Paul Carpenter Ultracyclist

By Daryl Kunz, Larry Ide & Paul Carpenter

Florida in February… sunny, warm, and a welcome break from dreary cold, snowy Illinois.  Yeah right.  We (Daryl, Larry, & Paul) made the 1300 mile trek in search of warmth and some good early season miles.  We got the miles, but not the warmth, but I (Paul) didn’t room with Larry and Daryl (it was Valentine’s Day weekend after all). 

Drive down was uneventful, not a typical Larry trip—no vehicle purchased.  We reached Sebring late Thursday evening and checked in to the hotel.  In the hotel bar we met fellow Big-Dog Kurt Searvogel, recumbent rider Birdie Mama and RAW racer Tim Richardson and his wife Irene.  Tim, who had flown from Gibraltar, had planned to race as preparation for the RAW, but a run-in with a dog had left him with a broken collarbone, broken ribs, and a shattered elbow.  Larry and Tim swapped collarbone stories.  Kurt continued his 12-pack training.

With heavy rain forecast for early Friday afternoon, the three of us and Kurt rode several laps of the mid-loop before noon.  Not long after getting back to the hotel the heavens opened and down came the rain and in came the wind. With nothing to do at the hotel, there was a lot of nervous energy flying around and some liberal trash talking.  The rain let up early evening but not the wind (metaphorical and literal).  Trip to the supermarket kept us occupied for a while and Daryl was kept busy re-packing the ice in his cooler.  Later in the evening we parked the vehicle in the transition area ready for the morning.     

Race day dawned cold and windy.  The forecast was for a high in the low 50s, colder with the wind, and overnight clear skies and temperatures close to freezing.  With the three of us doing different events, Larry and Daryl the drafting 24 hour and Paul the non-drafting 24 hour, we set out in different groups.  Larry shot off with Kurt, the Bacchetta boys, and the fast 12 hour riders.  Daryl and I were a little more sedate (sensible).  The race starts off with three loops of the Sebring race track before heading toward Sebring and out into the orange groves.

The ride up to Frostproof (not a prelude of what was to come) the turn-around point, was tough with a cold headwind.  Larry was with the front group but as always, he had to make it harder, losing his pump and having to stop to pick it up and then chase the pack down.  Daryl found a small group to form a pace line that ran about 15 minutes behind the lead group.  Paul was further back riding solo.  The return back to the race track was fast with a stiff tailwind pushing us along.  Larry lost the lead pack at about mile 60 and got back a little over 5 hours for the 100 miles.  About 15 minutes later Paul rolled in closely followed by Daryl.

The mid-loop had a tough section into the wind down US98 and some cross/tailwind around De Soto.  The lap finished with a fast, partly downhill, section.  The wind was making life hard for everyone and with the temperatures never getting much above 50, the 24 hours was starting to feel very long.  The three of us didn’t see much of each other on the mid-loop.  Larry and Paul squeezed out nine of the mid-loops with Daryl managing eight (it would have been nine but he dropped his chain).  All of us had over 200 miles by the end of 12 hours forming a good base for the last 12 hours of the race.

Transitioning from the mid-loop to the night loop is not easy at Sebring as you have to pack up the vehicle and drive it over to the track, unload, and move supplies to pit lane.  Fortunately, Paul’s wife Melissa who had come along for the ride was able to do this for us saving us considerable time.  Riding the track at night sounds ideal, and the absence of vehicles is a welcome change, but the darkness and wide open spaces can make it challenging to see where you are going.  Larry managed to avoid the expansion cracks this year, but Daryl found it hard to find a line.  During the evening, more than one rider ended up off course. 

The first 6 hours on the track passed uneventfully.  The temperature then started to plummet.  It dropped from the day high of 50 down into the 40s and then after midnight down to the low 30s.  A layer of frost had formed on the coolers and all our gear by the end of the race.  We all struggled to find enough layers to keep warm and nutrition became a problem.  It was so cold Larry couldn’t even drink his coke and he was dry heaving during the last hours of the race.  Daryl and Paul tried the concession soup and Daryl proceeded to throw it up a few minutes later and Paul struggled to keep it down for the rest of the race.   

Having got off to a good first 12 hours we all hoped to rack up some good miles by the end of the race.  The cold though made us all re-evaluate our goals.  Daryl pressed on and was very pleased with his 302 miles and more so his first ever first place medal in the 55-59 drafting age group.  Larry also won his drafting age group (50-54) with 389 miles.  In the RAAM qualifier Paul place third in his age group (50-54), but first in the vehicle with 393 miles. 

After the awards ceremony we had to pack the van which was almost as hard as racing.  We were all very cold and everything was an effort.  We then had the prospect of the 1300 mile return drive.  We were on the road home by about 8.30 am and the first part of the drive was smooth.  As we reached Tennessee the rain started to fall and soon turned to sleet and snow.  In Kentucky the conditions worsened and after fishtailing once we decided it was time to pull off the road for the night.  Turned out to be a good move as next morning on US57 we passed a dozen or so vehicles that had spun off the Interstate.

