Snake TT #1 Part 1

I was meeting D-Wayne and his buddy Mike down in Dalton since I had to work Friday. As I was leaving school my garmins led me to believe I would arrive at 7:15 - with stops for gas I knew it would be a little later, but that sounded pretty good to me!  Two accidents within a mile or so of each other had something to say about that ETA so Dwayne was kind enough to pick up my number for me.

As I was getting settled in discussions turned to what to wear. First thing first, I had my new team kit in my hands (for a second).  Due to the temps, no one see it anyway, but the kit is going back for a few minor adjustments. That being said, the thing is SICK!  Seriously, I may enter races (or maybe just show up and just hang out) to show this thing off!  If your team (or even just YOU) need a new design hit up Dwayne. The guy is super easy to work with, lightening fast with responses and works tirelessly to get you what you want. Oh yeah, and he's a mountain biker - can't get much better than that, now can you?  (He also races cx and rides the roads, so you folks will feel equally at home working with Dwayne). Seriously, if you have a need or even just an idea please consider talking/emailing Dwayne, you won't regret it. 

So before I had to give the kit back I of course took some creepy hotel bathroom selfies.

The rest of the night was filled with going back and forth with wardrobe thoughts. When I left for GA it looked like it was going to be in the 30s by race time. When I got to GA it looked like mid 20s for the start, that didn't sound fun at all. But, it did make my choice easier. With temperatures staying that low I felt confident that I would be able to wear my jacket the entire time and not have to worry about needing to shed it with huger temps. In the end I went with my jacket and a short sleeve jersey - it was perfect. By the end of the first half I did have the jacket unzipped half way. 

The plan was that Dwayne and I would be racing the full 34 miles while Mike was riding the 17 (he had ridden it before and said all the fun stuff was in the second half anyway).  As we got down to the snake pit to load our bikes and shuttle to the start Dwayne throws his bike in the 17 miler trailer... the hell?  In the minute from the hotel to the parking lot he changed his mind, looked like I'd be going it alone. Turns out it was probably a really good idea for him as he ended his race feeling pretty damn ill. 

I placed my bike with the other 34 milers and waited to get moving. A couple things going through my head while we were transporting: Damnit, I should have brought my bottles with me on the bus - they are probably going to freeze on the way to the start (they didn't, but that was a scary risk - I was thinking if ways to heat them up the whole ride to the start). It was getting warm in the bus, so much so that I had to shed my gloves as my hands were sweating. Yet my feet were cold!  My feet are always cold. ALWAYS. Even with thin wool socks and DeFeet Woolie Boolies on my feet were cold on a warm bus.

The other thought battling my potential water bottle issue, what to do about the creek crossing. My main plan was to strip cleats and socks and walk across. I had extra socks (mostly to use to dry my feet) and really didn't like the idea of risking wet feet in suck cold weather - especially with my naturally cold feet!  When we arrived I had to wait for the trailer with my bike to show for a few minutes. By the time it was all said and done I was starting around 10:00 and the temperature forecast didn't look so bad. 

I've always been good with temps over 30, so I felt good with what I had on - although still a little conserve end with the possibility of overhearing. In all I had one two pairs of wool socks, leg warmers, bibs with baggies over them (last minute decision to also wear boxers - didn't want any chance of my junk freezing over the 34 miles), short sleeve jersey, and bike jacket (rated for I think 60, but worthless to me unless it's at least under 40), my cyclone winter gloves with the inserts of my snowboarding gloves, and a balaclava (helmet, cleats, glasses of course). 

I planned out nutrition for 5 hours with individual Osmo packets for bottle refills at the aid station (had 2 bottles) and packets of mustard if the cramps came to play. 

By the time I was starting there weren't many of us left (I'll be sure to get to the snake pit earlier in February) so it was go when you were ready - I had heard it was a 5 at a time start. I started alone, which was great as it removed any temptation to destroy myself off the start. I did try to keep things up on the fire roads to the creek to get my legs going.  I think my legs had gotten out of the car and decided to walk the rest of the way as I say in traffic in Greenville, unfortunately they didn't make it for the start of the race. All day I had burst of great performance out if them, and then bouts of childish protesting from them. I never knew which I would face each time I came to a climb - it was a fun little game they were playing with me. 

