between the grinds

Chicken Hawk Classic 2010

2010-10-19T21:44:00.007-05:00

This past weekend was the Chicken Hawk Classic (Bamacross #2) at Cooper Green Park in Birmingham, AL.

Going into this race and the race before, I've really only had one goal in mind and that's to learn. I'm not entering to set land speed records or see who I can beat. The only person I'm competing against is myself. Maybe if I was actually fit enough to compete, I would have a different attitude but I'm nowhere near fit.

Bamacross #1 was on the same course and boy did I eat a piece of humble pie, along with the 4 inches of dust on my teeth. Long story short, I pushed my body into an asthmatic state (throat closing) and puked about the second lap, so, it was survival mode from there to the finish (one more lap). Plus, I started in the very back of the pack, finishing 3 of 4 laps on paper but continued pushing to complete my 4 laps. Basically, riding in a race.

Fast forward to the Chicken Hawk Classic (Bamacross #2) and the main goals were to get a better start, which I did, and not puke, which I saved for after the race.

So, before we took off the race official dude said that it would only be 3 laps. What would any normal racer do? Prepare and push for 3 laps.

We're off and I'm hanging in the top 15 but I just can't seem to get a handle on the run-ups. They just kill the energy, which is the whole intent. I was constantly on the edge of puking the whole time, so, I kept the pace moderate again, surviving til the end.

What I thought was the end (3 laps), from what I'm told, was not the end (4 laps). So, I finished my 3 laps and since no one informed me otherwise, I headed to the car to not puke in front of everyone. Yeah, I'm considerate like that.

Not that I was killing it enough to really care about my placement but come on, tell a brotha'. "Hey man, I know you're about to puke your guts up but you have one more lap." "Thanks man, I deposit my thoughts on the back side of the course." - Justin

I think it took me more time to recover than my whole race effort, ha. I was pretty jacked up. I guess when you're racing totally anaerobic, it helps to train anaerobic.

All in all it was good times and fun was had by all. Hopefully there's a course in the series that I can do halfway decent. I'll know how to prepare for next year though! At least, that's what I keep telling myself

This is a sick and twisted sport, cyclocross is, and I guess I keyed in on the sick, hoping to get twisted.

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Let's get it started!

2010-09-07T20:56:00.004-05:00

Last year at this time I was logging run miles to complete the St. Jude Marathon in Memphis, TN. Running a marathon was always on my "life goals" list. I completed that endeavor with a result that was not what I really wanted but the ultimate goal was to say that I finished it.

Well, this year, I really haven't raced as much as I would like and so I've shed the road bike for a cross bike. Although the temps will be the same (25 degrees at the marathon start) but I now a bike, sand, mud, water, grass and sweat will all collide in this new challenge called Cyclocross.

My new Trek XO1 platinum should arrive at Cahaba Cycles tomorrow and I have to say I'm pretty excited about this new challenge. If you don't know what cyclocross is, here is a sample.

You'll also notice that I've officially changed the name of the blog. This is an effort to challenge myself in writing about things other than cycling. This might include rants, opinions, cycling, business or just whatever happens between the grinds. I love some coffee, so, it might be a coffee review. Who knows. I'd like for it to be a melting pot of topics. One thing you might not see is politics.

That's about all I have for now, just wanted to get the wheels rolling and start blogging again. Hope it's of some value to someone.

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Review: SPIbelt Water Bottle and Holder Combo

2010-02-02T11:10:00.017-06:00

I think it's the cyclist coming out in me or just being particular about the equipment that I use but there's one thing that I have to have in the arsenal, a good water bottle.

So, what are my standards for a good water bottle you ask? For me, a water bottle has to be pretty efficient in terms of discharging water. I don't use a water bottle that requires me to squeeze it with all my might to get water and then there's the other end of the spectrum that discharges too much and may cause choking and all that fun stuff.

Well, SPIbelt was so generous to send me their Water Bottle and Holder Combo for review. If you've read my review of the SPIbelt itself, you'll understand that I'm a big fan of their products and not because they send me free stuff but because I'm a designer/amateur athlete and I appreciate creative thinking in product design but lets get to the review.

What are the strengths?

This product is 100% Made in the USA, yes, even the bottle has "Made in USA" stamped on it. With all the outsourcing going on SPIbelt stays true to their roots in Austin, TX.

The product name explains it but this particular water bottle comes with the trademark SPIbelt storage compartment for the storage of :

Performance Gels
Car Keys
Phones
Inhalers

As far as the functionality of the combo, I found that I could comfortably fit two Hammer gels (folding the tops) and my car keys in the storage compartment and more importantly the 16 oz water bottle discharges the right amount of water with ease. SPIbelt also incorporated an adjustable, velcro strap that allows for secure hand size variation. So, it's not going to fall out of your hands. Lastly, it displays the sleek, well constructed tradition of SPIbelt products and doesn't scream, "I'm carrying a water bottle!"

What are the weaknesses?

If you take this out on your long run, you might have to find other places to store nutrition or use the SPIbelt and this combo. The storage seems a bit more restricted because of the top and bottom bands that attach it to the water bottle. making it about 1/2" shorter in length than the SPIbelt storage.

Is it comfortable?

It's very comfortable. The 16 oz bottle is not too heavy, where you feel like you're lugging around a huge weight and the elastic construction allows for a smooth customized fit. I guess it's also comforting to know where your keys are at all times, ha!

Where can I buy one?

You can either purchase from the SPIbelt website or through your local dealer.

Overall, this is a great product and I would recommend it to any serious runner looking for a great training tool to add to the arsenal. If you own one and would like to chime in on this review, please leave a comment below.

Train hard, Love harder.

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Dirt Truck!

2010-01-25T08:50:00.007-06:00

[Photo Credit: joefenstermaker]

I guess to relieve fears of the blog title.....I didn't get smoked by a dirt truck and I hope that would never happen, though it's a sad reality with cell phones these days.

The past few weeks have been heavily involved in getting back on the bike; dodging the cold and rain and hitting every opportunity for a ride over 45 degrees.

Getting back on the bike comes with all the small adjustments that you take for granted when your training in the heat of the season.

Part of that adjustment, for me, has been riding on the road and hearing the vehicles (18 wheelers or dump trucks) that most road cyclists fear coming from behind, only to feel that blast of wind that almost knocks you off the bike. LOL! I cringe every time I hear the down shifting or that whistling sound. Of course, this fear comes from me riding solo recently. It usually doesn't bother me in a pack because I'm looking up the road and at the wheel in front of me.

I've been hitting up the local YMCA when the wet and cold sets in. My focus in the gym is strictly on my legs and core. Strength is progressing a little but the main adjustment is getting the legs use to that constant, repetitive loading.

Another thing that I'm experimenting with on the bike is leaving the heart rate monitor at home and working from perceived effort alone, for my initial base work. I wanted to feel my way through base this time around. Whether that's smart or not, I'll defer to the peanut gallery. I was too reliant on my monitor last year and it's kinda cool feeling your way through an effort. It seems to make me more in tune with my body and not some number range that's up for debate. I don't have the greenbacks to drop on power training so I have to do what I have to do.

I've yet to review the SPIbelt water bottle and holder because I've yet to go out on any runs. That's going to have to change though because the Xterra Southeast Championship in Pelham, AL is a go. After word of a lack of funding and it not happening, the Xterra crew will be here on June 13th. So, that means running and swimming are involved for me, if I want to add this to the bucket list.

I'm also picking up some Red Bike Coffee today, for review. I'm tinkering with the idea of starting another site for coffee. Initial efforts have been made but we'll see how that turns out. I love some coffee and it's involved in the majority of our morning routines, especially cyclists.

Keep the pedals turning.

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To Learn or Not to Learn

2010-01-13T12:14:00.001-06:00

[ Photo Credit: ukultrarunner ]

This time last year I was stressing out about what training plan I was going to following for 2009 and I was starting a whole new plan of attack on my season. I had never wrote out a training plan or even knew how to for that matter. I pushed on though. This was about learning and not perfection.

I purchased Joe Friel's book, The Cyclist's Training Bible, and started devising a plan. I was pretty intimidated by the whole process and a bit worried if I could even pull off a training plan. What do I do? Do I add a weight lifting program, because some say not to? What is the "right" way to train? Why are there different methods? I had a ton of questions.

Anyways, so I wrote it all down, planned for the races to come and figured out when I was going to "peak" and all, as the book said. I didn't have a clue what it meant to actually "peak" in the physical sense of the word, although I'd heard the term thrown around by the elite level guys.

I built a huge base, relative to casual riding before and it showed early on in local training races. I felt more confident in my decisions to attack and being more than pack fill. Fitness was coming on and then I crashed during one of the training races and took a huge shot to my road psyche. Combine that with the speed wobbling issues later in the season and I just couldn't do the "plan" any justice on the road but stayed consistent on the mountain bike.

So, 2010 for me is all about learning from the mistakes that I made in 2009. Did I do everything right? Absolutely not but I learned. That's what this sport is about, learning and striving to get better in whatever areas you identify as weaknesses.

What areas are you learning and improving on this year?

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A New Canvas

2010-01-04T10:13:00.005-06:00

[Photo Credit: Syed Zaeem]

The start of a new season and a new year always welcomes the planning phase in sport and in life. Although I'm a huge procrastinator when it comes to life plans, because honestly it takes all the excitement out of spontaneity, it is absolutely needed in sport.

For some reason I have haven't implemented this practice in life yet. That's one of the things that I'm working for 2010. Life is more than just existing. There is a reason we are called human beings. We are beings, we are to be something, we have a purpose on this earth.

I always have some clarity as to what I want to accomplish in sport, I guess because there is a schedule to meet, dates for events and that sort of thing.

2010 looks to be exciting on the sport front. It seems the Alabama mountain bike community is desiring to start a statewide series that stretches from Huntsville to Mobile. The majority of these races already exist, they're trying to organize them to create a series, which is awesome. This will help build the competition throughout the state and bring exposure to the great trails that Alabama offers. Bring on the heat!

When it comes down to the plan that I want to put together.....I would like to participate in the full Alabama Mountain Bike Series, get in some swimming for the Xterra Southeast Championship (juries still out on a date), participate in some of the Xterra trail runs and attempt the full Bamacross. This plan is heavily weighted in cycling (off-road) but that is my passion and I still have a ton of room to grow. With my random nature, travel and work, I'm sure there will be some that I can't get to.

This week I'm trying to get motivated to start base training and I really need to sit down, pen to paper, and plan my peaks. I want to try some other methods of training and get some advice from others as to what has worked the best for them. If you have any advice, please leave a comment. Of course, the main goal is to get faster, ha!

What are your plans for sport or training in 2010?

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10 Things I Learned From Marathon Training

2009-12-24T00:17:00.003-06:00

Photo Credit: Brian Gudas

1) You don't have to be a "runner" to complete a Marathon. Although I did have some fitness that crossed over from a few years of cycling, I never ran more than a 5k, 2 to be exact.

2) Mental toughness is all of the battle. Distance running does have a component of physical conditioning, no doubt, but I experienced the same thoughts on a 3 mile run that I experienced on my 20 mile run. I always started with the end in mind and it was always the last mile that challenged me the most. It was equally as hard to push through the 3rd mile as the 20th mile.

3) Running discomfort can usually be fixed with small adjustments to form. I had to learn this through trial and error. I had to make adjustments to my upper body position because I was leaning to far forward in a sprinters position. By running more upright, it allowed me take some pressure off my shins, shin splints disappeared instantaneous.

4) Run with (or for) a cause. I showed pictures of the names on my arm, in my St Jude Marathon post. Every person on my arm, except Iris, represented some form of hurt or pain that I personally watch them endure. That allowed me to reflect on their pain when I had times for pain and suffering. This was my main motivation from miles 16 to 26.2.

5) Taking time to analyze injuries can only help your result/finish. Had I kept running in the shoe that I started with, it's possible that I wouldn't have crossed the finish line. You don't want to keep pushing through injuries when the only result is a longer recovery time for the next race.

6) Nip Chafing Sucks! I think it was after my first 9 miler that I discovered this nice nip burn during my post run shower. I soon after bought some Body Glide and applied it before every run over 5 miles but later resorted to clear duct tape. Don't laugh until you try it! I'm all about being cheap.

7) People are inspired by the efforts of others. I know for me, watching professional mountain biking, cycling or running makes me want to push myself to new heights. During my training, I witnessed several friends express interest in either running their first 5k or half marathon. Inspire others!

8) Have a realistic finishing goal. I went into this thing really unprepared. I didn't look at the course profile or consult others advice that might have ran on this course before. I paid for it dearly with all the small hills that were in the first half. My initial goal was 3:30 (flat terrain), my training time was around 3:50 (flat terrain) and my finishing time was 4:24:58 (hills). That's what happens when you don't train course specific. My calves and hamstrings were on fire! I should have ran with a dunce hat on.

9) There are different training methods. I really didn't learn more until after I finished my training but there are training methods that require less time but maybe more effort. I've read where some elite runners, like Ryan Hall, do track workouts, rather than just distance running all the time. That's what attracts me to any sport really....it's all about the learning. Do some research to see what might work for you. I think I might try another method next time.

10) I learned to love running. When I first started training, I'll admit, it sucked. I didn't want to run. I was in the boat with those that will only run if someone is chasing them. The less I thought about hating it and used this as a time to learn and just think about life in general, it was somewhat euphoric.

Thank you again for following my endeavors in running and this will probably only be the beginning. I hope that I've inspired at least one person to accomplish something that they thought was impossible. Keep the rubber side down, whether on foot or bike and strive for more than you are today.

Justin

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Review: SPIbelt

2009-12-14T17:44:00.018-06:00

Before Iris and I settled in our hotel room in Memphis last weekend, we had to stop by the St Jude Marathon Expo to pickup my participant packet. There were numerous vendors there with their products on display and I started thinking about where I was going to put the remainder of my gels, good time to think about that right?

I had enough room for two gels in my shorts but how was I going to carry 6 gels comfortably in my shorts, lol! Then, I see the attractive signs of SPIbelt and went to get in on the action. I left the expo with one in my bag and that's what brings me to this voluntary review for your benefit, out of admiration for the product.
The Small Personal Item belt exists because Kim Overton (SPIbelt creator) was out on a run one fall day and had no other place to put her car key, so she tucked it in her sports top. As frustrating as this was, she thought, "There's got to be a better way!" and went home that day to create the first ever SPIbelt (pronounced SPY-belt). She filed for a patent in February of 2007 and started the "small personal item belt" business. She sewed the first several hundred by hand and hired local help to continue the process. Thanks to her innovative efforts and persistance SPIbelt is still going strong and continuing to manufacture SPIbelts in Austin, TX, yes they're Made in the USA!

