Suuffffeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Suffering all in the pursuit of fitness. This Saturday was the third installment of the Harrisburg stxc series. Monty and I headed North on 77. Neither of us had high hopes for a top spot. Mission was more of a support role for Jamie, get in and help when we could. This race was much faster than the previous weekends night race. Plan was to get out quick and set the pace early. Monty pulled out the lead off the gun. Jamie followed a close 2nd and I hung onto 3rd as watch out. "Team work" was the theme.
I managed to stay on for a few laps before I popped. Monty held on a few more laps then we were left to survive till the leaders came back around. Goal was to stay ahead and not get lapped but I knew better. These guys were ripping the trail up. Some many minutes later they did catch us luckily with Clint Spotting for us. Alerting me that they were closing fast. Anything I could do to help. "Get on your horse" and hold on. Chewed up and spit out Monty was next to help. Jamie was red hot this weekend and it was cool to be a part in it.

Another HBW night ride is in the books, and a record of 11 riders showing up last night. Many of the usual suspects welcomed a few new faces to the ride. Pre-ride fuel for the strong - the gravity race is mine.
Good ride around 2:30~28mi. Feeling a need to show the folks how to lay down the hammer on the gravity games. Pulled out an impressive first by a full straight away. Even managed to lead the folks on some very tamed dirt paths with no complaints.

Random Thoughts

Monday - First rollerblade session of 2007. Awesome workout for 25 minutes, the burning in the outer quads and lower back indicates target training.

Holly Belle celebrated her 6th birthday with her favorite ball and my foot.

Tuesday - Mony and I headed over to the night ride. A group of seven showed up for an evening of hills in the Elmwood area. Took third in the gravity games and managed a seek peek of the greenway addition.

Tuesday I found myself here in SC, any guesses - Once again Spokejunky solves the mystery. In the picture I'm running a RTK GPS survey, occupying SCGS marker "Gooding" situated at N33*30'04" W080*27'31" looking northeast at Lake Marion. On the right is south bound traffic on I95 heading toward Santee. On the left is th abandoned highway sc430.

Thursday Evening in November

The Thursday installment of the HBW night ride was a bust again last night. However Monty and I were able to salvage a great 2:15 ~ 27miler out of it. Points of interest Riverfront Park, Marion St. Parking garage, Horseshoe @ USC, Run ups at the Blatt Center, 3 gravel roads, one cemetery, Granby Park & some twilight singletrack. Eat your heart out this was an awesome ride for a Thursday evening in November.

To Vent

Another installment of the HBW bi-weekly night ride in downtown Cola. Following a confusing and frustrating day in the field I needed to vent. No better way than an urban assault on the rig. Scrambling out the house @ 6 to meet the group around 6:30. It's always a surprise to see who may show, for I have no contact prior to the ride (if it's a go or no go). These are always the thoughts as I navigate down the RiverWalk. Now that the air is turning cooler and the daylight is getting shorter, the Riverwalk isn't so crowded.
At the meeting spot I see 4 HBW riders hovered over a bike accessing some repair. Two riders choosing to bail another has a flat as the group starts off (from 5 to 2). Karma or Bad Luck , who knows? So now It's Monty and myself off for a stroll around Cola town. Since the usual suspects didn't show we had free reign to go anywhere we wanted. It's nice to see something different and nice of Monty to let me go wherever I deemed necessary. Points of interest - ElmwoodCemetary, USC, Five Points, Ownes Field for some nighttime singletrack and the Greenway. Parting ways at the Gervais St. bridge I headed west towards the house. Calmed and at ease with the days events 2:20 and some 30 miles with one gear through the street lights of down town. Looking forward to Thursday.

A night out

Back into some kind of form. With Harrisburg starting in one week (2 for me), the need for some fitness is a must. Somehow managed a 3 hour ride at Harbison on Saturday without bonking. Last night I went out for the bi-weekly Harrells Urban Ride. On the bike at 6pm to make the :30 commute over and through the woods to Riverfront park. The park was packed with foot traffic, many preparing for the Govenors Cup 8K. Trying not to be a complete jackass and blowing past them, especially since I'm decked from head to toe in Harrells Blue. Not good PR for Harrells. Anywho the commute consisted of some exploring on any type of dirt path I could find and three flights of stairs in a downward motion. After meeting up with the group my front tire started losing air. This would force me to stop in Elmwood Cemetary for a quick change. Twenty minutes later at the top of a parking garage the rear starts to go down. A couple shots of co2 and we're on our way. Down through campus and over the river we go, for a quick out and back on the Greenway. Chasing the gear folks down with the one gear. A good way to spike the HR. Hopefully this is what I need for the short track.

Last Weeks View

Anyone want to take a guess where in the heck I might be located.

Hint N34*03'18", W81*13'04"
Congrats to spokejunky on the correct loctaion

Some Luck

A brief absence from the blog o' sphere. Finally felling above 80% and letting everyone who cares know I'm OK. Testing positive for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, a dirty little bastard of a situation that leaves you feeling like shit all the time. Spread through a certain type of tick bit. Only 800 cases reported a year in the US (some luck). However not as bad as Lyme Disease plus it's curable with enough antibiotics. It's taken close to five months to regain some energy to ride or anything else exercise related. So now it's fall and most races are over and I'm ready to build up some fitness. So if someones looking for some slower fall routes give me shout.

Looking forward to the Harrisburg Short Track Series starting 10/27. I'll be suffering but what's new.

Toby

I guess it's time for some lottery tickets.

Slap, pat, kick, thump or shot

To the BEANS folks. It's the polite way to explain my latest trip to the Pisgah area. Coming off of a wicked week of cycling a whole 2 hours of trainnig this week. Which is a consistant average for the past month or so. Fitness not to good. Anywho traveled up with some buddies for an adventure from the N. Mills area to the BRP and back down the mountain somehow. Played the role of the cabose most all day. Two strong points of the day, first off I was on time. No one had to wait on me. Second no crashes or even near misses. This trip to the hills has inspired me to try harder for more saddle time. Wish me luck

Sparatic

Working this past week in the field has taken yet another blow to my workouts. Guess I'm trainning my heat tolerence for the chance I'll be on the bike soon. Took a spin friday afternoon, oblivious or just stupid. Temps at 106 yeah. Managed to ride through some sprinklers to stay hydrated. Stay hydrated peeps, or you could suffer.

It's been so long I forgot my password. Lots O' Work & Not O' Lot of riding

6hr Challenge for a Cowbell

Cowbell 12hr Challenge held at the new whitewater center in Charlotte NC. WOW this place looks like a lot of fun for a non cycling weekend. If not throw in ten+ miles of sweet singletrack and make it the total package weekend. The trail system was impressive. Many section of challenging trail, most of the trail was in the shade. In June this is a huge +, all in all a must do race.

I decided on the 6 hour event this weekend for several reasons. One was a 12hr race in June sucks, next lack of fitness and then I wanted to test myself on the single speed for 6 hours. With ORAMM coming up in a months time I needed to decide on one gear or 27.

Luckily I recieved a friendly call from Damon on going up to Charlotte. Finally a trip with a teammate. This can really pump you up - I probably talked Damon's ear off. The morning went as smooth as could be. I felt calm about this whole event my gear selection and my chances on a good finish.


Lap 1 - Fast maybe too fast. Settled into a quick start spinning out the 34x21 gear.
Felt great through the technical sections and the climbs seemed managable.

Lap 2 - The quick pace catches up to me around mile 6 of the lap. Not 100% sure if it was the heat or the effort.

Lap 3 - Pace drops off some ten minutes to the previous 2 laps. Issuses with the gi system. A much needed unscheduled pit stop.

Lap 4 - System settled down and getting back into the race. Pace now coming back into the desired :65 minute window.

Lap 5 - Mantaining the pace of the previous lap. The cut-off time was 3pm and due to laps 2&3 I would not make the deadline. There would be no 6th lap, just happy to have made it through the race. Somehow managed a 4th place.

What's that Sound

It Sounds like a Cowbell! Trying to prepare myself for this race. At first it was going to be a 12hr single speed effort. Due to work and related projects that have kept me from quality saddle time. It's been reduced to the 6hr challenge for me. After 12hr(7:25) of Tsali, I made a promise to myself don't inflict unneccesary punishment on myself until proper training has been achieved. Yet to get anything over 3.5 hrs on the saddle this should be a good call.

