Ride the Rockies 2017 Training Update: Three Weeks to Go and We Still Have Snow!

Egad. There are only three weeks remaining until the start of Ride the Rockies 2017. How did that happen? It still feels like winter in Colorado. Maybe that's because a late May snowstorm hit us this week dropping more than a foot of snow the Denver area. Fortunately this year's route is in the Southern Rockies!

Spring snowstorms in Colorado are not unusual and quite beautiful.

The late spring on the Front Range continues to make it difficult to get in some long rides on the road. I've only been out four times so far in May. Normally I would be logging some serious miles riding two/from work by this time. However, I have been hitting the trainer hard and am feeling pretty good about my training to date. 

Rocker and I riding along the coast in LaJolla, California.

This past weekend my family gathered in San Diego for my nephew's graduation from San Diego State, Mother's Day and birthday celebrations. Brother Jon (Jonny Rocker) brought his bike so I rented a nice ride from The Bike Revolution and we went on a couple of short morning rides (32 and 20 miles). Rocker said he is finally feeling excited about RTR and could "do it today." I agreed but am still glad we have a couple of weeks to reach the peak of our conditioning. I don't want to just ride the Rockies; I want to rock it!

The view from the Mt. Soledad National Veteran's Memorial is well worth the ride up!

I've recorded 1,469 miles in the saddle since January 1 in 96 workouts burning a whopping 129,354 calories (according to my Garmin 810, which notoriously overestimates calories). My goal is to ride 2,000 before the start of RTR. I'd have to ride 183 miles per week in the final three weeks to get there. That's still possible but factoring in tapering it's not likely. Besides, I haven't ridden that many miles in a week yet this year!

My goal at this point is to pack on as many miles as I can in the next two weeks then scale back the final week. The sun is out today and the streets are fairly dry so I am going to venture out. 

Ride on!

Daren

Ride the Rockies 2017 Route Includes Three of the Ten Steepest Passes in Colorado!

I saw this post from a friend of mine on Facebook this morning and just had to click and see how many of them I have ridden on my bike. As I scanned the list I realized that we will ride three of them on Ride the Rockies 2017, including #9 Wolf Creek Pass (6.8% at 10,850 feet above sea level), #6 Molas Pass (7% at 10,910 feet), and #3 Red Mountain Pass (8% at 11,018 feet). Oh, by the way, we do those last two on the same day!

Time to shift training into high gear! Actually, I did that this past week, riding 17 miles on Monday (the 17th), 18 on Tuesday (the 18th), 19 on Wednesday, and so on, for a total of 117 miles in six days (all on my CycleOps Fluid2 indoor trainer). 

Jonny Rocker is quickly catching up to me in miles now that he is training in earnest. I'm only 110 ahead of him at 1,151 for the year. According to his text yesterday he is at 1,040 with 400 of that in the past week! At this rate he will pass me next Saturday sometime during his century ride (let us know how it goes, brother, and send some pics for me to post). It's decent riding weather today so I'm headed outside for a quick 23 miler (keeping with the theme of riding the number of miles that corresponds with the date that I began with a 10-mile ride on April 10.)

Ride on...

Daren

Ride the Rockies 2017 Training Update: March Madness

What do you do when your team loses in the Elite 8? Shred your bracket and focus on your next big goal! For me, that is Ride the Rockies 2017, starting 11 weeks from today. My March Madness ended last night with the Jayhawks' loss so its nice to have something to look forward to. Having a goal to keep me motivated is one of the reasons I sign up for these challenging multiple day cycling events.

The other part of March Madness in Colorado is the spring weather. March is Colorado's snowiest month along the Front Range. This past week we went from 75F during the day to a blizzard that night. I was able to get outside this past weekend but the rest of my 300 miles so far this month have been on the indoor trainer. 

I've been continuing to throw in sets of Flying 40s and Ten Speeds during my workouts, as well as gradually increasing mileage. To date, I have logged more miles in 2017 -- 865 -- than in any of the previous three years through March (and I still have several days to ride). I'm averaging right around 75 miles per week/300 miles per month.

Jonny Rocker texted me this past week. Apparently he's having trouble getting motivated to ride while sitting on the beach in Hawaii (everybody say, "awwww") and has only recorded 560 miles to date. I'm not worried about him. He will catch up quick once he gets back to retired life in California :)

I'm ready to move on from March Madness to April showers and May flowers. Come on, Mother Nature, let's do this!

Ride on...