What does the SPIbelt do?

The SPIbelt covers a huge spectrum of small personal item storage while active:

Up to 5 GU packs ( I stored 4 Hammer Gels )
Car Keys
iPod/Zune
Blackberry
Passport Holder for Travel
Inhalers/Insulin Pumps

Don't let this list stop you from finding new uses for it, that's just a few. For me, I used it for storing my gels and a race number belt, after I purchased the race number toggles.

What are the SPIbelt's strengths?

Besides its sleek appearance and expandability, I say the SPIbelts main strength is its broad spectrum of uses and colors. There are really no limits to carrying your small personal items in it and if you are one of those people that likes everything to match....they have your color. They even have a Reflective SPIbelt for night runners/walkers and if you're still not satisfied, get yours customized.

Once you buy one, you can use it for anything and it's washer safe.

What are the SPIbelt's weaknesses?

It might be outside the price point for those that are thifty but how much would it cost to replace a lost/broken Blackberry or the electronic unlock key for your car? Convenience is King!

Is the SPIbelt comfortable to wear?

Yes, it's very comfortable to wear. It is specifically designed to not bounce while you are running or active. I purchased mine out of sheer spontaneity, strapped it on the next day and finished my marathon without previous use. Afterwords I was thinking....."You know, I really didn't notice this thing around my waste and it was loaded down with 4 Hammer gels."

Where can I buy one?

You can either purchase from the SPIbelt website or through your local dealer. If you purchase from the website, make sure you use the free shipping code: ship09.

When/If you purchase a SPIbelt please give me feedback on what you thought about the product and what application you found it to work best for you. I will be using mine mainly for easy access to my gels while racing bikes to prevent having to reach back to my jersey pockets and during my runs. Stay active!

I Finished!

2009-12-06T14:51:00.020-06:00

I can officially say that I've completed my hardest goal to date, finishing the St Jude Marathon in Memphis, TN and attempting to best my training by striving for the 3:30 hr mark.

The alarm went off at 5:30 am to the tune of 25*F outside. This was the day of reckoning, the day that I've prepared 18 weeks for. There was nothing else that I could do and if there was, it was too late now, ha!

Jason and I found the 3:30 hr pace group and decided that this was where we were going start and we would fade back if need be but not let the 3:40 hr pace group pass us. Those words would continually run through my head.

We started and the pace seemed pretty stout to me but I was hoping that my legs would get under me (usually happened around mile 6) and that I would get into a comfortable rhythm.

From the start we were hitting hills that I really couldn't bring life to by looking at the pre-race profile. The profile showed a gradual increase in elevation but the real life experience didn't compare to the profile. It seemed like every mile had a hill to it and I did absolutely no hill training, zilch!

I never felt strong. I never felt like I did in training. Did I start too fast? Was it because it was 25 freakin' degrees outside? Who knows, there were no excuses to comfort.

I hit the 13.1 mark on target but the half marathoners were pilling off to finish and we were only half way. Talking about a lonely feeling. The wrath of the effort behind me was becoming evident at this point and when I reached mile 16 the mental training took over. The reality that I wasn't going to finish what I started began to wear on me. I would stop for water and the start back was a constant reminder of weakness and pain. My calves and hamstrings wouldn't go anymore and I had 10.2 miles to go. I was broken, more than I'd ever thought of being on a bike.

The miles got longer and even trying to empathize with the pain the St Jude kids were in and the pain that I witnessed through the people written on my arm couldn't bring me to run, I was now walking trying to analyze what needed to happen. There was no option to stop, I was finishing. Was my finish time goal too lofty? Well, that was now a reality too.

The slope of some of the roads were killing my right side and hammering the tendon that gave me so much trouble earlier in this process. Whose idea was it to use this road to run off camber on? I kept having to zigzag from top to bottom because there was not a flat surface.

I finally reached mile 23 by walking and running on and off. It didn't matter how much pain I was in, I was running to that finish line because, after all, this wasn't for me, this for those that supported my effort and mainly for Jason and the other St Jude kids. I finally found comfort in my discomfort and began passing those that passed me, each one charging me more.

That last mile felt like 3 and then to hear the course marshall say "one more hill!" really kinda pissed me off, if I'm honest.

I crested the hill and made the left turn to see the people standing at the entrance to the stadium that we would run into. Emotion was overcoming me, tears welling up from thoughts of Iris' Grandfather's battle with cancer, celebration of the survival of a friend that money couldn't buy and now a goal that 18 weeks ago seemed like the biggest mountain to face.

I ran into the stadium and for a moment felt famous. People in the stands, supporting people they didn't know but it for one cause and that was for St Jude and the generousity that these doctors and nurses show on a daily basis.

I crossed the line at 4:24:58, crushed, beat down and thankful for the experience, although painful, worth it.

You know, I had my goal as far as time, and that was a small part of my motivation, but my friend Jason (pic above) was laying in a St Jude hospital bed 14 years ago with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in excruciating pain from the liner of his heart swelling from the effects of chemo. It wouldn't be fair to say that my fear of crossing the finish line was equal to his fear of survival. For me the biggest part of this was celebrating his remission and celebrating the life of a person that's studying to be the exact doctor that helped treat his disease.

This post can't go without thanking my beautiful wife, Iris, that endured the lacked of hangout time so that I could complete this thing.

Before I started, I asked Iris to write some names on my wrist that would remind me of pain and suffering that I've witnessed others go through. This would be part of my motivation when pain set in. It would remind me that nothing that I could experience on this day could compare to what I watched them endure with my own eyes. Then, she put her name also for good measure and support.

These people amaze me....he finished before me, pushing a full grown guy.

This is what I look like after 26.2 miles of misery, lol! I couldn't even step off the street curb after this pic. Blasted.
This was for you buddy. Glad to have a friend that is the perfect picture of a miracle. This was nothing compared to what you endured. Thanks St Jude!

It's On!

2009-11-30T12:01:00.009-06:00

This is the start of week 18, the last and final week of my marathon training. I'm excited but still anxious about the final outcome. I've followed "the plan" as close as possible, except maybe some extra days off to rest the foot when the shoe problems started.

Changing the shoes seems to have solved the problem. I guess I'll know more when I run on Sat. My running volume has decreased but I'm not getting the outside pressure that I was getting from the other shoe.

While on that note, please don't take my foot issue as a slap on Nike. I want my problem to encourage others to find the right shoe for them because there is a such thing as a shoe "fitting", just like a bike "fits" you. For the product that works for you and run with it. Ha!

This week is 3 miles on Tues, 4 miles on Wed, rest on Thurs and Fri and then the sound of the gun at 8:00 am on Sat for the St Jude Marathon in Memphis, TN.

Even though I've ran 20 miles and know that I'm fully capable of finishing, adding 6.2 more miles just blows my mind because I was feeling it at mile 16 on the 20 miler. During this whole process I've been in numerous conversations with non-runners and a common thread is them referring to it as a 26 mile run. Ha! It might just be me but that .2 is very important. I'm excited to get this one under the belt or the feet that is. I'm really missing the bike.

I've started writing my plan for 2010 and it may involve some Xterra trail runs. The next daunting task ahead is learning to swim distance because the ultimate goal is Ironman Florida but that may be a few years from now. I talked about doing the Xterra Southeast Championship last year but I want to follow through with it this year, it's not on the Xterra calender yet though. Of course, I will try to hold my own at the Bump N Grind.

Bump N Grind this year will be 1 f 6 UCI sanctioned events in the US and the only one in the Southeast, although there are the SERC races that are part of the Kenda Cup. So, that means we will be watching the best of the best throw-down again in Birmingham, AL.

Ok, enough rambling for the week. Next post will be my Marathon result and lessons learned in going from 5k to Marathon. Don't forget to share the Cornbread and follow @justinpoland on Twitter.

Marathon Week 16

2009-11-19T19:45:00.036-06:00

This is a mixed post because I'm technically in week 16 of 18 right now; week 15 was the climax of my training but I was too blasted to write anything.

The new shoes are doing great. It seems the self diagnosis was correct and the tenderness is slowly receding. The legs adjusted pretty well to less arch support, which I'm building my own theories on after reading about the barefoot runners. We'll leave that for another post.

This past weekend before my long awaited 20 miler, the boys and I loaded up for our traditional November camping trip to the Sipsey Wilderness, which is the third largest US wilderness east of the Mississippi River. I couldn't wait to get to our camping spot with the viewpoint of the pic above. Beautiful.

I guess what makes this trip so special is the fact that we just get to be a bunch of dudes sitting around the camp fire with no plans or worries except maybe what we're going to eat next, ha!

We woke on Saturday morning to a cool 40* F temperature and luckily my sleeping bag was rating for just that temp. I was like a little kid though because I couldn't wait to wake to the smell of campfire and the taste scrambled eggs with cheese, bacon and some smooth community coffee. Hold. Let me wipe my mouth.

After breakfast we struck out on a hike that's in the middle of one of the most beautiful places that Alabama has to offer in my opinion. I think the trail is just over 2 miles but your attention is so rapped up in your surroundings it would probably take you about 3 hours one-way.

Small waterfall after small waterfall and rock face after rock face, just amazing scenery to say the least. Too bad it's not too mountain bike friendly.

After jumping in what had to be about 35* F water, we made out way back to pack-up and head back to reality. I tell you that stream would make for the best ice bath a cyclist could stand. I probably should have stayed a little while longer to prep the legs real good for the next days run.

So, Sunday I woke and you would have sworn it was race day. I'd never ran 20 miles before but it was staring me in the face daring me to try. I strapped on the new Asics and it was party time until about mile 16.

If you've been following previous post you know that I've been taking on 8 ounces of water and a gel every 4 miles, that seems to be to right amount for me. Well, when I started back after mile 16, the legs didn't like it, the muscles weren't firing. I was experiencing something foreign to my training, no range of motion, lol! Not good.

I did like every other stubborn endurance athlete would do and started running, not painful, just stiff. They finally loosened about 1/2 mile later and I was on my way to reaching a goal never achieved....20 miles!

I finished in exactly 3:00 hrs with a 9:00 min/mile pace and there was a huge weight lifted from my shoulders, I had reached the pinnacle of my training. Sigh.

I'm very thankful that I've reached this point with no major injuries, considering I've never previously ran more than a 5k. I'm now a little more than 2 weeks out and I'm ready to tack on another 6.2 miles. I'm still battling a realistic finishing goal. I want a 3:30 so bad but I wouldn't be disappointed with a 3:40-3:45.

Oh yeah, check out the new Switchfoot and John Mayer CDs, great running music.

Sloss Cross / Marathon Week 14

2009-11-10T08:35:00.017-06:00

I'm still trying to sort through what exactly is causing the pain on the outside of my right foot but I do have some thoughts as to what the problem was, hoping it's fixed. After some pretty intense internal/mental battles as to what was going on, I turned to the design of the shoe, mainly the area that I was having the pain.

I noticed that the Nike Structures that I was using had a pretty heavy material that provided mid/outside shoe support but was right on the Tuberosity of my 5th Metatarsal Bone, which you can see in the pic below.
Then, the more I thought about it, I felt like the midsole of the shoe could be a bit too narrow for me and I could possibly be getting too much support on the outside. So, I went to discuss the issue with the nice young lady at Trak Shak in Trussville.

I tried on about 3 different shoes from the "support" grouping of shoes and they all had me pinched on my outside arch. I could tell instantly, we had to find something different. So, she moved me to the "neutral" group and we finally came up with a shoe that is going to do the trick.

I committed the ultimate running sin and brought these babies out on my planned 14 mile run. I had no choice. It was either continue running on what was ruinning my foot or run in the new Asic Gel-Numbus 11's. Although there was still some sensitivity from the previous shoe, they still carried me on a 9:08 pace.

I still have some concern of whether I have carried the injury too far and possibly fractured it...we'll see what happens.

Sunday was Sloss Cross at the historic Sloss Furnaces in Birmingham as part of the Bamacross Series. I had planned to just go watch the CCR crew but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to race. I knew I had nothing to really give competitively, especially after running 14 on Saturday but I loaded up the equipment anyways.

There's a ton of history at this place and quite the photographers haven if you're the industrial type.

It was cool. I didn't get race jitters like normal because I didn't have any expectations and it was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I was interested to see what my body would do on the bike considering my aerobic marathon training.

As you can see in this picture, I think I was breathing heavy before I ever toed the line or maybe I was just running my mouth, ha! I was about to get DESTROYED in my first cyclocross race ever but I didn't care. Sometimes it's fun to get dismantled so that I appreciate the fitness I do have when anaerobic training.

The field was HUGE! I think there was 50+ guys in our CX4/CX5 race and around 60 on the course at the same time when they released the juniors. Crazy but fun.

This race helped me appreciate cyclocross freaks and realize how much running up 10-12 steps and jumping these wooden barriers packing a 27 lb mountain bike really zaps the energy level. I hung in there though. The results were jacked because there were so many people and lapped riders got in the main mix but I think I finished somewhere in the middle of the pack. It was cool just hanging with the CCR crew and watching them dominate to bring in like 4-5 podiums.

So, next up is the longest week of my marathon training. This week is 5-10-5-20 according to Mr. Hal Higdon. Then, it's taper time. I've never really experienced a proper taper so I looking forward to it. Keep the shoes strapped and the chains lubed!

Born to Run?

2009-11-05T21:10:00.009-06:00

What started out as a conversation with my friend Shane about running, expressing the concerns that I had about my shoes causing pain, sent me on an all out hunt for more information about this "running tribe" that he heard about on NPR.

My initial search brought up a fairly recent book called Born to Run by Christopher McDoughall. In this book he talks about how the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico’s Copper Canyon not only hunt for food by running it down but they don't have the Nike, K-Swiss or Puma shoes to run in like most modern runners. So what do they run in you ask....Huarache Sandles.

What's more fascinating is that there are claims that they pretty much run injury free because the foot is allowed to strengthen and move freely like it's designed to do. Imagine that!

Here's a little more on what inspired Chris to write the book about them.

In digging a little deeper I stumbled on this very interesting article, from 2002, that discussed that there are actually two very common "running tribes", the Kalenjin's of Kenya and the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico. It seems that now the Kalenjin's are being exploited for olympic/international sport and the Tarahumara's are still running their traditional running competitions and are relatively unknown to modern sport.

I also ran across this article from 1997 by John Manners, in The Sports Historian, that discusses the Kalenjin's and their competition history.

Anyways, to say the least, this brief glimpse into the life of these two tribes has challenged me to re-think modern running (not that I knew anything) and not except the norms that the "experts" promote......these people were born to run, argue with that. I can't wait to order Born to Run.