The creek crossing.  My feet were frozen as they hit the ground before I even got to the water, which made the water not so bad really...  The only thing that saved my feet for the rest of the race was the fact that the race promoters gave us a goodie bag that had in it those packet hand warmers... when I put my socks back on I slide on in - my feet were not cold the rest of the race (or at least I didn't notice).  

After the creek it was straight to business with a climb.  It was a doubletrack climb that I grinded away on.  There was a singlespeed rider up ahead of me so he was my carrot the entire climb.  I caught him as we entered singletrack toward the top as he stopped.  I pressed on for a short time until I stopped myself to drink something.  Throughout the first half of the race anytime I "stopped" I tried to at least be walking.  The trail in the first half was "nice."  Nothing, trail wise, challenging - but there wasn't much relief from an upward tread, so it wore on me.  There were times (when my legs weren't cooperating) when I started thinking about the possibility of throwing in the towel at the halfway mark... if I was struggling this much now how would I make the rest of it?  But then... then I would hit bursts where my legs felt right on and I powered through climbs.  Toward the end the trail starting turning down - the end was near.... signs appeared to check your speed - and of course in this "dangerous" speed trap the camera guy was posted up... he had a good spot - a nice hump to allow riders to air it out - not sure that I really got off the ground - I was more interested in enjoying the downward ride than grabbing a great picture.  Up ahead... the road.  And the pit stop.

I made it.  I instantly knew I wasn't done - I could make it.  I think I pulled in at a little under 2.5 hours.  Slower than I had hoped, but considering how I was feeling it felt like I was "ok."  During the pit I ate the rest of my clif bar I had been trying to eat while riding (I was also downing gummy worms while riding), finished the remainder of my one remaining bottle, and then refilled both of them dumping in my single serving of Osmo, and downed two packets of mustard.  I wanted to do as much as I could to stay ahead of any cramping.  So far, so good.  My pace was a bit slow during the pit and I had to zip my jacket back up as I started getting cold.  I knew I should get going, but I couldn't seem to pick up the pace to get everything ready to go.

I did eventually get going... but we'll get into the second half tomorrow.

survival

So I never talked about what I did about hydration and food throughout the Brunswick Brawl.  Fortunately there were spots throughout the course where eating and drinking was pretty easy, so after the first lap I had a system down as to where I would eat and drink on each lap.

My plan was to drink 1 bottle per lap and eat one bar per lap.   Prior to the start of the race I ate a Clif Bar and drank some of my first bottle.  I previously mentioned that I felt a little dehydrated coming into Wilmington Friday night.... and I did nothing to remedy that.  I continued to do nothing to remedy that prior to the race, because that is the smart thing to do and all...

As I made it back to the dirt road at the end of lap one I had only gotten through half of a bottle, so I downed the rest of it on the dirt road to the pit.  My original plan was to start with two bottles so I would not have to stop to pick up a bottle until lap 3.  With my seat post issues I had to stop after the first lap so Annie offered me up another bottle each time I stopped - so it ended up that I always had two bottles with me.

As I got out for my second lap it was time to start eating.  I found a winding section where I was able to eat and ride, where speed or handling wouldn't be affected by my eating.  Eating was a bit of a chore to be honest.  I was able to do it each lap (except my 6th lap - I skipped it) but by the fourth lap I wasn't happy about eating.  The bars themselves were fine.  I'd had them on a ride before and enjoyed them... but lap after lap eating the same thing at the same spot became a bit monotonous.  This being my first 6 hour and I didn't know how my body would react I just pushed forward and kept downing the bars.  Looking back, I'm not sure they were providing enough calories per lap - but I never really felt hungry.  I think on lap 5 (maybe) I did have the thought of real food... but by the end of the race I "knew" I was hungry, but didn't really want to think about eating at that point.

