2012 Goals

January 26th, 2012

You may ask that with all these changes in my approach to cycling this year, “What are your goals for 2012?” That would be a good and fair question. It is a question I’ve asked myself and struggled with. I guess my first goal is to set some goals!

Typically, I divide my goals with the bicycle into three sections — racing, personal and charitable. Racing goals can be your typical “A”, “B” and “C” type events that you try to peak for. These goals can also be aims within the race — improvements in performance and knowledge of the sport. Personal goals are more associated with training. Working toward a certain FTP or a time up Paris Mountain. Charitable goals have normally culminated in my Ride for Mike events.

I guess I’ll do the same thing this year. One thing I know is that I need some goals in order to stay motivated. It is just up to this point, thinking of goals has made me tired.

Racing

There will be plenty of opportunities to race locally this year. It all starts with the Spring Series in mid-February. You can have some pretty serious racing under your belt by the end of March. Also in March is the Spring Cycling Extravaganza — a new two day series presented by the POA Cycling Team. As for April, I don’t know if I’ll take the trip down to Charleston for the SC crit championships this year, but the St. Francis summer series starts up locally.

May presents opportunities at the Spartanburg Regional Classic and another St. Francis race. June brings about the SC road race championship, the SC time trial championship and, yes, another St. Francis race. July could see me in Asheville again for the French Broad TT and road race. There is a St. Francis race near the end of the month as well.

The new race weekend “End of Summer Blowout” will take place in August along with the continuing St. Francis race. September brings the end of most racing — except cross — with the final St. Francis race. So, there is plenty of racing right in the general Greenville area. Throw in other races within an hour or so drive and you could nearly race twice a week or more the months March – August.

That isn’t my plan. My “A” race is going to be the SC Road Race Championship on June 9. My goal is to be as fit as I can be to be on form for a top 10 finish. I’ll use any racing up to that point as a means to reach that goal. I’m definitely not planning to explode out of the gate for the Spring Series!

Other than that, but goals will be to put a more conscious effort into watching and learning — becoming smarter. That means better skill wise, better reading moves and better at using the field to put me in the best place. This will happen by racing and watching riders I know have been in this game for a long time. The goal is to set a lesson plan for each race, focus on that one thing and grade myself at the end.

Personal

This one is simple. I want to return to my obsession with the mountain. I realize many people think this is a Don Quixote endeavor.  However, when I think back to some of my more fun periods on the bike, they include my attempts to bring my time down on that 2.2 mile stretch of road.

My goal here is simple. I want to get a personal best climbing Altamont Road. That means I have to climb it in less than 11 minutes and 24 seconds.

Charitable

Here is where I face a challenge. In the past, I have always had a clear road ahead for my goal by this time in the year. For 2012, I don’t have an “epic” ride in mind.

Originally, my goal was actually much larger. My plan was (is?) to start a new foundation — iridefor.org. Its purpose is to help others who want to be an encouragement by personally supporting people in need. Basically, it would be to provide tools and knowledge to help anyone carry out their own “Ride for Mike.”

The problem for me right now is that to make this a success, I would have needed to be much farther along in the process right now. I just don’t know if I can pull it off on the same scale for 2012 that I originally dreamed.

At the same time, if you don’t have goals, you might as well not dream. I still have a dream for iridefor.org. While I may not hit the stars this year, I don’t see why I can’t land on the moon.

So, there you go. I’ve laid it out what I’m thinking. That is another part of setting goals… you need some accountability. That is one of the main reasons for this blog.

Thanks for keeping an eye on me.

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The cross training experiment continues

January 25th, 2012

In an earlier post I mentioned that something I am doing differently this year is trying to do more cross training. Now that I am doing it, I realize all the more why athletes need it. I just hope I can survive it!

For me an important part of cross training is that it needs to be something I enjoy. It has to be something I enjoy more than riding my trainer. Where I have gone wrong in the past is doing cross training that I don’t enjoy more than the trainer — say, running for instance.

What I arrived at was basketball. Here is a sport that I used to love playing. I would spend hours on our dirt driveway shooting baskets. As I grew a little taller I would put a concrete block in a strategic spot and dunk. Unfortunately, that is one part of the game I never got. I never graduated from the ability to dunk a volleyball.

