Race/ Prep/ Stuff

I’ll start with the race recap and follow, in chronological order, with a summary of how I prepared for the event. If you are planning on attending- and I think you should- feel free to send a note with any questions you may have. Minnesota is stunning (I didn’t know either) and you should take your family, or friends, or go on your own and ride your bike in a beautiful place surrounded by great people.

No BS, it’s a fantastic place to ride even if you’re not planning on attending Lutsen. The trails in the area are some of the best I have ever ridden and the surrounding landscapes are just as inspiring.

Lutsen99er 2021 – Race Recap

We arrived scared and anxious and we left with more experience and a better understanding of how to enjoy the hard things in life. At least I did.

We came into this event stressed out with metrics, charts, graphs, all sorts of formulas for FTP’s and cadences, and way too much anxiety about how everyone was going to feel on any random mile of a course none of us had ever ridden. Our food decisions came more from anecdotal memories of podcast episodes from the last 10 years rather than any real understanding of how carbs and proteins fight in your stomach and how both of those aliens wrestle with whatever fats actually are. Besides fueling and nutrition, we arrived in MN with our fancy bike bags and boxes and had not really worked out how hard building up 5 space-aged race bikes would be. Without losing a single allen key, we built our bikes. Even after surgically calculating our saddle heights and tire pressures before leaving, we all had to draw on our failed finite math coursework to determine all sorts of measurements that would prove to be not at all important when solving for F-U-N.

With our bikes in hand and carb drinks mixed, we ventured off to pick up our race packets and hopefully get a feel for the dirt on the course; we wanted to see the start/ finish and with some luck do a few “openers” because the internet says all serious racers do this. Spoiler alert, the only thing we opened was a hole in George’s elbow. What we did learn was how steep some of the gravel hills can be and some of us learned how sharp the rocks felt when rubbed against our bodies. This ride was not productive, to be honest. It increased our anxiety and thus the tension in the house leading into the race. As you can see, up until this time all we had done was multiply the number of reasons we wouldn’t enjoy our time out there on the beautiful MN forest roads and mountain bike trails.

With everyone alive, we went home to shower, clean the bikes, and eat. This night would be sleepless; our lack of experience turned our excitement into maddening worry going over all the reasons this would suck. The pouring rain would also be a cause for concern. My first tip comes now: If FUN is the goal, focus on fun. If performance is your goal, then practice this performance. It takes a really skilled weekend warrior to accomplish both of these things simultaneously; I am not this person yet.

The morning came and with it, brought a very pleasant cloud cover, cool air, and moist dirt to ride on. The temperature was favorable for a long day and the Folgers came out burnt from the Mr. Coffee, as it always should. Nerves were sizzling and everyone felt it. If you came to visit you could probably smell some of the skin on our brow cooking with anticipation. One friend would not survive this tension. He would finish the day but we would likely never see him again. He would be so burdened that his pride would ruin any opportunity of having fun for the rest of the weekend. It’s now January 2022 and they still seem to be drowning in the expectation set for himself; its unfortunate because this experience was a positive one for me even though by all metrics I had failed.

With our bellies filled and our bathrooms ruined, we made our way to the start/ finish. This is the best time to shine a light on the most important people: our support team. Ito and Phelan had no reason to be here other than to cheer us on. They had no idea how to “support” us and it showed when we came across expert supporters but they cheered HARD. They seemed to somehow always be exactly in the place we needed them to be, with huge smiles to help power us through the next sections. I knew I looked like shit- I saw the pictures- but these guys wouldn’t let me believe it. Thank you both, I literally could not have finished without you.

The race will be broken into 3 sections: The start, the loop, and the end. The overall goal is to discuss the course, tips on the race, and how the drama of failed expectations played itself out in the tiny universe that 3 men experienced on this random weekend bike ride in the woods of Lutsen, MN.

The Start

The nerves and the road cold, the tires and pockets were filled, and the thoughts were all pointing directly at the finish banner we had not passed through for the first time yet. Three Florida boys shivering from a combination of temperature in the 60’s and heart rates in what felt like the 160’s. As the people piled in to the barricades all around us, with and without masks, we became more and more consumed by what was ahead. You can almost see the course notes we all reread a thousand times playing on our foreheads. For the first time though, excitement was present. I could not ignore that, for the first time since breaking down my bike, I was looking forward to applying some pressure to the pedals. When the gun went off, we all got to clip in and roll down the huge hill to the first turn. Finally. The beginning of the race is not chaotic at all. It was very smooth and the section allowed for people to settle in, with friends all around. The road starts to pitch up and if you’re competitive like me, you’ll instantly see the “fast” dudes and dudettes racing the 69er pass you on the right, neatly and swiftly leaving you in their dust. HINT: if you feel like you are too far back, this is a great ride to hitch. Be aware that this is also pretty early in a pretty long day. The event starts as soon as you get to the dirt after that first long hill.