Making steps this weekend with a season record - 3 training days in a row. Friday afternoon dodging traffic on my hybird. Saturday group road ride, fast at times and steady tempo the rest of the time. Sunday a very wet mtb ride at Harbison. All in all 7hrs of riding a weekly high. I must be on a roll. Other training includes ample amounts of surveying hours in the field. Last two weeks I've been outside working all day. This heat tolerence could help, I'll keep that in the mental bank.

7:29:05 of Tsali Report

This would be my second time at Tsali and the second time racing the 12hr of Tsali. As the title reads 7:29:05 was my Timex stopwatch reading as I completed my 7th and final lap. I was done, the conditions were dry as a bone and very dusty. With ideal temps and course conditions were stupid fast, and many of the southeast's up and coming endurance freaks were out to show off there fitness. Something that I seem to be lacking.

The race started in typical Lemans fashion with the dreaded uphill run. This brisk 2 minute jog seems like 10; but is needed to spread the mass of riders out. Managed to jump many spots on the county line road to the the first single track section. All was well and I seemed to be riding within my range. My lack of fitness would soon show. Around lap three I was flat, no energy, burning quads and fighting the dust. Pulled into my pit spot and sat down pondering what to eat. About a 5 minute pit and I was back out on the trail at a more training ride pace. For me the racing part of the race was over. This needed to become a training ride. With my longest ride of 4 hours and 70mi on the road (last weekend). There had to be something good come from this - "I'm here and I need to make the best of this situation".

So now the training ride side of things, could I complete 9 laps for the century? Do I want to ride 6 more laps? That lake sure looks pretty! I kept finding myself drifting off looking at Lake Fontana. Quickly focusing back onto the trail before I hurt myself. Swimming and beer kept popping to mind.

No more boring training ride story, I did manage 7 laps some 84 miles of off-road goodness. I was even coherent enough to drive the 4 hours back to Cola town. I had another night paid in full at the Freeman motel, but I just didn't want to stay there another night. I took a quick shower and hopped on 74 heading to I40. On the road about 10 minutes, I was popped by the NCHP just outside of Bryson City. Well finally this weekend I was going to fast, to bad the bikes were in the car.

Catchin Up

It's now Tuesday May 15th, and it's been awhile since my last post. So here is the 411 on PalmettoSolo.
May 6 - The StumpJump XC race allegedly the S.C. State Championships. Raced in the Expert field and landed myself in 5th place. The first from the state, so does that make me the Unoffical State Champ, I like to to tell myself so. I had decicded to race the expert field in fear of no one showing for the SS class. To my surprise they had 7-9 riders. Oh well back to the expert race, I was on my SS 29er for 36mi or 4 muddy laps. A real kick in the beans. I started out hot, finishing the first lap in 2nd place. There on I would slip a place per lap and managing to hold it all together and finish up strong. (5th of 12 / 36mi 3:03)

May 8th - So from here I needed to decide on the Tsali 12hr race in two weeks. The week progressed with plenty of work at work and little bike riding after work. The Team HBW trainning ride was to follow the next Saturday. Having not put in a heck of miles on the road bike, I really wasn't pumped about it. I needed the miles no matter what. So forcing myself to work with the my road bike and try to tune the fit as much as possible. I went for a planned 2.5 hr. ride down south of town. Up to speed and cruising along not realizing the tailwind I had. Now an hour down the road and about 30 minutes of daylight left in the sky. I turn back north into the now 20mph headwind. This would be a problem. I had to make it up highway 321 which is a four lane road linking several smaller towns to the down town area. Little traffic at the time but I had no red blinky light or anything for that matter. With only two more big rollers to go I hit a pot hole and PSSSSSSSSSSSssssssssssssssssssssssss. The rear tire goes so now I'm in the grass grinding up the climb to the safe spot change the tube and cussing the whole way. Change the tube - oh no it's a hybird tube. Ah s#*&@ i cut the tube installing it. How in the hell am I to get home from here it's now 8:45pm and i'm 5-7 miles from my truck. Luckily my brother-in-law was in the area and by 9:30 I was loading bike ride in his truck.

May 11 - So friday(overtime) at work out in BFE, I had a run in with some devil's whip. It caught me right in the knuckle of a previously injuried finger. Big pain, felling concerned I went to the urgent care that afternoon. Three aggrevating hours later I had a very sore hand and a decision to make, go to the mountains on an uncomfy ride road bike for 6 hours or take some pain killers and sleep in. Yeah sleep.

May 12 - Having overslept till sometime into the morning, I needed to get in some miles this weekend. Packed my bag and headed to Lexington to ride around my old stompin' grounds. These roads out by my folks house were the very roads I started on back in '92. These road are a great way for me to clear my thoughts and ride without traffic. To make this experience even better I took out my hybird for a the 4 hour ride. A planned 3 hour ride would turn into 4 beacuse I was having such a great time. Finishing the ride with 70 miles, on a comfy hybird. Trainning secret of mine riding on 700x38c. tires.

Hopefully now this past weekend was a turnning point for me and seals my decision for this weekend's race in Tsali. Now it's down to planning and packing. Well I need to get back to work, thanks for reading along.

Addicted

to riding single speed mountain bikes. Today was a 3hr ride out at Lynch's with Leroy, Brian & Clint. After laying a pallet of sod on Friday afternoon, I was whupped from this back breaking honey-do chore. Not sure how I would feel today I brought the geare bike out the garage. Holding true to the ss fashion I promised Leroy I would keep the shifrter quite. So about ten minutes in settled on 32x23. Finally made the creek crossing, and I even had an audience. A big step for this trail. No mechanicals and no crashes, this makes for an awesome ride. Looking forward to another mtb ride tommorrow in Manchester. That will be two days in a row.

One for the Win Column

Finally a check goes in the win column! Sunday I skipped a local race to go up to tiger town for a much needed shot of adrenaline. Putting myself amongst the masses in the Single Speed XC race. My last outing in Clemson was 2002, and somehow I remembered most of the course. Not the XC type I decided to plan ahead a bit. Contacting some friends on gear suggestions. I only had two to choose from 18t or 20t. The 18t. was called up for duty.

It’s been about 4 or 5 years since I’ve raced with sport riders. Man it’s like a pinball game. These cats are bouncing off of every tree in the woods. Breaking heavily in the turns and spinning on the hills. Well the organizers put the SS class with the sport 40+ after the sport 19-29 & 30-39. Damn this is going to be painful. From the start passing folks left and right. The opening climb, there is one groove or preferred line. Well that was occupied and racing SS you got to hit it and hit it hard. There is no spinning up the climbs. So into the rough I go passing these fellows knowing this is the thing to do early. Closed in the singletrack behind the folks will drive you insane.
Managed a good pace into the single, a few riders here and there to pass from other classes. Amazing the riders who blew up on the opening climb that were able to come back on the single blowing their horn and wanting by. Well with nowhere to go patience would be a virtue. Then the trash talking started, I didn’t want to break it out but I had to. Examples: “come on dude, pick a gear”
“I paid $33 just like you”
“why are you spinning up this hill”
“yeah I’ll let you by, but you better kill these hills ahead”
“that other gear will make you go faster”
Dropped the hammer about 30 minutes into the first lap, and never looked back. Second lap was still full throttle. The only possible mechanical was my lock ring for the cog had loosened. It sounded like Santa and some reindeers coming through the woods. The cog never came off the freehub so I kept hammering. The last time up the big was painful but I finally had a win.

