VT50 race report, dirt and single track at its best

By TTMember David Juneau

Vermont 50 Mountain Bike Race or Ultra Run - Sunday, September 29, 2013 6:00 am

Well this was 'only' a 50 mile riding event. How much could there be to report?

I was quite scared approaching this race, and not looking forward to it. I really question my singletrack riding abilities. Having done the 50 mile run here in 2003 and 04, I have seen what happens to this course during a big rain: it gets a lot harder for the 650 or so riders. Those two things together made me wonder why I had signed up. I have done some other ultra-mountain biking, but I understood Vermont to have a greater percentage of both climbing and singletrack thrown into their race. Three days before the race, the forecast called for a sunny day. My attitude started to improve.

That left the singletrack. I actually had fun on the singletrack. The course was in awesome shape. I tried to relax and smile and stay focused. I still crashed three times, but not onto rock ledge like I usually do on our local trails. I had some bleeding but nothing major. I was also able to climb a lot of stuff that had me scratching my head saying, “How did I just do that?”. Must have been the TT Torque hill climbing sessions paying off. I needed those sessions; my Garmin 500 recorded 7800 feet of climbing for this event. I remembered that I had failed to adjust the limit screw on my rear derailleur when I twice shifted my chain into my spokes. D’oh.

I ended up riding a good chunk of mile 37 on with a woman, Shannon, who is a SRAM Rep for new England. She saw and recognized my TargeTraining kit. She finished as 2nd masters sport female. My time was 6 hours 58 minutes - 12th out of 40 masters (age 45-55) novices. If I had entered in the next hardest category, ‘sport’, I would have ranked 75th out of 99 finishers in my age group. I gave it everything I had. I raced with one good contact lens, with the other lost somewhere in my sink due to hastiness at 4:15 am. Funny how your eyes adjust to the task at hand.

Miscellaneous: I met Cannondale Pro Cycling’s Ted King the day before the race. He won it last year, and again this year. Amazing what a UCI Pro can do when he hops onto a mountain bike. He broke the course record this year, finishing in 3 hours 59 minutes. A runner from Quebec broke the 50 mile course record, with a 6 hour 9 minute feat of strength. That’s right, he finished way ahead of a lot of the riders.

Thanks very much to coaches Eneas and Scott for staying after me this year and getting some tougher rides into my legs. The 100k events were especially helpful, and great for spending time with other TT Endurance folks too. And I am pretty sure a lot of my improvements came from the TT Torque sessions. My other riding buddies Jan and Rich have also noticed the change in my form this year. I tell them it all started last winter - indoors at TargeTraining..

TTSocial Thursday 9/26/13 7:30PM

RSVP

Goodman tackels Ironman British Columbia

A race report by TT client Eric Goodman:

Whistler BC Race Report:

I can not say enough about having a beautiful venue to run an Ironman. I've done 70.3 races in St Croix, New Orleans, and New York. Having scenery around you while punishing yourself on each leg of the race eases the mind and let's you center and focus on the task.

So going to Whistler BC for my first ironman was no exception. I had been to Whistler many times in my life but never in the non-winter months. The glacier covered mountain backdrops with blue crystal lakes, evergreen forests, moon sets and sun rises over the mountains and clear night starlit skies make this place perfect for Ironman.

My week started with morning swims in a clear mountain lake with mountain vistas on all sides. Lateral breathing is not just for evening out your swim stroke but to gaze at the views with every stroke. I felt myself taking longer strokes with deeper breaths so I could stare at massive grey monoliths touching sky so blue it makes you understand life.

After the enlightening swims I drove the bike course only to realize I was in for some serious suffering. The race guide said 4300 ft of elevation. But that's more like listening to Eneas when he maps out a 100k....basically double it. That was the major problem I saw as I put in my climbing on the bike - so I thought. What caught my attention while driving the course was the first 11k was at 10% grade...yes sustained no down until the turn.

Then on the way out to Pemberton BC there are nice rolling 10% grades with a long downhill which ended on a 40k flat out and back. No worries as I got this, just have to get to the turn after the flat.

As I got to the bottom of the downhill from the way out I realized I would have to climb this starting at 150k into the bike ride....oh no !! 20k of 8-10% sustained...yes when I got to what I thought was a downhill ( it looked like downhill while riding) I looked at my Garmin and it was 3-4% grades....so my rests in a 20k climb was at 3-4%...

Note to Target Training clients. The next time you think Eneas is trying to kill you on a class with rests on a grade. Do your self a favor and -Go Harder! You might have a course like Whistler someday.

