Run to Daylight

Many years ago, Vince Lombardi became one of my heroes…………I am not big on coaches but Coach Lombardi was a great man.   When a team wins the Superbowl today, they get the Lombardi Trophy.

Jerry Cramer, who played guard for the Packers 'in the day', wrote a wonderful book about life with the Packers and Coach Lombardi.  The book, Instant Replay, drew it's name from the famous phrase that the great leader used with Paul Hornung, the Heisman Trophy winner and Packer running back, in his rookie year.

Hornung came to preseason camp fat, smoking and out of shape.  Coach L was unimpressed.  He told Hornung he needed to be able to run up 10,000 steps…….then and only then, if he ever had the chance, he might be able to 'run to day light'.  Until he could run the 10,000 steps, he would set on the bench.  Hornung took him seriously.   The Golden Boy became a great team player and the rest is history.

I am thinking about my 2015 season and 'running to daylight' but first there is a step left out this little story about Coach L.  If I want to 'run to daylight', I must first put myself in a position opportunity.  This is where the real work comes in and it is not as glamorous as scoring touchdowns.

For me, it means years of training and experience……hundreds of races, hundreds of mistakes, hundreds of failures, many injuries, many comebacks.  All this groundwork is already in place.

Right now, from October thru February, it means:

*  Seizing the opportunity to ride in 2015 on the best team EVER……with the best team mates.
*  Setting up and tuning the best equipment.
*  Chiseling clear specific goals.
*  Committing to and becoming passionate about the goals.
*  Getting coaching and advice.
*  Being bold in trying new things.
*  Recovering from a 2.5 month illness.
*  Training, resting and eating right.
*  Hanging out with my tribe.

All these things an more are going to put me in a position of opportunity.   If I prepare now, I can give myself some chances to 'run to daylight'.   I am pretty sure, given the opportunities, I will be successful at times.   Of course, nobody gives me the opportunities.  I must earn them by doing the work.

When I look back at my life, I can see a couple of key times when I 'gave myself' the opportunity and jumped on it………..maybe I coulda, shoulda, woulda executed more successes?  Who knows?  Those few key successes though, have made for a great life, for which I am thankful.

Now I am planning one more success…..the 2015 Racing Season.   Maybe you have a big challenge or opportunity?   Maybe you will join me and put yourself in a position of opportunity.  Maybe you also, will 'run to daylight' this year?

See ya out there.

  

A Tribe Is What Matters

Most of you who read this Blog, know I really am not writing about cycling in most of these posts.   The cycling is a ruse for the things that really matter.  And in this one, I am not even going to paint on a cycling face.   I am going straight to the point because this point REALLY matters.

The last few years have presented me with some small challenges.  I had an 18 month battle with sciatic pain that had me in wheel chair for a few months.   The last two months I have had undiagnosed problems that have effected my performance on the bike and my daily life.

A friend enlightened me that the next 10 years might not be as easy as the last 10...not really exciting, but likely true.  It seems to me that much of the general population lives in a fairly isolated manner and that as people age, that isolation can grow.   I heard a 90 year old cycle racer recently say that the older one got, the more exercise was needed.   Friends might work that way, too.  The older one gets, the more one needs friends, supporters...what Christina and I call:  a TRIBE.

At times in the past couple of months, I have been frustrated, confused, and even scared.   Feeling all this, I found the need to reach out to my Tribe for solutions, emotional support and care.   What I got was everything I needed including things I did not expect.  For one, several of them shared stories, in which they were/are courageously marshaling forward in the face of things that made my problem seem really small.  Another thing that was overwhelming was a bunch of love...more than I realized was there!

Many of us live out on the end of the bell curve.  For whatever reason, athletic, business, or goofiness, we end up in the <1%.  It can seem lonely out there.   Ever go to the doctor and be treated like you have two heads?  If you are an athlete, I know you have.  When in this <1%, one is still not alone.   One just needs to sift through the masses to find other 1%er's, those kindred spirits…they are out there.

Last week, some of my TRIBE, took me the Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George, Utah. They knew I needed some people contact as C was gone for a few days.  Unusually, I was spectating.  I immediately saw a whole lot of skinny, wrinkled folks fighting heart problems, cancer and everything freaking thing you can imagine.  However,  they were still 'in the game'.   In fact, 10,700 of them (1%er's) were still in the game.  These were not genetic wonders who age without problems.  They were just people who forge forward in the face of those problems.  Many of them couldn't go as fast or think as sharp as they once could; really most of them.   What seemed to matter though, was they were still ‘in the game’ and they were still with their TRIBE.  No one, and I mean no one, thought the 90 year old cycle racer was a freak.  He was a hero.

It does not matter where you are on life's timeline, it is not too early or late to solidify your TRIBE.  For me, this TRIBE means more each day.  So I can say conviction, I love my TRIBE and the people who make it up.

See you out there. 





      

OFF THE BACK

It has taken me a while to get my pen out, so to speak, and write about this.   I think it has been emotionally charged and maybe I wanted to avoid the whole messy thing.

When I write something, there is requirement to get to the truth.

In late August, just after the Barrouse Bales in France, my 'wheels fell off'.   I told my 'event team' before the BB that I was not at my best but that I could still promise to deliver them to the Peyersourde(35 miles from the start) fresh and ready to climb.  I fulfilled the promise but the rest of day was subpar and I would not have been exuberant even if I had avoided the two flats.

In the days that followed, my fatigue grew and my performance fell.  By the time we left France for Spain, it was apparent that I had serious issues.  I was seeing a resting HR that was 20-30 bpm to high and max HR that was 20 bpm too low.   I was 'off the back' on smallest hills and I judged my aerobic capacity to be down 15-18%.

We noodled a few days in Spain…….sure we enjoyed the scenery and roads but I was cooked.  Fatigue set in during the day.   Massive sleep was needed but I could not sleep soundly, night sweats……..oh my!

As soon as we hit the states, I was at a couple of docs offices running cardiovascular tests and blood tests…..nothing.  The usual medical comments, that I was in the upper 1%, were of no solace to me.

By September 11, I had been dialed back for a month without improvement.  It was becoming apparent that I had a condition I had read about……I was overtrained.  Yes overtrained, I had not just overreached, I was facing a serious long term problem.

At the very least, I had made mistakes calculating the stress of 4 or 5 issues outside my daily training.  In doing so, I had massively underestimated my stress load.   At least one of my trusted advisors raised the question that maybe it was personality traits(not positive ones) that got me here and that maybe I needed to dig for answers?  I had little doubt there was some truth in this.

So, here I am today taking a dose of 'medicine'……..a long layoff, some new supplements, lots of rest, meditation, solid nutritional plan and some soul searching.  I am studying Spanish, talking to our kids on the phone, cooking and considering bocce ball or bowling as a new sport!

Nobody knows how long it will take.  I remain faithful that I will return to my former levels but don't look for any race stories soon. If one has to face this, it is a good time as the season is over.  I remain thankful that I have many people supporting, advising and helping me.

One of my trusted advisors reminded me that when there is a pile of crap, sometimes there is pony.  My Dad was optimistic in this way.    I am not yet sure what the lessons are in this case.   I am just going to keep looking for a pony.

I am still getting out just a little so I still hope to…

See ya out there.

 

Steve Miller learns about Racing

" I cannot believe how hard the start of those swim races are with so many bodies swimming and climbing over each other.  I did better this year, not getting so anxious and out of breath at the start of the battle.  It helped doing multiple races. " Steve Miller(Steve is life long athlete who cycles and played college football at the Div 1 level 'back in the day').  

Don't freaking tell me a crit is scary.  This guy jumps in the ocean with about 1000 people and swims out around two piers and back to shore….. I don't  know…maybe 2 miles?  Yea, through the surf in 'cold as heck' water.   Last race, a 7 foot long shark was sighted.

