Did my first tri of the season today, (my second one ever with Westpoint last season being my first). This one wasn't on my schedule but Frank F called last week asking if I was busy this weekend and would I like to do a "practice" Tri up in Kingston...
"Uhm... Okay."
I have Timberman and Westpoint coming up and figured this would be good for me. I missed a good bit of the season what with my entanglement with local wildlife up in Harriman and had been having a tough time with my runs since the crash. But I stuck to my training plan and Coach's instructions as much as I was able.
I come from a competitive swimming background and mistakenly thought that the swim at Westpoint last year would be cake. It was horrific! Open water The back end of things starts are a daunting thing and it completely took me apart. The wetsuit was a neoprene prison!
So I made sure to get in at least one OWS with wetsuit each week for the last month or so to practice sighting, breathing and getting accustomed to the wetsuit. This all brings me to today...
Frank and I did our first Tri together last year so it must have been Kismet that we did this one together as well. More about that later. We scouted the course the day before and knew we were in for a very tough day. The sprint boasted a 1/3 of a mile swim in the Hudson in full view of the Rhinecliff Bridge, an 18 mile bike that starts with a 7% climb that varies in grade for a mile and a half and ends with a 3.5 mile run up that same hill... Brutal. Wanna know how brutal? A marathon runner who was competing said it almost killed her.
We set up our transition areas while meeting and talking with friendly strangers and meeting up with old friends we hadn't seen in a while. I was using my Guru TT bike all geeked out, disc, aero helmet, the works... The clock was ticking so we slid, slithered and squeezed into our wetsuits gathering on the beach for final instruction.
Before the race I looked down at the swim and was starting to get real apprehensive but I concentrated on something Coach said, "All you need to do is swim to the first marker, then set sight and swim to the second marker etc... That's all, don't try to swim the whole course, just take it on one small piece at a time." That then was the plan...
The tide was at zero so we wouldn't have to fight the current nor would we get any help from it either. The wind however was high so there was chop. It was a running start from the beach and after scouting out the swim course I felt it best to start far right behind the sharks and slide left ways close to the bouy for the first turn. Then just keep a rythm to the next bouy getting in close to that one and finally the turn to shore.
The gun went off and so did we. I fought the urge to sprint as that's what got me into big trouble at Westpoint. I found my rythm and kept faith in my training making sure to sight every few strokes. I actually surprised myself when my plan worked and I rounded the bouy about a foot out from the big orange ball. I slid in behind two swimmers and drafted on them for the long stretch to the next bouy.
Stroke 2.3.4 Breathe 2.3.4 Sight 2.3.4... Form and rythm, rythm and form...
I was already feeling good as I headed for shore, training is everything! Halfway to shore Frank swims up alongside me and nods encouragement, twenty seconds later we're running up the sand together for T1.
I was pretty shagged out and had a bit of that drunken sailor deal going on. Despite my well set up transition I still took too long though I did blast that wetsuit off like there was a bee in there. Lady Speed Stick deoderant is a great lubricant.
Helmet, check. Shoes, check. Slap down a gel and go!
I made sure I started in a small gear, 42x21 I think so I would be in good shape for that first climb. And what a climb it was. Lucky for me I ride in Rockland County where walking out your front door puts you uphill! It was tough but I kept my cadence high and steady till we hit the main course loop which was 2x 9miles of rollers.
I slapped 'er into the 53 and kicked it. There was a brisk wind but my Guru TT bike had me so aero I didn't feel a thing. I started The back end of things an awful lot of riders, some of the road bikes taking me on the hills then getting dropped as I hammered by on the flats or downhills. Loop 1 was in the books and I felt good as I sliced through the air for the next 9 miles.
Again I past a good number of riders until finally making the turn into the downhill to T2. I knew I had a good ride but was not sure what my time in the swim was and had no idea how many had gotten out before me.
T2 also went slower than I would like but I'll get there. This Tri was more about seeing what needs work and with the swim having gone so well I was happy enough.
Hat, check. Shoe change, check. Number, check.
I hit the ground running and started up that mountain of a hill. the one saving grace was that the tree cover kept us in the shade for the most part but man that run was tortuous. I started to develop a stitch on my right side and concentrated hard on controlling my breathing and trying to maintain short strides and a high cadence. I The back end of things a few runners and got The back end of things by lots more....
Finally the turnaround point and a downhill. Bliss...
I had poured so much water over my head at the water stations it looked like I had just come out of the swim. But the cold water felt fantastic. I was now inside of a mile and and guy in a red top goes by me. Now, I thought to myself, "Self, should I go after him?"
I decided not to as I wanted to make sure I had something left for the end and besides the downhill was steep and I didn't want to lose control and face plant!
Quick note: The only markings they applied were our bib numbers on our arms. So you had no way of knowing if the person in front of you was in your AG. Yeah, that came back to bite me, but just a little.
I hit the bottom and made the turn to the chute The back end of things over the mat feeling euphoric at having done well on a tough course and sticking to everything for which my training had prepped me. I grabbed some fruit and waited for Frank to cross the line which he did soon after.
Of course we talked about the course and the swim and asked others how they felt while congratulating them with a "Good job", or "Nice way to hang tough" and the like. Frank and I decided to take our time and stay for the awards just for the helluvit and to be courteous. Besides we had made some friends that day and were busy hanging out while munching on bagles and slurping through orange wedges.
First came all the thank yous, then the overalls. Finally the Age Groupers. They get to the 45-49's and call out the name of the First place and I of course clap. Then they call out the name of the Second place finisher and I start to clap when I realize its the guy who The back end of things me with less than a mile to go. I start to slap myself mentally and realize that... "HEY I came in right after him!"
And there it was, "Third place, Eric J Goldstein."
Its been three years since I started racing and this really felt good... Really, really good.
But even better was when they called up the 50-54 AG'ers and we heard, "Third place, Frank Finochio".