Drinking became easier with each lap as I was able to identify better the short sections I'd be able to get my bottle out to drink and get it back safely before a turn.  There was some nice straight sections about halfway through where we jumped on a road for a quick bit and then back into the trail for a longer straight up/down/up section where drinking was easy.  By the third lap I was able to finish the lap with some left in the bottle, but down it easily before reaching the pit.

I did supplement everything with mustard as well.  I think it was after lap 2 that I downed one packet of mustard as a preemptive strike on cramps.  I started feeling the cramps in my calves start up in the third lap, and as I discussed they were killing me in the fourth.  I can't remember if I had another packet after the third lap, or just as I was laying on the ground in the pit that I had another one.  In any case I do recall that they helped, and for the majority of the lap my legs felt good, it was just every lap right before fence line the cramps started to show up.  Perhaps I should have had mustard then and there on the trail, but those little packets might have been a challenge to open while riding... then again, maybe not, I didn't try.

So, where did the cramps come from?

First, I do not think I started hydrated, so I think I was constantly trying to play catch up with hydrating - which isn't the way to go while exerting yourself out on the trail.

Secondly, I haven't ridden that long/far on the mountain bike before - so I don't think my legs would have been pleased with me had I been super hydrated anyway... I think it was bound to happen with just the level of demand I was putting into my legs.  Drinking Osmo and sneaking mustard seemed to battle my cramps - but unless I wanted to add an Osmo/mustard shake in per lap I don't know what else I could have done.

I will continue to mess around with food on the trail.  I still haven't played with some of the cool recipes that are posted on the Osmo site, but I want to try some of those options for nutrition while riding.  Having completed a 6 hour I do feel a bit better about where I need to be for the Snake Creek Gap series coming up in a few months.  Certainly the course will be a bit more demanding with 5+ thousand feet of climbing compared to the 900 something I did over 6 hours.  But at least now I have a sense of what my body is going to be doing after being in the saddle for so long.  I'm hoping that the Snake will take me a bit less than 6 hours - but this will be another endeavor that I go into more as a personal challenge and less of a race.  Plus, I just want that cool ass belt buckle!

Prep

Yesterday I got some GREAT advice from everyone's favorite wheel builder, Dustin.  Butt Butter.  Yup, it's real.  I've never used anything in my chamois before.  Sure I've gotten irritated here and there (stuff you really want to know about, I know) but for the most part things are good down there.  BUT, I think 6 hours could certainly be enough time to make saddle sores a pain in my ass... yup.


Dustin recommended good old Chamois Butt'r.  I am pretty sure I got a little tube of this stuff at a race earlier in the year... but haven't gotten the chance to search for it in the pile of bike stuff behind the pile of bathroom construction stuff - which, by the way is almost complete.  I will obviously look for it tonight, and if I don't have anything, I'll have to make a late/early run to a bike shop somewhere to get something for my... comfort.



What I already had on the list of things to get for prep was more Osmo Active Hydration.  Seriously, this stuff is the STUFF!!  I plan on loading up bottle after bottle with this stuff and  I WILL concentrate on downing a bottle per lap to stay as fresh as I can be over 6 hours.  While I was at my LBS I picked up a bottle as well.  Some people complain about having too many bottles - I don't have that problem.  You all remember how sad I was with loosing a ratty old bottle, don't you?    So now I have a fresh pretty one to enjoy this Saturday.  Eating will also be a priority.  And in that arena I'm still experimenting on what does the job.



Last night we finally got the washer and dryer hooked back up so I'll be doing stacks of laundry all night to make sure I'm ready for the weekend.  I should probably go ride my bike as well since I haven't ridden all week... who knows if I'll have time.

Time for a review

I've pretty much been a water guy while riding. It was a simple choice back in the days when I was riding with a camelbak. It continued as I transitioned to bottles.  Most of the time I didn't think my rides were long enough to necessitate me thinking about hydration, or really nutrition. You see, I've been pretty bad about treating myself right on the bike.

I'd always carry some sort of nutrition on my rides, but typically only reaching for it when I started to bonk. Basically, too late. Sure it would give me enough to get out of a trail, but I wasn't being an effective rider that way. On planned longer rides I have played around with different hydration options and have always been pretty pleased with increased performance; who knew this stuff was actually important?