When we went to the start of the Barrouse Bales recently, our plan was to start at the front.   Chris, Hellen, Christina and I had our tires on the start line.   The road was about 20 ft wide and no more than 50m from the line was metal barrier protecting some utility construction.   There were about 5-6 guys crammed into the first line with us and rest of the 419 people were behind us.   Christina and I set there calmly knowing this thing would start like and explosion and collapse to 12 ft wide causing a huge traffic jam for the racers behind us.   People would be unclipping….a horrible sound.  Some would be yelling obscenities in French.

We were totally prepared as this was only one of many races this year.   In the recent weeks, C has said a couple of times that more frequent racing really reduces her stress running up to a race.  This is coming from someone that use to feel stressed out about doing the SCTAC 'B' ride/race on Tuesday nights………she loves SCTAC now.

It is almost amusing to me that so many people never learn this:  You cannot do anything well(and have fun) without the correct preparation and in athletics, this means doing races before 'the big race'.  It means racing often so one is 'race hard' physically, but mostly mentally.  Some people who have 'race reluctance' say, "I don't race, I just like to have fun."  Hum….to me, racing is fun.  They say, "I just like to ride, I am not competitive any more."  I used to ride with a couple that said this……every ride would become a race……every hill a competition.  "I am not competitive…"?  They wanted to beat my ass every time we threw our legs over our bikes.   I gave 'em up.  Most of time, I just want to ride(albeit hard sometimes), not competing but working with my ride mates!  Save competition for racing.  Before leaving this, I want say understand most folks that ride bikes do not want to race bikes(like most do not swim in open water ocean races)….I get that.  Some want to race but it is beyond their comfort zone.  However, all of us compete at something in our lives, so overcoming limits caused by comfort zone issues is terrific lesson to learn!

I've got a pal named Gary Rancourt, that does not cycle anymore.  After a year or so of paddle boarding, he recently finished a 25 mile race.  He endured boating traffic, head winds and waves, falling off the board several times.  Took over 5 hours.  You think this guy understands how to increase his comfort zone?  Don't use age as excuse either……Gary is about 70.  You can increase your comfort zone until as long as yoga re breathing.

Thirty five years ago I started a dinky business from scratch.   At that time, I could not speak publicly to 300-400 people(or 3-4 either), ask a bank for a $10m line of credit, or close the sale of a $2m contract……heck, I was cleaning the toilet and typing letters.   I increased my comfort zone…..day after day….year after year.   Now, I am back cleaning toilets and typing letters.  And, I like it….funny how life works.

Anyone can increase their comfort zone, or just set around Starbucks, drink coffee and talk.  I love Starbucks but I like a big comfort zone because it allows me to do a lot of stuff.  I've ridden in Europe and Africa but C has been talking about Asia and Hawaii……wow! gonna need to increase my comfort zone again.

See ya out there.

  

The 'Blue Train' Rolls through the Pyrenees

Sunday, we were proud to be representing Modry Evergreen Racing.   Racing in France is like playing baseball in the major leagues here in the USA.  Cycling is the second largest sport in the country and these guys take it very seriously.

Christina and I teamed with our good friends, Chris and Helen Balfour of Pyractif, for the Barrouse Bales in French Pyrenees.   This is a 74 mile race with 8100 feet of climbing and 2 major mountain climbs.   It encompasses the Peyersourde(Cat 1 - the hardest rating for a climb) and the Port de Bales(HC - so hard it is beyond rating).  The race drew 419 finishers(a record).  The weather was super.

Our goal was clear:   1st and 2nd Overall Women's

We met the goal!  Of course, this meant that we were 1st in Women's 20-39(Helen) and 1st in Women's 50+(Christina)!

Almost better than the podium results were the times:

Helen - 4:33 and change (last year's time was 4:56)
Christina - 4:37 and change (last year's time was 4:56)

Unbelievable.   These were the two fastest women in southern France today!

Christina and I were both thrilled with her race.   She used every tool in her bag.  The 33 miles out to the first climb were hard and darn hilly and we maintained 32.4km/hour……..then she PR'd on the Peyresourde and was 1 minute off her PR on the Port de B.   Helen is the very best female climber

in MY world and also raced a 'complete' race.  I was very proud of C's finish, only 4 minutes behind her.

As for me, I did everything I could, for those 33 miles, to get my team out to the climb as fast and fresh as possible.   We took 12 minutes out of last years effort.  It was not without it's pain for me.   I did a respectable climb up the Peyersourde as my team rode away from me(as planned…it was Chris who would marshall from there, and he did).  Ever optimistic, that I could catch them, I was going 65km/hour on the descent when my back tire blew out.  I rode to a stop in 300-400m in the weeds.   I climbed off shaking.   Two flat repairs later, a begged for tube(hard to beg when don't speak the language), a 2km walk uphill and a 45km ride on a tire with 40 psi in it, I limped in.   My first question was, "Did I make the time cut?"

All in a day of racing.

You know me.  I always look for the lessons learned or relearned, that I can apply to my life in general:

Dream Big - We set very clear bold goals……..goals that seemed almost unattainable!

Prepare - We did 4 weeks of heavy prep and C came into this in 'all time' peak fitness and peak form.  There is no substitute for being prepared no matter what your challenge.

Trust - Trust that people around you can sometimes see more in you than you can see in yourself.  Trust your preparation.   Trust your team mates.   Trust your coaches.   Trust yourself.

We are gonna kick back and do some cruisin' now………we earned it!  Well, we might do the Superbagneres Race (19km straight up a big mountain) next Saturday…….a birthday challenge for me(a real mountain climber…ha ha!).  Stay tuned.

See ya out there.

   

Me and George Hincapie

Page 134
The Loyal Lieutenant
by George Hincapie

After standing on the top step of the podium in February, I entered a standard month of training and racing I'd always embraced.  When I was back in Greenville, I'd begun to work with a 'performance mind coach' by the name of Christina Maddox…………..our work unlocked a level of focus I didn't know I had…………and her advice gave me a new weapon in my arsenal.

The influence that Christina has had on George, concerning what I call 'effective thinking skills', could be infinitesimal compared the influence she has had on me.

I sat in workshops and classes for 20 years but more importantly, I have soaked this stuff up from her through osmosis.  She pretty much lives it!

Recently, a female masters triathlete told me she credited Christina(what she learned from Christina) with making her an Iron Man….or maybe an Iron Woman?  This was after 2 hours of classes at Carolina Tri during some Tri club meetings!

A local well known fitness professional, who attended a weekend workshop, told me a few months ago that she can't even remember how she thought before her workshop experience with Christina.

Christina and her organization never taught me what to think but how to think.   They taught me the power of positive self talk, that my current thoughts would determine my future, the leverage for change was in my beliefs, not my actions.  They showed me the power of bold attainable goals and how to set them.  More importantly, how to attain them.

They taught me that all meaningful and lasting change starts on the inside and works it's way out.  They taught me more…much more.  They taught me how to make these and other tools a part of me.

I still have all my foibles……..but these skills have helped me learn how to use my most effective and complicated tool….my brain.

During the years, I have seen many people change their lives with these tools, as I have.   I have seen many more dismiss these truths and resist.   When the student is ready, the teacher will appear…….and not before.

OK…back to George and Christina…….or really what they know, can bring about, and make happen.  What we can learn from them is important…..not really them personally as I am not putting either of them on a pedestal.

George is retired, still riding and not race fit anymore.  I promise though, he can still break a mortal human's legs.   If you get a chance to ride with him, take it.   He still has the magic.  Watch, listen and learn.  Learn about being a champion, not just riding a bike.  If you understand how champions think, you can be one at work, home, church or just about anywhere.

Christina is retired, also.  She hasn't spoken in front of world class leaders or audiences of hundreds, in a few years.  However, she too, still has the magic.  So, if you are ready, you might, you just might want open yourself up to some ideas that have been game changers for people like George and I.  Just listen….listen close.  And, maybe one of these days we will get a magic marker back in her hand and put her in front of a white board??  Maybe…if we're lucky.