Chasing the Roadies

It's thursday and that means another installment of HBW group road ride. For me it's always a tester to see if I can hang with the roadies. This week was no different, except I was back on a road bike. Road tactics are not my strong point by any measure. This never disourages me from mixing it up when I can. With only 7 riders leaving O'Leary's this ride would be quick. As the wind picked up and the sky darkened, the anticipation began to rise. The ride would be short but it would be fast.
This ride needed to get started quick. The first hill acceleration was mild. The second was a bit faster. Then on the downhill of 176 I decided to speed it up a bit. Well it's always short lived. The next series of hills are always the tuffies. Wash Lever Rd. put me at 193 bpm, or to quote Paul Sherwan "he's on the rivets, after that attack". Damage control from her out. Here comes the rain, well at least we made it to Freshly Mill Rd. before the rain started. One more attempt to bury myself in my own punishment. I tried to lead out a few riders to the foot of the bamboo forest. Stick a fork in me I'm done. With a few quick flashes of lightning this ride was over in a flash no pun intended.
Time: 1:05
Dis: 21mi.
Av. hr: 160
Mx hr: 193

Rollin' Tarmac

After 3 months without a road bike, finally able to complete my Raleigh build. Made it out for 50mi. of sunny skies and little traffic. Interesting route on Plat Springs to Ramblin into S. Congaree. Continue up Ramblin to Fish Hatchery to Bachman to 321 toOld Wire to 21. Plus a loop of 21 to Savant Hunt to Access to 21. Back in with Dixiana and 12th St. extension. A much needed ride with some distance and close to 3 hours in the saddle.

Hopefully the rain will get in get out tonight. Big ride planned tommorrow in Sumter - 50mi on the SS. Should be a good ride if the weather pans out.

Lynchs outings

A flat break, with
Clint's new friend.

Spring is here, finally

Is that Rain

Slowly creeping back onto the road for some much needed base miles. Managed a good road ride in the Cayce area yesterday. As chance would have it misting rain and cooler temps. It felt as if early Feburary, with the wet temps, you know the type were you really don't want to stop because you may lock up. Luckily I had Todd out with me, for I'm not sure I would have managed a ride at all. Call me lazy for I just don't give a damn.

Bonus on points in the bad ass department - total Belgium style minus the cobbles. Though I did happen to make it on a paved track.

No, I Don't Miss That Feeling

Extrmtao brought up an interesting blog starter. He reminded us of that feeling of total exhaustion and how it can humble the strongest cyclist. I felt compelled to share a story or two of my delirious encounters on riding bikes. Most all the moments I can remember were in competition

The worst experience I’ve encountered was in 2003 at The BURN 24hr race. This race took place somewhere in NC. The trail was some of the tightest single I’ve ever witnessed. Not to mention the weather was HOT with like 200% Humidity. This would have been my 2nd solo attempt at a 24. Inexperienced with pace and nutrition I raced as if I was in a XC race for 2 hours. Around late afternoon sometime I remember coming in to the pits dropping the bike and diving behind the trailer to blow chunks. The feeling of total exhaustion was all over and somehow I wasn’t even half way through the race. The aftermath of this race was the worst. The trail was littered with poison ivy and I was covered with it a day later. That topped with a recovery period of about two weeks of feeling totally crushed. This was truly the worst for me.

Runner up was my first a trip to Whistler BC for the ’03 Worlds 24hr Championships. Excellent venue and a great trail I felt compelled to give it my best effort. I never felt sick as in previous events but the harsh ride for 180+ miles was the breaking point for me. I remember finishing that race with the worst back pain I’ve ever had. You know the type were you cannot stand upright, nor sit down. Your extremities feel as if you are standing or gripping spikes. My quads felt as is they were shredded meat. Every step I took back to the hotel was a chore. If it wasn’t 2000 miles away from home and not the World’s I probably wouldn’t have pushed it that much. This was the turning point for me in endurance racing. Learning how your body works and how it doesn’t. Routine training and good planning can save you from a world of hurt, but no matter how fit you think you are, you will one day have to succumb to the hurt factory and pay the piper.

Thanks to the Extreme Tomato for the memories!!!

Charlotte STXC #4&5

Race #4(2/10)- Racing was fast and furious once again. Weather was ideal, clear low 50*s and the track was tacky. A good start helped me stay close to the front for the opening laps. Running close quaters with my teammate Jamie. We had to contain our closest competitor in the overall. In this situation it's nice having someone to work with. Considering we had another race tommorrow. We needed to conserve as much energy as possible. We took turns leading or patroling the three man group. For some reason I was getting jumpy and excited I had to hold back the urge to attack since we still had :30 minutes to go. Content to keep working, or maybe I worked too hard at times. With about :15 minutes to go we were jumped and unfortunately we had no response. Down but not out, burying myself to bring us from a 45 second gap to a 3 bike links at the finish line. I had more but the gap in the overall was enough of a cushion to not woory about it. Finishing 6th of 11. Besides there would be another chance tommorrow.

Race #5(2/11)- Weather was ideal just as before, and the riders turned out to finish the series. Weary legs were all around. Even the start was the slowest of the series. Very simialr to saturday, the groups started to form early in the race. Jamie got up the road on me, and I was content to hanging back with Ben. Going into this race the overall was 3rd Jamie, 4th Me, 5th Ben. This put me content with keeping Ben at bay as long as I could. That held till about 13 minutes to go. I cracked from the relentless attacks, that Ben and I released upon each other. Some quick math at lactate thresold puts me still in 4th overall but damn it sure would be nice to catch him. The legs were not having it, I just kept tempo and mantained the gap. Finishing the overall series in 4th place that is an improvement of one spot from the '06 series. Content with the fitness this series has given me. It's now time to go and finish up the home projects so I can ride this spring.

Charlotte Race #3

Saturday was the third installment of the winter short track series. The wind was howling with the temps in the 40's. This made for smaller fields and a chance to grab maximum points. I was lucky enough to have 4 strong teammates in the race with me. Jamie and I are both in the hunt for the overall. There are two racers between us. With only one of the two riders at the race, the mission was to cut the gap down. At the start we were informed that this would be the double points race of the series.

From the start the pace whips up quick. Into the single track close to the front. The lead group stayed intact through the first few laps. Then the gaps started to form. Small groups scattered the field. I found myself split from Jamie's group around lap 5 or so. Riding in the group of 4th-6th place. With the competion for Jamie riding on my wheel, I as a teammate did not want to drag him up to Jamie. I started playing roadie games with him. I knew those evening of watching the spring classics on DVD would pay off.

Now that Jamie was out of sight. I began to turn the screws into 5th&6th place. Wanting and needing the points badly. Figuring my strong points were in the singletrack but I was having problem on the hill. I knew I had to go hard for 4 laps to really make the gap stick. I did and it did! Pulling in a 4th in the Expert class right behind Jamie in 3rd. How about that, the fitness is starting to show. It must be from all the time I'm taking OFF from riding during the week. Next weekend will be a tuff race weekend. Saturday and Sunday races the final two of the series.

Also the Harrells Team had three fellows in the Super-Sport class. Monty in 2nd, Damon in 3rd and Toby S. finishing in the field.

Recap of STXC Races #1&2

Late January means the '07 season was about to start at full speed. Just as I thought the expert field starting at warp speed.

Race #1 (1/20) - Temps in the high 40's and sunny conditions brought some 190 riders total for the opening day of racing in the winter short track series. Race time 2pm, I along with 13 other expert riders followed by 20+ super sport riders were about to flood the 3/4mi. track for a heart pounding HOUR O' POWER. The start was fast very fast and placing into the first section of single track was crucial. In classic slow start fashion I get behind the worst single track riders out there. Within 5 min the field was out of reach.

It's never good when 10 min. into an hour event you start planning your corrections for the following race. So now into survival mode I tried to keep ahead of the super-sport class and the ever charging leaders from the expert class. yeah getting lapped really sucks. However it happens more so in this type of event. Luckily I stayed with it holding onto every available rider who past, just keeping momentum. Finishing in 7th, I'll take that as I'm planning on the entire series. Points are what you are really after. Changes are coming!

Race #2 (1/28) - Perfect temps - dry, cool, sunny but windy. This made for bigger fields than last week. I think some 16 expert and 30 super sport lined up for the HOUR O' POWER. The high octane element for this weekend was from the WNC area, a handful of strong riders were to make this event faster than the last. Conscious of my decision from last weekend to start faster and more aggressively. I lined up closer to the front and was mentally ready to suffer from the start. Key was to pick out the riders who would complete the series and keep with them.