If you want the real stories of Sebring though, you need to read our separate reports!

THE END.

pjc1 Ride Reports

Labor Day weekend is the UltraMidwest 24 hour race out of Port Byron, Illinois.  Traveled to the ride with Bill Pitney and meeting us there to crew was Bill’s wife Lisa and our colleague Susie Stevenson.  Also was Max, Susie’s partners brother.  For Susie, this was going to be a chance to get a taste of crewing an ultra event.  Susie will be part of my RAAM crew this summer.

We checked into the hotel, had our bikes inspected and then registered.  Spent some time chatting to other riders–the Indy race team, Daryl, Steve, and Dennis.  Also got to meet some new folks.  It felt a little strange when people came up to me and knew my name and stuff about me but I couldn’t place them.  Seems a number of people have found out I am doing RAAM.  I was overwhelmed by the number of people wishing me well and offering to help.  It is much appreciated and wonderful to know there are people out there following your progress.

No Dave’s pasta for dinner this year.  Dave had a fall a broke 4 ribs so wasn’t feeling up to cooking for the masses.  We met up at Happy Joe’s a pizza place in Le Claire.  Met some old friends and got to meet some new folks.  As always it is a lot of fun talking ultra cycling with like minded folks.  Larry was up to his tricks again and had the pizza shop employees sign happy birthday for Daryl–wasn’t Daryl’s birthday but why should that be an issue?  After dinner it was back to the hotel and a quick run through with the crew on preparing bottles and generally what to expect the next day.  It was nice not having to spend all evening preparing bottles for the next day.

We got out to the start with plenty of time to set-up the canopy and table and lay out all the bits and pieces we needed.  Susie, Lisa, and Max also kindly agreed to help Larry and Daryl also left his cooler.  It was shaping up to be a great day weather wise.  Mid 50s at the start so knee warmers and a jacket but was going to get in the upper 70s during the day with light winds then back overnight into the mid 50s.

Bryce was off like a shot and I never saw him again until about 13 hours into the race.  On the first big loop got caught up with a very large group of 12 hour riders.  It was hard to stay out of their way.  They would speed up and then slow down.  They would catch-up but then not really pass and box me in.  It seemed like no-one wanted to take the pace on or try and break up the group.  There were several times they slowed to a pace much slower than I wanted and I would have to fight my way out.  On the few hills they all slowed and I would catch up and pass them.  I felt I kept my pace consistent.  This repeated itself on all three of the big loops I completed.  At one point Dave Thompson shouted at the group to let me out and pass.  Never had this happen before.  At about 230 ish for the 12 hours it wasn’t as though I was going super fast.  I think the top mileage for the 12 hours was just under 240 not that high relative to past years.  Also caught up in this was Jay Yost, Steve Glowacki, and Mike Dunlap three other 24 hour riders.  Mike was trying to RAAM qualify with this ride.  Like me, he is in the 50 -59 age group so needed 400.  Like me he is going to RAAM this summer and also like me, he is a sport scientist.

With Bryce way out front and Jay riding well I thought the two of them would lead everyone home.  Also thought my good buddy Larry Ide might be up there as well.  He was on the recumbent this year so didn’t have to worry about him in my ride category but he was thinking about breaking Larry Graham’s recumbent record of 440.  I also thought Steve Glowacki might do well given his strong ride at Calvins.  I was looking to get 400 so I could get my RAAM qualifying ride for the year.  It’s not that I need to qualify, but it is a nice goal to pursue.  Depending on how Mike did, 400 might get me my age group but it might not.  With the Hoodoo 500 coming up next weekend I didn’t want to get too competitive and take too much out of myself and not be able to recover for the Hoodoo.

Well, things didn’t quite go as it looked like they might.  Toward the end of the third big loop Jay caught up with me but said he wasn’t feeling great.  He eventually called it quits around 375 miles with stomach problems.  Also having stomach problems was Steve and he spent a lot of time off the bike.  Larry had a nasty crash at around 100 miles but managed to stay riding until dark before finally calling a halt at 240 miles.  I did catch up with Bryce on the mid-loop during the early evening and he was riding strong and ahead of me.  He did go off course at some point and I caught up with him again.  He was still ahead though.  Twenty hours in he was having problems staying awake and so decided to take a nap but he never got back out.  I didn’t know much of this though while I was out riding so wasn’t sure where I stood either in my age group or overall.

