Training for the SM100

It is the week leading up to the big race. I have done a fair amount of training but really don't know if it is enough. There is not much more I can do really other than eat right, hydrate well and try to get as much rest as possible. I will probably do some spinning on the trainer a little bit and do one more easy Poor Farm ride to make sure the bike is good to go. I recently had a brake adjustment and need to give it a little test ride before heading to the mountains for the big adventure.

While my attempt to ride from my house to VA Beach may not have worked out the way I wanted it to, I did get 70 miles or so of training in. And it was also good heat training. Over the years, I have found it much easier psychologically to go for a long ride if I have a destination. The idea of doing laps or just riding around the area is not very compelling to me. But if I have a destination with some purpose, I find it easier to get out there and ride. In fact, once it cools off some, I am going to try to ride my bike to and from work a few times. It is only 13 miles or so one way and once I figure out the logistics of clothing, getting cleaned up, hauling my food, etc., I will probably give it a try. But for now, I am focusing on this Sunday.

Before I talk more about this Sunday, I want to briefly describe a few rides I have done since my ride from Richmond to Ivor which is where I threw in the towel on the way to VA Beach.

After getting back from the beach, I did manage a few rides on the trainer that week. But my big ride was planned for Saturday. A friend who is doing the race, Clay, and I planned a trip up to Skyline drive to ride for 6 to 8 hours. Our plan was to ride from Rockfish Gap to Swift Run Gap which was about 80 miles. There would be lots of climbing but also some coasting. When we got up to Rockfish Gap, we encountered very foggy conditions. Here are some pictures from where we parked.

We got geared up and took off into the park. When we got the fee station, the fee taker told us she could not let us into the park with out the proper lights. I had a red blinking light on the back of my bike and a headlight inside my Camel Bak but Clay did not have lights. Fortunately, Clay did have a small light back at the car and I had duct tape. We rode back to the car, taped the light to the bike and then headed back up to the fee station. The fee taker let us in and in fact we did not have to pay because it was one of the fee free weekends at all the National Parks.

So off we went. After about 11 miles into our ride we stopped to eat some food and use the outdoor facilities. While we were sitting there munching on our bars and gels, the Park Police drove up. The officer rolled down his window and started asking us some questions. He was just doing his job but I thought his approach was odd. Here is the basic transcript.

Park Police (let's call him Ranger Joe): Where did you all come into the park today?

Me: Rockfish Gap.

Ranger Joe: Why?

Me: (not really understanding his question). We are training for a race.

Ranger Joe: Don't you think your safety is more important than any race?

Me: We have lights.

Ranger Joe: Do you have them on the front and the back?

Me: No.

Ranger Joe: Well, where are you headed?

Me: Swift Run Gap and back.

Ranger Joe: So you have a car parked at Rockfish Gap?

Me: Yes

Ranger Joe: Well I am not going to write you a ticket but I think you should head south. You are not allowed to bike in the park when there is low visibility without the proper lights.

Me: Well the lady at the fee station let us in.

Ranger: Well, she is not law enforcement.

After that I decided to just keep quiet. I could have argued a bit I suppose. After all, what is the definition of low visibility? How are we supposed to know this rule if it is not posted, etc. But I could see that he was going to kick us out the park so I just made one more comment.

Me: Sure puts a damper on things.

Then he took our license information and ran us for warrants. After all, two mountain bikers in spandex bike shorts are pretty dangerous looking. After that, he actually got the rule book out and read us the rules and explained how he actually thought the rules should be worded differently.

At this point, we were starting to shiver as it was getting cold. We had just done this pretty long climb and sweat a lot but now we were standing there starting to get a little chilly. Ranger Joe noticed and apologized and sent us on our way. When we got back to the car, we were a little bummed out. We packed up and headed for home. Of course as soon as we got off the mountain it was gorgeous weather. We ended up with about 22 miles or so that day. Not exactly what we had hoped for.