Holding to my decision I file into the woods in the front group. Feeling great about my situation. Somewhere around 10mins in gaps started to form, I find myself just on the cusp on loosing contact with field. Grouped with three others I keep surging to bridge up to the second group. Now twenty something minutes into the race I finally bridge the gap to the group(6-8). Still with half the race to go. This group contains Jamie(teammate) and two other riders content on the series. Good group to ride with. The wind was a factor and getting into a group was crucial. I held as loooooong as I could, heck I just spent 20min bridging up in the wind solo. With 10-15 min to go, I had to put whatever I had left into the effort. Managing to hold onto 7th for the second week in a row. Official results are not up yet but, I'm counting on 7th. Next installment of pain comes on Saturday (2/03).

Till then

Into the Woods

A weekend full of trails and friends. Managed a group ride on saturday at lynchs with Joe, Clint, Barrot & Leroy. No single speed this weekend all gears all weekend. Still nursing the crazy sciatic nerve. Stretching like crazy all week. Picked up a foam roller at Target and highly recommend it for any tight leg muscles and lower back issues. This seems to be the only way to ease the pain. Besides focusing on the geared bike for the short track series. I've spent the week working on the fit, matching the X-Cal to the Raleigh like saddle height and stem height. After all said and done 1.5" lower on the saddle and 1" lower on the stem. I'm hoping this is the key to the sciatic nerve cooling down.

2007 Season Opener

"Kick off for the 5th Annual East Blvd Bar & Grill Winter Short Track Series. This year, the event is presented by Heartwood Tree Service, the Dirt Divas andCharlotte Sports Cycling. The series will consist of five races, Jan 20 and 28,Feb 3, 10 and 11 all held at the infamous Renaissance Park short track. It takes in elements of mountain biking, BMX and a road criterium. "

For more info on the series, visit www.charlottemtnbike.com

Time to put on the game face for this weekends short track. Should be a bit chilly and probably still wet. I think this is the face I'm looking for!

Russ's Farewell Ride

Finally a group ride at Lynchs, it had been in the works for the past several weekends. With a perfect weather forcast on tap, and the trails in excellent shape. A group of 7, consisting of Jamie, Clint, Dan, Damon, Toby S., Toby P. and Russ all showed up decked to the hilt in Harrells blue. A side note that we all were on 29ers. Mostly geared with the exception of Damon and Toby on single speeds.

This would be Russ's last ride in SC for a while as he and his wife have plans to move up north. It was good to see folks show up. It is always a treat to ride with such a talented rider like Russ, especially when you can keep up with him. I've known Russ for some 14 years and have always enjoyed his friendship. Plans for a road trip are already in the works. So Russ mix up some sweet tea and get to exploring because I'll be up to ride some trails with ya.

So back to the ride, everyone was so excited to be back out at Lynchs. Most haven't been to the trails in 2 years. So consider it a new experience for many. Clint, Monty and Toby's trail work was greatly appreiciated amongst the riders and even the hikers. I believe we ended up with 3+ hours and probably 30 something miles. Who cares we all had a great time and I think everyone left out spent from the ride.

Clint negotiating the creek crossing

Jamie going for the crossing

First Trainer Session

Last night, I had to pull out the trainer for the first time in 10 months. Just too damn cold to ride outside and I had the itch to ride. Throw in the CTS Crit DVD and try like hell to keep focused on the overall goal - not loosing my dinner (nasty bastard). After last Saturday's a** kicking I figured it's time to get in gear and create some fitness.

Excited for the weekend plans. Saturday I have my monthly rotation at LMC Health Directions. A 75min cycle class, trying to bring the joy of steady tempo into an indoor cycle class. The only way I've found is stretch the class duration. Mix that with some scare tactics and a shake of sitr crazy - they love me. Also a possible Sunday assault on Lynchs Woods. This makes me all warm and fuzzy on the inside. After the work that's been put into the trail in the last two months. It's finally time to put in some miles out there.

Kneda Small Block Eight 29er Tire

John Tomac Series Small Block Eight

This looks to be a great tire for the Midlands 29er fans. Hopefully I'll be trying these very soon.

* Excellent hard pack XC race tire

* 8 Nevegal shaped but smaller knobs across the tire for better ‘bite’

* DTC - Dual Tread Compound offers cornering grip with faster center line acceleration

* One of the fastest rolling tires in the Kenda Premium line

Here’s the specs:

Part #: 212509

Feature: DTCSize: 29×2.10

Bead: Folding

TPI: 120PSI: 30-80

Weight: 500±25g

Night Adventure

Urban Assault on Cola town last night left me fully satisfied. The thrill of having 9 riders ripping through town outfitted with top dollar HID lighting was a sight. The Harrells riders came together for their bi-weekly urban night ride. It's early January and it's 50*, what a great time for a night ride. This was the third time I had made the ride and every time the ride gets bigger.

Last night's ride had the group meeting on the riverwalk around 6:35 they heading out towards town. First out to Elmwood Cemetery to see if anyone out there was a awake. All quite there, then headed up town through the Cotton Wood district. Over somewhere near Gervais St. we hit the first of two parking garages.

Vacant for the evening we climbed to the top and regrouped for the real festivities. Called the gravity races - my first of this type. Rules are simple you get one push to start and no pedaling, first one to bottom is winner. How neat is that. Picking smooth lines and not hitting your brakes is key. Damon & Russ had too much of a lead on me but I got the hang of it. The usual suspects immediately started talking about the next garage. So again up to the top, lined up, one push. This garage much tighter than the last. Quickly I found the line and holding it through the turns. Somehow I made the passes that put me into first. A few turns were still stick from the rain. I had two close calls on theses.

Then we headed down towards campus past the Colonial Center, across the river then onto the Cayce greenway. Throw in some trash talking and an out and back along the greenway. This put us into W Cola. Still out for some fun I lead the folks out to some dirt. A very small taste of dirt but with everyone on mtb and we have not seen any dirt, I felt it was appropriate. Paul insisted we all hit the Natchez hill somewhere in the ballpark of 18% grade. This puts me very close to my house so I split off and called it a night, still giggling over the fun I had. Looking forward to next week.

Wheels in Motion

Now that the new year is moving along, it's time to set the training in motion. This past weekend started with a 7 hour trail working session. Lynchs Woods has been hanging in limbo for way too long. Clint & I managed to almost clean the entire inner loop in one day. This would have never been possible without Monty's chainsaw work of the previous week. With the dead fall cleared we were able to clean the single track with Clint's blower. I've cleaned many trails but this was the first time I've used a blower. Normally I would have rake in hand. This blower was the key.

A day of recovery was needed. The annual New Years Day ride around Lake Murray was to be held on Monday. With rain in the forecast, only 3 folks showed up. The small group collectively came to the conclusion that the rains here and no one really wanted to start their new year in the rain. Besides who wants to clean their bike on New Years Day. So after lunch I managed to find myself a comfy spot on the couch and sleep. I'm sure the new year of riding will become more eventful.

Urban Night Ride

Manged an urban night ride last night. Met up with a steady paced group with some HBW fellows. A group of six met up around 6:40pm on the Riverfront Park. Heading along the Three Rivers Greenway out toward the Cayce area. Plans were to check out Old State road for some lightning fast dirt road action. The pace was whipped up quick. The road consists of one turn in a 4mi. stretch. Turn around at the pavement out near I-26 & Dixiana, then haul ass back for another 4mi interval. The pace was great for a crusing type interval. Behind Russ & Paul it's like a comfy motor pace. Returning back into town along the TRG.

If you ever get the chance to ride the TRG @ night go for it. It is an amazing ride. Imagime a concrete path about 5' wide that twists & turns along the banks of the Congaree River. Now strap on some light and rip through the park. The winter time is the best time for this because the pedestrians are minimal. Bring along a friend and test your skills with someone on your wheel.

Surviving the Holidays

Surviving the Holidays, the ample amounts of food and the many miles of travel.

This weekend of festivities is enough to tax any endurance athlete. For me I'm just glad to have survived. Lateley the riding has been slow and when I do ride that's slow too. For now it's base miles and honey-do's. Planning on the New Year's Day Ride around Lake Murray come 1/01. It will be hopefully 55-60mi of slow to medium pace riding amongst friends. Also looking to hit the trails up in Newberry on Sunday. This could be a last ride blow-out for '06. What better way to blow something out than on some singletrack with a 29er single speed bike.