The gravel roads of the course are wide and open. The outside and middle of the road are a lot sketchier than the natural lanes. On the lanes you’ll experience a hard pact road; here it is easy to gain speed and use any and all pack skills you may have to draft. The group opportunities are plenty and there is an abundance of “free rides”. You’ll take a few turns to the right and again to the left and then you’ll start to see a bit of green on the horizon of some short hills. This is when you start the loop of the double track. Eat and drink now…you’ve been warned.

The Loop

For the three of us, the first splinter came on a muddy section as soon as we entered the loop. I call it the loop because you get to enjoy it twice. The loop is double track for the most part. The choice is clear, ride the tracks filled with all sorts of rocks; some rocks are small and sharp and the ones that are not, are basketball-sized. The big ones are a lot of fun to hop off of if you’re paying attention. If you are not present, however, they’ll rock your rhythm and make you drop that gel you so expertly measured into your fueling plan. This section forces all of the groups to line up. People will hop scotch up and down on alternate lines, but because it’s double track it feels natural. The hills in this section are punchier and thus a bit more fun than the gravel roads.

While I was feeling pretty good our group was affected by slower riders and early cramping. This is to be expected for any kind of bike ride and expecially problematic when there are 100 dirt miles ahead. We let good groups go but we were still happy to be riding together. As the miles ticked by so did that enthusiasm. It’s time for another tip: Set appropriate expectations for when a group of individuals inevitably splits. From my perspective I resolved to waiting; we had discussed it, and I was capable of acting on that promise. It was easy to see the weight of pride weighing on the tired shoulders of the rest of the group. The best part during the plot was running into Ito and Phelan; they were somehow having more fun than we were even though they hadn’t paid any of the entry fees.

The second time in and out of the loop was much more enjoyable. By this time we knew what was ahead and how to ride the rougher sections. We learned to surf the rocks and enjoy the short descents. We had also split to how we would be for the rest of the race. It took over 50 miles to “settle in”. Not because of the course, because it is great(!), but because we had failed to prepare to enjoy ourselves rather than using this opportunity to compete against each other, racing to see which of us was less mediocre.

The End

At some point after completing the last loop, I was told to “go ahead” and this time I listened. I mean, by this time, I was wiser than I was at the beginning of the event. I must be honest, it wasn’t until about 70 miles in that I could begin to shake my own insecurities about such a long event. I had labeled myself a martyr, but in reality I was holding myself back. Here comes another Tip: Do a big event, that is not your main event, so you can learn to trust your legs. By this time, a couple of us had changed our approach; one of us had drank pickle juice from a stranger’s pickle jar and completely thrown away any plans and pretty much all expectations. It was good too because the roads at the end are flowy and fast. There was a bit of rain the night before which packed down the last 30 miles into an amazing surface. Surrounded by all sorts of trees and bushes, that changed as often as you changed direction, these last few miles looked, smelled, and felt amazing.

Before drinking beers, you still have to climb up to the ski area. Big task for anyone who over-extended themselves early on trying to keep up with fast groups. For me, it was a welcomed challenge at the end of a beautiful day. People all over are enjoying themselves, supporting family, and cheering you on. Beer handups and high fives help to shallow out the last of the hills.

We made plenty of time to ride local trails after the race. We spent this time with our support team talking all sorts of shit about each other and the race. We enjoyed dreaming up scenarios that would never happen and, like any good group of homies, racing to any and all road signs. We ate good food and drank good beer before going our separate ways. Some of us, never to be seen or heard of again. Lessons learned are the only currency I collect and I am rich with wisdom relative to when I landed in MN at the beginning of the weekend.

Good Luck on your attempt. Reach out with questions and comments.

Lutsen99er – Training Blooger I

Race Week bitches!

Goals for the week

This was my birthday week but more importantly, it was the week of the first “B” Level race in my preparation for Leadville 2022. I didn’t want to overwork myself and that can be seen by the amount of hours I put in and how leisurely they were. I wanted to make sure to get a good Pre-ride in of the course and a solid “Opener” workout on the course. You can read more of that on my Race Recap of Echo Red to Red.

Successes

I had a nice easy birthday week. I didn’t stuff my face with Pizza and beer like I normally would have. I was able to ride the course early and get some good beta on the race from a local Elite racer Felipe N. The race was a huge success. I learned a lot about my new race bike, the BMC FourStroke 01. I also got to use and work out the kinks in the USWE hydration pack. Apart from the toys, the race also helped me feel out a longer event on the legs. It was hard but I came out of it confident for the next big event, the Lutsen 99er in June.

Failures

I missed an missed opportunity to have my partner drive us to OR. I was pretty beat up when we arrived in Echo and that made getting out for a pre ride a chore. The day of the race I didn’t have any coffee in the morning. I obsess over my morning coffee, not scheduling time was a mistake.

