Showing posts with label MTB racing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MTB racing. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 1, 2025
Tuesday, November 20, 2018
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Sunday, September 9, 2018
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
Iron Hill Challenge MTB Race Report 2017....
This past weekend it was back to racing at Iron Hill Challenge in the MASS MTB Series. With the lack of Xterra races until the World Championships in October, the calendar will need to be filled with other races consisting of XC and Endurance MTB races as well as a few trail runs. The goal for these races is to race hard and put pressure on myself to go all out.
For Iron Hill Challenge that worked out pretty well. I didn't get to pre-ride the course so aimed to take to the front as soon as possible to give me the cleanest view of the course. Wow was I surprised! I had no idea that the course was as rocky as it was and was a blast from start to finish. It had a good mix of everything and with the oppressive heat it was a tough day for everyone. Although I took the lead early I surrendered it mid-way through the 1st lap before getting caught behind some riders from the earlier fields which meant we rode a slightly slower tempo pace for a couple of the singletrack climbs. After getting past them it was game on and just before hitting the 2nd lap I made the pass for 1st and just nailed it for the lap. In the end I was able to take the win by 3mins in the Cat 2 40+ field and posted a faster 2nd lap than the 1st which was a combination of knowing the course, meeting less slower riders and just punishing myself. Mission accomplished.
With that result being the 2nd win in 2 races at the Cat 2 40+ field I think it is time to move on up. Next year I'll start racing the Cat 1 40+, which means longer races (one more lap) and probably a mid-pack finish but it will give me something to work on over the winter!
With the racing done as per the norm we headed off to Street, MD to visit the Falling Branch Brewery and enjoys some brews while the rain finally started to fall!
For Iron Hill Challenge that worked out pretty well. I didn't get to pre-ride the course so aimed to take to the front as soon as possible to give me the cleanest view of the course. Wow was I surprised! I had no idea that the course was as rocky as it was and was a blast from start to finish. It had a good mix of everything and with the oppressive heat it was a tough day for everyone. Although I took the lead early I surrendered it mid-way through the 1st lap before getting caught behind some riders from the earlier fields which meant we rode a slightly slower tempo pace for a couple of the singletrack climbs. After getting past them it was game on and just before hitting the 2nd lap I made the pass for 1st and just nailed it for the lap. In the end I was able to take the win by 3mins in the Cat 2 40+ field and posted a faster 2nd lap than the 1st which was a combination of knowing the course, meeting less slower riders and just punishing myself. Mission accomplished.
With that result being the 2nd win in 2 races at the Cat 2 40+ field I think it is time to move on up. Next year I'll start racing the Cat 1 40+, which means longer races (one more lap) and probably a mid-pack finish but it will give me something to work on over the winter!
With the racing done as per the norm we headed off to Street, MD to visit the Falling Branch Brewery and enjoys some brews while the rain finally started to fall!
Monday, July 3, 2017
Finally Got Round to Cleaning the Bike.....and Playing with the GoPro
A clean bike is a happy bike.....turn sound on!
Monday, June 26, 2017
Note to self! 6hrs at Woodstock MTB Race
Note to self as I race more MTB marathon races in the future..............
1. Get more endurance rides done
2. Eat more and eat early
3. Continue to have Sarah as my crew....she was awesome!
4. Pre-ride the course if I can
5. Take more ice!
6. Pactimo Summit Pro bibshorts are da bomb
I had a blast at the 6hrs at Woodstock and ended with a solid 62miles (6 laps) and 7th overall/2nd 40+
1. Get more endurance rides done
2. Eat more and eat early
3. Continue to have Sarah as my crew....she was awesome!
4. Pre-ride the course if I can
5. Take more ice!
6. Pactimo Summit Pro bibshorts are da bomb
I had a blast at the 6hrs at Woodstock and ended with a solid 62miles (6 laps) and 7th overall/2nd 40+
Saturday, May 6, 2017
March 2017: Training Ramblings......Building on the Foundation
The days of March are all about laying the foundations for a good race season....getting that blend of form and fitness so you are sharp enough for the early season goal races. For me this means getting time on the mountain bike and jumping into some local races to get the race pace efforts both on the road and the trail.