Punchline:  If you keep on doing what you always been doing, you will keep on getting what you always gotten.   I love my life but I still want a better one!

See ya out there.

Oh, the picture of C and G is at the Paris Roubaix the year he got second.   They worked together that year prior to the race.   At that time, no American had ever been on the podium in the hundred plus years of the race.  Not sure if that is still true? He always wanted 1st.  To paraphrase a great writer OG Mandino, "He aimed his spear at the stars and only hit the moon, but wasn't that better than aiming at the moon and hitting a rock?"

The Bottom Rung

When I was 9 years old, I went to Little League try outs and I made the majors.   This meant I would be in full uniform playing the next 4 years for Elgin Butler Brick.  I would be playing in a league largely dominated by 11 and 12 year olds.  I was starter that year but I was about the 9th best kid on the team.  That changed tremendously by the time I was 12.

I have a lot of these stories…….that is about being the last rung on the ladder.   I played serious softball in Texas in my 30's and I was 10th best guy when we hit the field.

Playing with better people makes me better, I came to learn a long time ago.   It is also tough on the ego.

When we started the Headstrong Team several years ago, both Christina and I were nearly the weakest riders.  For 2 years, we worked and learned.  We trained.   It hurt physically, being the last person up the hill.   Everyone was at a moderate pace while we were nearly full gas.  We got better and better.   There is an old saying, " If it doesn't kill ya, it'll make ya better!"

By year 3, we both graduated and in year 4, we were dishing out some pain vs. always taking it.

Well, the planning is on for 2015, already.   C and I are going to what is a 'dream team' for us.  Thirteen of the Masters from Modry are moving to Carolina Cycling.  Modry has been great but this will create one of the top Masters/Womens teams in the southeast.  It is a great bunch of people, also.  I will be the oldest person on the team………no surprise.   I am close to the oldest person in the world!   Here is the kicker.   I will likely be the weakest rider on the team…….hum……."Play it again, Sam."  No where to go but up!

My world view is that equilibrium is never maintained for longer than moments……..one is either getting better or getting worse, at anything whether athletic, business or personal.   If you agree with my world view, it stands to reason that getting better is usually better than getting worse.

Whether at work, in a sports team, a running group, a book club, take stock of your associates.    If you want to get better, try joining a team of people who are mostly better than you are…….smarter, faster, stronger.   You WILL either die or get better………….and you WILL NOT
die.

Given the alternative, I will always take trying to keep up on a great team over being a lead dog on a mediocre one.  But, that's just me!

I am thrilled to have the opportunity to get better in 2015 and spend a lot of time with some great people.  I am thrilled to wear the red and white of Carolina Cycling Team next year.

See ya out there.


     

PREPPING FOR OUR NEXT BIG CHALLENGE

We just can't get enough of France, the Pyrenees, Barrouse Bales (BB is a cyclosportive race) or Pyractiv (our accomodations).

We are headed back for a three-peat in August.   To the right, is a great podium pic of Christina in the Women's Masters 50+ last year.  She was also 5th in women's overall.  Her French competitors were very gracious.

This year, our batteries are charged and we are on track.

Today we start a 17 day nutritional block designed to bring us to 'race weight'.   This block will not only allow us to shed a few unneeded pounds but also fill our tanks with jet fuel.  We kicked our training off with a 135K ride that entailed some climbing.   I am still injured and inhibited from standing climbing so we must delay our steep climbing training just a bit.  Rain turned us around and we are reset for tomorrow.

Our race is on August 10th and we are currently discussing/clarifying our race goals but I think there are two things on which we can improve, along with being in the 'shape of our lives'.
1.  Start closer to the front.   There are two distances and each have about 600 competitors.   We need to start closer to the front and get in a faster pack going out to the first climb, which is about 30 miles.
2.  Descend faster.    We are going to practice the tricky descent on the Port de Bales prior to the race.  Last year Christina and Helen were passed by 2 women on the final descent and it would be good to avoid this again.

Our training looks pretty simple:

*  5-7 big climbing rides w/race pace climbing efforts
*  4-5 SCTAC - C20+ added miles on front and back.
*  2-3 training races or hard Saturday group rides.
*  Lots of endurance pace stuff.

Chris and Helen Balfour, our hosts and friends, are joining us in the race.   These guys are doing the
L' Etape du Tour (an amateur race of a TdF stage) on July 20th.   They are in crazy shape.   Helen reached the podium last year in the BB (and was 6th women's overall) but I think she can win the 35+ this year.   I do not yet know her goals or Christina's, but they could be 1-2 in the women's overall.  Chris just turned 50 and will certainly be a top finisher in that AG.

This whole journey includes the same vital elements I use for any challenge in life:

*  Set clear and specific goals.
*  Plan my preparation.
*  Execute my plan.
*  When it gets to the 'day of reckoning', trust my preparation, myself and my team mates.
*  Go all out……if I fail, I fail.  I don't leave anything out there.

I will keep you posted.

See ya out there.

The Tough Guy is Not So Tough This Time Around

When I was at A&M(1 Million Years BC),  I was tough as heck.  While I played varsity football there, I maybe missed 1 or 2 practices in 3 years.  I missed ZERO games.  I played 'hurt' most of the time.  I can remember setting alone in my room in tears, just thinking what I might be able to do if I could just be 'all well'.

In the years I spent in business with my partner Jim Landino, we said our most important attribute was that we showed up……no matter how bad things were.   We showed up.   We were tough guys.

Well, my latest tough guy test came at NC State RR.  As many of you know, I crashed with no one to blame but myself.  I knew I was hurt the second I pulled my face out of the dirt.  I took off on Sunday but Monday found me out for about 2 hours…. wrist brace, ibuprofen and bandages and all.  Once again, I was proving I was a tough guy, if to no one other than myself.

By Wednesday, I soloed a 131K ride for my June Strava 130K Granfondo Challenge.   No doubt, I overdid it.  Pain and exhaustion followed in the next days.  

On Saturday, our family vacation started.   Usually, I am leading the charge.  Our family consists mostly of folks who take a rest AFTER their vacation.  This year, I have not been able to hack it.  I am unable to mountain bike on single track, water ski, wake board or paddle board.  Oh sure, I have done a couple of 2 hour road rides on the MTBs and a short hike, but mostly the kids and grandkids are asking if they can help me…….  They are carrying and lifting things for me.  I am taking a lot of naps. I am struggling with feeling like I have aged ten years since our last vacation, one year ago.  Then, I mountain biked rugged single track for 3 hours and helped carry a small child over a mountain and back on a hike……..in the same day…..in 100 degree heat.

I have been here before and come back.  I will come back again. Maybe just not as fast as a tough guy would like?

Right now, I am working on being less physically tough and more mentally tough.   I am working on enjoying my family more in a cheerleader role than a leader role………..I am a fortunate guy.

My granddaughter, Aly, ask me what it felt like to 'have created' this group.   Answer:  GOOD, VERY GOOD.  I love this team more than life itself.

See ya out there.

Oh, I almost forgot….here is the Totally Radical Slalom Skiing Grandmother Dude!   She's holding up the Grandparents on this vacation.   And, I did a paddle board run this morning so maybe I am not ready for the grave, yet?


  

TEAM = Modry Evergreen Masters Race Team

Look up the word 'team' in the dictionary and it says:  See Modry Evergreen Masters Race Team.   On the way home Saturday after the NC State Championship Race, Bird (Jon Limbird) and I discussed that many people have long years of experience on teams.   I said, "yes, some played pro soccer or college basketball…".  Bird's observation and comment was that the Modry guys start sentences with "WE" vs "I".