Oh and there's even a Minimalist Runner Google Group that started from this!

Wanna help develop a product?

2009-11-05T08:27:00.004-06:00

I have been developing a product for over a year now and I'm looking for some help from my readers. I am doing market research to develop a product for cyclist/runners/swimmers. If you would take 30 seconds to fill out this survey, I would greatly appreciate it.

Click Here to take survey

Another marathon training update is coming soon.

- Justin

Gary Fisher's take on the 29'er

2009-11-01T09:13:00.010-06:00

Here's Gary's new creation.....The Superfly 100
What's your take on the 29'er trend? Leave a comment.

Marathon Training - Week 11

2009-10-17T13:41:00.007-05:00

Well it's the end of week 11 and there is no better way to top it off than to run a 16 miler, right? I have to be honest and say that I was dreading it. Besides the fact that I feared the way my body would react, it was 46 degrees to the tune of 12-15 mph head winds. Enough whining.

The miles are behind me now and the body is holding up pretty good. Earlier this week I had some left achilles soreness and that's really the main reason I feared today's run. I skipped my 4 mile run on Thurs to give a little more recovery time and not overwork it and that seemed to help. I also have some slight soreness where my IT band connects to the outside of my right foot but I will discuss my experiment with that later.

I my previous post I threw some ignorance out there about nutrition during running and got some response from others concerning the issue. It's not that I've never dealt with sports nutrition, I was just curious what runners would recommend, since I come from the cycling world.

With all that said, I'm still experimenting with some things. The pic above shows what I used for today's run. I tried the GU Orange Burst and the Tri-Berry. Then, I tried some Orange Clif Shot Bloks. For my bottles I mixed 2 scoops of Lemon Lime HEED (I would rather Melon) per bottle.

It seemed to do the trick energy-wise. Every 4th mile I would take a GU packet (100 calories per packet) and chase that with about 8 ounces of HEED (70 calories). I might increase depending on how the 20 miler feels. I could feel some fatigue toward the end and I can't have that with 10 more miles to push through.

The shoes about 250 miles into the journey

I ran the fastest I've ever ran today.....with the winds. I started this process with a 10 min/mile and I'm pretty pumped to say that the pace has come down to a 8:45 min/mile. That's on target for a 3 hr 50 min marathon and I initially wanted to be under 4 hr 30 min. Should I push to get to 3 hr 30 min? Ha! Ironman professionals run 2:40-2:50 marathons after swimming 2.4 miles and biking 112 miles. Sick! Oh well, that's why they get paid and I have my dinky little blog.

So the issue with my foot. Since I have a ton of time to think while running, I just start analyzing everything....how my foot's striking the ground, how I'm holding my arms and hands, etc. Well this pain that I dealt with a while back started coming back and it was the outside of my foot where my IT band connects. While running it hit me.....DUH!

When they design roads they design them so that they "crown" in the middle and slope to the outside. So when I was running towards on-coming traffic my right foot was not landing flat but I was technically landing on the outside of my foot, causing aggitation at the IT connection point. I say that to advise switching up the sides of the road that you run, if you start noticing this problem or if you have the option of running on a more flat surface, have at it. This is just something I've had problems with.

It's been really cool to go through this process and I am living proof that anyone can run a marathon. I'm not a runner but the more I do it, I can see how some people like it. Will I do everything perfect, absolutely not but it's the learning that attracts me.
Thanks for reading and safe running.

Marathon Training - Week 7

2009-09-18T11:03:00.007-05:00

Marathon training is going well, so far. Sorry for the lack of pics but it's not as easy to carry a camera while running as it is riding a bike.

The first couple of weeks consisted of my leg joints getting aquainted with the constant pounding and me battling thoughts of quiting. I had a ton of weakness in the my shins causing shin splits but through pushing through some of the pain and some adjustments to running form, I'm on my way to the 26.2.

To address my adjustment in form, I had to adjust my upper body more than anything because I found myself in more of a sprinters position, I guess around 80 degrees or so. I came to this discovery during one of my runs when my shins were starting to hurt. I took the pressure off the front of my legs by trying to get as close to 90 degrees as possible, bringing my hips forward and running in more an upright position. I'm not saying this is scientific or that I even consulted any expert advice on marathon running, just simply trial and error.

I'm now on week 7 and my longest run so far is 10 miles, I'm running 12 tomorrow. I'm averaging anywhere from a 10 to 12 minute pace depending on the terrain. I never thought that I could possibly run for 1:30 to 2 hours, just insane for me to think about. I've noticed that aerobically I'm fine, it's just the mental training that goes into pushing pass the realities I'm use to.

Another thing I wasn't prepared for was eating while running. I ran my 10 miler with nothing but water and a small bit of Gatorade. Stupid! I was paying for it when got back to the car. I'll have to do some brainstorming to see how that's going to happen. Any tips?

That's it for now. I'm coming for you Memphis!

Summer Update

2009-07-26T14:06:00.004-05:00

It's been a great summer so far. I'd be lying if I said that I'm not enjoying my time off the bike. I haven't been on 2 wheels in about 2 months. I have been out to Oak Mountain once to ride around with Iris and a friend to introduce our friend to mountain biking. I did one fast lap around the family trail and my lungs were on fire, lol.

I ended my last post by mentioning my next endeavor of running in the St. Jude Marathon in Memphis. I was looking at my calender the other day and the official start day for training is Aug 8th. This past week I ran 3 consecutive days of 2 miles a day just to see how the body reacted and other than the joints adjusting to the pounding, the muscles were fine. Of course, that's about a 10-11 minute mile pace. I was planning on running everyday up to Aug 8th but life got in the way this week.

Watching the hightlights of the Tour was awesome. It would have been cool to see Lance win number 8 but I have a feeling that he gained more confidence from this year's race and will bring out all stops next year on the Radio Shack team. Which, by the way, who saw that coming? I wonder if the rumors of Contador going to Garmin is true?

In dirt news, the Canadian World Cup races have started. I don't really follow the World Cup races enough to be versed in results but I do know that the US is really showing strong in all the World Cups. Of course, Absalon is flawless in pretty much every race.

That's all I have right now. Don't really know how this running thing is going to shake out but this is a start to something new. It's almost time to strap on the serious running shoes!

Bump N Grind - US Cup #3

2009-06-03T21:22:00.008-05:00

The 2nd stop on the US Cup/Kenda Cup East circuit stopped in Pelham, AL to shred the same course the the Xterra crew did the week before, the "Red Trail" at Oak Mountain State Park. This stop didn't just bring the racing but the new toys not yet released. The bike above is Sam Schultz's brand new Gary Fisher Superfly 100 29'er, not in stores yet.

If your not fimiliar with it, it's because I witnessed one of the first assemblies of this beaut. Matte (G/S mechanic) even said that it was from the first production batch, it had a #3 on the shock swing arm. This is the full suspension version of the hardtail Superfly that was released last year. Just looks fast, plus they were running the new Bontrager XR1 Team Issue tire and the new SRAM XX mountain groupset that added to the appeal. NICE!

Then, we moved on to the Gary Fisher/Subaru 4 wheel edition, yes, it's turbo. They have it goin' on, that's for sure.

It was cool to see pretty much all the stud (women are studs too) US mountain bikers throw-down. There were 71 Pro men and 30+ Pro women. We were standing on the edge of the road when the men went off and it was amazing to feel the rush of wind when they past, those guys can fly!

The pro call-up was awesome. It was the first time that I've experienced any pro race of this magnitude. I was like the kid whose hand was stuck in the cookie jar because he had two cookies instead of one......that was me, too much to see.

My start was earlier that morning at 9 am. This was the time that I was preparing for the whole year. This was where racing began for me and I guess that's why I feel so drawn to this event. Plus, you can't turn down racing on the finest course in the southeast US.

I was standing at the line surveying the competition and my placement in the race kept moving further and further back because there were some serious racers in this group. I raced one guy in Montgomery last year and he straight "ripped some legs off." So, I really didn't have time to get the gitters before they said go. The problem I've had in the past is a bad start, not getting good position before entering the woods. This time I entered the singletrack in about 5th or 6th.

I stayed in within my abilities the whole time, never really riding above my head. We entered the first fire road and this where I would usually fade because the pace ramps for better position. Well, that didn't seem like a problem this year. We had already dropped the rest of the pack so we were left with the top 6 to battle. Once we entered the next part of singletrack I had lost the train but I was pinned and needed to recover a bit. Placement pretty much stayed the same until about 6-7 miles into the 17 mile loop. This is where the fun began, at the base of "the climb."

I exit the singletrack that dumps onto another jeep road and begins the 1-2 mile climb with 600 ft of elevation gain. Well, I see guy in a Georgia Tech jersey look back to check me. I marked him and he knew that I knew......it was on. He would charge to drop me but I wasn't having that, I trained to dang much for that to happen. I charged to gain control, he'd ramp again. So, I kept the climbing pace high so that he would keep pushing hard. I was the stronger climber and I was hoping he would fade. He lead me the whole rest of the course, sometimes out of site on the down hills and flats. I finally caught him with 1 mile left on a twisty/winding part of the trail. I had him turn for turn, literally 6 inches separating my front wheel and his rear wheel. The only way that I could beat him now was him going down or out sprinting him at the finish.

We exit the trail and climb a short hill towards the finish and he has me by 3 bike lengths. I hear my name called and adrenaline rushes through me. We enter the straight-a-way to the finish and I gas around the right side, gaining ground, sprinting, sprinting and finish line. We literally crossed wheel for wheel to tie at 1:22:19 for 5th place. The line judge said that he crossed the line first but I was hoping for a dance off. I finished in 6th and 2 min off my target time of 1:20.

Looking back I could have pushed harder and reached my goal but that's life. I can't say I didn't put in a good effort with an average heartrate of 186 and a max of 195. That's pretty much pinned for me but my legs still had more to give.

Here's David Creasy, the guy I battled with. Thanks Dave for the hardest racing I've done in a while.

Great weekend of racing and race watching. Looking back on "the plan", I didn't get in all that I wanted to. I'm really lacking in the endurance area and I could really tell. I'm thankful for a good clean race. I didn't flat or crash but I did clip a tree with my shoulder and it almost dismounted me.

I got rest this week and then the focus will turn toward the St Jude Marathon on Dec 5th. Full on training starts first week of August. I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't nervous. My friend Jason was diagnosed with Leukemia when we were in Jr High and we will be running this together in celebration of his remission. It's going to hurt but not even close to what I watched him endure. This is to you my friend.

You Live, You Learn

2009-05-26T11:42:00.011-05:00

It's been a while since I've written anything significant but I hope that I can redeem Cornbread & Shiftin' with this post, lol.

Iris and I got to see Kenny Chesney in concert week before last. I guess you could say I'm fairly open-minded when it comes to music, that's another passion of mine. Iris insisted that we play the role and dress the part, open-minded with dress? I have to say, the guy can entertain, good times.

Training the past two weeks has been climbing specific and I hope that I've hammered it enough. I was able to ride with Dan Hugo, Craig Evans and Casey Fannin this past weekend. The plan was an "easy" ride to check the course for the Xterra Southeast Championship. I found myself gas-ed at times trying to find that extra gear while they were catching up on conversation. The whole time I was thinking, "Hey guys, don't worry about me, I'm just hanging back to make sure no one sneaks up on ya'll." It was a blast but they're on a different level, made me aware of how far I have to go to race at that level.

This Sunday is the day of reckoning, all excuses are out the window and it's put up or shut up. I really enjoy this race, wish I could say the same about the suffering. This course is so dynamic and it will humble the best of riders. One minute your dodging trees, crossing bridges and the next your negogiating a collection of rocks called "Blood Rock" after you've just left your lungs about a mile and a half back on "the climb".

This week is final preparations and some rest for the legs. If you're in the area, come check it out.

Dan Hugo

Iris and I housed Dan Hugo for the Xterra Southeast Championship this past weekend, after our meeting a year ago. Our relationship started in Cahaba Cycles-Pelham last year after being drawn by the South African accent and the curiousity built to get to know the person behind the name. Wow, I don't know if there's anyone that has made a huge impact on your life but Dan is on my list of inspiring people.

I wish there were enough words that I could write to express his depth but I'm sure I would fail to capture it. He challenged us in every area of ours lives this weekend and specifically world travel. The past two years of communication with Dan has encouraged me to explore more of the world, through Google Earth (the cheap route), reading and the thought of possibly traveling Europe some day.

He endured a million questions from me about his training, equipment and future aspirations. We talked Specialized World Cup mountain biking, wheelsets, seatposts, faster ways to transition and the list goes on. His passion for people and knowledge amazes me and I really appreciate the time that we've shared.

There's one comment that stood out to me when we were talking this weekend and I hope you can claim it too. We were talking about trimming the weight of a bike for racing and he said, "After you've done all that you can do on the bike and off the bike, then you worry about bike weight." Basically, what he was saying is after you've done all the things that you can do to get physically fit and all that you can do with the handling of the bike (lines to take, cornering and such), then you're ready work on the bike weight.

I guess that was so profound to me because average athletes, including myself, get so caught up in the equipment part of things that they neglect seeing they're lack of skills. We think that a lighter bike will make us faster when in reality, maybe it's spending that money on a coach or riding with more experienced riders to watch the lines that they take.

Anyways, this post is way too long but I wanted to give a shout out to Dan and let him know that I appreciate the talks and the change that he's encouraged in my life. I hope I've given a small glimpse into the life of an incredible person. Go Dan!

He's Going the Distance.....

2009-05-10T10:51:00.004-05:00

As I expressed last week, I'm not feeling race fit at all, mainly because I haven't been able to work on all the pieces to the puzzle. I've been severely lacking in the endurance area because of all the out of town trips of late.

Well, that all came to an end this week (this blog keeps me honest). I was able to put together a decent week in terms of endurance. Tuesday was more strength/hill work, had a meeting Thursday night so that shot the interval session, Friday I picked up a 30 miler with a friend from work and Saturday I got in 60 on the CCR group ride. Friday I found my legs struggling to wake up for the ride ahead, probably because of the 20 mph head wind but man it definately opened them up for Saturday. I was able to test the climbing legs on the rollers and hills, which I found a significant delay in lactate, I felt strong, they were taking the challenge for sure. Then, at times I was eating and the pack would gap me but I used that as practice bridging gaps, tapping on 32 mph at times........flats I could hold 25-26 pretty comfortable. I did find my heartrate to be a bit escalated, not from over training as we know. So, there is some conditioning that needs to take place.