Daren

2017 RTR Lottery Accepted!

It began with a text from Rocker on Friday morning. The charges had hit his card. So I checked my credit card and sure enough, there it was, a charge from RaceIt-Ride the Rockies. Seeing the charge go through is a sure sign that you're in -- RTR doesn't charge your card unless you are selected in the lottery -- but it was still good to receive the e-mail confirmation later that day: 

Getting selected in the RTR lottery isn't exactly like winning the lottery. I wish it was because I have been selected 10 out of 10 times I have applied! My luck with playing the lottery is not nearly as good (RTR is capped at 2,000 riders -- it makes me wonder how many people actually apply for the 2,000 spots).

I have ridden three of my nine Ride the Rockies as a member of Team Bar2Bar. Several of us got together to do some skiing this past weekend and all we could talk about was RTR! Pictured (from left): Woody and Paul the Pilot.

Anyway, as I suggested to Rocker, it's time to get motivated. There's nothing like knowing you have to be ready to ride 447 miles while ascending more than 32,000 vertical feet over the span of seven days to wake you up in the morning (and a lot more than that if we decide to meet up with Team Bar2Bar in Salida and ride to the start in Alamosa).

On that note, it's time to hit the trainer (my CycleOps Fluid2 trainer, not my personal trainer). 

Ride on...

Daren

Are You Ready to Rock? Jonny Rocker and I Just Registered for Ride the Rockies!

UPDATE 3/4/17: WE'RE IN!

Are you Ready to Rock? My brother Jonny Rocker and I just registered for Ride the Rockies 2017! Now the waiting begins. We will find out March 3rd whether we are chosen in the lottery. RTR is capped at 2,000 riders but I have gotten in every time I have registered (knock on wood). 

I've been following several of the Quick Cycling Workouts for Power and Endurance from Bicycling.com: 

"This is gonna hurt. But it'll be worth it. These innovative interval workouts will make you faster and stronger--by next month."

Well, I've been integrating the Flying 40s and Ten Speeds into my workouts on my CycleOps Fluid2 indoor trainer for about five weeks now. Am I faster and stronger? Well, I rode 15 miles on my trainer in under 40 minutes (average 22.5 mph) for the first time ever about a week after introducing these workouts into my training! So yeah, it seems to be working.

Here is the workout I did today:

5 mins warm up
10 x Flying 40s (40 seconds at 80-90 RPM, 20 second recovery) 
5 mins recovery
10 x Flying 40s (40 seconds at 80-90 RPM, 20 second recovery)
5 mins recovery
10 x Flying 40s (40 seconds at 80-90 RPM, 20 second recovery)
5 mins recovery
10 x Ten Speeds (10 seconds at 100+ RPM, 20 second recovery)
5 mins cool down

60 mins total, averaging 20.5 mph

And they're right. It hurts, but it'll be so worth it when Ride the Rockies rolls around in June.

Ride On!

Daren

So Far, So Good **Knock on Wood**

My winter training is going well. **knock on wood** Following Cycle Oregon in September, I maintained a good base of around 200 miles per month in October and November. I kicked it up to 300 per month in December and January (all but 22 miles of which were on my indoor trainer) and am on a pace to hit 250 in February.

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My body seems to be holding up well. I have kept the winter weight off. So far, so good. **knock on wood**

Beef provides 38% of your daily value of zinc, a nutrient that helps build a healthy immune system.

Somehow I have avoided getting sick when everyone around me has been sick -- even after spending a week with more than 9,000 of my closest friends from around the country in the biodome that is Opryland. **knock on wood**

One of my closest friends in the beef community -- the one and only Suzy Sirloin!

For some reason I have been using that phrase a lot these days. That's a good sign. It means things are going well. As I have learned in writing this post, the reason you "knock on wood" is to summon positive spirits from the trees. Works for me!

Right now I need the positive spirits to be with me and Jonny Rocker -- that we get picked in the Ride the Rockies lottery! Our plan is to register with my good friends from Team Bar2Bar -- Hankster, Peanut, Woody, and Flip Flop Jenny -- meet up in Salida (the end city) and ride to the start in Alamosa (an 80-mile day). 

Of course, we have to register first, but we have until Sunday, February 26, at 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time. Until then...

Ride On!

Daren

2017 Cycle Oregon and Ride the Rockies Route Announcements Coming Soon!

UPDATE (1/25/17): The Cycle Oregon route is out! And it looks AWESOME. The Crater Lake Adventure was announced yesterday. The Central Oregon Route features the mountains of the Cascade Range and picturesque Crater Lake, with options ranging from 430-490 miles and 24,186 to 30,656 feet of elevation gain. WOW. Anxious to see what Ride the Rockies comes up with to compare to that! Stay tuned for details.