Learnings

If you have the option, let someone else drive to the race. Have a good plan for coffee and a schedule for those around you. Even if that schedule includes times where they can go explore…away for a few minutes. Remember that all of this is for fun. I imagine most of you fall into this trap sometimes too.

Lutsen99er – Training Blooger II

The weather is encouraging and rewarding to ride in. Going fast on a bicycle is fun in real life.

Goals for the week

…And we’re back to our regularly scheduled programming of riding the trainer and trying to sneak in some outside time. I really wanted to get the ball rolling on running. I get to see so much good country running trails in the summer. The sooner I remind my feet how hard the ground is the more likely I’ll enjoy those sites chasing B around. If I could put 1 run on the calendar, it would be a win. Having skipped all the lifting last week for the Echo Red to Red Mountain Bike Race, I wanted to make sure to get a couple of sessions in. Keeping it “Base”-like is still the goal. My understanding is that the more I can squeeze in before ramping things up for Lutsen99er, the better I will be on a long course race like Leadville Trail 100 MTB in 2022.

Successes

Any week that I get to enjoy riding or running outside is a win. This week I got in a long ride with the dude responsible for setting me up tubeless for my race. We hoped for pastries but found bagels instead. I was able to finally start running. A Seattle cousin of mine turns 40 this year and to celebrate he expects me to keep up with him around The Wonderland Trail. Yea. I don’t know how either. We all will know in September. For now, I will be slowly and steadily increasing volume week after week till I am regularly running 15-20 miles a week. Imagining that I will not run too much a couple weeks out from Lutsen99er, I expect to really ramp up the trail time and running time up after some scheduled rest. So far, I have been motivating myself with the idea of a week completely off. Be on the look out for a post outlining the trip we’ve planned for the days after Lutsen while in MN.

Failures

Attempting to visit Sea Wolf Bakery on a Sunny Saturday around 10am was silly. I was really hoping to lift a couple of times this week and only was able to get one session in. The Lifting sessions target the full body with an emphasis on core stability and durability. When I do it as planned, I will focus on squatting in one session and follow it up with accessory work related to the squat and a general upper body circuit. This week, I did the alternative deadlift session.

Learnings

Running is still hard. Go Figure. By the end of the week I was happy to have missed a lifting session; I was feeling worked.

Lutsen99er – Training Blooger III

Running is gross.

Goals for the Week

With running officially starting to happen, a major goal this week was to keep that going. In order to help with this, I planned a nice run with cousin B (IG Link) and in order to make sure I was up for it, I ran during the week too. As you can hopefully see from these weekly entries, I aim to hit 8 or more hours of “training” a week. This week was no different. It was important to keep the lifting going as well. I aim for 2 sessions a week. One session focusing on the squat and the other on the deadlift.

Succeses

I will start by spoiling the story. I started and ended the week strong. On Tuesday, I completed my TrainerRoad V02 workout (Bluebell) and on Wednesday I was able to go on a longer weekday ride with @nondrifting240 and @quinnlogan. The sun is showing up more and more here in Seattle and with it is coming more and more miles outside. We rode a little harder than I had hoped but it was all fun challenging each other around the classic Mercer Island Loop.

The ride began with a friendly commute out of West Seattle but something about the cool air and the rolling hills made the claws come out. We traded pulls up until the construction stop light where we regrouped. The ride back was much more tame. Given the faster time around Mercer we all decided to enjoy the weather a bit more a take the long way around Alki before getting home.

With the legs a little heavy from fighting with these guys around Mercer on Wednesday and a double digit run with Cousin B looming on Saturday, I felt the need to go for an easy 5 mile jog on Thursday. I felt much better than anticipated and that gave me the confidence I needed for Saturday. Cousin B has been training pretty hard for the summer and I didn’t want him to have to wait up for me. Saturdays Run was great! We ran around Ballard and into Carkeek Park. I woke up on Sunday knowing that I was short a couple of hours on my weekly training goal. The weather was good but I was looking for quality. With all of the running and unstructured riding, I felt the need to find myself a hard workout and go into the basement and get into it. Contrary to popular belief, I enjoy squeezing effort out of myself in the privacy of my basement. This workout (Kashagnak) was no different. It was 2 hours of Sweet Spot work. The best part of it all was seeing a lifetime Personal Best for 2 hour power come from this workout. The stoke was high. This is the kind of metric that would be instrumental to reaching my sub-9 hour goal at the Leadville 100 MTB race. Besides the miles, I was able to get in 3 quality lift sessions.