I would like to be getting in some mountain bike sessions but looks like the rain is never going to stop here in the Ham. All this past week was spotted rain and earlier in the week some tornado action going on. It makes afternoon workouts dang near impossible but I was able to hit some of the breaks in the weather and thankfully have a nice weekend of training.

I've been following the US Xterra circuit that kicked off in Las Vegas last weekend and it looks like it's going to be scap for the US title. Josiah Middaugh gave Conrad Stoltz a run for his money and Dan Hugo was not far behind and is not really on form yet. These guys make this sport look so easy, there's no doubt they're world class.

Xterra lands in Alabama on May 24th at Oak Mountain State Park and I can not wait to watch these guys throw-down. I was going to do this race but if you've been following, there hasn't been any posts about me drowning in a pool. Gosh, I suck at swimming. Anyways, I'll get to spend some time with my friend Dan Hugo as he'll be staying with my wife and I through the weekend of the race. He's an amazing person, just wish he lived in the states and not in South Africa. Go Dan!

Another thing is Scott Tedro and Manny Prado of the Sho-Air Specialized team were in town weekend before last, scouting the course for the second stop on the Kenda Cup East circuit. Goosh, I have a feeling this is going to be the biggest race this course has ever seen. Big ups to Scott Tedro for his dedication to the sport and the boldness that his has shown for stepping into a failing series and putting his money where is mouth is to show that the US can support a national mountain bike circuit. Every race has produced higher numbers than ever seen before.

That's all for now. Maybe I can find more breaks in the weather this week, urrrgh. Lord, I'm thankful for the rain but could I get two more weeks of good training in?

Family Values

2009-05-03T16:38:00.008-05:00

The past few weeks have been really nothing but family time and very little training to speak of, maybe three sessions in two weeks.

Weekend before last Iris and I made the trip to Baton Rouge, LA to spend some time with her family that we only really get to see maybe once a year. Bummer. So, Abby got us some LSU Baseball tickets and we watched LSU bring it to Auburn. It was cool watching two hommers back to back. The new Alex Box Stadium was unbelieveable. If you're ever in BR you have to stop in and see a game.

After the game we made a visit to Tony's Seafood to load-up on about 25 pounds of crawfish. Man, I've been waiting to eat crawfish since last year. I don't get those simple pleasures to often now that I live in Alabama. Overall.......awesome weekend with family, doesn't happen enough.

This past week I was able to get in two quality sessions, a climbing/strength session on Tuesday and some anaerobic stuff on Thursday. A weekend of training was out of the question because it was time for the annual BE&K (the company I work for) Fishing Tournament that my dad and I fish every year now. He drives up from LA with his boat and we fish our arms off. Friday was practice on Logan Martin and Saturday was time to "wack'um". I wasn't ready for the 4:15 am wake-up time on Sat morning.

As you can tell from the pic above, we were successful in our efforts, 2nd place out of 22 boats and big bass. My dad landed a 6.78 lb monster that tipped the scales in our favor. It was exhilirating to say the least. So, I'll take a missed weekend of training any day to see my dad that happy. We don't get to fish often enough.

It's going to rain all week in the Ham so I guess there will be some trainer work in the mix, which I'm not too excited about. I think Saturday I'm going to prepare to get soaking wet because my long rides are non-existent and I need the endurance work. 24 days until go time and my fitness is not even close to race fit. I'm just trying to keep it all in prospective and just give it all that I can til May 31st.

Redemption

2009-04-20T11:30:00.010-05:00

The beginning of this week was pretty much the lowest I've ever been as far as not reaching goals and being frustrated with not being able to lay it all out on the line because of the bike issues. I was set on strictly training on the mountain bike, which was ok with me but not really ok with some of my training partners. I was just mentally exhausted from trying to diagnose the bike and had pretty much just given up on my road stuff for a while. This might sound a bit ridiculous but that's the reality I was stuck in for the time being.

Then, I'm in the Cahaba Cycles in Pelham, AL on Monday and Chris Storie asked me what we were going to do with the bike situation and I told him that I thought that I was just stuck with the dealings of the bike since everything check out fine, mechanically. He said "no", that the store was going to make it right and that I needed to pick out a new sled to ride the rest of the year. At that moment a huge weight was lifted and my season was restored just that quickly. So, I didn't hesitate, I picked one out. Now I'm cruising on the Trek 2.3. I upgraded a tad but I can only race what I can replace. She's beaut and way more stiffer than Lemond was.

I was able to get some descent sessions in this week, mainly riding and getting aquainted with the new setup. Looks like she can take some downhills and corners without wobbling, that's all I'm asking for. I'm still having to sort through all the mental stuff but it's coming along ok.

Yesterday was the Attack on Swayback and man I was ready to get some mountain bike action. Larry Stanley (CCR) and I drove down to Wetumpka, AL to get in on it after watching the weather to make sure there were no tornado warnings popping off everywhere.

I raced Sport 19-29 or Cat 2, however you view it. We toed the line and we were off to suffer. For some reason I couldn't get clipped fast enough and lost a few spots before hitting the singletrack but managed to hit it in 5th. We were juking and jiving through the tight, tight singletrack and I could tell that riding road too much took a little away from the snappy handling but it wasn't too terribly bad. About 3/4 of the way into the 8.7 mile course I could feel the legs start to tighten. This course is hard to hydrate on because it's tight and rooty and the roots will take you down in a heartbeat. So, I started taking on some melon HEED on the small flat sections and downing it on the few longer flats.

I remained in 5th I guess until about a 1/4 into the 2nd lap (hard to tell when there are so many riders on the course at once) and two other guys got by me. The calories and water started to kick in and the legs loosened but I still felt like I just couldn't deliver the power to catch the guys ahead. I could hear them, just not catch them. I ended the day in 7th with 1:33 but shaved 3 min off my previous years time. Improvements are all that matter to me. Larry smoked 1st in 40+ catergory. He came flying by me like a shot.

Overall, great course and now I know what I need to work on for the Bump N Grind.........climbing and power/strength. I would like to try and break the 1:20 mark, which is 7 min faster than last year's time with the crashes and mechanicals.

It felt good to finally just all out race and not worry about anything but hammering. If you ever consider buying parts or bikes outside of a bike shop.....don't forget my story, the shops have warranties too. From here on will be hills and strength. Catcha on the flip side!

New Rider Wanted

2009-04-12T10:20:00.010-05:00

Another anaerobic week in the books and man are these weeks humbling. The heartrate's so jacked that you feel your moving along at a snails pace, only hoping that the result will be of some gain.

I got in two hard interval sessions on Tuesday and Thursday. This week I decided to do some pyramid work where the recovery period matches the previous effort, 1-1-2-2-3-3, etc. I'm good until I get to the top end of the pyramid, maxing at a 4 min effort. Afterwards the body is saying thank you but during, you're seeing things fly you never thought could fly, lol.

This week built toward one of the races that I've been waiting to experience, Ride to Live. Like I stated last week, Barber's Motorsports Park is a world renown road race course that gets the attention of car geeks from every walk of life, Indy Car and Porsche, as well as the Honda Superbike event. I was talking to one of the race marshalls and he said that the Indy cars will make this 2.3 mile lap in somewhere around 1-1:30min. The Cat 5's made 6 in about 45 min with an average of about 23 mph. So, you can only imagine the speeds the cars reach.

We lined up for our wonderful 7:30 am start.....nothing like going from pj's to licra. The race was underway and I was in the middle hoping the others would shield from the stout winds on the back side. I think I made it all of one lap because the Lemond wasn't handling the sharp turns and corners too well so I immediately drifted to the back to keep from injurying others and struggled to regain confidence. I pulled the plug on the pack and decided to use this as time trail practice, which I got to see 30 mph on the front straight, not that it mattered at the time.

I've decided to sell the road bike and step away from road for a while until I can save the coin for another race bike, don't know when that will be. I've had the frame alignment checked by the shop and the Trek rep and they seem to think it's a "fit" issue, which I can say the issue did arise after some adjustments were made to my saddle position. I also need to clear my mind of all the mishaps that have happened so far this year. From here on out I will be training specifcally on my mountain bike and training as hard as possible to redeem the year on May 31 at BNG. All criticisms are welcome.

After the morning of racing (riding really), Iris and I went to see Wicked at the BJCC in downtown B'ham. She's been enduring all my bike racing stuff so the least I could do was treat her to a broadway play. I have to say it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I'm not a play/skit kinda guy.

Since I'm switching to all mountain bike training this week, I will be racing the Attack on Swayback in Wetumpka, AL to see where the mountain bike racing fitness is. It's going to be a good time I know. It's a brutal course.....it should be called the Attack on Switchback because I swear I was changing directions a million times last year. I'm looking forward to it though. It's all out hammering and I don't have to worry about taking anyone down but myself, LOL!

Ripples to Waves

2009-04-02T12:44:00.013-05:00

I wish that I could say that last week was the most amazing training week that I've had thus far........far from it. Not that it was a bad week, just nothing significant. The past two weeks have been super packed with non-training stuff. Weekend-before-last was spent at the lake, as you know, which I got in one not-so-solid mountain bike ride. This past week involved one solid interval session on Tuesday, a recovery ride on Wednesday and Thursday thru Sunday I was in Sandestin, FL for a bachelor party with an average bedtime of 4 am and all I got in was a 4 mile run around the resort after being rained in the whole weekend. It hurt but I was tired of sitting in the condo eating. We did get to see the sun for about an hour on Saturday while at the beach and it was absolutely amazing weather for the drive home Sunday.

By the way, if you look at the pic above, our condo was the red 3-story condo in the middle of the pic. PIMP! It overlooked all the happenings in the Village at Baytowne Wharf. I think it was valued somewhere around $1.2-$1.8 million.

This week the chaos settled (except for the sinus infection) and I was able to focus a little. I spun out the legs on Monday to get the junk out from the weekend (lots of junk) and prep for the training week ahead. Tuesday and Thursday consisted of 3 x 6min cruise intervals on the trainer because of rain, Wednesday and Friday were my recovery spins around Oak Mountain, and yesterday was the Hoover Cycling Festival.

This was my first crit of the season and I was really looking forward to placing, at least in the top 5 of the Cat 5 race. All my teammates were racing the Cat 5 35+ race so I was racing solo. I'd never raced solo and I wanted to try something new just to see what would happen so my plan was to light it up from the word "go". I know that's a stupid plan but hey you don't know unless you've tried.

I lit it up on the first lap hoping that I would have some guys come with me for a break. I led the first lap but couldn't get a break and now I was wondering why I had that thought for racing a crit. It's alot harder to get a break in a crit than a road race, in my opinion. Well, I burned most of my matches and the peloton swallowed me up like I was sitting still. I couldn't recover enough to hang on and I couldn't carry my speed through the turns because of the wobble situation at high speeds. I even changed out the wheelset for this race and I'm still having issues.

Long story short, I ended up dropping off the back, chasing, heartrate jacked to about 187 the whole time and I couldn't make any gains on the peloton so I called it a day and DNF'd. Not so happy ending to a day that I was really looking forward to.

Looks like we'll have some descent weather this week, except for Friday. Saturday is the Live to Ride circuit race. We will be racing on the Barber's Motorsports Park track in Leeds, AL. This venue is one of the finest race courses in the world and gets plenty of action from the Porche 250 and most recently the Indy Racing League. Needless to say, traction won't be an issue. I hope to post better news next week. Sorry I've been so lazy on posting. It took me half this week to catch-up on sleep, much less blogging.

The Ripple Effect

2009-03-23T21:04:00.011-05:00

I forgot what it was like to truly suffer until this past when I hammered out the first interval session of the year to start building towards the peak of this mountain. Wouldn't you know though that as sure as there is a plan, there's always going to be something that interferes. So, that's where the plan has to flex a little and that's what happened to me this week. Life.

Monday was rest as usually. Tuesday was going to be the big interval day until dinner plans with Iris' co-worker popped up and we indulged in eating Buffalo Wild Wings. So, the session was pushed to Wed. because that's how it goes with me, I only have time for evening sessions.

I mounted the Lemond on Wed after work and more work insued. The first set is always easy to nail because the legs are fresh but man that third set, I reached the 5 min mark and my legs were screaming. That's where the mental strengthening starts for sure. I made it through and as is recommended I felt like I could go so some more but decided to spin the legs out and call it a wrap.

Thursday was going good until I had to go to the dentist and get some not-so-good news from my sugar obsession. There goes that wheelset. Yeah, that's what I said too. Dang! Anyways, so to vent all the frustration and minor soreness from Wed I spun the legs out at the Park, just trying to escape that reality.

Then Friday I got a little work done at the office and drove home to load up the car for an awesome weekend on Lake Martin at Iris' Aunt and Uncles crip there. The trick was, how was I going to get in some bike time and do the lake thing too. Well, as you can tell from the pic above Grayson was my chauffeur for the day. His only instruction was to lead and I would follow. I think he enjoyed the expressions on my face a little too much. He would pick places that he thought was too steep but little did he know what White Lightenin' was capable of.

I had to laugh one time because he said, " You gonna climb that?" I said, "Just keep going man, I'll get to the top eventually." This game definitely made me appreciate the buff trails at Oak Mountain but it was good to get a feel for some not-so-buff terrain. It actually reminded me of my first mountain bike race where I left my breakfast three times.

After the ride, it was off to relax, help with some spring maintenance in the yard and enjoy some awesome cooking, which is the reason I'm five pounds heavier than before we left. I even stretched the jetski out a few times before the trip back home. If I was only half that fast on a bike. Maybe these intervals will get me there, yeehaw! I wonder how week two will feel?

Between a Bike and a Hard Place

2009-03-16T19:12:00.006-05:00

Here are some of the pics I promised. I know a little late huh.

This week was basically a time of reflection for me, hence the title. I've read about others injuries and their thoughts during recovery, granted mine are minor compared to their's, but I still found myself having the same thoughts to be honest. I recall my thoughts on the drive home from the race I was thinking, "Why in the world are you racing bikes that are literally 6" from the one another, that can toss you in the blink of an eye?" "What would happen if you really did some serious damage to limbs, leaving you unable to work or click that stupid mouse?"

These thoughts just circled and circled until finally I came to a conclusion of why I insist on toeing the line weekend and week out. It's because I love the thrill of the chase, the attack, the brake checking, the smell of sweat, the feel of sweat, the taste of sweat, the feel of lactate so thick you could spread it like butter, the yelling, the smack talk, the strategy, the preparation, the training, the training talks, the learning, the thrill of accomplishment, teaching, growing, loving, the taste of melon HEED, the sound of wind at 30 mph, trees scraping elbows, community, family, health, beating my last PR and nailing the climb that wants to defeat me.........THIS IS WHY I RIDE MY BIKE.