I met Lee Reavis and Michael Berry prior to the race.   We only exchanged a hand shake but I felt a certain warmth.  I looked into Lee's eyes and felt the welcome and respect.  It was the same feeling I have gotten from my other new team mates.

Riley allowed me to call the shots as far as bringing Bird in to race with us.   Peter Leousis was going to be formidable.  He had beaten me by about 4 minutes in the last 40K TT in which we competed.  I figured it was going to be 3 against 1 and Peter didn't know my name.   Maybe we could sneak up on him?  I was not intimidated.

We had the race totally under control and about 8 miles in, I over ran a wheel…flew into the dirt about 30 feet off the road...just an awful rookie move.   Riley and Bird were shaken and the pack slowed to see that I sat up.  I got in the wheel truck.  I knew my crash would wear on my team mates…Bird and I go back a long way.   I ask the driver to go up past the field so I could let them know I was OK but he wouldn't.   I got out at the start/finish.   Later, Bird dropped as his back was hurting, but I know my wreck was a factor.   I think Riley was negatively effected beyond my physical absence.  He told me later he felt like crap for not stopping…he did what he should have done.

I cleaned up my wounds at the ambulance and soon the 50-59 guys came by entering the bell lap.  David and Lee were off the front about 25 seconds and Chris Dietrich was second wheel, blocking.  I was setting under a tent, beat to crap, beaming with pride.   Shortly, came the 60+ finish and Peter was first.  Riley came in 4th, a pretty long way back.   He was very disappointed but Bird said that Riley had certainly earned his respect and I know Riley did all he could.  Without Bird and I, he was in gunfight with a knife and the same would have been true if it had been just me or Bird.

We waited and the 50-59 pack came charging up the road.   David and Lee had been reeled in but Chris Steele put on an amazing sprint off a Chris Dietrich lead out.  He won the 55+ NC State Championship.  Lee was 4th in the 50-54.  When I saw David at the car, I thought he could barely stand up.  His legs were shaking.  He had given the break his all and was last in the AG.  I couldn't have respected him more, if he had won.  As hurt as I was, I felt inspired by what they had done and that included Bird and Riley.

Soon they were all checking on me and offering their concern.  They knew how I felt!  When you've hit the deck, seeing your team mates concerned faces helps.

Despite our disappointing outcome in the 60+, we had another great Modry weekend.  I think we have some good racers individually but when you put us together, we are a lot more than good.   We are an awesome force and one to be reckoned with.  We are race makers.

I am planning on a rematch with Peter!

<<<<<<As far as me, see that place right there?   The one I am pointing to?  That is the place on me that is NOT sore.

See ya out there.

Quitting

A friend recently asked me to check out a BLOG in Freakonomics on The Upside of Quitting .  As a blogger myself, I realize that the quality of what gets written, recorded and posted does not match the quantity.   To be more to the point, there is a lot of crap out there.

Maybe you will take a minute to scan or listen to the article, but I cannot recommend much investment in time.

Quitting is a subject that brings out great emotion in me.   A person of tremendous power in my youth, branded me a quitter and I have spent the last 45 years proving him wrong.   I believe Winston Churchill was right when gave his famously short commencement speech.  He got up and said, "Never, never, never give up!" and sat back down.

First, here is what, I think, quitting is and what it's not.   Quitting is not the same as stopping.  I routinely stop doing things.   I change directions.

Quitting has to do with bailing on a commitment.  To me, the most important commitments are to myself.   I literally make them to myself.  A commitment may also be made to others and while I worry about them, I NEVER want to let myself down.   If I can't trust me, how in the heck can anybody else trust me?

With this in mind, I am careful as to what I commit.  It is not always to 'win' or even finish.   An important thing is to know the exact commitment before I get into the journey.   Sometimes, I 'up' my aspirations during the journey but I do not let myself lower aspirations.

Here are a couple of examples:

My 31 year career -  During that long career, I went through about 4 or 5 periods when I reevaluated my options (including leaving), set new goals and committed to 'bring home the bacon'.   These periods of commitment tended to be about 5 years but the goals and milestones were what was important, not the time.   The last time I reviewed my options, I decided to stop working……….I really did not feel like I was quitting.   We had reached the goals I had set and I felt both I and the company would be better served if I moved on.

A bike race -  Seems easy, right….win!  It is not so easy.  This weekend, team goals superseded me winning and it was a two day effort.  First day goals:  Assist my team mates in winning and do whatever that took.  If I got so tired, I was 'off the back', pedal in without finishing.   Save my legs for day two.  If that happened, I would DNF (Did Not Finish).  Second day goals:  Help my team mates win in the 50+ bracket and if that could be accomplished, I could strive to win the 60+.   Never quit, never stop, never slow down until it is over…..no matter what.  I could rest Monday.

So, let me sum it up.  I make my commitments carefully.  Once made, I pedal the bike or pedal in life until I fall over in order to 'make good' these commitments.   I never quit, renegotiate, down grade, or give up.  I don't even think about quitting during the commitment, as that uses energy and causes self doubt.  To repeat a well known phrase:  Quitting is not an option.

The 'cool' question people ask these days is, "So, how's that working for ya?"   Answer, "Pretty darn good!"

See ya out there.

A Blue(Modry) Weekend

Christina and I had the pleasure of hosting 3 of our Modry team mates for the weekend.   The attraction was the State RR Championship on Saturday and a crit on Sunday at Greenville Pickens Speedway.

We had great results both days, really dominating the 50+ fields.  Despite rain on Sunday, we had a great morning and a lot of fun.  Christina garnering some results, was icing on the cake.

I have to be honest, I was pretty focused about my debut with the team.  They aren't the NY Yankees but they may be as close as I will ever get and this weekend seemed a little like 'tryouts', to me.   Chris Steele, Chris Dietrich and David Moore are bike racing fools.  It was the best team racing I have been part of…….we were joined by some other strong members Saturday, but Sunday it was the Fab Four.

The guys were great in their support of Christina, who despite many training interruptions lately, brought home 3rd place in Masters Women 30+ on Saturday and laid down a heck of an effort.  After making the break, she cracked on tough hill and rode about 25K solo.  The main field caught her about .5 K from the finish.  She mustered a strong sprint and was just exhausted.

The cycling was not the highlight this weekend, though.   We had great camaraderie, meals and a lot of talk about the future of the team.   These guys are wonderful people and we share a lot goals, aspirations, and values(about life, family and things in general).  As they spoke of the team next year, so many things were similar to what we expect out of a team experience.  I think this meant even more to us after coming away from last year, when we felt really out of step with many/most of our team mates.

The journey from last August, when we decided to leave TEAM headstrong until this weekend, has been a good one.   It has been confirmed that leaving was right for us.   I hope it has worked well for the wonderful folks that migrated to Greenville Velo.  I hope that the wind is always at their back.

Being on our own has been super………but being a part of something bigger than us, is really motivating.  As I have said before, I am team player and have been for about 57 years.  I have almost no experience in individual sports or individual anything.  Christina and I have supported each other strongly, but this was more and better.  She felt strongly about it also.

The guys have asked us to be part of their 2015 plans.   We don't know what those plans are, exactly, but we are sure we want to spend more time with this bunch.   So, barring them deciding to be a bowling team, we are looking forward to racing/riding/socializing and just generally being part of Modry.

Next weekend offers another opportunity for me to contribute.   We are headed to Fayetteville, NC for the NC State RR Championships.  I have already tightened my chinstrap.  I have the World's on Tuesday and a crit on Thursday, to make me ready.

C and I are already scheming about next year!  We hope to be part of making Big Blue better than ever.   For now, I can tell ya that we are already damned proud to be pinning numbers on with these guys.

Oh, C has some bold goals she formulating…....but you will have to talk to her about them.

See ya out there.

Myths of Race Training and Other Things

My ole friend, Lou Tice said, "It ain't what you don't know that will hurt you, it is what you know that ain't so."   Of course, he was talking about life in general.    I have always used sports as tool to teach myself and others, things we could apply to our lives in general.