Failures

The way the TrainerRoad Plan is structured has me doing one V02 Workout, one Threshold/ Sweet Spot workout, and a longer steady state or Longer outdoor ride on the weekends. The idea is to add as many endurance–or easy rides– around those core workouts as you can. This week I was not able to get in that second threshold/ sweet spot work out in. I counted the Mercer Island Loop but in reality the quantity nor the quality were there. Staying consistent is going to be the key to hitting my goals.

Learnings

Running can be fun? It is fun. Running on dirt and up and down hills is great fun. Sneaking out on Wednesdays for a longer ride is therapy and getting PR’s is so rare you should celebrate.

Lutsen99er – Training Blooger IV

With Weekday XC racing starting locally Ill need to be more conservative with the efforts during the rest of the week.

Goals for the Week

This week is about the beginning of week-day racing and how to keep the consistency rolling while attending races. It was important to get the 3 key workouts in, attend Wednesday Night Worlds open house with the family, and get some miles outside. I would like to keep the momentum going on the running but this week, one run is enough. I understand that running once a week for less than an hour is not going to make me a better runner. The reason I am trying to keep one on the calendar every week is because I dont want to feel the shock of not running at all when I inevitably go out on the trails this summer. Lifting has been a moving target for the last few weeks. Can I get two sessions in this week?

Succeses

Mills +3 was a success on Tuesday. The intervals were tough but I am happy I was able to get through them without much trouble. I am genuinely enjoying the V02 work. I think the trainer is great for this. The interval sessions are short and sucky. I feel like I go in to get the work done and I can relax the rest of the day. These intervals seem to be about getting up to 120% and then controlling the burn till its over a couple minutes later. That controlled burn is amazing when you are in control. The threshold/ Sweet spot work has been the most anxiety inducing. The family and I were able to make it to Wednesday Night Worlds for the open house. As always the crowd was great and we registered the girls for their first MTB race! Luna doesn’t seem too worried but Mari is visibly nervous. With signing up came a nice family spin around the park’s many winding trails. I ran this week. a short 30 minute jog near the house. Mostly to be able to type my accomplishment right here. Next up I was able to sneak out with Justin (@nondrifting240) on Thursday. Nothing of note until I busted my ass coming home on the bike trail. Yup. I fell and it was incredibly silly. I stuck my tire in the space between the sidewalk and the grass and happened to go over the bars. yup. Over the bars. On Sunday I knocked out another Threshold workout on the trainer. Mary Austin -1 from TrainerRoad. This work out is about getting to threshold, going over, then coming back down. Essentially playing around your threshold for 20 minutes at a time. Coming into the workout I was worried but after the first one I felt completely in control. That control, for me, is confidence inducing. It was rough but I got through it.

Failures

Falling sucked. Not because I was hurt in any way but because I was around some cool cyclist bros. A failure for the ego. I will note down that the lifting this week is a failure but is core work lifting? More research to come. I will also make a post defining the core work.

Learnings

I learned this week to trust my strength. I also learned that my girls are awesome. Being there with them to sign up for mtb racing has been great. I love that they are trying to share these experiences with me. I believe it proves that I am showing them how much fun it is to be anxious all week to pedal hard for an hour.

Thanks for reading all this y’all!

Lutsen99er – Training Blooger V

Spring Break and the return of weeknight bike racing!

Week Goals

PNW’s Spring Break week for the kid matched up perfectly with great warm weather which meant that the goals were to sneak in the workouts but ride to the beach as much as possible. Justin’s birthday was to be celebrated this week and that would mean some good outside time. This week will also be the official start for Wednesday Night Worlds. Luna AND Mari will be racing for the first time on Wednesday. Big week filed with fun!

Succeses

Good Week of easy pedaling. Its nice to see the week get summarized as “Base”. This will be the last week of Sweet Spot Base I. The girl’s races went really well. Luna KILLED IT! and I had an amazing time racing with her. We made it to the beach as much as we wanted. We took full advantage of the good week.

The consistency is there and I noticed it on the last ride of the load for Justin’s B day. It was a relatively big day for me and I felt strong through out. I took advantage and practiced good fueling for the long ride. I was thankful I did. I ate ~75g of carbs per hour and it seemed to really pay off. The intensity was kept tame and I was not sure how I would do for 5 or more hours on anything over 80g of carbs per hour. I will bump it up the next time Im able to get out for a big day. The internet seems to be right about this one.

Failures

The bar was set pretty low for the week. If I fish around for an actionable item id take this opportunity to point out that I do not do a very good job of hydrating properly through out the day. I am great about hydration before and during activities but I fail miserably through out the day. This week was no different. I found myself anxious about the temperature forecast on Sunday because i was self conscious about my hydration all week. What a silly thing to worry about thats so simple to correct.

Learnings

I learned this week that racing with and coaching my daughter in an XC Mountain Bike Race is the most fun I have ever had on a bicycle. I also learned that wearing a HRM on a bike ride to the beach with my kid during spring break is extra silly.