Did I stop riding bikes because I crashed after jumping a sketchy ramp I built when I was 10 years old? Absolutely not. I got up, looked at the scares and built a bigger ramp. That's just what you do. You get up, look adversity in the face and raise the bar to the next level. All this to say, guess what, I'm off the ground and it's time to get back to the business of seeking the thrill.

Wow, that was a ton of adrenaline writing that, I hope you feel what I felt writing it. Which by the way, my words per minute have increased. Also, the random steak picture was my post ride meal after hammering with Larry last Sat. That's straight off the grill, can you smell it?

The training front this week was basically tied up in PR'ing in bandage changing. Yeah, the left hand really couldn't grip the bars or shifters and I haven't had a planned rest week since I started Base so I guess this was an unfortunate way of resting. I could have jumped on the trainer and did a little spinning here and there but you know, I didn't.

Yesterday though, the sun broke through the clouds and I couldn't deny a descent 1 hour effort through the Park. So, I sped home, geared up and sped back. I know, wasn't the greenest thing to do but there's more of that to be made, haha. I ran into some of the CCR crew upon arriving: Brad, Gardner and Mike. We just took a stroll, throwing in some attacks of course but relatively mello. Seems like I can't write a post now without the word attack. Why wasn't I doing this last year? ROOKIE!

Anyways, Build 1 is going off like a shot tomorrow and I'm thrilled to nail it. I'm debating either starting it off with "Tuesday Worlds" where the big dogs play or just keeping it personal until the hand heals completely. Tuesday Worlds will be part of the plan in weeks to come for sure. Here we come intervals and hill repeats, it's anaerobic time. Keep it shiftin'!

Sun Tans, Salt Bands and Aphalt Hands

2009-03-11T07:27:00.016-05:00

Yeah, my next endeavor is to become a rapper. Lets see....what could my rap name be, Truly White? I was going to video this post but decided to spare "ya'll" the extreme country accent that I carry from living here in the South. So, here I am writing this with gnarly fingers from Sunday's crash.

Anyways, spring is coming on and it's time to really get the work on. All fun and games have come to an end for me and it's time to focus on THE goal. The sun is shining, bringing back those awesome and stylish tan lines that's common place this time of year, known as the "Farmer's Tan".

This week marks the end of my Base period of training and the beginning of the build toward what's looking to become my best season yet.

My training week went well. Monday was rest, Tuesday and Thursday aerobic sessions and Wed was a solid tempo, all trainer, not interesting I know. Friday I decided it was time to hit the dirt and enjoy the weather on White Lightenin'. So, I hooked up with a co-worker, who is somewhat new to the sport and we rode one loop on the red trail at Oak Mountain. We were in no hurry, just enjoying a nice spring day in the 70's.

I was able to test my fitness on the biggest climb of the course and I have to say that I should make a major time improvement on this particular climb from year's past. If there's one thing that I've learned to incorporate into my climbing this year, it's standing. Since I've started cycling I've had a habit of staying seated and trying to just grind it out. I've lost a ton of energy by doing this and there's no better time to start than now. It felt so good to just hammer though.

Saturday was probably the best day of the weekend. Larry Stanley (CCR, pictured above) and I met up to take on the Red Trail at a more brisk pace than Friday. Our pace was just under threshold and felt oh so good. We ended up finishing around the 1 hr 30 min mark, which is 2 minutes slower than my first race result. It sure is cool to see the progression(s) in just over 2 years of riding.

Then it was time to enjoy some quality time with my beautiful bride around the lake. We made some sandwiches and snacks to enjoy the rest of the afternoon while reading and reflecting on our many blessings. The weather was absolutely perfect, watching people paddle, cook-out, laugh and play. There were more people on bikes than I could count for sure. Awesome day!

Sunday was the 3rd race of the Winter Training Series and I was ready. The legs were a bit sore from Saturday's effort and so I was a bit apprehensive as to how the legs would work. I had a descent warm-up and toed the line. The race was underway and the pace ramped immediately, around 30 mph or so and this continued until the beginning of the 3rd lap. Steel City was controlling the front and backed the pace way down to like 15 mph. Well, I refused to just sit there and stroll so I went off the front to get the racing going again, COME ON! I heard one of the guys say, "Ah, let him go!" That was the extra motivation that I needed at the moment. Thanks!

I rode solo for about 5 min gapping the field by maybe 30 seconds at max. I was able to hold 27-28 mph comfortably but I knew that if I pushed any harder I wasn't going to survive the climb up Chandler Mountain, 550 ft elevation in 1 mile, BRUTAL CLIMB. I started to feel some tightening in my hamstrings so I decided to retreat now that the pace was going again and start taking on some nutrition.

Well, I looked back and noticed 2 riders (Bike Link and Steel City) bridging up to me. They were coming on at a pretty strong pace so I scratched the peloton idea and hopped on to take on fluids and work with these guys to get away. We ramped it up to about 30-31 and all three of us seemed to be comfortable with this pace but I was spinning my chamois off. I look down and I'm still in my small ring on the front. SNAP, no wonder they were gaining genius! I shift up and it was on then. I kept an eye on the peloton and I noticed we were never gaining ground because there were other teams working to close the gap. So, I bailed on the guys to get back because I had just enough time to fully recover before hitting the climb of the day.

We came around for the start of the 4th lap and I was grinning because the legs were ready to eat, nice and warm now. So, the pace ramped again to around 30 and I'm just sitting in the middle recovering, waiting to pounce. We were about 5-6 miles from the finish, at the end of this particular chip n' seal section and the pace slowed a little. I decided I was going to take on some fluids, riding with just my left hand. Then, the pace slow drastically and the rider in front of me locked up his brakes. All I could think is.....this is going to hurt. My front wheel crossed his back wheel and I was on the pavement before I knew it. I just remember hitting the asphalt really hard and rolled out of it, stood straight up and walked to the side of the road to sit and assess the damage of this screaming pain in my elbow. To make a short story long, I shreaded my left hand, scratched both hips and back and took some skin off my right knee. My bike made it through with some jacked bar tape and my front wheel was slightly out of true. My hopes and all the work I had just put in came to a halt and walked toward the finish until the event car picked me up to check for further injuries. Then it was licking my wounds back to the house for a not so good ending to a week of training.

Now I'm writing this with bandages everywhere. I will post more pics when I get home. Check back later.

Ty Stanfield

2009-03-03T11:51:00.004-06:00

Well, since no other Alabama publications will step-up and highlight him, I will because I can, LOL!

This is a photo, posted to MasiBikes.com and was taken by Katsu Tanda, of Ty Stanfield at Kenda Pro Cycling p/b Spinergy's training camp in Greenville, South Carolina this past weekend. From all the visuals on MasiGuy's blog and the Masi Bicycle's website, it appears that Ty has reached yet another athletic endeaver, Pro Cyclist.

Ty made the jump this past year from Cat 4 to Pro in what seems like the blink of an eye and that's after he had a go at being a professional triathlete, not to overshadow many accolades in High School and College.

He's just returned from a self/community supported training camp in Tuscon, AZ where he was able to focus on this amazing task ahead and get in some quality training. Let's just say......he will not disappoint.

I felt the need to post this because Ty has been an inspiration to me as an amateur cyclist, here on the local scene, and his story is evidence that dreams are not too far out of reach. Ty, you make Alabama proud bro, now go ride your bike!

Oh Snap!

2009-03-01T10:53:00.020-06:00

Or should I say cold snap. This is what B'ham woke up to this morning, SNOW! I get a kick out of weather like this coming because all the shelves at Wally World (Walmart) are completely out of milk, water, bread and such. People go crazy like the world is coming to an end and they're going to be snowed in for an eternity. This morning though was not all that thrilling for me because I was looking forward to the 2nd race of the Winter Training Series in Gallant, AL. It's like the racing juices get flowing and WHAM! thanks for playing. Looks like another trainer day for the weak.
I got this beautiful piece of literature in the mail yesterday. Though I'm not even close to "Pro" there's just something about seeing US CUP on a piece of paper that just makes my mind wonder off into "what if" land. Hats off to those guys but the travel....SHISH!

I'll be at the start line, racing the Sport category or what's now Cat 2 under the new USA Cycling points system. I was reading a little about the "change" (gosh Obama!) yesterday and the goal is to make the amateur racing a bit more challenging so that it ultimately strengthens the Pro ranks as those amateurs move up. Therefore, the USA can BRING IT to the other World Cup teams.

Anyways, this is the race that got all this racing stuff stirred up in me. The first year I got 10th and last year I got 10th with two crashes and two mechanicals and still beat my first year's time by 2 minutes. If I can shave about 5 to 6 minutes off my loop time, I feel I have a good shot. I learned a ton this past year about my nutrition on the bike and that's held me back in the previous races, no gas to kick it at the end. That combined with the structured training should be a good combo. It's going to be ON (Lord willing) til the end, no backing down, pegged!

I'm planning out my "Build" phase to start making my way toward this target of May 31st. This year all revolves around peaking for this one race and then my first marathon in December. So far, it's been a cool journey to just learn and be a student of the sport. I'm excited to see it all play out but I have to say that "Base" has me spoiled because the thought of all out intensity has me fearful. That's how the big boys play so I guess I'll bring my toys too.

Daylight savings is March 8th, it's all outdoors from then on. I'm tired of riding in place.

CrowdRiders

2009-02-27T07:35:00.004-06:00

Check it out, CrowdRiders is a fan owned and managed cycling team. All they need is 40,000 members for 51% control. All the names of the members will be embroidered into the fabric of the team kits. Budget: 4 million EUR, financed through membership fees, T-Shirt sales and material sponsors.

Winter Training Race #1

2009-02-23T21:26:00.008-06:00

Well, this pic describes the majority of my training since January. Thanks to the Tour of California going down on Versus, which rocks, I wasn't trying to control a mouse to click on the "play" buttons on Cycling.tv while riding this week. I think that I've watch all the cyclocross videos posted and some of the Tour de France, maybe even the 2008 TOC.

I had a great week of training. Adding the extra tempo ride wasn't too bad but I can feel the pace picking up and the legs are responding really well. I put in a solid 55 miles on Sat with Mike from CCR. The hills are starting to feel pretty good. Hola! I was trying to add up my weekly mileage and I'm somewhere around 250 miles/week average, which blows last year's base completely out the water. That reminds me....last year about this time I was having conversations about maybe purchasing a road bike, lol! It has definitely been a great training tool.

I guess to get right down to it, I was really fired up about our season opener here in B'ham, the Winter Training Series. You pay your $20, line up on an open road, they say "GO" and the main goal is to try not to get tangled-up with the two others riders that flank your sides for 40 miles.

So we're off and it's the typical ....."SLOWING".... brake check .... surge .... brake check ....."SLOWING"....... surge until everybody calms and settles, for February racing that is. Ashley, my teammate, and I had to fight from the back because we were warming up and the race started earlier than announced. Well, it's dang near impossible to make a move to the front when you're three riders wide, restricted to basically a single lane road, not complaining just stating the facts. There were attacks being laid down in the front for the first three laps but no one got away (maybe one) and I was itching to get a piece of the front, I wanted to chase dang it.

There was one pretty good climb on the back side that I noticed the peloton would slow down a good bit on and I knew that I could nail it a good bit harder. So, we were on the 4th lap cruising about 25-27 mph, I guess, and I noticed my friend Gavin from the Bike Link team to my left. I said, "Gavin, let's go." He didn't waste much time and nailed it up the left side. So, I swung left to grab a wheel because I knew this was my chance. Right as the peloton reached the base of the climb, Gavin and I had made it to the front and I knew it was ON! He swung right and launched me with full-on speed. All I heard was, "ON THE LEFT!" and my legs were pedaling as fast as they could spin, LOL! It's the greatest enjoyable suffering one could experience. Thanks Gavin!

About 3/4 of the way up the climb I came to the reality that although it was fun to launch off the front I was going to, have to, fade back into the pack to finish this one. I guess the 55 miles the day before might have had something to do with it. So, after the last turn it heated up to about 30 mph as we made our way to the finish and I faded to the back after some riders tangled, not worth it. Afterwards, I continued to enjoy my small blip of accomplishment and called it a day. Now that I look back on it, it's the moments that count in my book.

This week's more tempo work and Training Race #2. More pics next week.

Wobble, Wobble!

2009-02-15T09:53:00.009-06:00

This week was quite an interesting week. I guess it all started with resolving the "speed wobble" issue that I've encountered when riding down Coosa Mountain on Hwy 25 near Dunavant, AL the past few weeks on the BBL ride.

If you've never encountered this issue, it's not all that fun. Once my bike reaches about 30-35 mph, my front wheel starts wobbling violently, out of control, and it's hard to hold my line and keep my composure. So, after all the frustration and honestly fear of riding downhill, I brought it to Cahaba Cycles to get everything checked out.

They checked rim/hub alignment, spoke tension and front/back wheel alignment and found nothing of concern, checked out good. The one thing that they did do was move my computer magnet to the spoke opposite of my valve stem. Well, that didn't work either because it wobbled again yesterday. I have another suspicion that has to do with the distance of the handlebar and front hub because I don't recall this happening until Chris re-fit me, raising my bars and flipping my stem to a positive angle. Anyways, that's what I was dealing with to start the week. I'm glad I've been able to remain upright, lol.

The rest of the week was spent putting the final touches on Base 2 and running a 5K yesterday. Tuesday the legs were a little sluggish coming off two rest days because the bike was in the shop but all the junk spun out as the week progressed.

Base 2 has been awesome for me. I'm now 8 weeks into my base and feeling stronger than ever. My speed up local climbs are increasing and my endurance has really improved. I'm so glad that I came across the whole "planned" training thing when I did, less wasted and meaningless training time. Of course, as an amateur just getting into the sport, that's probably the norm.

Yesterday I ran my first 5K of 2009. My goal going into was realistic.....I haven't been running at all, just cycling and I'm not a runner, period. So, I wanted to finish around the 9 min/mile mark. The first 5K I ran, I came in at like a 10:05 min/mile, very dissappointed but what do you expect when you don't practice, right?

I'm glad to report that I broke my goal and ran a 8:15 min/mile and honestly had gas left. I didn't read the map to figure out the course and conserved more than I should have. An 8 flat is definitely the next 5K goal.

This week is the start of the last and final base training block before the real work starts. I'll be adding another tempo ride to my week and continuing on with endurance/strength. I really can't wait to get into the season, which starts Feb 22 for me. Then, the posting will hopefully pickup and be more interesting than "Hey, I'm riding my bike today!"

Go rip some legs off!

