tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63874053215265531352024-02-20T20:04:14.022-08:00Mann PoweredJoe Mann's Ultra Cycling AdventuresJoe Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08742764356546400536noreply@blogger.comBlogger135125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387405321526553135.post-87667519968447233292014-03-02T10:20:00.001-08:002014-03-02T10:20:23.847-08:00What is on tap for 2014<p>It has been a while since I updated my blog so I thought I would give a quick re-cap of 2013 and the plan for 2014.</p> <p><font size="3"><u>2013 cut short</u></font></p> <p>2013 was a off year for me with no big races planned during the summer.  I did start the 380 miles gravel road Almanzo Alexander in May.  I cut that ride short to <em>only</em> ride 305 miles of it.  The big event for the year would be my wife Connie competing in Ironman Florida in November.  Connie’s Ironman went great with a finishing time of under 12:30.  She rocked it all day including the ocean swim with huge waves and 3000 people taking off at once.  <a href="http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play;_ylt=A2KLqIHhZhNTuQ0ATz37w8QF;_ylu=X3oDMTBzZzJoNGtoBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDdmlkBHZ0aWQDBGdwb3MDMTY-?p=ironman+florida+start+2013&vid=cd5a937c69a3ade2d0dda836664e0793&l=3%3A01&turl=http%3A%2F%2Fts4.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DVN.608020068982066943%26pid%3D15.1&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dll9o4X7jDVE&tit=2013+Ironman+Florida+Swim+Start+-+4+camera+view&c=15&sigr=11auitnc4&sigt=11feal06u&age=0&fr=uh3_my_web_gs&tt=b">Check out the video of the start.</a></p> <p>We once again did RAGBRAI.  My 25th and Connie’s 22.  For the eight year in a row I rode out with Mike Doyle but this year Connie and a couple of her friends decided they would ride out as well.  We gave the ladies a one day head start and caught them in Oskaloosa.  It was the hottest ride out I have done.  Friday the ride/death march from <a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/348619241">Osceola to Red Oak</a> was the hardest day riding out to RAGBRAI in those 8 years. 111 miles with 7000 feet of climbing and an average temperature that day of 93 and non-stop head winds.  The ladies picked a tough year to join us.</p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9T8azbLcP_HQ9GqbvWESKuKJ_5VwoUm3kF_AXwpIdsMp3htArZzCOoelmghQO1T4WALxrtPEr_jVz9nHRj4UGpScy9zSJpy5jlv5POaw2uoyM2JqkQjKNjDv7aBfm4pfhvDH3tBGAwNV/s1600-h/Ironman%252520After%252520at%252520Condo%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="Ironman After at Condo" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Ironman After at Condo" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOCFMUIz7iDKHD5PaJ7cWq0OZdpz_P5LbIE0c_t35JN3uwM_ls0328vWVFAoQ9b83cFEDAjbOmdabv6bldXMAD5Z_tQeimPQ38A6GwB_YLaA56_mmIaK7GownAknUxMR-DzHv0juDpJKhyphenhyphen/?imgmax=800" width="274" height="364" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZKFwnv5TR_A1juMZvT3BPsvYLFx_8JZZzEcgMOTSdks0lNsO3RJdAx99LPmsLTml-bNYADJEpU9XAx9qPGp-6LYVVvesX4nuLsUuxRvqRapx75Dh6PVJ-nQYXGxjxpne5aTM1YS6xpTj/s1600-h/Ironman%252520Bike%2525206%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="Ironman Bike 6" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Ironman Bike 6" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkXDK5yabAwZ7XbMkk5tV1PNLr-01uw80csGJCINl-wc3Xw53nk4FO_1zAwKlaqhM2pRWnpC2dgf4K2u6NQljs8Eqdyw61WQSeBlwGz1PpgH9pQnA-8hp97mZccdIyaJXOHyNlWSYbpZhD/?imgmax=800" width="487" height="365" /></a> <p>My season was cut short in August when at the Iowa State road race I crashed and broke my collar bone in 4 places.  Unfortunately the crash was not my fault the rider in front of me went down and I had no place to go.  This was the first road race I had entered in a few years. I had just aged up to the 50+ I wanted to test my fitness against some of the local talent.  The race was going well up to that point.  This kept me off the bike for 10 weeks during my favorite time of the year to ride.  Luckily it was just a collar bone and nothing more serious.  I smashed my helmet up pretty good.</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-1Jz3LkljaDlIcqmJHShiCs_3e5ohCJhzlYjpuhReLGLo_amcoNXICHM-Hcjs8MbhY6KRHBXirH-u9Gn4VAZSXUvSDrsQdutc3MtokFsWG6KlWGRJdZcBe7YsCwLfVjqboszSJ-kPpV9E/s1600-h/Broken%252520Colar%252520Bone%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="Broken Colar Bone" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Broken Colar Bone" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5GGAXe39vQ_x644rgx88dWAgg4xWmR1-wM2L29PQ0Kg4-59AgVM_Dq2-hQdMLVpzO3ghHEuoMjtvXxv-D7V2Ru-WzdAY125H2F5swCAHcX9rOi5ZR22nn1sNLvdyFmDkybT2EOm-S6UYr/?imgmax=800" width="598" height="361" /></a></p> <p><font size="3"><u>2014 plans</u></font></p> <p>This year I have scheduled quite a busy year.  Both my boys will be getting married.  One in April and one in August.  Connie and I are crewing for a friend of mine Tim Richardson in June for solo RAAM.  I briefly met Tim when we raced against each other in 2009 RAW.  The next year we both crewed for Paul Carpenter’s RAAM attempt.  Tim is from the UK and is one of the funniest guys I have met.  My oldest Chris was on the same crew as Tim and he will never forget that great experience.  Our team name is <a href="http://www.teambrazen.co.uk/">Team Brazen.</a></p> <p>Somewhere around that schedule my plans include the 330 mile gravel race that is <a href="http://www.transiowa.blogspot.com/">Trans Iowa X</a> in April that stars in Grinnell Iowa.  This will be my fourth start of this epic adventure.  Three weeks later comes another go at the gravel road ride <a href="http://almanzo.com/race-almanzo/alexander/#.UxNvDsaYbcs">Alexander</a> in the Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin area.  Then a break for RAAM before starting up serious training for the big event in September that is the <a href="http://www.adkultracycling.com/adk540/">ADK540</a>.  This is an ultra race in Adirondack nation park in upstate New York.</p> <p>Connie is planning another Ironman distance race in August.   This <a href="http://hitstriathlonseries.com/waconia-mn">race will be in Minnesota</a> in mid August.  She also is planning an off-road ultra run that is part of the <a href="http://dwd.runningfitsites.com/hell-home">Dances with Dirt series</a>.  The run takes place in Hell Michigan in September and we plan to hit that on the way home from the ADK540.</p> <p>It is going to be a busy year for the Mann family with us travelling around the country and doing what we love to do.  I will try to provide some updates as the year goes on.  Connie does have a Facebook account but I do not.  You can follow our adventures and add comments there.</p> <p>Even though it has been cold and snowy we have been training pretty hard indoors and out in the cold.  We are both looking forward to getting the outdoor season started as we know the big events will be here before we know it. </p> Joe Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08742764356546400536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387405321526553135.post-22617480286370970022013-04-24T10:31:00.001-07:002013-04-24T10:31:14.002-07:00New Adventure<br />
Over the last couple years my wife has enjoyed doing some low key adventure racing. Just some local 12 hours races not like the insane ones you see on TV. This weekend will be my first endeavor to that completely different type of endurance racing.<br />
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Lucky for me this race only includes disciplines I can handle. There is no rock climbing, traversing or rappelling from dizzying heights. Just canoeing, mountain biking (that I can handle) and trekking. Each area requires you to orienteer using <a href="http://www.wa6otp.com/UTM.htm">UTM coordinates</a>. This is something completely new for me. I am used to navigating with cue sheets or maps but not coordinates and a compass. Should be interesting on the water and in the woods. When you have to follow roads on a map I am good to go.<br />
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The event we are doing is the <a href="http://www.boonecrusher.com/">Boone Crusher</a> and takes place in Boone Iowa. The location is handy since our oldest son lives in Boone and we can hang out with him the night before and stay at his house. Connie and I have been trying to get out on our mountain bikes once a week but have not been able to ride any trails with all the rainy weather we have been having. Hopefully the trails at Boone will be too muddy as well and they will keep us on the gravel roads.<br />
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My wife and I love watching The Amazing Race reality show and this will give us our own little version. Hopefully we can get along and just enjoy a day of wandering around the country side without getting on each others nerves. It should be a good time. I will post some pictures and video next week.<br />
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<span class="url" id="yui_3_3_0_1_1366822993607531"><b id="yui_3_3_0_1_1366822993607530"></b></span>Joe Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08742764356546400536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387405321526553135.post-65395364030502050412013-04-11T10:56:00.001-07:002013-04-11T10:56:12.884-07:00What to wear?When venturing out for a ride, this time of year, the decision should be whether to wear long sleeves, short sleeves or sleeveless. Instead this month it has been whether to wear insulated winter riding boots, shoes with covers or just shoes. There is something wrong with this picture.<br />
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The Tuesday night 6:00 PM group ride was a classic Iowa spring ride. I got off work at 3:00 and it was 77 degrees with the forecasted temperatures to be in the mid 60's by the time I got done riding at 8:00. Winds were to be SSW at 10. Great night for a long pre-ride before the group ride.<br />
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I headed out in shorts and short sleeves only to notice the wind was NE. Strange, but no problem I will just head towards Wilton and then back to the shop by 6:00. I had only gone a mile when the chill was not going away. I flicked my bike computer to the temperature and noticed it said 69 degrees. Thinking to myself it would not get any warmer I turned back home and grabbed a pair of sleeves. That took the chill off and away I went.<br />
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Once to Wilton I noticed the wind was more North and my computer was showing 63 degrees. At that point I decided to swing by home and pick up a pair of riding gloves since my hands were a little chilly. No need for full finger gloves just a little something to take the edge off.<br />
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At home grabbed the gloves and my wife asked if I needed a hat or some long finger gloves. I decided to carry the gloves just in case. After all she said "they are free to take". Out I went, with a tail wind, to meet the group.<br />
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I arrived to find eight riders at the shop all wondering what the heck happened to the 70 degree temperatures. Most of us with long sleeves and shorts. A few smarter ones with knickers or knee warmers and only two with any type of jacket. The teenager was bare arms and legs. Ah youth.<br />
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As we left town the cold northerly cross wind was blowing strong enough that keeping the group together was almost impossible. We finally settled in and made our way through the wind to Moscow. Tail wind time.<br />
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The anticipated tail wind had enough cross wind in it that drafting was very tough. As we returned to town my computer said 52 degrees. Heading back to the shop Greg complained about it being 52. I replied "hey, it's 52 degrees. Last week this would have been a great day." The problem was not the 52 degrees but the fact we were dressed for 70. I was really glad I had my long finger gloves for the 50 degree ride home. <br />
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It will be interesting to see what next Tuesday brings. 50,60,70 maybe 80. All I know is I will have my long finger gloves in my pocket just in case.Joe Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08742764356546400536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387405321526553135.post-29450383837157915402013-04-09T10:16:00.001-07:002013-04-09T10:16:24.151-07:00Rookie Mistakes
With the unseasonably cooler temperatures this spring the bar for good
outside riding weather has been substantially lowered. If the wind is not
howling over 20 mph, it is not raining or snowing and especially if the sun is
shining it is a good day to ride. It is now spring and I have only ridden
outside three time without my winter boots. One of them was in January. History
tells us it will warm up as some point.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
A few weeks ago, on a Thursday. there was a good day to ride outside. Sunny,
32 degrees, with light NNW winds. It had been cold enough the last couple days
that the gravel was hard/frozen. There was a road that goes north of town,
through a very small town of Moscow and then continued across interstate 80 and
points beyond. My mission was to explore the points beyond and see where I
would end up. Connie was going for supper with her sister and to a movie so I
had all kinds of free time.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
As I headed out I felt pretty good and was rolling along nicely. The gravel
was sweet and I was in the zone. I was hoping to get a nice 50 mile ride in
before the sun set. I had lights so even the sun set was not going to stop me.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The week before I had scouted this same area and got a flat tire. I could
not find the cause of the flat at the time and just changed the tube. Mistake
number one. One week later as I am rolling along I noticed the back tire
getting soft. What a way to kill your Mojo. No problem I pulled over to change
the tube. This time I found the nasty thorn that was the culprit of the last
untimely puncture. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
My cross bike tires are very hard to install and I don't have the strength
to remove the stubborn tires by hand. So I whip out my handy new tire lever and
proceed to remove the tire and install the new tube. As I start pumping I
notice that the tire is not taking any air. So I remove the new tube and notice
I pinched the tube with the tire lever. Mistake number 2.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Now what do I do? The first flat was a slow leak so I figure I will put that
tube back in and keep airing it up and limp my way the 15 miles back home. At
this point it that is my only choice since I do not have a patch kit with me.
Mistake number 3. I make it about 50 yard before the tire is completely flat
again. It is time for the come get me call.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Fortunately I had my cell phone with me and did not make mistake 4. I carry
my phone about 50 percent of my rides so I caught a break this time. 2 miles of
walking and riding on the flat tire to the pavement where my rescuer picked me
up and took me home.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Needless to say the next time I was at the bike shop I bought a glue less
patch kit. As I tell my boys; "It is only a mistake if you don't learn
from it".<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<br />Joe Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08742764356546400536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387405321526553135.post-33434185990427341522013-03-20T11:09:00.000-07:002013-03-21T10:28:41.715-07:00Back to postingOver the last 10 months I have not post anything. That does not mean I have not been riding just have not had the desire to post.<br />
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Some of 2012 cycling highlights:<br />
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Many centuries with my wife. She had her personal best for centuries ridden in one year plus she rode 150 miles at Metamora.<br />
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Tied for third place with friend Bill Ford at <a href="http://www.ultraracenews.com/2012/06/10/2012-balltown-race-directors-report/">Balltown Classic</a> in May.<br />
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Crew Chief for Paul Carpenter for RAAM in June. Had to withdraw after 900 miles due to Paul's illness. Connie and Bill were also part of the team.<br />
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6th place at Metamora 4X50 ride. Just under 10 hours total time. Cramped really bad the last lap and had to spend a lot of time off the bike.<br />
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First finisher of <a href="http://www.rideacrossiowa.com/">RAID (Ride Across Iowa in a Day)</a> in September. 15:50 for 315 miles. 6 minutes off the bike due to a great support staff of Connie and Bill Ford.<br />
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Basically slacked off the rest of the year.</div>
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All for now</div>
Joe Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08742764356546400536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387405321526553135.post-4862065038880887712012-05-23T18:29:00.000-07:002012-05-23T18:29:13.846-07:00Balltown ClassicMay 19th I completed in the <a href="http://www.ultramidwest.com/Balltown/bthome.aspx">Balltown Classic 200</a> mile race. This is the 5th time I have entered this race and it is one of my favorites. I really enjoy the fast starts that a 200 mile or 12 hour race offers. That fast-paced riding in a tight group takes me back to my USCF (now USA) cycling days. I feed off the riders around me and can dig a little deeper. The rush of chasing someone down or bridging a gap is quite exhilarating. It seems a little strange to be chasing with 195 miles to go but I love it and can't help but get caught up in the action.<br />
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The field this year was stacked. There were two 2012 solo RAAM racers, <a href="http://www.ultraracer.net/">Paul Carpenter</a> and <a href="http://www.kash-web.com/">Kurt Searvogel</a>, one four person RAAM racers, <a href="http://teambacchettaraam.com/team-bacchetta/">Larry Ide</a> and a past RAAM finisher, Dave Meredith. Previous Balltown winners Jay Yost and Bill Ford were also at the start line. Bill Ford is a teammate of mine and he and I have been preparing for this race for a few months. Bill came to the race with more centuries this year, 10 weekends in a row of 100+ mile rides, then he has ever had for the entire year.<br />
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During an ultra race there comes a time when your brain admits that you are going too fast and cannot sustain the current high pace any longer so you let the group go and conservatively settle in to your own "sane' pace. Our plan was to stay with the lead group and help with the pace in an attempt to break the race record of 10:05 or 20.13 mph average. We were not going to save anything but push and hang on until we could hang on no more. We knew who the big guns would be and we did not want them to get away.<br />
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The weather forecast was for warm and breezy with the winds picking up out of the south at 15-20 mph and gusty. This was going to make for a quick ride up and a long ride back. I tried to keep the thought of fighting the wind for the last 100 miles out of my head as we rapidly pushed our way north. The front group quickly whittled down to 10 in the first several miles. The group was riding strong as we rolled through Lost Nation and closed in our our rendezvous with the first of the big climbs south of Baldwin. Once over these climbs our group was reduced to seven with the first sag stop quickly approaching. We reached the sag in 2:08 with an average speed of around 24 mph. Kurt had on-course support and did not have to stop and Keith Wells was carrying enough food and water that he did not stop. When the rest of us stopped for 30 seconds they got a gap on us that "forced" us to chase. There we go again 150 miles to go and chasing. Sometimes the testosterone gets the best of the common sense. Five of us grouped up and started working to close the gap. Larry was on his recumbent and did some monster pulls on the long gradual downhills to help out and we eventually caught back on. I don't think they were really running from us but us still took 15 miles to catch them.<br />
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Chasing took quite a bit out of us and our little group was reduced to 5. Kurt, Bill, Martin, Collin and myself. Bill and I seemed like the weakest links as we rolled up and down the hills. We tried to take the downhills nice and easy but everybody else was hammering them. With the wind aided northern journey we hit the 100 mile mark in 4:16 and made the turn at Balltown, 104 miles, in 4:30. Now the fun would begin.<br />
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The race, and the hills, really begin in earnest shortly after Balltown on Horseshoe road. The climb into town is long and gradual and you hardly know you are trending upward until you are on the ridge and can see for miles. The route leaving town is a completely different story. In the first 20 miles after Balltown you hit three climbs that are over 10% with the length being over a mile. This year they changed the course and were avoiding those three climbs. I was glad because that is the point where I usually get dumped and finish the last 80 miles on my own. <br />
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Heading out on the new route my glad feelings were quickly erased as we came face to face with three very steep, 12%, climbs back to back to back. These climbs were not as long but were steeper and not spaced out like the old routes hills. At the end of the ride most of us agreed that the old route would have been easier.<br />
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Collin put the hurts to all of us on this section. He had commented that he likes the hills and was bummed there was not more. He was followed by Kurt, Martin, Bill then me bringing up the rear as the road finally leveled. This section decided the race and Bill and I did not have what it took to hang with the leaders. Bill commented that he has never wanted to get off and walk his bike up a hill before today. It is a good thing I loaned him my 12-23T cassette to go with his 39T little ring replacing his 12-21T. I was glad to have a 12-25T with a 36 in the front.<br />
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After the climbs all we had left was 85 miles of screaming head wind. Bill and I worked together not chasing just surviving at this point. We had Martin just in front of us and Kurt and Collin out of sight. We caught Martin just as my first cramp hit both legs forcing me to briefly stop and stretch until they went away. My legs were rebelling from the last 5 hours of pushing. The cramping would continue off and on for the next four hours. Bill got a little gap that allowed him to stop in Farley for water and me to catch back up to him. We again reeled in a suffering Martin but he was off the back quickly to leave Bill and I to push on to the finish.<br />
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Over the next 75 miles we climbed, fought the wind, enjoyed some much needed cross-wind sections and rolled along in survival mode wondering why we do this to ourselves. We commented that Mike and Jean were smart to stay home for this ride. I reminded Bill that we were solidly in third and fourth place and that everyone was suffering. This kind of talk was used to motivate him but also helpful in keeping my spirits up as I battled cramp after cramp.<br />
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We added a few quick unscheduled stops for water and the scheduled stop at the 150 mile mark to pick up some supplies at the sag before making the final push. With 23 miles to go we turned east for 16 miles of crosswind that rejuvenated us. With a quick stop in Welton for more cold water and wipe the salt off our faces we rolled on for the last 10 miles celebrating our accomplishment. Our finishing time was 11:15, 4:30 to Balltown and 6:45 back. We were 31 minutes behind Kurt and 27 minutes behind Collin. Martin would finish 27 minutes after us giving us 3rd and 4th place.<br />
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It was a very tough ride with the wind on the way back making every hill seem like a mountain. I have never seen Bill use such a low gear as often as he did that day. We pushed each other for the first 110 miles. He helped me through the cramps from the 75 mile mark to 30 mile mark and I helped him through the last 30 miles of no energy. It was a true team accomplishment by two guys who love to ride together. We have ridden thousands of miles together but this was the first rides that we really needed each other to make it to the finish. We were the only riders that finished together of the 15 official finisher.<br />
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<a href="http://www.ultramidwest.com/Stats/BTPre.htm">results</a>Joe Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08742764356546400536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387405321526553135.post-5661396773162342812012-04-26T12:55:00.000-07:002012-04-26T18:20:46.149-07:00Trans Iowa NervesI really hate the last week leading up to this race as well as any unsupported overnight ride. I will lose all kinds of sleep wondering what to wear and pack and if my equipment choice is right. 100 oz camelback or 70? Tights or leg warmers? Rain jacket or just a wind vest? How am I going to keep my feet warm all night? Can't wear shoe covers because they don't do well in mud, maybe wear the winter riding boots that are warm but heavier. Should I pack a lot of food or travel light and hope there are ample places to re-fuel? The list goes on and on.<br />
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I usually travel pretty heavy to ensure I have enough food and warm dry clothes. After this ride and my 600K's I always think I was stupid to bring that much stuff that I never used. That was just extra pounds to lug up the endless hills and through the peanut-butter mud. At least for the 600K brevets you know where your next meal will come from. There are somethings I always have like extra socks if rain is forecasted. Short finger gloves with windproof gloves to go over them plus another thin pair for overnight. For food it is always nice to have a Salted Nut Roll and some Fig Newtons stashed for those stops in the middle of nowhere. I will be packing lots of salt tablets, Aleeve and Chamois butter plus a few gels including one with caffeine for that late night jolt. Speaking of Jolt I also carry some caffeinated gum. Jolt was the first brand I found that made the gum but now you can get several brands. Last year I gave some away in the middle of the night to keep fellow riders awake. <br />
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Sunday morning/afternoon as I am finishing up I will again have a list of items that I carried for 330 miles that I never used. Just having them packed and ready to go hopefully will make me sleep better.<br />
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Food that I carried on the bike for last years Trans Iowa</div>
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Last year at the Hotel trying to figure out what to pack.</div>Joe Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08742764356546400536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387405321526553135.post-21105617262869932912012-04-15T07:33:00.001-07:002012-04-15T07:34:03.872-07:00Trans Iowa Training<h3><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6CvVn0lJe6d9vzsKJFukppLecWZWyyI0J_K8tuHkxGuX03vQrsS-rBb5hRl37CjfjyFc0v9_B8EUutV0fDN-nsF8FRid8c_DK36s3AN2GEgXwDu2oVCiRLLIHgDGDgEFVpXbVlnjTHfd2/s320/DSC00320.JPG" width="427" height="240" /></h3> <p>A few more weeks and Trans Iowa 8 will be taking place. My training over the last couple months has been geared towards hills and gravel on the cross bike. I have also thrown in a few long road bike rides for good measure. <br />In addition to some hill work last week I was able to convince a couple buddies to join me on a gravel road century on cross bikes. I create the course using <a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/81251315">Map My Ride</a> and tried to go on gravel roads I had not ridden before. I verified the cue sheets, as far as the direction of the turns, but did not have a way to verify if the road was paved, gravel, dirt or not a road at all. We had all four of those types during our loop. </p> <p>To add to the adventure, and to closely duplicate the <a href="http://www.transiowa.blogspot.com/">Trans Iowa </a>routine, I did not take a map of the area just copies of the cue sheets for each of us. I did not tell Jean and Mike where we were going and only gave them a fourth of the cue sheets at a time. I didn't want them anticipating what was coming or where we were going. They seemed to be up for the challenge.</p> <p>As we rolled out of town at 7 AM the sunny was warm and the breezes were light. The forecast was for all that to change around 11 o'clock with cloudy skies and a slight chance of rain. The weather was far from our minds as we leisurely rolled down the bike quiet path to the south of town in search of gravel. <br /></p> <p>South of Muscatine is pancake flat. Even the gravel does not have any hills. However once you reach the bluff that runs on the north-west edge of Muscatine you experience some nice long climbs. The bluff along highway 61 on Whiskey Hollow road was our first nice climb. Once up on the bluff there are several chances to go back down or you can stay up on the bluff. Not having ridden this portion of the course we anticipated the quick decent. After snaking along the edge for a few miles we finally reach a downhill that spit is out on Stewart road at the bottom of the big hill we all know too well. </p> <p>The route did not take us up the daunting hill but down a road at the base of the climb. This was a greatly appreciated and unexpected surprise. Two miles down the road or good fortune ended when the road did. The county was replacing a small bridge across the drainage ditch that led to our next road. With heavy hearts we retraced our tracks to find a road at the top of the hill. <br />After cresting the hill and finding our road we stopped at a really old cemetery that over looked the Lake Odessa area. This looked like a perfect place for a quick break. </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJPCiIpEsWsNwGPFxdMnLZtOWNQA3Wp224AjN5z-MiN3g0H75kDgWERT7bJKDo7NkrESN5g0rzVWOW__vPPOfY90A4O9TqsGm8nO7AUon-cx7AFcc1QPsAztlQ4RAzygnmxeEIWRqobgBF/s1600/DSC00322.JPG"><img border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJPCiIpEsWsNwGPFxdMnLZtOWNQA3Wp224AjN5z-MiN3g0H75kDgWERT7bJKDo7NkrESN5g0rzVWOW__vPPOfY90A4O9TqsGm8nO7AUon-cx7AFcc1QPsAztlQ4RAzygnmxeEIWRqobgBF/s320/DSC00322.JPG" width="526" height="296" /></a></p> <p>After the stop we headed towards Wapello. The route then swung to the north towards Columbus Junction where we would make another quick pit stop. During this time the bright warm sunshine began to be blocked by clouds and the wind began to increase. On the way to Columbus Junction we had two roads on the cue sheet that did not exist. One was taken over by a farmer and the other we never found. Without a map of the area we just winged it to get back on course. I knew the general area we were headed so there was limited guess work and we easily rolled into the Casey's in Junction.</p> <p>The wind continued to increase from the south and the next run was straight to the north and pure flat so we moved along rather quickly to Nichols. This section included a two mile dirt road that was in pristine shape. They must have just graded it because it was hard to find any ruts and there were no wet spots. I hope all Trans Iowa dirt roads will be that great in a couple weeks. Before we hit Nichols a light rain began to fall that helped to settle the dust and cause us to quicken our pace as we approached the end of our journey.</p> <p>In Nichols Jean decided to head straight to town on the pavement so Mike and I forged ahead. The rain did not amount to much and the dessert-like gravel absorbed the moisture like a sponge. Near town we encounter very familiar roads and no cue sheets were needed as we rolled along both feeling pretty good. </p> <p>Once off the gravel and into town the pavement had dried and we finished dry and satisfied about a nice training ride in some unexplored areas. This also gave Jean and Mike a very small taste of <a href="http://www.transiowa.blogspot.com/">Trans Iowa</a>. With a little persuasion I think I can get Mike to partake in the big adventure in the future. He has done a 600K that took us 26 hours so Trans Iowa is not much more of a stretch. </p> <p></a></p> Joe Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08742764356546400536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387405321526553135.post-79861904895293901052012-03-27T10:06:00.006-07:002012-03-29T03:57:27.389-07:00Balltown Recon RideThree of us set out on a damp and foggy morning with Cascade Iowa as the destination. The plan was to meet Paul Carpenter at 9:00 AM to ride the north 100 miles of the Balltown Classic race course. Bill, Paul and I had ridden the entire route many times but Jean (pronounced like John) Dragon would see the toughest part of the course for the first time. Jean's plans were to make 2012 his first attempt at the Midwest spring classic.<br /><br />The gloomy mist turned into a light rain as we neared our staring point at the tiny Happy Joe's just off highway 151 on the northeast corner of the small Iowa town. The fine mist returned as we rolled out of town hoping the England like weather would break and turn into a beautiful day like the rest of the unseasonably warm spring had been.<br /><br />The pace was social as we forged our way north into a slight headwind while the spray from the water soaked roads made drafting less then desirable. Shortly after the aptly named Roller Coaster Road the pavement showed some signs of drying as the mist ceased and the light fog began to break. We enjoyed so great views as we neared the bluff town of Balltown sitting at the end of Ridge Road. The long gradual climb to town provides a panoramic view of the Mississippi River valley as well as Illinois and Wisconsin. We three veterans enjoyed this forgiving approach to the hilltop turnaround and remembered years this scenic road was closed and we were forced to go in and out on the more hilly and less scenic Horseshoe Road. We also knew what was waiting on the southern trip.<br /><br />I am not sure how Horseshoe road received it's name. Maybe the visual of standing many horseshoes in a row would give you a good idea of the profile. Another possibility could be the horses needed special shoes to climb the hills or stop at the bottom. Either way after 7 different times over this road going south or north I know what it means to me. We are going to descend really fast and ascend really slow on three "major" climbs before we hit Epworth. This is where the race would break into the contenders and pretenders and leave rides scattered to fend for themselves for the next 80 miles to the finish line. Luckily we were only riding 100 today not 200.<br /><br />The three long, steep climbs were just as I remembered them. All you can do is just set a nice steady pace and grunt it out, and wish you had a bigger gear in the back. During the race this is where you decide if you want to push it to keep up with the lead group and risk blowing up and a very long ride back to Dewitt or do you climb at your pace and try to conserve as much energy as possible. On this trip I chose to let Bill and Paul go up the road and I hung back with Jean. Unlike race day I knew they would wait at the top to regroup. Afterwards I wish I had pushed it a little harder on at least one of the hills.<br /><br />Epworth was the planned stop for the day at the 57 mile mark. Jean's wife is from Epworth so he knew where the BP store, just two blocks off the route, was located. A quick in and out and we were on our way south with the hills and the wind behind us. At this point you can breath a little sigh of relief knowing the big climbs are over but the problem is you still have 75 miles of riding. On this ride we only had 43 so it did seem like the end was near.<br /><br />The thankful light breezes pushed us along at a nice pace over the next 25 miles to our turnaround at the race 50/150 mile sag stop location. The only break was a quick flat tire change by me just before the turnaround. Bill was not too happy to learn that we had to turn around and head back into the wind for the rest of the ride to Cascade. He mentioned something about finding a stick.<br /><br />We plodded north, rotating regularly, over the undulating terrain counting down the last miles. Our trip was interrupted again by a mechanical problem with 15 miles remaining. This time it was a little more serious then a flat tire. As Bill rotated behind me and in front of Paul his rear skewer brushed Paul's front wheel and bent a spoke causing the wheel to have a significant wobble. Paul was able to stay upright but the wheel was gently rubbing on the fork. Luckily I had a multi-tool with a spoke wrench and was able to take some of the wobble out so we could continue.<br /><br />We finally rolled onto Cascade 6 hours after departing. Once the roads dried the weather was fabulous for riding with the temperatures staying consistently in the low to mid 60 the entire ride. It was a great training ride that provided Bill, Paul and I a reminder of just how tough this hilly course can be. For Jean it was an eye opener. He later said that words cannot describe the course even though I had tried several times since he had mentioned the race would be fun.<br /><br />I look forward to the challenge that competing on this course always brings. There will be some very talented riders and I hope to hang with them as long as possible. Whether solo of with a group this is one of my favorite ultra-distant rides in area.Joe Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08742764356546400536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387405321526553135.post-29677729383798634782012-03-20T10:06:00.002-07:002012-03-20T10:48:02.196-07:00Balltown TrainingWith out of this world warm weather planned again for this weekend I am planning a reconnaissance run of the top 100 miles of the <a href="http://www.ultramidwest.com/Balltown/bthome.aspx">Balltown Classic </a>race course on Saturday. There are a few of us from Muscatine that will be entering the May 18th event and this gives us a nice hill workout. We also get to see some really scenic areas of Northeast Iowa at a moderate pace instead of race pace the next time we are on the course.<br /><br />This year will be my fifth time entering this event that is one of the toughest 200 mile road rides in the mid west. The race attracts ultra-cyclist from all over the mid west. Years past have seen RAAM racers toe the line as final preparations for the big event in early June. I am sure this year will be no exception.<br /><br />Jim Amelung's course record of 20 mph average has stood since 2003 with many coming close to besting it. A group of riders with a helpful weather day might have a chance if they can stay together and keep the pace steady. No support is allowed but there is three bag drops along the way for restocking. Quick transitions are required if the record is going to fall.<br /><br />Nice spring weather might help make this the year for the record to fall. There are a few strong riders in the area that will be doing RAAM, as a team or solo, that have participated in the past. Looking at results from the few races that have taken place, <a href="http://www.ultraracenews.com/2012/02/19/amazing-results-at-the-sebring-24hr/">already this year</a>, <a href="http://www.kash-web.com/">Kurt Searvogel </a>of Arkansas looks in prime shape to give it a run. If anybody from <a href="http://teambacchettaraam.com/">Team Bacchetta </a>decides to enter again this year that will add some horse power especially on the "flat" and rolling sections. <a href="http://www.ultraracer.net/">Paul Carpenter</a>, a solo RAAM racer, hopefully will be making a start. Paul is like the energizer bunny he just keeps going and going and going.<br /><br />It should be fun, as always, and I look forward to the speed of the rolling hills leading up to the suffering on the big climbs. Many of these riders I only see at events like this a couple times a year so it is good to hang out and see how the fitness is coming along. This event happening just three weeks after my <a href="http://www.transiowa.blogspot.com/">Trans Iowa </a>start should either put me in great shape of still wiped out. We shall see.Joe Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08742764356546400536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387405321526553135.post-22078073821088628492012-03-16T10:03:00.006-07:002012-03-17T06:10:40.135-07:00Broken Bike<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuN8Qfkm9fW8y2rV8RibvWOXOQZAOQmDK9_NwpHPbF-hFGJgCcZ0-F-MKhlZ03M32uOlNEkgkVKIUIpJ29rZzyS0OqxP2jMFcAAlKu41SLmSg4PsZud9C_QFeEuTeVfWtO8Pc-hNDZgDGG/s1600/Broken+frame.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 295px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720544091212872930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuN8Qfkm9fW8y2rV8RibvWOXOQZAOQmDK9_NwpHPbF-hFGJgCcZ0-F-MKhlZ03M32uOlNEkgkVKIUIpJ29rZzyS0OqxP2jMFcAAlKu41SLmSg4PsZud9C_QFeEuTeVfWtO8Pc-hNDZgDGG/s400/Broken+frame.jpg" /></a> As I shifted to the big chain ring while riding my Cervelo R3 on the Tuesday night group ride the chain became wedged between the outer chain ring and the derailleur. This didn't seem to be too much of a problem. I gently back pedalled to get it un-stuck and them soft pedalled forward to finish the shift. It still did not go so I shifted to the small chain ring and softly pedalled again. This time the chain went back to the inner chain-ring but there was an awfully loud rubbing noise. So I decided it was time to pull over and take a look. The two guys behind stopped with me but Chad, who was in front of me, did not here us yell so he pedalled on.<br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>Curiously, I dismounted to asses the problem when I noticed that the front derailleur was sitting directly on top of the outer chain-ring causing the noise I was hearing. My assumption was the bolt that holds the derailleur to the hanger bracket had come loose and the entire assembly had shifted down. No problem I got out my handy multi-tool and loosened the bolt. Strangely the bolt was still pretty tight. The cable tension would not let me raise the derailleur so after loosening the cable I was able to lift the derailleur back out of the way. Upon a closer inspection I notice that the hanger bracket, that is attached to the seat tube, was loose. I never payed attention to how this bracket was attached to the frame but it looked like it was riveted on the top but nothing on the bottom. Then I noticed that the rivet was missing from the bottom. Big problem I thought. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>Like any good rider, on a 30 degree above average temperature day, nothing was going to stop me from riding. I put the derailleur in the outer ring position and rode on making sure I did not shift out of the big chain-ring. Luckily it was a pancake flat ride.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>Once I go home and was able to asses the damage closer. I noticed the bracket was bent as well as the rivet missing. My mind was racing as to how I was going to get this fixed. I had bought the bike used so there was no warranty and our local bike shop does not deal with Cervelo. There is a bike shop in Bettendorf that sells Cervelo maybe they could help. Then I kept thinking how long was it going to take to get the frame fixed, would they have to send it to the factory, and what was I going to ride while it was being fixed? When I bought this bike last year I stripped down my old Trek project one and used the parts to upgrade my wife's bike so all that was on the old bike was the seat post and handle bars. My only option would be riding my cross bike with some road tires. I have done that before and since I needed to get used to that bike before Trans Iowa that wouldn't be so bad. All these thoughts and more kept racing through my mind as I tried to sleep.</div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>On my lunch hour the next day at work, I tried to search for repair hints on line to see if any other riders had solved this same dilemma. I was not having any luck. The closest I could find was a forum about a rider that wanted to remove the hanger and have it anodized when he repainted his frame. The suggestion was drilling out the rivets and then replacing them. It mentioned the rivets were 3mm. That still did not solve the bent hanger problem. After work I decided to see if I could gently bend the bracket back it to place. I was able to use a pair of vice grips with a board against the down tube and very carefully squeeze the vise grips until the bracket was back in place. It was pretty easy to do and I was able to see when the holes in the bracket and frame were in line. First step completed and I was feeling optimistic.</div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>A quick trip to the hardware store to pickup a box of 3mm rivets and I was off to the bike shop to borrow a rivet gun. The rivet fit perfectly and the operation went off without a hitch. I assume they bond the hanger to the frame and install the rivets but there was no way to bond it back on so hopefully the rivets will hold. If I do break another rivet I still have 24 more in the box that cost me $3. It looks like my R3 will live to ride another day.<br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div>Joe Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08742764356546400536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387405321526553135.post-5567486108175618902012-03-13T10:21:00.006-07:002012-03-13T10:46:14.471-07:00Back to Posting<div><br /><div><br /><div>It has been a long break from updating my blog but I hope to get back to it. The 2011 cycling season ended with a fizzle after Paris-Brest-Paris. All the brevet's and mileage led up to one goal. When it is done the motivations seems to spiral downhill quickly. I did do some gravel riding in the fall and managed to keep a little fitness but seemed to gain a few pounds as well. The most excitement was getting bit by a dog for the first time while riding. 22 years and never a dog bite. The dog seemed so friendly right up unit he bit me. Even afterwards he stopped and almost had a sorry look on his face. Some anti-biotic for the infection and I was good to go. Now I have a really cool scar. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia9Mt8SE2xPOBjUyiQB7R3PWPvIu4rSxvPtSff_La_cHlZb1rV2t7HC9PyQn211tB95ePKG-I-Kbd0oqjc_mk5n-c-kyWgCfGhwAJmh7BrvhBZrGrE35Q6VZB1rt0THnul-HI-eCoaUTAJ/s1600/068.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 180px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719438237653426482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia9Mt8SE2xPOBjUyiQB7R3PWPvIu4rSxvPtSff_La_cHlZb1rV2t7HC9PyQn211tB95ePKG-I-Kbd0oqjc_mk5n-c-kyWgCfGhwAJmh7BrvhBZrGrE35Q6VZB1rt0THnul-HI-eCoaUTAJ/s320/068.JPG" /></a><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 335px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719434233850387570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTdoqZA8GGFlCJUtl_-2gMCbBGmLXMGLZwQJxqGEsajW18ySr0X2bT69SifT3QOi_fFZRTOOCcR12VwXdR-PozGgqLbCIub-G-p1X8L0BV5CqIE-byRp9JDPQ8N6ZnJCJD5ymkONQF7RFD/s320/1004111810a.jpg" /></div></div><br /><br /><p>I ended the year with 13,000 miles, which was the goal. The 2012 goal is a little lower with travel for work and crewing for RAAM cutting into the riding. My mileage has been pretty high the last few years so cutting back for a year will be a nice break.</p><br /><p>2012 has started slow due to the fact that I spent 5 of the first 7 weeks of the year in Northern China for work. The trips were two weeks then three weeks. I was able to ride an exercise bike at the hotel but the boredom, heat in the "gym" of 75-80 degrees and the poor quality of bike left me short on miles compared to previous years. I used some of my free time to do a little cross training. Some core strengthening, push-ups, some weights and a few other varied workouts. My goal was to try to offset the pounds I usually gain when my meals are paid for at restaurants. I managed to lose a little the three week trip. While in China I kept reading how nice the weather was in Iowa. With the mild winter I could have had more miles to start the year then ever before. Instead I had my worst January in many years. Now I have to try to catch up with my riding buddies. Oh well, life is good.</p></div>Joe Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08742764356546400536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387405321526553135.post-71768422374728773452011-09-17T07:11:00.001-07:002011-09-17T07:11:36.551-07:00PBP versus RAGBRAI<p><img style="display: inline; float: left" align="left" src="http://ragbrai.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ragbrai2011.final_.jpg" width="370" height="358" /></p> <p align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjYlKGlqjC80ztu0o-M-vIPoIrN2mZCY8AmRowa3uX-eyH3MM5OKIHiNRVhuEyNfLxz1vvV58p0QmJXOxdA55AlpDojd62VtnGzdeWpexzetPtbyFF58OqjknNPJpfnJDbLCH7aiztPGmZ/s1600-h/clip_image002%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="clip_image002" border="0" alt="clip_image002" align="right" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje802m2bbF30jx1BQ8Sk5A7WKOL_cuUJjdBe3SHpjTQ7vPsl0ERP5Pq6YdR9Cqy2xW7rCkSwnLrpdgM-fjCBiefaCiOZ1U99DWBR2yGqtb-3bQwin8EwJkb4aVB5Dp_ezbNMFT7mpr5j-S/?imgmax=800" width="285" height="352" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>          <font size="7">VS</font></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>I have completed 23 RAGBRAI’s and 2 PBP’s.  My wife has done 20 RAGBRAI’s and supported me on both my PBP rides. This is our brainstorming of a few ways that PBP is like and not like RAGBRAI.</p> <p><strong><u>PBP is like a longer version of RAGBRAI.</u></strong> Some of the similarities include: You are in rural areas passing through friendly little towns with residents standing by the road cheering as you ride by sometimes handing out free food and water. The ride is divided into smaller sections, PBP calls them controls, of 50-60 miles with the towns providing entertainment, and refreshments as well as a place for support vehicles to meet their rider. Bike shops are set up along the way to provide roadside assistance. Some of the major intersections are patrolled for traffic. There are great bake goods along the route to satisfy your sweet tooth. Some of the route is flat and some is hilly all though there are more hilly sections. It takes many volunteers to ensure the rides success. It will probably rain at some point during the ride. The rolling back country roads are lined with corn fields. If you have to use the bathroom there is probably a line although the corn fields provide ample stall space. You see all different types of bikes and riders of all shapes and ages. Most of the roads are in pretty good shape but on occasions you can get a really nasty section. There are racers, recreational riders and tourist. Both rides cost about $120 to enter. Sleeping arrangements can be rather crowded. There are plenty of rides to talk to as you ride down the road. Arrows are posted at intersections to guide you along the route. As the ride approaches the end there are a lot of riders who aren’t sitting on the saddle quite a comfortable as they were at the beginning.</p> <p><strong><u>The list of ways that PBP is not like RAGBRAI:</u></strong> There is a time limit to make it to each control or your ride is over. PBP is one and a half the distance of RAGBRAI half the number of days. RAGBRAI riding time is 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Riding in the dark at PBP is almost mandatory to finish in the allotted, time but you must have the proper lights and reflective gear. PBP is out and back so no bus ride is involved. If you can’t finish the ride PBP does not provide a sag wagon, you are on your own to find a ride back. For PBP there might be plenty of riders to talk to but you have to find a rider that speaks you language. In France some of the signs are a little hard to read. RAGBRAI takes a different route each year but the PBP route is basically the same every time. The country of France has fields of sunflowers along the route, although by August they don’t look as good as when the Tour-de-France goes by in July.</p> Joe Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08742764356546400536noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387405321526553135.post-36299568180255302112011-07-08T09:42:00.001-07:002011-07-08T09:42:06.475-07:00600K<p>On June 4th Mike Doyle and I made the journey, once again, to Eldridge Iowa to participate in the Ultra Midwest (Big Dog’s) 600 K brevet.  I needed to complete this last brevet in the 4 ride series to be eligible for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris%E2%80%93Brest%E2%80%93Paris">Paris-Brest-Paris</a>.  Mike was riding for the challenge to see how far he could push himself. </p> <p>The time cut-off for a 600K is around 40 hours but our plan was to ride straight through the night. I have successfully complete two previous 600K’s, six 24 hour rides, a 33 hour ride and a 35 hour ride.  Mike had never ridden more the 12 hours and with a projected 24-26 hour finishing time this would take Mike into un-known areas of cycling.  I have been riding with Mike for many years and I had not doubt that he would be physically up to the task but all ultra-distance riders know the physical challenge of a 600K is not the hardest part.  A ride of this length is mentally challenging as you ride through the sleepy hours of the night knowing you have many miles to go before you can get off the bike. </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpiVoucy6Q2cPtbC0_4A7p3RGn9O2F9LPIldDs8nkAfpu6mf6jlmuMrMd2BiRpoNhXUSNtkwKSeXuRDeedlaF9zunVUy_R7IGYZZ4I7gGZkdhmpkPpDpQBBhM8Zf_yxO251AaEvl9Ph66/s1600-h/300%252520K%252520%2525202011%25255B4%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="300 K 2011" border="0" alt="300 K 2011" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy9zn86wMmLNyY4GmpNaXVHT61HzuRuHcj2iwH6G01B6y2n1Fo0JMWulwZ-ttdHE39bNjR-Zvi9UJO8z53KuQteGbYR4U7tbU5ligbgPQ-idEzRgXa7mpl4O-gB3ThqlC18eLE7atENLY2/?imgmax=800" width="797" height="377" /></a></p> <p>Five other riders that started had the same game plan to ride through the night.  The group consisted of the same riders Mike and I rode with on the 200 and 300K as pictured above with the exception of the rider on the right Matt Levy.  Left to right Mike Doyle,Jim Yost, Larry Ide, Joe Mann, Jay Yost, Paul Carpenter, Doug McLerran.</p> <p>The forecast for the day was light winds out of the south-west switching to west then north-west as evening approached and temperatures in the 90’s with over-night lows in the upper 60’s. With a route that headed southwest before the turn around the wind was going to be a factor during the ride.  I do not like riding in that kind of heat so getting through the middle of the day was also going to be quite the challenge.</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFgxjfEmJ1pVXzwPzfVsmI-RZNLltSoWyekjRQw-P_YdZjz6M-SWMYVx73Bpfx849xhosTZM_7VIfdDnanKYsNHe_K4_rXXWPZmue6CSB_20vbuomrYqYJ8wGe9pfSVrbzA0zjhFOPKYaD/s1600-h/image%25255B12%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" align="left" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmsKU-cMPQj-hQkSPx8IQCdqtl0uCZ-C1Sw8S5JWP1luvepoZM6p8lFfjGOHXr8Q7FWnOJUJLPJSOLLPQHrDlJRABTdDO9RiAAP97DQNoVUBgHDM8WteZGM5Up8GFNeU-SPbbPv7QHRbNx/?imgmax=800" width="578" height="434" /></a></p> <p>  Control stops to get our brevet cards signed were Bennett, Wilton, Nichols, Morning Sun, West Point, Keosauqua the Bloomfield.  It would have been neat to drop down to Missouri.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>As we headed west-ward we had a little wind in our face but the group worked together to negate the effects and we pushed through the first 62 miles to Nichols with no problems.  With the wind more west and the temperatures approaching 90 the leg to the south proved to be a little more challenging. We kept the pace a little slower to make sure everybody stayed together.  We took an un-scheduled break in New London to cool off as the temperature was in the upper 90’s.  At the 100 mile mark my bike computer showed 100 degrees.  We still had many miles to go so it is better to spend a little time now to have the energy to make it through the next 18 hours.  With about 5 miles to go before our southern section ended the wind switch to the west-north-west.  It was the first, and last tail wind we would have for this ride.</p> <p>While we were in New London Joe Jamison caught up with us in his van.  He is the organizer of the brevet series and many other rides promoted by the Big Dog’s.  Joe has been on two RAAM crews and been participating in ultra-cycling events for many years so he knows, first hand, what it takes to complete rides of this length.  The only outside support you can received during a brevet is at the control points and Joe’s plan was to meet us at the controls through the night to make sure we had food and drink and sign our cards. This route had no 24 hour convenience stores so between 11 pm and 6 am there would be no place to replenish supplies.  He also would provide a “safety net” if something happened and one of us could not continue.</p> <p>Leaving West Point, heading into the wind, Mike and I got a little gap on the rest of the group and continued on our own for the next 30 miles. At the 140 mile mark the clouds rolled in, the temperature dropped and the wind quit as it started to rain.  Boy did the rain feel nice after being baked for the last 3 hours.  Mike and I rolled along enjoying the cool weather and the scenery of the Bonaparte, Bentonsport area.  We rode through this area on RAGBRAI several years back and I remember the nice river valley but also some big climbs.  This would prove to be the hilliest section of the otherwise flat route.</p> <p>As we headed into Keosauqua Joe was on the side of the rode and told us there was a severe storm warning for the next 30 minutes and we needed to wait it out in town.  The longer then scheduled break at a nice c-store gave us time to have a nice meal and allowed Jay, Paul and Larry a chance to catch up.  Jim and Doug were a little further back and rolled into town as we rolled out after a 45 minute break.  This was our longest break of the day and Mike’s favorite and my least favorite.  Only 30 miles until the turn around and it looked like Keosauqua would be the last re-fuel stop before the night.</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaYVQx6G_SUhi1bgI1AhZ0vNacN9Kq94Cn4pSH909DPT-l-4y0pc1cqXu1Ag__VtjVFVT6NPhhcR0g3sz-Rc9PXs-lcforaGydvSVRQGUWe61s2fYPRpStK_Iuv1d_ugj06B_s88sMYJyq/s1600-h/Larry%252520Ide%252520on%252520600K%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Larry Ide on 600K" border="0" alt="Larry Ide on 600K" align="left" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLskbfMi7ns2iJcFhGmOXfkV0qoxOdH3JfqKuxUf8nnlI3EdCJt1EzkLvPQU3aKKACDeBm1mgkwFjtJR0l6HI8bhQVCcrjD4LkS5xXmxnorUCudIRMoSpi-E9MxWJhYN8uWzgCyjjLtor/?imgmax=800" width="401" height="302" /></a>As the darkness rolled in the winds had quit and were not going to be a factor for the rest of the day/night back to Eldridge.  Doug re-joined us before dark but Jim was still back about an hour at the turn around.  We stocked up supplies for the long night of closed stores.  Larry purchased six 20 ounce Cokes.  One to drink, three for his pockets and two for the bottle cages.  To the left is a great picture. The overnight temperatures were mild in the upper 60’s but the humidity was very high.  It was foggy in some areas and the due dripped off your arms and helmet all night long.  The six of us rolled back to a closed up West Point at 11:00. Joe Jamison met us to sign our cards and offer us food and drink.  He mentioned that Jim was back about 60 minutes but was still moving along.  Joe said he was going to keep an eye on him and we might not see him a the next couple stops.  I had plenty of food and drink so was not too concerned.</p> <p>Our next stop was Morning Sun.  Between West Point and Morning Sun a car pulled up next to us and asked if we needed a ride.  We of course said no and they informed us that it was dangerous to be out this late because there could be drunks on the road.  Somebody said something to the effect that we would be OK.  I guess the driver and passenger thought this was a smart aleck response as they roared ahead of us then slammed on their brakes in the middle of the road.  We split to go cautiously around the car as I took the shoulder.  Larry stopped to talk to them and discovered they were not happy that they would have to go around us when there could be a car coming the other way.  I think they were the drunks they were warning us about.  It really turned into a non-incident but gave us something to talk about and woke us up a little.  Joe was not in Morning Sun as we stopped at the closed Casey’s for a break.  Nichols was our next control point. </p> <p>Before Nichols we had to go through Columbus Junction.  I knew there was pop machines at the grocery store that we could stop and buy pop or water to get us to Nichols.  If Joe did not meet us in Nichols then Wilton would be the next chance for an open store.  The pop machines were like an oasis during the night.  Many bottles of water and cans or pop were purchased before we continued our journey north to Nichols.</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4V_JQgA2Llls6eKEh3OebF332rYRRxCBajmO9HVcZm40E96rJrW6T20rarYilSR3-_HzHIZdctjQE1WsqEJ3KmNP-7Ny8sDT9Bcsls2XnzLIVJ_WBrpLAtCFSK3WfcwtpnyBPFPHTYCm/s1600-h/0605110909a%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="0605110909a" border="0" alt="0605110909a" align="left" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5OgWR8JLafUN1ug8FIG22PBbjgyMxCAEd-MvlsQoMRd5n1uYEUGRWPZtthr9WKhgkJe74dbbU-OFusq6AQa-fZ5msFeBC66pkPi6osXOOBEEYrevPuDVkB9EcQxAhtG068g5kp-d64UP9/?imgmax=800" width="401" height="329" /></a>Arriving in Nichols we still did not see Joe.  We once again stopped at the Casey’s store to consume any food we were carrying. To any vehicle passing by it must have looked strange to see six cyclist, with red light flashing, sitting in front of a closed Casey’s store at 4:30 in the morning as the sun was coming up.  Joe showed up 15 minutes after we did with Jim sitting in the van with him.  It looked like he had decided to call it quits.  As he got out of the van we asked how he was and what caused him to call it quits and he calmly said he got hit by a car.  North of West Point a driver was answering a text message and ran into the back of him.  Luckily Jim was OK but his rear wheel was crushed and his ride was over.  Joe leap frogging and keeping an eye on us throughout the day proved really lucky otherwise I am not sure how Jim would have gotten back to Eldridge 120 miles away.  He lives in the Champaign Illinois area so calling home for a ride would have been a long wait.  This incident really makes you think about being out on the road with no support.  Last year when I did the 600K I was 230 miles from home at the turn around.  That “thrill” is what I like about unsupported rides.  </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1UgPPf8u3K8V71cskqFH0YVQju3gzBzH6MvuBEDbEqCk6k3AiImLBfz9YYfU9O8E1ykbpQ3IVnutWu9W5jXcfR9FG6jdFslxA_7kkTUmnRYya2zBlx_ZyMYsa7xzzL2kILgJ_-n33Zm8/s1600-h/600K%252520brevet%252520Computer%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="600K brevet Computer" border="0" alt="600K brevet Computer" align="left" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPSQRve6f9vcDqZ1BVWQ6qboWBl2I2wMbc9Li28nd5GAyZ2Hv8tvK0g5jb1d30g7lWKaf8Olm8SWStDcw9eTAJuipRPLuK4nlZ4AX7z4PcttheaikSpoerbxHQ7GZUx66U4MSuajpd11TF/?imgmax=800" width="404" height="405" /></a>The Casey’s in Wilton was open as we rolled into town shortly after 6:00 am with lightning flashing off to the south.  Luckily it stayed to the south and we had smooth sailing all the way through Bennett and into Eldridge for a 8:43 finish for a total time of 26:43 with 22:15 riding time. Way to much time off the bike.  Mike will tell you we did not take long enough breaks.</p> <p><strong><u>Food and drink for 378 miles</u></strong>: 3 servings Perpetuam, 2 ham and cheese sandwiches, chicken wrap, piece of cheese pizza, Payday bar, Snickers, 2 orange Sobe's, Scotch-a-roo (Rice Krispie treat with peanut butter and Chocolate frosting), 3 chicken tenders, chocolate milk, 6 Fig Newton’s, Little Debbie Creme pie, cheese stick, ham and cheese breakfast sandwich, homemade apple pastry, hammer gel, ensure and only one 12oz Mt. Dew. Also a ton of water.</p> <p>Larry’s diet is always interesting and quite a contrast to mine.  It just shows that diet for ultra events is very individual:  4 donuts, 2 beef jerky, 2 pieces pizza, 2 paydays, Ice cream nutty cone, Rice Krispy with chocolate on top, ham and cheese sub, few more donuts, 3 cans dew, four 24-oz cokes, around fifteen 20 ounce cokes, two 20 ounce orange juice, 2 twelve ounce kiwi-strawberry drinks and 1/2 bottle water. Other half went on head.</p> Joe Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08742764356546400536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387405321526553135.post-83561670954192450062011-06-10T07:20:00.001-07:002011-06-25T10:41:14.824-07:00400K BrevetI had to drive to Waterloo Iowa to complete the 400K Brevet. This was the third qualifier in the 4 ride series that are required to ride Paris-Brest-Paris in August. My goal for this ride was to complete it in under 15 hours. That allows for a 18MPH average on the bike and 5 minutes off the bike each hour.<br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 592px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 371px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622213596726691506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXbbdFwDuHteRom44O8Fw1PjyMvyEJ8iIIVhDwrdR7bQSKmaqDw8ZEq_bpwhxComlR43qMeXmo378FDu4Mn7qKcTWu9S6mZDupO9kJ44E1CN6rIqq_sWj5Kf-6j0u_s99MVBMpxoIqrNSV/s400/400k+Profile.jpg" /><br />When I arrived there were not many cars in the parking lot that had roof racks or trunk racks attached. There was a Team Bacchatta van with four recumbents leaned against it but I saw no other traditions bikes. Not a good sign. Rain was in the forecast for the morning with sunshine in the afternoon. The wind was to be south east at 10-15 switching to south as the day progressed. The route was an out and back to the north east. Not quite ideal conditions.<br /><br />As we departed I was the only ride doing the 400K. The recumbents were doing the 200K route before heading home to Florida. I had ridden with one of the riders at Sebring and Metamora in 2009 and knew he was pretty strong. At least I would have some help for the first 60 miles.<br /><br />The route starts pretty flat as you head through Olwein but nearing Volga the hills start. Not a lot of hills just really long ones. It seems like every town is at the bottom of a hill. As you start the long decent into town you know there will be a long accent leaving town. This always motivates me to limit my stopping so you don't hit the hills with stiff legs. Before the first big uphill outside of Volga I was on my own and it was going to be that way for the next 11-12 hours.<br /><br />I don't mind riding by myself. I have found that on long rides it is better to go the pace that feels comfortable at the moment. During a long ride you will have ups and downs and if you ride with someone the odds of you both having the same good moments it slim. The results are rider A slowing for rider B then later rider B is slowing for rider A. This is not a problem if you are not in a hurry but I rarely find myself riding without a time goal in mind so I always seem to be in a hurry. Which is not necessarily a good thing. I also don't like to stop for extended breaks. A three to five minute break is all I need. Just enough time to top off water and grab something to eat. Usually whatever I grab gets consumed on the road.<br /><br />With temperatures in the mid sixties, a nice tailwind, the off and on rain was not chilly enough to need a rain coat so I pushed on towards to turn around in Desoto, WI. Besides, stopping to put on the rain coat, then stop again to take it back off when I got too hot would slow down my pace. I was trying to bank as much time as I could before I had to turn around back into the wind.<br /><br />After studying the profile map I was looking forward to the 500 foot decent to the Mississippi into Lansing at the 100 mile mark. Not really looking forward to the climb back up after the turnaround but this look to be one of the longer hills I have ever seen in Iowa. Fortunately the hill was every bit that it promised to be on paper. There was not any really steep sections just long and snaking as you got closer to the river.<br /><br />This was my first visit to the river town of Lansing. My first thought was why hasn't RAGBRAI ever ended here? As I rolled thought this small town I could see why it was not a viable option for 10-15 thousand visitors in one day. The town was pretty small and there was limited access from major roads.<br /><br />Crossing the bridge turned into an adventure. The Lansing bridge has a steel grated deck like the Mississippi bridge between Sabula, Ia and Savannah, Il. The same bridge that is used each year on TOMRV. I have ridden across that bridge at least 15 times with no problems and was not anticipating any problems with this bridge. As I turned on the bridge and started the slight rise me back wheel spun on the wet decking and my heart jumped. The rest of the ride across the bridge was taken at 10 mph and very cautiously. Especially on the last part that was a downward grade.<br /><br />After the bridge only 5 miles to Desoto and the turn around. Since I had taken a longer break (10 minutes) in Monona 30 miles before the turnaround the plan was for a quick stop (3 minutes) in DeSoto and then back to Monona for another 10 minute break. I made the turn in less then seven hours so I was over 30 minutes ahead of schedule. Basically right where I wanted to be.<br /><br />The rainy climb out of the river valley took 12 minutes to complete. The only other Iowa climb I have ridden that rivals this one is the TOMVR climb as you leave the Mines of Spain south of Dubuque on Sunday morning. At least the grade is not too steep and you can get into a rhythm. After the climb the sun came out for the remainder of the ride.<br /><br />I pushed it through the check points and was able to keep 15-20 minutes ahead of the pace I wanted for the rest of the ride back to Waterloo. I arrived at the finish at 8:43 PM just as it was getting dark for a total time of 14:43. 14 hours of riding and 43 minutes of stopping. The 600K on June 4th will be a little more relaxed with more riders and some longer breaks so I was glad to have an opportunity to push myself through out the ride and was happy with my fitness at this time of the season.Joe Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08742764356546400536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387405321526553135.post-11945016797237753582011-06-10T07:15:00.000-07:002011-06-10T07:19:33.193-07:00The Trailer for "300 Miles of Gravel"<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/24628823?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/24628823">300 Miles of Gravel Trailer</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user3329861">Jeff Frings Photography</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Joe Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08742764356546400536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387405321526553135.post-1036826410793408982011-05-09T10:16:00.001-07:002011-05-09T10:34:21.550-07:00400K Brevet Up nextSince I was riding Trans Iowa at the time of the Big Dog's 400K brevet I will have to make the journey to Waterloo and complete the required brevet in the PBP series on May 21st. The timing works out well by giving me a little break after the 200 and 300K back to back weekends and then the Trans Iowa ride.<br /><br /><br />I am not looking forward to the extra hour of driving each way. The more challenging terrain and roads I have not ridden will be a nice mental boost and should make for an enjoyable adventure. The route goes to <a href="http://www.iowa-randonneurs.org/IAR400kmMap.gif">De Soto Wisconsin </a>and back and has over 15, 000 of <a href="http://www.iowa-randonneurs.org/IAR400kmProfile.gif">climbing.</a> I would like to complete this ride in 16 hours but the weather will play a big role. The profile looks scary so we will see how I handle the hills.<br /><br /><br />Since Trans Iowa I have taken a couple weeks off and cut back the miles as a mini-recovery phase. The time off has given me a chance to work in some family commitments as well as work on my yard. Starting this week it is back to normal as I prepare for the Paris-Brest-Paris later in the summer. Last year I was riding well in May and then tapered off in June and July but this year I want to continue to build on the early season fitness level.Joe Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08742764356546400536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387405321526553135.post-25393201771281732012011-05-01T18:50:00.001-07:002011-05-01T18:51:15.284-07:00Trans Iowa 7 report<p>After months of focused training, weeks of optimistically watching the weather forecast, days of frantic packing/repacking and tweaking the bike set-up, and hours of restless sleep, the time arrived for my second attempt at the epic race known as Trans Iowa. This time I had a better understanding of what I had gotten myself into but was still apprehensive about how the next 30+ hours would unfold. My goal was to finish, have a great time, push my self to the limit, lean on my faith in tough times and create some memories to last a lifetime. Mission accomplished!</p><br /><p>The organizers strongly encourage you have a bail out plan. This would be someone staying in the start and finishing town of Grinnell that could be called to pick you up in case of a mechanical, physical or mental break down during the event. This race is not supported in any way. If you don’t have a bailout plan you are on your own. I was flying without a net because quitting was not an option. Last year I headed back to Grinnell on 40 miles of pavement knowing I would not make the next checkpoint. If I would have kept riding they would have stopped me 30 miles later and I would have been a finisher instead of a quitter. That was not going to happen this year. I was not stopping until I reach the finish line or somebody pulled me off the bike. My plan was that each time I wanted to quit I would say a quick prayer asking for the strength to continue. There would be times I was “tossing them up” quite regularly.</p><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJC872CGyNU3Hq4w72p2dOaFOtw4P8f_BDUosWESLZ9gC7B_0Hv49WRrXpj-Xmgt4i_I6mKXV1ifq2_EfRvKpzlqUKnCbFszdIIob_O0CayFqM926AYKplyWeqfDU_b41RQ2_sKDoX7roV/s1600-h/TransIowaV7_start%5B3%5D.png"><img style="BACKGROUND-IMAGE: none; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; DISPLAY: inline; FLOAT: left; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px" title="TransIowaV7_start" border="0" alt="TransIowaV7_start" align="left" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiDmFMDKRgHyRtPN_Qap1fcvprjzclXteNiNyiUboJxZt0qUTUOI04mmoLAIZAg2nbehEVinbWjiU4YcNXthNSSJaeojxwkQ7eo76fk9ZyQLft_RW1LjoQsmU7VAlNmLBiCBMCoEi_lpW2/?imgmax=800" width="619" height="468" /></a>The race starts at 4:00 am and is located 3 miles from the hotel I was staying in. At 3:30 I rolled out of the hotel towards the start. It was 45 degrees, nice breeze out of the south and foggy. Almost a repeat of last years except there was no rain in the forecast. Temperatures were forecasted to be mid to upper 50’s, sunny and breezy out of the west. The night before we received the cue sheets to the first checkpoint 53 miles into the race in the town of Baxter. We would be going into the wind right away.</p><br /><p>The opening pace over the slimy roads was controlled for the first hour and I was not having any problems hanging on. My plan was to stick with the lead group as long as I could and build a time cushion for cut-offs. I did not want to blowup so I would have to keep the ego in check and make sure I knew when to let them go. I had no aspirations of competing in this event just completing. Our first mud road came at the 12.5 mile mark. There was some navigation confusion already because the cue sheet said we had a left turn at mile 13 on 110th street and the intersection was 108th street. The group consensus was to continue on the mud road looking for 110th. This mile long mud road was not rideable so walking in the ditch was the only option. This would have made a really neat video with 40-50 red lights, single file, snaking through the pre-dawn darkness in the middle of no where. Looking the other directions would have shown the line of head lights. Once off mud we continued for about a mile before realizing we should have turned left BEFORE the mud road. 30 minutes of lost time. By the time we got back to the mud road the last riders we just finishing the section. Like lemmings everybody followed the leader. This would be costly for the over 30 riders not making the first time cut-off at 9:15.</p><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHr1Lh6J3ouj9R0z6R7SwnzRE_hqXILXLgi80eyZjhAe6Tkv-0gdzqVp0YSkAltDLE2xqJyMnFXiqqlBeT4K1WhhxuvJVTnN3n8EXXQpEGJwOXQyMAsK1V440dvQ5CuqTWS-ixi_G-Oq6/s1600-h/TI%20hills%5B1%5D.png"><img style="BACKGROUND-IMAGE: none; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; DISPLAY: inline; FLOAT: left; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px" title="TI hills" border="0" alt="TI hills" align="left" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-NmihiVfbKFjef8d-yyJbGea6ZQk8qynFafZagAbyGny_9NDLZtr1cq0coDA8m8XMScX6btEwQDOovvFcit4JPsDWGN_MQAKAfSEBvaekkj701GdKqrD8mMfjJmtV-rViSgZIBmfD1ya/?imgmax=800" width="586" height="392" /></a>30 miles into the race as the steepness of the hills increased along with the headwind I found myself drifting off the back. At this point I settled into a comfortable pace and was ready to be on my own for the rest of the ride if needed. A few miles later I was passed by Eric Brundt. We were soon joined by a few other riders including Jeremy Fry of Cedar Falls. Jeremy and I played leap frog last year during TI, rode last years moonlight madness ride in Iowa City, and completed a 200K together this year and last. I knew we were pretty even in strength so we would prove to be great riding partners for the next 30 hours. Our little group rolled into the first checkpoint in Baxter with 45 minutes to spare.</p><br /><p>On long rides I like to minimize stopping by running through my stopping strategy in my head before I get there. I compare it to a pit stop in Nascar. Anybody that has ridden with me knows I am a splash-and-dash guy. My chain was screaming under pressure and skipping in most gears so working on the drive train was the first priority. We knew the next checkpoint was 120 miles away with the town of Norway noted on our cue sheets 115 miles away. I had plenty of food so water and bathroom break were the second priority. I filled up a the grocery store and was ready to go. Eight of us rolled out together for the next section of this great adventure. The race was now a ride. The wind was at our back, the roads were dry, the sun was shining, we had a nice group, so this was going to be a great section.</p><br /><p>The second section had the most level B roads of the event. There was a stretch of road that it felt like every other mile was mud. The first couple were rideable then the mud just keep getting worse. At least they were flat and had good ditches for walking. As I walked I was able to eat a little and give my butt a break. One of the last mud section had a pretty flat ditch with tall grass and I was debating whether to try riding in the grass instead of walking. Just then a couple riders from a different group passed us riding in the grass. They were moving a little faster then us but it was rough going and they seemed to be using quite a bit of energy to keep moving. Before they reached the end of the mud road they had pulled over and we were overtaking them again. As we passed them we noticed that one of them had ripped his derailleur off his bike. The tall grass had gotten tangle in the chain and just pulled it right out of the hanger bracket. They were all going to call it quits and said they would be drinking beer before us. After that the walk or ride decision was easy. I seemed to be the slowest of our group on the mud sections. I had the widest tires and the least amount of mud clearance. I have a head light bracket mounted with the front brake that sits pretty close to the tire as well. It did not take much mud to force me to get out my tire lever and dig the mud away from the brake so I could continue pushing the bike. If there was no place to walk you had to carry your bike and with the mud plus the rack on the back full of clothing and food it was not the lightest. </p><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifjeA68Alecma3snAQrqCpLhgIJuIPmh3Lm7O_x9XVu7PhVnP98WBt82m6MoL2ltlsK7Wfz5JzjlmkfSqrqb-hcV9EB1AzOL-mtCkPGYmOTUcJKu-l7nY_ZrjZ7yT6GkXn3Lwoj_PDRz7P/s1600-h/image%5B3%5D.png"><img style="BACKGROUND-IMAGE: none; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; DISPLAY: inline; FLOAT: right; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" align="right" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtrAYIazpBm60i44Ct7x9pvte9VGC_uctIgTyYs01wBeXavOUorIxzmIu5UGSJA3ExT4BTJhA_xm2_CI3ANjVZgCYzVEJq6qvq4Q3Dg44wrOi4b4VHsHYoepZtg0049Xj-njIrhxRT8WTV/?imgmax=800" width="287" height="413" /></a></p><br /><p>Before the second checkpoint we hit two convenience stores. When I say we “hit” them that is what I mean. It was like piranha's and a feeding frenzy. Pizza slices, sandwich wraps, sub sandwiches, Gatorade, candy bars, cookies were flying off the shelves. Riders were eating plus stocking up. The store clerks are probably still telling stories about the starving, mud splattered, riders that overtook the store. At the Norway store I thought I would take care of some thing on the bike and give the line at the check out time to go down. Bad idea as all the real food, pizza and sandwiches, were gone and I was stuck with a Rice Krispy treat.</p><br /><p>The eight of us arrived at the second check point as the sun was setting. It was 8:15 and we made the cutoff by 1:45. We were only halfway done with what had already been a really long day. Thoughts of how was I going to be able to ride for another 16 hours staring creeping into my head. The mind was now battling the flesh. The flesh says this is way too hard and you should quit. The mind says you knew this was going to be hard but this is what you want to do. This was the first of many me vs. me battles that would take place in the next 16 hours. </p><br /><p>The hours before sunset our plan for our little group was to stay together and have numbers on our side through the night. With extra eyes to check for turns and review cue sheets this seemed like a pretty good strategy. The only draw back to that strategy is there are more stops and each stop takes longer. By midnight we had only covered 27 miles in the last four hours. We did have a really nasty mud road that provided little places to walk and two flat tires but still our forward progress was slow at best.</p><br /><p>The darkness provided some interesting sections of road. The first was a bridge that was out. This was a wooden blanked bridge that was missing about three feet of planking on each end of the bridge. Once the road closed signs were successfully navigated you had to carry your bike and tight rope the 3” wide beam to cross the three foot gap. This process was repeated at the opposite end. The second “adventure” was a left on 78th street. A half mile before 78th St. was 78th St. <strong>Dr.</strong> We did not notice the “DR” on the sign so we turned left. The road was a level “C” road. These roads are gated and the farmers have taken them over. We were able to walk in the field next to the road and once at the other end realized we had made the wrong turn. There were enough mud roads on this course but now we had added two extras. Unfortunately for me there would be one more before I hit Grinnell.</p><br /><p>The killing of the Easter Bunny at 11:00 PM by an owl, a 1:30 AM stop in Belle Plaine for water at the bar and a 4:00 AM discussion on whether to head towards a sign that <em>looked</em> like a Kum-n-Go a couple miles off the route were the only other eventful things that happened prior to the sun coming up at 6:00 AM. That is if you don’t count the endless hills and a few more missed turns as eventful. </p><br /><p>We were headed towards a water tower as the sun was rising. As we got closer the words North English could be made out. Three of our group of eight had gotten a little gap on us and did not realize the gold mine that was in North English. A Casey’s store and they opened at 6:00 AM. Jeremy, Charlie, Jonathan, Mike and I took the opportunity for a breakfast stop and re-fuel before the final 65 mile push to Grinnell.</p><br /><p>The hills continued to be relentless but the road surface was dry, fast, hard packed clay. If we had gotten any rain during the race this section would have been a nightmare. At one point someone looked back and noticed there were riders approaching in the distance. Jonathan picked it up a notch and I went with him. We thought we would keep the pace up to try to hold off the upcoming riders. We moved along pretty quickly for 4-5 miles on 100th St. Looking for a left on 500th Ave. We passed 520th, then 510th then took the next left for one mile before making a right on 90th street. Reaching 90th street we saw a road closed sign and the behind it the worst level B road you could imagine. They were in the process of digging the mud out of the ditches and building up the road. That meant there were no ditches to walk in. We looked for a re-route flag but did not see one. We checked to make sure this was 90th street and it was. Not 90th Dr. or Ave. just plain 90th street. Onward we pushed. We had to cross a little ravine and then over a barbed wire fence to get to a field to parallel the road. One mile later we were back on gravel. Up ahead we saw riders that had passed us by going around this road. That wasn’t fair we had to go on the road how come they didn’t. We found out later we turned on 505th St a half a mile too early.</p><br /><p>Just down the road we stumble upon Jeremy and Charlie fixing Charlie's flat rear tire. Jonathan had the only tire lever that was able to get the tire off back on with out breaking so it was a good thing we took our detour or I am not sure they would have gotten the flat fixed. After the repair Jonathan pushed ahead and Jeremy, Charlie and I rode in together. It was demoralizing to see the hotel my van was park by and still have 10 miles until the finish. There were a few hills around Grinnell we did not hit on the way out of town and they wanted to make sure and include them before we finished. Left to right Charlie, Jeremy and me.</p><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaFzLFB-cB8h5rGn5SshVrNiQPtzho1ez6QzFxjnhg_uOP-4Bm0wjJWjspr_Zd6e5q1GvcbqnYBm4nQS2NznQRFgdnsgwCiwpyU5QHztgzC7DfYjBRaRHrHCtjYvHOMHDQejkVZiO46plQ/s1600-h/TransIowaV7%20finish%5B3%5D.png"><img style="BACKGROUND-IMAGE: none; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; DISPLAY: inline; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px" title="TransIowaV7 finish" border="0" alt="TransIowaV7 finish" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQuK9Rg4ZwWjkp0fvU_DC0GL8VchIbj8ZnyA0DM9ffBY41h6rVCtQqJmUWPsrhyphenhyphenVc5_JTUP7_32tMhYB5yvqBEmOjOOGGrbv9gtaHBMNQIPZUX7nfKNDsUZGABKvT4dwdCa5nrCoL9_LXP/?imgmax=800" width="772" height="289" /></a></p><br /><p>Finishing did not have the emotion I thought it would. I am not sure if I was just too tired or maybe it was because I was trying to hurry to make it home before my youngest Caleb headed back to college after the weekend at home. I only stuck around a couple minutes before riding the three miles back to the hotel. There was a pit stop on the way to the hotel at Taco Bell for some lunch. Before the tough drive home.</p><br /><p>People seem to be amazed/impressed that I accomplished this feat. I am just a average guy who likes to ride my bike. I am not a super gifted athlete and never have been but I have chosen to use the talent God gave me to the fullest. Long distance cycling gives me a chance for solitude and an opportunity to enjoy His creation. When viewing a gorgeous sunrise, a picturesque sunset or climbing to the top of a hill overlooking a sundrenched valley it is easy to see there is a creator and all this is not by chance. On your next ride take a look around and you will know what I mean.</p>Joe Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08742764356546400536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387405321526553135.post-30607514102459713792011-04-25T07:21:00.000-07:002011-04-26T07:36:32.383-07:00Trans Iowa V7 off the Bucket List<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8JCuk_QaxirM8Y7WxUoldw8FnS1y_ZsTi6E_PQRBt-ILAKyYpHx5YEB27XQUx87Nb0P847ycplCd2h_rGtvwiXv5ryQHKcA3udRdMh1-k7Ydo9rULx1AgJgVj3PS0JS6wvnzkweuuCrzs/s1600/Trans_Iowa_V7_034.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599568512187947922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8JCuk_QaxirM8Y7WxUoldw8FnS1y_ZsTi6E_PQRBt-ILAKyYpHx5YEB27XQUx87Nb0P847ycplCd2h_rGtvwiXv5ryQHKcA3udRdMh1-k7Ydo9rULx1AgJgVj3PS0JS6wvnzkweuuCrzs/s400/Trans_Iowa_V7_034.jpg" /></a><br />I am not in this picture but thought it showed how the riders looked early on in the race.<br /><br />Well this time the weather did not kick my butt. The endless rolling Iowa hills and the too numerous to count mud roads did but I kicked it right back and in the end I came out on top. As a note to self I will not be giving TI the chance to break the tie. <a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/32639646"><br /><br /></a>Just a quick update then I will post pictures and the whole story later this week.<br /><br />I tossed and turned all night stressing about every little thing from food, hydration, clothing, the bike you name it popped into my head. You know you are over stressed when you try to think about work just to calm you down. The race started pretty controlled as I rolled along with the lead group of about 40. The gravel was soupy from Friday's rain so the gravel slime was flying. No sense in wearing glasses. After just a few miles you could not find a clean area on your gloves or shirt to wipe the grit out of your eyes. Stayed with the group for 30 miles when the tempo up the hills started to catch up with me. Backed it off and rode with a couple other guys to check point 1, after 53 miles, at around 8:30 am with 45 minutes to spare. 8 of us rolled out together and stay as a group to the next check point at 8:15 pm after 177 miles total miles, 1:45 ahead of the cut-off. After that the speed dropped and it would take over 17 hours to cover the next 150 miles of the course. The nasty mud roads really slow you down. Three riders pushed on while 5 of us from the group stopped for breakfast at 6:00 am at the Casey's in North English and then the push to Grinnell for a 1:25 pm finish. 14th of the 18 finishers with a total time of 33:25.<br />The route went from Grinnell, Baxter, Montour, Treir, Dysert, Norway, Belle Plain, North English, Banes City and then Grinnell. <a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/32639646">Click here to view the map.</a> There were a few other little towns along the way that I did not see the name and they were so small if you blinked you missed them, even on a bike. Go to <a href="http://www.g-tedproductions.blogspot.com/">http://www.g-tedproductions.blogspot.com/</a> for updates and some audio feeds from the race.Joe Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08742764356546400536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387405321526553135.post-13153003811307382432011-04-22T10:12:00.000-07:002011-04-22T10:22:51.630-07:00Trans Iowa RevengeTomorrow I will be getting up at 3:00 am to head for the 4:00 am start of the Trans Iowa 7. For those unaware of this event it is a 320ish mile gravel and dirt road race in central Iowa starting and ending in Grinnell. The rest of the route will not be revealed until Friday night and then they only reveal the first 53 miles to check point number 1. If you arrive by the cut-off time you get the cue sheets to the next checkpoint at mile 177. Arriving at the second check point by the cut-off time gets you the cue sheets for the rest of the route. The overall time cut-off is 34 hours. If at anytime you decide to quit you are on your own to find a ride back to Grinnell.<br /><br />This has to be one of the harder races in the Midwest. If the miles don't get you the lack of support and not knowing where the next re-fueling stop is located will. For some great reading go to <a href="http://www.g-tedproductions.blogspot.com/">http://www.g-tedproductions.blogspot.com/</a>. You can read stories about the past races and somewhere you can get a link to radio broadcasts. Monday or Tuesday I will post the story and hopefully some pictures.<br /><br />Wish me luck.Joe Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08742764356546400536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387405321526553135.post-57737029493452049242011-04-20T18:51:00.001-07:002011-04-20T18:51:22.104-07:00Pictures from the 300K Brevet<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7M2IT27ZRxXtdUCwXa14Gy_KGF4TH3zMbgQ34N6F9U2Qtv4-XumKhVLtc6_pKqEluWIyjlhLcASejL6PhX8GHX_ctoP9UUj-h9uVdUcbrJrhhkdhi8b20F1Ps6ZSsCMApP8sY4I7-kHUc/s1600-h/300%20K%20%202011%5B1%5D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="300 K 2011" border="0" alt="300 K 2011" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieZkNVQhK8sD05ysul1vlv9Ln_cgaARd_jB0l4qnXFz3nZQt2kZnJosjsv-VNtOm5hZnM7456R0nKYnK9YYRtEeqCFb8fRSrOVza4NOSSAahu6VuSIWNX-c5TyUej91v2cIN_hDjnxf1bu/?imgmax=800" width="735" height="348" /></a></p> <p>          Mike Doyle,       Jim Yost,       Larry Ide,             Joe Mann, Jay Yost,    Paul Carpenter, Doug McLerran, Matt Levy</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc_gCrCjJOrmNKrQmgCXDmBJtX3a3Ss0k0mwKvQFnojqwRGvDQEX6SmSeKf4cGpXJBkZ1G_jLDrKWLy1kcr3bqhJhEahW7UQeekwA3-HtpZDtxPhpxMdRuvuYOTui5-nyhVdDShqod2VSS/s1600-h/Larry%20Ide%5B1%5D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Larry Ide" border="0" alt="Larry Ide" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW8xHPYd5zUZv2VPHoNjmEUNYTFUxOSUfOr8kIfEVzWzh72DToBwxP3XDCoE23zfvo4jU2LwUd8Ti95UCi3wavXc5ehvRaTLV-dD0YiePRzW5jdb1gM0bzybrmKCpOA_WoGV4t39WNq98C/?imgmax=800" width="196" height="284" /></a>  <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7aau5z5uYQqM_NSm3TF9VFSzGNpTX8XEvDDab-V0bwLI4r0K-aPhmQcutlBAF2UMgpRlWdSLTTSM7odoHnA5J1p_NWSMf2bGA8QVyVgz28YjuvXOweYZkjBK19OZmkPbIv2cgI8BUxerl/s1600-h/0409111125b%5B4%5D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="0409111125b" border="0" alt="0409111125b" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnDVtxPwNhlPo3TvhQW-kXiO8ynl1klzuLvsDE3gUn7ZktjnlYwcxttyk0Q7PlHiV6PCDMhg7RSwginqk1P6ScWYOx0mJoJCDOfjMxiRU7N41gwCr5M1FycIkJE41xfv69pfeySjz41GC5/?imgmax=800" width="371" height="279" /></a></p> <blockquote> <p>Larry’s usual diet             Paul looks good in my vest.  Even after RAAM still taking care of him</p></blockquote> Joe Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08742764356546400536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387405321526553135.post-59301648586790106792011-04-13T10:04:00.000-07:002011-04-20T18:44:12.612-07:00PBP Brevet SeriesThe <a href="http://www.ultramidwest.net/main/bdmain.aspx">Big Dog's</a>, out of the Quad Cities, are once again hosting a <a href="http://www.paris-brest-paris.org/pbp2011/index2.php?lang=en&cat=accueil&page=edito">Paris-Brest-Paris </a>(or <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">PBP</span>) Brevet series. The series consists of a 200K, 300K, 400K and 600K and when completed qualifies the rider for entry into the 2011 addition of the historic ride. The series runs from early April to early June. <a href="http://www.rusa.org/pbp.html"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">RUSA</span></a> is the governing body of the Brevets held through-out the country.<br /><br />What is a Brevet compared to a race? This <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">RUSA</span> web page defines Brevet and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Randonneur</span> pretty well. Brevet's are not a race, the time cutoff is close to 10 mph. There are no awards for first place, all finishers are treated equally and usually the results are posted alphabetically. During a brevet if your riding partner has a mechanical problem or wish to take a "nature" break, add or shed a jacket then you stop and wait. If someone is struggling you let them draft and maybe back the pace off a little. You don't see that during a race. Don't get me wrong there are "racers" who enter brevet's and cannot resist the temptation to push the pace. Many times they will pay for it down the road especially during the 400 and 600K.<br /><br />The 200K on April 2<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">nd</span> had 23 finishers from all over the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Midwest</span>. <a href="http://www.ultramidwest.net/umw/qcr/qcrbrevetresults.aspx">See results.</a> Fellow Melon City Bike Club members Mike Doyle and Joe <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Wies</span> joined me for the 6:00 am start in Eldridge Iowa. Mike has done a couple of brevet's in past years but this was Joe's first. We rolled out into the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">pre</span>-dawn morning with a nice group of 11 of us. The route head west to Bennett, south to Wilton, the west to Nichols. The wind was gently blowing out of the NE so the wind would not be much of a factor. The pace was more controlled then any brevet I have ever done. We rolled along in a nice <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">double</span> pace line chatting as the miles rolled by. It was a mini <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">RAAM</span> reunion with Paul Carpenter and Jay <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">Yost</span>. Paul was a rider last year and Jay and I were on his support crew. It was good to catch up on how life and cycling had been treating them. Larry <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ide</span> (crazy Larry) was also in the group. I have ridden several long rides with Larry over the years and it is always nice to have him along. Fellow Trans Iowa participant Jeremy Frye was also out getting some training miles in for the big ride on April 23. The ride went without a hitch until 5 miles after the turnaround on highway 70 between the Nichols turn and F70. This stretch of road is pretty beat up and it looks like they tried to fix it by putting a thin layer over the top. That layer did not stick. With the variations in the surface color it is hard to notice pot holes. The 11 of us were riding two abreast when a pot hole snuck up on us. As the leaders tried to dodge the hole the riders behind were scrambling/<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">panicking</span>. this resulted in the back riders running into the riders in front of them. Two riders got tangled and one went down. As we slowed and circled back to survey the damage I hoped it was not Mike of Joe. It was both of them. Joe went down and Mike got ran into. It looked like Mike's rear skewer met Joe's front spokes and Joe's front skewer met Mike's rear spokes. The result was a really bent spoke for Joe and a broken spoke for Mike. Joe also had a nice scrap on his knee. We were able to fix Joe's but not Mike's wheel. We managed to get the wheel to stop rubbing the brakes but was really close to the frame. As we neared <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">Muscatine</span> Mike decided it was not worth risking ruining his frame so he headed home.<br /><br />Shortly after saying good-bye to Mike we started working our way into the looming northeast breeze tha thad picked up as the day progressed. The first stretch was pretty protected but the two undulating sections from Wilton to Bennett were wide open. Keeping a group together in a cross wind is hard enough, but toss in a few rollers and it soon becomes "everyman for himself" trying to stay in the draft. Our shrunken lead group of five rolled into Bennett with a huge sigh of relief knowing the last 26 miles would be all tailwind. At this point I decided to wait for Joe and the rest of the shattered group before heading out. The last section was at a nice conversational pace and a great way to end a ride.<br /><br />Total time was just under 8 hours with <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">waaayyy</span> to much time off the bike. Next up the 300K brevet as the last <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">training</span> ride before Trans Iowa.Joe Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08742764356546400536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387405321526553135.post-17919952661150011612011-03-20T16:36:00.001-07:002011-03-20T16:36:05.331-07:00Spring Riding<p>Who looks forward to the sunny warm weather riding more?  The riders who have been stuck inside all winter staring at the wall wishing they were outside. Or the riders who have been outside freezing their tails off since November and are getting tired of it.</p> <p>My wife is a fair weather rider.  A really fair weather rider.  If it is below 60 she does not want to ride outside.  She will run outside sparingly at 40 degrees but not even think about riding.  On the rare occasion that she does ride outside she really overdresses because she HATES to be cold.  Her overdressing saves us in cold weather attire because what she wears are 50-60 I wear at 30-40.  So she can just wear my stuff.</p> <p>The un-seasonably warm weather this week brought many summer time riders outside.  In addition the riverfront trail was full of walkers, joggers, mom’s pushing strollers, and people walking dogs.  This was a stark contrast to last Sunday’s gloomy and cool day when people were hunkered down wondering when spring would get here.</p> <p>Wednesday night the <a href="http://www.muscatinecycling.com/">Melon City Bike Club</a> had the first dinner ride of the year.  These rides have been a first and third Wednesday night staple of the club for close to 10 years.  The normal format is to ride 15-25 miles to a restaurant in a small town and then shuttle back.  To start the season this ride was out and back with dinner taking place at a local bar called <a href="http://wine-nutz.com/">Wine Nuts</a>.  The “dinner” consisted of pizza delivered from another local establishment called <a href="http://www.salvatoresonline.com/">Salvatore's.</a>  It was nice to have the food ready to eat as soon as we got done riding and the bar has a wide variety of vines and beers.</p> <p>36 riders showed up at the riverfront for the ride.  Around 15 more friends and family showed up to join in the festivities.  What a great way to start the riding season.  The tough part will be the few chilly days that the weather man will throw our way just to make the nice warm days seem that much more warmer.</p> <p>As summer draws near there are more phone calls for riding partners. There are also more chances to get out and ride with Connie.  She joined me for two rides this week.  Wednesday for the dinner ride and today (Sunday) for a 26 miles ride.  She shocked me today wanting to ride because her legs were still sore from an eight mile run on Saturday.  She even picked the direction to go and choose a very hilly route. We headed out around 2:00 as the temperatures reached 60 degrees with the sun shining.  As usual she was over dressed with a vest, tights, sleeves and shoe covers.  She took off the shoe covers and the vest before we left, the tights 4 miles later and the sleeves after 10 miles.  In her defense the forecast was for upper 60’s but it was 75 by the time we got done.  What a great surprise.  This was the second Sunday in a row the weather man was wrong.  This time it was finally in our favor.</p> <p>I am always thankful that one of my riding partners is Connie.  I am even more thankful that when she rides it is not just tooling along.  Today, being only her second outdoor ride, she pushed it up the hills pretty well.  In the windy sections she was doing her share of pulling.  With the boys off at college we will be able to enjoy many evenings and afternoons riding together this srping.  We will miss the tennis meets and soccer games that we attended while the boys were in high school but riding together beats them all.  Once in a while if we are lucky we can get both boys to ride as well.</p> Joe Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08742764356546400536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387405321526553135.post-54289969686166155792011-02-28T18:41:00.001-08:002011-02-28T18:41:53.094-08:00CIRREM Gravel Road Race 2011<p>On Saturday the 26th I entered the third annual <a href="http://cirrem.blogspot.com/">CIRREM gravel road</a> race held in Cumming Iowa (10 miles south of Des Moines).The 64 mile race is put on by Des Moines area cyclists who three years ago organized a group ride as motivation for some cold weather training  This year saw 80 riders pre-registered with another 30 race day entrants.  </p> <p>I have been eye-balling this race for a couple weeks as training for April’s Trans Iowa.  With 7 weeks to go it is time to ramp up the training intensity and start to focus on hill climbing.  As the day approached the weather forecast looked pretty good with temperatures in the low 30’s and no snow or rain.  Mid-week we got about 3 inches of snow but it missed the Des Moines area and the forecast temperatures was still in the mid 30’s.  Earlier in the week, before our snow, our gravel roads were in great shape so I figured the race course would be dry and fast.  Friday night saw 2 inches of new snow and colder temperatures for the race.  I tend to stress about rides like this as I over think every little detail.  What tires to run, what to carry to eat/drink, what to wear, will I stop at the sag stop.  Every time the forecast changed my strategy would change.  This was a 4 to 5 hour training ride and not that important for my season.  For Trans Iowa my mind will really be in overdrive.  </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjINfdzo6cdSIfe6yRfaRld1b3G5hCkyZcupBzsRwk__pWfGkyzxRorLzTkMM7HRK9U4QUUdtOzmHHU3uCkQWa1dyDRbHFhFAraM0vBbjkqcZbUwgx_rM2UxRRTgmukvR6rXK1B2o6gk7oQ/s1600-h/022611_0957015.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="022611_0957[01]" border="0" alt="022611_0957[01]" align="left" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBSJg3b20qG_DkENbKpM5_gZmE09lazUtdkizqew4jCFGvRmd16y3vWnlwHYAf5JgCCrB_-K9jyEyWl0gsj72MRf5FGs9fo5EaQKg4s46vqt3vXZzzM-8iYVTJxFJ1IGHS_K0nYv_nNre7/?imgmax=800" width="388" height="516" /></a></p> <p>Leaving Muscatine at 6:30 a.m. we headed west for a 9:00 arrival in Cumming and a start time of 10:00.  With temperature in the upper teens my main concern was keeping the water from freezing during the 4-5 hour ride.  I had two insulated bottles filled with warm water, one was Perpetuam.  I also was trying a Camelbak under my jacket.  I had some Power Gel bites along as an extra fuel source that would be easy to eat on the move.  I was worried I might be a little under dressed and hoped the harder pace would generate enough heat to get me by and it did.</p> <p>After the start Connie was headed to Des Moines for some shopping and to meet Chris for lunch.  They were going to meet me back at the Cummings Tap after 5 hours or earlier if I called.  The pace was pretty social as we rolled out.  We even stopped at one corner for a nature break. It was interesting after an hour it seemed like we rolled though the feed zone.  Riders started digging in there pockets for gels, bars and thawed water bottles.  The challenge was completing this simple task with lobster gloves on your hands.  More then one gel ended on the ground.  </p> <p>Our front group of 30 hit some serious hills around mile 20 and the group began to thin out.  The hills were endless and after the 4th or 5th serious roller I was one of the casualties.  During a brief reprieve a handful of us were able to get back on the tail of the group. </p> <p>Near the 25 mile mark we had a long gradual downhill. Partway down the hill a rider on the far left of the road hit a rut that launched him and his bike sideways through the middle of the group.  I was behind him and had to move clear to one side to avoid the carnage.  Total three rides hit the deck.  Once we got to the bottom of the hill we stopped to wait for everyone to re-group.  When was the last time you saw that during a road race?  A few miles later I was off the back again for good.</p> <p>My plan was to ride non-stop so I rolled through the sag stop at the 30 miles mark.  1:57 was my time at that point.  That is less then 15 mph average.  I was comfortable with the fact I was going to be on my own the rest of the race.  I caught a few riders, got caught by a few, but basically was on my own.  Just past the sag stop both my water bottles were frozen beyond use.  I could not even unscrew the caps to get the liquid out.  Getting my Camelbak nozzle out from inside my coat, while moving down the road, proved impossible wearing my heavy gloves so I decided to pull over.  I also needed to remove my goggles because they kept freezing over and I was tired of scrapping the ice off them to read the cue sheet.  My heart sank as I grabbed the nozzle that would supply the only water I would have for the next two hours only to find it frozen solid.</p> <p>Around mile 45 I was passed on a climb.  A couple miles later I was feeling pretty good and decided to use the rider ahead as a rabbit.  I picked up the pace and kept my mind focused on the chase. By mile 58 I caught up with him.  At the pace we were going there is not much benefit to drafting but misery loves company.  With all the hills it is easier to ride your own pace.  A few miles later it was obvious his uphill pace was more then mine and I was on my own again for the last 5 miles of the race.</p> <p>I really had no goals for this race other then a really good workout.  Not drinking or eating enough had it’s effect on how I felt finishing.  The last 4 miles seemed to take forever as I counted down each mile.  It was nice to finally see the finish after 4:34 of riding.  I was pleasantly surprised to find out I finished in 12th place.  </p> <p>This is the third type of in-formal gravel road ride I have entered.  Very low key with the focus on the social event before and after the ride.  Each race has had less then ideal riding conditions but I have come away really enjoying the day.  Next time I need to stick around longer to partake in the post-race activities and get to know more of the riders. </p> Joe Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08742764356546400536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6387405321526553135.post-78241985377688793882011-02-28T10:32:00.000-08:002011-02-28T18:43:51.699-08:00CIRREM StatsMy write up will come later today. Here is a <a href="http://connect.garmin.com/activity/70284462">link to </a>the Garmin stats of an ISU student who was on the back of the winning tandem. I have also added a few write ups.<br /><br /><a href="http://g-tedproductions.blogspot.com/2011/02/cirrem-2011-race-report.html">Results<br />Guitar Ted</a><br /><a href="http://cycling-obsession.blogspot.com/2011/02/cirrem-iii.html">Cycling Obsession</a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27586830@N02/sets/72157626159012780/">Rest Stop Pictures</a>Joe Mannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08742764356546400536noreply@blogger.com0