Mike and I crossed paths a couple of times during the night on the mid-loop even though we seemed to be on different schedules for stopping.  I was generally stopping after every 2 of the mid-loops to get more fluids and food and also to put on extra layers and to take some short breaks.   Susie did a great job during these early hours making sure I had everything I needed.  I was trying to be conservative knowing that I was well on schedule to break 400 miles and didn’t need to push too hard.  Hoodoo was in the back of my mind.  I did have one very tough period in the early hours of the morning struggling to stay awake on the back part of the mid-loop.  This happens every year at this race and I feel it have much to do with the back part being a long, flat, straight section where there is little to occupy you.  One Red Bull later though I was good to go!  I found out that Mike had gone off course which gave him 12 bonus miles but cost him the chance to a third big loop.  It also meant that although he was riding as fast as me during the first 12 hours, he ended up behind me by several miles.  I knew he was making this up on the second half and would certainly make the 400 miles he would need to RAAM qualify.  Whether he or I would win the 50 - 59 age group would depend on how much time he was making up and whether I might stop on reaching 400.

I reckoned I was around 412 miles at the finish.  Still had nearly 10 minutes left but decided the effort it would take to ride another 8 miles to get a few more prorated miles wasn’t prudent with Hoodoo coming.  It was then I found out about all the problems Steve, Bryce, and Jay had and realized I could be close to the overall.  I found this hard to comprehend since at this race it is rare to be close unless you are near 450.  Mike pulled in and said he had 410 miles.  So, I had won my age group and perhaps overall?  Chatting to other riders I found out Lee Rohlf had ridden 430 miles to take the overall.  He had ridden a great race and finished stronger than the rest of us.  Congratulations to him.

Overall, a very satisfying race in terms of performance and how I felt at the end.  I didn’t feel as spent as I usually do after a 24 hour race.  It was also great to have Susie, Lisa, and Max help out and they proved to be very capable.  It makes a big difference having a crew and their help is much appreciated.  It’s not as though crewing is a whole lot of fun.  I hope Susie is still up for RAAM and now has a better feel for ultra racing.  This was my third 24 of the year and everyone I rode 400 + miles so I am very pleased with that.  Hoodoo next weekend–stay tuned.

pjc1 Ride Reports

A little late with this post, but it has been a busy month.  Weekend of August 8th I took part in the Metamora 4 X 50 race.  Fast, flat course on which a number of records were set last year and the expectation was that more would be set this year.  Wasn’t to be the case through and as John Schlitter noted, this year it was more a case of Metamurder.

I headed down to Metamora with Dan Fallon on the Friday afternoon.  It had been raining all morning and it didn’t let up on the way down and only finally moved through in the evening. The pre-race dinner at the local pizza place was fun as always and it was good to catch up with many old friends.  After dinner it was time to get things ready for the next day and more time talking with many of the other riders.  I hung out at registration and talked to a good number of folks.

We got to the start about 5 am and the rain from the day before had left the roads wet and the air very humid.  At the start is was in the mid 70s, humid and very windy.  It was forecast to get more humid as the day progressed and much hotter.  Fast first lap with a large group. With hindsight a little too fast and as the wind and heat built, it came back to bite me. Smaller group on the second lap which was again fast. Started the third lap with the lead group which included the two John’s (Schlitter and Tanner) on the recumbents, Joe Mann, Bryce Walsh, Jay Yost, Martin, and David Haussler. Got dropped but manged to get back on but it took so much out of me I had to stop at the 25 mile checkpoint. Rode the rest of the lap on my own at a more relaxed pace. Got back just as Bryce and Jay were leaving, but Jay had to stop because of a mechanical so once fixed we left together. Lost Jay at some point and he eventually abandon as the heat and humidity took its toll (over 30% of the field DNFed).  Just before the 25 mile checkpoint I caught up with Bryce and we rode the rest of the way together.  We would have got to close to 10 hours if not for the two flats Bryce had. Final time was 10:27 for the 200 miles.  Hard day, but satisfying.

A ride where I had hoped to repeat last year’s performance but the conditions weren’t ideal.  This was really the first real hot day of the summer and I was unprepared.  Should have eased up earlier.  Hopefully you live and learn.  All-in-all though, given the number of DNFs, a reasonable performance.  Impressive ride by Joe Mann to finish in around 9.45–hopefully some redemption for RAW–and a great ride by David Haussler to finish in sub 10-hours.  Another great ride organized by Joe, Dave, Roz, and Lori,

pjc1 Ride Reports

Registration for RAAM 2010 opened today and since I have been telling everyone I am going to race this year there seemed no good reason to delay signing up.  So, I submitted my solo registration.  Feels like a big deal but the whole process was done on line with no fanfare.  I have been contemplating this for so long it does seem a little surreal that I have registered.  Now the real work begins!

pjc1 RAAM Preparations

Missed last year’s 24 hour challenge as I was out west racing the Race Across the West.  This was my 4th time at this event which is one of the largest 24 hour races in the US.  This year over 350 riders participated.  The race is held out of Middleville in Michigan with race HQ at the local high school.  Traveled to the event with my good friend Larry Ide and we arrived early Friday afternoon, grabbed a spot near the start/finish line and pitched tent and set up the canopy.  The nice thing about this event is that as you come back through the school at the end of each lap there is an area where you can set up and have all your supplies ready.