With a new goal, the snake creek gap time trial, on the horizon; things have got to change. I was in the LBS one day stocking up for a ride out in Dupont when I stumbled upon Osmo. I grabbed a few single serves and was hooked. 

Flavor wise, it's spot on for me. There is no overpowering sweetness, just a smooth mild flavor, enough to tickle your taste buds but not bog down the hydration process. I know that first ride wasn't a huge epic ride, or a torturous death march, but sipping on Osmo for the first time had me feeling fresh all day. 

Ok, that kinda sounded like a feminine product line, but this stuff is legit. I've been using it on my training rides, and when used properly I've seen/felt great results. Basically, my legs seem to maintain more energy deeper into my rides - that certainly is a good thing!

Down at the Southern Singlespeed Championships I put Osmo to the test. Probably not the type of test conditions they would set up, but it is a real life testament to the effectiveness of their product. Disclaimer: the Southern Singlespeed Championships were hosted by the Faster Mustache crew and sponsored by (one of many sponsors, but germaine to this test) Terrapin Beer Company. Testing conditions: a bunch of singlespeeders directed by the Faster Mustache crew, beer flowing freely, and a 20 mile XC race. 

Let's just be honest, I woke up on race day "less then hydrated."  I got to work downing water as I ate some breakfast. My head was telling me that water alone wasn't doing the trick, so as I mixed my two bottles of Osmo for the race I decided to drink a bottle of Osmo before the race in hopes of righting the ship. 

After a brief warmup I was actually feeling pretty good, had Osmo already proven its merit before the start if the race?  The race starts, and I'm off on trails I've never seen before. I'm able to grab a wheel for the majority of the first lap which has me flying through a fun course but provides little opportunity to stay on top of hydration. Through my training I've found that downing a bottle every 50-60 minutes puts me in a good place. At the end if lap one I had to pull up to adjust a slipping seat post and notice that after 50ish minutes of racing I still have half (if not more) of my first bottle left. Not where I wanted to be. 

I'm back on the bike as fast as I can and cranking through the trails alone. As I stand to climb the first twinge of cramps attack. I started the morning in a "hole," and although I had felt good at the start I hadn't stayed on top of my hydration schedule. I start downing Osmo whenever the trail allows and quickly finish my first bottle (when I should already be into my second). I eat a little something as I pedal on, and my legs seem to come back as I continue to be more mindful of hydrating. 

Before I'm able to catch up on downing liquids to the point of where I should have been I have one more muscle revolt as I enter a climb. I continue riding and drinking. As I continue to drink I chase the cramps away. I finish the race with no more protests from my legs. 

Was that the "correct" use of the product?  Nope. I failed to keep on top of my already proven schedule - but that's racing. And that's one aspect I have to keep working at while racing - hydrating. But, it sure was a nice feeling to be able to beat back cramps (all while cursing myself for not staying on track and preventing them in the first place) and finish the race cranking away. I did not have to once dismount or walk. So that there is a victory. I've never been able to come back from cramps and finish that strong on water alone. 

Next step?  Get more Osmo, I'm just about out. 

dry run

I'm already thinking about the 34 miles and 5000 ft of climbing that I will be enduring for the Snake Creek Gap TT.  I'm not dreading it, I'm thinking about it.  I'm roughing out a checklist of things i need to do/improve in order to make the event that much more... "manageable."  I could, of course, opt for the 17 miles course.  But no.  A belt buckle is on the line.  If you know me, you know that my world is rocked when I get a free t-shirt at a race.  The potential for a belt buckle, well, let's just say there is no way I'm not doing what I need to do to acquire said belt buckle.

This past weekend I did a "fitness test" of sorts.  I wanted to get a baseline so I can focus my...focus.  The big three things that I need to order are: hydration, food, and of course, fitness.  Historically I've been a "drink when you are dying of thirst" and "eat once you've bonked" kind of rider.  That's no good and should change just because.  It certainly has to change for a 34 mile race.  Then of course, I need to get my legs and lungs up to the challenge.

I hit up Lake Norman since I knew I could get miles in without getting all repeaty and bored.  On my first run I went out armed with water and some energy food stuffs.  I know that I will be utilizing Osmo Active for training and the race, but figured  I should get a ride in with just water so that I can monitor the added benefits of using Osmo.  I tried to regiment myself and drink a bottle in about 45 minutes and I also attempted to eat something every hour.  I did ok hitting both of those marks.  

Overall I felt ok on the ride.  I tried to hold back in the start and pace myself for the day.  I felt like I kept pretty good momentum throughout most of the ride.  Towards the end a combination of tiredness and rain/wet trails decreased my output and cut my ride short.  

According to my garmins I rode 23.4 miles and climbed 2129 ft.  Not race length, but  I didn't necessarily need to reach that goal this early.  First impressions?  

Be prepared.  I left my riding gloves back at the house and rode sans gloves.  I can NOT do that.  My hands were entirely too sweaty, and although I didn't crash or slip off the bars because of it, it was an annoyance and a worry throughout the ride.  So, I need my gloves.

I need to play with food... more so, how to access it during the ride.  Osmo has a whole list of cool food ideas with recipes and everything... so I'll try some of those out over the next couple of weeks and give reviews if you are so inclined to play with your own nutritional needs.  

       

I didn't cramp, but I was sore, and tired.  Not dead tired, but tired enough that I was secretly happy the the rain came and the trails were not great - "allowing" me to cut my ride short.  I probably only cut off 3-5 miles (if that) but still.

So the question, will Osmo Active provide a noticeable difference?  Probably?  But I'll go back out, maybe this weekend, and hit the same route armed with Osmo and let you know.

It's in the details.

As I retold the epic tales of my life this past weekend, I forgot to include an important picture.  I think it speaks for itself.

TheMutt took this picture.  So TheMutt gets the photo credit.  TheMutt

Well, I hope it speaks for itself.  I'm not sure why exactly this was posted up on the Oskar Blues Brewery, but it was there.  And seemed important.  Well, more funny.  So TheMutt was kind enough to get me there reinforcing the "no straps" rule.

Ok... so to the point of todays edition - nutrition.  I don't know about you, but for me, nutrition seems like an important thing, but is widely ignored.  I typically bring water on rides.  And ignore it.  I'm horrible at staying ahead of the hydration curve.  And if I struggle with drinking water on a regular basis, where do you think I sit in the "consuming calories" ball field while riding?  You got it... I'm in the tunnels under the ballpark, LOST.

This is something that has to be addressed.  This will be especially true as my sites are now on The Snake Creek Gap Time Trial.  Luckily, I have some time to figure out the nutritional aspects of my riding... and get my legs and lungs in order!  I've never raced any long distances, so 34 will be a big one.  I've never raced anything with aid stations... so something tells me I should be drinking and consuming!  

I'm happy to say, that I at least have somewhere to start on this nutritional exploration.  Prior to heading out to Dupont I stopped in Uptown Cycles to pick up some extra tubes and get something in the area of nutrition as I wasn't sure how long/far we'd be riding.  The staff was great and hooked me up with some great products.  I still have some of the nutritional bars and whatnot left, since the ride was at a medium pace.  

But, I do have a pretty damn good idea what I'll be sipping on from here on out.  Osmo Active Hydration.  I wanted something that I could add to water while out on the trail, and wanted something that wasn't so sugary.  I was pointed in the direction of Osmo.  I was informed that it was a big seller, especially with the triathletes, and that Uptown was the only local dealer.  I chose to go with the blackberry flavor as I've never been a big fan of orange sports drinks.... long story.

Although the Dupont ride probably wasn't a great test for the effectiveness of the drink, I can say this: it tasted awesome!!  Awesome in the fact that the flavor wasn't overpowering, giving a nice faint hint of blackberry.  No nasty aftertaste.  Just crisp fresh blackberry infused water.  But with all the extra goodness to keep my legs turning those cranks.  

I will be going to pick up some more Osmo for sure and really testing it out on some harder training rides... I'll just have to work on actually drinking while riding instead of waiting until I'm already dying of thirst.  I'll keep you posted on it's performance as I get more rides in while drinking it.