Back to the race report....so I see the swim, the bike, but the run is on a trail through the valley and I've been in PT for 6 weeks and not running for two months so I do not check out the run. I figure I'm walking it anyway. Hell I've never done a marathon in my life what makes me think I can run one after a 112 bike ride.

Race morning comes and it's 48degrees and water temps are 66. Lovely...

I chose to stay back in the pack as I've never done a 3000 person mass start. This was a good idea and a bad idea. I got stuck behind slow swimmers and incompetent swimmers...I mean incompetent due to them needing a line on the bottom to swim straight !!! I almost punched a guy twice for him thinking he was going to win something but swam a 2min 100yd pace....he needed a reality check that my fist almost delivered. That was the bad. The good was that being behind kept me in check and allowed me to conserve some energy.

So after the swim, the transition was causal...I was completing the race, not competing in the race. So out on the bike for a 6k downhill at 10% nice...right to a 11k 10% uphill and reverse it...nice warmup for what was coming. I need a compact...I need a compact...I chanted to myself.

The downhill out to the flat was incredible as I hit 50+ mph blocking out that I'd have to climb this on the way back. On to the flat with a slight headwind so easy gear spinning for the next 30 mins and a nice pace back with a tail wind.  Then I remembered....the hill....ok pull over at aide station, remove a water bottle, eat, drink, relieve myself ( hey anything to lighten up my bike) and then go for the next 20k. I'm glad I took the break because there was no way to stop until you were at the top. Ok done...now for the run...or walk

Here is where things surprised me. As many of you know I injured my self two months ago and have been in PT for my leg. So my longest run was 13 miles before June and I hadn't run for two months. So the marathon was a planned walk. To my surprise I started running, and kept running. I thought to myself -hey lets see how far I can do this as it will reduce my walk time.

I kept running, and running, and got to mile 12 before ......my calf cramped, knotted, oh it's back...walking. I walked to the special needs bag. Popped two Advil and walked. As I got to the next aide station I could finally swallow the Advil and talk to my wife ....who was proud I made it that far...but I saw it in her eyes...."suck it up butthead (not actual name as in PGed it) you're in an ironman."

So I started to run on my calf. It hurt, it really hurt. Then for some reason whether the Advil or it just being so fatigued it couldn't cramp the knot, it released and I started RUNNING....Run Forest Ruuuunnnn!!!

I figured I could not stop running or it would be the end....so I just kept running...amazing how many people you pass on the second half of the marathon if you're the only one running...

At mile 25 my legs were on fire....but I could here the announcements for each finisher -" you are an Ironman!"...so I ran faster....legs, what legs ....

Coming down the finishing shoot with all of the crowds, cheers, announcements is a feeling you really can't describe, you just have to do it....

Now my times weren't great but they were steady and I didn't need help at the finish. I was relaxed and grabbed my bags and bike and walked 1m uphill to my condo....did I mention there are hills here? Anyway, an experience I won't forget....or at least until I do one faster....haha...

 

A Mt Washington Story (by TTmember Adam Schwartz)

Mount Washington is hard to describe with words, and sometimes harder to experience in person. Some quick stats: Mt W boasts the world’s worst weather and highest recorded wind-speed (231 MPH). More than 100 people have died on her slopes, mostly due to hypothermia from quickly changing weather conditions. The road up Mt W is one of the steepest, most unrelenting climbs out there: 7.6 miles, 12% average grade, 18% extended sections and 22% pitches at the finish. I first biked up Mt W with friends in the 2000 practice ride. Fast forward 13 years and one of the friends wants to ‘get the band back together’ for a middle-aged assault on the mountain. My training had gone well this year, so I agreed and looked forward to testing those gains on ‘the mountain’.

Because Mt W is so steep, bikes need much smaller gears. I ended up running a 34T in the front and an 11-36 in the back, which gave me the all-important <1:1 gearing. Unfortunately, the 34T up front left me without my SRM and power info. Heart rate & perceived exertion worked for LeMond in the ’89 TdF final TT, so why shouldn’t it work for me;)

The morning of the race went smoothly. My family & I arrived at the base early, so they had time to spare before starting up the mountain. Riding down the mountain is prohibited (you’d die), so you must have a car meet you at the top and drive you and your bike down to the base. Weather was an amiable 82F & sunny with negligible wind, and my pre-race preparation went well. Last night’s dinner digested nicely, this morning’s hydration…both water and Accelerade…was going well. All said, I was looking forward to some good suffering. Since I couldn’t monitor my power, I decided to try and peg my heart @ 170 bpm, which I’d average during the Target 10k TT a few weeks prior. Rolling up to the line, I saw the first wave of elites ride off and was reminded that this was no practice ride; it was the race!

