Crewing for Kevin Van Dyke at the Furnace Creek 508

Early tomorrow morning, I will be traveling down to SoCal to begin anoghter 508 adventure. This time, I will be crewing for Kevin Van Dyke aka Desert Coyote

I will attempt to update this blog before, during and after the race so check back often!

In addition, he may tweet during the ride.

I know I will be tweeting.

Posted 8:41 PM by John Henry

The Marmot got Cooked on Bakeoven Road

I'll post my ride stats later, but I did not finish the 2009 Ring of Fire 24 Hour Time Trial.

I was (key word is "was") riding well until Bakeoven Road. I followed my ride plan, and I was sucessful. I was able to climb Dufer Gap Road well; I was not suffering.

However, when I turned onto Bakeoven, my life turned also. My heart rate climbed up to a beyon 150 bpm even when I was in my lowest gear (26 x 25). I stopped and started walking my bike up the hill in an effort to bring my heart rate down. Slowly it dropped to 130. I received cold fluids from another rider's crew (Thanks Adrian!).

I got back on my bike, but my heart rate shot up again. My own crew then arrived and helped me. I got cooled off, some water, my heart rate down and back on the bike.

But, the damage was done. Six miles later it was obvious that I had to DNF.

From what I understand, my experience is not unique. A lot of riders quit early, even the 12 TT folks. It appears that the carnage is everywhere.

Posted 8:00 PM by John Henry

The Adventure Begins

I'm about to start my "A" race of the season - The Ring of Fire 24 Hour Time Trial. My start time is 6:51 am, less than 30 minutes away. You can follow the race progress at the Race Across Oregon website. Wish me luck!

Posted 6:09 AM by John Henry

The Ring of Fire Time Trial

The Ring of Fire 24 Hour Time Trial (RoF) is the hardest ride I have ever done. I have ridden my bike further, and higher, and harder, but the RoF is the hardest ride I have ridden. And I will be doing it again on Saturday.

What makes it so hard? Well, first of all, there are the climbs. They are numerous and hard - Maupin, Tygh Valley, Bennett Pass, Dufer Market Road and not to be forgotten, Bakeovern Rd.

Then there is the weather. It will be cool in the morning when I start. I will be wearing both arm and leg warmers, plus long fingered gloves. But, the day will be hot, very hot. Afternoon temperatures will be in the mid-nineties. But when the sun goes down, the temperature will drop to the low forties. It will be cold.

Also there is the lack of sleep. This is a twenty four hour time trial. I get on the bike at 6:51 am on Saturday and I will ride to 6:51 am on Sunday. This is going to be fun!

Ride Plan

I have only two goals. (1) Ride for the entire 24 hours - no quiting early, and (2) keep my average heart rate at 125 bpm, a very easy pace for me.

My best Ring of Fire was my first, in 2006. I was in training for the Furnace Creek 508. My goals were simple - finish, limit my time off of the bike, and ride 300 miles. I accomplished all three.

I returned in 2007 with different goals. I wanted to do better than 2006, so I worked much harder early in the ride and suffered in the latter portions of the ride. I did not accomplish any of my 2007 goals. In fact, I quit at 10:00 pm.

In 2008, I did not ride well at all as I was afflicted with chronic fatigue syndrome. Earlier in the summer, Mark Newsome and I had set the 50+ two person team record at the Race Across Oregon. It was a hard and hot race. Afterward, I never took time off after that race.

I was scheduled to ride the 24 time trial, but my doctor wanted me to withdraw from the race completely. Being stubborn, I dropped down to the 12 hour time trial. I should have listened my doctor.

After looking at my performance data for all three rides, I see that I can ride longer and farther if I ride easier. If I push myself too hard, I burn up and bonk. So, my goal is 125 beats per minute average. An easy ride in the park.

Check out this document Ring of Fire Analysis to see my prior performances.

Food

I love to eat, except when I am on the bike. So, in an attempt to keep myself fueled, I have created this Food Plan.

Crew

I am very lucky to have Elise Ross crew for me. She will keep me hydrated, fed and on the bike. In short, she will allow me to accomplish my goals. I thank her in advance for her hard work. I also apologize in advance for any dirty looks I may give her when she tells to to get on and "Ride the Fraking Bike!"

Posted 10:52 PM by John Henry

Rollers

I intended to do a very early morning ride. Wake up at 2:15 and ride to sunrise. But it was raining, and I was not motivated to ride in the rain in the dark. So, back to bed I went.

However, I did want to get some time on the bike, but nothing hard. The weather was terrible - both wind and rain, so I got the idea of riding the Power Crank bike on the rollers. Surprisingly, it was not that difficult. In fact, it was almost fun.

Posted 12:54 PM by John Henry

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Posted 8:53 PM by John Henry

Thursday Night Ride

Tualatin Tuesday

Posted 8:55 PM by John Henry