Q.S.T.

So the four day weekend was a welcome sight especially with great weather. What better time to start on the base mileage for the '07 season. Giving thanks for the food and family, but don't forget thanks for the four day weekend and the opportunity for Quality Saddle Time.

Last winter I started riding my Raleigh C700 hybird for a change of pace. This bike has went through many transformation in it's history. Currently the Raleigh-aah has been limited to eight gears. Running a 42t road ring up front combined with a 12x28 in the rear. After this weekends 4hr journey through Western Lexington Co. dirt roads, I think the combination will suite me just fine. The Raleigh will also dub as my winter road bike. There is no need for aerodynamics in the winter, it's all about comfort. I'm in the mood for dirt roads.

A Caboose Effort

The final race of the '06 season is in the books. Last weekends finale at the Harrisburg stxc was not the best highlight of the season. Let me take you through my day. First off, I was scheduled to teach a 75min. cycle class at Health Directions, this was to start at 9am. As I instructed the class through several standing efforts I tried to hold my temptation to surge and make the class painful for all including myself. Knowing that I needed a strong ride in the single speed class to clinch a 3rd overall for the series. Saving energy here could save me later in the day. Finishing up the class around 10:15 didn't leave me much time for breakfast/lunch. Plus I still had a 2hr drive to north Charlotte. Realizing the ss race was not in the cards as far as time goes. I had to sacrifice myself to the wolves in the expert class - on a single rigid.

I felt better knowing I would have two teammates in the field as well. Jaime & Monty both made the trip up to the race. Monty's first stxc and Jaime was trying to seal a 3rd overall in the expert field. Knowing I had nothing to win or loose, I told Jaime that I would work for him in what ever fashion he needed. I was helpless to the geared speed demons. As the race started very fast I was put into the caboose position. Now that I had an hour of not wanting to be lapped was driving me to keep pushing every second of the trail. By the halfway point I had made up a few places but really who's counting. The finish couldn't have come any sooner. I was beat, but I did hold off the field with the exception of 1&2.

Swamp Sweat

A very chilly start to Saturday morning, around 27* at some point along I26. Luckily I was able to get Monty & Lauren to caravan down to the race. The Swamp Sweat XC race brought out a small race crowd consisting of mostly local Charleston riders and Naval folk, a very laid back group of bike racers. Marrington Plantation is located in the Naval base area in Goose Creek, SC. Marrington Plantation is a flat course with plenty of turns. There were more twists and turns to confuse anyone who might be new to the area (i.e. me). Trails were in great shape hard packed and well groomed, made for a fast fast very fast 26mi race.

It has been some time since I lined up for a normal XC effort. Knowing it would be much faster than I'm use to so I had to go into a mind set that fast was the word for the day. It helped that Monty was super ampted to be mixing it up with expert racers, this cat is fast anyway. Flat out along a paved road for the first mile, enough to stretch thing out early. Right turn onto a grass road where the first selections were made. Monty surged into 3rd while I sat in around 8th with the lead group of 8. Gaps started to develop in the pace line, so the need to move up hit me. Passed a slower rider then two now I was trapped out of the line. Oh yeah I'll show you bastards - how about an attack to blow this thing wide open.

Dropping into the first section of single track leading Monty & two locals. The Hammer had officially fallen out of my pocket. I'm kidding I dropped it on purpose. About two minute into the trail - word was passed up that a crash had taken several riders down and our gap was growing quick. It helped that we were rolling over 15+ mph at the time. I could feel Monty breathing down my neck, he was itching to turn the screws tighter. I pulled over and let him take the lead. Around mile 4 Monty snagged a pedal on a root going into a corner and yard sale time. Barely missing him we cleared and proceeded on I was trying to slow our pace a touch to allow him to catch back on.

First mistake of the race was not letting the locals led once Monty hit the deck. I was powering out of every turn to find another turn coming. My smoothness was not there. So about another mile missed a tight right hander and found myself in the jungle. Just like a damn rookie w/ too much caffeine.

First to third and a gap growing every second I'm playing in the bushes. So now into chase mode. Monty eventually catches me, and the team effort continues again till he drops me. Solely due to lack of training, just thought I needed to add some type of excuse. So now riding the trail solo had no idea where or how far I had to go. So in true racer form I lowered my head and continued to bury myself for the the pure fun of it.

Feeling the end of lap 1 was near I glanced over as those being chased often do, I saw a rider closing in on me. Damn was the first of many thoughts. A few more shoulder checks later - "dang that looks like Monty". Yeah Monty took several wrong turns on a course that had minimal markers on it. I to took several questionable turns, but managed to take the right way out.

Now back in tandem for the start of the second lap. Monty was fired up and I was happy to still be up in the front of the race. Monty soon made me look like a rookie again with enough accelerations to crack me. Now into survival mode, just hold off the charging pack of riders who were surely looking for us. With about 3mi to the end a rider catches me and I would hang onto him as long as I could. With about a mile left of single track I lost his wheel and watched as he rode up the trail. Finally the paved road back into the finish with no one on my 6. The last guy only put like a minute on me. I'll take a 5th place.

1. Justin Fisher 1:41:48
2. Scott Miner 1:41:53
3. Monty DuBose 1:45:25
4. Steve Brown 1:45:46
5. Toby Porter 1:46:47
6. Mitchell Clement 1:50:45
7. Luke Wilson 1:53:40
8. Mike Harrington 1:55:20
9. Greg Scott 1:58:09
10. Don Brion 2:00:47
11. Chris Mackenzie 2:07:24
12. Craig Pellitier 2:18:37

Also a thanks to Brian H for the pre-ride and some insight as to the land. Check is site at spokejunky

Sold

To the lucky bidders. It is amazing what people will buy, especially the folks in the cycle community. They always say one mans junk is another mans treasure. True in deed, as a cyclists with plenty of old parts lying around I know how frustrating it can be to work on a project bike and run out of spare parts. Especially if it needs that old school charm. Still have a Raleigh road frame for sale. Enough of the peddling pedal parts - Let's leave that there.

Racing of a different beast for me this past weekend - it's Nascar bo. E & I made the journey west to Hot Lanta for the 33rd stop in the Nextel Cup Series. This was my 2nd venture into the land of extremely high octane, speed & burning rubber. A great time to be had, just the amount of people and it's huge diversity amongst them all. The ultimate stop for unique people watching.

Nascar note to self on advertising for your sponsors. They have that trick nailed. Maybe for next season I'll polish myself to a tee and slap stickers all over for my few sponsors. To make other notice I'll also make loud noises and take left turns all day.

Ebay Bound

If interested I'm trying to thin out some cycling stuff.

* Campy Athena BB vintage late 80's still in the original box.
Item for an old school campy fans. SOLD

* Thompson Elite seatpost 28.6mm x 410mm SOLD

* Raleigh Prestige Road Frame 55cm. Aluminum / Carbon frame w/ Carbon fork,
Headset, F. Der Braze on clamp, Campy Athens seatpost included.

* A pair of Kenda Nevegal 26x2.10 Tires. Brand Spankin New. SOLD

* A box of Time Mag Eq road pedals - 3 sets SOLD

* A box of 1" quill road stems, Salsa Cromo 100mm some rise, ITM cromo 120mm,
Syncros Alum. 120mm SOLD

* Bontrager cranks 175mm taken from a single speed, could be used for 2 rings
useage. ISIS compatible SOLD

* Hayes HFX9 hydraulic Brakes Set SOLD

If interested make in any item me an offer, save me the time from ebay.

Thanks,
Toby

Worlds Report

October 6-7, 2006
World 24hr Solo Championship
Conyers International Horse Park, Conyers Ga.