Also located with us was John Schlitter and his recumbent.  Eventually, we were also joined by John Fucco and Paul Rozelle.  We’ve ridden with John at many events and it’s always fun to catch up with him and talk bikes.  I am always picking John’s brain about RAAM–he was the first recumbent rider to finish RAAM.  Having set up and let a passing rain storm move through we went out and rode a couple of the night loops.  The rain didn’t bode well as the tent had a few leaks and some things got a little wet.  We ate the spaghetti dinner at the school and then went out for supplies to make up bottles for race day.

Not long after finishing getting the bottles ready an announcement was made that some severe weather was expected within the next hour and we were advised to seek shelter in the school.  Since the tent had leaked earlier I figured the school was a good bet and started moving all my gear inside, bikes and all, and picked out a spot in the gym which is open as an option to sleep.  Some people set their tents up in the gym.  Larry was reluctant to decamp but when I came back out he was taking down the tent and the canopy.  Just as we were finishing the storm hit, big time.  Horizontal rain, strong winds, and major lightning.  From the school you could barely see the camp site.  Every so often a bolt of lightning would light up the site and show that a number of tents and canopies were on their way to the land of OZ.  I slept in the gym and Larry slept in his car.  An interesting night and not the best preparation for race day.

The next morning was dry but cloudy and windy.  The forecast was for the day to stay dry but also very windy and it was going to get hot and humid.  Pretty big group led the way out and through to the first rest stop at 32 miles.  Pace was pretty fast at around 23 mph.  Was also uneventful with no major dramas or crashes which is not always the case with this race when the lead group is pretty big.  I was feeling pretty good and did some good pulls at the front.  On the way to the second rest stop I experienced some cramping and fell off the back of the lead group which was now about 20 riders strong.  Cramps soon passed and I was able to get back on the group.  The overnight storm had brought down some trees and also washed gravel onto the road through this section.  At the second rest stop I couldn’t find Christine Graham who was kind enough to help provide support at first and by the time I did I left the stop after all the other riders.  Took a while but I did get back on.  At around 90 miles I cramped again and this time lost the lead group for good.  I did hook up with 2 other riders from the lead group who also got dropped and the 3 of us pulled into the 3rd rest stop together and then for the most part worked together back to the start finish.  I had about 5.45 for the first 122 miles.  Off to a good start.

The mid loop is just under 24 miles and has some false flats and a few rollers.  Was now on my own and this continued for 3 laps at which point I came into refuel and found Larry, who had stayed with the lead group, there doing the same and within a minute John also rolled up.  John had flatted between the 2nd and 3rd check points and was not a happy camper.  He was a lap down on Larry and me.  The 3 of us set out together and rode the next 2 laps taking turns to pull.  Getting back after the 2nd lap we had no more time for another mid-loop and had to drop to the 7.5 mile night loop.  I refueled and went back out but Larry stayed.  He had made the decision he wasn’t going to ride through the night and probably wasn’t going out to ride again.

The night loops soon meld together and it becomes hard to recall actually what happened when.  I did ride with John Fucco for a while and Larry did come out for a few more laps.  I also rode a little with Larry Graham trying to draft him on his recumbent.  For the most part I rode alone although on a number of occasions other riders jumped on my wheel.  I knew I was riding pretty well as the laps were accumulating but I wasn’t entirely sure how fast I was going and what I was averaging for each lap–I need to figure out a way of being able to see my computer at night.  I was passed by Chris Ragsdale a number of times and did think about jumping on his wheel, but he was really moving.  It got pretty damp overnight and on the far side of the loop where you drop down it got pretty cold.  I did add a layer for the last couple of hours as the damp and cold was starting to get to me.  For the most part I was riding 6 laps and then coming into to get new bottles and/or grab something to eat.

Using the clock at the start/finish line and getting a lap count from the officials punching my number each lap I was able to figure out how many miles I had ridden and was able to start to give some thought as to how many more laps I needed to reach certain mileage targets.  I came into the event thinking that if everything went well and I was able to find other riders to work with perhaps 450 was possible.  I knew I’d be very disappointed if I didn’t ride more than 400 miles unless the weather was really hot and humid or if some problem arose.  My best 24 hour total prior to this race was 435 and so bettering that was also on my mind.

It became clear with about 2 hours to go that 450 wasn’t going to happen.  With 70 minutes left I knew 3 strong laps would give me 440 + miles.  I struggled a bit on the first of the 3 but got some much appreciated help from John Fucco.  John is a geat rider and a great person and he hurt himself pulling me round that lap.  It was the boost I needed though.  I left for the final lap with 23 minutes showing on the clock.  Only full laps count so I had to get back round before time expired for the lap to count.  I hit it really hard and didn’t let up.  I made it round with 2 + minutes to spare for a final total of 442.6 miles.  This was a new PB and turned out to be good enough to win my age group (50 - 54) and 2nd overall behind Chris Ragsdale who ride 480 miles.