Lutsen99er – Training Blooger VI

Mountain bike skills work with Fluid Ride as well as a return to bike racing for me.

Week Goals

This week I will be focusing on being better at not falling while later fully embracing that not-falling life at speed. I am on the ticket for Wednesday Night worlds this week and I am a bit anxious as to how the legs will feel before and then after the event. This is also a recovery week. This means that I will have to race and then turn it all the way down for the rest of the week.

Successes

The First part of the week was dedicated to mountain biking. With a skills lesson scheduled for Tuesday and mountain bike racing on Wednesday. The FLUID RIDE SKILLS CLASS was amazing. Racing was also huge success. I cant remember, and I didn’t write down, how I ended up a few summers ago when I raced WNW’s. I was racing with the CAT 2’s but I have no idea where I stood with the field. I was naturally a bit nervous about lining up, but put myself out there anyway. I came in to the series expecting to race every other week and my goal was modest: break into the top 10. Without a hole shot I figured I could put my steady state training to good use. I was able to come in 18th/ 35. I am happy with this. Mid pack in a fast-feeling field meant if I could keep applying what I had learned in the class, as well as continue t practice the technical parts of mountain bike racing, I could surely break into the top 10 at some point this season. I have only been getting better and more confident.

I completed 2 yoga sessions and 4 core sessions. I am happy with this but it is not lifting, which I hope to do better at.

My kid did great in her race too. With a growing field she was still able to snag a podium spot. Racing with her is quickly becoming my favorite thing to do.

Failures

It is getting harder and harder to get the lifting sessions in. Between not wanting to jut go out there and lift up the weights, and the fact that I cant help but get sore every-time I lift, I am not keeping up with it. Am I allowed to count 10 minute core sessions lifting? I didn’t think so.

Learnings

I learned that when you lean into a berm what you get is speed. I learned a lot about how to steal speed from corners and find it on the back side of roots. I learned a lot about body position and how easy it is to scrub all the speed you worked hard to develop. I learned that bikes are always fun, even when you’re getting your teeth kicked in by people half and double your age. I learned that I love this thing we do because we can all do it safely together.

Lutsen99er – Training Blooger VII

I had to google “7 in roman numerals”. Clearly I didnt think I would still be writing these at this point.

Goals for the Week

This week’s goals would be easy to keep track of but hard to execute. I bumped myself up to Mid Volume on TrainerRoad to help guide my choices with filler workouts. As I get closer to my A event, the Lutsen99er, I want to be sure I am staying as structured as I can. Yea. We’ll see about that. I have a ramp test this week that I am mostly looking forward to. The goal is to get the 3 key workouts in. 1 v02 1 Threshold and one long and slow one.

This is also the week Brian and I do a big climbing challenge on foot. The goal is to be able to walk after. I am not feeling too confident that 8k feet of climbing in 12 miles will be pleasant to do or to recover from. We’ll see, wont we?

Successes

I had a solid Ramp test and was able to claw myself back to 300w. This wont get me into the Olympics but it sure is nice to see and feel progress. I rode strong with Quinn too. We climbed a few local hills and he reminded me that a good test result doest really mean hills are easy. He doesn’t make anything too easy.

The last success would likely be a real bad failure next week. We “ran up” to mailbox peak twice for the sake of the TigerClaw VERTual event. Before even starting our climb I told Brian I wouldnt be “running” anymore until after Lutsen. I remember thinking about this sentence for the entire 7 hours we were either up or down that STUPID Hill. The view were…great…

Failures

I didn’t fail to climb up to Mailbox Peak twice on Sunday but I sure as hell failed to prepare properly. I failed to walk down the stairs normally for days! after.

Learnings

Quinn is strong as an ox. Brian is strong as an ox and I am just out here trying to keepwith both of them. I am learning how to shuffle around my house.

Last Lutsen99er Practice Part I

A long-winded anecdote of a random, long, solo ride I did on a hilly island off of the coast of Seattle.

Part I – The Ride

The Route

The original plan was to find a gravel route with plenty of climbing and descending to get a real good feel for the bike and the kit I would be using for the Lutsen99er in June. As the weekends kept getting picked off by family plans and travel, I had to settle for a route I found on Ride with GPS with the words “Vashon” (like the island) and “Gravel”. The Route had at-least 5,000 feet of climbing inside of 50 miles. The miles would be a mix of road, gravel, and single track. What more could anyone want?

I knew that Vashon Island was hilly and I also knew that there were two mountain bike trail systems on the island that would make for fun destinations on the ride. Doing this route on a full suspension mountain bike with 2.25′ tires would make it slow but keeping the power to the pedals wouldnt be too difficult.

I had a plan, I had a route, and I had a ton of GEAR TO TEST. all that was left was to wake up and have a big cup of coffee.

