Keith and I joined FMBR members Jim and Jud and did the infamous dirty dozen in Pittsburgh PA the weekend after Thanksgiving. They say that it is 13 of the worst hills in Pittsburgh, but realistically it's like 20 hills. It was humorous to hear the course marshals tell you "This is not a Hill (because it is not a score able hill)" I went to goodwill and bought a skirt because of all the whining leading up to it so the #skirtofshame was born. Whoever out of the four of us was the last up the hills the most after three hills had to wear the skirt. But honestly the spectators and other participants were getting such a kick out of it we all took a turn. Look for the #skirtofshame to make more appearances throughout 2015!
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Very early in 2013 Andy put the idea in my head that we should do the Transylvania Epic, sounds like a great idea! So we spent a lot of time in 2013 talking about the possibility, we both wanted to see how we progressed and sure enough at the end of the year we made the decision to give it a shot as a duo! Now we knew we were not going to be rockstars at this event but getting through it with our relatively inexperienced mtb careers would be something to be proud of! We entered the beginning of 2014 all gung ho, training hard and pushing each other just so that we would prepare for it. Then Murphy's Law struck, Andy had to have tailbone surgery a couple months before the event. The surgery kept Andy off of a bike for the rest of the time leading up to the epic. We were way past the time of refund, Andy was possibly able to transfer his entry to 2015 and I decided I give it a shot solo, at least if the opportunity rose for both of us to go again I'd have some experience and know what were were getting into. DAY 1 My home for the next week at bicycle summer camp Stage 1 was a 15 mile Time Trial which was in central PA terms relatively tame, not a lot of crazy elevation, some rock gardens and access roads. The only thing I knew to do was as fast as this course was I should take it easy, I was now in the solo pro category-let's be honest I'm lucky to not be in last place on my best day with the crew competing here. I just had a fun day on the bike Stage 2 Cooper's Gap complete! I needed a basket for my bike..it was towpath speed today, but I made all the cuttoffs and didnt cramp up. I'm glad I took it easy the day before! This stage was what the TSE is all about, brutal rocks gardens, crazy climbing, and fast steep descents! Stage 3 Galbraith Enduro Being a guy that likes keeping tires on the ground and climbing rather than going downhill I knew this was not going to be my favorite day. I tucked in my skirt after 3 of the 5 stages, they were progressively getting more hard core and after Coyne's run (which was awesome!) I knew that was my limit so I packed it in early for the day and met a couple new friends at the Epic in state college for some beers! Today after the 3rd enduro stage my top tube was hot from the heat of my rear shock...as this week progresses I'd like to think im getting better at going downhill , but I think I'm just becoming numb to all the rocks....looking forward to the gravel grinder tomorrow and a break from the technical riding...Im sure there will be a random rock garden somewhere though! Stage #4 Coburn-Gravel Grinder/XC endurance The least technical of the stages was a much needed break from being rattled by all the rocks, I teamed up with Kevin my drinking buddy from the night before it was nice to have some company on another long day on the bike. The climbing was crazy only downside to this is that they said this stage had 4,300' of climbing-it had 7,000 and my first Cat 2 climb but I was stoked to be four days in and do a ride like this without cramping on falling apart. Six months ago I probably could barely do this ride in my best shape! So here I am 4 stages in three to go the last one is the unofficial "take it easy and party stage" stage Stage 6 was going to be similiar to Stage 2 and5 is titled an old school XC race. I'll be honest I was starting to get a little homesick too, I have made some friends and met people of similar skill. I kept thinking about the upcoming weekend Corianne was going to do the Mohican 100k and I was six hours away trying to survive my own race. When Tim and Kevin mentioned at dinner that they were thinking about hitting Raystown the next day and skipping the stage I thought to hell with the rocks and I'd tag along with them enjoy some smooth trail at Raystown then from there head straight home surprise Corianne and ride the Mohican 100k with her. Day # I lost count! Mohican 100k I got husband of the year award way early, on my way home surprised Corianne at her work and let her know my plan. This by far was my favorite ride of the week, not only did I still feel relatively good but I got to ride around with a lot of my fellow Ohio mtb'rs. I started the race off riding with Tim and as I ran into other people I would spend some time riding with them, sometimes being motivating, sometimes just yelling for no reason, sorry for those that don't know me that I probably annoyed. At the first aid station I stopped and waited for Corianne and Lisa then rode the rest of the ride with them. They did a great job and we even convinced someone at the second aid station that was about to quit to keep moving forward with us. I don't remember his name but he finished and earned his pint glass! Now it's safe to say I'm going to be putting my bike away for a little while! It was still an amazing week!
