Jim's Guts

Cyclefest & Street Sprints...

For the last couple of years Cascade Bicycle Club has put on "Cyclefest". The event started back in 2004 when Lance was going for #6, as a way to watch a stage of the Tour with a bunch of other cycling enthusiasts and has grown ever since. Now in addition to watching a Tour stage (this year it was Stage 17 - Alpe d'huez) there are a bunch of other things to do. There's food (or you can bring your own), music, a beer garden, and activities leading up to the viewing.

Among the activities is an event that's put on by the team I race for - CycleU's Street Sprints. The concept is simple, but different from other road races. It's a two person, head to head match-up on a 500 meter street course. Both riders start, go 150m, make a 180 degree turn, race back up 250m, another 180 degree turn, then a 100m blast to the finish. First rider to cross the line wins. It sounds a lot harder than it really is, the turn is plenty wide, and it made for some great racing.

Sorting price swag before the race at the CycleU headquarters

This is what the course looks like (this was taken during a warmup lap:)

At the start of my first heat (thanks to Coach T for taking the pic)

The racing was in a bracket format, guaranteed two races, and though I lost both my races I had a fantastic time. It was a great antidote for the funk I was feeling coming back from Boise. I was able to keep it close in the first race (losing to a guy that had a commuter rack on his bike), and was actually leading in the second race till I pulled out of my pedal (that's now happened in my last three races, Boise and both Street Sprint heats, I need to figure out soon if that's a problem with my cleat, my pedal, or my mechanics).

If you're familiar with bike racing you won't be surprised to know that the finals were contested by two track cyclist, with a CycleU teammate winning. As for me? I'm already looking forward to next year.

Boise…

The really short report is that I did not bring honor to my clan.

The slightly longer report is that I made contact with another rider while I was out of the saddle on lap 1 and came down hard on the nose of my saddle pushing it down. I made it to the pit, got it adjusted, but never got back in the race.

The weekend was still fun, many thanks to M & m for hosting (and congrats again to m for winning the Cat 3/4 Idaho State Criterium Championship), but I think my crit racing days are done (I still plan to race road and time trials, apologies to the L&T for getting her hopes up ;-)

BTW – The course was actually really good with plenty of space for turns. The first corner, which had almost everyone concerned on some level, was actually a nice sweeping turn that you could setup nicely for turn 2. To the best of my knowledge there were no crashes at that turn.

Congratulations MikaNator!

Idaho State Cat 3/4 Champion!

One of the benefits of being in Boise for the "Twilight" was that the L&T and I were also able to catch the Idaho State Criterium Championship. Ms. "m" (closest rider) first rode in the juniors to support a BYRDS teammate, then immediately raced in the Category 3/4 event where she used a fantastic finishing sprint to win the Idaho State Championship (the rider farthest away is winning the Masters' race which was run at the same time).

Thanks to M & m for hosting us for the weekend and congratulation again to the MikaNator for a great win!

Ouch…

Frank Rich is not exactly known as a liberal, which is what probably makes his most recent opinion piece so surprising. One of the (many) highlights:

"In February Mr. McCain said he would balance the federal budget by the end of his first term even while extending the gargantuan Bush tax cuts. In April he said he'd accomplish this by the end of his second term. In July he's again saying he'll do it in his first term. Why not just say he'll do it on Inauguration Day? It really doesn't matter since he's never supplied real numbers that would give this promise even a patina of credibility."

Go read…

Friday morning pick-me-up

Greetings from Boise Idaho - This FMPMU is a little different (think Mocean Work), but the best part about this song (and all of there stuff really) is it works on so many levels - It could be a great chill song, or excellent in a lounge setting. Here's Bitter:Sweet "Mating Game"...