The Bike

My 2021 BMC Fourstroke is the baddest motherfucker of a bike I have ever ridden. There is a front and rear shock but I swear they are only there for me to tell myself that they exist. This thing is a hard tail at heart and it rides like one. It climbs better than my road bike and is much more fun to go downhill on. Any hill. Everytime.

The bike is mostly stock with the exception of a Power2Max NGeco power meter, a Specialized Power Saddle, King Cage Titanium Bottle Cage, and a Speedsleeve Ranger.

The SpeedSleeve Ranger has in it a replacement BMC Derailure Hanger, basic 29er tube, 2x 25oz C02 cartridges with a Silca C02 gun, a Pedro’s tire lever, DyanPlug Racer with 2 plugs installed, and a Crank Brothers M5 multitool. This bag holds a surprising amount of gear snugly and out of the way. If you are wondering why 2x C02 cartridges its because Ted King Says so.

The Ride

I left the house with plenty of time to get to the 9:25am ferry leaving West Seattle to Vashon Island. The idea was to roll in as slowly and as easily as possible. The second I arrived at the terminal I realized that I had forgotten to bring a mask. It was officially the end of that easy roll-in. I turned around, climbed up the hill again, and resolved to get on the later ferry. It was ok, these were my plans for the day. On my way back to the ferry I got it in my head that I could make it in time if I just put my head down a bit. I came barreling in right as they were closing the gate. I was warm and I was relieved.

I arrived on the island and loaded the route. I hadn’t done as much reading up on the route I would be following as I should have. I knew that there would be some gravel, some road, and plenty of climbing. If you have ever ridden around Vashon you know there are hills but the first hill we encountered was 13% and had over 500 feet of gain. right out of the gun. Needless to say I warmed up right away. I was greeted pleasantly by a couple of fast road descents I had never been on. Two secluded winding roads would set the pace for a fun filled day of climbing and descending.

The goal for the day was to keep a steady stream of calories, specifically carbs, flowing in while not getting too carried away on any of the climbs. With the power meter to keep me in check, all I had to do was look down and shift into one of the massive gears I have on the BMC. Objectively I would be consuming 90 or so grams of Carbohydrates per hour. I break down the calorie intake by hour in Part II – The Gear. From a power perspective, the goal was to stay under 175W Average power for the 5hours, Near 200W Normalized Power, and keeping my Heart Rate under 140 average for the ride.

There is a mountain bike park on the island that I had been meaning to visit. I knew I didn’t want to drive there being that there were much larger parks closer to me that I didn’t have to pay a ferry ride to get to. I had filed Dockton Forest away as one of those places I would one day ride my bike to. This was the ride. About two thirds into the day I would come across the trail head. What better way to test my single track legs after a big day than riding single track after over 4k feet of climbing. I knew Lutsen would max out around 5k feet all in.

Arriving at Dockton I really wasn’t sure what I would find. I was plenty tired of climbing but happy to come across some fun in the dirt. The park was even smaller than I had imagined but it was an oasis of excitement after a desert of road riding on knobby tires. All the trails had great features and the park is incredibly simple to navigate. . All of the more advanced trails had well designed bail-outs for those wanting to scope the features out before committing. If you take into consideration how easy it is to “climb back up” what you get is a great park to play and practice in. Mari and I will be coming back next time I can find a sitter. The entire time it felt as if I had escaped to a forest somewhere much further away.

After dockton forest I would ride through a beautiful part of the island going up and down more gnarly hills until I found my way back onto Vashon Highway, the gateway to a gallon of cold brew and a mountain of baked goods. I rode up and over the main hill on the highway and maxed out the gear as often as I could on the descents.

My legs felt so good that I promised myself Id get to 6k feet of gain before returning home. The ferry ride was smooth and the hills home awaited me. I chose to climb up Jacobson for tradition and again up Genesee for my favorite neighborhood view.

I needed this ride. Originally the idea was to test the equipment. As I rode along eating and pedaling I realized I needed it to know I can spend 5 hours on my own. I had never spent that long on a bike ride with my own company. I thought I’d get bored but in reality its really nice to disconnect for a while. I am already looking forward to another long ride on my own. Next time i’ll be on a faster rolling tires or on rouser steeper terrain. All in I am feeling confident about Lutsen and really looking forward to spending a few days with old friends riding bikes and making fun of each other.

Check out Part II – The Gear for a more detailed look at what I brought with me for fuel as well as what I wore and what I thought about it.

Last Lutsen99er Practice Part II

How to fuel properly and some notes on gear for a long ride in the hills.

Part II – The Gear

With the “A Event” for the year getting close, it was officially time to do a proper practice ride. Given the amount of time left before the event, this particular ride would need to test a lot of different things, all the while not testing the legs. The kit itself, the jersey and bibs, were new and I wanted to try them out for confidence. I hadn’t been on a long solo ride since February and that was more for fun than for feel. I also got a power meter, which I didn’t have back then. I would be using the power meter to pace this ride and that would be a test too. For this ride, I would be using a set of Roka sunglasses instead of a cheap pair from Amazon, so that was to be tested. Fueling, as we will go over at nauseam, was also a test. Finally, the USWE pack with the GoPro chest mount; I had used the pack once before but that day was half as long as this ride and about a third as long as what we believe the race will be.

To recap, I have been talking and thinking quite a lot about this race but I haven’t done much to prepare for it, other than ride whatever TrainerRoad says to when the app says to.

Below is a comprehensive list of all the items being “tested”. If you are looking to read more about how the ride itself went, please CLICK HERE

Fueling Strategy

This will be more of a strategy than a review. I have been using the items in this strategy for the last year and swear by them. I recommend HUMA Gels to anyone wanting to carry carbs efficiently but are worried about the weird stuff in all the silvery packaging. They sit well on any given day and are safe for my kid to eat. The same can be said for BOBO Bars and Nature’s Bakery Fig Bars. Don’t just buy them for working out, buy them because they’re damn delicious.

As for Carbohydrate mix ,I have been using GU Roctane almost exclusively. They sponsor the Lutsen99er so I can expect to find their products all along the course. Its a safe bet for race day. On top of that, they taste great and my favorite flavor, the Grape, is always on sale on Amazon.

From left to right I would be consuming the Banana and Bobo Bar on Hour 1, Gel and Bobo Bar on hour 2, half of the Fig Bar and a gel on hour 3, the other half of the fig bar and the other gel on the 4th hour and the same combination for the 5th hour. All the while, sipping Gu Roctane from my bladder.

The Goal was 80-90g of carbs an hour. 100+ Grams would be better but the ride was to be very sub maximal and there was not much need to fuel beyond 80g. I wanted to know what would happen on the 5th hour. I wanted to know if eating more solids early on would be ok and I wouldnt feel hungry. I also wanted to practice opening wrappers and not throwing the trash everywhere. Sure I have opened gels and the occasional fig bar on a ride, but how would I manage all of these wrappers and would I be able to keep my pockets organized for the duration of the ride? The short answer is no. I need a better system. A couple of hours in, my entire caffeine schedule was a mess because I couldn’t find that one gel that I wanted “a couple of hours in” to the ride. By digging in my pockets, I was mixing the mornings food with the afternoons and I had completely lost track of where everything was.

Other than pocket management, I felt great after 5 hours and 6k feet of gain. There was about a cup of Roctane in my bladder and I had eaten all of the scheduled bars and gels.

Power Meter

We will start with the power meter. This was the first real upgrade to the BMC Fourstroke and one made in the name of progress. The ultimate goal is a sub 9 hour Leadville performance for the BIG BELT BUCKLE and I can’t find a simpler way to achieve this than to train with power. A buddy of mine, and teammate for Lutsen99er, has been using the Power2Max on his race bike with tons of success. He had nothing but good notes on it and the internet feels the same. I pulled the trigger.

The power meter was easy to install once I had the right tool to remove the Shimano direct drive chainring from the crank arms. These tools were hard to come by. I ordered THIS ONE and was very thankful when it arrived. It felt of good quality and worked perfectly to remove and then install the new chainrings. I installed the power meter with the expert help of my neighbor. Let me be honest, he installed them and I was mostly in his way.

For this ride, the power meter was more of a governer. I knew I would be out there a long time and I wanted to keep myself honest. I had done one other V02 Max workout with it, so I expected it to work. The question would be: if I would pay attention to it and use it actively on a long day or let it be what it was and look for success and failure after the ride. I was respectful and I kept myself in the right zone for the entire ride. I was thankful I had it. It kept me lower than normal and in an easier gear on the climbs; I learned a-lot about my gearing, in general, on the descents.

I fully plan to write a post about Power Meters and using them for training in the future. They have become so affordable that if you can swing it, getting a set would make your training rides a lot more productive.

Hydration Pack

I have only worn the USWE Outlander pack one other time. I wore it for the Echo Red to Red Race in Echo, OR (Race Recap). This race was a great practice event for both Lutsen and Leadville, in terms of course lay out and terrain, but the race was only two hours long. Two hours is not long enough to really know how comfortable something would feel after 5+ hours of racing. My buddy Claudio had also brought up an important concern: how would I feel drinking the same flavor sugar-water after an entire day of it being cooked by the sun? I was confident having used packs and carbohydrate drinks for long summer trail runs in the past but his point regarding this new pack and the fact that this would be on a bike made for more than enough reason to test this out.

I was very comfortable all day long. The USWE Outlander sits high enough that you can reach your jersey pockets very easily; it also is very snug. This combination makes the pack seem like it is a part of the jersey. The Outlander has no other pockets so it only exists to provide you with fluids. This pack originally came with a 1.5L bladder. I bought a 2L for the purposes of this race and future big plans. The 2L bladder fits nicely inside even when filled to the Max Fill Lines. I also used the USWE Action Camera chest mount. Up until this ride, I had never used this system and really was not sure if I’d carry a camera. The chest strap adds some weight and a fair bit of material to the pack. I found it to be comfortable for the day but I am not sure I want to be worrying about recording footage for the race. I much prefer to use that mental bandwidth for talking shit to my friends and other racers as we blow past them…or as they pass us.

Kit

Ornot gear is great! Looks great, feels great, and is made in the USA. With minimal branding and interesting colors, I always feel a little more confident when I am wearing Ornot kit. That being said, I will be using a set of Velocio bib shorts for the race. The ornot bibs are a bit thinner and the sham (butt pad) are a quite thin. This is great for road rides, short races, and trainer rides but for a long day in the saddle I prefer the extra level of care of the Velocio bibs. Their feel is unmatched by anything else I have ever worn.

Gloves

I have been using an older version this set of Kitsbow Gloves for a number of years. They have served me well riding trails in wet and chilly conditions. Prior to this year, I spent the summers running and the shoulder seasons messing around mountain bike trails. They’re beautiful and really comfortable. Unfortunately, they are very warm and very bulky. The leather construction doesn’t do well with sweaty and hot conditions.;they stretch a bit over the course of a ride and tend to hold sweat in. I was looking for something a little thinner and very grippy. A buddy of mine Danny, and also a teammate for Lutsen, had gifted me a pair of these gloves by Giro when I first picked up a Mountain bike back in Miami. When Claudio suggested them as an option I knew they’d be great. What I wasn’t ready for was all the time and effort Giro seemed to put into updating them. They were light and didn’t stretch at all. I will be wearing these at Lutsen and if they hold up, likely for Leadville as well.

Glasses

I have been using THESE sunglasses for a few years. I used them for runs around volcanoes and beach combing with the kid. Theyre fine, really. A bit dark, a little bulky but super cheap. There is no doubt that I have been spending a lot more time riding my bike and I plan to spend even more time running and racing. The summer is also here so I wanted to update and upgrade my sunglasses in time for this race. I chose the ROKA SL-1 for a couple of reasons. First, if you are on strava, surf cycling or triathlon websites and forums, or if you happen to type in sunglasses on the internet you’ll receive some kind of discount code. In fact, I had the luxury of choosing between two 30% codes at the time of purchase. Second reason is that I could not find a negative thing about them. They’re known for being light and stuck to your face. After this ride, I can confirm that the rumors are true. They disappear from your face and whatever that Gecko technology is works perfectly. I do not believe I adjusted them one time over the course of the 5 hours. As for the Amazon Specials, they’ll always be in my tool bag just in case and for extra credit pimp points.

Lutsen99er Race Prep – Packing List

It is May 24th which means we are officially one Month out from my A Race of the year, the Lutsen99er. From now till then I will be posting information regarding my race kit, nutrition strategy, race plan, and all the hiccups and mistakes I make along the way. I have never taken a trip like this before. I have never packed a bike for a big event. I dont think I have ever been to such a large event period. Luckily I have a few home town friends coming along on the journey.

Lutsen99er, even though it is my A event for 2021, is a big practice run for the circus that getting to and competting at Leadville 100 MTB in 2022. Getting to Lutsen with my bike in 1 piece is a big concern as is making sure to not forget anything along the way. Logistically, travelling to a rce is a huge pain in the ass and mentally I am prepared to sleep at the start line in my puffy jacket, should everything we reserved falls through.

Alright that was a little dramatic. This trip includes a flight to Minnesota with a bike, a truck rental in Duluth, a house rental in Marias, MN, and another house rental in Duluth, MN before our return flight. The “Team” is made up of 5 shitty mountain bikers. 3 racers (Me, the Jew, and Danny), 1 crew member (Toddler-man), and 1 mascot (Ito). That’s a whole lot Allen keys and spare chain links to lose a long the way. While I am not worried about everything once the wheels are up on the plane, I do feel a ton of anxiety regarding getting everything I need packed. This post is really a way for me to stay organized and accountable. I am feeling almost identical to my first backpacking trip: I know I will pack to my fears, but how else will I learn for 2022 and beyond? I will try to organize this post into sections. Starting with the bike, then moving onto race day clothing, tools, and food, then moving on to packing for the rest of the trip.

Lets get moving on what you all came here to see, my weapon of choice, a Swiss Engineered rocket ship: the BMC Fourstroke. I wrote this sentence mostly to have a link to my BIKE CHECK post. Here you’ll find all the details of the build and updates as things change.