MN Ironman Ride Recap

Sunday, April 28 was the date for this year's Ironman Ride near the Twin Cities. Longtime readers of this blog (do they exist?) will recall that I did this ride in 2011. A miserable day to ride a bike if there ever was one (temps in low-mid 30s and rain/sleet/snow). But, this is spring in the upper Midwest and earlier this week, the Cities got hit with 3.5" of snow.

Fortunately for the riders, the forecast was for warmer temps.... In the upper 70s / lower 80s! This didn't change much as the week progressed and the weather met the promise of the forecast. (If only the forecast talked about he winds!). I woke up to temps in the mid-50s and the skies were clear. It was a BEAUTIFUL day to ride a bicycle!

The Ironman Ride did not have a scheduled start time, just a window.  Register and hit the roads between 6:30-9:30.  There were four routes to choose from.  Do one, or any combination.  The cloverleaf layout worked great.  I came to ride the Scandia Loop, which, at 52 miles, was the longest route.  The others were a 28 mile Gateway Loop, a 26 mile Afton Loop and a 14 mile Afton Loop.  Had I more time (and not needed 4 hours to drive home after I was done), I would have liked to have ridden more.

At registration, there were 3699 preregistered riders.  There were A LOT of walk-ups too, no doubt thanks to the excellent weather.  I suspect that, all told, there were over 5000 riders.

By the time I arrived at the fairgrouds and got registered, it was nearly 9:00.  I was already an hour behind schedule.  I met up with a guy named Matt who went the same high school I did.  He was riding with his dad (who drove up from Dubuque to do the ride) and his brother.  Matt had already completed the 14-mi loop.  The four of us headed out.  First thing I noticed was the wind.  It was strong out of the south.  Of course, the fact that for the first 20 miles or so we were heading north meant that the wind was a non-issue.

We arrived at the first rest stop, about 22 miles into the ride, about 1h20m later.  We were moving along nicely at 17.6 mph.  I felt great.  Matt and I were ahead of his brother and dad by a few minutes.  After a quick snack (energy gel and almonds) and topping off the water bottles, we headed back out, full of confidence.

Ahh, the sense of false security.  The biggest challenge of the ride was in the second segment, the descent into Stillwater and the climb back out. Matt and I rode ahead again and took off downhill.  Descending on 199th St was FUN!  Trees all around as a wind block, a curvey road, and (of course) downhill. The descent continued after we turned on State 95.  Matt and I got separated at this point and rode apart until we go to the second rest stop (at the 39 mi mark). There he waited for his brother and dad while I took off to finish my ride so I could get on the road to go home.

Me and Matt

I finished the ride in just over 3 hours (3:11), averaging just over 16mph for the day, with 1422 feet of climibing (according to Strava.  According to the Map My Ride link from the ride's website, it was only 899'.)  All in all an ok effort. 

Meanwhile, Matt went on to ride a full Century on Sunday, completing he short Afton Loop, Scandia, and Gateway. He must've picked a few extra miles at he end to be sure to reached that goal. Well done, Matt! *hat tip*

A few observations.

1. It reminded me a lot of RAGBRAI - it was a more rural loop than the others, with rolling hills, and people of all ages, abilities, and body types riding.  This wasn't something limited to the mostly 20-something club riders and racers.  Hat Tip to those riders out there plugging away at this challenge!
2. You can tell it's early in the season when the club riders haven't shaven their legs yet.
3. The ride was, from what I saw, very well organized and supported.  Matt reported that traffic into the fairgrounds was pretty congested and chaotic when he arrived early.  They got that squared away by the time I arrived.
4. Another rider came up to me and asked where I got the Drake U jersey.  Another Bulldog!
5. There were a handful of riders in RAGBRAI jerseys. 
6. I was pretty tired at the end of 52 miles and my legs were sore.  I wonder how I'll feel in three weeks after the Arcadia ride (see my last post about that).
7. I LOVE CYCLING!

Thanks for reading.  As always, comments welcome!  -b

Ride Time!

On Sunday morning, I'll be rolling out to ride the 50 mile route of the MN Ironman Ride. This will be the first event of a busier season. No races, but more rides.

I'm a little nervous about Sunday's ride. I've only done one ride this year over 30 miles. But it was last weekend. And it was almost the same distance (50+). But I was sore and tired afterwards. (In a good way.)