Hello 195 bpm

2009-02-08T10:19:00.006-06:00

Yes sir! I got to see some huge break-throughs in my training this week. It was still hard for me to stick to the everyday structure because I attended a Retul fit class on Tues night and a Hoover Cycling Festival planning meeting on Wed night. The night time is really the only time for me to get in some training time. So, this week it was only Monday, Thursday and Saturday.

Monday and Thursday were both 1hr 30min endurance sessions and yesterday was my biggest effort this year. The goal yesterday was to try-out a different nutrition plan on the bike, considering it was close to a 4 hour effort.

I spoke with a doctor/friend whose also a triathlete and he suggested trying HEED versus my good ole traditional Gatorade [I laugh at myself the more I learn]. He mentioned that he was strictly a Hammer Nutrition guy because the science behind their products is second to none. So, I strolled on by Cahaba Cycles in Cahaba Heights and picked up some HEED: Melon, Strawberry and Lemon-Lime. I also snatched up some strawberry and lemon-lime Clif Bloks.

I was a bit nervous getting started yesterday just because I didn't want to get caught out in the middle of nowhere with GI problems because of this "new" plan.

The BBL ride went well, I survived the beating, only because of suggested shortcuts, lol. I wasn't in any breaks and really didn't plan on being in any because these guys are super strong riders and have more hours in the saddle than I would dream of getting. I did notice the difference in changing drinks and the ease of being able to just pop in the Clif Bloks versus having to unwrap a bar while staying the slipstream. My favorite of the drinks was the melon and strawberry but I think I might mix two scoops per bottle next weekend.

I got to see higher heartrates this week. I think my fitness is jumping leaps and bounds, if I could just get my nutrition there. At one point yesterday I was attacking a hill, feeling awesome, looked down and my monitor read 191 bpm. Hola! Then, after checking my file I discovered at one point I nailed 195 bpm....I don't know where I hit that number.

I was a little closer to hanging on the speed train while climbing Vandiver and I was able to really give it a good go this week and keep a really solid pace. The weight sessions in December are shining through. I hope the results keep coming, this is exciting!

Pedal Faster

2009-01-31T17:02:00.006-06:00

After a hectic weekend last weekend it was nice to finally get back to structure and focus on the goals ahead. I was somewhat out of sorts because I'm really wanting to stick to the training schedule I have but it's also good for life itself to keep you in check.

My workouts this week were the same that last weeks was supposed to be, low cadence / high resistance stuff with a tempo ride and moderate hills yesterday and today. Yesterday was a good check to the system, getting off the trainer and hitting the road. I hit up Oak Mountain State Park for my $100 annual Park pass and let the training begin.

My strength is coming around. I was trying to think back to what my gearing was on these hills last year when I was riding the same route. It seems that I've clicked it up a few, haha. I guess a training log might help me to remember. I felt a big difference on the flats and I was definitely pushing a harder gear there.

Then, today I jumped in on the BBL ride in fear of freezing to death but the temp was perfect. As you can tell from this pic, Justin doesn't have his nutrition dialed yet. It doesn't help when theres a lot of climbing either. It was nice of the 1's, 2's and 3's to let me ride with them for an 1hr 30min though. I finished the ride alone with my tail dragging.

I got to enjoy Starbucks with some good folks after the ride: Amy Gravlee, Dr. Terri Jones, Darryl Seelhorst and "Sammie" Flores. Then, they invited me to join them for lunch at Five Guys Burgers and Fries for a big nasty cheeseburger, where I met Amy's husband Lee Gravlee. It was good to soak up some racing knowledge from veterans of the sport and get to learn a little about them outside of racing.

Tomorrow holds another endurance session and possibly some Super Bowl action. I'm rootin' for the the Cards just because I'm for the underdog.

Life in Perspective

2009-01-25T21:23:00.004-06:00

You know you had a rough week when the only highlight was the arrival of my Velonews subscription.

It was uneventful on the training front but very eventful on the non-training front. The only days of training this week was a 1hr 30min spin on Tuesday and a 1hr 30min tempo/trainer session with my boy Jason Carroll on Wednesday, during which I poured buckets and talked about life issues.

Thursday Iris and I headed down to Baton Rouge, LA to help her sister Abby and husband Josh move into their new house, arriving there around midnight. Well, I guess it was around Wednesday or so my dad called and informed me that my Aunt Jane passed and the funeral would be in North Louisiana on Sat. So, my plans to help move and possibly get some runs in totally was shot, family always comes before training.

Friday the alarm went off about 6:00 am, I think. Then, we were into a day filled with moving boxes and helping clean Josh and Abby's new house. I met my parents back at their house around 12:30 pm to leave for the wake in North LA. Got to see a ton of family and pay my utmost respects to a wonderful lady who was a joy to be around. I then found myself talking to family til 4:00 am on Sat morning at my other aunts house, only to wake at 7:30 am when we went to bed.

Saturday was the funeral and then the 3:30 hr trip back to BR. Arrived in BR around 4:00 pm and got ready to go out to eat with our friends Jace and Emily @ BJ's Restaurant/Brewhouse. After dinner we turned in for the night.

Today was the trip back to the Ham and now Iris and I are relaxing before hitting the grind.

You may be asking yourself, if you've read this far, why in the world I'm sharing all the non-sense details. It's really only to give you a challenge: Live life to it's fullest because you never know when it's your time to leave this Earth and know where you'll spend eternity when you do.

This coming week I'll be back to the normal grind and hopefully a thorough week of training with sleep. I really hope the week shapes up for a warmer weekend without rain. I'm ready to try out my new fit on the BBL ride that Chris Storie at Cahaba Cycles helped me tweak last week. Sorry for the bummer of a post, this is life.

1:30 is my new 0:30

2009-01-19T12:13:00.015-06:00

This is a shot of the sunrise this morning in Birmingham. If there is any doubt in you about there being a creator, for me, this pic sums it up. I wanted to post this because sunrises are the promise of a new beginning. Just a thought for the day.

Speaking of Creator, the Lord definitely blessed Birmingham with some awesome weather yesterday so I took the camera along for the ride. I was reminded yesterday of why I fell in love with the sport of mountain biking. I love cruising through trees at a high rate of speed (relative) with the heart rate jacked.

This week was a big week for me. The title of this post explains it really. Last year I was riding when I was able and now that I'm on a plan with a goal, the training time has ramped a little.

It occurred to me this week that I started a little later in the "plan" than I should have so with that said this week was the start of Base 2.

Mon, Wed, Thurs and Sun were my aerobic endurance/strength sessions, Tuesday was a solid tempo ride, Friday was a freakin' awesome moderate hill workout, Sat was supposed to be my long ride but the cold weather prevented that from happening. Yes, I chickened out on the BBL ride. So, I did a 45 min spin class and then ran for 15 min. Then, today I found out that they moved the time to 12:00. Oh well!

Sunday I was wanting to just go out to Oak Mountain and cruise around the woods on 'White Lightenin' but I just couldn't hold back. Why do I always feel like racing when I jump on my mountain bike? That's what happens when you haven't riden one of the best trail systems in the Southeast since August or September. Seems like I haven't riden the whole loop since June.

While I was at the park I thought I would scout the swim for the Xterra Southeast Cup. I'm really battling this one. Railing a downhill @ 40+ mph on a road bike doesn't scare me but this swim.....I'm sweating it.

I'd really like to be working on the swim skills but a 5:00 am masters swim class doesn't really fire me up. We'll see. Hats off to all you triathletes, your training amazes me.

This week is looking to be tricky with the training. Baton Rouge is call my name so that puts me out another good weekend of training. Maybe I can sneak in a run or two to suppliment. Oh, I have a trainee but I'm thinking about leaving it a mystery until the end of the season. He's going to be a machine.

Ain't Got No Gas in It!

2009-01-11T12:57:00.005-06:00

What a week! This first week of official training comes to a close today with a light spin here in a little while.

The rest of this week has really just been a repeat of the exercises on Monday and Tuesday, alternating each day. I figured keeping it simple was the best plan of attack for my entire base period.
The big day for me was yesterday. I braved enough guts to do the 60 mile BBL ride here in Birmingham despite the possible threat of rain. This was a well organized group ride with some of the Hams heavy hitters with attack zones, in which I did not participate, lol. Too soon for intersity for me, maybe in a month or so. I'm not in the routine of watching my nutrition on the bike yet either so it was not really a huge success for me in that area, though I finished. I was dropped several times but I was prepared for the dropping.

It was cool hearing everyone talk about their training and fitness. There just something about riding with people that have the same goals or a goal that just gets me fired up. I even met a few people that I'm "friends" with on Facebook but I haven't really met in real life. Go figure huh?

I got to see some heart rates that I've not seen in a while and almost had the crash of my life. What does it mean when you're bombing a downhill about 35-40 mph on wet streets, with the brakes applied, and your front wheel is wobbling out of control? New wheelset? Anyways, I (with the Lord) managed to keep it under control but my bike was making a path to the ditch and of course this was one of the times I was dropped, bringing up the rear. Luckily there was a car behind that could have helped, I guess, that could have been dangerous too.

I finished the ride after getting a few PowerBars in my system and taking on some fluids. Man, I was struggling. That's the most climbing, really the only climbing, I've done since like August.

Enough whining, I'm glad I did it. It was a good check to the system. I got in some speed and strength work. We have a ways to go before race fitness but there's a method to the madness.

I received my level 3 coaching manual from USA Cycling this week. So, I've been doing a little studying, as you can tell by the pic above. I'm not sure how deep I want to go with this coaching/training thing yet but we're making babysteps.

Tomorrow's rest and then we'll crank it up on Tuesday. Oh, and stay tuned because I have a cycling business idea that might come to life here in the next few months. It involves a new brand of casual apparel. It's going to be revolutionary!

LTHR Test Complete!

2009-01-07T10:32:00.003-06:00

I failed to mention that I've completed my Lactate Threshold Heart Rate (LTHR) test this past Friday on one these sweet Lemond spin bikes. Goosh! My body forgot what it was like to peg it for 20 minutes but I got through it by watching Ole Miss bring it to Texas Tech. That was after chowing on some Jason's Deli - Club Royale - with friends. Doing the test so soon after eating was not really the wisest of choices but we got it done. Yeayah!

Anyways, I got a good hour spin in on Monday and a 30 min spin w/ a huge weight session in yesterday and the legs are thankful for the December work. This is going to be a good year. I can just feel it in my legs, lol!

Just thought I would check-in.

Put Up or Shut Up 2009

2009-01-05T13:17:00.006-06:00

I'm giving my 2009 season a name and that would be "Put Up or Shut Up!" I'll be racing again this year with CCR.

The reason for the "named" season is because I'm doing this whole self-coaching thing with some pretty lofty goals and to be quite honest....it kinda scares a brotha! That will not overshadow my excitement about the season though. It's on like a chicken bone!

Today is the start of Base 1 for me. This phase will involve a continuation of strength from the prep phase and will be complimented by about 7 hours of weekly bike time and an attempt to watch the diet, lol. The other struggle I will have is getting bike time on the road. The weather here in Birmingham has been absolutely ridiculous.

I would like to do a few of the Team Magic triathlons this season to get a fill for the tri scene and to get ready to give the Xterra Southeast Cup a go. The swimming for me has not started but I'm gradually getting the running going. Which yesterday I probably ran about 2.5 miles, some in the rain, and it was an amazing time with some 3 Doors Down and Fall Out Boy jammin' on the ipod. There's just something about good music, exercise and rain that pumps me up. Makes me fill like Rocky or Van Damme, just not as swolt, even after the "Month of Swolt."

I was pretty excited about the plan of attack for Base 1 and then I realized that today is the first day for all the New Year's resolutions to start. That means that I will have to fight my way through the crowds of people at the gym. [insert Incredible Hunk actions] Oh well, a mans go to do what a mans got to do. Put Up or Shut Up, right?

I hope that you have goals for yourself as well for 2009. Whether it's financial, spiritual, or physical, goals are key to success and perseverance. When you think that you are wore and tattered you can look at the list and remind yourself of the things that you have purposed. If you don't, start to think about some things that you might could do different or improve on. Then, you can apply the Put Up or Shut Up motto.

Here we go!

Trek-VW calls it quits- Velonews.com

2009-01-03T12:41:00.006-06:00

Looks like Trek and Volkswagon will be parting ways because VW failed to renew their contract with the Trek-Volkswagon Team. I'm a huge Trek fan and really a huge supporter of the Trek-VW team. One of the main guys that I admire is Chris Eatough, their 24 hour endurance expert.

As the following article reads, this is a huge blow to many elite athletes across the United States, which are currently training under this program. This program has mentored many athletes and I guess this is another effect of this down economy. I'm sure another big company will rise up. Hmmm, maybe GM or Ford could throw in some "bail-out" money.

[ Article ]

The Month of Swolt

2008-12-29T20:13:00.005-06:00

Merry belated Christmas to you and yours. Christmas can either be and exciting time or the worst time of year and I hope yours was exciting. Wow, there's so much to say about the gifts that I received so I'm going to resist giving you all the details like I tend to do.

My buddies and I went camping in the Sipsy Wilderness a few months ago and it fired me up about doing some camping/hiking. I never really got to experience true camping when I was a boy so I want to gain the experience to pass down to my son(s) or daughter(s).

Well, my parents gave me a backpack, a tent, a lantern and a sleeping bag. I guess the coolest out of the four was the backpack. It's a Mountainsmith Bridger 4000 (cubic inch). The reason I give you the brand is because this bag is made of 100% PET fabric, that is made of 45 water bottles. My bag is made of recycled water bottles! So, all that said....I'm ready to camp.

They also gave me some money to go with the gifts and so I got online immediately and purchased this Periodization book, my Level 3 coaching manual from USA Cycling and my road race license. Yeayah! So, it's time for some more training education. The reference section in this bad boy is like 8 pages long, that has to tell ya something.

Training this past week was relatively low key, like the rest of the month has been. Weights, weights and more weights. Most people hate working out legs but for some reason I love it and I hate chest and back. I'm really glad that I chose to start with this prep phase of my training. My leg strength is getting back to where I left off in September. I need to hammer out some endurance though.

I dropped by Cahaba Cycles Trussville today to pick-up my Profile Design T2 aerobars for the few triathlons I will do this year and I'm glad I stopped in. They just received the Retul fit system. This technology is cutting edge and it is getting some serious attention. Chris mentioned that Normann Stadler dropped by his fit session/training. This is also the same fit system that the Garmin-Chipotle team will use for 2009. Drop-in and see Chris Leven.

Base 1 starts Jan. 5th, see ya next year.