Original Post
Both Cycle Oregon and Ride the Rockies will announce their 2017 routes in the next two weeks! I'm giddy with anticipation.

Cycle Oregon celebrates 30 years in 2017.

The Cycle Oregon route announcement party will take place at the Portland Art Museum on Tuesday, January 24. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the route will be announced at 7 p.m. If you don't live in Portland (or even Oregon, for that matter), you can also stream it live online! 

According an an e-mail I received as a previous participant (see above), the first 500 guests will receive early registration codes for the Week Ride and the Oregonian/oregonlive will be giving away one free Week Ride entry (enter the raffle in the Sunken Ballroom by 7 p.m.). Cycle Oregon registration opens January 25, at noon Pacific time and stays open until the ride fills up (which never happened last year).

Ride the Rockies will be holding it's 32nd annual ride this year.

The Ride the Rockies route announcement party will be Saturday evening, February 4, from 6-10 p.m., at the McNichols Civic Center Building, 3rd Floor, 144 West Colfax Avenue, in Denver. I have attended this party in that past but will not be able to go this year. It is a fun event with lots of entertainment, beer from Colorado's own Odell Brewing Co., and a dramatic unveiling of the route. There are also opportunities to win free and/or guaranteed tour entries (Ride the Rockies is limited to 2,000 riders determined by a lottery). Registration opens February 5 and typically closes one month later.

If you are wondering what is the difference between CO and RTR, other than the route, here is my comparison of the two events.

My plan is to wait until both routes are announced, discuss with Jonny Rocker, then decide whether to do my 10th Ride the Rockies, my 2nd Cycle Oregon, or branch out and try something new.

Anticipation. Is keepin' me waitin'!

Ride on!

Daren

2015 vs. 2016: What a Difference a Year (without injury) Makes

2015 was the year I learned that the IT Band is not a nerdy rock group.

I've seen a lot of posts this week about how many miles people ran in 2016 and people setting a goal to "run the year" (2,017 miles in 2017). I don't run much these days (if at all, for fear of inflaming my IT band, as I did in 2015) but this made me wonder how many miles I had ridden in 2016 and what my goal should be for 2017. I jokingly told one Facebook friend I would match her 2017 goal to run 2,017 miles -- on my bike -- but knew that would be far less than I had ridden this year so I need a better goal than that (like resolving to BEEFit)! 


So how many miles did I ride this year? Of course I tracked all my rides on my Garmin Edge 810 so was able to quickly look up my total miles for 2016 on Garmin Connect. I was actually surprised to see that I rode 3,737 miles this past year.

This screenshot of my 2016 rides from May to December shows the lead up to Cycle Oregon (Sept. 11-17) and maintenance rides through the end of November.

Without even going back and looking up past records I know that is the most I have ridden in one year. Given that I was close to 4,000, my daughter suggested I could set a goal to ride 4,034 miles (doubling up on 2017). I kind of like that idea but I spent a LOT of time on the bike this year (219 hours, 15 minutes and 52 seconds, to be exact) and am not sure how much more time I want to spend in the saddle!

By comparison I decided to look up 2015 miles. This time I was surprised how low they were. I only rode 1,779 miles in a year? How could that be? I didn't think I'd ridden fewer than 2,000 miles in a year since my first Ride the Rockies in 2005. 

This screensot of my rides from May to December 2016 paints a very different picture. My IT band injury put me out of commission for nearly five whole months!

So I looked at the calendar more closely and the answer was clear. I only rode NINE times between July 1 and December 1. Remember that IT band injury? Probably not, since I never wrote about it. So here goes...

All along the Water Tower in Chicago

One week after Ride the Rockies 2015 I was running in downtown Chicago. I love to run along the Miracle Mile and the trail along Lake Michigan. I was cruising along and stepped off a curb and felt something pull in my right hip. I limped along the remaining miles and could barely walk the next day. 

The run along Lake Michigan can be a little uneven in spots, which is one cause of IT band injuries (running on an uneven surface)

I tried riding a few times after but had knee pain that was unbearable. The IT band can wreak a lot of havoc when it is not happy! After reading up on it I decided rest was the best road to recovery and literally sat out most of July, August and September. The good news it worked! The bad news is I gained about 20 lbs. during all that sitting, and holiday eating. As a result it took me a lot longer than normal to lose my winter weight this past year. 