I have realized lately that there are many examples, of people operating on untruths, in cycling.   So, I thought I might uncover a few myths.  Of course, I am coming at this from my perspective……65/8-9 years in the sport/racing….you know the act.

MYTH:  TRAINING ALL THE TIME

Several times a year someone tells me they just can't train all the time, they just like to ride.   Christina and I really only adhere to scheduled training a few weeks a year.  For 9-10 months a year, we just ride our bikes.   Eddie Mercx once gave a tip to a person wanting to become pro, "Ride your bike….a lot!"  We do as we like riding…….a lot.  We ride solo, in groups, fast, slow, climbing…..you name it.   Make no mistake, we are not noodlin'.  Each ride has purpose……..fitness, fun, recovery, sight seeing, coffee, whatever.  We try to know what we are doing prior to clipping in.   Even though this is loosely scheduled, it does serve as practice and therefore deserves focus.

MYTH:  YOU NEED A COACH

Coaches can be valuable, particularly if you are a multisport athlete………..triathlon training is complicated and wasting effort is not so good.   Cycling is simple.  You don't really need a lot.   Unless you have coach or you are willing to learn power training, forget a power meter.   You won't know what the heck to do with it.   As, I just stated, most of the time, you just need to ride a lot.   Why do you need someone to tell you that.  Save your money and find a partner with which to ride and train……someone that mostly shares your goals.

MYTH:  RACE TRAINING REQUIRES A STRICT SCHEDULE AND AWFUL INTERVALS

Actually, Christina and I do very few intervals.  If I want to be at the top of my game, it takes 4 weeks.
Three weeks I train and one I taper.   This is really intense and that is why we only do it a very short time.   I start the 4th(taper week) Monday for the SC STATE RR/NC STATE RR.  Here is what I will have done during the 4-5 weeks:

*  5 Tuesday Worlds Championships
*  2 Speedway training crits
*  1 - 20K TT
*  2 Park Hill rides - we do laps with 3 hill sprints in each that are 20-60 seconds long.  Usually 3-5 laps which means 9-15 sprints.
*  4-5 hard long rides - 50-70 miles each.  These contain efforts like FARLEKS that fit the terrain…….the Watershed in SC or Twin Peaks in Tucson.   I do several of them in each ride and they vary from 2-30 minutes in length.  I go about 90% so the short ones are more intense than the long ones.  I like to make these longer than the races and in similar terrain.   Since I am not going race pace, the longer distance brings the total training load for the workout to that of the race.  When I did the 3 days at Tucson Bike Classic, I thought the races were easier than the training………not a bad way feel in competition!
*  Other rides are just recovery, easy, fat burners or fillers……because I like to ride.
*  I rest a lot.

NOTE:  Christina is in New Hamsphire and she will do a couple of Spin bike workouts this week…short and intense.

I think the key to our training being effective in this month period, is the training races.   Racing is the best training for racing.  My actual scheduled SC/NC events will be 3 races and I want training races that look very much like them.   I love this stuff.   I would much rather do the Tuesday World's than go find a hill and ride up and down it!   The race training is much more effective.  In Tucson, the DOGS have a couple of rides that simulate races and there is Saturday morning world famous SHOOTOUT.  Every place has these.

It shocks me that most folks just don't understand the need for training races.   You can not go out and represent yourself competitively in any event when your prep consists of just riding.   I have tried it.  All the sports in which I have been involved are similar.  Competition is the most effective training.

MYTH:  YOU CAN DO THE SAME THING AND GET BETTER

In fact, I call this insanity:  Doing the same thing and expecting different results.  I recently ask a racer how effective doing the Tuesday Dogs Hill Ride, in Tucson, 50 weeks a year was for him.   He said he did the ride differently from week to week.  OK, this is the best training group on the planet (in my opinion) but give me a break.   Can you imagine a runner doing 8x200m on Tuesday every week for a year??  Confusion is one of the key training principals………you must mix it up or the body adapts.  Besides, when I do this ride as hard as I do it, I nearly kills myself.   I can only suffer like this a few times a year.  I would rather go to prison than go this hard every Tuesday for a year.  Well, that may be an exageration?

I suspect many of you are limiting what you are accomplishing, on and off the bike, based on what you believe that is not necessary so.  Check your self out on this……..I do every day.

For these upcoming races, the hay is in the barn……..some race training efforts left in taper but that is just to 'keep the edge' while I rest.  I have it…….it comes down now to 'doing it'.

See ya out there.

Going 'ALL IN'

Earlier this year, we were ask to join Modry Evergreen Racing Team based in Charlotte.   I was thrilled as Modry is one of the southeast's top teams.   They not only race well, there are some great people on the team.   I think Christina and I wondered if a good team would want a couple guys like us?   Sure, we mentored for the Hincapie Development Team and  TEAM headstrong was pretty 'big time' for a couple of years, but we founded and financed it.  Would our riding warrant a good invitation?  Modry provided the answer.

Even though I was jubilant, it took a lot of discussion and thought before Christina and I jumped in.  I was reminded of a Texas Hold'em Poker group in which I played some years ago.  We played about once every two months for 4 hours with a $50 buy in.  You played until you lost all your money or the 4 hours was up.   One night I had great cards on the first hand of the night.  After a couple of bets, I said the two most exciting words in the game……..'ALL IN' and pushed all my chips toward the pot.   One of the players called.  I lost and set the rest of the night out, bringing people beers, shuffling the cards and just hangin' out.   The loss did not deter me though.  In many subsequent games, I went 'ALL IN' with mostly positive outcomes.

Christina and I talked about our commitment and contribution.  Finally, we said to ourselves:  'ALL IN'.

Commitment is first and foremost.  Those of you who follow my writing, may remember that I see this much differently than most.  Most folks wait until they find something they are passionate about before they commit.  I commit and then expect the passion to follow……..big difference.

Then it came to what we would contribute.  One of my favorite presidents(JFK) once stated,  "Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country."  Instead of country, one can insert family, organization, friends………I inserted the word, team.   The plan:

Preparation - I will put myself in top fitness.  I am 65 (race age) and racing mostly in 50+ fields.  Everyone must prepare but for me, it is even more important.  Train, eat, sleep….do it again.

Show up - Sound stupid?  Most people don't actually ever get there.  We already had a busy 2014 schedule but I have committed to race some important races.   Christina and I also will go to Charlotte to do some team rides later in the summer.

Host team mates -  We are excited to host some team mates for SC Race Weekend here in Gville and we fully plan to help create a camp and possibly a big race weekend in Tucson this winter.

Race contribution -  This is a strong team………I can not hope to be the lead dog.  I want to contribute as a domestique…….close gaps, chase down attacks, run down break aways, do lead outs at the end if I am still there.  Sure, I have it in my heart to do some attacking myself, but it will be done for the greater good of the team>>>

Put the team success ahead of my personal success - The SC RR is an example.   If I were riding for myself, I might get a top 10 in a field of 50-60 guys.  My goal this year is to win………that is somebody on our team will win.  If we reach my goal, I personally will probably be 35th or 42nd!

Be aggressive - In business, I felt I was a game changer.  In bike racing, there are race takers and race makers.   I am a race maker.   The race happens at the front of the peleton, not the back.   If you want to see me, there are two places to look…….in the front few riders or 'off the back'.   I will be up there making a race, making it hard.   When I can't, so long.   I am not a guy with a racing goal to set in and finish 22nd in the field sprint.

We are going to the 'line' here in Gville on June 7/8 for SC State RR Weekend….a RR and a crit.  We will follow the SC weekend with the NC RR in Fayetteville, NC.  Look for 'Big Blue' (my nickname for Modry as our kits are blue) to put up tremendous efforts in these races.