Now how's that for Kismet. We met on a bike 3 years ago, rode together, led rides together, started racing together, did our first Tri together and today took our first placings together.
There are scant few words to describe how good that feels...
Some fun stuff: The TOGA kits were a huge hit. People, especially a bunch of teens who were helping out kept going into the TOGA chant from Animal House every time me and Frank The back end of things them. When Frank went up to get his award they erupted with shouts of TOGA-TOGA-TOGA all over again.
Many of the winners were from Brooklyn... Wierd.
Met a guy there who remembered talking to me on the phone a couple years ago about cycling with a club... Odd.
Frank met a ridiculous amount of people he knew and hadn't seen in a while... That's Frank.
Representin' for TMC3...
Eric J
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Monday, June 9, 2008
Something Jack Nicholson said...
Floyd Bennet Field Time Trial...
Six weeks later, (four weeks off the bike and just two weeks back on since my crash) brought me to the Floyd Bennet TT yesterday. My right leg still carries healing scars from the deep road rash and my Abductor, while much better still sends me that tiny reminder every so often.
Last season I did the race in approximately 34 minutes avg'ing 19 mph. I set my goal on a 20 mph avg this time hoping the time off the bike wouldn't have too ill an effect on me. I did the distance in Rock Lake using the "third" loop to cut out he climbs and avg'd 20 mph so I was hopeful.
The day dawned with the guarantee of a full on scorcher that would surely turn the concrete runways of FBF into a BBQ nightmare for the racers. I rode down with a buddy topdown to get the breeze and not waste the gas on AC...
We pulled in round about 8:15am giving us plenty of time to hang out and watch the early racers go off before our own warm ups. I walked around checking out all the equipment and talking to some other racers....
I'd been hydrating all day so I felt pretty good about doing the 11.5 miles sans water bottle. I decided NOT to warm up on my trainer as I wanted the breeze to help cool me as opposed to pushing watts in a stationary position while the sun cooked me. Turned out it may have been the right decision as two of us rode warmup around the lot while the other two did their revs on the trainer and had issues either during or after the race....
Start time hit, 95 degrees!. Frank Finochio's start was 2 ahead of me. I pushed out to the start line and half listened to the starters instructions.
Time Trialing, as I'm learning is a very precise science despite differing views on the best way to improve speed and aero. My game plan was to sprint out of the chute for a good ten seconds then settle in to my pace and concentrate on consistency.
Equipment:Guru Trilight TT bike, Giro Advantage Aero helmet, Ksyrium bladed wheels using Wheelbuilder wheel covers for the rear wheel essentially turning the wheel into a disc. Full sleeve Skinsuit and wind socks...
Lap 1 of the 2.3 mile course had me testing the waters. Half the course was a wind tunnel while the other was all dead air and puddles. As I hit the wind I decided to flip to my small ring and throw up a high cadence to conserve strength and rely on my aero position to help maintain an avg speed of 17/18 mph.
Once turning onto the back stretch I flipped into the 50/19 and pushed between 23 and 26 mph. I avoided the puddles and pushed on. Split time:6:06
Lap 2- I settled in feeling the heat but not too worried...yet, despite the bad venting of a good aero helmet. Hit that wind again but kept solid to the plan that I laid down for lap 1. However as I rounded the turn for the backend run I decided I was going to deliberately go through as many puddles as I could in a straight line to get some cool down from the splashback. It worked perfectly and I did that for the rest of the race. Split: 6:13
Lap 3- More of the same but started to feel the heat and fatigue which was evident in my time loss. I took a puddle too close to the muddy end and almost wiped out but held on. Split; 6:25
Lap 4- The hammer of the Gods dropped on me and I was praying to every deity I ever heard of to get me through this lap. I was hot, I was fatigued and I was hurting. Split 6:35
Lap 5- Showtime. I felt a bit better than lap 4 but not by much. I had The back end of things two and been The back end of things by two. I sliced through the wind for the last time grateful that I was past that and set in to try and make up a little time on the back stretch. I picked a rabbit and overtook him just at the last turn before the finish. I pushed as hard as I could crossing the line with a split of 6:24.
Finish time- 31:45, sixth place in my cat.
I The back end of things my goal of 20mph avg setting an avg of 21.5. I was extremely happy with my form but a bit less so with my consistency. I did however beat last year by about 3 minutes, maybe more. I have to go check my time on that.
It was a great race day all around with some great race partners despite the inferno, but as JAck Nicholson said; "BURN BABY BURN".
Eric J
Six weeks later, (four weeks off the bike and just two weeks back on since my crash) brought me to the Floyd Bennet TT yesterday. My right leg still carries healing scars from the deep road rash and my Abductor, while much better still sends me that tiny reminder every so often.
Last season I did the race in approximately 34 minutes avg'ing 19 mph. I set my goal on a 20 mph avg this time hoping the time off the bike wouldn't have too ill an effect on me. I did the distance in Rock Lake using the "third" loop to cut out he climbs and avg'd 20 mph so I was hopeful.
The day dawned with the guarantee of a full on scorcher that would surely turn the concrete runways of FBF into a BBQ nightmare for the racers. I rode down with a buddy topdown to get the breeze and not waste the gas on AC...
We pulled in round about 8:15am giving us plenty of time to hang out and watch the early racers go off before our own warm ups. I walked around checking out all the equipment and talking to some other racers....
I'd been hydrating all day so I felt pretty good about doing the 11.5 miles sans water bottle. I decided NOT to warm up on my trainer as I wanted the breeze to help cool me as opposed to pushing watts in a stationary position while the sun cooked me. Turned out it may have been the right decision as two of us rode warmup around the lot while the other two did their revs on the trainer and had issues either during or after the race....
Start time hit, 95 degrees!. Frank Finochio's start was 2 ahead of me. I pushed out to the start line and half listened to the starters instructions.
