Logan to Jackson wrap-up

My first Logan to Jackson is in the books. I finished, did not flat, did not bonk, suffered through some scary quadriceps cramps and nearly achieved my one lofty goal heading into it. It seems strange to have this long event behind me. The idea of it consumed me during much of the summer. There were few training rides this season where the thought of the race did not come up at some point. Even though I raced nearly every weekend for 3 months, some part of those races and the training leading up to each of them were geared toward preparation for the 330 km beat down I faced this past weekend.

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Farther, Longer

Well, this is it. The final push to what should be the longest event of my sorted cycling career...the Logan to Jackson road race (LOTOJA). The season leading up to this point has gone as well as I could have hoped and is documented in these pages. I've had the privilege of winning a few races and been close a few more times. My top-end speed is good and my endurance at the end of the typical road race is adequate. But the upcoming event on September 12th is anything but typical. It is the longest, one-day, USAC sanctioned event in the country. The 209 mile distance provides a unique set of challenges that are encountered in few other races during the year. Training, mental preparation and nutrition all must be attended to in ways not needed for other events.

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Finding Form

For cyclists who live in true 4-season climates, cycling is not a year round sport. Fall comes, the snow flies and the bike is traded for skis. As a competitive ski mountaineering racer, my training focus shifts to skiing as soon as it starts getting cold and the white stuff appears on the high peaks. The roller skis get some use and I start looking forward to the first race in December. What this means is that the high level of cycling fitness obtained during the season is essentially abandoned for other things until the focus is renewed in the spring. At that point, the long journey begins again.

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Back to Base(ics)

A couple of days ago I came across a post on Mountain Athlete's website where a reader was asking Rob Shaul advice regarding training for endurance sports. Although Rob would never claim to be a true endurance athlete, he does dabble in longer efforts in the mountains and is surrounded by athletes he trains who are true competitive endurance types.

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Sticks and Stones...

Race a bicycle long enough and you're bound to hit the pavement.  Actually, you don't even have to be a racer, just someone who trains long enough for the odds to catch up.  I got my first road bike in 1985 and have lots of scars to show for it. Some of them self-induced, sliding out hauling ass around corners thinking I'm Eddie Mercx or someone.  Other episodes involved other riders knocking me down or putting me in situations where crashing was unavoidable.  Whichever the cause, the resulting grief usually entailed only frequent dressing changes and sticky sheets for a week or two.

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