The next day I did a 3 hour ride from my house to the river and rode the trails downtown. The trails downtown are challenging but there are sometimes lots of people that you have to avoid and I am always on guard because there are some loonies down there. You never know what you are going to see.

The following Friday was my last day off for the summer. I had originally planned to do a day-trip to the beach with a friend but he ended up having to work. I was still going to go by myself but instead decided to go back to Skyline Drive and try another ride. So Friday morning, I drove up and parked in the same spot as before. This time around, the weather was different. It was not foggy and it was quite hot. I thought it would be cooler in the mountains and while it probably was hotter in Richmond, it was certainly hot enough on the mountain.

I rode from Rockfish Gap to the Loft Mountain Wayside which was about 25 miles with a fair amount of climbing but also some flat portions and little bit of downhill. When I got to the wayside, I used the bathroom and sat out on the deck and ate my PB&J and other snacks. I also bought some nice cold Gatorade which was really tasty at that point. I was drenched in sweat. I had some nice conversations with some tourists including some asian people who were asking me about the park. They told me they were tourists. They also said that they had not seen much wildlife. I explained that there was lots of wildlife around and if they got off the beaten path, they would see some. I told them that I have seen many black bears in the park. One woman's reaction to that statement was, "And you still alive!" Too funny.

After my lunch, I turned around and headed back to the car. I had wanted to go all the way to Swift Run Gap which was another 15 miles but I had already been on the road a long time and I was pretty hot. I did not want to get cooked again. Plus, as happens quite often on my adventures, I start to miss Melissa and want to go home and spend time with her. In fact, I often cut things short because I don't like to be away from her too long. For about 45 to 50 hours a week, we are apart because of work. When I have these long adventures away from home, I tend to think about her and what she is doing and decide to rush home. So after I turned around and headed home, I stopped by the grocery store, picked up dinner and some groceries and arrived home in time to have dinner at a decent hour and spend some time with my honey.

The next day I did a 3 hour ride down to the river. I did not leave until noon and guess what. It was hot again. Very hot! I did not feel all that great because of the heat. I did the standard river ride and then rode back. After that, I was pretty zapped.

I had one more weekend before the race to train. After consulting with my co-worker who is one of the top amateur cyclist in the region, I decided to go ahead and to another big ride on the Saturday before the race. I rode from my house to Poor Farm park in Ashland. It was a nice destination ride because the Patrick Henry Half Marathon was starting and ending at Poor Farm that day. I got a 6 AM start and took the long way to the park so I could avoid being on the run course. It was a pretty nice ride out in the country and since I got an early start, it was not blazing hot.

When I got to Poor Farm, I ate my PB&J and watched the leaders finish the half marathon. Later I would see some friends come across the finish line and even got a few good pictures of my friends and my boss who was running the race with his wife. By the time the race ended, it was hot again. After my boss came across and I congratulated him, I took off on the bike and headed for home. I took a more direct route home and crunched it pretty hard. I ended up with 47 miles which felt pretty good.

After the ride, Melissa and I had some lunch and went to a movie for a little change of pace. On Sunday, it was time to do the chores which included cutting the lawn and doing the trimming. It was so hot! I am really ready for Fall.

Well that about wraps up my summary of my latest training leading up to race week. Earlier tonight, I made a smoothy and put it in a bottle and then into the cooler with ice to see how it will stand up overnight. I want to be able to have my smoothy before the race and am hoping this little experiment works out.

I have made a list of things to do yet and things to buy but I am almost ready. My gear is hanging dry after a nice washing and my bike is totally dialed in. I have all my bike gear in a pile and will start packing up the car Thursday evening. Tomorrow I am going to a special showing being put on by Richmond Pro Cycling. They are screening "Ride the Divide" which is about a 2700 mile mountain bike race from Banff, Canada to the Mexican border. The amount of climbing in this race is equal to climbing Mount Everest 4 times. I figure this should be an inspirational movie and is just what I need before my adventure.

Happy Trails.