I played high school and was “the man” on my team. In college I enjoyed pick up games and intramural league. As a matter of fact, basketball was one of the reasons I spent the last three years of college digging out of a giant GPA hole!

It was actually a football injury that ultimately moved me away from basketball and toward cycling. In high school I was a wide receiver and sometimes an option tailback. In one game while running out of the backfield, I made an abrupt change of direction while planting my left knee. The cleats got hung up in the centipede grass and my left knee twisted. Immediately it swelled up like a melon.

I recovered from that for the most part, but during college I could be walking up a flight of stairs and pivot left at the top and there would go my knee. The same would sometimes happen as I played basketball. I just never knew when it would.

The doctor said I needed to build up the muscle around my knee. I did some gym work in an attempt to improve the stability of that region. I still had a fear that my knee would go out at any time.

Once out of college I got married, started a job and basically stopped playing basketball all together. That is what brought me to the bicycle. Not exercising left me very unhealthy. I knew that cycling was a way to exercise with low impact on my knees. The rest is the history of this blog!

Now I’m looking for something to shake things up and basketball certainly fits the bill of being something I enjoy more than the trainer! Plus, I’m less than a mile away from some awesome facilities. Last night was my second night of pickup. I saw dramatic improvements in my game. Giving up the outside shot, I decided to do more slashing toward the basket. That combined with picking up some trash points from offensive rebounds had me scoring pretty well.

The body has taken the toll though! We moved to full court and I was doing a bit more running. Plus, I’m wearing my Mizuno running shoes which offer zero lateral ankle support. I never sprained my ankle, but I could definitely feel my ankle muscle straining.

My knees also took a bit of a beating. As we were finishing the final game, I could feel a tightness in the tendons just below my knee caps. By the time I went to bed, it hurt to bend as I lowered myself to sit on the edge of the bed. This morning it was even worse when I got up. I’m pretty sure some actual basketball shoes would solve some of these issues.

At the same time, some of the other muscles that were screaming at me after my first game night were much more happy. My t band was pretty much what it is now days. I basically live with that pain — it is the new normal. However, my hamstrings and upper body were not complaining.

This is good. All the years riding my bike have given me the stamina to run with the youngins’. Running with the guys on the court is giving me a break from the monotony of the trainer while also strengthening those muscles that the bicycle doesn’t affect. It makes me enjoy the time on the trainer more if for no other reason than because it helps take away the aches and pains!

This morning is a commute morning to work. I’m sure the fixie is going to give those knees a workout. Still, I’ll enjoy it all the more because of last night. Now to to get some shoes!

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Thanks, Coach. Thanks, Friend.

January 24th, 2012

Over the last several years I’ve had the privilege to be coached by Jim Cunningham. As I look back at any success I have had, I can attribute a lot of that to Jim. Where I haven’t done so well, I can attribute that to me not listening to Jim! Now in 2012, I’m moving in a different direction. As I do so, one of the things I’ll miss is having Jim covering my back.

I couldn’t believe that in all the photos I have of me cycling, I don’t have one with Jim! Here is the closest I have to it — this is a photo of Chris Hartzler wearing a Low Cadence kit standing next to Jim. Chris had just attended a hill climbing clinic that Jim was holding on Paris Mountain.

The coach

Jim Cunningham and Chris Hartzler

This is the one thing that brings a little pang of regret. Not having Jim pushing me along means that the official coach/athlete relationship comes to an end. I’ll have to admit, I’m not so much going to miss the coach structured training as I will Jim the coach.

The same thing goes with the decision not to race on a team this year. I definitely know it is for the best, but that doesn’t mean that I won’t miss that feeling of “belonging” that comes with having mates in the peloton. Sure, it isn’t like I’ve been disowned, but it just isn’t the same.

It is going to be interesting finding my spot in the cycling world. The bicycle was the primary connection that I had with most folks in the community. My “other life” moves in a different sphere than most other two-wheeled junkies.

Now I’m going at it a little bit alone. I’m hoping that Jim will still be willing to give me some pointers and kick me in the seat on occasion. He definitely has the knowledge and desire to see those he helps succeed. Take a look at his recent article over at CarolinaCyclingNews.com.

I highly recommend his services. If you want to improve as a cyclist, one of the best ways is to get yourself a coach. The knowledge and accountability it brings will definitely move you to a different level. If you can’t get Jim, then let him point you to someone he knows can help improve you.

Thanks, Coach! Thank you, my friend!

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Love. Hate. Love. Hate. Pro cycling

January 23rd, 2012

I knew the Santos Tour Down Under was underway last week. It was just something in the back of my mind the first couple of stages. Then I sat down to look up a show I had recorded on my DVR and found that because of my automatic setting from last season my DVR was recording the NBCSports coverage of the race.  So, while doing some stretching exercises on a rainy Saturday morning I pushed the play button.

Ahhhh, pro cycling. It is a love hate relationship. I won’t get into all of the baggage here, but will just say that much of the past has left me jaded. Granted, last year seemed to be an improvement over some previous ones. Perhaps the peloton truly is casting out its demons… but like most demons, the specters won’t go quietly. I fully expect that we’ll have our share of announcements during this year.

Still, despite the times in the past where I’ve flown too close to the flames of disappointment, the first few stages that displayed on my TV screen awakened the love for the sport. I realize that if you have never competed in cycling it might be hard to understand. However, if you have ever felt the pain of riding to the edge of your endurance to advance a teammate or maintain a breakaway — not to mention the exhilaration of having that pain pay off with victory — you understand.

I’ve said it before, but that is the thing that makes the sport so intimate. Watching most other sports and you can plainly see that the ability of the participants vastly exceeds your own. I admire watching my favorite basketball player soar to a thunderous dunk. However, I’ve never experienced that feeling first-hand (except maybe the times I played on an 8ft. goal). I’ve played backyard football before, but it isn’t anything like what we saw this weekend with the AFC and NFC championship games.

Pro cycling is deceptive. “Hey,” I’ve even heard, “It’s just a bunch of grown men riding bicycles.” How many times have I been asked, “Are you ever going to ride in the Tour de France?” It is in that way that pro cycling — especially on TV — is deceptive. It is harder to tell the difference between the professional and the amateur.

Is there a difference? You betcha! The power output, the speeds, the skill, the close quarters of the peloton… they are steps above. At the same time there is a relative similarity. A top sprinter is putting out 1800+ watts going toward the line. I’m pegged at 1300 at best. Those guys would leave me like I was sitting still. However, if you were to look at our faces and attempt to judge our efforts, you couldn’t tell that much of a difference. The uninitiated would not have the same sense of awe that I would.

While I was watching Will Clarke riding to hold off the rushing peloton around Sterling I not only got caught up in the excitement of the chase, I also had an inkling of what the Tasmanian was going through. I was on that bike with him willing the break to succeed. As he rolled across the line with his limbs shaking I could empathize.

I climbed on the trainer later that day with a little more motivation than usual. Watching the pros helped awaken a little more of the desire. During one stretch on the trainer when I set a goal to hold a certain wattage for a certain period of time, Clarke came to my mind as my mind started questioning my ability to do it. I imagined myself trying to hold off the peloton and if I could just hold the wattage until that time I would be the winner!

Of course, I was reminded once again of the darker sides of cycling when Alejandro Valverde took the fifth stage. I guess that is part of the story as well. I guess we all hope for forgiveness and redemption. In a way, I’m looking for a little of that myself in 2012.

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Back to the lair

January 20th, 2012

I call my basement office the “Low Cadence Lair” (what it looked like back in 2009). Over the last several years, I would like to know how many miles I’ve ridden down there! I’m certain the whirring of the trainer has been heard for dozens of hours. Well, the sound returned last night for the first time in many months.

13 minutes in to the first trainer ride of the winter

13 minutes in to the first trainer ride of the winter

As I was groaning about to roll out of bed Thursday morning, the beautiful redhead whispered in my ear, “You need to exercise today.” Rather than hitting her with a pillow, I agreed. It wasn’t just for the physical benefits of it, but for the stress release as well. I determined I was going to get on the trainer that evening.

After a bit of delay due to the fact I couldn’t find the skewer for my trainer, I got the bike set up and climbed on board. I had the same feelings that I have at times when I’m about to set out on a ride that I know is going to be a long one… this wasn’t just the start of a trainer ride. It was the start of the new season!

I had a dread of 1) the boredom of an hour being spent going nowhere, and 2) the realization that this would reveal just how out of tune I am. To battle the first issue I started a  movie on my iPad. I figured I could avoid number 2 by spinning easy this first time and just letting my legs get back in the motion.

Wow! The basketball business was hurting! One thing this all has revealed is how desperately I need to cross train. My non-cycling muscles had all kinds of aches and pains going on. It was even affecting my stroke on my left side. Some tendon on the backside of my knee was tight and caused me to pedal blocks and swing my heel out with each revolution.

Those negative thoughts began to seep in… “I’m getting old.” “Most of the guys have been out doing long base mile rides. I’m so far behind, I don’t know if it is worth it.” “Do I really want to go through this again?”

The voices in my head got so loud that I even turned off the movie. I wasn’t paying much attention to it. I just silently spun for a moment being lulled into a trance by the rhythm of the spinning wheel. By this point I was starting to warm up and the pain and stiffness was leaving.

I raised my head and looked around the room. Right in front of me were jerseys covering the wall. Each one of them told a story… Assaults on Mount Mitchell, Challenge to Conquer Cancer rides, podium finish in the state criterium championship, and numerous charity events. There was that Greenville Spinners jersey from my first ever win.

All those memories started pushing against the negative thoughts. It has been a good ride over the last five years or so. Whatever the future holds, the bicycle has been good to me.

Perhaps where I have gotten off course is trying to be something I’m not. In my mind, I’ve always seen myself at the front. I’ve wanted to be one of the “fast men”. Early on, I was. However, as you move up it takes more and more commitment to stay at the front. It is a commitment that I now realize I can’t invest.

You know, that might sound like a negative thought. However, it is freeing. I’ve got a lot of great memories of success to hold onto. I’ve also got a lot of great opportunities and memories to make off the bike.

I looked down at the meter and saw my hour was nearly up. My legs were feeling pretty good (though that one push for a few seconds at around 750 watts reminded me I’ve got work to do before spring). Best of all, my mind was feeling pretty good.

Me and the bike are going to have a more mature relationship this year. I’m looking forward to it.

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It is official

January 19th, 2012

For many years my neighborhood has worked to get sidewalks put in along the street that runs in front of my house. It is a “cut-through” between two main roads leading into downtown Greenville. I was shocked to learn that thousands of cars come down the road. Some of them well over the 30 mph posted speed limit. Well, we finally got our sidewalks… and a bonus to boot.

The plan was to put a curb and sidewalk on one side of the street. Our side of the street would not be altered in any way. However, shock of all shocks, the project came in significantly under budget. Since the money was earmarked for the project the project was expanded to include adding curbs on our side as well.

I was loving the changes. The only thing that would have topped it all off would have been to have the street repaved. The drainage work, curb work and moving of the stripes had made a mess of the asphalt. It was pretty obvious that we were going to have some erosion issues.

Lo and behold, the resurfacing request got approved and around Christmas time we got a newly paved road. Then to add to my contentment, the idea of bicycle lanes was broached with the community. At that point, there were some pretty vocal opponents to the idea. Even so, I had a good feeling that something would come through. I was well aware of the city’s Complete Streets Program that makes it a priority to consider all means of transportation — car, bicycle and pedestrian.

Our road was a perfect example of where this could be used. It was already a wide road so basically nothing had to be done to accommodate the space needed for the lanes. The road was already being used by cyclists and pedestrians. It would also help with traffic calming as it would visually narrow the road.

After one rather testy community meeting, I knew we would have the lanes. Then about two weeks ago the guys showed up to stripe the road. There was plenty of room for both the cars and bicycles — and a nice smooth sidewalk for the pedestrians.

Finally, last night as I was sitting eating dinner, I noticed some more street painters appear. I watched as they made it official. Right in front of my house in the far lane of the road, they painted the bicycle man and arrow.

Now, I can use bicycle lanes all the way from my house to the Swamp Rabbit Trail and — before you know it — be out in Travelers Rest. Not only that, but I am already seeing commuters using the lanes. I hope there will be more opportunities to see the Complete Streets initiative become a reality.

Granted, there are some downsides to having bicycle lanes in your neighborhood. You cannot place yard waste in a way that obstructs the lane. This can lead to your lawn being destroyed by the garbage man. You also cannot park on the street in any way that obstructs the lane. This will be a problem for my neighbors who enjoy throwing a party from time-to-time.

The city is working with those neighbors to offer them a permit that temporarily gives them the right to block the lane. It is like I mentioned to the neighbors in the meeting about the lanes. We are a community. Our road is something we share with each other, but it is also something we share with other Greenville residents. Their taxes helped us get our sidewalk, road and bicycle lanes. We have to work and sometimes compromise to make the best opportunities for the whole.

The Complete Streets initiative does this for our city. It is more than a logistical necessity. It creates many intangible benefits. For instance, bicycle lanes with their little cyclist signage gives the perception of intimacy. Much like sidewalks they are footprints of human movement. They are indicators that there is a soul in the city.

Thank you, Greenville, for bringing that footprint to my neighborhood.

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Not the first time

January 18th, 2012

Yes, I know that it has been a long time since there has been a post here at Lowcadence.com. If you are a blogger, you probably know the guilt I’ve been feeling about that. Looking back, I realize that there have been other times when I’ve gone a month or so without a post. I’ve always come back, and most likely will again.

What I have I been up to? Nothing. Absolutely.  Nothing. Since October, I can count on one hand the number of times I have gone on a ride over 30 minutes. There have been the occasional commutes to work (like this morning), but for the most part the bikes have stayed in the basement.

The thought of a long ride in the cold is not appealing to me. The idea of an hour or so sweating on the trainer going nowhere is also uninspiring. The realization that I am way off my fitness level gnaws at the back of my mind. I know what it is going to take to get back and the motivation to do it just isn’t there.

I’ve tried running as a way to cross train. However, the hip pain that continues to be with me seems to be exacerbated by pavement pounding. Besides… see the first sentence of the paragraph above.

Last night I went and played basketball for the first time in… Well, I can’t remember the last time I played a pickup game. It has been years.

I enjoyed it. I woke up this morning feeling like I had raced a crit, but the actual participation was enjoyable. If it wasn’t for my defense and rebounding, I think I would have gotten laughed off the court, but you can’t expect to hit many shots when you haven’t played in years.

One thing that surprised me was the fitness that still seemed to be hanging around. Not having a big body and no outside shot, I have to move a lot to get a position to rebound or score. I managed to play for an hour and it wasn’t until near the end that I started to wain.

At the same time, I’ve been catching up a bit with the Tour Down Under. Other than the crashes, I’ve found the racing to be motivational. It reminds me that warmer weather is coming. I’m going to want to be on my bike when it does. Now is the time I need to start getting ready.

I think I’ll keep playing basketball, but also set up my trainer. I don’t know what this season holds, but I do know that I am going to want to be on my bike. To enjoy the spring and summer, I have to stay with it during the winter.

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Today’s Twitter Trail (2011-12-04)

December 4th, 2011
  • Now I remember why I started riding my bike. Starting to do a little running to cross-train. Sure fire way to start to enjoy riding again! #

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Today’s Twitter Trail (2011-12-02)

December 2nd, 2011

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Breaking the chain — link by link

December 1st, 2011

I’ve been off the bike for a while now. I’m only getting out for a spin when I feel compelled to do so. Here is a good reason to get out on a winter’s day. Cheers to Blair LaMarche for putting this event together. I hope you can participate.


Join together with the Greenville cycling community on December 11th, 2011 for a benefit ride for a family that lives and breathes cycling in the Carolinas, the McCurdy’s.

Renee McCurdy has been battling cancer for quite some time. Through her battles with the cancer it’s brought a good deal of hardship on the McCurdy family. The physical, mental, emotional and the financial strain on their family have been great.

With the help of the cyclists throughout the Carolinas we have the opportunity to give back to one of the families that has given wholeheartedly to the cycling community with their participation in the P3 ride to Austin, numerous other charity rides, and Mike’s work with many teams, rides, races, and triathlons for all their computer needs.

We will be riding in conjunction with the Greenville Cycle Center’s ROGCC ride. There will be the 55 mile ROGCC route as well as a 28 mile ride. Both rides will be leaving from Ride On Bicycles on Woodruff Rd.

Registration/donations can be made for any amount at www.pre-reg.com, as well as in person the day of the ride. You can register with pre-reg.com and once registered people will be able to click on your name and donate to a great cause under your name. Join together on a great ride for a great cause to help an incredible person and family!

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