Time Trialing, as I'm learning is a very precise science despite differing views on the best way to improve speed and aero. My game plan was to sprint out of the chute for a good ten seconds then settle in to my pace and concentrate on consistency.
Equipment:Guru Trilight TT bike, Giro Advantage Aero helmet, Ksyrium bladed wheels using Wheelbuilder wheel covers for the rear wheel essentially turning the wheel into a disc. Full sleeve Skinsuit and wind socks...
Lap 1 of the 2.3 mile course had me testing the waters. Half the course was a wind tunnel while the other was all dead air and puddles. As I hit the wind I decided to flip to my small ring and throw up a high cadence to conserve strength and rely on my aero position to help maintain an avg speed of 17/18 mph.
Once turning onto the back stretch I flipped into the 50/19 and pushed between 23 and 26 mph. I avoided the puddles and pushed on. Split time:6:06
Lap 2- I settled in feeling the heat but not too worried...yet, despite the bad venting of a good aero helmet. Hit that wind again but kept solid to the plan that I laid down for lap 1. However as I rounded the turn for the backend run I decided I was going to deliberately go through as many puddles as I could in a straight line to get some cool down from the splashback. It worked perfectly and I did that for the rest of the race. Split: 6:13
Lap 3- More of the same but started to feel the heat and fatigue which was evident in my time loss. I took a puddle too close to the muddy end and almost wiped out but held on. Split; 6:25
Lap 4- The hammer of the Gods dropped on me and I was praying to every deity I ever heard of to get me through this lap. I was hot, I was fatigued and I was hurting. Split 6:35
Lap 5- Showtime. I felt a bit better than lap 4 but not by much. I had The back end of things two and been The back end of things by two. I sliced through the wind for the last time grateful that I was past that and set in to try and make up a little time on the back stretch. I picked a rabbit and overtook him just at the last turn before the finish. I pushed as hard as I could crossing the line with a split of 6:24.
Finish time- 31:45, sixth place in my cat.
I The back end of things my goal of 20mph avg setting an avg of 21.5. I was extremely happy with my form but a bit less so with my consistency. I did however beat last year by about 3 minutes, maybe more. I have to go check my time on that.
It was a great race day all around with some great race partners despite the inferno, but as JAck Nicholson said; "BURN BABY BURN".
Eric J
Friday, June 6, 2008
Something Steve Prefontaine once said...
Six weeks. That's about how long its been. Only been back on the bike for roughly two weeks. Sunday is my first race back. An 11 mile Time Trial. The race of truth as they call it.
No hiding in the pack, no coasting while sucking wheel. Just you and your bike toughing it out against the clock. And the clock is a merciless opponent.
You know what TT's remind me of? Holding a heavy book in your hands above your head. It just hurts more and more as time wears on. Know what I mean? That incessant dogged soreness, that burn of fatigue...
Got my TT bike all pimped out with Wheelbuilder aero wheel covers, a shiny new Aero helmet. I'll look fast anyway. Don't know how strong I'll be but I'm going to give it all I got, cause that's the only way I know how anyway. Because after all;
"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the Gift."--Steve Prefontaine
Eric J
No hiding in the pack, no coasting while sucking wheel. Just you and your bike toughing it out against the clock. And the clock is a merciless opponent.
You know what TT's remind me of? Holding a heavy book in your hands above your head. It just hurts more and more as time wears on. Know what I mean? That incessant dogged soreness, that burn of fatigue...
Got my TT bike all pimped out with Wheelbuilder aero wheel covers, a shiny new Aero helmet. I'll look fast anyway. Don't know how strong I'll be but I'm going to give it all I got, cause that's the only way I know how anyway. Because after all;
"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the Gift."--Steve Prefontaine
Eric J
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Something the Foo Fighters once said...
Well, what does one say. Almost 6 weeks to the day when I ran my bike into a heathen creature of the woods. And in the interim I was the victim of Indentity theft, but that's another story. Let's just stick to the topic at hand.
Its been a long road to ruin and my first race back is Sunday at CRCA's FBF TT. I've been training for a whopping two weeks now with as much structure as I was able to muster. Running has been uber painful my first two attempts, the first lasting 2 minutes before I limped home and the second 6.5 before throwing in the towel. So I guess its getting better.
As it turns out what happened as close as Me and the Doc can make out is that when I hit the Demon Bambi of Tiorati Street I slid into him sideways flipping over him laterally. My left cleat unclipped with no problem while my right did not disengage until the cleat itself snapped in two. In the interim I strained and pulled my Adductor and other various groups in the upper thigh as well as strained the knee.
I was on a cane for several days the first week and hobbling for weeks after. My first ride back a couple weeks ago while on vacation was slow and measured. Painful at first then uncomfortable and finally relatively painfree but exhausting. Oddest and most unsettling of all was how foreign my bike felt to me for the first 5 miles or so.
Like most of you my bike/s are an extension of myself, a part of me like my arm or leg. This feeling of disassociation really creeped me out. Then of course there was having to deal with freaking out every time I heard an animal thrash through the brush....
I finally got out last week for a 50 miler to Bear Mountain getting in some hills and not feeling completely dead afterwards and following that up with a 50 miler to the GW bridge on Memorial day. I felt okay but could not sustain any kind of power for long and my lungs were just shot.
At one point a train of Organic Athlete riders passed by and signalled for me to hop on their wheel and I couldn't stay glued for more than a minute... That depressed the hell outta me.
I've done a couple good threshold workouts since then and while my Vo2 is well below my max I'm on the mend. I can definitely NOT hold out in a pack race but I'm feeling well enough to at least hold my own in a TT. Besides I'm jonesing to try out my spiffy new skinsuit. Of course I'll look like a beached whale unless I lose all of the NINE POUNDS I PUT ON!!!!!!!!!!!!
Been a tough month+ and one I am so so glad to be on the other side of it. So its back on the long road to ruin with training. I have Sunday's TT and then I'll be going easy as I need to protect my August as I have Silvermine, Timberman Tri in New Hampshire and Westpoint Tri the week after that...
I did a w/u today followed by a 12 mile TT in full Skinsuit. Maintained 20mph despite some pain so I hope I'm good to go for Sunday. Looks like I'm back on that:
Long Road To Ruin... (Foo Fighters)
Be careful out there...
Eric J
Its been a long road to ruin and my first race back is Sunday at CRCA's FBF TT. I've been training for a whopping two weeks now with as much structure as I was able to muster. Running has been uber painful my first two attempts, the first lasting 2 minutes before I limped home and the second 6.5 before throwing in the towel. So I guess its getting better.
As it turns out what happened as close as Me and the Doc can make out is that when I hit the Demon Bambi of Tiorati Street I slid into him sideways flipping over him laterally. My left cleat unclipped with no problem while my right did not disengage until the cleat itself snapped in two. In the interim I strained and pulled my Adductor and other various groups in the upper thigh as well as strained the knee.
I was on a cane for several days the first week and hobbling for weeks after. My first ride back a couple weeks ago while on vacation was slow and measured. Painful at first then uncomfortable and finally relatively painfree but exhausting. Oddest and most unsettling of all was how foreign my bike felt to me for the first 5 miles or so.
Like most of you my bike/s are an extension of myself, a part of me like my arm or leg. This feeling of disassociation really creeped me out. Then of course there was having to deal with freaking out every time I heard an animal thrash through the brush....
I finally got out last week for a 50 miler to Bear Mountain getting in some hills and not feeling completely dead afterwards and following that up with a 50 miler to the GW bridge on Memorial day. I felt okay but could not sustain any kind of power for long and my lungs were just shot.
At one point a train of Organic Athlete riders passed by and signalled for me to hop on their wheel and I couldn't stay glued for more than a minute... That depressed the hell outta me.
I've done a couple good threshold workouts since then and while my Vo2 is well below my max I'm on the mend. I can definitely NOT hold out in a pack race but I'm feeling well enough to at least hold my own in a TT. Besides I'm jonesing to try out my spiffy new skinsuit. Of course I'll look like a beached whale unless I lose all of the NINE POUNDS I PUT ON!!!!!!!!!!!!
Been a tough month+ and one I am so so glad to be on the other side of it. So its back on the long road to ruin with training. I have Sunday's TT and then I'll be going easy as I need to protect my August as I have Silvermine, Timberman Tri in New Hampshire and Westpoint Tri the week after that...
I did a w/u today followed by a 12 mile TT in full Skinsuit. Maintained 20mph despite some pain so I hope I'm good to go for Sunday. Looks like I'm back on that:
Long Road To Ruin... (Foo Fighters)
Be careful out there...
Eric J
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Something Bailey Pruitt once said...
I haven't written anything these last few days despite some good training and definite improvement. My first attempt at running was less than stellar; Two minutes in and I had to stop from the pain.
The good news is that I hit the road again today and made a half mile in about 6.5 minutes before having to abort but I recovered soon after. I'll try again in a few days...
Not sure why I haven't been motivated to blog. Saw something today that freaked me out quite a bit. This is the post I put up on another site:
While on my way to work I came upon one of those scenes that makes us cringe moreso because we're cyclicts. 9w, between the south Lake entrance and the new deli a crowd was gathered mid road.
I first saw the massive circa 70's Queen Mary of a Lincoln parked/beached half out into the roadway like some awful bloated cruise liner, the elderly driver leaning on the open door.
I slowed already knowing what I was going to see. I started to get that sick feeling down in my gut hoping against hope I would see an upright rider crying over his damaged bike.
The rider, wearing team kit lay in the middle of the twin double yellow lines not moving, cradled and bunched up like an infant doubled over in pain. I pulled over and spotted his bike half under that obnoxious box of a car whose front end sticks out so far as to prohibit any cautious look sees when entering a right angle turn.
The rider finally moved picking up his head for a moment then laying it back down while holding his left arm with his right keeping it close to his body. I figure at least a snapped collar bone.
I wanted to get out of the car and ask if he needed someone to hold onto his bike but the police were just arriving and there were so many people already there I didn't want to add to the spectacle.
I know what happened. I/we/you put ourselves in that situation countless times. My crash into a Deer was partly attributable to the same action. I plow down Hook and past that deli at speeds in excess of 40 and I have often, no always thought about the consequences of a driver pulling out of that driveway just North of the Deli.
Well it was apparent that is exactly what happened here. The rider, on a Tri bike was likely going at speed. The driver pulls out looking for a CAR and doesn't see the cyclist, REMEMBER THE AWARENESS AD? That hit home for me!
The result is almost a foregone conlusion....
WE MUST become better at being defensive on the roads. There are more and more cyclists and more and more apathy amongst drivers coupled with all the attention grabbing devices we have made "indispensible" to our lives. Did I tell you about the texting teen I encountered on my way home from David's Sprint ride on Thursday? He swerved into the cones at the school in Nyack while typing ! I chased the piece of $%#^ but couldn't get the plate.
Be careful and wary and defensive out there. It has IMHO become a real batlleground......."
Much of what we do as endurance athletes and bike racers is a dedicated but solitary effort. Despite our passion for a sport that is at once rewarding and merciless it tests our will power constantly. There has to be more to this than just the health aspects...
After my short run I dropped down onto the bed tapping the remote looking for something fun but mindless to watch while I vegged out. I was feeling ab it down despite having an improved run, I just want the healing done. Call it coincidence, serendipity, kismet whatever, "Mystery, Alaska" was just beginning. A hockey movie, right?
Just surface trappings. Its a movie about love. The love for and of a passion that in this story takes the form of an unlikely sport played on ice with bent sticks. And more than that, there is a love between the guys who share the passion and the people that support them.
There's a great scene in the movie where the Bailey Pruitt character shouts out in court in regards to one of the Saturday game players, "He skates to SKATE! He plays to play! He don't make a million dollars he LOVES the game of Hockey!"
What's great about the movie is that its really not about hockey. Its about love and if you love something you either give yourself over to it completely or not at all. that's how I see it anyway...
I can't see how anyone gets into bike racing or Triathlon to the degree some of us do without loving it. Without a burning passion for it, a passion to keep pushing despite setbacks, injury and failure.
And how much must my Wife love me to deal with all that comes with a husband so obsessed? The worry everytime I go out, the anxiety everytime I race. Having to deal with injuries of the body and soul... To forgive all the time spent elsewhere to train and race?
The Pogues, maybe the greatest band EVER said it best. "I love you till the end."
That's why we get back up and that's why she stays with me and puts up with all of it. Yeah, its hokey and corny but I do love it. I love the wind in my face and the fresh rain falling from a sun-filled sky while just coasting along. I love the pack pushing me along wrapped up tight in its arms until the moment I falter. I love the hours of training, running, swimming and most of all cycling.
And yeah, I love my wife not just because she puts up with my amatuer fantasy racing silliness but because she cheers for me when I race and smiles for me when I'm dirty and tired and hurting and comforts me when I'm injured or down. There is no love without passion. I ride to ride, I race to race....
I know that poor guy I saw down on the ground this morning will get back up and get back on that bike soon enough. We take what is thrown at us and keep on going... Its a love thing.
Jim061 is home and on the long road to mending...
"He skates to skate..." Baily Pruitt
Eric J
The good news is that I hit the road again today and made a half mile in about 6.5 minutes before having to abort but I recovered soon after. I'll try again in a few days...
Not sure why I haven't been motivated to blog. Saw something today that freaked me out quite a bit. This is the post I put up on another site:
While on my way to work I came upon one of those scenes that makes us cringe moreso because we're cyclicts. 9w, between the south Lake entrance and the new deli a crowd was gathered mid road.
I first saw the massive circa 70's Queen Mary of a Lincoln parked/beached half out into the roadway like some awful bloated cruise liner, the elderly driver leaning on the open door.
I slowed already knowing what I was going to see. I started to get that sick feeling down in my gut hoping against hope I would see an upright rider crying over his damaged bike.
The rider, wearing team kit lay in the middle of the twin double yellow lines not moving, cradled and bunched up like an infant doubled over in pain. I pulled over and spotted his bike half under that obnoxious box of a car whose front end sticks out so far as to prohibit any cautious look sees when entering a right angle turn.
The rider finally moved picking up his head for a moment then laying it back down while holding his left arm with his right keeping it close to his body. I figure at least a snapped collar bone.
I wanted to get out of the car and ask if he needed someone to hold onto his bike but the police were just arriving and there were so many people already there I didn't want to add to the spectacle.
I know what happened. I/we/you put ourselves in that situation countless times. My crash into a Deer was partly attributable to the same action. I plow down Hook and past that deli at speeds in excess of 40 and I have often, no always thought about the consequences of a driver pulling out of that driveway just North of the Deli.
Well it was apparent that is exactly what happened here. The rider, on a Tri bike was likely going at speed. The driver pulls out looking for a CAR and doesn't see the cyclist, REMEMBER THE AWARENESS AD? That hit home for me!
The result is almost a foregone conlusion....
WE MUST become better at being defensive on the roads. There are more and more cyclists and more and more apathy amongst drivers coupled with all the attention grabbing devices we have made "indispensible" to our lives. Did I tell you about the texting teen I encountered on my way home from David's Sprint ride on Thursday? He swerved into the cones at the school in Nyack while typing ! I chased the piece of $%#^ but couldn't get the plate.
Be careful and wary and defensive out there. It has IMHO become a real batlleground......."
Much of what we do as endurance athletes and bike racers is a dedicated but solitary effort. Despite our passion for a sport that is at once rewarding and merciless it tests our will power constantly. There has to be more to this than just the health aspects...
After my short run I dropped down onto the bed tapping the remote looking for something fun but mindless to watch while I vegged out. I was feeling ab it down despite having an improved run, I just want the healing done. Call it coincidence, serendipity, kismet whatever, "Mystery, Alaska" was just beginning. A hockey movie, right?
Just surface trappings. Its a movie about love. The love for and of a passion that in this story takes the form of an unlikely sport played on ice with bent sticks. And more than that, there is a love between the guys who share the passion and the people that support them.
There's a great scene in the movie where the Bailey Pruitt character shouts out in court in regards to one of the Saturday game players, "He skates to SKATE! He plays to play! He don't make a million dollars he LOVES the game of Hockey!"
What's great about the movie is that its really not about hockey. Its about love and if you love something you either give yourself over to it completely or not at all. that's how I see it anyway...
I can't see how anyone gets into bike racing or Triathlon to the degree some of us do without loving it. Without a burning passion for it, a passion to keep pushing despite setbacks, injury and failure.
And how much must my Wife love me to deal with all that comes with a husband so obsessed? The worry everytime I go out, the anxiety everytime I race. Having to deal with injuries of the body and soul... To forgive all the time spent elsewhere to train and race?
The Pogues, maybe the greatest band EVER said it best. "I love you till the end."
That's why we get back up and that's why she stays with me and puts up with all of it. Yeah, its hokey and corny but I do love it. I love the wind in my face and the fresh rain falling from a sun-filled sky while just coasting along. I love the pack pushing me along wrapped up tight in its arms until the moment I falter. I love the hours of training, running, swimming and most of all cycling.
And yeah, I love my wife not just because she puts up with my amatuer fantasy racing silliness but because she cheers for me when I race and smiles for me when I'm dirty and tired and hurting and comforts me when I'm injured or down. There is no love without passion. I ride to ride, I race to race....
I know that poor guy I saw down on the ground this morning will get back up and get back on that bike soon enough. We take what is thrown at us and keep on going... Its a love thing.
Jim061 is home and on the long road to mending...
"He skates to skate..." Baily Pruitt
Eric J
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Something Anna Nalick once said...
We are as tough as we are fragile....
I made it out on Saturday meeting up with a bunch of people going out for a 75 miler+. I planned on doing 50 to 60 miles of it. The route is hilly and grinds you down. It was nice seeing so many out and nicer to have them ask after me...
We set out and right off the bat I slip my chain. One after another each rider passing asked if I was okay taking my nod as a signal to keep going on ahead. I would have it no other way. I don't ask anyone to wait for me. I'll do the work to catch up or ride alone. The way it is for me...
Five weeks ago I would have sat in pushed the lever and worked for as long as I needed and caught at least some of them somwhere along the route. My head and my heart were right there but my lungs still need conditioning. It goes fast, aerobic capacity. In fact you begin to lose benefit within 48 hours of last activity. It had been roughly 720 hours since any significant aerobic activity for me so do THAT math.
I labored to catch up but hung my head down over the bars too many times gasping for air...
Breathe...Just Breathe...
I took the hills full out, standing while gripping the drops white knuckled and weaving the bike in a sprint action to get over the hills fast enough to not have to worry about sucking air. Then used the downhill to recover while I breathed deep and full refueling the spent blood cells.
Having a limit imposed on how long I can maintain LTHR again just beats you down physically and mentally. But we are a tough bunch, cyclists...endurance athletes.
Breathe... Just Breathe... We'll get there.
I did 50 miles and felt good afterwards. Good for having decided to get out and push, good for hitting the hills and good for doing the 50.
Memorial Day I went out for another big ride going South to Englewood via 9W this time. The hills proved to be just so tough as I am just so far back on my aerobic capacity. I know it will come but still... We are as tough as we are fragile...
I went out with my friend Hoech who is a rocket and much faster than I at my best but still when he takes off I take off and charge hard to catch him despite little hope of doing so. Its the attempt that fuels me. But I just didn't have the legs or the air...
I am without a doubt by nature and nurture an impetuous rider/racer. I have a hard time holding back and prefer to go than be smart and lay in. So when the line of Team Organic riders went past me, a bright green freight train busting through the air I immediately took off to catch onto their wheel.
Breath..Just Breathe... I repeated that to myself as I watched them recede into the distance. That beat me down a bit.
Turning home I was blessed with that which a road rider dreams of when he's wrapped up tight in his blanket at night; A steady tailwind lasting for miles. That helped me hammer for a good distance lifting my spirits back up.
I saw Hoech here and there on the ride, couldn't blame him for constantly going off ahead and would have felt bad had he held back to stay with me... I pushed as much as I could and felt good about the ride afterwards.
Our bodies are fragile...
Jim061 is out of intensive care after having a van use him for a speed bump and he swears he'll be out riding in a couple months. That's tough!
Billie Holiday sang that "Into each life a little rain must fall". My friend Joe had the skies open up on him and his family over the last few years and he could not ride for a good long time. He is going back out on his bike today for the first time in a very long period. He's lost alot over the last few years, things that go beyond riding a bike, things that become lost forever except here in our hearts and minds and memories. He called me today after a long absence and it feels good to know he'll be out on those same roads again.
We are all as tough as we are fragile...
Breathe... Just Breath... (Anna Nalick)
I just registered for the CRCA Time Trial on June 8th... Breathe deep baby, the air up here is good!
Eric J
I made it out on Saturday meeting up with a bunch of people going out for a 75 miler+. I planned on doing 50 to 60 miles of it. The route is hilly and grinds you down. It was nice seeing so many out and nicer to have them ask after me...
We set out and right off the bat I slip my chain. One after another each rider passing asked if I was okay taking my nod as a signal to keep going on ahead. I would have it no other way. I don't ask anyone to wait for me. I'll do the work to catch up or ride alone. The way it is for me...
Five weeks ago I would have sat in pushed the lever and worked for as long as I needed and caught at least some of them somwhere along the route. My head and my heart were right there but my lungs still need conditioning. It goes fast, aerobic capacity. In fact you begin to lose benefit within 48 hours of last activity. It had been roughly 720 hours since any significant aerobic activity for me so do THAT math.
I labored to catch up but hung my head down over the bars too many times gasping for air...
Breathe...Just Breathe...
I took the hills full out, standing while gripping the drops white knuckled and weaving the bike in a sprint action to get over the hills fast enough to not have to worry about sucking air. Then used the downhill to recover while I breathed deep and full refueling the spent blood cells.
Having a limit imposed on how long I can maintain LTHR again just beats you down physically and mentally. But we are a tough bunch, cyclists...endurance athletes.
Breathe... Just Breathe... We'll get there.
I did 50 miles and felt good afterwards. Good for having decided to get out and push, good for hitting the hills and good for doing the 50.
Memorial Day I went out for another big ride going South to Englewood via 9W this time. The hills proved to be just so tough as I am just so far back on my aerobic capacity. I know it will come but still... We are as tough as we are fragile...
I went out with my friend Hoech who is a rocket and much faster than I at my best but still when he takes off I take off and charge hard to catch him despite little hope of doing so. Its the attempt that fuels me. But I just didn't have the legs or the air...
I am without a doubt by nature and nurture an impetuous rider/racer. I have a hard time holding back and prefer to go than be smart and lay in. So when the line of Team Organic riders went past me, a bright green freight train busting through the air I immediately took off to catch onto their wheel.
Breath..Just Breathe... I repeated that to myself as I watched them recede into the distance. That beat me down a bit.
Turning home I was blessed with that which a road rider dreams of when he's wrapped up tight in his blanket at night; A steady tailwind lasting for miles. That helped me hammer for a good distance lifting my spirits back up.
I saw Hoech here and there on the ride, couldn't blame him for constantly going off ahead and would have felt bad had he held back to stay with me... I pushed as much as I could and felt good about the ride afterwards.
Our bodies are fragile...
Jim061 is out of intensive care after having a van use him for a speed bump and he swears he'll be out riding in a couple months. That's tough!
Billie Holiday sang that "Into each life a little rain must fall". My friend Joe had the skies open up on him and his family over the last few years and he could not ride for a good long time. He is going back out on his bike today for the first time in a very long period. He's lost alot over the last few years, things that go beyond riding a bike, things that become lost forever except here in our hearts and minds and memories. He called me today after a long absence and it feels good to know he'll be out on those same roads again.
We are all as tough as we are fragile...
Breathe... Just Breath... (Anna Nalick)
I just registered for the CRCA Time Trial on June 8th... Breathe deep baby, the air up here is good!
Eric J
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Something Dave Mathews once said...
Awoke feeling a bit stiff and sore but overall pretty good. I decided to get out early for a spin before the rains hit. I was pretty exhausted after yesterday's rides and wondered what I'd have out on the road despite my pledge to go easy...
I heard there's a prediction that I'd be getting back into things too fast and too hard. knowing me, and I do its probably a good bet. But I was determined to go easy today. I started out slow huffing and puffing up 304 taking a while to warm up. I figured I'd hit the Lake and then run through Valley cottage.
I could feel the lack of real power in my legs so I opted to keep my cadence high and steady. I still fell into coasting more than I wanted but I think that was more an aerobic issue than muscular. Its amazing how fast you lose aerobic capacity. I was starting to feel good though, loose and comfortable despite the occasional pian in the butt, literally. Gotta get used to the saddle all over again.
I stayed in Z1/Z2 feeling good about it but knowing deep down that I couldn't muster too much more thyan that anyway. My body is allowing me to work just so hard and no harder, probably a good thing. I'm getting there but slowly.
It started to rain on my way home and I subconsciously started to hammer hoping to get home before the deluge. I surprised myself at how long I was able to maintain good speed but was mindful to stay in the small ring at least. Made it home after an hour and a half as the rain started to hit for real.
"I'm coming on slow but speeding..."
~~~Dave Mathews
I heard there's a prediction that I'd be getting back into things too fast and too hard. knowing me, and I do its probably a good bet. But I was determined to go easy today. I started out slow huffing and puffing up 304 taking a while to warm up. I figured I'd hit the Lake and then run through Valley cottage.
I could feel the lack of real power in my legs so I opted to keep my cadence high and steady. I still fell into coasting more than I wanted but I think that was more an aerobic issue than muscular. Its amazing how fast you lose aerobic capacity. I was starting to feel good though, loose and comfortable despite the occasional pian in the butt, literally. Gotta get used to the saddle all over again.
I stayed in Z1/Z2 feeling good about it but knowing deep down that I couldn't muster too much more thyan that anyway. My body is allowing me to work just so hard and no harder, probably a good thing. I'm getting there but slowly.
It started to rain on my way home and I subconsciously started to hammer hoping to get home before the deluge. I surprised myself at how long I was able to maintain good speed but was mindful to stay in the small ring at least. Made it home after an hour and a half as the rain started to hit for real.
"I'm coming on slow but speeding..."
~~~Dave Mathews
Monday, May 19, 2008
Something Hopalong Cassidy once said...
This morning was an odd mix of giddy expectation and nervous anticipation. The acts of prepping my ride and pulling on my kit felt at the same time familiar and foreign. I was both excited and apprehensive. I set my HR Monitor, stepped into my shoes still scarred from the crash and before leaving the house, affixed a P-Touch label emblazoned with JIM061 to the steerer tube of my bike.
Jim is a member of my cycling club laying in the hospital after being hit by a van while riding. My training up to and participation in the Westpoint Tri are dedicated to him.
I hit the road and for the first half mile I actually felt out of place on the bike that I have ridden for 10,000 miles. A milestone I hit today on my return to cycling. Are there any coincidences? But after that first mile I was one with my machine again though a bit gun shy as I rode.
It took several miles for the pain and soreness to subside but I kept it easy and was soon in the flow pedaling smoothly though not with great power. The worst pain was getting on and off the bike as stretching my leg over the cross saddle stretched the Abductor muscle which was the hardest hit.
I did a few loops in Rock Lake and decided I needed, not wanted but needed to climb Hook. I know I need to go easy but that's a hard concept for me. I hit the mile climb and was surprised at how much less difficult it was than I anticipated. I stood up for a good portion of it and felt good. I took it easy going down though, still a bit hesitant...
I stopped at the TOGA shop to rest and wait out the passing rain shower and realized I was pretty shagged out. I also was surprised at how much cardio I had lost in just under a month. After a fifteen minute rest I took off again and headed home.
Just being on the bike again was nirvana. Just to feel the wind rush and the glide of the wheels was like coming home. I realized just how much I really did miss training and riding.
I made it home after twenty one miles and an hour and a half exhausted and elated. I passed out after a shower, ate and then being the stubborn dope that I am went out again!
I met up with a group from the local club and did an easy ride for 9 miles and then took off smacking down the hammer for the last 3 miles. Man that just felt good.
Tomorrow I'm hoping to get out and push a bit harder. There's some residual soreness but nothing I can't deal with. I also stepped on the scale this morning 'cause I can feel the extra weight I put on and I have to think the scale is off. Regardless I know I have a bunch of pounds to knock off.
I have a way to go and next week I start running, a whole new hell. But as Hopalong once said, "I'm back in the saddle again..."
Eric J
Jim is a member of my cycling club laying in the hospital after being hit by a van while riding. My training up to and participation in the Westpoint Tri are dedicated to him.
I hit the road and for the first half mile I actually felt out of place on the bike that I have ridden for 10,000 miles. A milestone I hit today on my return to cycling. Are there any coincidences? But after that first mile I was one with my machine again though a bit gun shy as I rode.
It took several miles for the pain and soreness to subside but I kept it easy and was soon in the flow pedaling smoothly though not with great power. The worst pain was getting on and off the bike as stretching my leg over the cross saddle stretched the Abductor muscle which was the hardest hit.
