Recreation Through Endurance

After looking back at trying a squeeze a big mountain ride in once a week for the past month on top of everything else, I kinda feel like this:



I know... It's rough.

Last month, I read Deep Survival - Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why, by Laurence Gonzales. Not a bad book, but not a great book. It theorized why, in life threatening situation (mostly the result of outdoor activities), why some people make it out alive and why some don't. You can get the gist of it by reading The 12 Rules of Survival.

I'll share with you a couple paragraphs from one of the last chapters: A Certain Nobility

"The modern craze for high-risk sports and wilderness recreation, which has been embraced by so many naive ravelers, is bound to result in accidents, but the images such myths project make it even more likely. An ad for a Nissan SUV, for example, showed a mountain biker through the open hatchback of the truck. he's injured, his limbs in makeshift traction, and his bike has been destroyed. The headline read: RECOVERY ROOM. The implication is that part of the fun is in getting hurt. But hurting and getting hurt are two different things.

"A Zen priest I know studied to be an archer. He described his first lesson to me. The master took him to a cliff at dawn. He set up a target and strung his bow. Then he drew an arrow and aimed at the target. With the bow taut, he turned at the last moment and shot the arrow out over the cliff.

"... The [biking] is not the point, just as hitting the target is not the point of the Zen discipline of archery. They are both side effects of a way of life. Side effects of integrity that lead to the Way. Once you no longer need or desire to hit the target, then the Way leads you there. Being one with the bow, you do not have to hit the target. The bow does it for you."

First of all, I finally figured out how to spell Charlottesville! I'll still refer to it as C-ville because that's easier to type. Now, for the good stuff...

Yesterday was the C-ville Xterra, which was in some respects a make-up race. Made up because I couldn't do it last year to complete my 3. Made up because I finished so low in Richmond that I wanted to make up points.

If you're not familiar with the Xterra series, you're awarded points based on your finishing place within your age group. You're best 3 races count towards your total points. Limiting it to your best 3 is a good system because you have to perform pretty well to move up in the rankings and can't buy your way into the ranking just becuase you can afford to do 8 races or whatever. It's a good system that encourages friendly competitiveness.

Going into C-ville, I was ranked 2nd in the regional age-group standings. I noticed that if I finished 4th (in my age group), I'd move up to first for the whole series on one condition, that Michael Harlow didn't do the race. He was ranked 3rd with some good finishes this year and a strong performace at last year's C-ville Xterra. Would I end up with a regional age-group win? It would be decided in 2 hours of lake and trail.

Since it was such a short bike leg, I decided I wanted to use my hardtail. Previously, I'd had shifting issues and was in the process of replacing my shifter cable when I found a broken spoke in my rear wheel. I'd taken the wheel in to be fixed, but couldn't get it back until Liz picked it up for me on saturday. Before I realized it would take so long to get things back together, I'd taken my shifter pod apart and put the parts in a place where I didn't have to worry about them being knocked off the patio or the wind blowing the small parts away. Unfortunately, heat melts wax and heavier parts sink. By the time I was ready to install the wheel and shifter cable, my pod and screws had submerged in a citronella candle. Some wax surgery, an oven, and lots of hot water later, things seemed to be performing better.

Sunday, Liz and I got up at 4:30 to be ready to race at the obscenely early 7:30 start. Liz volunteered handing out the timing chips and course marshaled near the run start while I raced. The official results with splits aren't posted yet, so I don't know how I stacked up in each event, but I know how I felt.

Swimming, which is not my strength to begin with, had a rushed start. This was my first open-water start, so we had to swim out past the beach-bouys, then swim around course buoys, run across the beach, then swim around the course buoys again. As soon as we got to the starting position, the gun went off weather we were ready or not. I guess didn't have time to get nervous, but still, I like a countdown. I haven't swam much since Richmond, so I was probably slow, got off track, and my arms are still sore.

The bike didn't feel as strong as I would've liked. Actually, I was pretty disappointed in my performance. I didn't have the snap I should to do well in that kind of event at that distance. Walnut Creek has some really technical trails and I made some climbs that others couldn't, but not as many as I should. Perhaps it's due to my endurance focus (rather that speed) rides lately. Maybe it's due to not riding my nimble hardtail for a while. Or it could be my expectations were too high. Whatever the reason, it's too late now to figure out what happened.

As for the run, I felt damn good. Fast, smooth, consistent. I got passed once at the beginning by an obvious runner and didn't see anyone else on the course, but it sure felt good. I'll give Chris Peck credit for that since he's making me run so much lately.

Overall, I can't complain. Official results aren't out yet, but I got 15th overall of about 120. More importantly, I got 2nd in my age group, which prized-out a pair of C-ville tri socks and a $25 gift certificate for C-ville Bike and Run. Harlow of Endorphin Fitness placed 2nd overall and 1st in my age-group beating me by 23 minutes (in a ~2 hour event). So, I'll end up 2nd in the regional standings when Liz and I go to Tahoe to someone that runs a personal training company. Not too bad.

The Charlottesville Xterra is this weekend. After not swimming much this summer and concentrating on endurance, not speed, I'm predicting it'll go something like this:

Liz has been talking about getting a road bike for a while now. She been very diligent and patient and it really paid off. She got quite a steal on a very clean, almost new OCR3 that fits her perfect. The guy was going to use it for cross training for a marathon, bought it barely used and never used it himself. She went on a getting-used-to-it ride tonight and came back stoked.