The L&T and I got caught up in watching VH1's "100 Greatest 80's Songs" (it'll come as no surprise that I disagreed with a lot of them) but Modern English's "I'll Melt With You" made the list and I mentioned that I didn't think that was there best song. The L&T hadn't ever heard any other Modern English so here's my personal favorite - "Ink and Paper;

Wrong thinking will be punished…

As I mentioned in yesterday's post I'm feeling a bit frustrated, well there's an old saying that "God works in mysterious ways" and He showed it again today. I went to Pez Cycling News just to have a look at Tour rest day articles and at the top of the page is an article titled "Pre-race Homework". Well, I've got a race coming up so maybe I should read that… First out of the block is a bit on the mental aspect of the game, here's the money quote;

We have all heard the following over and over:
• I'm just training through this race
• I haven't really trained at all this last week
• I'm not feeling that well today
• I'm just going to see how the race goes
• I am using my training wheels
To me, these are all negative ways to deal with the pre-race stress of racing. Instead of mentally putting yourself into the battle; you are removing yourself. I see this type of thinking, and I have to ask myself "Why did he/she get up at 5am and drive for 2+ hrs to the race just to think like that?" The bottom line is people are not thinking in a positive way.

D'oh!! I totally fall into that, I know the bike is good to go, it's time to get the mental aspect of my game right too…

Frustration…

So, the weekend was a bust but I figured I'd get back at it today. The plan was to leave from my office and go to Marymoor Park where I'd leave my car and then go on a training ride and get back to the Park in time to watch the L&T's 7pm soccer game. Instead I leave work at 2pm because I'm nauseous and have UC issues and horking up stuff. No training ride, no soccer game, and I'm still sick. Did I mention that "Twilight" is this weekend? This sucks, and to top it off the biceps femoris in my left leg is sore. Good times…

That said, I have to admit that this story made me smile…

Smith July Omnium – Abandoned…

After a good start on Saturday I had to abandon the rest yesterday afternoon. I wasn't feeling all that well in the afternoon when I left for Redmond and so decided to skip it and save it for todays time trial. Unfortunately when I got up the persistent little cold/cough was significantly worse so I ended up going back to bed and sleeping another 4.5 hours.

Obviously I'm a little disappointed, I had high hopes for this morning's event, but I also need to be better by Thursday and the sleep helped.

Smith July Omnium – Stage 1…

Contrary to what I had said on Wednesday my weekend is probably better referred to as an Omnium instead of a triathlon. In bike racing omniums are multi-staged events usually consisting of a road race, a criterium, and a time trial.

Stage 1 (Run Of The Mill 5k) – Event before the event started there were two big things; the course had changed significantly since we had last run, and it was hot. The course change was actually a pretty big deal, rather than point to point run on a downhill course it was changed to a loop that had some small rollers and one big hill near the end. It started and finished at Mill Creek Town Center and went through new housing and a really nice paved path through a nature area.

We scored a great parking spot right near the start/finish line but then we started to notice that the organizers were having some growing pains. The run used to be much smaller and their still getting used to their new size and location. We had preregistered but still had to stand in a huge queue to pick up our race chips and numbers, then another sizable queue to pick up the t-shirt. There was also a shortage of Honey Buckets, but we got lucky and found a couple near the volunteer area that didn't have a big line, and then headed to the start line where the temperature was already in the 70's.

The PA announcer was in the middle of giving pre-race instructions when suddenly the starter's gun went off, he started yelling "No, no!" but it was too late and we were all underway. My plan was simple, run at my normal pace but keep my heart rate in zone 5 or below, thinking this would give me the best shot at being productive the whole weekend rather than just one event. Just after the one mile mark there was a water stop but they didn't have enough water pre-staged and so if you wanted water you had to stop for a couple of seconds till they could partially fill one (they had the same problem at the 2^nd stop but I had it better than the L&T as stop 1 was out of water, and stop 2 was out of cups by the time she went by. Like I said, growing pains…). At about 2.4 miles I rounded a corner and saw what probably cost me a better time, about a 150 yard hill with 8% grade, about half of the way up I felt my heart rate start to climb as well so I switched to walking till I got to the top then strode it out to the finish. Time in was 29:12, which I'm pretty happy with.

Overall it was fun event, sure there were some issues, but they did a bunch of things right too. There were a ton of course marshals, lots of first aid on the route (which fortunately neither of us needed), and plenty of water and food at the finish. I'm really glad we decided to go ahead and run, and I'm already looking forward to next year.