Another great event and it was fun catching up with old friends like the Guth’s, Paul Rozelle, Dru Dixon, Larry Graham, and John Fucco.  As always, its a blast riding with Larry and John.  Many, many thanks to Christine Graham for supporting me.  It makes a big difference when someone can pass you bottles and you don’t have to stop.  I also got to meet a fellow Batavian, Jon Batek.  We hadn’t met before but it turns out we had been passing each other on the road in the early mornings on training runs.  Jon won his age group with 426 miles and was 3rd overall.  We did the town proud!

pjc1 Ride Reports

The Balltown Classic is a 201 mile race in Iowa that takes in some tough climbs in the bluffs over looking the Mississippi River.  There is close to 11,000 feet of climbing with some of the grades at 20%.  The race attracts a small but select group of ultra racers and is usually very competitive.  This year the pre-race talk was breaking the record set in 2003 by Jim Amelung.

I travelled to the race with Dan Fallon who lives in Chicago and was vyving to be the first recumbent rider to finish Balltown which he successfully achieved despite a late start due to missing his wake up call.  It was the first time I had met Dan and it was a pleasure to hook up with him and share the drive.  It was great to talk bikes with a like minded soul.  The other upside of travelling out with Dan was that we were there the night before and stayed after the race and had the opportunity to have dinner with the other riders and talk more bikes.  I usually drive out to this ride the day of the event so miss the dinner opportunity and socializing after the race.

Race day dawned a little chilly but otherwise fine.  Forecast was for it to warm up and it also looked like the wind would cooperate.  This ride is even harder when you have to fight the wind as well as the terrain.  We had a good group that stayed together through to the first checkpoint at 60 miles, on record pace.  I can’t remember all the folks, but it included Joe Mann, Mike Doyle, Bill Ford, Larry Ide, Bryce Walsh, David Haussler, and Jay Yost.  Aside from Mike, these were riders I had ridden with at many races.  We lost a couple of folks before we hit the major climbs and on the last climb into Balltown I fell off the back of the group.  I didn’t feel too bad about this since I had never stayed with the lead group this long into this ride in the past.  I was also a little over dressed and was getting a little over heated.  I didn’t feel bad on the climb, I just couldn’t seem to turn my legs as fast as the rest.  I reached the check point about 2 minutes down.

Before I had chance to finish taking off layers, re-fueling, and applying sun screen, Larry, Bryce, and Jay were on their way.  I hoped I might be able to transition quickly enough to try and stay with them on the return.  Joe and Bill had decided to wait for their buddy Mike and were taking it easy.  Once ready, David Haussler and I left together about 5 minutes behind the lead group.  The last 2 years David and I have ridden the last lap of Metamora together so it was good to have his company.  On the second tough climb on the return David started to cramp badly and had to stop.  As there was nothing I could do I plowed on.  David recovered and caught me up about halfway to the third checkpoint and we continued on together.  Just before getting there we came on Jay Yost walking his bike.  After 2 flats he had run out of spares.  I stopped and gave him a spare tube so he could continue.  Once fixed we continued to the checkpoint where David had waited.  The three of us then worked together to complete the ride.  Just as we left the checkpoint Joe, Bill, and Mike arrived.

Another 20 miles down the road Jay flatted again and David and I waited for him to catch up.  As we were doing so the Muscatine boys appeared on the horizon and we waited for them to also catch up.  Collectively we were able to get Jay going and the 6 of us then started out for the finish.  The wind had picked up and Bill cranked up the pace and we were moving along close to 30 mph.  At some point David slipped off the back and soon after that Jay.  This left, Bill, Joe, Mike, and me.  We continued into Balltown with the pace high holding between 25-30 mph and crossed the finish line for a total ride time of 10.46.  My computer showed an on bike time of 10.08.  Overall a new PB so very satisfying.  Bryce and Larry got in at 10.10 just off record pace.

pjc1 Ride Reports

Calvin’s Challenge is probably the most competitive 12 hour time trial in the ultra cycling calendar.  The race roster is typically a who’s, who of ultra racing and this year was no different (for a video of the event from the Springfield News-Sun Paper follow this link Calvin’s Video).  I met up with my good friend Larry Ide in Champaign for a very wet and windy drive to Sprinfield, Ohio–a bad omen as the weather for Calvin’s is typically wet and windy.

We arrived at the motel around 8 pm and went from there to register where we ran into a number of old friends among them John and Nancy Guth and Bryce Walsh.  At registration we were greeted by Joe and Roz Jamison who with Dave and Lori Parker run Midwest Ultra Cycling which run several excellent ultra cycling events.  Joe offered his services to crew for me for RAAM which I am very excited and thrilled about (more on this story later).  Larry and Christine Graham were busy registering riders along with Jeff and Julie Stephens.  A check of the weather radar suggested we might luck out with the weather.  Having registered we ate and then spent an hour preparing drinks and getting ready for the race.

