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General Category >> Ride Reports >> Bessie's Creek Ultra Race
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Message started by aikigreg on Apr 14th, 2013, 3:03pm

Title: Bessie's Creek Ultra Race
Post by aikigreg on Apr 14th, 2013, 3:03pm
There were a lot of bents lined up for this one.  It's a fairly flat course to look at the face of it, but the first 10 miles are a gentle upslope that will wear you out.  Rollers on the back side, and flat with a couple jills for the last leg of the 21 mile loop.

I've not really been in the best of health since 2010.  Unknown heart issues, severe weight gain due to arthritis medication, and quad tendonitis resulting from the weight gain and subsequently tearing myself up to get rid of it.  In the last year and a half I think I've done one century.  So I've been working to just get healthy and While the weight isn't coming off I've hit on a formula that seems to be letting me ride stronger.  So Hope this is the first step back in a long recovery.

Truthfully, this is one of the best - probably the best, solo races I've ever done - just not the fastest.  I kept heart rate, power output, and speed steady and didn't over-reach my first lap.  Matter of fact, I got steadily stronger as the day went on.  I did the 6 hour race.  Started off kinda cold with no winds, finished warm with very strong winds in my face for the hard first leg of the lap.

Totals:  106 miles, 5:46 minutes on bike.  AVG Speed 18.4 Avg power 233 watts, HR avg 143 Max 161
Lap 1:  1h8min, speed 18.5, 142 HR, 211 watts avg power.
Laps 2 & 3 (combined):  2h19min, speed 18.3, 141 HR, 2301 watts avg
Lap 4:  1h10min, speed 18.3, 142 HR, 242 watts avg
Lap 5 (wind really picked up):  1h7min, speed 18.5, 148 HR, 253 watts avg.

And I could have kept going!  Just imagining what I could do with that power at 40 pounds less.

By comparison, last year I could only stay on the bike 5h16, with a 16.2 avg and 116 watts.  Don't have HR data for some reason.  

Hope this is the start of something good.  Incidentally, Bryan whipped my butt again with 120 miles or so.  Pretty sure he came in first and beat the standing course record, which is his own.

Title: Re: Bessie's Creek Ultra Race
Post by jayg on Apr 14th, 2013, 4:12pm

aikigreg wrote:
There were a lot of bents lined up for this one.  It's a fairly flat course to look at the face of it, but the first 10 miles are a gentle upslope that will wear you out.  Rollers on the back side, and flat with a couple jills for the last leg of the 21 mile loop.

I've not really been in the best of health since 2010.  Unknown heart issues, severe weight gain due to arthritis medication, and quad tendonitis resulting from the weight gain and subsequently tearing myself up to get rid of it.  In the last year and a half I think I've done one century.  So I've been working to just get healthy and While the weight isn't coming off I've hit on a formula that seems to be letting me ride stronger.  So Hope this is the first step back in a long recovery.

Truthfully, this is one of the best - probably the best, solo races I've ever done - just not the fastest.  I kept heart rate, power output, and speed steady and didn't over-reach my first lap.  Matter of fact, I got steadily stronger as the day went on.  I did the 6 hour race.  Started off kinda cold with no winds, finished warm with very strong winds in my face for the hard first leg of the lap.

Totals:  106 miles, 5:46 minutes on bike.  AVG Speed 18.4 Avg power 233 watts, HR avg 143 Max 161
Lap 1:  1h8min, speed 18.5, 142 HR, 211 watts avg power.
Laps 2 & 3 (combined):  2h19min, speed 18.3, 141 HR, 2301 watts avg
Lap 4:  1h10min, speed 18.3, 142 HR, 242 watts avg
Lap 5 (wind really picked up):  1h7min, speed 18.5, 148 HR, 253 watts avg.

And I could have kept going!  Just imagining what I could do with that power at 40 pounds less.

By comparison, last year I could only stay on the bike 5h16, with a 16.2 avg and 116 watts.  Don't have HR data for some reason.  

Hope this is the start of something good.  Incidentally, Bryan whipped my butt again with 120 miles or so.  Pretty sure he came in first and beat the standing course record, which is his own.


Were you riding the M5 or the Carbent?

What was the pavement like on the route?