On Saturday, March 22 some of Team KSD ventured to the OMBC Race at Mohican Cabins. Those who were smarter (ha!) went on a mostly road ride around Mohican Country. The photo to the left was taken at Landoll's Mohican Castle, described as a luxurious castle fit for the kings and queens in all of us.. Neat place, smack dab in the Mohican wilderness (queue the banjos). No really, we had great weather and lots of good times catching up. This was the ride of acronyms - put on by Ohio Fat Tires (OFT), joined by Knobby Side Down (KSD) and Frankford Mountain Bike Racing Team (FMBR). Many conversations were about the Mohican 100 (since we rode some of the roads that are along the route.) We completed 27 - 29 miles with over 2k of climbing. I even got to pull out a famous quote while climbing... - "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!" - Kelly Clarkson. Special thanks to Jake Simms to organizing the route and not getting us lost! Sunday we ventured to Camp Tuscazoar to work on the re-route of the rather large climb at Icky's Trail. Six of us came out to this 'short notice' trail day and pounded out over half of the re-route! It's going to have much more flow and we're all excited to get out there and ride it once everything gets dried out! Overall a good day. We almost lost my mom while she was out exploring, but luckily she has a good sense of direction and was able to get back to the rail bed and back to the car! whew! :) Cheers to warmer weather? ~Corianne Typically we post our group rides just amongst ourselves, but when Todd started organizing a group ride at Royalview we decided why not see how much of the MTB community we can get to come out in this crazy cold weather. So with the help of social media and the Ohio Fat Tires we had a great turnout of like minded fools to get out and enjoy the day on our bikes! Thanks for everyone for coming out let's do it again real soon! Happy 2014! Now that the holiday's are over it seems like the only thing we have to look forward to is spring and the weather getting nicer so it is a lot easier to ride our bikes outside. Time to start racking up all those base miles in hopes that all the boredom in the basement will make the upcoming race season a little bit better. My goal is always to ride on the trainer as much as I can in December that way when January comes I'm tired of the basement and it makes the long endurance rides in 20 degree weather seem like a treat. At least last year we did so much experimenting with different winter gear I finally have and know what to wear and so far the first two trips outside have been a success! Over the summer KSD was introduced to The Dirtline group which is a group of people from Tuscarawas County who received permission to reclaim the camps old hiking trails and then would be allowed access to these trails with their mountain bikes! To most of us in the knobside group this trail system is practically in our back yard so we were very eager to offer our assistance. With our experience helping with Vulture's Knob trail maintenance and attending the recent IMBA trail school we were eager to put our experience to use by helping transform the current non-sustainable trail system into a flowy sustainable multi-use purpose trail (that will be awesome for mountain bikes! So now that it is winter and we have the extra time it has been great helping organize trail days and work on re-routing some of the really long not fun at all climbs, (current "recommended" is six miles long with about 1,700 feet of climbing!!) the goal is to re-route the big climbs while teaching the group about how to properly bench and build trails. In the spring with the climbing a little easier hopefully this will bring more attention to the system and then then a layout for master plan can be developed and hopefully we'll start cutting into next fall. With 500+ acres available there is great potential out there not only for mtbr's, but hikers, campers, etc. and we are glad that we get to have a hand in helping put the next great trail system in Ohio on the map! If you want more information or want to learn more how you can help with the trail look up The Dirtline Group on Facebook (or click the link and join the group). Meanwhile there is still a lot of training and pedaling going on and spring will be here before we know it, until then enjoy the basement wall or the frigid temperatures and remember how much we will appreciate the warm weather when it finally (hopefully soon) returns. 2013 has wrapped up and what a year it was for everybody! But you don't want to hear about the good stuff that the team did this year so I'm going to sum the year up in the four worst rides that we had this year! (and depending on the angle you look at it these may be the best rides as well!) #4 January training ride in the teensAlmost every Saturday throughout the winter Kenny, Corianne, and Andy went on a road ride for as long as we stayed slightly warm, once we start getting getting chilled we would go for another 30 minutes and then call it a day. We are usually smart and stay relatively close to the car, the day we decided to venture out of our safety net it was also temps in the teens the coldest we ventured out yet. What could go wrong?! A 15 mph headwind showing up out of nowhere and being 20 miles away from your car. We tried our best to tough it out but had to finally give in and walk into a sheetz and be a greeter to all the customers for fifteen minutes while we regained some feeling in our extremities. Of course we didn't have cash but we had no shame standing inside the door in our our leggings and full winter gear. #3 Vulture's knob Double Down enduroRody probably has a lot of favorite memories of this past race year. I'm guessing one of his favorite is also our #4 worst ride, with the simple sentence of "Everyone will be riding the over under every lap" groans from everybody at the start line. Kenny did win husband of the day award by going back out with Corianne for her last lap in the rain #2 MOhican 100You can read the full story here on the Mohican 100 blog report. But needless to say almost bonking three hours into a 100 mile race will scar you for a long time. While it was rough it was still quite an accomplishment to finish it! #1 Snake Gap creek TT #2This race contained literally Rain, Snow, Sleet and a temperature that never went above thirty degrees. It was the best and worst all at the same time...main reason for the #1 spot is it was the only time this year that I had my front derailleur stop working because of the ice build up on it, so the only solution was to urinate on it, and anytime you have to dis-respect your equipment and give it a golden shower you are not in a good place! 2013 was a great year made a lot of new friends and looking forward to great rides with everyone in the future! Now it's time to dig out the winter gear and start prepping for 2014... Part 2 of the sporadically updated Schlub series. I can’t touch my toes yet. I’m better than I was three weeks ago, when last we measured. Then, I was eight inches away. The name of the particular stretch escapes me, but it’s the one where you stand, cross one leg in front of the other, and then reach down as far as you can with your back leg locked. Anyway, after four weeks of almost daily (and sometimes twice daily) stretching, I can see marked improvement in my flexibility which increases my range of motion and reduces the risk of injury. The month has continued to be about flexibility, stability with some riding thrown in. My master has stressed that I can ride whenever I want, but doesn’t want me to go above heart rate zone 3. Fine, I said, let’s determine what that is then. Turns out that doing so invites debate as to what system you are using to define the ranges (there are at least two) and how best to determine my particular zones. What is max heart rate? What’s threshold? How do I know? It took a bit of education, but really, this is what the trainer is for: just do what he tells you to do. You are paying him to help you – not debate the finer points. Let him help you. So, with my maximum heart rate determined (180), I set out to focus on another area of emphasis: saddle time. This I think has to do with three things: getting used to long rides both psychologically and physically, improving my heart, and dropping the weight. That last is best done in zone three because of the kind of energy you burn. I will not profess to be an expert (I suspect Gottfried knows far more about this than I), but I comprehended it enough to buy into it. I’ve lost weight in the past – now it’s time to do it the right way: in zone three. I discovered three things about this approach. First, I can use it to motivate me to consistently longer rides; my new personal road record is 41 miles. Second, zone three is boring. Ponderously boring. And third, trying to maintain in zone three on a mountain bike trail is difficult both physically and emotionally. On a trail, I want to go fast – well, Dane-fast, anyway – and it’s hard not to hammer it. I rode Medina last week for the first time in too long. Actually wondered how bad I was going to suck given my time away from dirt. But man it felt good. It reminded me why I was doing all this. Five minutes in and my trainer’s admonishes were but a mere whisper in the wind. I was going Dane-fast and, what’s more, feeling better and more competent than I’d ever had. The road work, the stretching, and the professional bike fit from Century were all making a clear difference. When I’d completed, I’d set a new personal Medina trails record, and thanks to the bike fit my quads weren’t wasted (hint: raise your damn seat and leverage your hams and glutes). So far, the approach is paying off. Total time in zone three? Less than fifteen percent. My trainer’s reaction? “I wanted you to stay in zone three.” Hmpf. Some people. I have spent four years mountain biking, when the Ohio weather, my travel schedule, and my emotional state will allow. I’ve seen substantial improvement in bike handling (for instance, I no longer try to amputate my leg at the shin with my pedals). I’ve also seen some improvement in lap times at my favorite trails. But the fact is, after four years, four impressive mountain bikes, one “performance” hybrid, and one high-end road bike, the amount of return does not begin to compare to the investment. Now, I’ve known for some time that I am not worthy of my bikes. I wasn’t worthy of the Yeti 575, or the Intense Spider 29er, or the Yeti SB-95. I’ve known that no matter how light and well-built the bike, the ride isn’t going to matter if the person mounting it is an overweight, underconditioned schlub. And I’m a schlub. After my latest fit of spending - a Giant Defy road bike, I finally said “enough.” I grew tired of paying top dollar for bikes because I’m fortunate enough to be able to, only to not be in the best physical condition I can be to actually leverage the engineering behind the bike. So, I approached a friend for help. He also happens to be a USAC cycling coach, and has some idea of how to get fit, and he is willing to work with me. I guess I have a cycling coach now. When it suits me, I’ll be providing an update on my progress, starting with this post. There have thus far been two areas of emphasis. The first has been on defining my goals. What do I want to accomplish, and when do I want to have it accomplished? First, I want to reduce my weight to the upper half of my “healthy” BMI; in this case that’s around 177. I am currently a svelte 231.4. Second, I want to increase my upper body strength in a way that benefits my mountain biking. Finally, I want to improve my bike handling skills such that I will be able to change my racing strategy, handle more technicals, and do so more efficiently. When? By the first race of next year. The second area of emphasis has been, surprisingly, not on making me work out until I throw up. I’m sure that will come, of course, and I will embrace it. Instead the focus is on flexibility and stability geared specifically for cyclists. The reason for starting there according to my trainer is that it does no good to work out like mad only to injure yourself, and making myself more limber will help reduce that risk. We spent an hour on that this morning. My initial observation is that stretching can be every bit as painful as clipping a tree on the trail. But I get it, and I’m committed. My trainer tells me that committing to the program is the hardest step, and that I’ve already taken it. He also tells me that the next steps will be shorter, and much more painful. Can’t wait. 4 was the magical number at 331's Royalview XC Race, 4 riders in 4th place in their respective classes
Marsha - 4th Novice Women Scott - 4th Novice Men 30-39 Corianne - 4th Sport Women Kenny - 4th Sport Plus Andy did win the holeshot for sport plus, but we couldn't get a picture fast enough! It's been awhile since we've had a dusty, fast race!...Our thoughts go out to the riders that were injured during the event including one of our adopted riders Keith Feeman, wishing a speedy recovery to you all! |
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