Race day dawned dry with the promise of some sunny periods and very little wind.  We reached the start and ran into more friends.  It looked like we would have a good group of riders to work with.  We set up our coolers and got ready to race.  There was a large group of riders on the first 50 mile loop which we did in just over 2 hours–fast pace.  On the second loop the group was a little smaller but still pretty big with all the big names there.  Just over halfway around, having completed my pull and dropped to the back, I found the riders in front of me having a hard time staying on.  In seconds a gap opened up and I had to work very hard to get back on.  It was touch-and-go for a while, but I managed to claw my way back.  We went through the 100 mile mark at 4.14.

Group got smaller again on the third lap and around mile 10 a group of 5 riders including Larry Fitz, Larry Ide, and Bryce Walsh got away.  This left 5 of us working together which we did very well although we were down to 4 of us just after the 25 mile checkpoint.  Around mile 30 we picked up Larry Ide who had dropped off the lead group and a few miles later Bryce Walsh.  Larry jumped on bringing us back up to 5 but Bryce was finding it hard.  We got through the 3 laps in around 6.35 and the five of us went straight back out on the 4th loop.  We worked well as a group and stayed together taking turns on the front.  Looking real strong was Jay Yost.  Larry was struggling and sat in for most of the loop.  We were back at the start/finish for a 200 of just over 9 hours.

We had all decided that a fifth loop wasn’t a good idea.  The wind had started to pick-up and with the new timing system we weren’t losing much time at the check points for that to be a concern going down to the 7 mile loops.  Jay blew straight through with the rest of us stopping.  Larry, Dwain, Steve, and me went back out together and worked a couple of laps together.  Dwain dropped off for a bathroom break and at some point Larry pulled back.  Steve shot off to try and break his age group record (20 - 24) of 260 miles.  Hard to get straight in my head this guy isn’t much older than my son and half my age!  I worked most of the remaining laps on my own although a few times I had riders jump on my wheel.

I was tempted to stop after hitting the 256 mile mark.  This was already a personal best by a long way and, although I didn’t know it at the time, a new course record for my age group (50 - 54).  With about 8 minutes remaining I thought what the heck and went out for a few more miles.  I took it easy figuring another 2 miles was very comfortable, 3 too hard to try.  I could have continued on for mile 3 but stopped at mile 2 for a total of 258 miles.  Of course now I wish I had pushed a little harder as Larry was breathing down my neck arriving about a minute behind me.

No complaints though.  A great day of racing with a great group of people.  I got to chat with many old friends and made some new friends.  The organizers and volunteers do a fantastic job.  My goal was to beat my PB and to have ridden 258 and got the course record was a real added bonus.  A 21.5 mph average is something I would never have dreamed possible a few years ago when I started ultra racing.  It was also a great feeling to share the podium with my good friend Larry Ide with both of us having ridden personal bests and getting the course record.  It is fun traveling to events with Larry and racing alongside him.

pjc1 Ride Reports

The Fox Valley Bicycle and Ski Club invited me to give a presentation on my bike commuting.  Forced me to reflect on my bike commuting and the lessons learned.  Was also an interesting delve back into my life history.  Hard to believe I have been commuting for over 20 years!

I put together a brief presentation that can be found here.  My thanks to Ralph Daehn and the Fox Valley Bicycle and Ski Club for the opportunity to talk at the meeting.

pjc1 Commuting

As the 2009 edition of RAAM gets closer and the race roster firms up, my thoughts have turned toward my RAAM attempt in 2010.  As I read about the preparations of other riders I know I need to start to make plans even though the 2010 edition is still over a year away.  Their stories also make me think that perhaps this should be the year but reality sets in when I start to weigh up everything that needs to be in place.  After traveling to Sebring with Joe Mann, who has signed up for RAW, and email conversations with Dallas Morris who has also decided to race, I have been tempted to sign up for RAW and defend my title.

In January I did get the opportunity to start some RAAM preparations, beyond my time training on the bike.  I was fortunate to hear Lon Haldeman give a talk on his work in Peru building schools at my local library.  I got to chat with him quite a bit before the talk and told him I was planning RAAM for 2010.  For those of you new to ultra cycling, Lon is one of the founding fathers of ultra cycling and a RAAM legend.  His knowledge of ultra racing is second to none.  Lon was very generous with his time and invited me to one his training camps in Wisconsin this summer and also offered some equipment from his RAAM rides.  He gave me the equipment to build the required lighting systems for the follow vehciles as well as a PA system.  It was very sad to learn that just a few weeks after visiting with him and his wife Susan, an ultra cycling legend in her own right, that a fire in his garage that spread to the rest of the house destroyed much of the property along with irrepacable RAAM memorabilia.