Title: Re: Bessie's Creek Ultra Race
Post by AustinSkater on Apr 14th, 2013, 5:11pm

aikigreg wrote:
I've not really been in the best of health since 2010.  Unknown heart issues, severe weight gain due to arthritis medication, and quad tendonitis resulting from the weight gain and subsequently tearing myself up to get rid of it.  In the last year and a half I think I've done one century.  So I've been working to just get healthy and While the weight isn't coming off I've hit on a formula that seems to be letting me ride stronger.  So Hope this is the first step back in a long recovery.

Truthfully, this is one of the best - probably the best, solo races I've ever done - just not the fastest.  I kept heart rate, power output, and speed steady and didn't over-reach my first lap.  Matter of fact, I got steadily stronger as the day went on.  I did the 6 hour race.  Started off kinda cold with no winds, finished warm with very strong winds in my face for the hard first leg of the lap.

By comparison, last year I could only stay on the bike 5h16, with a 16.2 avg and 116 watts.  Don't have HR data for some reason.  


Greg,

Way to show massive improvement from last year, you rode strong and smart, and your numbers show it, always nice to improve every lap.  My numbers were the total opposite, as I expected I got slower and slooowwweerrr as the laps went on.  I'm not sure I could have rode a steady race since I have no real miles under my belt this year, so I just went out hard and suffered.   [smiley=puking.gif]

The new course record for 6 hours should be 123 miles, if it's not then someone did math wrong.  The scary thing, there were two 12 hour racers ahead of me at that point, including the 12 hour winner Ron Swift (Not sure if Ron is on this board), but he rode a perfect race, nice and steady the entire way.

Bryan

Title: Re: Bessie's Creek Ultra Race
Post by aikigreg on Apr 14th, 2013, 8:50pm
Yes, but you suffered FASTER, which is actually MY motto.  I passed people off and on the whole race, but I passed a LOT of them the last lap, including at least 2 bents in the six hour race.  Each time I saw those bents, I kept thinking I was catching you and rode a little harder.  I was disappointed that your very little training was still better than my slow but steady training since January, but hey, that's the way it goes.

Shouldn't you have more than 123 miles?  5 laps for me was 106.  Or are you only going to get partial credit for the last lap?  Ron isn't on here and I haven't seen any results yet.  He lapped me early into my 4th or 5th lap - I can't remember.  I'm sore today but not suffering thank goodness!


AustinSkater wrote:
[quote author=aikigreg link=1365969800/0#0 date=1365969800]

Way to show massive improvement from last year, you rode strong and smart, and your numbers show it, always nice to improve every lap.  My numbers were the total opposite, as I expected I got slower and slooowwweerrr as the laps went on.  I'm not sure I could have rode a steady race since I have no real miles under my belt this year, so I just went out hard and suffered.   [smiley=puking.gif]

The new course record for 6 hours should be 123 miles, if it's not then someone did math wrong.  The scary thing, there were two 12 hour racers ahead of me at that point, including the 12 hour winner Ron Swift (Not sure if Ron is on this board), but he rode a perfect race, nice and steady the entire way.

Bryan

Title: Re: Bessie's Creek Ultra Race
Post by AustinSkater on Apr 15th, 2013, 6:01am

aikigreg wrote:
Yes, but you suffered FASTER, which is actually MY motto.  I passed people off and on the whole race, but I passed a LOT of them the last lap, including at least 2 bents in the six hour race.  Each time I saw those bents, I kept thinking I was catching you and rode a little harder.  I was disappointed that your very little training was still better than my slow but steady training since January, but hey, that's the way it goes.

Shouldn't you have more than 123 miles?  5 laps for me was 106.  Or are you only going to get partial credit for the last lap?  Ron isn't on here and I haven't seen any results yet.  He lapped me early into my 4th or 5th lap - I can't remember.  I'm sore today but not suffering thank goodness!


The way Ken did the pro-rated lap this year was odd, he asked each rider what mile marker (painted on the ground) they were at when the 6 hour time expired.  My GPS reported 123.71 at 6 hours, I dropped off a lot in my last 3 laps.

