Jay Challenge

Five Years Ago

2011-07-27T08:39:00.002-05:00

How is it possible that it has been five years since we took on the Jay Challenge Mountain Bike Race? Since then a lot of miles have been ridden, a lot of races raced, a lot of skin and blood left on the trails and pavement, jobs changed, children born, and so much more. However the spirit and comradery of Team Weak and Feeble has remained.

Ride on.

Our current adventures can be followed over on the Team Weak and Feeble blog.

DEA

www.teamweakandfeeble.blogspot.com

2006-08-04T13:13:00.000-05:00

ok the Jay Challenge is over so we're now over at

TWAF Blog

I hope you keep reading, 'cuz we'll keep on babbling!

TEAM Weak and Feeble

A good read

2006-08-03T08:44:00.000-05:00

In light of all that's going on at the upper level of our sport it is good to read somethign that reminds us of who the true "heros" are in the world of cycling. I was lucky to be surrounds by a whole field of them this past weekend and will again at the 24 Hours of Great Glen. Give this a read. http://epicriding.blogspot.com/2006/07/to-everyman.html

Dr. Evil

Good times

2006-08-02T14:06:00.000-05:00

So it's over. The course, well DEA and JJ covered it pretty well in there recaps. I'll only add that there was some of the nastiest singletrack I've ever seen. Probably why I went over the bars three times in about a mile span. Would I do it again, yeah I think so. Goal was to finish and I did, 12 hours 6 minutes 40 seconds. If you'd said the day before I'd finish in just over 12 hours I would have said you were crazy, that's a long time on a bike.It definately lived up to the hype.

I figured out the nutrition: beef jerky, dried fruit and trail mix and actually felt good most of the ride except for the verge of cramping from mile 30 on.

Thanks TWAF for the ride and company. 24 Hours of Great Glen is next. Then what. Shenandoah 100? Any suggestions? I'm in. That was fun.

A1

and another thing...

2006-08-01T14:53:00.000-05:00

I forgot about the climb up Uncle Toms f*&%ing hill that sucked and the supposed "singltrack" after that. I think that was the "swearing section" Dan warned us about. I must have been repressing memories when I did my previous post. Who knows what other terrible things will surface over the coming days.

DEA, Pamela and Tommy Lee will not let you do that race again!

JJ

DEA babble

2006-08-01T12:34:00.000-05:00

Ahhh, clearer head. Amazing what about 36 hours can do to help you feel human again. The Jay Challenge Mountain Bike Race is behind us and over half a year of training, dreaming, fearing, and dreading the event is now behind us.

I posted right after I got home on Monday, and my head was still a bit funky at that point. I was saying there was no way I would do it again, and maybe I should think back to why I was saying that before I put these next words down in writing, but I’m gonna through caution to the wind and say it- I very well might do this race again. There I said it, but I took the politicians slant giving myself an out.

JJ put it down pretty well what the course was like. I was fortunate that I didn’t really have any stomach issues for most of the day. I did enjoy six hours of cramping of my thighs but I seemed to figure out ways to continue to move forward, just not at the pace that I had hoped to “ride”. That’s part of it, how does your body react to the stress of an event of this nature. I’m not totally satisfied with the way my body reacted but I did learn a great deal and have a plan on how I might deal with it- in fact A1 can “pay me back” for getting my into cycling as I’m going to “let him” teach me about weight training. (That may be news to him!)

My bike ran well, and when it was having issues it seemed that a touch of lube on the drive train seemed to solve the issue- so take note (self included) bring a small bottle of lube! I was lucky to have a support person at station 7 hook me up with lube and then a guy from FirstTrax at station 9 not only provided the lube but actually applied it for me (thanks!).

Mentally I felt pretty good up to station 10, at that point my ability to stay positive began to wane. I’ve always been pretty good about staying positive but this event pushed me to the point of negativity more than anything else in my life. I think I managed to stay positive but there were times when I felt like I was looking at the world through Sadam’s eyes- kinda scary. Of course having gone through that would be an advantage next year as you know to not ask and to not ever allow yourself to think you are near the end. If you can do that then you can be pleasantly surprised when you do finally see the finish.

The terrain was amazing, not sure if Vermont has a thing for building crazy roads that just reach for the sky for no apparent reason- it certainly appears so. Dan is a sick man, but he tells you that up front. He’s the most honest promoter I’ve ever come across- and don’t ever think he’s just trying to scare you- he’s telling you the truth about how tough his course is going to be. When he says he’s going to take you over every peak he can find he’s not kidding. You can tell he comes from the adventure racing world and not the mountain bike world as much of the course had no flow and at times the trail seemed to take the least rideable line there was. Then again he warned us!

I need to say right here and now that I bow down to those Challenger racers who do the 3 day- I have no idea how you do it. I talked with a few of you and saw how you were walking BEFORE the start of the mtb race- the fact that you started, much less finished (and much faster then me I might add) the mtb portion is truly amazing!