Lap 1: Lemans start was as uncomfortable as ever. Pacing started early for me, case in point the run, just trying to settle into my pace as quick as I could. Saddled up on my back–up bike (X-Caliber) looked up and one long line of riders all the way from solo pit row up to the start of the single track. This was going to be fight all the way around the first lap or two.
Constantly jockeying for a better position, this can really turn your screws early and waste valuable energy. So after settling into a pace I was somewhat comfy with, I notice some play in the cranks on my bike. Having had a loose crankarm before I knew this was going to be a fixer upper on the trail. Luckily I had some form a multi tool on me. Not the correct tool for the job but something that would work. So twice I had to stop and tighten the crankarm. Plus I took a digger in some soft sand and flopped around like a dead roach. With my pride stuffed back in my back pocket I continued back to my pit. Having lost at least 10min. on my main rivals would be more mental than physical to overcome.

Lap 2-6: What can I say? Plans change, with no real mechanical help for the race I had to access the damage on the X-Cal and decide quickly what to do. I had to go ahead and hop onto my primary bike early. Plans were to ride the X-Cal for at least 3-4 laps. This was an effort to make T-dog a bit more aggressive. Oh well onto the full suspension for the next 22hrs. Putting that fiasco behind me I settled into my own pace and started turning out consistent laps.
As always Erin was in charge of the pit with the help of her mother (Lynn). They kept me topped off Hammer Nutrition and moral support. Nutrition was spot on for the race, using a variety of Hammer Nutrition products (ex. Race Caps, Anti Fatigue, Endurolytes, HEED, Sustained Energy, Hammer Gel @ Hammer Bars) plus the occasional splash of Red Bull.
Around 6 pm concerned moments of mental stability. I came into the pit cross-eyed and bit confused. I couldn’t explain it I just wanted to go and lay down in the hotel across the street. “Suck it up and get, get on now, get up outta here” Erin. If you act like a dog you will be treated like a dog. After looking back on the race the six hour mark was a huge barrier for me to get over. Considering that was the longest ride I had completed since July. Other than that I have able to get about six hours a week. Yeah now I got 18 hours to go. Currently riding in 4th place about 30 minutes back on 2nd and 3rd.

Laps 7-12: This would put me out around midnight, the half way point. These laps went by fast. Pace was right where I wanted to see it. Lights had to be up and running around 7 p.m. The night laps are always a test in there own right. With the course conditions being very dry and dusty, made for difficult riding. The dust was so bad you could not see all the dips, rocks and roots that littered the trail. Let’s just call them hidden dangers. I’ve never experienced conditions like this, where the trail had a bright glow about it, almost like a glare. I’ve always banked on my abilities to ride well at night. Generally speaking this is I can usually make time on my rivals.

Laps 13-18: This would have run me through the graveyard shift, now just ticking the laps over. Game plan was to pit every other lap. This plan was to strike fear into my rivals. From a pit person’s perspective at 3am if a rider is turning out consistently fast laps they tend to get worried. This also worked well giving Erin a chance to sleep a bit. Temps were dropping all night long rumors of high 40’s. Uncomfortable for sitting in the pit waiting for your crazy ass husband to come around with some off the wall demands. So as Erin was sleeping I would rummage through the pit looking for any and everything to eat. So as for the race around sunrise when Erin awoke she gave me some info that I had moved from 4th to 2nd throughout the night. With the rhythm on and enthusiasm high I finally felt like Toby.

Laps 19-21: Sunrise was and always is a very welcome sight in a 24hr solo race. No more lights and time ticking down. With just under 6 hour of racing left I had to focus on finishing strong. Dreams of pancakes and eggs filled my thoughts as my stomach cried out for fuel. Pulled into the pit and what ya see but a plate of cold leftover breakfast someone hasn’t finished. “Hey ya gonna finish that, na I don’t need a fork I got fingers.” Oh yeah the race my pit crew all rested and excited informed me that I had ridden myself into 2nd place over the night. Yeah for me now can someone make a run to MickyD’s for more pancakes and eggs? Forget visions of sugar plums lets talk pancakes. Inspired that they will be waiting on the next lap I quickly busted out two hotish laps. So close to the finish with the win out of my grasp I just slipped into survival mode. With pancakes waiting I took my last break to scarf down breakfast and even teased The Stick with a floppy one.

Able to complete another lap or two I loose count. I crossed the line for the last time at 11:07 with 21 laps officially sitting in 2nd place in the 30-34 age group.

Mission accomplished I impressed my own self by not breaking down at the 6 hour mark. Completing 21 just 1 lap off my all time lap record set back in ’03. I would like extend a huge THANK YOU SO MUCH to my sponsors Harrell’s Bicycle World, Garmin Navigation Systems, Paul & Bryan for the lights. If it weren’t for great friends and loyal sponsors none of this would have been possible. Till Next Time.

Toby

Another 2nd Place

Howdey Folks - Just wanted to post a quick recap of this past weekend's event. First things first another 2nd place in the Worlds 30-34 age group. Completing 21 laps in 23:07 @ 8mi a pop. So 168mi off road was not to shabby for someone who has been reduced to training about 6hrs a week. Thanks to my 6am cycle class for making me get up and attend classes. Surprisingly I'm not that badly damaged.

Somehow my body was spared from the rough course over in Georgia. Give me a couple days to get caught up and I'll get a full report out to ya. Till then

Toby

Interesting Link

This could be an interesting link throughout the race if your interested or bored.

www.ride424.com/races

Down the Shoot

T minus 50hrs till the dreaded Lemans Sprint. This will start the 2006 24hr World Solo Championships in Conyers GA.

Packing & planning are in the works as we speak. Last minute upgardes and minor repairs are in the works. Thanks to Harrell's for the spare rocket. Now I will be aboard two 29er. One full suspension and a hardtail for a spare. This should be a good approach for opening up the race on the lighter hardtail and bit more aggresive. For this is the only way to weed through the lap traffic.

I will try my best to update this blog during the race. This will be the first race we are taking the laptop w/ wireless access, so stay tuned.

Toby

Remember Me

Howdey Folks -

I'm sure everyone has been wondering where in the world has Toby been hiding. So thanks for the concern. Reason for the lack of post, well I've been a touch busy lately. Started taking land surveying classes. Four nights a week, and of course after an 8+ hour day. Yeah time management is the key and yet time management is not my forte. Hell of a change, but it should be worth it. I'll bore ya'll with that later.

As far as riding goes it's been off and on. My buddy Nye from Asheville approached me with the opportunity to roll onwith Team Green at the 24hr of Pisgah. This was a welcomed change for me since the last time I competed on a team of any sorts was like '98 or something. After the many hours of riding solos at 3am I've often wondered how fun the team thing would be.

It turned out to be just what I needed. Now that the 24hr Worlds is just on the horizon and it will be the first 24 I've raced in this season. I needed that midnight and 3am ride time. Mixed in with some sleep deprivation it turned out to be a good call. On the weekend, I believe I got in 8 laps. Riding them two at a time put me in race mode for a good hour & half. All laps completed on the single speed. What an awesome workout - no slacking off. Team Green finished off 12th of 40 teams and we screwed off as much as possible. I believe someone even had to drag Nye from his tent at 2am for his laps.

So now what you ask. Well with the Worlds beginning in a week the packing hopefully starts soon. Bike prep and nutrition lined up for the week. Find some lights and batteries - hopefully my buds are going to come through for me again like all the other times they have been there. I'll try to get back at the blog this week to let loose more details -till then.

Toby

spinning it out

Howdey Folks out there in bicycle land, Just wanted to say cooler weather makes you want to ride. Lately just thinking that cooler temps are right around the corner is driving me to the road. I'm trying to get the endurance sticks back to feeling great at 4-5 hours at a serving. PLanning on a lake ride in the morning, Loooking forward to the nice steady pace of an edurance out in the sticks of Lex, Saluda & Newberry Co. Good stuff but you have to get out early to beat the boaters. Just when you think boating could be dangerous. You have to dodge them on the road too. Ok I'm done

Toby

An Offical Myspace HO

Not much going on right now. Just watching the rain drops on a saturday. Still training for the 24hrWSC in October. Thing have quite with the heat, it appears no one really want to ride in the heat. I don't blame them, I've been riding some in the late evenin finsihing up in the dark. Anyway I've been on myspace after E signed me up to compete against her friend. I've been dragged in and damnit I'm addicted. So if you have a myspace site look me up.