We now each have a road bike, a fully suspension, and a hardtail. I hope we're done...

Last March, I was coming off a pretty rough week long cold as the Hilbert race was approaching. Since I didn't feel like I was strong enough to do well in any normal class, I went for a obscure, little known event called the Me Stud. The 10K run plus the Enduro bike race. I had completely discounted doing well, but ended up winning the event.

After missing the second Hilbert race where no one entered the Me Stud competition, I still had a chance to sweep the series with another win. The prospect was further increased when, as of Wednesday, no one else had signed up. I was feeling good about it!

At the start of the 10k, the runners were standing around chatting, joking, and ready to run. Looking around, I saw something I never expected that threatened my one shot at glory! An "E" written on the back of another runner's leg. I felt like Caesar seeing Brutus' knife, except that Caesar fought for his life and I laughed and shrugged.

The 10k went well. My pace was comfortable and I kept it harder than easy and easier than hard. I passed some people, some people passed me. I ran with others and I ran alone. The finish clock read just over 50 minutes and I felt pretty good about not burning myself out. A friend, Chris ran under 43 and his future brother-in-law ran his longest race ever at 44 minutes. Very nice.

A change of clothes, a pit-stop, some food, and a round of "Good Luck's" and I was lined up at the starting line. While we were waiting for the gun/fun, I found myself standing next to Chris McMillian, who is very animalistic with his racing and riding. I ask him if he's going to win again like he did in the spring and he said he planned to so he could move up to expert next year. (He may have added a "Tool Time" grunt at the end, I'm not sure.) In a moment of rousing genius, I let him in on a little secret I made up and said I overheard some other Sport racers saying they were zeroing in on him. I think he was still looking over his shoulder as the starting buzzer went off.

7 laps and 5 hours later, I crossed the finish line. 42 miles by course measured distance, 45 according to my computer. I had hoped for 8 laps and without a couple minor mechanicals, I could've done it. The fact that my body and mind felt up for it gave me a lot of confidence for the upcoming SM100. My lap times were slowing though and if I did break the chain again, walking out would've caused a lot of delay for everyone there. I had a full and fairly strong day.

As for the Me Stud, I lost the crown. Rumor has it, there were 2-3 others up for the challenge. Another lap on my part would've helped, but there's no way I could've squeezed out 9 to tie winner. It just wasn't meant to be, I guess.

What did I learn from this whole experience? I took a very valuable lesson out it. Winning isn't necessarily about being strong or fast. Sometimes, it's a matter of doing specialty events that better athletes haven't heard of.

Once upon a time, in a land far far away, I hit 30 mph mountain biking. It wasn't down the side of a mountain as one might guess, as these trails are too steep to lay off the brakes. It wasn't on a paved or gravel road since those don't count as mountain biking. It wasn't on the local trails that I know how to get the most speed out of because they're too twisty.

Those few seconds, 30 at the most, were on a section of a ridge line singletrack trail. Smooth, skinny, and fast, with long sight lines and the perfect grade on that thin line between enough and too much. The satisfaction and thrill it gave me was surprising, as I had conquered a goal I never sought and passed a limit that I never knew.

This week, my good friend Chris and I spent 3 days at Douthat. My biking is about the level of his running and vice versa, so we did some of each together and some on our own. I can't add up his miles, but I was able to get in a 6 mile night run, 22 miles biking one day plus a 4 mile run, and 36 mile ride on the last full day plus a 8 mile beer-fueled hike. I know it's blasphemous, but the last morning I did nothing but hang out at camp. I was happy enough being lazy, tired, and dehydrated poking at a log that wouldn't keep burning while Chris was running.

When I was riding though, I had a memory of a feeling that I not so secretly wanted to duplicate. I hit 27.7 mph, 28.2 mph, and 28.8 mph according to my bike computer on Middle Mountain trail and Brushy Hollow. I never did hit that goal. What I did do was test, and possibly cross, that line between courage and stupidity for the sake of a thrill I once had. I guess you could call me a drug addict.

I can swim. I like running. I love biking. I crave racing. 2007 is the year it's supposed to come together.

That being said, here's what I've gotten myself into:
August 12: Camp Hilbert 10K and Enduro MTB race to try to defend my title of the Me Stud - 6 hours of running and biking.
August 19: Charlottesville Xterra - my last chance for Xterra points this year. Though I'm still 1st in the regional age-group standings, a little more is always better. Besides, Harlow might do another.

That's 9 hours of racing in 2 events, now for the big stuff.

Sept 2: SM100 Some you do for fun. Some you do to complete. Some you do to prove you can.
Sept 7-8: Blue Ridge Relay - 12 runners relying on each other to complete 208 miles.
Sept 14-16: MORE Douthat camping trip - oh yeah!
Sept 30 - Xterra Nationals in Tahoe - that's nationals! Really!

Will this come together? It has to, because there won't always, perhaps ever again, be years like this.

Every tuesday night, Liz, myself, and 20-40 of our closest friends break into groups and ride our bikes for a couple hours. Afterwards, about half go for dinner which is generally at a mexican restaurant. There, we either take over the side room or every table in the main room leaving only the booths for the bathed customers.

Apparently, we're not the only ones.