Monday, April 27, 6:15 p.m.,  Sportspectrum

Ian Webb and our friends at River City Cycling have stepped up and 
offered to present a Fix-a-Flat clinic for the same time slot. This is 
for anybody new to biking that wants to discover the ins and outs of 
changing a flat tire and for anyone experienced that wants a refresher 
course and learn how to fix a flat fast, like during a race.

Horatio D'Agostino, one of our Sunrise Tri Club members, had a fire at his business today.  KTBS report:   13 Shreveport Fire crews arrived at the Blue Collar Diner around 12:30 this afternoon to find the building full of smoke.  Firefighters got the blaze under control in about ten minutes. The diner wasn't open when the fire broke out. Officials say it probably started in the kitchen, but the cause is still under investigation.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's happening! Starts this Wednesday, April 8th, going on every other Wednesday to total 8 time trials over the next sixteen weeks (I hope!). First rider off at 6:30 pm on 30-second intervals.

NEW VENUE!! The old course is unsuitable for the TT's...lots of truck traffic, plenty of road trash, and some lousy road repairs make the south end of Ellerbe Road no good and unsafe for this year. I hope someday we'll return to that historic stretch of road. But for now the new course will begin just south of the intersection of Highway 175 and Harts Island Road. Park on the sides of Harts Island Road NORTH of that intersection...try to park as far off the road as you can! The course goes south on Harts Island Road and returns north to finish. The distance is the same as the old course: 7.35 miles. Distance records will be kept but there'll be notes as to what course any new records were set on. We used this course in 2005 and it seemed to work out okay.

As has been stated thru the years, this is not a sanctioned event. If you have a problem with that, then don't show up. The course is open to traffic. Keep your eyes open and be alert as you ride. We'll try to keep the course as clean as we can but there are no guarantees, so watch the road no matter how cross-eyed you get with your efforts. Save any chunks of wood on the course for Mack to hit.....

I can always use volunteers. I especially need to have a holder and a person at the turn-around. If you can help out, please come out and enjoy the fun of watching a bunch of fast people (and some not-so-fast people).

If I think of anything else between now and then, I might mention it. Depends on how I feel. See some of you out there.

Alan

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Current course records for the Crossroads Series (top five in each category):

Distance: 7.35 miles out-and-back.

ALL Sub-16 minute times
(Riders listed are USCF Category 1-2 unless otherwise indicated)

Mat Davis               15:18*         7/11/07
Jack Ditt                 15:28           7/7/98
Mat Davis               15:29         6/27/07
Mat Davis               15:31         8/1/07
Mat Davis               15:32          6/25/08
Jason Weinland***   15:33          5/21/08
Russ Walker             15:34           6/25/08
Jack Ditt                    15:38        5/19/98
Nathan Rogut             15:42        5/25/05
Mat Davis                   15:43        5/21/08
Randy Racine**          15:44           7/7/05
t - Randy Racine**     15:44         6/22/05
Jason Weinland***     15:45    7/30/08
Russ Walker               15:45         6/27/07
t - Jack Ditt                15:45        6/15/99
Jason Weinland***     15:46     7/9/08
Jason Weinland***     15:51      7/11/07
Russ Walker              15:52      6/13/07
Jack Ditt                   15:53        5/5/98
Russ Walker              15:54        5/21/08
Jack Ditt                    15:55        6/2/98
Russ Walker              15:58        6/17/97
Patrick Marr               15:59      5/25/07
t - Nathan Rogut        15:59        4/27/05

*men’s record
**Category 3 rider
***Citizen men's rider


USCF Category 3

Randy Racine             15:44           7/7/05
t - Randy Racine         15:44         6/22/05
Randy Racine             16:00        6/9/05
Tim Perry                   16:02        6/9/05
Jack Ditt                     16:04        7/3/97
Tim Perry                   16:06        6/21/06


USCF Category 4

Mat Davis                16:09        8/15/06
Mat Davis                16:14        8/2/06
t - Mat Davis            16:14        6/21/06
Don Young               16:17    7/9/08
David Vanderlick      16:22         7/11/07
Don Young               16:26      5/21/08