Commitment and contribution bring great joy and success whether in sports, business or relationships……..What are your key commitments?  How are you contributing?  Are you 'ALL IN'?……..if not, why are you holding back?

See ya out there.

What Has Made the Difference?

Christina and I are having, perhaps, our best year ever.   I don't say this to boast……… but how is this possible??  We are in our 8th to 9th year of serious cycling and we are older than dirt!

There is never one answer to a question like this.   We lead very low stress lives….no work, family all good, don't run a cycling team anymore.   We sleep and rest a lot.  But, the big reason is TUCSON.   No, it is really not the place but what it allows us to do………..big, big base miles when everyone is freezing their butts off on the east coast…..doing trainer workouts and shortening rides due to rain and cold.

All the pros know this and that is why they spend winters in places like Tucson, Mallorca, or Girona…….
They know the importance of base miles.

This training, for us, is different from what I once thought.   We do most of it fairly unstructured because that helps us stay enthused.   None the less, the rides have purpose.   The rides have gotten longer and mostly they are much longer than the races we do………weird huh?   Most of these rides are a 100k or more.   If you think these are LSD's (Long Slow Days), think again.   These rides always include steady state efforts, sometimes at a very high pace.

FARTLEKS………I have always liked the word, don't you?   We do random efforts that fit the terrain.   Today, on a big mountain ride, we did 4 climbs at Z3 level.   Sometimes these are Z4 and even race pace efforts.   We also throw in hill attacks and shorter/more intense efforts as we move to the end of base training.

Of course, no matter how much of this you do, you will not be ready to race.   You need speed in your legs created by race like training.  We also like TT intervals thrown in.  It seems we only need a few weeks of this type of activity.   This is good as it is really hard on us mentally and physically.  During this period, volume decreases some to allow for an increase in intensity.

If you check me out on Strava, you will see that I peaked for the Tucson Bike Classic in mid March and then rested.   I have been back base training again……put in over 18 hours this week, all with purpose.  My current fitness level is crazy.  

My next races are 6/7-6/8 - SC STATE RR Weekend and then I will race the following weekend at NC STATE RR with Modry Evergreen Racing.  Don't look for any podium finishes…..I will be working for my team mates.   Their success will be something I will share in.  So, this week, I shift gears.   Hopefully, I will be at SCTAC on Tuesday night and the Thursday night crit in Pickens.

Rest and family vacation will follow these two races and then another cycle, peaking for an August race in the French Pyrenees.   Christina and I are super pumped to be joining our friends Chris and Helen Balfour of Pyractif in the Barrouse Bales cyclosportive on August 10th.

I hope you will share your thoughts on the above!

See ya out there.

Fear and Intimidation

My good friend Jon Limbird (AKA Bird) and I raced Male Duo 40+ at the Gear Grinder 6 Hour MTB Race yesterday.   It was interesting because the race was held at a private camp near Zirconia.   Virtually no one had ridden the course prior to Friday afternoon.

We met about 3:00 PM, got our race numbers and set out for a practice lap.   WOW!!!  I don't use the word intimidation much in connection with my name but Friday night, I was intimidated.   This is another way of saying I was frightened.  Bird could see it but we did not discuss it.

We stayed the night at a wonderful cabin, owned by Amelee and John Weems, about 5 miles from the race venue.   Brandon Rudin joined us there.  Laying in bed, I remembered it was OK to be afraid…..it was not OK to stay afraid.

Saturday morning we headed for the race start.   I am never sure how I actually get passed this fear thing.  I don't use logic or argue with myself.  Mostly I visualize riding safely and easily.  I ask myself what is the worst that could happen and can I live with that?  To some extent I just 'man up', whatever that means??  and I don't think it has anything to do with being a man.   Women do it every day….in fact maybe better than us guys.

The course included a 1.2 mile steep gravel road, 7 miles of single track, about 30 sharp switchbacks and lot of moderately technical elements.   What made it hard was no one thing.  Most MTB trails have easy sections between the technical elements.  This one did not.   It was consistently moderately difficult from a technical perspective.   The roughly 3500 feet of climbing in the 25 miles (3 laps) was serious from a cardio standpoint.  It was very intense (nerve racking) because, at times, the consequences of failure were pretty serious.  In fact Hoffmonster claimed there were 500 places to 'get hurt' each lap.  Thankfully no participant was seriously injured.

All and all, it was a super event.  I would do it again in heartbeat.   I recommend it.  The support area, the course, beauty, organization, barbecue and awards were all fun.

Bird and I were 8th out of 9 teams but felt like winners by accomplishing 6 laps in 5:52…….something that seemed nearly miraculous to not only the two of us, but some of our pals in attendance.   Sometimes, just finishing safely can be a big accomplishment…….this was one of those times.

I hope that you can get through your fear if you ever run into anything like this.   For me, doing so, opened up the door to a lot joy this weekend.   Being fear-less is a lot more fun than being fear-full.

See ya out there.

Ask for What You Want

I learned many years ago, to ask for what I want.   So, I am asking you, as a reader, to help me expand the readership of this BLOG.  The growth in readership, over the last months, has been significant.   I would like to reach more people with messages for our lives, on and off the bike.   I hope to continue to write about competition, goal setting, accountability, failure, achievement other pertinent topics.

Hopefully you will feel there is value to what you read here and you can pass it on:

*  Share the link to my post with your FB friends
*  Forward links to BLOG via email
*  Refer others to the BLOG via conversation

If you have had a post that meant something to you, scroll down, find it and 'share' it right now if you have time!

Also, many of you are reaching me by private email, FB comments, or text with your comments and that is great…..continue.  Please also use the comment feature on the BLOG.  I get a message immediately and make sure the comments are appropriate.  I then 'publish' them.  Not a single comment has been withheld in 4 years.

Thanks for your help.   I will not impose upon you again on this subject……..back to writing my next post………or maybe riding my bike.

See ya out there.  

What it takes to be a Champion

A recent post, brought a lot of feedback about what it takes to excel in cycling.   The overall responses were shocking to me.

Many people, some who's opinions I greatly respect, responded.  It seems that most feel champions are 'born'.  It is a case of genetics….you have it or do not.   You have the VO2 Max or you don't.  I even got some feedback that 'luck' was a key determinate.

I have spent a lifetime reading, studying, observing, and coaching for performance.   I have strived for personal high performance in several arenas over the last 50 years.   One of my recommended reads is the TALENT CODE.   This is one, of many books, exploring this very interesting subject.

Since we know that 'beliefs' drive action which creates results, one's belief, on an all important subject like this, can largely determine life outcomes.

NOTHING in my experience leads me to believe that champions are born.  

When I was playing football at Texas A&M in the late 60's, we had a pretty poor team and I was about the 30th best overall athlete in the group……….project that to a national scale including all the athletes for just the football teams.   Maybe there were a few thousand guys in the sport, at that level, with greater general athletic ability??   Add basketball, baseball………..you get the idea.  You might say, I was one of the 'many others'.

Academically, I achieved the Dean's List most semesters…….but then so did about 500 other people at Texas A&M alone.  I routinely found myself in upper level classes with folks that could learn and grasp things over my head.  Calculus was like the Chinese Language to me.

When I started cycling, Joe Friel did testing on me.   My VO2 Max was so low, I would not listen to what he even said about it.  I figured all it could do was limit what I believed I could accomplish.

I have one friend and cycling comrade that was a surgeon, is a scratch golfer, went to Hawaii to the World Ironman Championships, plays music and sings, is a woodworker.   I am sure I left something out.  I could not be a doctor if tried, once had a 9 handicap, can't hardly swim two laps in a 25 meter pool, can't sing, play an instrument or dance.   Do you get the picture?

Don't get me wrong, I came into this world with some gifts.   I am damn glad for the hand I was dealt genetically but it is hardly extraordinary.

