first event of the year was Ride Yellow. I had cut 30 minutes off my time from 2009. I felt good about that. My only other goal was to ride the Pensacola Classic which I did. I would have liked to have placed better, but it had been a long time since I raced, so I'm not going to beat myself up too bad about my performance. I did ride a sanctioned race in Dothan.<br /><br />Towards the end of the year I've been feeling pretty good on the bike. I actually feel like I'm about where I should be, feeling strong and able to hang in there most of the time. I've had several rides this year over a 100k, but my longest has been 68 miles. So, I'll say 2010 has been a good year for the bike.<br /><br />Now for 2011: I'm having a hard time setting goals. Maybe it's because I've been sick or maybe it is the uncertainty of the economy. Probably it's all that plus I hate making commitments.<br /><ul><br /><li>I had wanted to pursue a R-12 with RUSA, but I don't see that happening. I will join RUSA and lets see where it goes from there.</li><br /><li>I will try to get one of my 200k rides to become a RUSA ride. Also, will see about getting more RUSA riders here locally.</li><br /><li>I will ride Ride Yellow again. I hope to do even better this year.</li><br /><li>I will ride the Pensacola Classic again. I hope to put in a better performance this year.</li><br /><li>I will get a racing license and do at least 6 sanctioned races.</li><br /><li>I will set my total mileage goal to 5k miles for the year. I really want to do that, but it all depends. It might be pushing it.</li></ul><br /><br />That's it. Let's see how it goes. Happy New Year everyone!Prentisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04340786561850905893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258925564018569785.post-17703573038585968282010-12-30T17:22:00.003-06:002010-12-30T18:14:48.075-06:00The Rider by Tim Krabbe'<table cellpadding=20><tr><td><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=prent00-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=1582342903" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></td><td valign="top">I just finished reading <b><i>The Rider</i></b> by Tim Krabbe'. It wasn't the easiest book to read, but I did enjoy it. The book pretty much covers a single race kilometer by kilometer with some other stories mixed in. I could feel his pain and understand the feelings and thoughts that he had as he progressed through the race.<br /><br />In the end I would say that it is a good book and recommend it.</td></tr></table>Prentisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04340786561850905893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4258925564018569785.post-18144415170143978122010-12-23T09:17:00.003-06:002010-12-23T09:25:09.658-06:00UWF/Scenic HillsYesterday I rode with the Firestone & Summit group. We did the <a href="http://classic.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/fl/pensacola/726129311556990712" target="new"><b>UWF/Scenic Hills Loop</b></a>. You can read a different take on the ride <a href="http://firestoneandsummit.blogspot.com/2010/12/ride-schedule-change-for-thursday-and.html" target="new"><b>here</b></a>.<br /><br />After having ridden 68 miles the day before my legs were heavy. I had a hard time getting my cadence up. There were only five of us. The average speed was a little over 15; so it wasn't a fast ride, but there were some fast sections as usual. I enjoyed the route, especially riding through Scenic Hills. I did take one hill and came in 2nd for the finish on Maygarden.<br /><br />This morning my son and I were going to ride with our FSU friend, but 40 degree temps caused us to stay inside. The wind is up too. To tell the truth, my legs are heavy today too.Prentisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04340786561850905893noreply@blogger.com0