On Saturday, I rode the Albuquerque Century. I did far better on this course than I ever have before. Not only was my time smashing, but I felt really great afterwords.
( I witnessed the worst bike crash I've ever seen )
I rode 100.56 miles in 5:25:12 on bike, with 5:59:33 wall time, giving me an average speed of 18.55mph. I've never finished Albuquerque in less that six hours, and given that this time counts picking up my rider packet as well as stopping to talk to 911, I'm fantastically happy to have had such a great ride. Of course, I didn't stay on the official course, and these numbers do reflect riding on a course I enjoy more. 100 miles is a 100 miles, however.
I'll probably do this same "personal course" next year, as it removes a lot of stress over finding a vehicle, is more fun, and won't leave me having to recover from a 130 mile day.
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On May 17th I rode the Santa Fe Century. This was the first century ride I've done where I experienced any sort of mechanical failure, and that failure threatened to SAG me out of the ride.
( Bicycle Repair Man appears at the Santa Fe Century )
I finished the 103.75 mile course in 5:48:55 on bike, 17.84mph. My wall time was 6:45:56, accounting for the 1 hour stopped for repair at mile 40. This may well have been a personal best on-bike time for this course, though if it was it was within minutes of my time last year.
Two Wheel Drive pretty much made my day, what with their gift of 60 miles I wouldn't have otherwise had. I've never needed the services of an on-course mechanic, and I'm really glad they were there.
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This would totally make my day, though I much prefer the DIY version.
The Santa Fe Century is this Sunday.
I have a fever right now, which sucks. I'm otherwise in great shape to do this ride. Hopefully it will pass by Sunday. If not, I'll still ride anyway. My goal is to finish in under 6 hours.
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I've just finished the Tour de Tucson, which ends my racing season this year. I placed 599th place (912th last year), with a time of 5 hours, 16 minutes, 6 seconds. (search that page for "ALAN POST") This is a personal best, as my time last year was 5 hours, 30 minutes, 36 seconds.
Alas, this wasn't good enough for a platinum. I placed platinum earlier this year at the Tour de Phoenix, which gave me the right to line up at the front of the race.
I have heard from multiple people that the Tour de Tucson starts out very fast. I was not the least bit prepared for just how fast this was. I couldn't peddle fast enough to stay in the pack, not even drafting. By the time we got to the first river crossing (~8 miles) I was convinced I was going to have the worst ride of my life.
I finally did fall in with a peloton going slow enough that I could catch my breath. They weren't going fast enough to earn a platinum, and four separate times I tried to break away with a large group of riders and pick up the pace. Each time I was dropped from the pack and found myself overtaken by the peloton I'd broken away from.
The last breakaway was with 10 miles remaining, and a group of us wanted to finish the race strong. We rode ahead and formed a great pack to finish with. The same peloton I'd been trying to get away from all day caught us on the final stretch! We all finished together.
I should have stayed with them the whole race. Every time I was worn out or feeling tired it was because I was ahead of this group.
I knew I wasn't going to get a platinum by mile 47. At that point I was 15 minutes behind schedule, which was very nearly what I missed platinum by. The last half of my race was exceptionally strong, exactly what I predicted out of myself. I rode the whole course without stopping, which was a first for me in the Tour de Tucson. I had enough energy finishing that I got out of my saddle and roared across the finish line. Contrast that with the Tour de Phoenix, where a rolled across, completely spent.
There was only one point where I thought about slowing down. Late in the race, after it was clear I would be getting a gold no matter what, there was a sharp turn where the peloton I was in split in half. I was near the front of the back half, and really had to ask myself whether I wanted to catch them. I decided I should do everything I could to beat my current best time, sprinted ahead and felt my usual self the rest of the race.
I have never felt so good riding as long as I did, but I've clearly traded speed for endurance. I was never so exhausted that I couldn't rejoin a peloton, and I didn't bonk at any point on the course. However, I was much faster on my bike earlier this year, and I couldn't muster the strength to keep up with the platinum riders.
Not counting stopping, I rode slower this year than last. Of course, I rested for 25 minutes during the race last year, surely no small factor in being slower this year. All the same, I can tell that I'm not able to push as hard.
I've got to figure out what changed and work on strength training next year. While keeping my endurance! I'm happy with the endurance, though it took three long years to develop.
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Over a month ago, my brother, Josh (partner in crime), Josh's Dad Bob, and I rode the Red River Century. This is my favorite bike tour in New Mexico, as the Enchanted Circle has everything I like in a long ride--lots of really long hills.
Craig and I had agreed beforehand that we would ride together. Making it a tour instead of a race. We rode together save for the two hills. The first hill on this ride is my favorite section of this ride, and this year there was an impressive tailwind.
Since we had been riding at a fairly slow pace, the people riding up the hill at the same time as us gave me a chance for a completely undeserved ego boost. I passed dozens of people going up the hill, most of them struggling as I was having the time of my life. I remained unpassed all the way to the top, even having a good ride up the last three switchbacks, which is where I was getting passed last year by the strong riders in the group I ascended with last year. This year I passed one final group of three there. :-)
At the top I waited 10 minutes for Craig to show up and another 16 minutes after that for Josh and Bob. Up to that point I was basically a-squee at how fast I raced up that hill, but Josh had to remind me that the tailwind helped me quite a bit.