Swolt Week 3

2008-12-24T07:46:00.013-06:00

Swolt Week 3 is in the books and things are shaping up in the prep phase of my training, at least I hope so. I increased the weight of my squat at the end of this past week by 20 pounds, still doing 3x15 reps. My left leg strength is coming around. I somewhat slacked on upper body, just because.

I strongly recommend if you are doing to some weight training that you do the single leg isolation. I will see in the coming weeks but I really believe that is will make you more efficient on the pedals.

In other news, this week was just exciting for me concerning Birmingham cycling. First, I'm just browsing around on the USA Cycling website and find the 2009 USA Pro XCT calender and I see that the Bump N Grind (BNG) mountain bike race is 1 of 7 in the race circuit. You might be thinking, well...what difference does that make? If you look at the calender from 2008 there were a ton of races to choose from. So fewer races mean that there will be more big name riders at this year's event and it's right here in the Ham.

Also in mountain bike news, I was told by one of the Red Mountain Wheelmen that Jonathan Robbins (aka JR) will be racing for the Gary Fisher 29'er crew starting in Jan. He will take Brandon Curtis' place, so I'm told, also from AL. If you've never watched this man throw down on a 29'er be at the BNG this year. Can we say, "PODIUM SPOT!"

Then, we have Ty Stanfield and Matt Winstead racing for Team Kenda Pro via Inferno Racing, that pretty cool. They will be throwing down with Rock Racing and the like. These boys can bring it too!

And then of course we have the Xterra Southeast Cup, which is another huge venue for AL. I mean if this doesn't pump you up then nothing will. Cycling in the south is on the up and up. Anytime you want to race some bikes, bring it down to the South.

Found a new site, Chainlove. There's a warning that comes with it though and thats...you need to hide the credit cards where you can't get to them. Danger! There are some killer deals on this site. There's only a certain quantity of each item and you are under time restraints to purchase. It's like ebay's "buy now" but only cooler. This site is very addictive, lol, don't say I didn't warn you. Then, check out Steep and Cheap, same company, different products. I guess this would be my links of the week.

Merry Christmas to you and yours. Go shread some wrapping paper.

The Red Mountain Wheelmen

2008-12-18T22:02:00.004-06:00

If you live in Birmingham you know these guys. If not, the Red Mountain Wheelmen is a cycling team that races in and around the Birmingham area. Anyways, they made this video and it was too funny not to post. Check out their website for more info about them, www.redmountainwheelmen.com.

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Swolt Week 2

2008-12-16T10:18:00.010-06:00

Wow, it's only been 2 weeks into this workout experiment and the body is responding really well.

Monday was a bit of stretching out the aches and such in my upper body but the legs were ready to fire immediately. My upper body strength is really non-existent and really shouldn't be discussed here, lol. I would really like to know what my leg strength was before this past year of base training.

I'll tell ya though, I'm really aching to get back in the saddle. I'm really getting excited. I'm having to read about the BBL winter training rides and it's killing me to not be out there. Thought I may not be competitive, I still want to compete within myself and reach goals. It's going to be a blast.

Check out the new Polar FT80! This bad boy is a beaut. It a bit tough on the pocket at $350 but screams that your the coolest kid on the block. It has the GPS and foot pod option along with the ability to interact with polarpersonaltrainer.com.

I'm trying to figure out what I want for Christmas in the cycling world but just can't narrow it down. I thought about looking for a wheelset for the road bike but I just can't spend that much money. Looks like the ole stock Lemond Tourmalet will have to suffice. Suggestions are welcome. What about a Garmin GPS?

If you are an Xterra fan, they have made some changes to the schedule for 2009. Looks like they have reduced the number of races. Thankfully they kept the Southeast Championship, now the "Southeast Cup". The word on the street is that the purses are smaller as well. I think the pros are going to be pinched in all sports next year. Good luck guys.

I haven't found a link of the week yet but I'm working on it. Enjoy the subhuman project link until then.

Swolt Week 1

2008-12-08T20:33:00.004-06:00

Swolt Week 1 is a wrap, started week 2 today. It was a good week for legs but was a nightmare for upper body.

To start things off I had to go through that ackward day or two of working out with guys that could bench press twice my body weight easily. After a few days the ackwardness wore off when I just focused on the task at hand and could care less what anyone else thought. My legs recovered good from my cycling base of last year but my upper body is still sore from Tuesday's chest workout. I'm only doing weight that allows me to complete 3 sets of 15 easily, just to get the muscles going again.

I've read about doing single leg extensions and curls to gauge the strength of each leg, tried that and discovered that my left leg is much weaker. So that, along with my core, with be my primary focus for a while. I guess that other weakness that I need to break is my sugar intake, good gosh I love that stuff.

The only interesting thing that I ran across this week is http://www.innovativebodysolutions.com/. Supposedly Dara Torres uses this method of stretching to recover.

Got all the Christmas lights up and the wife is satisfied so I'm in good standing.

The Guys and Gals of TeamCCR tore up some cyclocross this season. Man that stuff looks fun.

Interesting Products

2008-12-02T08:46:00.024-06:00

Considering that I have a design degree and new inventions and products capture my attention all the time, I thought that I would give props to a few items. Through my browsing of late I ran across two products.

The first is the Vibram FiveFingers. I guess what intrigues me about these shoes is that people actually run in these things. I don't consider myself a runner but after running in "normal" shoes I don't see how these are comfortable. I'm not bashing the product, just trying be open minded. In my mind it's like running on bare feet, not comfortable to me. I'm curious if anyone has ran in these guys, please feel free to offer your review. Article

Second product is the Saltstick. This is another product that grabbed my attention. I've seen the traditional salt caps but I've never seen a salt cap company with a dispenser. All you have to do is load the Saltstick and it dispenses the capsules as you turn the knob at the top, looks easy to do with one hand. Again, another product I've never used but I'm all about hearing how it works for you, if you use it. If you're a local here in Birmingham, I saw that Cahaba Cycles carries Saltstick products. If not, check out their site.

I'm not endorse by these products. I would like to use this blog platform to talk about my training and products and services that I think are interesting. I hope you enjoy.

If you find any other interesting things, give me a shout. Over and out.

Weight Training

2008-12-01T15:23:00.012-06:00

Weight training starts for me today! This is a new venture for me considering that I've never worked out consistently or followed a plan for that matter. I might have spent a month in the gym total. So, if you see this ackward looking guy (not to be confused with the guy above) in the Trussville, AL YMCA working out, that's me. I will follow this plan for December:

- Legs: Monday, Wednesday and Friday
- Chest/Tri's: Tuesday
- Back/Bi's: Thursday
- Core: Every workout depending on soreness.

My plan to build-up to the 2009 season is going to be weights for the month of December, Base 1 during January, Base 2 during February and Base 3 in March. I know that I want to peak once around the first or second week of June for either the Bump N Grind or the Xterra Southeast Championship, depending on how the swimming goes. I need to get in the pool.

To be transparent and honest, I haven't been on two wheels since the Pepper Place Criterium on Sept. 13th. I know, I know but I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the time off. So much so that Iris was calling me lazy and when I mentioned that I was going to the gym........she laughed hysterically. I seriously chilled. I did nothing but enjoy junk food and friends.

I was reading Trevor Glavin's blog the other day and he suggested taking time to enjoy other things besides your primary form of training. He coaches James Walsh, who has had a breakout year this year on the Xterra USA scene. So, not really knowing what I was doing, I did that exactly.

The 2009 season for me starts today and I'm looking forward to the results of using this process called Periodization.

Reflection on 2008

2008-11-19T12:52:00.005-06:00

To close the book on my 2008 race season I thought I would just write down my thoughts and what I saw play out.

To preface my 2008 season, I guess I should say that in 2007 I raced mountain bikes only and that season was summed up in two races, the Russian Boar Scramble (9th out of 10) and the Bump N Grind (10th). The only active lifestyle that I practiced before then was in 1996 when I played baseball for my high school, I graduated high school in 1999. So, that's an 11 year void of nothing, lol.

Fast forward to 2008 and I'm thinking about all the conversations that I had with cycling friends about how I needed to get a road bike and train. I heard all these people raving about the fitness that a road bike will bring. So, they convinced me to convince Iris that I needed a road bike.

It's March now and I'm lining up at the Hoover crit (picture above) with my new road bike thinking how hard could this really be, considering that off-road was way more technical in my eyes. The gun goes off and it was 30 minutes of the most pain and suffering I've ever felt. I was straight off the back in no time at all, licking my wounds as I crossed the line. I was hooked to the sickness from then on, I was not going to fail at this.

Continuing on through the season I started riding with Team CCR. It was with these guys that I learned how to paceline and go the distance on the bike. We were working well as a team and noticed how we were all benefitting from the team training and racing.

When I wasn't riding with them I was trying to hold on to the guys on Tuesday night, better known as "Tuesday Worlds". This was where the big boys of Birmingham would throw down during the week and me......I was just there to learn.

My fondest memory of Tuesday Night Worlds was when I built up the courage to get to the front and try and get in the mix, to see what goes on in the front of an aggressive paceline. I was really excited because I was in line cranking with all the guys I admired and then suddenly the wind hit me in the face and it was my turn to "pull". After the first mistake of me not "pulling through" I was called down, I just couldn't hang. So, I went to the back after my temper calmed from the dude yelling at me. Those dudes took it real serious. I had no place up there but I still attended and gave my effort.

Bump N Grind was going to be my gauge for what riding road really does for a mountain biker. My goal was to finish in 1 hr. 20 min. and I finished in 1 hr. 26 min. with two flats and broke my 2007 time by 2 minutes. I was on track to reach my goal and failed because of mechanicals but my fitness was much better.

My 2nd crit was the SCCC Crit in Huntsville, AL. This was my first attempt at back to back events, road race and crit. It was this race that I witnessed to worst cycling crash before my eyes and it was also the first race that I launched my first attack. I managed an 11th place finish after learning that I attacked too hard too early.

Then, to end the season was the Pepper Place Crit. This was the day that I was going for broke because I had 2 crits under the belt. I managed hanging in the top 10 for the entire race ready to unload and missed the 2 lap sign which left me begging for the scraps of 8th place.

That's some of what the season looked like for me. It was a season of personal growth spiritually, physically and mentally. I feel a little smarter and I have some things to carry into 2009. I'll leave you with my results for the season and thanks for reading.

2008 Results:

Winter Training Race #2 - Raced
Winter Training Race #3 -13th
Hoover Crit - Raced
Tour de Tuscaloosa RR - Raced
Attack on Swayback - 7th
Bump N Grind - 10th
SCCC Road Race - 24th
SCCC Crit - 11th
Pepper Crit - 8th

Never give up!

Foot Issues

2008-11-19T11:54:00.006-06:00

Sorry for the delay in posts. I've really not had much to blog about because I've been fighting foot issues.

The Monday after I ran the Race for the Cure 5K in Birmingham I started feeling some pain on the outside of my right foot, marked by the red arrow above. I thought it might have been the shoes that I ran in as well as the work shoes that I work in.

After about a month of inactivity I was still feeling pain so I went to visit Dr. Kevin Waldrop in Trussville, AL to get the situation checked out. He said that it was tendonitis. He gave me an anti-inflamatory and I was on my way.

Iris (my wife) and I have plans on running the Alabama Power Half Marathon February 15th so this has set me back on my mileage. Oh well, if I have to run a 12:00 min pace then I guess that's what I'm going to do to finish. We'll see how the training goes.

I guess in other news, I'm starting to plan my 2009 season. I'm excited about 2009! It's going to bring tons of new challenges in my fitness. Some of my goals are to follow a formal training plan, start working on my swimming, try to attempt moving up to a CAT 3 in road by the end of the season, take a podium spot at the Bump N Grind and then try to finish at the Xterra Southeast Championship.

We'll see how it goes down. My training and expectations will be much higher than last year. I'm doing some weight training through December, base training starts January 1st and the first training race is February 22nd.

Keep the hammer down!

Race For The Cure

2008-10-23T12:09:00.011-05:00

I got the opportunity to run in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. I wanted to run this just to see what kind of work would need to be done to get into competitive running shape. Arrived about an hour before and picked up my chip. It's always ackward to be the "new" guy because I always feel like everyone else has more experience than me.

To preface my result, there were 13,000 people running and it was hard for me to determine how these type running events go down. I had to start in the back with the walkers because there was so many people at the startline.

Sporting the pink and white socks for Breast Cancer
So, we're off and I'm like weaving between people, kinda frustrated already and the race just started, haha. Here I go, jumping sidewalks to avoid people and cars, just trying to get to the people that were running my pace. I was really hammering (in "fresh meat" runner terms) and got to the first of two water tables and thought, "Dude, you're not making this whole race at this pace." So, I backed it off and set into a comfortable pace that felt decent. I finally reached the second water table and yeah, I'm dying, ha. All my friends were back in the field taking it easy, walking and such. Then, I see my friend Blake jump me and I couldn't let him beat me. So he encouraged me to step it up and we ran to the finish together.

After my heartrate leveled out I wanted to know my result but couldn't find it. I waited a few days and the results were finally uploaded and the pace was revealed. I don't know if you're like me but I always feel like I'm going faster than I really am. My predictions were that I paced about 8:30-9:00 min/mi but my result was 10:03 min/mi. Not the result I was looking for especially when I need to get down to about a 7:00 min/mi pace. I have a ton of work ahead.

Overall, it was fun running with friends and supporting breast cancer but humbling to find out how much time I have to put in. Lata!

Truss-Vegas

2008-09-26T15:02:00.007-05:00

I spent some time at the Trussville Sports Complex today. I went to scout the new section that was added not too long ago by BUMP. October 12th is the 8th annual Dead Dog race and I had a small thought that I might consider racing. So, off I went!

I get through the old part of the trail and I am welcomed by this.....gnarly! Climbs with mixed rock that's tough to hold a line and quite frankly tough to stay on the bike. Don't judge until you ride it.

The new mission by Bump is to make this trail the most technical trail in Birmingham. I think they are in the process of accomplishing just that.

The ole trusty Trek Top Fuel 8!

Looking from the back side.....can you see the line? Then continues below.

Overall it was a good ride, nothing too stressful, just mello. I'm needing to hone my reflexes before I travel to Tahoe this coming Thursday for the Xterra USA National Championships. I will get the opportunity to ride with some of the top pros and amatuers on their training laps so I didn't want to embarass myself. That's all for now. Just chillin' this weekend and watchin' LSU beat Miss State. Geaux Tigers!