I’m a Jonathan Vaughters fan…

In truth I'm a big Team Garmin Chipotle fan, and there are so many reasons to be one – Not only do they have great riders on the team; Millar, Big Z, Maggy, "Fresh Korn", and local boy Tyler Farrar to name just a few, but I honestly believe that their testing / anti-doping program is changing the sport. Leading the charge has been Jonathan Vaughters and that fact alone would have made me a fan, but he's been fantastic during the Tour. He's been engaging, tactically smart, and has allowed the media and fans great access. May two favorite JV moments so far?

- During stage 4's individual time trial he let a reporter from the Verses (the US television station covering the Tour) ride along in the team car while they follow David Millar during his effort (Millar was a pre-stage favorite and finished 2^nd). Towards the end of the course, with Millar very close on time the reporter asked him how he was doing. I'm obviously anxious JV replied "F*ck man…" which didn't get bleeped in the morning broadcast.

- When he was asked about crashes during the finishing sprints JV responded "In a sprint finish you're going about 40mph, on a decent between 50 & 60mph. Next time you're in your car, get your speed up to 45mph, strip down to your underwear, then jump out the door. That's what it's like".

What's not to love?

I didn’t drown…

As my favorite coach is moving to Austin TX next month (blah, blah, "graduate school", blah, blah, "fantastic opportunities", sure, but what about my needs?) I decided that if I was going to learn to swim I better get together with Coach T and at least see if there was any hope. So yesterday found me at the Green Lake pool so that T could diagnose my case… As I've mentioned before I love being on the water, surfing, sailing, that sort of thing. In the water, I'm mostly trying not to die or to be too much of a hazard. My "swimming" (if you can call it that) is a little from a class I took in elementary school, a very brief pool visit in the Navy (jump off a 10 meter platform, make your way to the other side of the pool, and tread water for 5 minutes), and surfing (you don't really need to be able to swim to surf the smaller stuff [under 6'], you're attached to a board that floats so all you really need to do is surface and get back on the board).

We started with me showing off my swimming "style" and it's a testament to T's abilities as a coach that she didn't just shake her head and leave the pool. According to her I'm not completely hopeless, and I have some things to work on before our next meeting – Treading water without my arms and legs flailing around like a cartoon character, learning to glide and keep my body flat, and practicing putting my hand in the water at the start of the stroke.

Like I said, at least I didn't drown…

Friday morning pick-me-up

I call it "The Rule of 3" - Before I spend the money to buy a CD I try to find at least 3 songs on the disc that I like. These guys are an exception, they were in the new music bin and I took a flyer based on their single "The Compromise". I'm glad I did because I like the rest of the album a lot. This is The Format - "She Doesn't Get It"

The classic goes out to Mr. Jones, Tim-mah, and Fina who introduced me to the YFF and to the L&T who introduced me to Seattle. Going way deep into the archives, here are the Young Fresh Fellows with "The Aurora Bridge Song";

The weekend ahead…

Saturday morning – Run Of The Mill 5k Run (9am)

Saturday afternoon – Redmond Derby Days Criterium, Master Men 40 +1 lap (3:30pm)

Sunday morning – Carnation Individual Time Trial, 46k (start time TBD)

Run Of The Mill is a great neighborhood event with about 1000 people and a fun mostly downhill course. The L&T and I have done it several times but missed the last couple of years because of travel so I'm pretty excited to go back. The Redmond Crit is a good tune up for Twilight on the 19^th, and Carnation? Well, God help me, I've found that I really like time trials, it's just you and the bike, it really is "the race of truth".

Admittedly I have vacillated wildly on this weekend, going between really excited and "OH MY GOD I'M GOING TO DIE!!" I'm trying to think of it as my own little triathlon (the bike events are so different it's I'm counting it as three events).In the end I think my training is pretty good (it can always be better) and I'm hoping for the best. That said, I can always use a little additional karma so good thoughts are appricated.

Score one for the Tacoma Tribune…

The Tacoma News Tribune has a great editorial response to the excellent and very depressing article by Scott Shane in last Wednesday's New York Times on the origin of some of the interrogation techniques used on detainees at Guantanamo Bay. The gist of the article is that whether knowingly or unknowingly, the chart of interrogation techniques is based on a 1957 US Air Force report on the effectiveness of Chinese torture during the Korean War. The "Trib" nails it;

"The Chinese didn't invent these techniques. They were perfected by the NKVD – the predecessor of the KGB – in the Soviet Union after the Russian Revolution. The NKVD turned torture and the coercion of confessions into a fine art; it mass-produced hundreds of thousands of "enemies of the state" who had done nothing worse than, say, travel abroad or fall into the cross-hairs of a malicious secret accuser.

"The Gestapo as well as the Chinese communists studied the NKVD's practices closely. And somehow – with the benefit of historical amnesia, rationalization and skewed moral compasses – people at high levels of the Bush administration came to view some of these methods of coercion as perfectly legal.

"There is something worse than losing to your enemy: It is becoming your enemy."

Race report - Firecracker 5000…

This morning was the 25^th Annual Firecracker 5000 (I'm pretty sure it was my 10^th or so, I skip if the weather is really bad) and after "Twilight" the may be the toughest sporting event I do all year. It's not the distance, it's just a 5k, and while the course is challenging (it's around the Seattle Center with a fair amount of elevation gain) that's not the tough part. It's the start time – 11:55pm. It's a challenge to get your mind, body, and nutrition right to run at midnight. Normally race mornings follow a pretty set pattern, but it's hard to follow that when you've got to get a full workday in beforehand. The other part is that you know it's coming, so you get the normal pre-run jitters but rather than have them for a couple of hours you get them all day.

I think I did okay nutritionally, having a really good pasta "dinner" around 3pm, then the L&T and I went to the Storm game (we're half-season, season ticketholders – Storm won 84-71) which was a good way to pass the time. I even did a little addition carbo loading while there with a Hefe Weizen (had to, we're 4-0 when I have a beer during the game, I'm not breaking that streak). After dropping the L&T home and putzing around home for a bit I headed back down to Memorial Stadium about 10:45pm for check in. I figured it would be a good night when even with the crowd (there were probably 1,000 runners) there was no line! Woohoo!

The run got started right on time (a very rare occurrence) and off we went for 2 laps around the Seattle Center. One of the things I really like about this race is the atmosphere, among the runners that normal buzz is amplified by a shared feeling of "what are we doing running at midnight". Along the course drivers honk and shout encouragements, and folks at local watering holes stand on the sidewalks to give high-fives. It's probably the vibe of the event that keeps me coming back.

As for the nuts and bolts, not very good actually – Official results had me at 30:51 (I had 30:49) 59^th out of 79 in my division. The was pretty warm and humid to run in and my pace was obviously down from previous events, but I still had a good time which in the end is all that really matters.

Friday morning pick-me-up

"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."

Today is the 232nd anniversary of one of the most brilliantly crafted document in history. On this day in 1776 our Founding Fathers set a course for a new country and a new world.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

I don't always agree with my government, or my neighbors, but I'm grateful to live in a country where that's okay. For this special July 4th edition of the FMPMU I present two very different but equally fantastic versions of "America The Beautiful"

First up is "The Commandant's Own", the United States Marine Drum & Bugle Corp from a Sunset Parade in 1996;

As much as I love the USMC version of the song, this is my favorite; here's the incomparable Ray Charles from a 1991 concert;

Have a safe and wonderful 4th!

Military service…

"I said that I am stronger on national security issues because of all the time I spent in the military" – Sen. John McCain to Robin Roberts of ABC, 02 July 2008

I want to make this very clear from the outset. I have tremendous respect for people who have served in the military. In addition to the pride I take in my own service, I can trace my family's military history back to the Revolution War. Operation Desert Storm was the first major US military action in which someone in my family did not serve. I mention this to point out that when I say what I'm about to it comes from someone with a great deal of personal experience.

Being in the military no more makes you a foreign policy expert than lighting fireworks makes you a demolitions expert.

Many of our great presidents have had military experience, Washington, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and while their time in the service no doubt helped shape their views and policies, just having been in the military doesn't grant you special national security powers. My mother was in for 7 years, and my father for 29 and while I loved them both, neither knew much about national security.

