One Week Out.

The Furnace Creek 508 is "only" 509.5 miles. Just 2.5 times the length of a double. But it's much more than that. This is obviously true at the physical exertion level. But the addition of a crew brings in all kinds of logistical issues. There's the in depth planning. There's the endless need for more stuff. No longer are you limited to one bike, and whatever minimal added things you want to bring with. In a way, this makes the adventure that much more epic - because you are forced to put much more into it, and this in itself gives the race more importance. I've never prepared so much or cared so much about the outcome of an athletic event than I have for this race. But as much as I love buying new bike gear - part of me wishes there was a way to do it without so much stuff. Alright, I guess I could do it with less stuff. But the need for support, and all the extra complications that come with it, is still there. I can't wait to be out there on the road - all of the prep completed - only having to worry about the next pedal rotation.

Many people don't understand how bike racing is a team sport. But what may be even more surprising is that solo ultra endurance racing is also very much a team sport, but in a different sense. Our crews are absolutely essential - and I do look forward to sharing this experience with mine.

Pics below of my climbing bike (decked out w/ TT wheels) and my support car rack setup. Yep, I'm not using a van!

I am... Rock Rabbit

Every 508 racer chooses a totem. Mine is Rock Rabbit. Also known as the pika - a little high-altitude, hay-collecting rodent with a funny shrill squeak. I saw a lot of these guys on the John Muir Trail last summer. I have a tendency to be a bit of a rabbit - going out too hard and paying for it later - and this is something that I'll definitely have to watch during my race. It's difficult to transition from pacing for crits, road races and time trials to pacing for ultras. I've found that I can be totally comfortable with a pace that in reality is way too hard for a long event. Keeping constant tabs on power levels and heart rate is key for this.

Tapering? Not yet...

My plan was to begin tapering for the 508 after my intense week of training. But I'm still 26 days out, I was feeling great, and I needed to take my newly built up Scott Addict on a long ride (pictures to come). End result? A very enjoyable ~8 hour, 143 mile ride out in East County, 8800 feet of climbing, in warm temperatures (probably around 90).

I didn't have my power today (don't have my Quarq installed on my new bike yet) , but I was able to approximate my endurance pace by keeping my HR around 160 on climbs (around 80% of my max). After years of training almost exclusively with power, I'm learning that, at least for ultra training and racing, heart rate may be a more important pacing tool. Today, despite the heat and a relatively fast pace, keeping my heart rate low kept my fluids and calories processing, and I felt great all the way through the ride. It's looking good for the 508!

At this point, I know that there isn't really enough time to make significant fitness gains - and I just need to be concerned with maintaining fitness and coming into the race well rested. But I do think I can still make gains with heat acclimation, and with fine tuning my hydration and nutrition plan. Really, I'm just enjoying being out on the bike, and I don't think that's harmful at this point.

508 Training Week Report

508: T -33 days. But the last 10 days have been excellent preparation. I've now driven or ridden basically all of the 508 course, gained more insight into my handling of heat, how to keep my fluids and calories processing (and how NOT to), and gotten in some big miles. Will add writeups, data, etc. as I have time. Took 5 days off, and in that time squeezed in over 700 miles, finished my 508 recon, and was a groomsman at my friend's wedding. Overview of my training vacation. From Friday Aug 21 - Sunday Aug 30. More detailed info with power numbers to follow...

• 25 mi 1500 ft - Spin ride on my La Jolla training loops
• 115 mi 4300 ft - An out and back - between north of Amboy and 29 Palms. It was hot, muggy, and even stormed for a while. I ended up severely dehydrated. Puked. Needed 4L of IV.
• 53 mi 5200 ft - 508 route - climb south out of Kelso, and Towne Pass
• 118 mi 12,500 ft - Similar to Day 1 of Everest Challenge - Rock Creek and South Lake climbs.
• 101 mi 4,000 ft - Double day - "easy" ride out to the bay, Calaveras loop, rode with my Dad back from his work.
• 78 mi 4,300 ft - Ride through Palomares, Redwood, Pinehurst, Moraga, back over Palomares.
• 155 mi 12,100 ft - Epic ride - Felter Rd, Mt Hamilton, Mines Road, Palomares, Calaveras. HOT!
• 32 mi 400 ft - Flat spin ride down to the bay and back
• 38 mi 2,000 ft - Calaveras loop with my dad
• 63 mi 4,000 ft - Calaveras + Palomares

778 mi >50,000 ft climbing

Preparing for the 508

I'm lazy. I created this blog a while ago, with the idea that I would write up all my epic rides, post my power data, provide my analysis of the data, and chronicle my ultra cycling progression. Almost half a year later, and none of that has happened.

But now, the 508 is just 6 weeks away, and I've cleared out a week of work to get in a serious training session. I'm thinking of one last brutal week before I start a long taper. A perfect time to actually start writing. The 508 is a non-stop 509.5 (hmm..) mi ultracycling race - really just a very long time trial - running from Santa Clarita through Death Valley to 29 Palms. It's also my biggest goal of the year; well, the biggest goal of my athletic life to this point. And it's really kind of terrifying.

I rode quite a few double centuries throug the early part of the year. I did my first 24 hour in early May, and despite some disastrous mechanical issues, I was pleased with passing 400 miles. And I realized I may actually have a shot at riding over 500 miles. I did two doubles after that, the Central Coast Double and the Heartbreak Double, and I ended up cracking in both of them. This is when I realized I had been running (ok, cycling..) myself into the ground. I started taking it easy. At about this time, work was getting pretty hectic. I managed to get in a 300 mi ride (Grand Tour), but dropped at this point instead of finishing the Quad Century. After this, a long business trip ended with me off the bike for 10 long days. It was nearing mid-July when I realized that the 508 was less than 3 months away, and I was nowhere near as prepared as I needed to be.

I started preparing. The urgency of the ever shrinking gap between me and the start line in Santa Clarita proved to be motivation enough. I rode a chunk (near Trona) of the 508 course in 105 degree temperatures. I speed-hiked Mt Whitney, then rode up to Whitney Portal (4700 ft climb) after. I climbed Horseshoe Meadows and Whitney Portal the next day (~60 mi, 10,000 ft climbing) I did a century comprised solely of Torrey Pines climbs (30 climbs, >13,000 feet gain). I climbed Mt. Soledad by every major route (14 climbs, ~70 miles on the mountain, 9500 ft). I rode 2 non-stop centuries on short circuit courses of .6 mi and 1.5 mi to work on mental tenacity. I rode 90 mi to the start of an organized century starting at 2 AM, rode the century with my dad, got a ride home, and then did a 1.5 hour intensity ride upon returning. But I still am completely in doubt whether I'm actually ready for this race.

I leave tomorrow to drive up to 29 Palms and ride the end part of the course. I think I'll keep driving North from there, maybe through Death Valley along the 508 course, and eventually make it up my parent's home in the Bay Area. Forecast for 29 Palms? 95, with 30% chance of thunderstorms. Nice.