The first race was at a very cold (20℉) trail race at Xterra Brandywine (race report here) and then later in the month the Black Hill road race. If you didn't read my post about road racing this year it is here and highlights how it will be a little different. However, as usual road racing isn't a priority at all so it's good to just go out and try to destroy myself (and others if I can) for a training effort. If you want to head out to D-Ville on Tuesday nights I'll be there trying to do the same thing.....
Most of the rest of the month was the daily training efforts and getting on the Hammer with the MTB which has been awesome to do. When the trails are wet or it's dark after work, it's been invaluable to still get time on the MTB and keep that muscle memory going.
The big weekend of the month was the 1st Annual Parvilla Cycles Gravel Grinder followed by the Black Hill road race the next day. We had perfect weather for the Gravel ride and the roads surrounding Leesburg are great with some decent hills. With the continued goal of getting on the MTB as much as possible I rode it for the 72mile day to get a solid workout. Definitely need to get back to those roads for training!
Most of the rest of the month was the daily training efforts and getting on the Hammer with the MTB which has been awesome to do. When the trails are wet or it's dark after work, it's been invaluable to still get time on the MTB and keep that muscle memory going.
The big weekend of the month was the 1st Annual Parvilla Cycles Gravel Grinder followed by the Black Hill road race the next day. We had perfect weather for the Gravel ride and the roads surrounding Leesburg are great with some decent hills. With the continued goal of getting on the MTB as much as possible I rode it for the 72mile day to get a solid workout. Definitely need to get back to those roads for training!
The following day after Black Hill, we headed out to Waredaca Brewing Company and sampled some of their brews! I think we have started a post-race traditional in searching out a local brewery.....
What I am drinking this month:
Peaks Coffee Company: Costa Rica Don Alexis: Sitting 1600 meters up in the mountains of Tarrazu, Costa Rica lies Don Alexis. His farm neighbors, Jorge Brene’s farms. One of the leaders in specialty coffee for his innovation in processing. Together, they produced a semi-washed coffee that truly shows the characteristics of the Tarrazu region. Subtle toffee and chocolate notes, with a rich sugary sweetness, floral aspects, and a bright red berry finish. This is the base to our current mountain climber blend but stands out regardless for its complexity as a filter.
March 2017 Total: 575miles/43hrs 47mins/2911 TSS
Swim: 11.9m/5hrs 36mins/ 425 TSS
Bike: 475m/26hrs 35mins/ 1566 TSS
Run: 87.6m/11hrs 05mins/ 890 TSS
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
February 2017: Training Ramblings.....Racing Is Here!
February was the start of race season! A couple of races were on tap for the month...the Little Patuxent River 10km on the 5th and two weeks later the Monster Cross 50 mile MTB race. As you would expect neither were "A" races but it is always good to get out and race and get some motivation through the winter months.
The Little Patuxent River 10km was brand new for 2017 and I had never run the trails there so had no idea what to expect. The course surprised me and I am sure this race will continue to grow (if they can, as it sold out early this year!) as it was awesome. It was a cold day and the Parvilla Pom-Pom made its first race appearance of the season. I went out hard, probably too hard based on the 5:45min that beeped away as we went through the first mile, with the field quickly splitting until there was just two of us left at mile 2. Gradually over the next 4 miles I was able to pull away and take the first win of the year. The last mile wasn't pretty and showed that I need to a) run longer and b) work on race pace. Sarah also raced the 10km and posted a new PR for the distance, she is going to have a good year!