USCF Category 5

Randy Racine            17:12        6/19/02
Scott Mitchell             17:21        7/10/02
Ken Elliott                  17:23        6/15/99
Dave Taggart             17:27        8/15/06
David Vanderlick        17:31        7/1/04


USCF Women (All Categories)

Shannon Koch          17:32**    5/25/05
Kathleen Wiener        17:47        5/5/98
Shannon Koch           17:51        4/29/05
Kathleen Wiener        17:53        7/7/98
Kathleen Wiener        17:58        6/19/02

** women’s record


USCF Masters 40+

Russ Walker        15:34        6/25/08
Russ Walker        15:45         6/27/07
Russ Walker        15:52      6/13/07
Russ Walker        15:54     5/21/08
Tim Perry            16:02        6/9/05


USCF Masters 50+

Don Young        16:17    7/9/08
Tim Perry          16:25    6/11/08
Don Young        16:26    5/21/08
Don Young        16:27    6/25/08
Don Young        16:32    6/11/08


Non-licensed Citizen, Male (Non-USCF licensed)

Jason Weinland         15:33      5/21/08
Jason Weinland         15:45    7/30/08
Jason Weinland         15:46    7/9/08
Jason Weinland         15:51      7/11/07
Jason Weinland         16:01      6/27/07


Non-licensed Citizen, Female (Non-USCF licensed)

Linzie Herbert            18:27      5/24/07
Elka Anderson           19:01    7/9/08
Brenda Antee            19:02        5/25/05
Suzanne Barnett        19:15        8/15/06
Brenda Antee            19:21        6/7/06


Tandem

Calvin Sears & Louise Smyth    18:03        6/25/08
Calvin & Paige Sears                18:59      7/11/07
Billy & Christy Hudson              19:05    7/7/05
Ron & Beverly Nezat                19:29    6/9/05
Clyde & Karen Matthews           21:35    7/7/05

via emal from Alan Moore

I was feeling much better this morning.  I drank and ate as much as I could Friday since I felt like a zombie in the morning.   I was having trouble getting in enough carbs to support the workload.

We rolled out for a 40 mile ride to Kitt Peak.  I took it super easy all the way to the base of the climb.  I planned on drilling Kitt Peak today.  At the base we took a few pics and put my two extra water bottles in the van and started the climb.   For me climbing Kitt Peak was much easier than Mt Lemmon.   I just keep pushing around each switch back and long stretch of road.   Tatiana and Laura were behind me.   Around 30 min into the ride about mile three or four I could see a good portion of the road and the girls were nowhere in sight.  I just kept pushing and spinning the cranks.  Around mile six I hit a long section which had a pretty steep gradient.  These are challenging. If you make it to the corner of the switchback you are golden, you can backoff for 60 seconds.

Around mile nine the other guys started descending.   I made it to mile 12, took a pic at the sign and started descending.  Brrrr!  It took me 24 minutes to come down those 12 miles.  At the van Gordo and Scott had the chairs out waiting for us to come off Kitt Peak.  I got off my bike and waited for Alan C and Laura to come down.

On the way back me and Laura did an Hour of Power.  I cranked into the 54/11 and 'boom' off we went pushing 30mph for quite a while, before I realized Laura had popped off the back.  I adjusted so she could sit in the draft for the ride home.   For that solid hour we averaged 25mph <Tailwind>.   At this point the road was a bit rough so I backed off and we just peddled back into town.

We got back safely, a bit more tan than before, knowing we had a solid workout

Phew!   That was a ton of work this week. I'll post the pics to the Flickr site asap.  Great camp Justin and Gordo! Endurance Corner, check it out.

Camp has been great so far.  Everyone has been a blast to hang out with ... (Kevin B, Danno <whose wheel I held for quite a while>, Gordo, Justin, Anthony,Alan,  Josh, Tim, Chuck and Michelle, Dave and Selina, KP, Richard, Flip and Laura, Scott and Dan of Wheels on Wheels. 

I slept hard last night and work up starving at 2AM.  I ate a cliff bar and then Kevin my roomie got up to make a trip to the vending machine since then back to bed for another 5AM rise. 