Toby

A Normal Weekend

Finally a normal weekend of riding. This was the first time in some month or so, I was able to get out on the bike for 2+ hours in a row. Yeah for me. Man it was hotter than? No No HUMID is the word! Anyway since I signed up for the Worlds as they call it - I must focus. You know kinda like the young grasshopper or daniel son.

Congrats to the finisher of the National 24hr race this past weekend in WI. Sounds like they had so crazy weather that shortened the race. But Chris E. from the Trek team still did some damage on the solo field. It looks like the 4 of the top 5 solo elites will be in Conyers for the race in Oct. That should be interesting. Gots to get back to work before my boss gets back in the office.

Toby

About damn time

Ok OK OK - I'll post something new. I have been politely asked to refresh this blog. Or the Hasleholf pics will be spread like wild fire.

The only exciting news I have, is that I've signed up for the 24hr. Worlds in Conyers GA. The event will be Oct. 6th weekend. After looking at the calendar that Saturday night is a full moon. That is always a cool thing.

After ORAMM my enthusiasm for riding hasn't been all that great. This week finally got back on the bike. Today I went out for an easy and very humid road ride. Yeah dammit a road ride.

Toby

back at it

After this sunday's showing of sub par of climbing skills.
I might need to take up the UCI sport of Cycle-ball or maybe artistic cycle dance something or another.

HBW Blog

Hey Folks not a whole lot going on except for the Kitchen remodel. Just wantd to put out a site for the Harrell's folks.

http://harrellsbicycleworld.blogspot.com/

Hit it and use it.

Toby

U-Turn

Howdey Folks - its' been a while since my last post. Many have asked and if you were wondering about the 24hr of Big Bear. I pulled a U-turn on I77 just outside of Blythwood enroute to WV. Reason - well lets just say I wasn't into it mentally 100% nor physically. With a 9+ hr. drive ahead of me and doubt lingering into my psyche, I felt it was in my best interest.

Now 12 days later looking back it's probably one of the better decisions I've made in some time. Ten 24's & 3 12 hr solos with no DNF's. That's a streak I don't want to disturb. So now refreashed with some time off the bike. I've been pondering my next adventure. Will it be Cowbell 12hr Challenge or a recon ride for Off-road Assault on Mt.Mitchell. It will be a tough decision but a long mtb ride is in my future.

Till then
Toby

12hr Tsali Report

photo courtesy of goneridng.com


May 20, 2006
12hr. of Tsali, Bryson City NC

Tsali was all the challenge I thought it would be. Running fully solo for the first time was the biggest challenge of the weekend. My fitness was great and all I had to do was stay focused and steady. I really had nothing to lose; it’s a tester for the 24 in June.

The race started with the typical LeMans run uphill about 150yd. I stayed steady and didn’t max myself out for a change, then onto the Rig for the opening 2.5 mile fire road climb. The Rig forced me to ride more aggressively than I normally race these events. Due to wet conditions it turned out to be a great move. The constant rattle of chain suck and muttered cursing filled the woods in the early laps.

Finally by lap 4ish the course began to dry out. By this time I started to notice my pace had slowed, especially on the climbs. Which by now, I was forced to walking the bigger climbs. If I kept this up I would sure to be passed by the leaders. Still I had no idea of my placing. I managed 5 laps on the 29er SS running a 32x18 before retiring it for more gears.
Stopping only at my pit for pre-made bottles of HEED and Sutained Energy mixed with flasks of hammer gel. By lap 6 I was rolling on my Sugar292. Steadily racing into the afternoon the clouds began to roll into the area. With brief flickers of lightning and rumbles of thunder, you could begin to smell to rain a coming.

Upon completion of lap 6 the Swain County Rescue Service called a halt to the race due to 60mph winds and hail storms in close proximity. This was the first chance to chat with the race leaders on the overall. It seems as though Tiny T. could be in the top five (that was my goal). This delay was about an hour forty in length, but luckily for me only about 40 minutes. This was just enough time to seize up.

Restarts SUCK and this was no exception. I managed one more lap before having to stop for lights. Soon after sunset the sky filled with clouds again. This time it brought rain heavy at times but it would remain falling till the 11th hour. It quickly turned to sticky mud that brings havoc to your drivetrain. By laps 8 or 9 this mud turned from sticky to slicky. Traction was an issue and to top it off the fog was getting heavier by the minute.

Finally lap 10 and the leaders had not passed me, this was a great sign. So I had to be on the lead lap – Yeah. Not bad for 11 hours of riding and some quick math to figure that one out. Completing the race in 10ish hours with 10 laps for 110mi. This put me about 17 minutes off the winning pace. I will settle for a third place finish. results

Thanks to all my sponsors Harrell's Bicycle World, Hammer Nutrition & Garmin
Till next time folks Happy Trails
Toby

12hr Tsali

It's official 3rd place at Tsali. Stay tuned for race report.

Toby

Ready to race

For the first time in awhile,I'm feeling good about my fitness, truely ready to race. Goal for this weekends 12hr is to go non stop. The real trick will be to do this without a support crew. Call it a personal challenge. After seeing Rob L run completely solo at 24HOA in Conyers last Oct. I was truely impressed to see him finish 2nd overall solo. If successful after Tsali this should build great confidence for June's 24hr solo.

Happy Trails Folks
Toby

Prep Time

Short post for now, just trying to get things in line for the 12hr at Tsali this weekend. Fitness is coming around, after two centuries in the past two weekends. Shocking the system into endurance mode. Weather is looking good for Sat. but rainy through the week. I'm sure this will bring out the mountain enduros. The rest of this week should be easy trying to recover and hopefully have fresh legs for sat.

Toby

First Shop Ride

Not a whole lot going on. Race plans have changed, in that I will not be going to the dirty spoke 12hr this weekend in GA. Didn't feel as though I was ready. So now I'm just trying to ramp up my endurance in hopes of being ready for 12hr. Of Tsali (5/20). Trying to get in as much saddle time as possible.

Last night was my first Harrells shop ride of the season. It was as hard as expected - plenty of animals (J) out on the road. I must have missed the normal warmup, by the time I joined the group (Damon, Selix, Jaime, Chris) - our warmup consisted of rollers up Kennerly rd. @ 22mph. Not little chain ring needed. This is good, go ahead and set in the fatigue before the real accelerations start.

Once the shop group showed @ like 6:45 it was go time, mainly from the initial warmup group. Apparently I missed the memo on the early attack at Kennerly rd, so Peter and I had to chase the fast group down. I still haven't figured out - Is it harder to chase down a group of fast riders or go with them at the initial attack?

So about 3mi. Later we caught back up. Just a few baby chunks to show for the effort, but a great interval. This would happen once more on the ride back towards Shady Grove rd. Dropped of the back but fought my way back to the group with Gabe this time. Stick a fork in me cause I'm done. Good thing its mostly down hill back on Kennerly. So by the last big hill on Kennerly I just sat up and took it easy back to Harbison SP. These two a days can really put the hurt on ya.

P.S. - I'll weight my 1994 steel DeRosa this weekend, so you fellas with the 16lbs bikes can feel better about dropping me on the hills.

Happy trails folks
Toby

Harbison XC

April 23, 2006
"Race to the River" presented by Friends of Harbison SF
Harbison State Forest, Irmo SC

The annual "Race to the River" @ Harbison was a great outing for "Team Harrell's Bicycle World". The team managed 4 of the top 5 spots in Expert & 3 of the top 4 in the Sport field. Even taking overall victory in both fields (Russ - expert / Monty - sport). So overall a good showing for the only local XC race in the midlands. There was a 7 rider field for the experts. Harrell's riders made up 60% of the field, and it was expected to be a conservative start.

Except I was ready to go and stretch the group out. So I gassed it from the start and had the field all stretched out. I'm usually on the other end of this train in most cases, but it felt great being in the front and pushing the pace. In past races I've been stuck in traffic and gaped right away and that wasn't going to happen again. So by the first major hill (the switchback), only Russ (closet trainer) and Gary (Charleston guy) were in tow. I needed to catch my breath. So Russ & Gary took over the lead. Russ immediately started to hit the gas on the switchback then into spider woman trail.