I wrote about why old guys get fat in winter several years ago, focusing on the hibernation theory. This year I think the answer is pretty obvious. I burned 170,310 fewer calories in 2015 (153,160) than 2016 (323,470). 

Getting out of bed to ride in winter is hard!

Fortunately I had more time to get into fighting weight before Cycle Oregon in September than I normally do for Ride the Rockies in June. I would have had a hard time hauling my ass over the mountains weighing 235 than I would at my normal 215!

Training for a ride in September meant that I stayed motivated throughout the summer and early fall. Typically I have a hard time getting back on the bike after my big event. This year I was determined not to let that happen and set a goal to ride at least 50 miles per week in October and November, which I did. I stepped that up to 75/week in December.

I like to set up my CycleOps trainer in front of the TV and watch the AFC West Champion Kansas City Chiefs! 

A lot of these miles were ridden on my CycleOps Fluid 2 indoor trainer, which involves constant peddling (riding outdoors it's normal to coast 10, 20, even 30 percent of the time and provides a great workout.

 

So here I sit on January 2, 107, weighing in at 223 lbs., ten pounds less than last year at this time and around my normal for this time of year. I want to get that back under 220 ASAP and hold it there until warmer weather returns and we emerge from hibernation!

The question is: which big ride am I going to do this year: Ride the Rockies or Cycle Oregon? Another possibility Jonny Rocker and I have discussed is doing our own ride, either self-supported or supported by our wives. Let me know if you have any suggestions for other week-long rides or planning your own route.

Ride on!

Daren

Cycle Oregon 2016: Days 6-7

One week ago today Jonny Rocker and I crossed the finish line of Cycle Oregon 2016, having ridden 431 miles in seven straight days of riding, gaining nearly 26,000 feet of elevation (according to my Garmin Edge cycling computer). In case you missed the first two installments of my travelogue, here are Days 0-3 and Days 4-5. And now, for the rest of the story...

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Day 6 (Friday, September 16): We woke in Indian Mary Park on the morning of Day 6 ready for what looked to be a relatively easy 66 mile day. I know better. The sixth day of a week-long ride is never easy (check out my Five Tips for Surviving Multi-Day Cycling Events). The miles -- 322 to this point -- and the big climb on Day 5 were taking their toll on my body. The usual suspects began to complain: my left foot, lower back, right shoulder, and the 3-pound mass between my ears!

Rest stop at the historic Wolf Creek Tavern (currently closed for remodeling)

Actually, my hot foot, back and shoulder pain didn't flare up as much this year as they have on previous rides (I'll never forget the day we rode the Three Bitches on Ride the Rockies 2014). My body held up pretty well but the mental issues began around mile 32 after we rode within two miles of our final destination for the day (Glendale High School) then rode in the wrong direction another 16 miles for our free* lunch.

*all meals are included in the Cycle Oregon registration fee.

First cell reception in more than 24 hours!

My RTR buddy Woody would call these "bonus miles" (miles added to the route for no particular reason other than to add miles). For the next 16 miles all I could think about was how much I did NOT want to be on my bike at that time! But Jonny Rocker charged on ahead of me and I knew if I turned around and headed back to Glendale I would never hear the end of it (after 52 years I'm still trying to "keep up" with my older brother!).

Chief Miwaleta Park at Galesville Reservoir

The lunch spot at Chief Miwaleta RV Park and Campground on Galesville Reservoir was actually worth the trip. We ate a leisurely lunch at a picnic table by the water and watched several cyclists go for a swim (which seemed like a bad idea since we still had to ride 16 miles back to Glendale and wet cycling shorts are kind of like a soggy diaper). The ride back was a lot better than the ride out and my attitude shifted from a camel trudging across the desert toward a mirage to a horse headed back to the barn!

Unofficial rest stop at the Azalea General Store.

I think this placard on the outside of the Azalea General Store
sums up the attitude of a lot of the folks who live
in this remote area of southern Oregon.

On our final night of camping in tent city we chose a location near the main stage and beer tent, but had to hoof it quite a ways to get to the shower trucks (and spend another night in a hay field). We were determined to make it to the end of the band for the first time since the opening night -- and we did (but only because we were able to watch the last few songs from our campsite)!

Relaxing with a cold one at our campsite on the final night.

For our last night of camping we chose a spot strategically located near the Main Stage, food and beer tents!