One thing I have learned at camp is to not go looking for work, just let the work come to you.   This really applies to climbing huge hills.   Plus, pacing yourself over the week to be able to hit all the sessions will pay off big versus hitting a select few workouts so hard you are torched for the rest of the week.   I was feeling torched this morning before the run.   Danno lead our group on the run for 90 min in the park.   We saw lots of cacti, dirt and views of the valley and mountains and a couple of park rangers.

I ate a ton of food after the run.  Three full plates at breakfast, two glasses of OJ, and a glass of water.  We are talking, eggs, pancakes, bacon, potatoes (multiple passes on the bacon and potatoes).

We headed off the the Oro Valley Pool again.  Beautiful outside pool with the mountain range in the background.    We all sat down in the snack room after the pool and ate and chatted.

Only one more day of camp.   A big ride up Kitt Peak a 12 mile climb at 8% with the final 2 miles greater than 8%.   Bring it on... after I get my recover on today.

Peace out.

I'm feeling tired.  We did a 50min run in the a local park on a trail in the mountains.  Good stuff.  Lot's of rocks on the trails and rocks are hard.  I fell and bruised and cut up my palms.   Nice!  Also a group of campers got a bit sick.  They did oo much work or too hard of efforts.  They are torched for now.  All the Dallasites besides Chuck (former LaSport) are down for the count.  Shreveport rocked Dallas! 

That sucks for them.   It has got to be tough.   Chuck and Michelle have been great to ride with as well as Selina who beat me up Mt Lemmon by 30sec.  Selina mentioned she might Race Rocky Mount.  Game on LaSport.

We swam at Oro Valley Pool, and outdoor pool 25yds by 50 meters.   Lot's of lanes today.  Here is the swim workout.

5x500,4x400,3x300,2x200,100 IM -Total Set was 5500yds. Gordo's big set.

After this major swim, we had lunch under a shade tree put on our cycling gear and rode off.  We road down into the valley and back over Gates Pass.   It was an all out effort for 3 minutes for me.  A lot of huffing and puffing.  It's pretty steep and after a 5500yds swim....  Nough' said.  I'm getting tired of climbing hills at 7mph at this point.

We have a suite upstairs open nearly 24hrs stocked with food.  Lots of support on the road while biking from Wheels On Wheels.  You get a flat and they'll change it for you.  Justin and Gordo have made this camp awesome.  Thanks guys and to everyone who is helping.

I am feeling the effects of the training now.   Tomorrow is a day off the bike.  Just a long run and a swim for me and a huge ride on Sat.

Peace Out!  And I'm bringing it on Sat!

Craig Nicholson

We were up at 5AM and I was not too thrilled.  In Tucson all the local state pools open on April the first.   We got up early to take over the local pool.   I knocked out 2500yds in the pool and started feeling much better.  My mojo was coming back and I felt like I was in a good position this week.  

After the swim we went back to the hotel for breakfast and to grab or gear for the bike today.  Today is a recovery day....but the two rides we had to choose from were a 40K and 40 miler.   Gordo said I should do the 40 miler.  And so it was done.  :(

There were lots of fast folks in the 40 miler group which has been named the "peppy" group.   My tactic was to sit on the back and draft as much as possible.   Well, as soon as we hit the hills up over the gates pass a group of three of us came off the back.   We regrouped at a stop sign after flying down the hills moving around 30mph.  At the stop sign we split into two groups and the first group (my group) took off with a 45 sec lead, and the second group was going to chase us down.  This is not what I call recovery.  We headed out pulling hard and running the pace line and never got caught riding around 28-29mph (tail wind?).  We held off the fast boys.  Oh, you could not drop any riders to win the so the entire group had to be there.

The pace was much friendlier on the way back.   I dropped off the back with Dan P. for the last 4-5 miles to recovery from all the hard efforts during the 40 mile recovery ride today.

After the ride we headed up to the snack room and filled up on chips, salsa, fruit, turkey, and.... all that good stuff.

I’m thinking about running in a few hours.  We'll see.

Craig Nicholson