Pepper Crit Result

2008-09-22T11:31:00.007-05:00

The Pepper Place Crit results are in and it looks like I snuck into the top 10! I finished in the 8th spot but man it felt like I was way off the back, the way the sprint went down. Anyways, this marks my best road result for the season. Look for major improvements next year.
I did a little reading about strength training in the cycling bible this weekend at the Lake, relaxing. Haven't developed a plan of attack yet but I'm trying to get some motivation about me. It's hard getting motivated when you've never strategically workout before. Plans to come!

Xterra USA National Championship

2008-09-17T12:15:00.006-05:00

Hey guys! Just wanted to let the Birmingham crew know that we have three of our very own racing in the Xterra USA National Championships in Incline Village, NV (Lake Tahoe). Omar Frasier, Casey Fannin and John Close will be throwing down with the nations best, including some foreign competitors. They will line up next to Pro competitors Conrad Stoltz, Dan Hugo, Craig Evans, Melanie McQuaid and Shonny Vanlandingham, to name a few.

I'm blessed to be able to go watch these guys bring it! Though it's two weeks away it pumps me up because I've been reading their blogs, especially Dan's and James Walsh's, and they are in the thick of some hardcore training. Stay tuned and show these guys and gals some love.

Pepper Place Crit

2008-09-13T18:18:00.019-05:00

Me w/ Floyd Landis compliments of Smith & Nephew
Race Report:

Sweet pics here!

The race was changed from 30 minutes to 25 minutes because the race schedule was running behind. So we get the Cat 5 party started and about 15 minutes in I was feeling pretty decent considering the lack of intensity training. There was the typical yo-yoing, people not holding their line and guys charging and falling back. Turn 1 and 2 were the worst on the course and the back stretch would have been smoother if covered in gravel.

The whole race I stayed near the front, consistently 10th-15th. As usual, I was thinking too much. Should I try to move up to about 5th and sit in? Should I just launch it right here and see what happens, maybe stretch things out? Well, I just held my position and wanted to conserve until lap 2. We came off turn 2 and the pace ramped to about 26-27 mph. I looked at my timer and it read 21 minutes so in my mind we had at least one more lap and this was where I was going to make my move to the front. We came out of turn 4 and there were some guys in front of me that popped leaving me gapped from the pack and they were on the gas so I couldn't bridge. Turns out I didn't see that we were actually on the last lap and the sprint was happening before my eyes. My best result went straight out the window or rather straight off the back.

I don't really know my placement, I think I could have placed top 5 but there was another lesson learned in this one, look for the lap number and forget the time.

Well, the Pepper Place Crit is behind me now and I really didn't have any goals going into this race because of this thing called life. This season has brought a ton of changes in my fitness and motivation. First, I was just a guy that casually rode mountain bikes then decided to get a road bike in March after being invited to ride with TeamCCR, racing mountain and road. Second, I've never really trained for anything in my life but cycling has really opened my eyes to realizing ones potential if you train a little harder than casual riding. Lastly, went from riding 17 miles on my mountain bike to doing 100 mile training rides with friends and trying to hang on to the "Tria Train" Tuesday Night Worlds ride.......got dropped every time, oh well.

Honestly, this whole season I have been striving to get on the podium but I really didn't have a plan of attack on the season. So, as the season progressed I had to remind myself that it would be wise to just use this year to learn about my fitness and the sport in general. For example, don't laugh, but yesterday I realized that there is a lap counter that they hold out to let you know how many laps are left. I guess when you're in a Cat 5 race and guys really don't know how to ride their bikes in a straight line....laps left are not really my concern.

I guess to close out this post I'll say that I've found an area in life that I can grow while staying fit and loving people. If you've been reading, I hope that somehow my posts have inspired something in you to press on. This is a close to my 2008 race season but the start of my 2009 preparation.

Like I mentioned in an earlier post, I will be weight training during the off season to transition into my base phase for 09. Stay tuned for hopeful progress.

100 Miler #2

2008-09-10T11:51:00.002-05:00

So....me and my buddy Jason Carroll rolled out on Saturday about 5:30 am to embark on another Ironman training journey. The was another steady pace from Cahaba Heights to Ashville, AL and back. Wow, the things us cyclist get to enjoy when we're strolling down the road on our bicycles, scenery that you can't take in when your screaming by at 60 mph.

Warning: Rant!

I was feeling ok from a very unproductive training week and he was pretty beat down from his hardest week of training on his training schedule. Anyways, we are strolling along, about mile 10, and we look back to notice we have a visitor (another cyclist). We chit-chat for a while not wanting to be rude in our "training" mode and then look down and notice that this guy had talked for about 20 solid miles. He'd ask questions like, "Do you like that bike? (nope, just found it in my garage)," "How far ya'll riding? (til are legs just come right off)," "Where did you get that light from? (the light store)," "What do you eat on the bike? (Honey nut cherrios with milk).

Now, I don't want to sound like a bike snob here but seriously. I know we all love the community that cycling brings but how do you tell someone, "hey man, we're training here." I mean, I have no problem with someone tagging along because I do that too, pretty much all the time, but this guy was talking, then he would ride near the center line, then I would have to holler "car back" and this just went on and on. Finally, mile 33 he was heading another direction and Jason and I put our heads down and cranked through the rest of the ride.

Why did I just tell you all that? Well, I'm really struggling with it bad and maybe I was just in a crappy mood but help me out here. I love people and I love to talk more than anyone but how do you give a hint without being a complete jerk?

End of Rant, comments welcome

So, my nutrition wasn't on tap for this ride. I might have takin' in 2 bars and 3 or 4 gels but man I was blasted when I rolled onto mile 100. Nutrition is everything in this sport....I'm learning.

This weekend is the Pepper Place Crit in downtown Birmingham. I'll be toeing the line with the good ole CAT 5ers. No intensity training to speak of so not really expecting fireworks. See ya on the flip side.

First 100 Miler

2008-08-24T13:10:00.008-05:00

Wow, the things the human body can do. I've completed my first 100 mile road ride with my buddy that's training for the Ironman Florida with the mission of honing my nutrition while riding, which has led to some weak finishes for my first race season. Good news is...I've got a good starting point. It took about 5 hrs 15 mins of roll time to complete. I went through 2 PowerBar Performance Bars and 4 PowerBar Gels. When I got off my bike I felt like I would have felt when I rode 30 miles with my previous riding nutrition, which was just Gatorade that I will continue to use for hydration.

If your not an endurance athlete, you're reading this and thinking what would possess a person to ride 100 miles on a bike. Well, in cycling the world, endurance allows you to outlast the competition because of the length of time that you can exert yourself.

Yesterday marked the beginning of a training journey for me. In one of my previous posts I gave reference to The Cyclist Training Bible by Joe Friel. I'm using this book to learn how to plan my season considering I don't have the extra money to hire a coach and to be quite frank....this is just a hobby for me right now. Periodization seems to be the norm these days among coaches. This idea of bringing an athletes body through a series of "phases" is the rave of sports and exercise scientist. All that said, I've decided to adopt this practice as well.

Probably around October I will hit the gym for some strength training, which I've never attempted, honestly. Then, I will plan my 2009 race season out so that I can start Base 1 of my training. Periodization suggests that an athlete develops a good endurance "base" before "building" the body for the season ahead. I hope you enjoy the adventure with me.

Huntsville RR and Crit

2008-08-08T14:54:00.000-05:00

Brad Fish and I leading out the start
I wish I could say the road race was fun but there's just something about hitting a huge climb from the start and 94-96 degrees on the first lap that just doesn't excite me. I finished at 24th CAT 5 overall and 22nd CAT 5 in the state.

Sitting in second at this point
When Brad and I were strolling around the crit course, I knew it suited me, I wanted to keep the nerves down and focus on having fun because this was my first back to back event experience. After franticly looking for Brad, everyone looking for Brad, we were off and kickin it pretty good (about lap 5-6) when people and bikes started flying everywhere, the worst crash I've seen thus far, at least a quarter of the field, maybe a little less. So Red Mountain and I took off to take a little advantage and then we neutralized. We neutralized for what seemed an eternity (about 5 laps), then she screams, "3 laps to go".

Me leading after I attacked
Well, I was in the back feeling pretty spunky so I attacked from the back straight to front in about 30-40yds. I was coming up on the right of everyone, screaming, bringing it! People were hollering to teammates, "on the right, on the right". I was like, "come get me boys, LOL!" Gosh, that was exhilirating to here people warning that I was attacking, me, Justin Poland, attacking, I was pumped! Well, needless to say I went too early. I should have attacked on 2 to go and I think I could have made it stick. I was satisfied sticking with Talty and Joseph from RMW, they're riding pretty strong right now. I really wanted to help them finish good so I was hoping to string things out. I finished up in 11th, not too terribly bad considering I got lapped in the Hoover crit. I also came to the conclusion that my body reacted pretty well to the back to back events. Overall, killer weekend, chalk it up to a good mark for Team CCR.

Review on the Training Bible

2008-07-12T22:11:00.000-05:00

As you know, I've been reading The Cyclist Training Bible by Joe Friel. I would highly recommend this book if you are a cyclist/racer and really have no clue of what to do. It explains the phases of training, strength exercises, nutrition, stretching and any other questions that you may have about training. I must caution you though, if you are looking for a step by step explanation, this is not the book for you. I would suggest getting a coach. This book gives you enough info to be creative with your training plan and have a general understanding of why you're arranging it that way. Anyways, just thought I would give you my take on the book. If you pros out there have any other suggestions please pass it on.

Long Ride in BFE

2008-07-12T21:53:00.000-05:00

Today was my weekly long ride with Team CCR. This ride is usually 45 miles but a decision was made to step up the mileage to 70. Goosh! The legs are feeling pretty toasty ride now but this was probably one the best rides I've had all year.

Sorry I don't have any pics for this post but I'm going to get better at it. For some reason I have this phobia that people will be uncomfortable with me taking pics in paceline, which I'd be uncomfortable.

Tuesday was Tuesday Night Worlds and for some reason before the ride really started I found myself off the back. Others were saying that it was a really fast ride. I don't know, you have good rides and bad...and for me it was bad.

Alabama State Championships are coming up next weekend. I've committed to the road race but I'm debating on the Crit. I haven't had enough intensity training yet. We'll see!

Buildup Time

2008-06-27T16:03:00.000-05:00

Ok, so after reading a little about this whole self coaching thing that I am going to attempt, I came across this book by Joe Friel. I dropped by the ole Barnes & Noble to check out the cycling selection. Browsing through it in the store had me sold. Speaks of things like threshold testing, how to make a training plan and explains the stages a cyclist should take their body through to meet goals, much more than I have room to write.

As I explained in my first post I've raced a ton more this year than last (6-8 road, 2 mountain). I have plenty of weaknesses and so I think I might start with power training. I really lack at power over long distances. I can short burst pretty good but man people eat my lunch at distance power (or endurance). I have the Alabama State Championships (road/crit) on July 19-20 and I want to ramp up for that. As I figure out how I'm going to attack this beast through this book I'll give you a plan of what I'm doing. Again, I'm not an expert trainer, just a common person trying to figure all this out. Check back some.

First Step

2008-06-21T16:31:00.001-05:00

This year started my journey as an amatuer cyclist and everything that goes with it. Started a little road racing to experiment with it and it was a rather humbling experience, tons more training, ha. Claimed 6th and a 10th place in a few select mountain bike races in the Birmingham, AL area. I attended the Xterra Southeast Championship this year and decided I will add this race to my race schedule for 2009. I've never really formally trained for an event, don't have a coach but the start of this blog with help me track my progress while hopefully giving you guys something to read. I will finish the rest of 2008 as planned with just a few more races. So, fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the ride with me.

About

2008-06-20T12:49:00.094-05:00

Who's Justin Poland?

I'm an avid amateur cyclist, jokester and blogger that loves to compete in all aspects of the sport, primarily mountain biking. Since I've started racing, my interest have branched out into road racing and I recently finished the St Jude Marathon.

Why I Ride....

When I graduated from college, I really didn't have any hobbies besides the occasional fishing trip with my dad. So, after my wife and I moved to Birmingham, my friend Casey brought me to Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham, AL to introduce me to the sport of mountain biking.

From the time we entered the woods to the time that we exited the woods, I was in pure bliss. Turn after turn and lungs burning from the lack of fitness, it all connected with me. I found the hobby that would challenge me in ways that I couldn't have planned.

Little did he know.....he created a monster.

Now I ride for the community. If you're a part of the cycling community, you know what I'm talking about. If you're not, the cycling community as a whole encourages fitness and learning experiences. It's like a knowledge base in itself. From the gear to training plans, it's a constant learning process. It makes you feel like you belong and you get to experience nature whether on the road or the trail.

Why I Blog....

After I was introduced to the sport, it came with all sorts of cool perks, mainly blogs of pro athletes. I started following their writings and muses and it encouraged me to start a blog and write for the sake of recording my experiences. Not that I felt like I had a ton to contribute but it allowed me to connect and share with others.

[ Home ] [ Race Schedule ] [ Links ] [ Contact ] [ Reviews ]

2010 Race Schedule

2008-06-19T14:58:00.040-05:00

Mar 15th: Xterra Oak Mountain Trail Run
April 17th: Magic City Duathlon
April 19th: Attack on Swayback
May 2nd: SERC #5
May 15th: Dirt, Sweat & Gears
June 5th: Bump N Grind
June 13th: Xterra Southeast Championship
Oct 14th: Xterra Monte Sano Trail Run
Sept 19th: Xterra Cheaha State Park Trail Run

[Race Results]

Race Results

2008-06-18T15:15:00.001-05:00

2009

Winter Training Race #1 - Raced

Winter Training Race #3 - Raced

Hoover Crit - DNF

Ride to Live - Raced

Attack on Swayback - 7th

Bump N Grind - 6th
St Jude Marathon - 4:24:58 (10:07 pace)

2008

Winter Training Race #2 - Raced
Winter Training Race #3 -13th
Hoover Crit - Raced
Tour de Tuscaloosa RR - Raced
Attack on Swayback - 7th
Bump N Grind - 10th
SCCC Road Race - 24th
SCCC Crit - 11th
Pepper Crit - 8th

2007

Russian Boar Scramble - 9th

Bump N Grind - 10th

Links

2008-06-16T15:19:00.001-05:00

B'ham Athletes:

Brian Toone
Mike Olheiser
Omar Frasier
Red Mountain Wheelmen
Ron Williams
Team CCR

Tria Market / Ivan Leonard

Inspiring Blogs:

Chris Eatough
Conrad Stoltz
Dan Hugo
James Walsh
Jeff Kerkove
Melanie McQuaid
Todd Wells

Other Links:

Alabama Cycling News
Bike Radar
Cahaba Cycles
Cycling News
Team Magic
VeloNews
Xterra