I'm leaving for Minnesota in the afternoon tomorrow and will spend the night with my brother and his wife in Minneapolis. (Thanks, Chuck & Cindy!). Sunday morning I will get up and drive over to Stillwater, where the ride will be held.

The organizers have done an interesting job of laying out the routes this year. There are three routes, but you can combine them to create your own ride. Except the 50-mi route, which closes early. Since that's the route I'm riding, that's a non-issue. If, by (fat) chance, I'm feeling good after the 50, I may another loop to extend my day. We'll see. I'll still have a 3-1/2 hour ride home that afternoon, so it will also depend on timing.

In three weeks is my next ride... the Arcadia Brute. I've signed up for the 100km (~65 mi) ride. But it's hilly. 7 climbs of 300-400 feet each. 6500 total feet of climbing in under 65 mi.


HOLY HELL! What the fuck did I sign up for?!?

In contrast, this weekend's ride has 900' of climbing in 52 mi. Better up my training regimen. More hills in the next couple weeks. (My 50+ mi ride last week had just over 2,000' of climbing. Nice, but NO where near where I need to be!)

Well, wish me luck as I start my season. More after I return from Minnesota.

My Space

No. Not a blog post about a dead social media site. (Oh! Sorry! MySpace is still operational?!? Why?!?)

No. Just a chance to show off a room in the house. We've been here for 6 mos. and finally got around to decorating it and moving some boxes that were in there into the storage room.

So, as you know, I've kind of gotten a little obsessive about cycling. (No, I'm not apologizing for it!). And over the last 3 years I've collected a few posters. That have sat in the tubes and flats they were mailed in.

This weekend a chain arts & crafts store had their poster frames on sale. So, I (finally) spent the money to get the frames. Got home, unpacked the prints, and put them in.

Finally, I cleaned out the room and hung the prints. What do you think?


Vive Le Tour - set of three prints by Adam Turman (adamturman.com).  He is an artist out of the Twin Cities and has a lot of great work, not all of it cycling related.  These were a Christmas gift from the kids.



These two prints represent my commitment to LIVESTRONG.  The print on the left is by Shepard Fairey (of the Obama HOPE poster fame).  This was something I received from the Foundation for being one of the top three fundraisers for the RAGBRAI TeamLIVESTRONG in 2010.  The print on the right is by Austin, TX artist Bobby Dix, available on ETSY under the name Kollective Fusion.  He also some some real cool non-cycling posters as well (BACON!)



RAGBRAI posters from 2010 and 2012, the two years that I completed the whole route.  I did save space on the wall for the 2013 poster, as I am planning or riding all week again this year.  (Registered and, yes, doing my fundraising for LIVESTRONG already - help me reach my goal.)

And yes, that's my bike up on the trainer. I have tried to ride some this winter.

Update: 4/19 - Just ordered these two prints from Mark Fairhurst.  Can't wait to get them!


Ahh, the Spring Classics.  Where bike racers ride across the ancient cobbled roads of northern Europe.

This one reminds me of both LeTour as well as (surprise!) RAGBRAI.



Stomach of Anger

You may have noticed the logo to the right that was added to my page layout not too long ago. It's actually a linked logo, so if you click on it, you'll go to the SOA website. Which I strongly advise, if you want to order some really cool cycling-themed t-shirts. (Full disclosure, I own four of them already.)

The reason that logo is there is that the guys at SOA have agreed to sponsor me on my big one-day rides this year. Yes, me, a middle-aged slightly over-weight weekend warrior cyclist just trying to carve out enough time to ride so that my body can actually withstand the rigors of a timed 100-mi ride. Pretty cool, huh?

So the deal is, SOA is sending me a kit (that's what they call the jersey and shorts together) to wear at these events (the Ironman Ride MN, the Wisconsin Triple Crown, the UPAF Ride for the Arts (MKE) and the iGranFondo). I wear the kit and promote the brand (and hopefully don't embarrass myself or them with my performances).

And, while they haven't asked me to, I will be sharing information about any promos they're running, etc. Which, btw, they have right now: $12.00 t-shirts for 2011 & 2012 designs. Click on the link and happy shopping!

Maybe next year, I can get them to pay my entry fees to these rides, too.