Spider Woman is the most technically challenging trail Harbison SP has to offer the local mountain biker. This short but difficult trail is very reminiscent of Pisgah area riding. This was defiantly going to be the deciding factor of the race. Plus the experts had to complete two passes of Spider Woman. I was told later that this was where Russ dropped the hammer on the rest of the field to seal the deal for victory.

Settling into my own pace staying hydrated and fueled with Hammer gel. Patience paid off, it took me about an hour to make up the minute gap on second place. Now into second place all I wanted was to stay here. Happy that Russ was winning, I had no desire to chase him down. Knowing that my family and friends were all waiting at the finish was inspiring to keep the pace going and challenge myself to keep racing up to the line.

Next race is 4/30 in Clemson SC, for the 4th stop of the South Eastern Regional Championship Series. So hopefully the rain will hold off for the event because it's nothing but red clay in the town of orange.

Till then folks happy trails,
Toby

30th B-Day

Howdey folks ,
It's the day "tiny-T" turns three-O as of 6:00a.m. I celebrated with my 6am cycle class. The 8 folks who showed this morning were treated with a standing climb that lasted 30 minutes. This topped thier standing record set back 11/25/05 of 22 minutes. Great effort put forward, so now they have new bragging rights, and I got a great workout. Where else can you get in a standing effort of that duration. Just wanted to share that with ya. Gotta get to work now.

Toby

Out riding

Finally a somewhat normal weekend for riding. Normal being riding both saturday & sunday two hours or more. {Yippy for me;~) } Saturday was a typical 2hr. stroll through Harbison forrest on the geared bike. This ride was a prep for next weekends race @ Harbison. Speaking of race - Harbison XC race 4/23/06 next sunday races start at 10am and go through 12ish. Come out and support your local trails.

Yesterday, I got out on the hybird bike for some 2hr. of paved/dirt mix riding. This has turned out to be my favorite type of riding lately. The hybird is basicly a road bike with wider tires. This makes for more resistance on the pavement, with some more comfort and control in the dirt. Great training tool if you find yourself in a crunch for time to train. On this bike I find myself exploring more, seeking out the rougher roads and hitting any dirt road I come across. I've even dubbed the bike "Detour" this seems to be an appropriate name. Every ride seems to make a detour to less traveled places.

Happy Trails Folks,
Toby

Personal inspiration for training

Needing some personal inspiration for training, I pulled up an old race report from last years 24hr Big Bear race. Since now I have this blog thing I though I would share with whom ever is out there. This type of motivation can go a long way.

June 18-19, 2005
Big Bear Campground, Hazelton WV
24 hours of Big Bear (Granny Gear)

It has been a slow season thus far with a sideline injury for a couple of months this spring, and not being able to race the two pre-season 12 hour races originally planned, put a damper on the beginning of the season. Thursday, June 16th we headed up to Big Bear, West Virginia which was surprisingly only a 7 hour drive from Columbia.

On Friday (E&I) went to the race site, and I was able to reconnect with an old friend, Cameron Chambers from Great Bend Kansas that I first met in British Columbia for the Worlds and have since kept in touch. We pre-rode the course together and noticed that there were plenty of slick rock gardens, slow grinding climbs (1630'+ climbing per lap) and high speed descents on the 12.19 mile course. In addition to the challenging course there were several pro riders registered for the solo division including: Cameron Chambers (Gary Fisher/Subaru) who recently won the 24 hour National Solo Championships, Mark Hendershot (Santa Cruz/Syndicate) and last years winner and local rider Ernesto Marenchin (SpeedGoat/Asylum). These three riders finished in the top ten at the 2004 World Solo Championships. Along with a handful of other riders that were also World Solo Qualifiers like Jonathon Kinding and Steve Schwartz, the competition was going to be tough, but a real chance to prove myself.

HIGH NOON

Calmly lining up for the start, ready for another 24hr. beat down. Ready or not it's time to run. The opening LeMans run (sprint) is never a favorite of any rider, especially in carbon fiber sole shoes. I lost about five minutes on the first lap getting stuck behind the overzealous team riders bottle necking at the start of the single track. I was able to elbow my way through some team riders and passed about 30 more on the trail. Running on pure adrenaline and way above my lactate threshold, I managed to make my way up to around 25th overall by the end of lap one. Ten minutes off the solo pace, I began to settle into my own pace and prepare for a long day and night in the saddle.

With the race briskly under way, the next task was to get fluids and calories down and keep the tank topped off. The opening laps were taking around ~1:30 to complete. The bottles of Accelerade were only lasting about :30 min. I should have communicated this to Erin (pit crew/wife) earlier; but caught up in the race I failed to. I was stopping midway during the laps at the hydration tents to refill my bottles. Most 24 hour races have 45 to 60 minute lap times, but since this loop was longer and more technical than other races I have done in the past I needed to carry twice the amount of fluids & food with me, which is something we learned after a few laps. Grabbing up calories and additional fluids at the start of every lap would be my saving grace. This was actually one of the first races I was able to eat and drink the whole race, without feeling sick, but some other riders were not as lucky.

LIGHTS ON

There is no way to fully prepare yourself for the night laps at a 24hr. race, but this is when I am usually able to make up time on the rest of the field. I was using NiteRider lights on my helmet and handlebar. Luckily Mark Roberts let me borrow his helmet light and I was greatly appreciative, without it we would have had trouble keeping enough batteries charged to make it all the way through the night hours. I moved up from 6th place to 4th place overnight with only one 27 minute break to change my wet clothing I was able to gain a good bit of time on the rest of the field. I had one trip over the handlebars at about 2 a.m. and got an up-close look at West Virginia’s soil composition. Fatigue was starting to settle in, especially in my hands and back, so I slowed the pace a little bit to prevent any injuries, and decided to just keep to forward momentum.

SUNRISE

The sunrise is always a welcome event in a 24hr. race. I was so happy it was up; although I unconsciously decided to take a quick cat nap while riding. Yeah this is a real talent I have not mastered. Quickly realizing I was fading I had to snap back into it. There were only 6 more hours to go. Stopping for a brief moment to scarf down a greasy blueberry muffin and a red bull for breakfast, I was feeling much better. I began to fill a bit rejuvenated and tried to hold the wheels of passing team riders for some pick ups in my pace. This helped me lap some other solo riders, which would give me a little assurance for the closing hours of the race.

CLOSING HOURS

Upon completion of my 11th lap, Erin informed me that Chambers and Hendershot had decided not to complete any more laps. This would put me in third if I would complete two more laps with out getting passed by another solo rider - sounds simple. With my overall goal of standing on the podium in my grasp I had to go for it, so with more food and calories I was back out on course. Trying to hold pace as best as I could. If you can't ride it - walk it, just keep moving - this was my motto for the last four hours. On the last lap the top four places wound up joining up together out on the trail all separated by a lap per position. So the final positions had been set in stone, but we all had to still finish the course. It was evident that the terrain and sheer mileage of the last 24 hours had taken a toll on all of us. We all were reduced to walking and cursing every hill the trail had left to throw at us. It was finally over - 3rd place, 13 laps, 160 mi. with 22,000' climbing for the completion of my 9th 24 hour solo mountain bike race.

I would like to thank all the folks who helped me throughout the race and before the race ever started. With non stop support from family and friends alike. For my sponsors Harrell's Bicycle World, Raleigh Bicycles, and The Tack Room - THANKS for believing in me. Until next time, it's time for some rest.

Later, Toby

Spring X-Training

{Holly tries to help me with a water damaged floor}

Not a whole lot of riding going on this spring thus far. Due to the recent kitchen remoldeling project. Most all cyclist spend endless amounts of time indoors. The winters are spend waiting on spring and weather changes. Well I'm no different, except now that spring is here along with daylight savings time I've been helping remodel our 70's kitchen. So as for long rides and most of your weekend consumed on the bike - hopefully later.

With a 12hr. solo event in early May, I hope the fitness comes quickly. Speaking from experience, a 12hr. solo attempt while not in great shape will whoop ya bad. Luckily I was able to get out early Sunday a.m. and squeeze in a 3hr. road ride with some hills. For those whom are located around the Cayce area, take a venture out towards Calhoun Co. Excellent roads with low traffic and plenty of hills.

Hills outside Cayce SC

Happy trails folks
Toby

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM