Top Mistakes I Make When Training for A Race

Once again I am registered for the Lumberjack 100. While the weather outside may have us thinking June is a millennia away, in reality it is only 80 days until race day. And some of us decided it would be a good year to break a foot and sit on the couch all winter (ahem, me). Eighty days is not a lot of time to train for an endurance event. For the runners out there, this is the equivalent of going from the couch to marathon in 10 weeks.

It can be done! But there is little to no room for mistakes or slacking when it comes to a training regimen. It's pertinent I don't repeat the mistakes of the past. The next few posts will be a compilation of common mistakes I make all the time.

1) Focusing on the duration of the training.
Not all of us have 5 hours stacked together for training rides on the weekend. Its easy for me to question my own training plan when the hours are paltry compared to others. Unfortunately this down attitude has caused self-sabotage when I spend precious mental energy being worried rather than focusing on the purpose of my training session.

When you have limited training time its vital that you make every minute count 10 times of that which would be used for an endurance ride. There are two keys to boosting the effectiveness of your training time:

1. Approach every minute of the training session with intention (interval, hill, recovery, tempo, etc). Craft your rides to work towards specific goals. How often are we told to eat a 'colorful diet'? Training should be the same way: full of variety. There should be rides to practice technical skills, rides for building strength, anaerobic capacity, etc. Every training session has a purpose and every minute of each training session serves a purpose. Make the time spent on the bike work for you and leave sleeping for the couch. 
2. Be 100% present. I've become rather skilled at compartmentalizing in my attempt to balance motherhood, career, wifedom, and bike racing. Trying to do all of that at once is exhausting. So I don't. Instead I give 100% of myself to one thing at a time. When I'm home with the kids, I'm Mom. When I'm at work, I'm 100% at work. I don't waste mental energy worrying about things at home when I'm not there to do anything about them. It's the same with training. In order to get the most out of my training I block everything else out of my mind and put 100% into what I'm doing in the moment (that's the goal at least). 

Come back tomorrow for Mistake #2: Being Afraid of the Deep End.

Preview: It's funny watching my kids learn to swim. When they want a challenge they'll dart under the divider from the shallow end to the deep end then quickly pop back up safely at the depth of 3.5 feet. They are pumped from their dare-devilish flirt with the deep end. It's humorous because you know they've kept one toe safely on the shallow side and never fully plunged into the depth of the pool.

I can easily fall into a similar rut when it comes to cycling. 

Sometimes a Bad Ride isn't such a Bad Thing

You've been pushing yourself to the edge for months. Beating your muscles and body into submission. Working so hard that your shins sweat. And now its finally that time. A handful of days before the BIG event. The one thing you dream about is that last training session. The dress-rehearsal if you will.

Surely weeks of suffering shall be rewarded with a high. The kind of ride where you find yourself free-spinning with seemingly zero resistance. Your climbing legs--what climb! Swoosh you're at the top and already flying down the descent.Wind in your face, sun on your back, and miles under your wheels.

Last Friday I went on my last endurance training ride for LJ100. And I fully anticipated a great day on the bike.

Except it wasn't.

It turned out to be one of the worst rides I have ever had. The kind of ride that can shake you of any nugget of confidence you were hoping to carry into race day. Leaving you hollow with the vapor of doubt and fear.

The Very Bad Ride.

There have been many training rides I've wanted to accomplish this spring: gravel roads in Oceana County, the Trifecta Tour, epic rides on the NCT, and Big M. Alas, I didn't get near as much riding in as I imagined I would. I didn't lose 15 pounds like I thought either. Weird how that always happens.

I digress.

One of the rides I had hoped to check off my list was simply departing from my house and riding 17 miles to Owasippe for a couple of laps and then return home. Nothing epic, just something I wanted to do. This seemed like a good time to do it. All riding, no driving, a little road, a little single track. A great training ride when you need to utilize every minute.

 

The Fuel: Perpetuem, Phytoganix, Endura, Sweet Potato and homemade Lara Bars.

I stocked up on fuel, the same fuel I've been using all spring except for Perpetuem. I've been questioning my nutrition plan as it consists almost solely of carbohydrates. I convinced myself that I need to take in some kind of protein for an endurance event. Perpetuem was recommended by several others. This was not my very first ride using Perpetuem, I used it the week before for my 75-miler.

The other small change was that I used a gel flask for carrying sweet potato. It seemed easier than making my own gu-packs. Worth a try at least.

I was not as amped-up for the ride as I was hoping. In fact, a big part of me was dreading it. However, there was the silver lining: this was my last endurance ride. That and date-night with Chad planned that evening were enough to light a fire under me and get myself out the door.

Things started off well-enough. The route to Owasippe is flat and I was cruising along at a nice pace, 16-17 mph. I worked at keeping my heart rate at a nice 135-145 range. I arrived at Owasippe just over an hours riding time with 17.5 miles done, 32.5 to go.

I let some air out of my tires because Owasippe right now is just about as sandy as the coast of Lake Michigan. Unfortunately, I forgot to unlock my front suspension which I never realized until later that evening.

 

2 miles into Owasippe. So far so good . . .

Owasippe is special. It's the kind of place you go to if you want to be smacked in the face with the truth. If you're strong and feeling good, you can hammer up the climbs, rideout the rough sections and finish out the loop feeling like you've really accomplished something. However, if you're legs are tired and your unprepared Owasippe will eat you up, spit you out and then stomp on you a few times. Especially if you ride the Blue Loop.

I've seen grown men, men thinking themselves worthy of Owasippe because they "ride all the time in GR," puking their guts out miles short of the trails end. Don't underestimate Chief Owasippe.

The first of many climbs to come.

I stupidly thought I had conquered the trail just because I had ridden 75-miles there the week before. I was wrong and on Friday I was not worthy of Owasippe. The Chief beat me into submission. Taunting and brutalizing me with every climb and stretch of rough trail.

To exasperate the situation, the pollen was freely falling. Every gasp of air felt like I was inhaling handfulls of cotton balls. I was sucking away at my hydration pack and emptied my water bottle in 11-miles. Nothing was quenching my thirst.

Somehow I managed to finish the 11-mile blue loop. I desperately wanted to be home. Things were not going well. I was tired and hot. But I did not want to cut the ride short. I could not quit. If this was my dress-rehearsal, I was not closing the curtain because I gave up. No, I was going to finish this thing.

Thankfully, I didn't have to ride the Blue Loop again. I felt incredibly alone in my suffering as I departed the empty parking lot at the trail head and set out on what would be my last ride at Owasippe before it closed for the summer.

I rode the second lap in a haze. And then began the long and pitiful ride home.  I stopped at a convenience store to refill my water bottles and sat in the shade for awhile.

I glanced down at my leg and noticed a giant white splatter on my thigh. Bird poop. I wonder when that happened? That was the least of my issues, in fact, it was only remarkable in that I noticed it. What was weighing on my mind was the back pain, nausea, heat and exhaustion.

Eventually I made it home. But not without having to stop to throw up.

52.24 UGLY miles.

And then I collapsed in the yard. I think I rested there for 30 minutes.

Taking a Bad Ride and Making it Something Good.

It would be easy to let a ride like that plant seeds of doubt. Did I train enough? Do I have enough endurance? Will I be able to finish 100 miles when I suffered so greatly for half that distance?

But why? There are so many GOOD things to take away from this ride that are really going to help me out at the LJ100.

1) Perpetuem is not good for me. I didn't like the taste. Even from the first sip it was making my stomach queasy. I should stick with what I have always done: Endura and Phytoganix.

2) The Gel Flask of Sweet Potato was a horrible idea! It was way too hard to squeeze the potato out of the flask. It's so much easier to access, carry and consume when they are in my homemade gu packs.

3) Take Danielle Musto's advice and keep little baggies of ice for the pockets when its hot.

4) Don't underestimate 100 miles. Again, follow Danielle's advice: Just remember that you can't win the race in the first hour but you can certainly lose it. (I'm not planning on winning, but I do want to finish!)


5) I got the bad ride out of the way which means my racing legs are available for this weekend. :)

Vision Quest

Owasippe

Michelle: my crazy friend (on the left) and Me (on the right)

Way back in March when my crazy friend Michelle forced me to sign up for LJ100 (she didn't exactly hold a gun to my head, but still), I knew training would be an infuriating challenge. 

Up late with my sick kiddo.

My kids are still young. They are night-wandering warriors determined to destroy a peaceful nights sleep. They're giant, slimy balls of germ infested snot that can strike you down with feverish, lung choking illness in just one spray of spittle. You can imagine how those two things alone can throw a wrench into anyone's training plan.

Ouchie.

Not to mention all the usual stuff that demands your time: work commitments, soccer games, school programs, blah, blah, blah. We all have deal with it. 

Then I mangled my hand in a freak knuckle verses disc brake rotor incident.

And dislocated my shoulder. 

Excuses. Road blocks. Whatever, they aren't going to keep me from doing what I've set out to do.

Vision Quest

A vision quest is a rite of passage in some Native American cultures.
The vision quest is a turning point in life taken before to find oneself and the intended spiritual and life direction. He or she will go on a personal, spiritual quest alone in the wilderness, often in conjunction with a period of fasting.[1] This usually lasts for a number of days while they are attuned to the spirit world. Usually, a Guardian animal or force of nature will come in a vision or dream, and give guidance for their life. (taken from Wikipedia).

This week I had what I would consider my most important training rides.  

The goal: get as close to a 100 miles on single track as I could. 

The trail: Owasippe.

It was a day I have long anticipated, knowing that I would be challenged in ways I had not yet been tested on the bike. The Owasippe trail system was the home of the Potawatomie Indians in the 19th century. I always feel a deep connection with nature and the land's ancestral history when I'm riding there. I couldn't help but think of this day as my personal Vision Quest. The way things have been going, I needed a turning point . . . 

Michelle was planning on riding all day with me. Another friend, Derek planned to ride for a few hours before going to work. Michelle is riding a sweet new single speed that, gets this, weighs 19 pounds. I'm not jealous at all. Sadly, there's been some mechanical issues that cut Michelle's ride short and she had to leave after just a lap and a half. It was a blow. I was going to miss her. With Derek only able to stay until noon, I was looking at a long day of riding alone.

Owasippe

Derek and I managed to get in 30 miles in 3 hours or riding. I switched hydration packs, ate a granola bar and began my solo journey.

Feeling decent the first 3 laps, I was surprised when my legs were slapped with fatigue just a few miles into lap 4. Losing my companions hit me harder than I anticipated. Everything was harder.

I opted for the 8-mile trail in fear that the big climbs on the back end of the 11-mile loop would be too demoralizing to recover from. 

It's funny how Fear changes as you ride. Fear in the first lap is that washed out, rutted drop. 50 miles into the ride, Fear is turning right to begin another lap instead of heading straight for the parking lot.

2 solo laps completed and I was feeling awful. I thought I had seen a moose. I was aware enough to know that there are no moose in Owasippe. Something was off with my nutrition. I kept stopping for no reason. Just sitting on my bike, wishing I was done.

And so I rode back to my car. Loaded my bike and headed home. It was only 2:30 in the afternoon. And I only had 50 miles logged. 

I had failed.

Driving home I noticed that the hydration pack I had been wearing was still full. Full! After riding 20 miles. It should have been near empty. My plan was to take in most of my nutrition through fluids, the fact that my hydration pack was full meant that I was dehydrated and under-fueled. No wonder I saw a moose! My fingers and lips had also turned pale blue, not sure what that meant, but I know that's not good!

Laying on the couch at home my head filled with doubts. If I can't ride more than 50 miles how the heck can I finish LJ100? I was heavy with disappointment. 

Munching away on my cinnamon raising toast with slathered with sunbutter, I decided there was still time to turn this day around. I brushed the crumbs off myself and set out to get in more miles. Initially I thought I would head out on my road bike.

But as I walked out the door it was my car keys I grabbed, not my road bike. I was barely conscious of what I was doing.

I was going back to Owasippe. I had a vision of Chief Owasippe (The Legend of Chief Owasippe) sitting on top of the hill, waiting for me. Where have you gone Heather? I'm here, waiting for you.

I was going to finish what I set out to do. This time I was focused and determined. 3-laps would get me 25 more miles for a total of 75. And although I could feel the fatigue of the mornings ride, I was renewed with a sense of purpose. I had found my flow and Chief Owasippe was my guide.

LJ100 Q&A with Danielle Musto

A big thank you to pro racer Danielle Musto for taking some time do a Q&A on endurance racing and the LJ100!


Me: Is there Founder’s Beer and dinner left for those of us that finish after 10 hours?
Danielle: Yes, do not fear! There will be plenty of beer and food left.

Me: Now that the most important question is out of the way, We’re in the final weeks of preparation for LJ100, what’s the most important workout we shouldn’t miss?
Danielle: Ideally you want to get in one long endurance ride a week. I'm not saying you need to do a hundred miles, but it's really smart to go out and do a few long rides on your mountain bike. 100 miles on trail feels a lot different then 100 miles on the road and you want to condition your back/shoulder/neck muscles for what it's going to feel like. Not to mention your butt :-) Use the long endurance ride to practice your nutrition/hydration so that everything will be dialed in come race day.

Me: How would you suggest tapering the training in these final weeks?
Danielle: Everyone is different when it comes to tapering, but keep in mind there's not much you can do the week before the race except keeping the legs loose and getting enough sleep. Any sort of last minute hard/long training sessions will just create fatigue for the big day. My coach (Andy Applegate) usually has me do a long-ish endurance ride the weekend before the race and then I start to taper down. I will usually take a full day off, and then do some easy one-hour spins throughout the week. That being said I still do a few short more intense intervals to keep my legs fresh, but they are really short. Again, it's important to avoid creating any lasting fatigue.

Me: So I’ve read that some people take half of an Ambien the night before a big race to help them sleep. Do you have any secrets or tips to help calm the nerves and ensure a rest-filled night on the eve of the race?
Danielle: The night that really matters is actually two nights before the race. So if you don't sleep the best the night before the race, relax. Almost everyone is in the same boat with pre-race nerves. However, there are a few things that I do to ensure I'm as relaxed as possible. First of all, I make sure that all of my gear/nutrition is ready to go. That way I don't go to bed stressed about things I need to take care of in the morning. I LOVE coffee but I refuse to drink any sort of caffeine after 10 a.m. the day before a race. At night I try to get to bed early, put on a fan, and watch a movie. Don't try to visualize the race course right before going to bed. It will just make you nervous and make it harder to sleep. If I feel really awake I will take a melatonin (natural sleep aid). It usually helps make me sleepy. If you are going to take something, I wouldn't try it for the first time the night before a race. Know what effect it's going to have on you. Endurance races start early and the last thing you want to do is feel some sort of drug-induced grogginess at the start line.

Me: What must-haves should we stock at the start/aid station?
Danielle: Regardless of what your goals are for the race (whether it be placing, a certain time, or just finishing) try to keep your pit stops short. Just remember that the longer you stop, the harder it is to get going.  It's smart to have your nutrition/hydration for each lap planned and ready to go. I usually have banana slices and maybe some other fruit available just in case I want to grab something extra. Pretzels, fig newmans and payday bars are also favorite snacks that are easy to grab and break up the monotony of gels. You will sweat a lot throughout the race so it's smart to keep Hammer endurolyte tabs or elete handy so that you can replenish your electrolytes. Other helpful items are a tire pump, spare air cartridges, spare tubes, chain lube, sunscreen, bug spray, chamois butter, tums (in case you have stomach issues), some sort of pain reliever, and extra water. Are you confident that you can ride with sweaty gloves and socks for 100 miles and not get blisters? If not, bring extras just in case. If it's really hot keep a few ziplock bags in a cooler filled with ice. You can put those in your jersey pocket to help cool you off.

Me: How much and how often do you recommend eating/drinking during the race?
Danielle: If it's hot and humid 1.5-2 bottles per hour is a good goal. I usually aim for about 220 calories per hour.

Me: It’s a long day on the bike, do you eat a “lunch” or continually fuel throughout the day?
Danielle: I start fueling from the get-go. Personally I keep it really simple for 100 milers. I use Hydrapaks because that way I can ensure I am drinking enough and don't have to worry about taking my hands off the handlebars (I tend to hit trees when I do that). Because I put my drink mix in my hydrapak I also ride with a bottle filled with just water. I depend on gels for my other source of calories (besides my drink mix) and put them in a soft flask. This way I don't have to worry about fumbling around with gel packets. Fueling continually throughout the day makes it easier to keep track of calorie intake. Trying to eat a full "lunch" could create stomach issues.

Me: For someone that has only ever done XC races (2 hours), I’m concerned about pacing. How does pacing for an XC race different from an endurance race?
Danielle: Hopefully you have done some long endurance rides and have an idea of what sort of pace you can handle for a long period of time. Just remember that you can't win the race in the first hour but you can certainly lose it. It's really easy to get caught up in the start when everyone is hammering away. However, I promise that a lot of those people will come back to you if you keep a consistent pace. If you feel like your eyeballs are going to start bleeding you are probably going too fast :-) If you still feel great at the 50 mile mark then start to push it to the end.

Me: Anything I should I know about the LJ100 course?
Danielle: It's fun but challenging. Because the climbs are relatively short, the downhills offer very little recovery. Also, it can get sandy in sections and after a while everything starts to look the same. Luckily Rick Plite (the promoter) does a great job marking the trail so you never have to worry about getting lost.

Me: What’s the one thing you wish you knew before you did your first endurance race?
Danielle: Where the finish line was. This won't be a problem at Lumberjack :-)

At this crucial juncture

Just 3.5 weeks away from LJ100.

The last few weeks I've been silently struggling. Trying to balance family time, training, work, and managing the household has proven overwhelming.

I haven't been motivated to train.
My diet has gone off the deep end.

And the worse part is, I just don't care.

Experience tells me that this is a sure sign I've taken on too much. I've known for a long time that I am not Super-Mom. Nor am I Super-Woman or Super-Mountain Biker Chic—I'm especially not all three at one time. There are limitations to what I can do before self-combustion. Right now, the dial is in the red and I'm fast approaching incineration.

All this was leading up to a tough decision. While my LJ100 colleagues are ramping up their training to over the next 2 weeks, I will be taking a vacation from the bike.

A weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I can breathe again! Until this morning, I was dreading this week. I have doctor's appointments for both of the kids, a vision appointment (I HATE getting my eyes dilated, it screws up my whole day), and I need to get the Camper packed for the holiday weekend—just to mention a few items. The to-do list is monstrous. Now that I've been able to axe 15 hours on the bike, the days suddenly seem manageable.

I'm willing to sacrifice some time at the LJ100 in order to get my life back on track. My general health and my family are more important to me than a number on the clock.

So, for the time being my "training" will focus on adequate rest and eating nutritionally.

>>>Also, stay tuned because the super-fast and LJ100 veteran Danielle Musto will be doign a Q & A on the race and last minute training. I thought I would have a whole bunch of questions to ask her, but my mind is drawing a blank. If there's anything you want to know about LJ100 or endurance racing, post it on the comments section or email me. Thanks!

The other side of training

Most training is done to prepare your body for the physical endurance and exertion of an event. Training routines work on three different physiological aspects: Energy (anaerboic/aerobic), Cardiovascular (Lactate & Anaerobic Threshold), and Muscular (strength, endurance, speed) systems.

Although I don't follow a training plan, I do try to focus on completing a variety of workouts each week that touches all three systems. The process goes something like this: while brewing my morning cup of coffee and munching on some almonds, I think to myself, "I haven't done strength training in awhile, maybe I should do that today . . . ?" Very scientific stuff.

However, there is one more system that needs training if you ever want to go faster, farther, or reach new heights: Mental strength. When you're lungs are burning, your legs are rebelling, and the finish line shoots out into oblivion it takes mental control, determiniation, will-power and impossible belief to overcome the physical barriers to reach the prize.

Last week for me, while severely lacking in beneficial physical training provided ample opportunities to grow my Mental Strength system.

The week started promising. I had a great plan that included 120 minutes of intervals, a Zone 2 75-mile ride, and a 40 mile single-track ride. However . . .

• 40 minutes into my interval ride, the 15 year old trainer broke--go figure. (I have to ride the trainer because of my work schedule and having young kids).
• The night before my planned 75-mile ride, my daughter came down with an ear-infection. 
• The day I planned the 40-mile single-track ride, my kid-sitter had an unexpected death in the family and traveled out of town for the funeral.
• Furthermore, Chad worked a bazillion hours last week, getting home well after dinner time every night, including Saturday. No evening or Saturday rides for Chad or I.
• Sunday we had Coffee duty at church and a April/May Family Birthday celebration.

This is normal. Which is why I do not hire a coach or pay for a training plan. There is not a 100 mile XC race training plan out there that accomodates sick kids, dying relatives, and broken trainers.

With the days quickly disappearing between now and LJ100, I could not afford to get derailed. I am already concerned about being undertrained following my bare-bones training regimen, and then to miss an entire week of training . . . I started to become mentally defeated.

"Failures do what is tension relieving,
while winners do what is goal achieving."
—Dennis Waitley

Although we had no money in the bank I did have a gift card to Breakaway, a pocket full of coupons and a credit card. I got some funny looks and comments while buying a Trainer on a sunny, 60-degree Spring day, but it is an essential tool to my training and I could not get through the week without one.

I kept my road bike locked onto the trainer all week. At every opportunity I hopped on for a spin: 30 minutes in the morning, 45 at lunch, an hour after the kids went to bed—every. single. day. 

Sunday we had a small window of time, I offered to stay home with the kids so Chad could do a 60-mile gravel road ride. After playing soccer with the kids for a bit I parked the trainer on the deck and spinned outside while they played. By now riding the trainer was self-torture. Was I getting any benefit, really, with these short spans of riding?

I questioned my sanity when 5 minutes into the ride I looked up to see Bear (my 2 yo) squatting, full moon exposed, and going to the bathroom in the yard. Having a 2yo boy is a lot like having a puppy. Sadly this incident could not be cleaned up with a plastic bag and a wipe. It required a shovel and a bath. And after all that, I climbed back on the bike.

It would have been easy to let the days slip by this week. I cannot tell you how many times I wanted to sit down on the couch to read a book or to just relax and accept that this was a crazy, busy, demanding week and allow myself a break from training.

This morning I was feeling down about my low-mileage week. And then I realized how I didn't quit. With every road-block and every whine of the body, I made a way and pedaled through it. 

Some weeks aren't about the physical training but about mental preparation. It was a great week afterall. Perhaps one of the most important I'll have.

Benchmark

With less than 60 days to the Lumberjack 100, it was vital for Chad and I to hit a 50-mile single track training ride. Unfortunately the two weeks preceding dealt us some unexpected stress, limiting my training and halting Chad's altogether. A big thank you goes out to my Aunt and Uncle who watched the kids for us so we could get in this important ride.

Au Sable River on the North Country Trail

The Plan: To ride easy, get in at least 5 hours of riding. If we didn't hit 50 miles, that would be okay, I just wanted 5 hours on the saddle. We drove north to US 10 trail head of the North Country Trail: that would be our home base. We could ride south for about 10 miles before bikes are no longer allowed on the trail. At that point we'd turn around and ride back, getting 20 miles total. We'd stop to eat a quick lunch and then ride north for 15 miles before turning back, giving us the remaining 30 miles.

I could tell Chad and I had different ideas of what a "lunch break" was going to entail. I expected a quick roll up to the truck, swap out water bottles, grab a sandwich and ride off into the woods!

Chad, not so much. At lunch he informed me he was sitting in the truck and wanted to read a book for 20 minutes or so. I had a feeling this might happen when I saw what he packed . . .

Yes, that is Pace Picante Sauce and tortilla chips. Not my idea of ride-ready food . . . 

The Ride: We started off at a good pace, about 10 MPH. It was a little harder than I had planned, but I was feeling good. If you have not ridden the trail south of US10, do it! It was very scenic and a lot of fun. At one point Chad hollered back "Look at that hill to the left!" All I could see was a wall of brown and orange leaves. That was one mother of a hill (for us lower west michiganders). Then the trail arched to the left and we began a long, weaving climb to the top.

The first 10 miles went quick and it was time to head back. I knew we had a lot of climbing to do but we'd be rewarded with some fast, swooping descents. After 2 short hours, I couldn't believe we were at the truck and it was time for lunch already.

My legs were all warmed up and ready to go!!!! 

But instead we sat in the truck. As the minutes ticked by the more my body began to shut down. A little switch flipped and said it was nap time. 

I nearly hurled when Chad opened the Salsa. Ugh. By the time we (meaning he) was done with lunch, I was cold, tired, and lethargic. But there were 30 miles to go yet.

Chad quickly rode away from me in the first mile. I could not get my legs to work. I felt woozy and was pedaling square. I told him to go on ahead, we would each turn around at the 1:30 mark. I wouldn't get in 50 miles, but I would achieve 5 hours on the bike. It was disappointing, but acceptable.

After 45 minutes, my legs came back to me and I was once again riding happy and free. Before I knew it 1:30 passed. I looked at my mileage and realized I only needed to ride out 1 more mile to get 50! Screw the clock, I was getting my 50 miles. 

I ended up crossing paths with Chad and he rode the remaining bit of trail with me so we could ride home together.

It was a great ride and a lot of fun. 

Total Miles: 50.12
Time: 5:16:32 (not including the lunch break)
Elevation Gain: 11,012 feet

4+ hours of Single Track

Yesterday was a "rites of passage" for me. I attempted my first xc ride, all on single-track, that was greater than 2.5 hours. I have never attempted this feat before. And with Lumberjack 100 looming in the near future, it was a necessary threshold to cross.

The plan: 4+ hours of single track riding with minimal stops. A friend of mine met me at the half way point for the last 2-hours of riding.

I had several concerns going into the ride:

1. Will I be comfortable on the bike? Sore bottom, knee (which has been giving me fits), sore back, chaffing, numb feet, numb hands--all areas of concern for me.
2. Nutrition. I'm trying to avoid packaged gus and gels which I have used in the past. I've noticed that on xc rides that I experience moments of fogginess or lack of focus. I believe this is caused by a sugar crash. My goal is to come up with several food choices that I can easily eat on the trail and that will help maintain an even level of sugar in my system.
3. Overall fitness. XC riding is very demanding and requires the rider to be standing and out of the saddle frequently to maneuver tight turns, technical sections, attack punchy climbs, etc. Four hours into a ride am I still going to be able to attack a tricky section of trail? I didn't know.

Preparing for the ride

1) To address my concerns about being sore on the bike I:

• Used lots of Bag Balm
• Used the Stick to roll my It-Band and leg muscles, working out any knots and giving them a good stretch. That should help alleviate the pain I've been experiencing on the side of my knee and up my quad during rides.
• Wore a good pair of gloves with minimal padding. I've found gloves that are too padded do not work well for me and cause all sorts of numbness and trigger points.

2) Nutrition

• 1 heaping scoop of Endura in a water bottle for every 2 hours
• 30 ounces of water in my camel bak for every 2 hours
• Homemade Lara Bars (dates, nuts, cinnamon all mashed together in a food processor)
• Savory Sweet Potato Energy Balls

My sanctuary.

The Ride
The weather turned out to be a cool 50 degrees and sunny. Knickers and a jersey with arm warmers were the perfect option for clothing.

It was only my second time riding single-track this year and it showed during the first 8-miles. I was timid and slow. Approaching a wide and sweeping descent a magnificent owl swooped out onto the trail in front of me and landed on a branch to watch me pass. It was amazing. I had encountered my spirit guide which renewed my confidence and gave me strength. After that point my riding skills improved dramatically.

After 45 minutes I ate my first Savory Sweet Potato Ball. It was surprisingly moist and easy going down. So far so good.