The cannon went off, and so did I. I quickly settled into a rhythm that felt strong and hard…loving my 34 x 36. Some riders passed me early on, but I focused on riding my own race and not worrying about others. The sun and heat quickly became apparent, but fortunately, there was some shade to be found.  The next 45 minutes were a long grind, with the occasional entertainment of finding the flattest route around the corners.

Around the 45 minute mark, my race took a turn for the worse. Temperature started dropping, wind started blowing and fog started rolling in. I also started feeling the effects of my effort, and in the words of Phil Ligget, “was being put into difficulty.” I slammed an Enervitene energy shot and hoped. Unfortunately, the race became more ominous. Wind grew stronger, fog grew denser and temperature dropped further. The only good news was my not knowing the weather at the top.  My family was already there and experiencing 70(!) mph winds, driving rain, 55F & 10 ft visibility. (A weather observatory sits are the top of Mt W and reports the weather conditions in real-time).

Despite the energy shot, my fatigue was worsening and my speed was growing perilously slow on the steeps. On a dirt section soon after, I was hit by a gust of wind, lost my balance, unclipped and stopped. Since it’s impossible to clip into pedals without some assistance, I had to walk my bike up the mountain until I came upon a car that I could hold onto and clip in. On a positive note, I didn’t lose too much time walking; the fastest run is 56 min, the fastest bike is 49 min. By this point, my race was becoming less race and more survival. Visibility was 10’, winds were 60 mph and temperature was 55F; fortunately, there was no rain.

The remainder of the ride devolved into simply surviving and keeping the bike upright. I received a shout of encouragement from Roger Harper looking strong as he passed me, and I eventually made it to the parking lot and navigated the 22 percent grade despite the fog. I crossed the finish line to cheers from my family, who were relieved to see me but were a bit concerned about my condition. In retrospect, I probably had a mild case of hypothermia; I just remember being confused by the volunteers wearing winter parkas when I was warm enough in my sleeveless TT jersey. We eventually made our way back to the car and back down the mountain where it was still 82F & sunny.

In my previous Mt W hill climbs, the weather had always cooperated, which left me wanting (somewhat) to race under epic Mt W weather. Now that I’ve experienced epic, I’ll stick with cooperative.

Good luck to the folks racing the Official Race this weekend; may the weather cooperate.

(TTMember Adam Schwartz crosses the finish line. Click to Enlarge) 

(TTMembers Adam Schwartz and Roger Harper)

TT's Eneas Freyre claims CT State Road Race Title

In what has been known locally as a demanding road race, the Tokeneke Classic Road Race hosted this past weekends (8/11/13) Ct State Road Race Championships.

Competing in the open Elite field, Eneas Freyre has in the past seen success on a rolling course that features just over 8000 feet of climbing over the course of 4 22mile laps (88miles) which features a 3k finishing climb that you climb on all 4 laps.

With a competitive field comprised of some of the best road racers in New England, the pace of the opening 2 laps was fast as the field keep all the early breaks with in site. Just to make the front split in the field, Eneas had to ride the 8min finishing climb at a p/w of almost 6.2w/k. 

Eventually a group of 5 formed in the lead and as the field began to show signs of slowing midway through the start of the 3rd lap, Eneas made his move to get accross to the break bringing 1 other cyclist in tow needing to create more than 6.4w/k for more than 5min to make the move stick. 

Having made the finale split of the day the break made its way to the base of the finishing climb for the 3rd time at which time Eneas decided he would take a chance to go on his own and try and pull the best men in the break with him. No one went so Eneas was left to ride the finale lap solo. The move was a risky one needed to cover the next 25miles with no help and a strong break + the peloton hot on his tails. Having ridden more than 1hr on his own at over 5w/k. Eneas could only muster up a 30-40s gap on the chasers and in the end he was cought with just under 1k to go finishing 2nd but claiming the CT State Road Race title as the 1st CT rider accross the line. The fatigue of going solo on the lasp lap caught up with Eneas as he rode the finishing climb at about 40w lower than the previous 3x. Although not a big number, it was enough to cost him the overall win. In the end it was a big day physiologically for Eneas needing almost 3700kj of energy to complete the course at a pace that was 95% of threshold scoring 355TSS points. I think it may be time to retest Eneas!

Equipment Choice:
Eneas chose to use his light weight custom tubeless wheel set up featuring Hutchinson Galactik tubeless tires (available at Tri&Cycle) and ran standard 53/39 front rings with a wifi 11/32 cog set up. This allowed Eneas to stay in the big ring for the entire race avoiding any possible drop chain issues. 

To view Eneas' power file please click here:

For full results visit here: