Thursday, August 31, 2006

24 Hours of Allamuchy Index

A collection of all the 2006 Allamuchy posts. First set is from the Normbrero site.


Next from the Training site. Some of these will have a scope beyond this ride but they originatedas a direct result.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Cramping

So here is what I get on cramping. I'm going to distill what I believe is the answer to cramps:

"Most of the time, its plain ol 'too much effort(watts or power output)' over 'too short of time'(for a given riders fitness atm) that causes cramps. No banana, salt pills, Sport Legs(they do work tho, as I swear by them for racing), etc is gonna fix that. Help to a degree yes, but the rest is the riders job. Depending 100% on training and level of fitness at the time..everyone has "so many matches" to burn. Burn them too early, and your done for that ride, or atleast your gonna suffer from then on when trying to make any decent power. Everytime you go into the red zone(anerobic), your digging a "hole" sorta that will shorten your overall performance "window" for that ride 10-fold. A 12-24hour solo racer will try to never ever go in the red zone for this reason. As a loose rule, most fit endurance racers have about 2 hours of LT so to speak(meaning the above "matches"). You get the idea."

This posted by Duckman, last post on this thread on mtbr General Discussion forums. After reading this and that, I totally agree this is why I cramp. It happens after I've been riding longer than I've been training for.

Here is an article from cyclingnews.com, an article from cptips.com, and an article from ultracycling.com.

The cyclingnews.com article has a great description of what cramps are. Regardless of what causes them, it's essentially your brain going ballistic and sending repeated messages for your muscles to work. It needs to go ballistic because your muscles can't work. So the brain says "go" and you're muscles say "no." The brain replies by saying, "go go go." And it hurts. The article then goes on to say that inadequate training, dehydration, glucose supply, and electrolyte imbalance may play a role. It lists other reasons which, IMO, stretch the limits of practicality.

The cptips.com article says, " Cramps are most common when you use your muscles beyond their accustomed limit (either for a longer than normal duration or at a higher than normal level of activity)." This sums it up for me perfectly. It's not so much the duration, as I never have problems on a road bike. I can extend the road rides a lot longer and general fatigue is my main limiter. But the longer MTB rides tend to bring it out, as I'm riding at a higher activity level than I'm used to riding at. The article then goes on to give the various alternate theories.

The ultracycling.com article is a bit more technical, which to me seems to be avoiding the issue at hand, which is, "Why did this happen and how do I stop it?" They do mention fatigue, briefly. And the other things in passing. But the article, for the most part, is useless in terms of it's practical application. Focus on Duckman and the first 2 articles to resolve your cramps. In other words, train better.

Slice it any way you want. In the end, more often than not, it's because you're trying to go harder or longer than you've trained to go. No magic pill is going to fix that.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

24 Hours of Allamuchy Calories Per Hour

I don't know if this is going to help in the future. I can't currently make much of it now. But I post it for future reference. This would be better in table format. Observations/notes:

  1. The "180/hour" inside the parentesis is the rate for that time frame
  2. Obviously I was not consistent in calorie intake, bad job
  3. I think 300 calories per hour is my current target
  4. Endurance racing does not kill my ability to digest, so I don't need to eat pure sugar foods
  5. Note the major corrections after laps 2 and 3
  6. Note the pattern during laps (240/270/300/350)
  7. Note the calories between laps (150/450/510).
  8. Note the average per hour creep up(189/206/272/304 laps or 227/300/329 between)
  • lap 1 12:03-1:19, 240cals, ( 240tot, 189/hour) 189/hour overall
  • after 01:19-1:46, 150cals, ( 390tot, 333/hour) 227/hour overall
  • lap 2 01:46-3:15, 270cals, ( 660tot, 182/hour) 206/hour overall
  • after 03:15-3:45, 450cals, (1110tot, 900/hour) 300/hour overall
  • lap 3 03:45-5:14, 300cals, (1410tot, 202/hour) 272/hour overall
  • after 05:14-5:53, 510cals, (1920tot, 784/hour) 329/hour overall
  • lap 4 05:53-7:31, 350cals, (2270tot, 214/hour) 304/hour overall

24 Hours of Allamuchy Timeline

This is obviously for the sake of record keeping and looking back.

  • 7:30 - Leave house, pick up ice
  • 8:30 - Get to campsite
  • 8:45 - Woody arrives
  • 11:00 - Prerace meeting
  • 12:03-1:19 - First lap (1:16)
  • 1:46-3:15 - Second lap (1:29)
  • 3:45-5:14 - Third lap (1:29)
  • 5:53-7:31 - Forth lap (1:38)
  • 8:15 - shower
  • 8:30 - dinner
  • 9:00 - back at camp
  • 10:00 - bed
  • 5:50 - wakeup
  • 7:18-9:00 - Fifth lap (1:42)
  • 9:15 - Back at camp, coffee
  • 9:30 - Pack up camp
  • 10:40 - Drop off race badge
  • 10:50 - leave site

Monday, August 28, 2006

Notes on 2006 24 Hours of Allamuchy

Limiters

  1. Cramps
  2. Cramps
  3. Cramps
Not sure I can sum it up any better than that. Ok, so let's try to refine this a little better:

  1. Not being in good enough shape (cramps)
  2. Bike food is still a major WIP (as is drinking from the bladder)
  3. Muscular endurance?
I'd say #3 is more my need to fill in a 3rd option. That really goes with #1 though there's certainly something to be said about the fact my longest ride was 3 hours before this. Considering, I'd say the 7.5 hour stretch was impressive enough.

Race & Setup Notes

  • Course was good, technical but not too much
  • No need to setup the day before, especially if we want to camp together
  • Having said that, site was quite far away, would prefer closer
  • Better off taking the Monday off than the Friday (unless you want a close camp)
  • Did I mention cramps?
  • Need a canopy next year
  • Consider a stove, or anything warming
  • Don't start at the end of the pack
  • Make lap #1 slower?
Food List Assessment

  • cold pizza was excellent
  • pasta with chinese sauce was excellent
  • potatoes seemed unappealing - too cold
  • corn flakes and grape nuts and rice milk work well
  • any more than 1-2 bananas is useless
  • you only need 1-2 salty snacks
  • bagels good to have, but not 12 of them
  • did not touch fig newtons nor PBJ nor Clif bar in ride time
  • did not touch V8, coke, pudding, or soup
  • had too much food again
  • bagel chips were good
Camp List Assessment

  • need canopy
  • cold weather clothing a must (include footwear)
  • stove might have been handy
  • Overall had all bases covered save for above items

Ride Plan Assessment

  • may have started a little too fast
  • having said that, being in the main glob of a pack was frustrating and energy sapping
  • calories is a major concern still
  • liquid intake seems fine
  • pit stops handy, though we were pretty far away
  • taking notes at pit stops was tough, but I did it
  • had a lot of fun
  • did not ride a night lap - only glaring omission
  • slept for 6 hours
  • ate plenty of recovery food Saturday, not enough Sunday
  • hot shower was amazing
  • Consider mixing all bottles before race

Bike Drinks

  • Accelerade - I've had enough of this stuff, use as light flavoring
  • Gatorade - Not as bad as Accelerade, but also just for flavoring
  • Maltodextrin - only thing I could stand after a long day
  • Consider mixing all bottles before race
  • Need to learn to drink from bladder routinely
Course Description

This is my post to the mtbr.com forum in response to course description...

9.5 mile course, maybe 1+ then 1.5+ miles in the boy scout camp at the beginning and end.

Course started as it did last year, with a climb on the fire road out of camp. Short descent after that then some mild climbs, some techincal through 2 miles. Overall climbing wasn't anything brutal - there are certainly more painful loops available in the park. Technically there were a handful of log jumps, none that caused me to clip out. There were 2-3 rock gardens that were pretty tough, but again, nothing that a carefully picked line, some patience, and a good grind couldn't overcome. Probably the toughest section for me was a rocky/grassy incline that was not well travelled, half submerged in grass. At the end, there was a 2 foot rock laying in wait, which I wasn't able to clean on any of my 5 laps. It's the only obstacle that got me every time. On the last lap I made it up the climb but bailed due to lack of energy. There were a few downhill runs that were outstanding in this section. Aid station was just short of mile 6. From 6 to 7 was some climbing and roots/rocks, generally rolling. From 7 to 8.5 was mostly flat to downhill, very nice run but very wet on the next day. The last mile was a brutal climb which occured as you got back into the boy scout camp, so that was a surprise for most people. That was followed by the same fast descent as last year, but in much better shape because it wasn't washed out.

All in all, solid technical but not brutal. Decent climbing but again, not brutal. There were no climbs I couldn't clean most laps. As a reference, I cannot clean all the climbs at Round Valley. Also, I cannot make that steep climb going East from Chimney Rock Road. I am sure there are a handful of people who can say they clipped in, started their lap, then cliped out when done. I was not one of them.

Friday, August 25, 2006

Pre-24 Hour Notes

A few things to note on the day before the race:

  • Checked in at noon, nobody in line
  • Still parking in the lot at that time
  • Entirely did not need to check-in today
  • Need a bigger tent, or a sitting area tent-like thing

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Training Plan Between 24hrs and 50k

Here is my training plan for the time between the 24 hour race (August 26) and the 50k race (October 15). This leaves 7 weeks between (1 recovery, 4 build, 2 peak/taper).

Specific ideas here are to a) extend/build MTB duration, b) maintain and improve race skills, and c) work on ME (muscular endurance). Other skills (power, anaerobic endurance) will be covered in RS (race simulation) rides on Saturdays. Note that we still might want to add some A workouts to the Sunday ride, or weekly rides.

This schedule will change to reflect changes made during the week or at the time of workout.

Pass 1: Initial outline
Pass 2: Filled in specific workouts
Pass 3: Adjusted 4 week block to 3 plus rest, then 1/2, then Peak.
Pass 4: Adjusted all details of workouts to come

Week 1 (recovery)

* 8/28 (mon): trainer, recovery
* 8/31 (thu): road, partial M1 ride
* 9/02 (sat): trainer (45)
* 9/03 (sun): road, M3 then E2, Clairmont Rd then Swamp(172)
* 9/04 (mon): road, M3 then E2, Clairmont then Lake (125)

Week 2 (build 1)

* 9/05 (tue): trainer, recovery ride (30)
* 9/07 (thu): road, M2, 21min in zone, 45 overall
* 9/09 (sat): Round Valley, RS, 2:40
* 9/10 (sun): road, E2, 93 min

Week 3 (build 2)

* 9/12 (tue): M2, 31m in zone, 49 overall
* 9/13 (wed): M2, 28min in zone, 48 overall
* 9/16 (sat): RV, RS, 2:50
* 9/17 (sun): road, E2, 120 min

Week 4 (build 3)

* 9/19 (tue): M2, 2x20
* 9/20 (wed): M2, 2x20
* 9/23 (sat): CR, RS, 2:00
* 9/24 (sun): road, L2, 57m

Week 5 (rest)

* 9/26 (tue): L2, 31m
* 9/28 (thu): L2, 60m
* 9/30 (sat): L2, 60m
* 10/01 (sun): CR, RS, 120-180m

Week 6 (build 1 - 50%)

* 10/03 (tue): M2, 2x10
* 10/05 (wed): M2, 2x10
* 10/07 (sat): CR, RS, 2:00
* 10/08 (sun): road, L3, 60m

Week 7 (taper/peak)

* 10/10 (tue): L2 ride, some intensity (45 min)
* 10/12 (thu): L2 ride, some intensity (45 min)
* 10/14 (sat): L2 ride, some intensity (60 min)
* 10/15 (sun): race, go home and drink beer

Sunday, August 20, 2006

Maltodextrin Notes

Took out 2 bottles for yesterday's recovery ride of about 20 miles (on the road). Didn't plan on drinking them both, but wanted to overdo it to see how much I could stomach in a short time. I used an entire do-it-yourself mix:

  • 3 scoops maltodextrin (330 cals)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 pack emergen-c
  • 1 pack mango kool-aid

Added this all to a 32 oz Nalgene bottle, added about 16 oz of water, and shook it. And shook it. And shook it. The little white blobs of maltodextrin mix very reluctantly. After a few rounds of shake, then do something, it was finally mixed.

I divided it into 2 water bottles, then topped them off. Roughly 48 ounces of water.

So I find myself thinking in terms of limiters these days, identifying rides in terms of the 1 thing that held me back the most (almost always short & steep climbs). In terms of this concoction, there was 1 clear limiter. Taste. The mango kool-aid was designed for 64 ounces of water, and a whole botaload of sugar. As a result, this mixture was bitter, not sweet. The lack of sweetness is something I could probably get used to. The bitterness, not so easily. I have a few other kool-aid packs. Obviously I need to use less kool-aid, and maybe another flavor, fruit punch or something classic like that. Am I old if I refer to Fruit Punch Kool-Aid as a classic?

I knocked out 1 bottle in about 45 minutes, which is a fair calorie intake (220 per hour pace). The stomach was fine with it, no adverse reactions. But the taste...it wasn't awful but it wasn't something I enjoyed much. That clearly needs work.

In terms of energy I never felt weak, which would happen at the end of a 20 mile ride had I brought nothing. But this clearly isn't a true test of anything. I need to work out the details of the mix. I know some mix it with Gatorade but I'm trying to avoid simple sugars with this mix...I really don't know why. I note that Hammer uses some sort of apple concentrate for sweetness. Perhaps I should just toss in some table sugar.

At some point this weekend I will more than likely fall back to a maltodextrin mix. Despite the fact that every intelligible source says to not try anything new on race day, I'm an idiot. As such, I will likely follow up this post with colorful vomit stories. Stay tuned.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Ride Plan for the 24 Hour Ride

Everything I read says you should have a plan for your ride before you get there. It makes sense, because if you rely on your wits to guide you nothing but trouble can happen, especially considering I'm looking to ride more than not in the time I'm there. The one good thing is that Woody and I are riding together, making it either half as likely we'll do something stupid (2 people to think things over) or twice as likely (double the idiocy double the fun!). Consider that Woody and I once agreed it was a good idea to camp in 10 degree weather....

Maybe I should rethink this ride?

So what's the plan? Right now my concerns are more in the realm of food & drink than the physical aspect of it. While I understand that it will hurt more than I want it to, we're under no delusions that we're going to knock out any best times in our laps. As such, it gives us more leeway. So here is my basic checklist of thing to keep track of for the race:

  • Keep a maintainable pace from the gun
  • Shoot for 250-300 calories per hour
  • Shoot for ~32 ounces of liquid per hour, at least in the beginning
  • Pit stop after each lap to take stock of the ride
  • At every pit stop, record time, food eaten, liquids drank, how you feel
  • Have fun
  • Ride at least 1 night lap
  • Make sure you sleep at some point
  • Before sleep, make sure you enough recovery food
  • Shower before bed
  • If the plan isn't working, change the fucking plan!!!
  • Have fun, again

Remember to have fun. Otherwise why are you out there?

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Backing Off

Scheduled road ride but getting sick. Signs of something wrong all over the place but I failed to admit it early on. List:

  • Thursday woke up groggy, never felt good on the ride. Felt good at work.
  • Friday woke up groggy, never got out of it, felt like shit all day, headache end of day.
  • Saturday felt lousy, RHR at 75. Ride ok but really tough in spots.

Overnight the signs finally made themselves too obvious. Scratchy throat, stuffy nose, congestion in ears, mild head soreness. Resting HR on waking was 77. Obviously I need to take off.

Better to have it happen today than in 2 weeks. Focus in the next 2 weeks is sleeping enough. Of paramount importance.

Saturday, August 12, 2006

Chimney Rock, hurting

Chimney Rock, 2:00, with Kirt. Route was different, his lead. West side normal, but small loop on bottom and return as entered, no fast descent. Quarry section was up all the way, then across middle, then out bottom. Across CR road & up. Then down to river & cross river. Climb then switch back left & climb more. No rock view. Left over rocky technical to intersection, right towards gravel road, normal route from there. Took Warmup back to ballfield, in reverse direction. Playground finale. Pace too fast for expected Allamuchy ride.

Felt basically lousy the whole time. Woke up hurting with a 75 RHR, not a good start.

Eventually got into it but faded, climb to rock & swithback was good, felt strong. Was generally sloppy behind the wheel overall today. Technically did very well, basically clearing everything attempted today. Physically low on energy.

Basically same breakfast as last week. Same bike food, same post food. But today was lethargic. Felt like I was choking down all my recovery food. Got home and realized I drank only half the bladder, so low calories & Water there. Felt upset stomach. Maybe not enough water? Maybe slight overtraining? Not enough sleep for sure. Not eating enough calories. All of this is a wakeup call. Need to be careful in these last 2 weeks.

Feel ok now at the end of the day finally. Took a light spin on trainer to get legs warm.

Friday, August 11, 2006

Camp/Bike Stuff for the 24 Hour Ride

Here is a list, always evolving, of the things to bring to the 24 hour ride. I subscribe to a few basic tenets. First, you're not camping. This is a bike ride so don't waste too much time & effort trying to plan every little item you might need. Secondly, keep it simple. The less you need to worry about, the less you'll worry.

Bike Essentials

If nothing else, you need this to ride. If you show up with this stuff, you'll be able to ride up to the start line, and pedal away. You'll have nothing else besides this. But at least you'll be riding. In other words, pack this stuff first. But put it in the car last.

  • bike
  • shoes
  • helmet
  • gloves
  • all bike clothes you own
  • headband
  • bladder & pack
  • bike pump
  • water bottle cage
  • bike bag

Base Camp Crap

Probably your next most important set of items. Food and sleep are going to play an important role in the race for most people. For those who plan on riding the whole 24, then you'll probably have a support team that needs to sleep. If not, you might crash and need to take a nap anyway. You don't want to burn out at 2:00 am and not have a place to sleep. Also, you'll need to eat. The canteen is probably open 24 hours but they run out of food every year. It's a nice fallback but don't rely on it too much.

  • food (see other link)
  • tent, blankets
  • canopy
  • sleeping bag
  • air mattress
  • pillow
  • bag chair
  • ground cover
  • non biking clothes (plan for colder weather regardless of season)
  • soap, shampoo
  • towels (2 at least)
  • small table
  • toothbrush, toothpaste
  • lantern or camp light

Kitchen

This list could be infinitely long. I am not of the mind that you need a kitchen sink. Just keep to the basics and bring 1 spoon, etc. The nalgene bottle is for mixing sports drinks on the fly, or for sipping if you have some down time. The small towel is for wiping your hands when they invariably get wet for any number of reasons.

  • nalgene bottle
  • garbage bag
  • cooler
  • utensils, bowls
  • small towel
  • big water jug
  • aspirin
  • stove

The Un Category

This is a mix of things you might consider essential (wallet) to completely frivolous (ipod). It's a catch-all which includes the things that you may or may not need. Money is required, because you may want a hot meal or cup of coffee at some point. Or you may run out of tubes. Wallet and car keys are also essential, as you'll see when you try to leave the house without them. A notebook is an excellent idea for any number of reasons.

  • notebook, pens
  • digital camera
  • ipod
  • cell phone
  • wallet
  • car keys
  • money
  • GPS

Bike Nice-to-Haves

None of these things are show stoppers. All nice to have, but you can get away without them. I would pack these last because you'll survive if you forget some of them. Make sure you bring money because most of these can be found if you have some cash. If you forget lights, at least you still have 12+ hours of riding. These become more important if you plan on riding the whole 24 hours. I plan no such thing. Some of this stuff can be left in the car, especially if the car is parked close by.

  • spare tubes
  • spare tires
  • lube
  • bike tools
  • bike stand
  • lights & backup
  • backup bike
  • duct tape
  • bag balm
  • lock
  • standing bike pump
  • shock pump

Food for the 24 Hour Ride

Here is a list of food I plan to bring to the 24 hour ride. This list is compiled from books, personal experience, other people's lists, and common rest stop items in other endurance events. I normally do not eat thing like M&Ms & soda. BUt the more I read the more it seems like you bow down to cravings during these races. So to have it and not use it is better than not having it when you're desperate.

Sports Drinks and Such

(The drink mixes should be pre-mixed in ziplock bags)
  • Endurox
  • Accelerade
  • Gatorade
  • maltodextrin
  • soy protein
  • Emergen-C
  • Sports bars (clif, powerbar, etc)
  • GU (or similar product)

The Rest

  • Corn Flakes, Grape Nuts, or other high GI cereals (not fiber)
  • rice milk (much higher GI than regular milk)
  • bananas (moderate GI, potassium)
  • assorted other fresh & dried fruit
  • potatoes (baked previously, of course)
  • salty lowfat snacks (crackers, pretzels, baked nachos) - choose 1
  • bagels
  • fig newtons
  • cooked pasta/rice/noodles (with your favorite lowfat mixings)
  • ice, water
  • salt
  • your favorite recovery meal (if you're going to bed at some point, or for after)
  • something to eat when you can't eat anymore goddamn carbs (pizza, sandwich)
  • peanut butter/almond butter
  • jelly
  • white/wheat/potato bread
  • V8, coke
  • pudding
  • coffee
  • M&Ms, snickers
  • cheese
  • soup

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Bike Nutrition Notes, Hill Ride

Road ride with a ton of hills today. So much I couldn't fit all the planned hills into the ride. Not going to post the route just to say up Somerville Rd area, Allen, then into Lake rd hill set. Just under 3:00 at 2:53. Whatever I'm doing is working. I'm able to grind out 3000-4000 feet of vertical in those 3 hours with no problem. Ended up with a 13.9 pace which is good for me, considering the total climbing.

Preride meal was the same as yesterday without the banana. Just wasn't hungry enough.

Tested Gatorade and salt on bike this time. Started with Accelerade (2 sccops) and Emergen-C (1) plus 1/8 tsp salt in each bottle. Filled up 3rd bottle with Gatorade, EmergenC, salt for the 3rd. Lower calories in that bottle made it refreshing. Makes me think that switching it up for a longer ride (ie, 24 hours) is going to keep the fluids moving faster. Did not keep up with 32 ounces per hour of water intake but did not seem the worse for it. Probably could have used a little more liquid but no big deal.

Second day in a row that 3 Endurox after the ride didn't sit well in the stomach. I'm thinking that pulling in the correct number of calories per hour leaves me less "accepting" to the Endurox after the ride. This is fine since the on-the-bike food is more important than the after ride food.

Chimney Rock and Bike Nutrition Notes

Chimney Rock felt good out of the door so I'll note my pre-ride meal:

- water, coffee
- 2 slices costco bread, 1/2 tbsp butter
- cup of corn flakes, 1/2 cup rice milk
- 1/2 QT gatorade, 1/2 pack Emergen-C
- banana

* Raised the seat post 1-1.5 inches and it gave obvious benefits. Make sure you fit your bike properly after you buy it. Stupid, but better to have found the problem out now than in 6 months.

* Tried Emergen-C today, 1 packet in a QT of gatorade that I split before and after. Then 2 packs on the ride. By the end of the ride felt great, hitting the last hills harder than planned (for a pace ride). Not sure if it works or not, probably not long enough ride.

* Headache after, maybe 6 hours later. Seem low on salt? Craved salt all day.

* Recovered very well. End of night felt great.

Friday, August 04, 2006

One

As the summer progresses and the time winds down, drawing closer and closer to this year's 24 Hours of Allamuchy, I find myself reading more and more articles online about training, prep, fitness, food, and so on. You name it, I'm reading about it. Lactate thresholds, VO2 max, smearing balm on your ass to make the ride go smoother.

Anyway, one thing I read over and over is that you should have a training log. Well, this isn't a trianing log so much as it's a training blog. You see, training logs are numbers, and maybe a comment or 2 about RPE, or wind conditions. Beyond that, there's really nothing which tells you what you were thinking that day, or the day before, or how you felt, etc etc. That's what this is for.

I doubt many people will read this. No big deal, since all the people who say to have a training log say that it's obvoiusly for their own benefit. This is meant as a running commentary for the next X days, weeks, months, or years, assuming I don't burn out of bike training and start flying a kite, or some such. Right now the goal isn't on this year's 24, it's on next year's season.

See, I already know this year is a wash. Up until this year, I've been mostly a road biker who very randomly goes off road for a bit of fun, but not enough to really make much of a difference. Well this year has been my transition year, where my road rides are geared to make me a better mountain bike rider. I understand a lot of what I do this year will be for the sake of learning. And I'm already looking to next year's season as a season, as opposed to a collection of weekends where I get up early and go for a bike ride.

So that's what this is. I mean, at least for now.