Chasing Pole Position

I'm a fan of Formula 1 - The cars, the maneuvers and the innovation. Take away the extravagant lifestyle and I think there are a lot of similarities with mountain biking. Both are are constantly pushing the technological aspects of their sport while competing on a worldwide level. Athletes are given new technologies to try during actual races as well. It could be a new aerodynamic upgrade for an F1 driver or maybe some new 650b wheels for a mountain biker.

One thing I really like about Formula 1 is the qualifying sessions. Constantly putting in lap after lap, searching for the smallest of gains while at the limit of your machine. Drivers try to shorten the braking zones and get on the throttle sooner without losing control and ending up in a wall. So what does this part have to do with mountain biking?

Enter Joyride 150. The long xc loop is essentially one lap of the Joyride Grand Prix and my Kona Kula Watt is the car. Coupled with my Garmin 800 and I have a means of tracking my fastest laps.

I started off with a slow warmup, to pick the lines and understand the different obstacles along the loop. After that I start to up the pace a little bit and set a baseline lap. The first hard lap was 3:00 minutes. I immediately improve on the next one to 2:34. The subsequent laps were all around the same time. It was surprising to realise just how hard it was to take off a few seconds on a lap. There was also difficulty from running into the back of other cyclists. (I called them backmarkers) Laps 10, 18, 21 and 23 were pit stops of varying lengths. Usually just getting some water and taking an easy spinning lap.

Two hours of chasing fastest lap makes for some fun and a great workout.

Beyond the What?

What does it mean to bonk? Unfortunately for me, the word is used more often in reference to having sex nowadays but I use it in the context of cycling and other endurance sports. (So that's where I'll explain it) I'll start with the definition!

Verb

bonk (third-person singular simple present bonks, present participle bonking, simple past and past participle bonked)

1.) To experience sudden and severe fatigue in an endurance sports event due to glycogen depletion.


Ok so that's what the word means, but I want to give you a true understanding of what bonking feels like. Because before you actually experience it for yourself, (you don't want to though) words will never do it justice. 


Have you ever traveled to a big city in Europe, walked all over to each and every single one of the tourist spots, just walked all day, all over, and finally collapsed in your bed at the hotel/hostel/train car/bus stop and remarked "Oh man I'm so tired"? This is not bonking.

Have you ever stayed up really late into the night, cramming as much as possible for tomorrow's exam, only to wake up the next day in exactly the same position and then realise that you must've crashed without knowing? This is not bonking.

Have you ever gone into a Beep Test/Multi-stage fitness test, hit your absolute limit while diving for the line as you try to make it across before another beep disqualifies you and you collapse on the sidelines feeling like you're going to cough up your entire respiratory system? Sorry, you still haven't bonked


In any of these situations, you'll give it a few minutes and then you'll get back up on your feet and you'll be good to go. Bonking doesn't work that way. Once you've bonked, it's going to be at least a couple of hours before you can even think about being able to strain yourself again. When the definition says depletion, it means absolute and total depletion of any energy source your body has to burn. Sometimes people think they can will them selves on, push themselves just a little bit more and keep going. No. You can want to go all you want but there is no willing an empty tank in a car to keep the engine running. When you bonk there is literally nothing left for your body to use to make your body go.

So cue the severely reduced pace. If you pushed on, you'd be going so slow you'd be embarrassed, if you even realised what you were doing. You'll be so out of it mentally you'll look like a zombie to other people. Speech becomes difficult. Holding your head up is a chore. I think the only thing that keeps me moving in a time like this is muscle memory, the body moves on its own without any input from the brain. You automatically seek out food sources and try to gorge yourself on whatever is available. Even thinking is difficult as your thoughts come in waves of gibberish and ravenous pleas for energy but answering those pleas is too taxing.

Some people wonder if it's like some kind of out of body experience, where you're just kind of floating, looking down on yourself and unable to really experience your body like you normally would. To that I say wrong. Instead you are all too aware of every since inch of your body and how it's all screaming at you at the same time. You can feel your stomach and how it feels like it's the size of a walnut on the verge of consuming itself and imploding. You feel like the bones in your legs have turned to wet, soppy noodles surrounded by the pulverized meat that are your muscles.

Maybe once you have consumed twice your body weight in food you'll see some semblance of normalcy. But hopefully after reading this, you won't want to ever bonk and you'll eat a freaking granola bar before it's too late.

You don't want to be like me in this picture

Winter is coming

Winter is coming, a truth seldom lost on anyone this time of year. All of a sudden the sun goes out at 5pm and you're starting to calculate your Jens factor for everyride...

 

 Weather starts to become the biggest obstacle in terms of what stands between you and getting on your bike and pedaling. For starters, there's always more racing!

University Cups - There are only 4 races from the end of September into October but they're great to hang out with friends and still compete against some of Ontario's best. This year I raced UCups #3 at Hardwood and #4 at Ganaraska. Hardwood is always a great place to race at and I must say I was happy with my effdort there as well, putting in a 9th place. The conditions were also sublime - the air was crisp, the sky was clear and the dirt was dry - You can't really ask for much better conditions. I suppose we had to pay for it by racing at Ganaraska though..

Credit: Vuk

Conditions on this day couldn't be more opposite. It was muggy, rain was falling and the ground was slick with mud and more than a few horse patties. (Just another obstacle on the trail) This is one of those races I'd like to forget, I started off really slow and could never find my legs. I concentrated on riding smoothly as possible and was pleased with how I was riding in the slick, tricky parts. I feel like I've come a long way racing in adverse conditions since the Canada Cup at Hardwood. (Which was like riding through a flood)

Credit: Vuk

I don't mind so much racing in the wet, it's the cleanup afterwards that always gets me. And not the cleanup of my person, I mean cleaning up my bike. It seems like the bike never quite feels the same after a wet race even when you clean it really well - Until you overhaul everything that is.

Superstorm Sandy was the nail in the coffin for riding regularly outside. It was off the scale on the Jens Chart and the roads and trails in my area have just been crap since then. Training has largely moved inside.
For most people this might mean the dreaded trainer (see: http://beyondthebonk.blogspot.ca/2012/03/misery-machine-aka-trainer.html) Fortunately for myself and many other in the GTA we have Joyride 150. If you haven't been there, then you need to go. A massive indoor bike park that has everything from jumps, skinnies, pump tracks and even a full street park. It's completely set up for progressing your skills - Never jumped a bike before? Spend some time on the easy pump track to get an idea of how to handle the bike through the dips. Then you can move onto small jump lines where you barely come off the ground, then onto bigger air jumps and finally onto the massive foam pit where you can try adding tricks without the fear of a trip to the hospital if you fail. I spend a lot of time on the pump track while I'm there and it actually gives a killer workout. I also spend a lot of time progressing on the jump lines - I've never been super stable while airborne on my bike and I'd like to change that. They expanded the pump track since the last time I was there, adding in a banked wall that goes 3/4's of the way to the ceiling. SO much fun to ride sideways

The curve in question

Almost had it!

Roller skiing is starting up as well. I'll be doing a post on that a little bit later

We've had two new additions to the family this past month as well. Meet Riesling and Riley.

That's all for now

Time for some maintenance

So far I've only had my Specialized Venge for about four months. In the past I've usually been one to do all my equipment overhauls or part replacements either at the beginning or end of a season. Take the chain for example, It's the most abused part of your drivetrain. As it sees more and more use, each of the 110 odd links start to stretch and elongate the chain as a whole. That lengthened chain then starts to mesh higher up on the teeth of the cassette which in turn causes the cogs to wear down even faster. If left alone for too long, eventually the chain will start slipping off the gears. If that happens, it's too late to just replace the chain as the cassette will be too worn for a new chain.

This is a common problem we encounter in the shop. We inform the customer that their chain is nearing the end of its life and recommend it's replacement. If they wait too long, a $30 dollar repair can become closer to $100.

I almost didn't follow my own advice. 4500km on a road chain is a bit too long I think. I used the chain checker at work and it checked out in the 100% of chains that need replacing. I installed a new Ultegra chain in the hopes I wouldn't have to replace the Ultegra cassette at the same time. The problem with owning expensive bikes is that the price for parts is way higher than most other bikes. Customers are shocked (and sometimes even angry) when we tell them that the chain on their $4000 dollar mountain bike is $80 instead of the $25 one they just saw a customer with a CCM walk out with. In my case, the chain was $65 and the cassette would be $130.

I give the whole drivetrain a cleaning when I replace the chain because it doesn't make sense to install a new chain on a dirty bike. As I go to remove the cassette from the free hub I run into a little difficulty....
Each of the cogs are jammed onto the splines and completely stuck. Thank god the shop has a chain vice tool - it's the best for gripping the cogs so I can spin them off the freehub.

So once I finally got all of the gears off I was able to survey the damage. I don't know if it has anything to do with the lightweight materials used in the freehub body construction that makes them easier to dent, but maybe it was just the massive amounts of power I'm laying down :P 

 At the end of the day I finished the clean, installed the new chain and didn't experience any slippage. Next time I'll swap it all out a little sooner. Hopefully I won't have destroyed the splines by then

Countdown to a Race!

 What goes into a race weekend? Clearly to be successful there's a lot more to it than showing up and riding your bike really fast - There needs to be some form of preparation, in this case going as far back as mid August. As such, I present to you my countdown to Provincial Championships!

Dawn of the First Day:
3 weeks remain
This race is obviously a bit more important than the others - it's the championships! As a result, preriding is open much further in advance than the other races. What better way to spend time than practicing the course I'll be racing on? (Not like I'd be doing anything else)
This stage is all about the recce, or the reconnoiter. I travel the course at a very reduced pace so I can learns the ins and outs, the ups and downs and the lefts and rights. I experiment with different lines so I can find the fastest way around the course with the least amount of effort. Take this rock garden for example...

There's a bumpy bit of trail and it takes a few runs to see the best way through and to be able to do it at race pace. After just a couple of times through it, I'm feeling confident enough to move on. Three total laps on the day and it's back to training

Dawn of the Second Day:
2 weeks remain
Another early preride. Got to ride the course with Adam Morka and he was able to shed some light on the more tricky sections. This time saw some more recce laps as well as some at race pace.

The course has a lot to offer - twisty singletrack, steep climbs, wide open descents and ruthless rock gardens. Not to mention some jumps...

Dawn of the Third Day:
24 hours remain
Last day for preriding and I'm kinda dreading things - There's a rainfall warning for the area, the most we've had all at once this year in fact - 50mm. That does not bode well for the course. Considering how technical things are if you add slippery conditions into the mix it's going to make a tough course a living hell. Especially when that slippery is because of a torrential 50mm of water. Before heading up I check the organizers web page - preride is cancelled, they want to preserve the course for tomorrow. A very smart decision. There have been plenty of opportunities to preride the course and riding on it in these conditions won't gain you anything but some smelly laundry and a dirty bike.
I still have to get some intensity in before the race but I just end up doing that on the road near my house rather than on the race course. At least it saves me three hours of driving...

Training over, it's time to prepare for the race day in earnest..

7:00 pm
18.5 hours remain

Time for dinner! Classic chicken and pasta in a home-made tomato sauce. Nothing special here, moving along...

8:00 pm
17.5 hours remain

Time to fill up the car! Nothing sucks more than leaving the next day and realising that you have to stop for fuel on the way. It just ruins the groove! No longer driving to the races in a '98 Town and Country, I get to do it in my WRX. (This make me happy)

10:00 pm
15.5 hours remain

This step is pretty straight forward, lay out the race kit and put it in a bag. Don't want to rush in the morning trying to find things. The next step is the final tuneup on the bike. This is where I take it into my shop
(shown here http://beyondthebonk.blogspot.ca/2012/07/a-tour-of-my-shop.html)
At this point I've already given the bike a thorough cleaning and it's just minute adjustments at this point. If I have to replace brake pads or replace cables then I've left it far too late. I make sure it's shifting properly, the calipers are properly aligned, the tires are pumped and the chain is lubed. The last thing I do to it is attach the race number for Ontario Cups, #613.

11:00 pm
14.5 hours remain
Now that all of my equipment is taken care of and it's all staged in the foyer I start to prep myself. Cue the hot shower and shaving...

 And don't forget this is a cycling race! The leg hair has got to go!

That's more like it.
Immediately after it's time to hit the sack.

Dawn of the Final Day
4.5 hours remain

 9:00am means wake up time. Starting the races at 1:30 has been by far the best part of racing in Expert. In Sport we had to start at 11:45. As you can imagine, waking up this late wouldn't be possible.

10:00 am
3.5 hours remain
Time to break fast! I eat my breakfast about three and a half hours before race start. The goal is to hit the start line feeling full on an empty stomach. I have pancakes because they burn pretty clean and some eggs because they're easily digestible protein. A glass of OJ washes it all down and aids in digestion.

After the b-fast we pack the car and head out. Once I get my contacts in I only truly worry about three things
1) The bike
2) The shoes
3) The helmet                           As long as you have these three things you can race

12:00 pm
1.5 hours remain
I arrive at the race site an hour and a half before race start. Normally I do my race check-in the day before but since it was closed I pop in quickly to get my name on the start list. At around 12:45 I start my warmup and end it right before the race starts so I can hit the line running.

1:30 pm
The Beginning of the End
Race start. Four laps of physical pain and mental anguish. The body cries for an end to the torment but the mind wills it on harder.

I'm inside the top 10. I went easy for the first lap and wanted to push harder as the race went on. Halfway through my second lap however I noticed that steering the bike became a lot harder. Anytime I tried to turn the bike it wouldn't track straight and it would roll to the outside on any sharp corners. As I came through to the jump I realised I must have a slow leak in the front tire. The only option is to race as long as possible and hope the tire stays on the rim.

Alas it wasn't to be. About a quarter of the way through the third lap I was riding on my rim. My race was over...
Not a way anyone would want to end a race, but there's still plenty of racing left to do this season. As I ended this series with a DNF, I can only improve on it. And you know the best part about cycling, besides the actual riding bit?




The recovery of course!

Special Thanks to the girlfriend for taking all the pics!
.... And to Bailey who cares so much about my racing :P

Shop Sightings

So I haven't been into the store as much, having found a new job and all, but I still come across stuff in the shop that either makes my jaw drop or head hurt. Let's start with the headaches!

First on the docket is this Roundatil. The re-designed rear... triangle is meant to be more vertically compliant, absorb road shock and allow you to ride longer, easier.

Yeah it seems to ride like any other hybrid out there. Furthermore the price point is WAY higher for a similarly spec'd bike. Lastly, it's ugly. I mean c'mon look at it. It looks like it has a disease. Moving on

Here's a rear suspension pivot with an air chuck in place of proper bearings and bushings. No it doesn't work so great. No he didn't want to fix it. Yes it boggles my mind how it all holds together.
Now for some good stuff!

 *drool drool drool*
One of the guys in the shop just got his new wheels in. ENVE carbon wheels. They don't even paint them so as to save weight.

They look freaking amazing

I want a pair

That is all

The Road to Provincials

The Ontario Cup series is drawing closer to the end. September 9th is the final race of the season and it's looking to be a doozy.

This year we are returning to Highlands Nordic for the final day of racing. Last year was apparently so well received that we're getting a second dosage. Personally I missed this race last year but I've gotten plenty of chances to preride the thing and I can say it's going to be tough. The course organizers are really aiming to lay the hurt on us as the course is relentless in causing cardiovascular agony.

The course starts very narrow so fighting to be on the front of the pack will be all the more fierce. It turns quickly into a steep climb and even quicker into some narrow singletrack. After a jump and foray into the first of many rock gardens, the course opens up into a very wide, very long climb to the top. In the winter time I come to Highlands to do a lot of nordic skiing, the sport this venue is known for. It's really interesting to see what it looks like without six feet of snow and to race in the opposite direction up the steep climb.

Getting back into the singletrack is an exercise in restraint. All the other courses would demand that you put the hammer down but everything here is so devilishly tricky that it's just not worth the energy to sprint from braking zone to braking zone. Maintaining a steady pace and carefully picking your line through the trees and huge rocks will serve you better in the long run. Even the downhills here are harder than they look as they're littered with rocks that require the utmost concentration. No chance for a physical break as your body gets pounded by the stones and if you try to take a mental break you'll probably find yourself picking your bike up out of the bushes. One wrong step through the rock gardens and all of your momentum will be instantly sapped and you'll have to work hard to get that speed back. Do that for four laps and you might not have enough for a fighting finish.

The course is just so relentless in every way - tricky singletrack, harsh downhills and butt-busting rock gardens. To be honest though, the departure from courses that only need raw speed for a course that requires more efficiency and strategy is fitting for a provincial championship. I'm also really glad I got the rear suspension overhaul done on my HeiHei a while back because that's the bike I'll be using. The course is just far too rough for a 26er hardtail I think.

Training this week has seen me keep the intensity but cut the workload so my body can peak just in time for the race. Of all the training days I've had, the legs have felt really fresh and more than capable for what the workout is asking for. I'm really excited for the race because I definitely feel like I'm on top form but also because I'll have a cheering section. The girlfriend has wanted to see me race for sometime now and she's not going to miss this chance - I have to make sure to put on a good show!