I have been fortunate enough to accomplish a few things in life and most recently on the bike.  I was never an olympian or world famous business person but I have reached a few 'podiums' along the way.   Maybe I am kidding myself, but if I had relied on IQ or VO2 max tests to tell what I could accomplish, things would have been much different.  I always set bold goals I had no idea how to achieve.  I committed myself to them.  I prepared through study and training.  I learned to suffer…….setbacks, defeat, pain and agony.  I rarely feared failure, injury or much of anything else.   One book I read, used the term 'GRIT'.  There is no test for 'GRIT'.  I am not sure I have all I could use, but I think I have a little.

I am pretty sure that every time I have reached the 'podium' in life, there have literally been thousands (maybe millions?) of people with better genetics who could have beat me but they didn't.  

Genetics and luck (if it even exists) are completely out of our control.  The truth is, we don't know what our potential is in anything.  The truth is most of us never come close to reaching our genetic potential so it is not really a limiter.  So, I am going to keep stumbling through life oblivious to genetics and luck.

I am going to train, rest, suffer, study Spanish and love my family.   I am going to strive to be a better and better bike racer, Spanish speaker, husband/father/grandfather.

I am going to pull up to the start line at the next race knowing my competition because I have studied their experiences and results.  I am going look around and calmly to see who might be second.

All of this will result in tons of failure but you know what?  Sometimes I WILL achieve success………

See ya out there.

 

Predictors of Success

I have only been racing bikes for about 7-8 years so I consider myself still a newbie.   When I began, I wanted to understand what things I had to achieve for success.   This had worked in the business world, why not in cycling?

As a life learner, I focused on the sport that was becoming my passion.   I read many books and employed Joe Friel as a coach.  During the 2-3 years Joe coached me, I learned a lot.

It seemed to me that there were a couple of things on which success hinged:

*  60 Minute Functional Power
*  Power to Weight Ratio

The obvious implications were to get more powerful and weigh less.  I set about to do this with some success.  Over several years my 60 Minute Functional Power went from 270 to 315.   This was not without tremendous focus and intense training.   My weight dropped from 220 to about 187.   These changes created huge gains in my results but at a point, I could not lose more weight and more power gains were allusive.

However, I continued to train and gains continued.   I began to think that while important, the 'Holy Grail Indicators' that I was using, were not the whole story.   In 2013 and early 2014, I  realized that it was not how hard you could go for 60 minutes that mattered, but how hard you could go for the whole race.  I found myself overcoming the competition late in the events…..I hung on the first climb but hurt people the 10th.  I also realized that these measures I had been using, did not predict anaerobic fitness……..how hard can you go for 30 seconds to 2 minutes???…..how fast can you recover from these short efforts? How many can you do before you crack?  My capability in this short effort/recovery was increasing rapidly.   I believe this area is neglected in the training of most cyclist…….why?  It hurts like heck!

Early this year, my weight seemed stuck at 195 and I was very stressed.   I am a big cyclist and 5-8 lb. would negatively effect my power to weight ratio.   How was it that I was having my best year ever?   Answer:  This power to weight thing really comes into effect on long steep climbs…….how many races have these?  Answer:  Not all of them.  Why was I now weighing 195?  Answer:  More muscle?

So what does predict success at this higher level of competition?   I looked at my pals, 6-7, who are 60+ and ride like the wind.    Hum, weight was all over the place.   We varied from 140 lb. to 195 (me).  Wow, that is huge.   The power output varied from what seemed to be about 240 - 315 watts?   Interesting, because we were cycling and racing at similar levels?

Was there any common denominator?  What could predict success?   My answer is leanness…….yes, waist size.   If a rider/racer is super lean, the weight is not a huge factor.   If there is no fat, all that is left is bone and muscle.   The lean heavier cyclist can be on par with the lean lighter cyclist.

Sure, the lightest guys can climb Mt Lemmon faster but it is not all that big of a difference.   The most powerful (heaviest) guys are better on the flats and short climbs but it is not that big of difference either.

Taking a poll of my pals, I found our jean sizes varied from 30-34 inches in the waist……..mostly we are 32's.   Interestingly, the 140 lb cyclist and I both use 32 inch jeans……..body makeup and shape are obviously much different.   While our weights vary, all of us are really lean.   Compared to the general population, our single digit body fat, makes us, maybe, 1 in 1000 among 60+ year old men.

So the bottom line is:  Forget your age, sex or size…..you can't
do a darn thing about these.  You must however, be extremely lean to excel in cycling.   This, you can manage and determine.   That's right.  Don't work on being lighter, think leaner.  They can be the same but not necessarily.

If you think you can do it with training alone, you are dead wrong.   You MUST control your diet……this is another subject for a future BLOG.

See ya out there.

PS>  Also note that most people highly underestimate the skill needed in bike racing.   Riding a bike takes moderate skill.  Racing with results requires tremendous skills.  You can't acquire and maintain these skills riding, you must race.   If you race once or twice a year, how can you get there?  Answer:  You can't.

La vuelta pequeña de España sur (The Little Tour of Southern Spain)

Some people go on vacation to escape.......from a boring place, bad weather or work.   I am pretty fortunate in that I don’t work, I live in two wonderful places and rarely experience anything other than great weather.   I  have found through the years, that I see things from a very different perspective when I am removed from normal surroundings and ‘on vacation’.  At times, I have done my best thinking while ‘away’, particularly since I started cycling.  Cycling for me is also a time for reflection so a cycling vacation can bring epiphanies or just subtle changes in thinking.  And, of course, sometimes neither....just some fun and exercise.

Years ago, our teacher, Lou Tice, conveyed to me that people do not really respond to things but experiences.  Even the things we acquire bring experiences.  He professed nobody really ever wanted a sports car.   They wanted the feeling/feelings the sports car gave them.

For me, Spain was all about feelings.

My very first day there, I was reminded of my beginnings in cycle: Some years ago, struggling up Caesar’s Head, I heard a gear shift behind me.  Much to my surprise, George Hincapie pulled along side me.   I was breathing hard but George easily spoke, “Hey Randall, how’s it going?”  I tried to get something out as he stood and disappeared in what seemed like only seconds.   In that brief moment, I could not help but notice his jersey, unzipped, was flapping in the wind.  This resulted from his 16-18 mph speed.  It looked like a cape and to me, he could have been Superman.   I wondered if I would ever know how it would feel to climb so effortlessly and powerfully?

Sure, the climbs in southern Spain are mostly Category 2 or 3.  As such, the grade is rarely over 5% and they are usually 20-30 minutes max.  So, it ain’t Caesar’s Head but we had warm days and I rode many with my jersey unzipped.  I was likely only going 10-12 mph.  Sometimes strong winds probably helped........MY jersey flapped and flapped.  I felt the power!  For those moments, I was Superman.

Discovery was up for me this trip also.   We were in a completely new place.  On day 6, I did 130K by myself and with little planning. I left thinking I would ride about 50K.  Slogging into the wind about 30K out, I was picked up by 7 sturdy Norwegians.   When we established that I spoke Spanish/English and at least 4 of them spoke Norwegian/English, we had a basis to communicate.  One wanted to know where I was going.  I proudly said, I was just out exploring and would ride with them, if OK.   Although, I never pulled while in the group, I earned my place when we stopped for lunch in small village and I managed ordering and paying with my language skills.   After about 50K with them, they took a turn to NE and home was SW so I waved and said good luck.  I wasn’t sure how far I was from home or how many mountains I needed to climb.  I knew I could climb whatever was in my path and every sight, sound, noise and smell would be a new experience.  Toward the end, I ran into Chris and Mike, a new arrival.  Chris helped me finish off 130K for my Strava Challenge.  I was on an adventure.  I WAS Ferris Buhler.