Just two weeks later and after a red-eye home from a work trip to San Francisco, I was lining up at Pocahontas State Park (just south of Richmond) for the Monster Cross 50 mile MTB race. It is very much an early season classic of the local MTB scene and in my infinite wisdom I had entered the Pro/Elite field which was stacked with a who's who of the best in the region. We had lucked out with 70 degree weather and dry, dusty trails, which meant one thing.....speed!
Wow, it was a fast day and so much fun! Perhaps the most fun race I have done. It was just go,go,go from the beginning, pretty much a road race on dirt. If you lost the group you were with you would quickly lose minutes. I managed to embed myself in the 2nd main group on the trail (the first group of 10 had split the field early and as expected were led by pro Jeremiah Bishop) and we motored through the first 25 mile lap in 1hr 22mins (yup, 19mph). The 2nd lap didn't get any easier and one by one riders were popping off the back until there were only 10 of us left and it was everyman for himself the final few miles. I managed to sneak a few places in the last couple of miles to roll across in 2hrs 47 mins and 14th place. To say I was pleased was an understatement! It showed that training was going well and more importantly the bike legs are there for the season to come.
It took a little while to recover from that race so the total mileage and hours for the month were lower than I would have liked (plus the week in SF was poor for training) but the racing showed that I have the fitness to build on. The road racing season begins in March as does the Xterra Atlantic Trail Run Series and then before we know the Xterra Triathlon season will be upon us. Lots of good stuff to come this season....
Wow, it was a fast day and so much fun! Perhaps the most fun race I have done. It was just go,go,go from the beginning, pretty much a road race on dirt. If you lost the group you were with you would quickly lose minutes. I managed to embed myself in the 2nd main group on the trail (the first group of 10 had split the field early and as expected were led by pro Jeremiah Bishop) and we motored through the first 25 mile lap in 1hr 22mins (yup, 19mph). The 2nd lap didn't get any easier and one by one riders were popping off the back until there were only 10 of us left and it was everyman for himself the final few miles. I managed to sneak a few places in the last couple of miles to roll across in 2hrs 47 mins and 14th place. To say I was pleased was an understatement! It showed that training was going well and more importantly the bike legs are there for the season to come.
It took a little while to recover from that race so the total mileage and hours for the month were lower than I would have liked (plus the week in SF was poor for training) but the racing showed that I have the fitness to build on. The road racing season begins in March as does the Xterra Atlantic Trail Run Series and then before we know the Xterra Triathlon season will be upon us. Lots of good stuff to come this season....
What I am drinking this month:
Rise Up Coffee: Costa Rica Organic Las Lajas: From the Chacon Family, they specialize in a kind of coffee drying called ‘Honey Process’. Essentially the outer skin is removed from the coffee cherry, but mucilage is left on the bean. The end result is an interesting mix of ripe fruit flavors and an intensely sweet cup.
February 2017 Total: 465miles/34hrs 54mins/2327 TSS
Swim: 7.33m/3hrs 42mins/ 250 TSS
Bike: 388m/22hrs 04mins/ 1364 TSS
Run: 69.0m/8hrs 37mins/ 700 TSS
Monday, February 20, 2017
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Patapsco 100 MTB Race Report 2015 - 50km Edition
In my quest to get better for Xterra Worlds in a few weeks time I decided to race the Patapsco 100 hosted by Adventures for the Cure this past Sunday.....no I didn't race the 100 mile version but plumped for the single lap race at 50km (31.4 miles). After cajoling Ace enough in the past week he joined me on the start line as well.
The race was being used for two things 1) a race pace effort for fitness and technical skills and 2) learn the trails in the northern section of Patapsco State Park. It nailed both those things!