You, too, can sponsor me. By clicking on the LIVESTRONG logo at the top of the page, you can donate to the Foundation and support my fundraising efforts to ride with the TeamLIVESTRONG on RAGBRAI again this summer. The Foundation does great work supporting patients and their loved ones at the start of their fight against cancer. Educational materials, connecting patients to clinical trials, assistance with insurance issues, etc. LIVESTRONG is there, in te corner for patients, when things are the craziest as they're just learning what hey are up against.

My goal this year is is to raise $5.00 for every mile of this year's RAGBRAI, or just over $2000. I appreciate your support!

World Cancer Day

 

Today is World Cancer Day. Seems to be an appropriate day to begin in earnest my fundraising efforts for LIVESTRONG as I prepare to join about 100 teammates and 20,000 other cyclists for a week long ride across Iowa this July.

For 41 years now, RAGBRAI has crossed Iowa from the Missouri to the Mississippi. This will be my third year of riding the whole week (I also rode the last two days in 2011). In that time, colleagues, co-workers, friends and family have generously donated more than $10,000 to the LIVESTRONG Foundation. This year, I am at it again, and am asking you to join my team in the fight against cancer.

I’ve been asked a few times about the impact of the Lance news on LIVESTRONG. My short answer is that LIVESTRONG is not about Lance – yes, it was his foundation, but he’s stepped away from it now – it’s about providing services and resources to cancer patients and their support teams (friends, family, loved ones) during their fig...ht. LIVESTRONG does not fund research for a cure – important work that others are doing, but work that doesn’t fit its mission of helping people now. (My long answer appears on this post from November (before the Oprah interview).)

I would greatly appreciate your support. You can donate on-line on my fundraising page.

If, however, you feel that you cannot support LIVESTRONG because of Lance, I understand. I only ask that you consider donating to another organization fighting the cancer war instead.

Thank you for your consideration!

Insanity

So, last time I talked about my possible ride schedule for the year.  Since then, I have registered for the Wisconsin Triple Crown series - three rides in hilly western Wisconsin, one in May, one in June and one in August.  Each of the rides has multiple distance options.  I signed up for 100K-100K-150K (62 mi - 62 mi - 93 mi).  It'll be a real challenge.  One that I look forward to.

But looking back the last two years, I noticed that the two big rides I did early in the season - the MGF in 2011 and Feed the Need in 2012 - were tough rides, in part because I don't think I was as ready physically for them as I should have been or wanted to be.  That proved out as I nearly dropped out of one and I didn't finish the other.  The first of the Triple Crown rides is only two weeks after these other rides.

(Sad note: I was thinking of riding the Feed the Need again this year, but a shorter route, as a tune up for the Arcadia Brute.  I e-mailed to check on registration and was disappointed to hear that the ride is cancelled.  It was too much work with too little return to donate to the food pantry.)

So, I need to step up my training.  I think I need to do more than riding the trainer and I need to start earlier.  I need to be stronger in early May.  The Arcadia Brute will be a hilly 100 km.  And if the weather is like what its been the last two years....

What to do?

I am starting the Insanity DVD workout series.  Fortunately, we have it already, so I didn't need to order it.  I'm not expecting any miracles.  But I am hoping to lose a few pounds, shed a few inches and improve my strength as well as prep myself aerobically. 

So, here's my accountability.  I started with the Fit Test on Monday, January 28.  At this time, I weigh 217.6 with 25.0% body fat (according to our scale - see pic below).  And here are my goals - one level I will be satisfeid with on April 1 and two others with increasing enthusiasm if when I surpass the initial goal.

GOALS	WEIGHT	BF %
Satisfied	205	17.5
Happy	200	15.0
Ecstatic	195	12.5

Wish me luck! After two days, I'm already sore. 

Edit: This morning was day three. I was tired during the warm-up and had a hard time keeping up. (Maybe not enough sleep last night had something to do with it.)  Finally gave up about half-way through the day's workout.  But I don't feel bad about that.  I will come back tomorrow and repeat it. 

I am not worried about, nor is it my goal to, getting six-pack abs and be ripped like the hard bodies they have working out behind the instructor.  My goal is to improve my overall health and fitness.  This includes losing some weight and inches. (A flat stomach would be nice, but ripped? Let's be realistic.) I want to be stronger for the hills of Triple Crown and improve my cardio and circulatory systems.  So if the 60-day system turns into 90, who cares?  It's results that I am interested in.