I'm sorry Sen. McCain, I respect your service very much, and while being in the military might give you insight into what it means to send young men and women into war (something our current president sorely lacked), it doesn't automatically make you better at national security or foreign affairs.

Catastrophic injury fund for cyclist…

Whatever you might think of Michael Ball and Rock Racing, this is a very serious and excellent idea. The idea, in short, is to create what is essentially an insurance fund for professional cyclist. The guys you see at the Tour don't need it, but the domestic Pros, the guys that are at events like the Boise Twilight Criterium, Tour of California, and such don't. It's nice to get a little safety net for them too.

Riding in style…

Because of the great weather we've had in the Pacific Northwest over the last week or so I've been able to get outside on the bike with great frequency. What you notice as you ride around the greater Puget Sound area is a plethora of, let's call it "personal style". From the wannabe "Pros" in their pro team bib shorts and Maillot jaune (and really, are you that omnipotent that you know you're not going to hit your head so you can leave the helmet at home?) to the ultra casual with a pair of cargo shorts and a t-shirt, and everything in between can be seen on the streets and trails around the area.

With that in mind I thought I'd share some highlights from a great article by Josh Horowitz at Pez Cycling News. The whole thing is worth a read, particularly if you're a cyclist, but here are some highlights;

The Kit – "(U)nder no circumstances should a replica pro team kit or a national/world champion kit be worn unless you've earned it." (This is a big one for me, you don't touch a trophy unless you've earned it, a jersey is no different – Jim)

Carbon Wheels – "Carbon wheels are for racing! Never under any circumstances should they be brought out on a training ride. Training wheels should be strong and heavy with lots and lots of spokes. Carbon wheels say to the group, I'm not strong enough to do this ride without my $2,000 feather weight wheels. If you have the money to tear up a carbon wheel set on the road, then you'd be better off spending it on a coach who will get you fit enough to keep up with the group ride on regular training wheels."

Ornaments and Accessories – "This one is simple. No stuffed animals or figurines mounted to your handlebars no matter what it signifies to you."

Shorts – "(P)lease, throw out your bibs when they start to wear out. Enough anatomy is revealed by the skin tight Lycra, we don't need to see a transparent butt panel. And this may seem obvious, but the jersey goes over the bibs!"

When to Dress – "Believe it or not there are a whole bunch of rules regarding when to get dressed for a race or a ride. In general, the less time you spend in your chamois, the cooler…Don't eat breakfast or walk the dog in the morning in your full kit! The neighbors think you're goofy enough for cycling as it is!"

 

Getting MY Guts In Gear…

On August 1st of this year I will again be riding 210 miles throughout the Pacific Northwest for Get Your Guts In Gear – The Ride for Crohn's & Colitis. I'm currently seeking donations with a goal of raising $2,500 for this year's Ride, and you can help.

In June I went to New York to volunteer at the 5th annual NYC Ride and one of the other volunteers asked a question that was both simple and immensely complicated – "Why?" When I asked if she meant fly to NYC or train to ride 210 miles, she informed me that no, she wasn't looking for specifics but for the larger "Why." Why spend the time, the money, the effort, the energy? I'll admit that at first I was a little taken aback by the question, but then I realized that it was being asked out of genuine curiosity. Why do I do this?

It's easy to be altruistic and say that I'm hoping for a cure, or that I'm working so that others won't have to go through this, and while that's certainly true the answer is much simpler – Because I can. I came to the realization last month that it's been 15 years since I first got sick. I work on this Ride because 15 years ago I couldn't do anything. 15 years ago my life consisted of my bedroom, the bathroom, and if I was feeling adventurous the living room. It's been a long road, and there have been and will continue to be plenty of obstacles, but for now I can, so I do.

Hopefully others will see the work that Get Your Guts In Gear and its Riders and Crew do and realize that there is hope for them too. Please help make that happen by donating.

http://www.ibdride.org/donate.asp?p=involved&ridername=Jim%20Smith&riderid=S-1

PS – Lots of companies offer matching, please see if your company does as well!