Riding at a tour pace, I never really know whether I'm tired or just riding along with the pack. Since I haven't been pushing myself, I feel like I could start pushing myself at any time, but being on the bike generally makes one tired. Often that sedate pace is hiding the fact that you couldn't be doing much better alone.
Near the end of the tour, climbing Bobcat Pass, I wasn't screaming up it. I didn't get passed on that hill either, but I was a fair lurch passing other people.
I've been generally less interested in riding my bike on the weekends lately, preferring instead to focus on the vast acres of dirt that need to be moved around at ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) sunflowerriver. I did get on my bike this weekend for a training ride, which I badly need to do more of for the Tour de Tucson in November.
It was cold and windy, and I was generally not interested in being out on my bike. The thing about riding though, is that your future self really loves you for it. And your future self is more valuable, because you past self happened already and you can't change it!
On my ride home, I was riding at a slow pace, wanting to be home eating. I was passed by someone going pretty fast, so I kicked it up and grabbed onto his wheel. We rode a mile or so to the trail end. He was super excited and generally enthusiastic about riding. I wanted his enthusiasm only slightly less than I wanted to be home eating.
I did come home to leftover pancakes, made by Jenny and Tristan for breakfast. Nom.
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![[Albuquerque Century 2008]](http://www.c0redump.org/img/lj/abqcentury_2008.jpg) On Saturday I rode in the Albuquerque Century. This is my only century ride where I don't drive to the starting line, but since moving last year the starting line is now a good 12 miles away.
( Albuquerque Century Ride Description )
I finished this course in 6 hours, 30 minutes. 30 minutes slower than the Santa Fe Century. I almost certainly spent less time on my bike, as I stopped more frequently on this course to eat. So I had a stronger ride, going faster on my bike, only to be done in by the wall clock. It appears the secret to doing a fast century is riding a slow, exhausted 50 miles because I didn't eat enough. :-( That or eating while riding, of course...
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Ah summer, where you ride through a cloud of gnats and they drown in the sweat pouring out of your forehead.
Well, at least the ones you didn't eat. Om nom nom nom.
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![[Santa Fe Century]](http://www.santafecentury.com/GRAPHICS/L2_logo.gif) I rode the 103.9 mile Santa Fe Century yesterday. I had not realized until yesterday just how brutal this course is. 4,400 feet total elevation gain, starting at 6,900 feet and climbing up to 7,200 feet. And as always, Heartbreak Hill. This year, I finished the Santa Fe Century in 5 hours, 54 minutes, 5 seconds:
| Distance: | 103.52 miles |
| Bike Time: | 5 hours, 35 minutes, 25 seconds |
| Wall Time: | 5 hours, 54 minutes, 5 seconds |
| Avg Speed: | 18.51 MPH |
| Top Speed: | 43.63 MPH |
| Avg Heartrate: | 139 BPM |
This is an hour faster than my time on this course last year, and good enough for a gold in the Tour de Tucson (Finishing the Tour de Tucson between 5 and 6 hours is a gold.)
All the same, I'm a bit disappointed by my performance. From about mile 50 to mile 90 I was having a really hard time. I wasn't able to keep pace with any of the pelotons that formed and generally just crawled along. The first 50 miles of this course I had finished in 2.5 hours (~20 mph), but the second 50 miles took 3.5 hours (~14.28 mph). I had clearly bonked, and like usual I didn't recognize it while I was on the bike.
I only hit two food stops, and got off the bike one other time to eat. I was practicing regulating my eating on bike in anticipation of finishing the Tour de Tucson this year in under 5 hours. I'll only be able to do that by holding onto the peloton as long as I possibly can. And those guys don't stop to eat!
I've commented before that the food I'm able to eat changes as I ride. What starts out sounding good can just be horrible 50 miles in, and I need to plan for what I will be able to eat throughout the ride. My taste here has been changing over time as well. I used to have a lot of trouble eating sweet things late in the ride, but I've started to crave sweet electrolyte drinks in a way I didn't used to. In the past I have also wanted plain water, but I'm going to experiment again adding an electrolyte drink on my ride. Anything for calories at this point...
Looking at my entry from last year, I've actually accomplished the major goal I set for myself. I've improved my top speed and cruising speed, and I have a hard goal of finishing the Albuquerque Century on June 7th (19 days!) in under 6 hours as well, which I would then count as "regularly finishing a century in under 6 hours." Particularly if I also plan for and finish a solo century this summer. One of my training rides for the Tour de Phoenix was 86.67 miles
in 4:37:22. That kind of pace would seal it.
Here is a breakdown of the ride:
( Start Line - Don't I know you? )
( Riding out to Heartbreak Hill - Dancing on the pedals )
( Heartbreak Hill to Cedar Grove - the scariest thing I've ever experienced on a bike )
( Cedar Grove to Galisteo - It is really boring out here )
( Galisteo to the Finish Line - One last climb )
My lack of training rides leading up to this event was noticeable. I had a great start, but wore out far too early in the day. I have a new goal: I need to be able to maintain my energy over longer distances. My training rides need to be 70-90 miles, instead of 50-60. And I still need to be vigilant about eating. Once you get into a rut, it is really hard to pull yourself back out.
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