Choosing a camp spot is both art and science on these rides. Our approach was to ride around the area (park, school, etc.) upon arrival to scout for a site. Once we found a good site we'd go pick up our bags and ride back to the site with our backpacks on. Most riders bring their gear in large duffel backs and settle for the site nearest the luggage truck, rather than drag their gear to a nicer spot. We may expend more energy but prefer to get away from the massive tent city!

Packing up camp for the last time on Cycle Oregon 2016

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Day 7 (Saturday, September 17): I have to admit I bitched a little about the bonus miles on Day 6 but the organizers of Cycle Oregon nailed it on the final day. The 43 mile glide down Cow Camp Road was the perfect victory lap at the end of a tough week of riding. I picked up where I left off on Day 6 mentally and hammered the final 10 miles into Myrtle Creek with Jonny Rocker and several other riders in my wake (at 6'4" I create a decent slipstream :).

One last Team Beef selfie

Ice cold chocolate milk at the finish line. Yum!

The obligatory finish line photo!

I may have underestimated the amount of climbing we would do on this ride, having completed nine Ride the Rockies. Cycle Oregon 2016 was a tough ride. Crossing the finish line felt every bit as satisfying as any of those rides, though it lacked some of the emotion of saying goodbye to good friends. Jonny and I pretty much did our own thing and didn't really forge any lifelong friendship like my Team Bar2Bar buddies from Ride the Rockies. But Rocker did say he would consider RTR 2017 after succesfully completing his first week-long ride!

A big shout out to all the staff and volunteers who pulled off an amazing ride. I have been asked several times if I would ever do Cycle Oregon again and the answer is a resounding YES! From my viewpoint the week went off without a hitch, the route was amazing, the food was good, and there were never any lines for the showers or port-a-potties! Bravo.

Ride on!

Daren

Cycle Oregon 2016: Days 4-5

When we last left off Jonny Rocker and I were in Gold Beach on the southern Oregon coast about to begin Day 5 of Cycle Oregon 2016. It was an epic day traversing 71 miles of wilderness on seldom traveled Forest Service roads, but that story will have to wait until I finish my previous post with a recap of Day 4.

Face Rock near Gold Beach on the Southern Oregon Coast.

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Day Four (Wednesday, September 14): Day 4 was billed as the "optional day" -- a 55-mile loop from Gold Beach to Brookings along the rugged Pacific Coast, including portions of the Wild Rivers Coast Scenic Bikeway -- and it was immediately clear many riders opted out as we encountered far fewer riders on the road. Their loss! As touted on the Oregon Scenic Bikeways site, Day 4 featured "towering basalt sea stacks and vast ocean views" around every corner. What the site doesn't mention is that the weather along the coast can turn in a minute -- alternating between sunny and warm to windy and cold. At one point a foggy mist blew in off the ocean threatening to envelope and drag us with it back out to sea. As we rolled into Port Orford fighting a blustery headwind, I seriously considered turning around and heading back to the comfort of our hotel room in Gold Beach (we booked a room for the two nights in Gold Beach and camped out in Tent City the other five nights) but I pressed on despite a bad attitude and was rewarded with some of the most scenic views of the entire ride.

One of the highlights of Day 4 was a stop at the Arch Rock viewpoint.

We took the "high road" on the return loop and got some great views of the famous Oregon "sea stacks."

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Day Five (Thursday, September 15): The fifth day of Cycle Oregon 2016 began with a lovely 30-mile ride up the gorgeous Rogue River Valley to Agness (elev. 210) and the confluence of the Rogue and Illinois Rivers. Other than one decent climb this stretch was mostly a gradual 1-2% grade. At this point the Rogue River enters a gorge (accessible only by boat) so we turned on to Forest Service Road 23 (aka Bear Camp Road) and began the "real climb." For the next 16 miles we climbed 4,510 feet through the Klamath Mountains to Bear Camp Overlook (elev. 4,720) then essentially coasted the final . I don't think I have ever ridden a more isolated stretch of road in my life. For more than 40 miles we rarely saw a vehicle (other than the Cycle Oregon SAG wagons) or human being not clad in spandex! After meeting back up with the Rogue River we reached the overnight site, Indian Mary Park. It was a beautiful spot along the river reserved exclusively for our traveling encampment.

Riding along the Rogue River from Gold Beach to Agness, Oregon.

At the confluence of the Rogue and Illinois Rivers.

Riding on Bear Camp Road in the Klamath Mountains.

Jonny Rocker relaxes and refuels at the Day 5 lunch stop at Bear Camp.

Relief and trepidation. The climb is over. The steep descent looms ahead.

Next up: Days 6-7 and the end of Cycle Oregon 2016

Ride on!

Daren