Going into the race I had no expectations, no real plan and no idea what the terrain would be like. This was my first MTB race since way back in 2003 before we moved to the USA. As such we lined up with the goal to have fun and enjoy the trails! The first short section was on road and it enabled us not to be caught behind many as we entered the first section of singletrack. The first few miles were probably the most technical as it followed the river and not having been on the bike all week I felt technically rusty (as I always do to start with). Luckily progression was pretty slow through these miles and even some dabbing didn't lose any ground. We went through the first river crossing with a few cries of "My New Shoes!" from Ace and then the field began to separate enabling the speed to eek up and settle into a decent rhythm.
To be honest I had no idea where the trail was going and with good markings you didn't need to have a good knowledge of the trail system. Would I be able to ride the route again from memory? Probably not but I have the GPS course so might be able to work it out. The trails were awesome though and they had a mix of pretty much everything...rocks, roots,logs, sandy singletrack! As the day went on I was getting much more comfortable technically and the effort level was high. The majority of riders were on full-suspension bikes but my trusty Specialized Stumpjumper hardtail (from Parvilla Cycles) steered me right all day.
At about mile 10 after a couple of miles of hard effort I latched onto a couple of 50km riders that were riding a solid pace and we pretty much stuck together for the rest of the race. The nice thing about the 50km race is that it is long effort to fatigue you but also short enough to allow you to push the pace the entire time. My average HR was in the low 150's which for me is a good tempo pace and gave me that race pace test I was looking for.
It worked out that we were sitting in a battle for 4th place with the first three a few minutes up the trail and unlikely to be caught. Having the three of us was good, for me anyway, as I wanted to push the pace and with about 6 miles left I managed to get a small gap on the other two and wanted to work it hard to the finish. Ultimately it didn't work out quite as expected as a small mechanical issue with my rear derailleur had me trail side for a few minutes (four to be precise) and despite working hard over the final miles I could only grab back a couple of places for a 6th place finish in the Open Men's race for a final time of 3hrs 12mins.
The race was being used for two things 1) a race pace effort for fitness and technical skills and 2) learn the trails in the northern section of Patapsco State Park. It nailed both those things!
Going into the race I had no expectations, no real plan and no idea what the terrain would be like. This was my first MTB race since way back in 2003 before we moved to the USA. As such we lined up with the goal to have fun and enjoy the trails! The first short section was on road and it enabled us not to be caught behind many as we entered the first section of singletrack. The first few miles were probably the most technical as it followed the river and not having been on the bike all week I felt technically rusty (as I always do to start with). Luckily progression was pretty slow through these miles and even some dabbing didn't lose any ground. We went through the first river crossing with a few cries of "My New Shoes!" from Ace and then the field began to separate enabling the speed to eek up and settle into a decent rhythm.
 |
| First river crossing |
At about mile 10 after a couple of miles of hard effort I latched onto a couple of 50km riders that were riding a solid pace and we pretty much stuck together for the rest of the race. The nice thing about the 50km race is that it is long effort to fatigue you but also short enough to allow you to push the pace the entire time. My average HR was in the low 150's which for me is a good tempo pace and gave me that race pace test I was looking for.
 |
| Just after the 2nd aid station |
 |
| The singletrack of Ptap! |
I certainly exceeded my expectations and had so much fun in doing so. Ace ended a few minutes behind me in 3hrs 17mins and took 3rd in the 50+ division. It was definitely one of the funnest races this year and gave me the ideal workout heading into the final few weeks of Xterra preparation. Over the 50km there was 3,500ft of climbing! This race will definitely be on the calendar for 2016....but should I do the 50km, 100km or 100mile?
 |
| Pushing it! |
Friday, August 21, 2015
July 2015: Training Ramblings......Motivation
By now we all know that I able to qualify for Xterra Worlds in Maui in early November so that reinvigorated my training for the remainder of the season, nothing like a bit of top notch competition to make you train hard! My main training goal is really to push myself, no holding back....this isn't going to be an annual event (Hawaii trips aren't cheap!) so make the most of the opportunity.