Day 7 was our crowning day.   We rode to Valencia and back, because we could.  Most bike riders can remember their first bike, and the freedom it represented.  The world got bigger immediately.  You could walk a few blocks, you could cycle much further.........going to places your parents did not even know about.   Even today, I have small child in me and he loves freedom.   Valencia was 210K round trip.   Prior to the trip,  I had only heard of it.  I had no idea I would ever go there as it was not on the trip agenda. It was a place that was ‘off my map’.  Chris and Helen know me though, and I think they threw this one in for me?  

Freedom: expanding your boundaries....going where you have never been......seeing things you have never seen......and yes even suffering in some ways you have never suffered.  That day, it was about doing all this with Andrew, Chris, Helen and Christina.  When we unclipped at our temporary home, Casa Maurana, Parcent, Helen was tearful.   She only displayed the emotions were all feeling.  We were all moved.  We hugged.  

I did not really go to Spain these last days.   I went to a place of power, discovery and freedom.   A person can probably find this anywhere if they are willing to look.  I am headed to Greenville right now in search of more wonderful experiences.

See ya out there.

Wearing the Yellow Jersey

This last weekend at The Tucson Bicycle Classic (TBC),  I found myself in an unfamiliar situation.   The race is a classic stage race format and my TT win on Friday, put me in the Yellow Jersey on Saturday.   Fortunately, my results on Saturday allowed me to continue to wear it on Sunday.

Let me be clear.   This was a really big a deal to me, but I realize it was the 65+ AG.   The TBC 65+ AG is not the Tour de France.  It is not a Cat 1 field.  There are a lot of things it is not.   However, I found something interestingly similar to these more 'important' levels of competition.

For years, I have listened to Phil Liggett and Paul Sherman do their commentary of the Tour.  Many times they have said that the Yellow Jersey changes a man.   I listened but could not really get my mind around what they were talking about until this weekend.  I really did not think much on the subject.

On Saturday morning at about 6:00 AM, I signed in at the race tent and signed for my Yellow Jersey.   After Christina pinned my number on (I was first off so she was helping me), I slid it on.   To be honest it was a very cheap garment and not nearly as nice as my Hincapie 'glow in the dark' Velocity Plus jersey.   It really did not fit very well and against my orange kit, the color looked hideous.  

As I warmed up, the sun was yet up.  I was carefully riding down the road, lined with cars on both sides, and it seemed people were looking more than usual??   There were several of these jerseys around because of all the categories, but it still seemed folks were taking note.   I heard my name accompanied by the words 'hey' or 'good luck'.

When I got to the line, there was easily a place for me…..no pushing or scrambling.  It was like the waters parted.   As the race progressed, I noticed people moved over for me…..let me in…..gave me 'right of way'.

Maybe all this was happening and maybe it was just in my head because I feeling like a different man.   I my mind, I had responsibilities and personal power.   I felt physically stronger and faster.  I was more sure of myself, but not cocky.  I have always ridden in the front third of the peleton but I spent 2 days, never less that 2nd wheel.  I felt comfortable and deserving of the jersey.  I felt I would ride in a manner that would assure that my competitors understood why I was in it.   I would, in a sense, bring honor to the jersey.   The depth of these feelings are complicated and confusing.  I am totally unable to articulate all of them.   I can just say, now, that I believe Phil and Paul…..the jersey does change the man, even a man in TBC 65+ category.

Who knows….maybe I am a legend in my own mind?  Maybe this is all a figment of my imagination??  Delusions of grandeur?

I wonder though, if this feeling has a shelf life……will it last?  Who knows?  What long term effects are there, if any?  Time will tell.

See ya out there.

Winning the GC at the Tucson Bicycle Classic

It was a big weekend for the TEAM as Christina came away with 3rd as a General Contender (GC) in a stellar women's masters field.   I won the GC in Men's Masters 65+.

The truth is that you can put a domestique in a yellow jersey (as I was this weekend) but you've still got a domestique.

Sure, I spent a few kilometers 'off the front' in the Sunday's only serious break.  After taking the lead with a win in the Friday time trial, mostly I rode 2 days at the very tip of the spear, closing down attacks and breaks….sometimes before they even got going.   The stuff domestiques love to do!

The Saturday road race was really fun.  Franz Hammer (great name for a cyclist, huh?) went off the front at the start of lap 2.  Even though Franz has about 30 national titles, I didn't take it seriously.  He is 77 years old!  However, he is Franz Hammer.  Two minutes after I let him go, the attacks started.   I quickly realized my problem……if someone bridged to Franz, it might be game over!   After about 3 attacks, Roy Quade (BC, Canada), launched a hard effort to bridge and I could not/did not respond.  As soon as Roy reached Franz, Doug Perry (at the time in second place) and I started talking about the risk as we stepped up the pace.  Soon, I calculated they had a 25 second time gap so Doug (pictured here with me) and I started to get very serious.  This was happening while pretty much everybody else set in.  I was really in my element……during chases like this, I visualize myself as the world's greatest domestique.

I have known Doug for about 4 years.  I like him and respect him as a person/racer.  Soon, except for a couple of 30 second pulls from others, it was Doug and I, together in a fox hole.  We chased, chased and chased.  I think after about 12k, we finally caught the break.   It was not without pain and suffering.  It was really only two against two……the 8 guys still hanging on behind us had no value in this proposition.

We ended the day in a sprint finish…me third and Doug off the podium……one guy, who we never saw until about 300 meters from the finish, got 1st and Roy Quade was 2nd.  The winner moved within 4 seconds of Doug!  This did not set well with me.   A guy sucks wheel with his podium spot at risk…..and then wins the sprint….hum???

Sunday in the Circuit Race, Doug needed help…..the threat was real as the dude in third could sprint.   We contrived a plan to get Doug top intermediate sprint bonus seconds, only to fail.   Doug's lead eroded to 2 seconds.   I took the opportunity to ride off the front for about 4k after the bonus preme.  After I was reeled in, I talked with Doug about the ending plan.   Doug agreed.

We rounded the final turn about 1.1k from the finish.   I had already been on the front for 1k.  Doug was glued to my wheel.  We didn't care who was where……..we just had to stay in front.  I hit the hill between us and 200 meter marker, out of the saddle in the drops.   As I crested, I sat down and drilled it.  Headed slightly down hill another 400 meters, nobody came around at a pace nearing 46kph.   At just over 200 meters, I was again out of the saddle in the biggest gear, when Doug came around me in an explosion!  He rocketed past me uphill to the finish.

Doug won the Circuit Race handily and secured 2nd in the GC!   The 'threat' got second in the Circuit Race but remained in 3rd for the GC.  I was 5th in the  sprint with 'same time' and I won the GC!  Mission accomplished.  Doug was thrilled and extremely appreciative.  I was thrilled and extremely appreciated.

After the race, I am pretty sure the rest of field never understood what happened?   I think they thought it was my strategy to ride at the front for last 2K and then get swarmed?  I don't think they ever understood I was leading Doug out…….not sure?

What I learned or re-learned by all this:

*   I am team player.  I have always been a team player.  I get as much fun out of helping someone else succeed as in my own success.   That is continually true with Christina, Bird and my family.  It was the case with Doug this weekend.

*   If you are a lead out guy, like me, you must have faith.  I have done this many times only to find out my sprinter fell in a hole.  Today, I never thought of that one second.   There is no place for doubt when you need to put it all out there.  You need FAITH……belief without evidence.   Yes, I just believed Doug was there and would perform, although I had no evidence.

*   I could wear the Yellow Jersey and still be a lead out man (I could have my cake and eat it, too).  I love this one!

*  When you get in a fox hole with a guy, you learn lot about him.  I like what I found out about Doug.  I suspect we will do this 'team work' thing again, if I have anything to say about it.  I think this changed our relationship.

*  When you are a 64 (65 race age) year old athlete and you win the biggest competitive event of your life, you are a very fortunate person.   When you are a 64 year old guy, and you believe your best days are ahead of you, you are a very fortunate person.

See ya out there.