Another piece of the logisitic puzzle that is part of preparing for RAAM got resolved today.  I spent several hours getting fitted for the Cervelo RS at Turin Cycles in Evanston, IL, just north of downtown Chicago.  I wanted a new bike to race RAAM and settled on the Cervelo as the best mix of performance and comfort, two key considerations for RAAM.

A special thanks also to Chris Dimmick the manager at Turin for taking the time to establish the best fit for me.  First time I have had a bike shop spend anymore than 10 minutes fitting me.  Chris took a number of measurements, took the time to talk to me about my riding and my goals and established frame size, handlebar size, stem length and saddle position.  I decided to swap out the Shimano wheels that came as standard and get the Rolf Vigor RS wheels.  I have ridden Rolf wheels on other bikes I have and really like them.  I plan to use the bike at a few ultra races this season to hone the fit and get used to how the Cervelo rides in readiness for 2010.

I am really excited about the bike and hooking up with Turin Cycles.  Bryce Walsh and Scott McIntosh steered me toward Turin.  The people at Turin are knowledgeable about ultra cycling and supported Bryce and Scott in their successful RAAM rides in 2006 and 2008, respectively.  I am hoping that this is a good omen.  Some of the shop employees were on Bryce and Scott’s RAAM crews as well as their record breaking ultra rides in 2008 (Bryce set the 1000KM track record and Scott the N-S Indiana state crossing record).   Being able to talk to people who know about ultra riding and having their support is a real plus.

Next up is working on recruiting crew members.  I have some family and friends willing to help out.  Not everyone can do the full distance so it may take some working out as to who can do what sections of the route.  I am also going to explore whether their is any interest among my colleagues (we are all sport scientists so there could even be some research study in this for them) and some of the students.  I still need to keep working on the finances and trying to find a way to get the vehicles without having to rent which takes a chunk of cash.  If you have a minivan you could loan to the cause for a couple of weeks in June 2010 let me know!

pjc1 RAAM Preparations

The idea of heading south to warmer weather sounded very appealing as the cold and snowy weather persisted here in Northern Illinois.  An early season race in the warmth of Florida seemed just the tonic.  So, when Larry (Ide) suggested we race down in Sebring and Joe (Mann) and Bill (Ford) got on-board, the adventure was on.

I left my house near Chicago at 3 am Thursday morning and drove the 3-hours to Larry’s house in Monmouth, IL, where we met up with Joe and Bill who had come in from Iowa.  Larry and I have traveled to a number of races together and I know Joe and Bill from the Big-Dog cycling races we have competed in as well as from the daily logs we each write on the Big-Dogs website (see link right).  We loaded up Joe’s van and we were on our way.  A bit of a squeeze with all our gear but we weren’t uncomfortable.  A long but pleasant drive down with an opportunity to share stories about past successes and tales from the road.  We also watched a couple of DVDs, one of which was the Greame Obree story.  If you haven’t seen this movie and you are in to cycling you should rent it.  We also watched XXX which, honestly, isn’t a porn movie–Bill was disappointed.  A neat thing about the drive down was watching the temperature getting warmer as we moved further south.  We got as far as Lake City just in Florida by around 1 am Friday morning before getting some sleep.  We were back on the road early that morning and got to Sebring early afternoon.

After checking in we got the bikes together and went out for a ride to stretch our legs.  We hooked up with several of the Bachetta recumbents who were down there enmasse.  I know several of the riders and they are a good group of folks and it was fun riding with them.  We all did one of the mid-loops together at a fast clip before the recumbents went on their way.  The four of us then did another loop and Bill, Joe, and I a third.  It was hot, hot , hot.  A taste of what was to come.  The rest of the day was then spent getting ready for the race with a visit to the local market, making up bottles, and setting up our transition area.  Did some carbo loading for dinner and then spent some time catching up with old friends.  Bryce Walsh arrived having flown down from Chicago with Sandy Shipp.  I met Sandy last summer when she and I were part of Bryce’s team of officials for his 1000KM World Record.   Sandy kindly agreed to help crew for us as well as for Bryce.

Saturday arrived and was pleasantly warm at 6 am.  Did the final preparations and then it was off to the races–literally.  A fast mass start which got us out on to the Sebring International Motor Racing Circuit.  After three laps of the 3.77 mile track it was out on to the roads around Sebring and the 91 mile day loop.   The fast pace continued and there was around 20 riders on standard and recumbent bikes.  All four of us were in this lead group which stayed intact until the turnaround at 50 miles.  Lost about 50% of the group but the remaining riders kept the pace high.  Around 75 miles, Joe, Bill, and I stopped for fluids and lost the lead pack.  After about 10 miles of high tempo short pulls we were back on.  I was very pleased with this effort as this isn’t something I have done before.  This type of racing isn’t how I typically approach ultra events.  We completed the 102 miles that got us back to the start/finish area in sub 4:20 for a just under 24 mile/hour average.  Very fast and with hindsight this shaped the latter part of the race as I had expanded more energy than was prudent in light of the late morning and afternoon weather.