I raced just the once in July at the Xterra Ex2 Adventures race at Rocky Gap, you can read the race report here It was a great test as to where the fitness was and where I was building from as I head towards November. The run felt good for the first time this season and showed that the higher mileage since Xterra East Championships had paid off. Down side was a shredded elbow that required some serious tegaderm, although I did seem to get my own lane in the pool that week!
So as we head into the build for World's training will revolve around a few things:
a) Consistency
b) Hitting the dirt on the MTB at least once a week
c) Going beyond the comfort zone
July was a very consistent month and in fact it turned out to be perhaps the biggest volume month since 2013. I was able to hit the trails more than I have yet this year and on groups ride I have challenged to give it "some welly"even if that means I put myself into the red zone.
I think that to often we settle into the comfort zone and are afraid of seeing what is beyond that. The local group rides are a prime example of that....yes I know that I can easily finish in the front group but am I really getting the most I can out of the ride? Probably not, so by going harder or having specific goals for the ride it will be a much better training experience.
One more Xterra race before World's is in August at Xterra Appalachia in Pa and then it is a little bit of 'cross season as preparation for the big day!
What I am drinking this month:
Coava: Kilenso Ethiopia - Kilenso Mokonissa is one of the smallest villages in the Borena Hagermariam District of Sidama. In the past the coffees coming from Kilenso would have been blended into larger lots and sold under the area’s catch all name “Ardi.” The farmers there use organic practices (though they are too poor to pay for the certification) so as to not waste anything they produce. Lavendar and grape jam balance this naturally processed coffee. It is a testament to the diligent care put forth by a very small group of people.
July Total: 533miles/46hrs 08mins/2955 TSS
Swim: 14.99m/8hrs 12mins/ 347 TSS
Bike: 396m/22hrs 56mins/ 1421 TSS
Run: 122m/14hrs 58mins/ 1186 TSS
I raced just the once in July at the Xterra Ex2 Adventures race at Rocky Gap, you can read the race report here It was a great test as to where the fitness was and where I was building from as I head towards November. The run felt good for the first time this season and showed that the higher mileage since Xterra East Championships had paid off. Down side was a shredded elbow that required some serious tegaderm, although I did seem to get my own lane in the pool that week!
So as we head into the build for World's training will revolve around a few things:
a) Consistency
b) Hitting the dirt on the MTB at least once a week
c) Going beyond the comfort zone
July was a very consistent month and in fact it turned out to be perhaps the biggest volume month since 2013. I was able to hit the trails more than I have yet this year and on groups ride I have challenged to give it "some welly"even if that means I put myself into the red zone.
Verb[edit]
give it some welly (third-person singular simple present gives it some welly, present participle giving it some welly, simple past gave it some welly, past participle given it some welly)
- (Britain) To increase fuel or power to an engine, as to a car by depressing the gas pedal.
- (Britain) To apply great physical effort to (something).
I think that to often we settle into the comfort zone and are afraid of seeing what is beyond that. The local group rides are a prime example of that....yes I know that I can easily finish in the front group but am I really getting the most I can out of the ride? Probably not, so by going harder or having specific goals for the ride it will be a much better training experience.
One more Xterra race before World's is in August at Xterra Appalachia in Pa and then it is a little bit of 'cross season as preparation for the big day!
What I am drinking this month:
Coava: Kilenso Ethiopia - Kilenso Mokonissa is one of the smallest villages in the Borena Hagermariam District of Sidama. In the past the coffees coming from Kilenso would have been blended into larger lots and sold under the area’s catch all name “Ardi.” The farmers there use organic practices (though they are too poor to pay for the certification) so as to not waste anything they produce. Lavendar and grape jam balance this naturally processed coffee. It is a testament to the diligent care put forth by a very small group of people.
July Total: 533miles/46hrs 08mins/2955 TSS
Swim: 14.99m/8hrs 12mins/ 347 TSS
Bike: 396m/22hrs 56mins/ 1421 TSS
Run: 122m/14hrs 58mins/ 1186 TSS
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