BEFORE PICS - skip if you're squeamish!

Before





WARNING - not exactly a pretty picture!

Before - ugh!

2013 Event Schedule

Welcome back! Hope you had a wonderful holiday season. I haven't had a lot to write about since November. I did put Candi up on the CycleOps trainer and have even been on it a few times before the holidays.

But, the holidays have kept me busy and then I've been sick for the last two weeks and haven't ridden.

So, as I lay here with a heating pad on my back, I've been thinking about what I want to do this year in terms of riding. Of course, I'm doing RAGBRAI in July (21-27). And the iGranFondo ride is the day before RAGBRAI starts.

Then there is the UPAF Ride for the Arts in Milwaukee the first Sunday in June. I've done this ride the last three years, with different distances each year. Last year, I rocked (for me) the 75-mi course at over 18 mph. Flat and fast. And fun. It's a must do ride.

Two years ago I rode the Minnesota Gran Fondo (MGF) / Ironman Bike Ride.  That was maybe the hardest day / event I've ever done on a bike.  68 miles, temps in the low 30s, some precipitation and the first 23 miles were into a nasty headwind.  But I persevered. This year, unfortunately, the ride is scheduled on Drake Relays weekend (April 28). I went college at Drake and Relays is like our Homecoming - only bigger - and I haven't been back since 2005. I miss my friends. Hmmm. What to do.

That weekend is also the weekend for the "Feed the Need" Ride in Highland, WI.  Last year I did this ride, and if the 2010 MGF wasn't the hardest ride, then this ride was. Temps in the 30s, lots of wind and hills, a wrong turn, and getting SAG'd back because I couldn't finish it.  I signed up to ride the 100 mi course, but ended up only going 53.  (Needed to start my training earlier to do the century.) Yeah. That was the hardest ride I ever did. It's a small ride, but a fund raiser for the local foodbanks in SW WI. 

I think I will probably do one of these rides and skip Relays (again).  But which one?

What else is out there? Well, last year on the iGranFondo I saw a few riders wearing "Wisconsin Triple Crown" rides. It turns out it's a three event series, with a ride in May, the second in June and the last in August. That works well around the others. And, looking at the website, it looks really challenging. Multiple distances but LOTS of hills. Interestingly, it is limited to only 500 riders.  Which seems that it will attract high caliber riders.  Not sure I fit that category.  But they are rides, not races.  And, really, the object here is to challenge myself, to push myself further, not to see how I stack up against others.  Even if I were the last finisher at each of the rides, if I finish, it's still a win in my books.

Then, at the end of August, there's another ride, the LT Gran Fondo, up in the Twin Cities. I haven't ridden that one (weekend closest to my daughter's birthday). So, I probably should not plan on it this year either.

Possible Schedule:
1) April 27: Feed the Need ride (Highland, WI): 50, 75, or 100 mi - OR -
April 28: MGF (Twin Cities): 68 or 100 mi
2) May 18: Arcadia's Brute, part of the Triple Crown (Arcadia, WI): 50,100, or 150 km
3) June 2: UPAF Ride (Milwaukee): 50 or 75 mi
4) June 22: Kickapoo Kicker, Triple Crown (Viroqua, WI): 100, 150, or 200 km
5) July 20: iGranFondo (Sioux City, IA): 100 mi
6) July 21-27: RAGBRAI (Iowa): 7 days, 450-500 mi
7) August 10: Dairyland Dare, Triple Crown (Dodgeville, WI): 100, 150, or 200 km
8) August 25: LT Gran Fondo (Twin Cities): 100 mi (But probably not.)

I don't want to miss any of those rides, except for one of the April rides occurring on the same weekend.

So, should I register for them all (7 or 8)? It'll be a challenge. But they are all do-able. And they're scheduled far enough apart that I could do them all.

What do you think? Go for it? Or scale it back? Do I need to do more than I did last year (Feed the Need, UPAF, iGranFondo, & RAGBRAI)? I am really intrigued by the Triple Crown rides. Hmmm....

And then, of course, there is the matter of this being ok with my better half!  Since the rides are all (except RAGBRAI) local and don't involve being gone for more than a day, I'm hoping that this will be ok.  I'll let you know.