I did manage all of my race goals for this one:
1.  1 hard lap (54:36)
2.  A sub 5 hour century (4:42:01)
3.  Break my single speed record
4.  Be able to get off the bike and walk afterwards

My last three laps were a lot of mirror racing, if I saw anyone closing I'd up the suffering.  The good thing is, once I got passed by the team racer I didn't have to suffer much more.

I rode my mountain bike yesterday (I'm actually training for the Palo Duro race), but my legs are still sore.

Title: Re: Bessie's Creek Ultra Race
Post by FlyingLaZBoy on Apr 15th, 2013, 7:52am

AustinSkater wrote:
4.  Be able to get off the bike and walk afterwards


Another reason we ride recumbents, eh?   [smiley=cheers.gif]

Title: Re: Bessie's Creek Ultra Race
Post by AustinSkater on Apr 15th, 2013, 7:06pm

FlyingLaZBoy wrote:
[quote author=AustinSkater link=1365969800/0#4 date=1366023662]

4.  Be able to get off the bike and walk afterwards


Another reason we ride recumbents, eh?   [smiley=cheers.gif][/quote]

Many years ago I boarded a bus at the end of the MS-150 Houston to Austin (170 miles total), found an empty seat and dropped into it like a rock.  Everyone on the bus (almost all standing, a bit saddle sore) gasped as I did so, until one of the riders recognized me as a skater  [smiley=evil.gif]

Title: Re: Bessie's Creek Ultra Race
Post by mleuck on Apr 25th, 2013, 9:33pm

aikigreg wrote:
There were a lot of bents lined up for this one.  It's a fairly flat course to look at the face of it, but the first 10 miles are a gentle upslope that will wear you out.  Rollers on the back side, and flat with a couple jills for the last leg of the 21 mile loop.

I've not really been in the best of health since 2010.  Unknown heart issues, severe weight gain due to arthritis medication, and quad tendonitis resulting from the weight gain and subsequently tearing myself up to get rid of it.  In the last year and a half I think I've done one century.  So I've been working to just get healthy and While the weight isn't coming off I've hit on a formula that seems to be letting me ride stronger.  So Hope this is the first step back in a long recovery.

Truthfully, this is one of the best - probably the best, solo races I've ever done - just not the fastest.  I kept heart rate, power output, and speed steady and didn't over-reach my first lap.  Matter of fact, I got steadily stronger as the day went on.  I did the 6 hour race.  Started off kinda cold with no winds, finished warm with very strong winds in my face for the hard first leg of the lap.

Totals:  106 miles, 5:46 minutes on bike.  AVG Speed 18.4 Avg power 233 watts, HR avg 143 Max 161
Lap 1:  1h8min, speed 18.5, 142 HR, 211 watts avg power.
Laps 2 & 3 (combined):  2h19min, speed 18.3, 141 HR, 2301 watts avg
Lap 4:  1h10min, speed 18.3, 142 HR, 242 watts avg
Lap 5 (wind really picked up):  1h7min, speed 18.5, 148 HR, 253 watts avg.

And I could have kept going!  Just imagining what I could do with that power at 40 pounds less.

By comparison, last year I could only stay on the bike 5h16, with a 16.2 avg and 116 watts.  Don't have HR data for some reason.  

Hope this is the start of something good.  Incidentally, Bryan whipped my butt again with 120 miles or so.  Pretty sure he came in first and beat the standing course record, which is his own.


If I had known you were there I would have said hi, I was staying at the Executive Inn the night before preparing for the Katy Ram Challenge. Met a guy on a blue Bacchetta from Louisiana doing your ride.

Left at 7 and drove by the La Quinta and saw you guys take off on the I-10 access road, amazed at the number of bents.

Came back after the ride and drove through the parking lot seeing if Ron Swift was there.

Title: Re: Bessie's Creek Ultra Race
Post by aikigreg on Apr 26th, 2013, 9:02am
I was probably gone at that point I guess.  I left around 2 or 3 to meet up with friends in Houston.  Would have been a big surprise to see you!

Title: Re: Bessie's Creek Ultra Race
Post by AustinSkater on Apr 26th, 2013, 9:06am

mleuck wrote:
Came back after the ride and drove through the parking lot seeing if Ron Swift was there.


Unless you took your time on the ride, Ron was probably still busy kicking ass at that point.

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