We moved from the day loop to the mid-loop, a 11.4 mile basically rectangular circuit that brought us back to the track each time.  The loop was effectively flat, but the winds increased and the heat built making each successive loop harder.  It seemed much of the loop had us heading into the wind.  The four of us worked together on the first loop but then different needs to stop and refuel left us staying at the start/finish for less or more time after each loop.  For most of the 10 mid-loops I rode, I did so solo.  Cramping became a problem for many as the heat took its toll.  I was pleased that I didn’t suffer from any cramps but the heat coupled with the wind and the effort earlier in the day slowed my pace.  I think the wind also contributed to some neck pain as I was in the aero position for long periods which isn’t something I have done much of this year.

After 5 pm we were moved from the mid-loop back on to the track.  The idea of riding on the track at night sounded interesting and appealing.  No traffic, a steady flow of other riders and the opportunity to easily refuel.  This did create some ‘problems’ though which weren’t that bad but a little irritating.  First, you had to move your vehicle over to the track from where it had been parked to allow you to support yourself on the day loops.  This allowed you to race without a crew, but without a crew you had no way to move your vehicle.  We managed to work this out with the help of some volunteers and Larry who took some time off the bike.  Second, having moved the vehicle you also had to move all the supplies to the pit area.  With 4 of us racing this was a lot of gear to move.  Again Larry stepped up with help from Sandy.  Without this help you would have lost a lot of time.  Lastly, to move the vehicles involved having them on the same route as riders coming back to the start/finish line.  As I transitioned through this area for the last time I had to take last second action to avoid being hit by cars and vans.  There must be a better way to do this.

Once on the track and with the supplies in the pit area, it became a case of settling into a rhythm to crank out the laps.  Sometimes it can be hard to stay out when you come back to the start/finish area so often.  You also have to stop thinking about how many laps it takes to accrue miles.  It took a while to establish a line around the track.  As most motor circuits, the track can be wide and you need to find the straightest line.  The organizers had placed flashing rear bike lights around the course–at first you thought racers had dropped their tail lights.  Many of these lights didn’t survive the night.   It seemed some riders ran these over as they followed them around.  These didn’t always take you the tightest way around the track.  The track wasn’t lit so you needed some good lights to be able to ride fast safely.   The track ate up one of our number when Larry got his wheel caught in a groove in the track and was thrown off.  He broke his collar bone and got scraped good.  He later found out he also cracked a rib.  In true Larry style he got back on the bike and cranked out more miles before he finally finished for the night.  He covered 316 miles and was a very creditable third in his age group.  As the evening wore on the temperature dropped and a heavy dew settled in making everything very damp and it was easy to become chilled if you stopped for too long.  In the wee hours a fog descended that eventually lifted around day break.  I rode with Joe on a number of the night loops, but as we each approached these loops differently, there were many laps out there on my own.  I needed to ride in chunks of around 11 laps to feel like I deserved to come in for a break and to refuel.  Joe preferred to ride in chunks of 5 laps.  No one approach is better, but it did lead me to question after the race the decision to go drafting.  Along with the fast pace in the first 100 miles, the number of mid-loops done solo, it seemed there had been little advantage to drafting.  I think to make the most of drafting you need 4 or 5 riders to agree to a pre-set pace each knows they can maintain and then all work together for the whole race.  Even on the short 3.77 mile loop there are times when you feel like the only rider out there.

When all was said and done, I had ridden 415.8 miles in 23:50 and won my age group.  Overall, a very pleasing result along with the fast first century and the ride to pull back the breakaway.  However, this was a 24 hour race, not a century race.  While riding in Northern Illinois this time of year limits your time on the bike, I felt I could have beaten my previous 24 hour best of 435 miles.  I felt 440 was doable.  I might have gotten close had I rode a more even pace.  Next time.

We all came home with medals.  As noted above, Larry, despite his crash got third in his age group.  Bill rode the 12 hour race and was second in his age group with 238 miles.   Joe also got second in his age group with 408 miles.  Joe is preparing for the Race Across the West (RAW) so this was great training for him.  Heat is a factor on RAW so this was good experience in dealing with the heat.

I really enjoyed traveling with Larry, Joe, and Bill.  It was a fun weekend and an adventure.  It was great to be with like minded souls and spend 3 plus days talking bikes and racing.  Looking forward to us all racing together later in the year at Calvin’s, Balltown, and Metamora.  Many thanks to Larry for suggesting this and talking us all into going.  Many thanks also to Joe and Bill for doing all the driving.  Got home tired but happy.

pjc1 Ride Reports