I did a few loops in Rock Lake and decided I needed, not wanted but needed to climb Hook. I know I need to go easy but that's a hard concept for me. I hit the mile climb and was surprised at how much less difficult it was than I anticipated. I stood up for a good portion of it and felt good. I took it easy going down though, still a bit hesitant...
I stopped at the TOGA shop to rest and wait out the passing rain shower and realized I was pretty shagged out. I also was surprised at how much cardio I had lost in just under a month. After a fifteen minute rest I took off again and headed home.
Just being on the bike again was nirvana. Just to feel the wind rush and the glide of the wheels was like coming home. I realized just how much I really did miss training and riding.
I made it home after twenty one miles and an hour and a half exhausted and elated. I passed out after a shower, ate and then being the stubborn dope that I am went out again!
I met up with a group from the local club and did an easy ride for 9 miles and then took off smacking down the hammer for the last 3 miles. Man that just felt good.
Tomorrow I'm hoping to get out and push a bit harder. There's some residual soreness but nothing I can't deal with. I also stepped on the scale this morning 'cause I can feel the extra weight I put on and I have to think the scale is off. Regardless I know I have a bunch of pounds to knock off.
I have a way to go and next week I start running, a whole new hell. But as Hopalong once said, "I'm back in the saddle again..."
Eric J
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Something Batman's Dad once said...
It has been a full 3&1/2 weeks since the incident/accident/collision and every one of those days has had painful moments or pain free moments if you're looking glass half full I guess. If you hadn't already heard; I collided with a force of nature up in Harriman State Park doing about thirty mph. The deer scampered off seemingly unscathed while I did an endo landing some five feet from my bike and sliding along the asphalt for another ten.
Took an hour and a half to clean my road rash, the majority of which appeared to be on my legs with some on the elbows as well. I pulled and sprained the major leg muscles in my right thigh and bruised my knee cap. The healing process had me overcompensating with my left leg and trying to use too much of the healthy muscle in my right leg resulting in pain and soreness in new and even more exciting places.
One bright spot in all this for you skeptics: The nurse, a true angel of mercy despite the pain she inflicted while excavating my wounds stated how lucky I was that my legs were shaved or I would have been in all kinds of trouble with the clean up and healing process. VINDICATED!!!!!!
The mental battle has been rough. Just before the incident/accident/collision I had reached my Peak. Right on schedule for Colt's Neck, my first A race of the season to be followed by the TOGA Biathlon a week later. The last hard workout I did before the taper was a run/bike/run in Rock Lake on the actual biathlon course. I felt great, strong and ready!
Going from the strongest you've felt in years to walking with a cane in a matter of days is a near-devastating event. I have not been on a bike or done training of any sort for three and a half weeks and I am jonesing like a crack addict who hasn't seen a corner in a month!
There is still pain at times, the morning before I am loose just plain stinks but at this point I have complete mobility and after I stretch I feel okay. You know how mentally rough it is when you were riding 80 miles on the weekend and find you are hurting so bad you can't tie your shoe lace? I hope you never have to find out. But enough whining....
Here's the deal, the point, the reason for this new blog: I have 3 races in August- The Silvermine Time Trials, The Timberman Sprint Tri in New Hampshire and a week after that Westpoint. I am hell bent on getting myself back into top form for these races.
The Westpoint Tri in August is dedicated to a riding buddy, JIM061 in the hospital recuperating from a collision with a van while out riding.
Tomorrow, Monday May 19th is my first day back on the bike. It will be a slow spin to help me assess where I am and how much I have lost. I am going to chronical my journey, my progress, trips and falls as a way to stay focused and I invite you along for the ride. Read, comment, ignore...whatever.
"It's not how many times we fall down that matters, its how many times we get back up..." ~~~Dr. Wayne
Took an hour and a half to clean my road rash, the majority of which appeared to be on my legs with some on the elbows as well. I pulled and sprained the major leg muscles in my right thigh and bruised my knee cap. The healing process had me overcompensating with my left leg and trying to use too much of the healthy muscle in my right leg resulting in pain and soreness in new and even more exciting places.
One bright spot in all this for you skeptics: The nurse, a true angel of mercy despite the pain she inflicted while excavating my wounds stated how lucky I was that my legs were shaved or I would have been in all kinds of trouble with the clean up and healing process. VINDICATED!!!!!!
The mental battle has been rough. Just before the incident/accident/collision I had reached my Peak. Right on schedule for Colt's Neck, my first A race of the season to be followed by the TOGA Biathlon a week later. The last hard workout I did before the taper was a run/bike/run in Rock Lake on the actual biathlon course. I felt great, strong and ready!
Going from the strongest you've felt in years to walking with a cane in a matter of days is a near-devastating event. I have not been on a bike or done training of any sort for three and a half weeks and I am jonesing like a crack addict who hasn't seen a corner in a month!
There is still pain at times, the morning before I am loose just plain stinks but at this point I have complete mobility and after I stretch I feel okay. You know how mentally rough it is when you were riding 80 miles on the weekend and find you are hurting so bad you can't tie your shoe lace? I hope you never have to find out. But enough whining....
Here's the deal, the point, the reason for this new blog: I have 3 races in August- The Silvermine Time Trials, The Timberman Sprint Tri in New Hampshire and a week after that Westpoint. I am hell bent on getting myself back into top form for these races.
The Westpoint Tri in August is dedicated to a riding buddy, JIM061 in the hospital recuperating from a collision with a van while out riding.
Tomorrow, Monday May 19th is my first day back on the bike. It will be a slow spin to help me assess where I am and how much I have lost. I am going to chronical my journey, my progress, trips and falls as a way to stay focused and I invite you along for the ride. Read, comment, ignore...whatever.
"It's not how many times we fall down that matters, its how many times we get back up..." ~~~Dr. Wayne
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