After 2 hours of riding I was tired, but appropriately so. I was still standing and attacking all the technical sections and my confidence was high—I bombed down the descents and kept a steady pace on the flats and hills.

It was really nice to see my friend when I went back to the parking lot to restock my food supplies. I was excited to have company for the remaining two hours. She was all ready to go so I quick refilled my water bottles and we were back on the trail!

The trail we were on was demanding. There are very few sections where a rider will experience "flow." There are a lot of rough and bumpy miles and some technical areas as well. It was a challenging ride, physically and mentally. By the third hour of riding my low back was becoming sore. This motivated me to get out of the saddle even more and to rely more heavily on my legs to take the impact.

The fourth hour was mentally challenging. It was good to have a friend to offer encouragement and motivation. Physically, however, I felt pretty good. My legs were cranking along and I was still riding aggressively.

When we finally emerged from the woods and into the parking lot, my mileage was 1/4 of a mile short of being even and so we rode a giant circle around—must have a whole number on that odometer! I was glad to be done and overall felt good: a sure sign to me that my nutrition plan worked well.

I experienced no noticeable numbness in my hands or feet. I didn't feel a twinge of pain in my leg. My low back was sore, fatigued from the demanding ride. But this morning my back feels good. In fact, I feel great today!

Recipe for Savory Sweet Potato Energy Balls.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Getting in the hours

Training for a 100 mile mountain bike race is taking me to new places--the backyard?

There are only so many hours in the day, fortunately, because, let's be honest, if there were more hours we'd find more work to do in spite of ourselves. Unfortunately, it also constrains the time I can allocate to riding my bike.

My husband Chad runs a family business, for those that are reading that have built a business of your own, you already know what kind of time commitment and dedication that requires. Luckily I have a somewhat flexible job, so although I'm caring for the kids alone most evenings and many Saturdays, I am able to squeeze in a 60-90 minute workout on my lunch a few days a week. Sundays we generally reserve for family time.

That schedule has been sufficient for most xc racing. But a 100-mile race is an entirely different breed. My race time in the saddle is going to go from 2+ hours to over 10 hours (hopefully not much longer than that!).  60 minutes on the bike three times a week just isn't going to cut it.

I'm going to have to come up with some creative solutions, especially as I approach training days that are going to require 4 to 5 or even more hours of riding.

Yesterday I started work early so that I could get in 2 full hours of intervals on the trainer with my old friend Coach Troy. Then, after quick change of clothes it was back to work with a recovery shake and half box of Cheezits to eat at my desk.

After a few hours of accomplishing important designer publishing stuff that currently ranks me as one of the coolest moms in my daughter's Kindergarten class, it was time to pick up the kids and whip together something edible for dinner.

Chad made it home from work early, 6:30 PM, just in time to squeeze in a 40-mile ride in the fading sunlight (he is training for Lumberjack 100 as well!!!). We gave him a quick kiss hello followed by one good bye as he headed back out the door, completely transformed from Carhartts to full spandex.

Then it was bath time for both kids. Story time. Bed time. Clean the kitchen. Fold some laundry. Tuck wandering children into bed a second time—if you're a mom, you know the drill.

Yup, I was ready to crash on the couch with Tom Clancy.

Instead I did this:

My bike, on a trainer, on the deck, in the backyard.

More time on the bike. I could not stomach the idea of spending another 75 minutes in our basement so I set up the bike on the deck. It wasn't anywhere near as nice as riding single track, but it beat the basement--hands down.

Can someone help? How do you not overeat on long training days?

I'm finding that on endurance training days, I eat too much. I believe the issue is fatigue, not hunger. My body wants to take a nap but work and my kids need me to be productive. In fact, I need to be more efficient and productive to make up for the time I spent riding. As a result, I end up snacking to stay awake.

Even though I've cut cornstarch/syrup and added sugars from my diet, I'm considering keeping a bowl of hard candies around. Perhaps if I have a Worther's I won't feel the need to mow through a bag of chips.

Thoughts? Ideas? Please.

Thanks! And in closing I leave this post with a picture of my kid, just because he makes me smile.