Mt Laguna Bicycle Classic
So...
My last race IMCDA'08 and have done NOTHING competitive (or at least, organized) since then. If you check out my little Coach Dick's Training thread you'll see that I'm now on the bike, exclusively, with first ToC, then our IMWI camp on my radar, with Everest Challenge as my season goal. Everest is 29k of gain in two days, a climbing race in the Sierra's at the end of September. So I'm just putting cool shit on the calendar and calling it training.
Our own Tom Nelson told me about the Mt Laguna Bicycle Classic, an inaugural event in the mountains of east San Diego county. This was my first time riding in this area and it was DEFINITELY fantastic. I've done some motorcycling out there, years ago, but never ridden a bike. Awesome riding.
Anyway, the event is a timed century, 103 miles and over 10,000 ft of gain. The race was based out of Pine Valley, about 40mi east of SD. They started us in groups of about 30 riders about 10' apart. Your race time was the clock time, including any stops. The route was three different loops, each of which summitted Mt. Laguna and finished in the start area with check points on each loop.
My fitness is coming together, body comp is looking better (yeah, baby!) and I'm the power guru (right?) so I figured I had a pretty good shot of doing well, but was committed to staying completely within myself. Good thing because when we started, a couple on a tandem (they both combined weighed about half as much as I do) flew past me and then two other guys. My FTP is about 280w and I was 280w up the first hill...nope, let 'em go and do my own thing.
On the Thai restaraunt spicy scale of 1-10:
- Loop One was about a 7. Nothing crazy steep, just long climbs, fantastic terrain, no traffic, etc. I was doin' my TT thing, forearms on the tops on the flats, staying low, watching my watts and moving steadily through the earlier waves. No one passed me, I have 4 from my wave ahead of me, if you count the tandem.
- Loop Two was about an 8-8.5. They took us up Mt Laguna on a closed road, like a barely paved bike path. Steady 8-10%. My back was starting to squeal from the climbing but more likely from the aero position was I was trying to hold all the time. On the descent back to the staging area I passed one of the 4 ahead of me...he was done.
- Loop Three, at about 70 miles on the day. "Awesome! This is where I make my move!!!" Little did a I know the cooks turned it up to 11...to 20% for the last trip up the mountain. 10-20% for...4-5 miles? Still haven't downloaded the data...but sweet jeezus it was all I could do to keep the bike moving. Notes:
- I'm my 34-26 at 330w and 168lb, about 45rpm and 3mph.
- You know it sucks when you are recovering on the 12% stuff.
- Wishing I could do a track stand so I could just stop the bike for a few seconds and rest.
- I would have given $1k or mugged an old lady for a 28t or a triple.
- Closest I've ever come to walking the bike. Never have, but I had some anxious pitches where I was seriously thinking about how I could unclip without falling, if I had to.
Anyway, needless to say all thoughts of "making my move" went away. I was D U N done at the top and coasted as much as possible back to the start. Great spread of food, good folks, good times. These is the same crew that puts on the Furnace Creek 508, Badwater, and some other very cool California events. The participants were an interesting mix of roadies, rec cyclists, and adventure cycling types.
Results:
10th OA out of 114 male riders. Results say 12th but I'm not counting the tandem 
. Seriously, those peeps need a cheeseburger, bad. Clock time was 6:09 to my ride time of 6:04, so I was most expeditious with my check point and fueling stops . I relearned that it's very difficult to piss on the bike while wearing bibs at 35mph on a switchback descent 
.
I'm planning to do this ride next year, using this, and the Mulholland Challenge (112mi, 12k gain the week before this event) as targets for the winter. However, I think I'll ride the tri bike next year as there was a lot of time to be gained on the flats and into the wind. Anyway, fun, epic event and I'm scheming more riding out there either later in the year or maybe as a camp next year!
Comments
And, no, not a single picture from the entire weekend. I know, I suck.
Special thanks to Tom who bought me beer and pizza at Pizza Port in Carlsbad and put me up in his place Friday night
congrats and I can hardly believe there were no pics! but it sounds like those last hills kept you only focusing on climbing and not photo taking! but still... not even any at the end. again, your times were impressive, 10 or 12th out of the pack. very nice and first time on the course. Did Jim Yano do this one, just wondering as he has done some of those other races.... I think you will be primed for TofC!! m
Oh- and are you saying you can't do a track stand? Or that a track stand wouldn't be possible on that hill? I'm hoping its the former so I can feel just a little better about myself :-)
I'll do track stands on the mtb climbs to rest, but I've never tried it on a road bike. There's a 27% climb near my house, but I've ducked into a driveway to rest. Doesn't sound like that was an option. For me and my puny watts, it seems like I'm WAY anaerobic to even stay upright on anything sustained for >20% grade. How do you think the 150%FTP intervals helped?
That sounds like one solid effort you put out. Nice work!
Since you are all about the gears recently, you could check out the new SRAM APEX setup with a 11-32 cassette. At 330 watts and in a 34/32 you could probably climb a wall ;-)
At ToC, can we ask for Track stand training and riding hands-free (like when the pros win a stage - still have never been able to do that)????
Vince
No, I can't track stand. Can stop the bike and "almost" remain motionless, but not a true stand. Yes, we should definitely make that an extracirricular group activity for ToC.
Matt, I'll be looking for all the gears I can get. I learned that 15-20% near the end of a 100mi day is like 25%...it sucked. Would rather not have to change the rear DR for Everest but I'll what I have to.
@Kitima, I think it's too early to say what stuff has done for me. Hopefully it boosts/allows me to continue to raise my FTP. But my suffering at the end of the ride was more a funtion of lower back and foot pain than fatigue. Yes, I was shelled, but my back and feet were killing me from the extended climbing at extremely low cadence: muscling the bike, mashing, and trying to stay aero on the flats. Hip flexors too.
This sounds like one crazy event, fun but crazy. Guys like me from the flatlands (and too many cheese burgers) would have no chance.
Gordon
your welcome Rich - I also helped you find your keys
Rich -
I thought you might find this interesting:
Last weekend my friend Eric rode with Drew Peterson - the guy who finished Laguna in 5:22. What I found interesting is that he did the ride with independent crank arms! Seems like that would up the ante for difficulty on Pine Creek. Apparently he has been riding on them for the last 8 months or so.
Tom
But let's get to the part you glossed over awfully casual. You went to Pizza Port and no beer reviews? You west coast people are spoiled with your great climbs and beers.