I’m proud as hell of my teammates. Everyone put out a fantastic effort and we had three members make it to the finish. Despite losing NK (mechanical) and PJ (needs a new back) on the course we had a great time riding with them while they were on course and NK was huge in cheering us on in the end and helping us out once we finished, including going to get the pizza- I’m not sure if I said thank you for that, so THANK YOU NK!

I’m not sure what it means that the race is now behind us. Will we continue to train? I hope so. We have the 24 Hours of Great Glen coming up and then there are lots of other races in the fall. Maybe I can convince some of these guys to ski Great Glen to Bretton Woods this winter (a 50km xc ski race that starts on one side of Mt. Washington and finishes on the other). Maybe they can convince me to do something stupid- we shall see.

A huge thank you to my wife and kids for helping me through this. Karen being at aid station 2 and 5 was a huge boost. A huge thank you to all those who have been following the blog and who gave us support while we were out on course- that was pretty cool. And thank you to my TWAF teammates, the last 9 months have been pretty cool- let’s keep it rolling!

Is it over or is it just starting? Hmm that’s the big question.

See you on the trails-

DEA

Well its over, even the crying (sorta long)

2006-08-01T09:45:00.000-05:00

We set our alarms for 5AM to get up and get ready to head to the start line. I did not sleep well Saturday night. When I woke up I did not feel great or refreshed. I showered and went to get some breakfast in the kitchen. As I sat down to eat, I couldn’t really get much down. I was only able to finish about half of my oatmeal. I downed a drinkable yogurt and a Red Bull and hoped I wasn’t going to have stomach issues all day.

After breakfast we all got our gear ready and headed up to the Base of Jay where the Start/Finish area is. We were all ready for the 7:00AM start. Then the race director hopped up on a picnic table and said the race start was going to be delayed by 30 minutes. About 45 minuted later the race got underway. As we headed out of the gate it was pretty cool. Spirits were good and I think we were all looking forward to a good day of riding.

As we started the initial approach to climb Jay Peak, I started dropping through my gears. Once I was on my smallest ring up front I worked closer and closer to my granny gear in the back. The trail started to pitch up and some folks were already off their bikes pushing them. I dropped to my granny gear and as my chain went over the cog it kept going, right into the spokes of the wheel. After some swearing I got off and pulled the chain out and trier to get it on the granny gear. After putting it on I remounted my bike and as I put power to my pedals it went over the top again. I got off once more and looked at the deraileur and deraileur hanger. It didn’t look right. My hanger was bent. I realized at that moment, a mere 5 minutes into the race that I did not have my granny gear. So between my stomach and my gear I was losing ground on my TWAF teammates. I pushed my bike with some nice folks as we made our way to the top of Jay. I couldn’t see anyone I knew anymore as they had put some distance on me. The climb to the top took about an hour and 10 minutes. It was tough but I felt OK as I got to the top and the unloading station for the tram. I took about 45 secs to grab a gatorade and a cup of water. I had heard the trip down was very hairy. I figured it was my only chance to catch my TWAF crew was to go down as fast as possible. About a third of the way down I caught NK who was riding some stuff that was just nuts. I continued on and soon met up with A1. We continued in to Aid Station#2 where we found DEA and PJ had arrived a few seconds before. DEA’s wife Karen met us there and we reloaded on supplies and were off.

We rode as a group to Aid Station #3, some of it on an access road at Jay and then on to some pavement. We made a 3 minute pit stop at AS#3 and reloaded. Upon leaving we found some nice singletrack riding and continued climbing. About 3-4 miles later we were at the next Aid Station. A1 had some issues staying on his bike as he went over the bars 3 times. The trail was wet in places and slick here and there, but overall it was rideable. AS#4, another pit stop and we were then onto AS#5.

Not much between AS#4 & 5 but after there it was a long 17 mile stretch to AS#6. A lot of this was on dirt roads and some pavement. It was a relatively fast section of the race and I think we were all still feeling pretty descent, except PJ. His back was starting to seize up on him and when we met Karen at AS#6 we didn’t see PJ before we left again. He decided upon arriving that he had enough and had Karen taxi him back to the condo, day over for PJ.

We made out way up the road a bit and into a field where we found another AS and then were told there was a small climb and some sweet singletrack and a great descent. We started the climb and it went on for a while. About half the way up NK was in front of me and as he was crossing a ditch I heard the sound of e bolt snapping in half. NK’s seat was no longer attached. Metal pieces were on the ground. I knew from experience that his day was over. NK still held out some hope and said he would break out his tools at the top of the climb and fix it. I knew otherwise. This was the last we saw of NK on the trail. The singletrack was very good. Something I would like to ride again. The descent was a blast with some pretty cool features as well. We came out of the woods and were at AS#7. We had about 36 miles in 5 ½ hours and it was 1:18 in the afternoon. We refueled and then began the ride towards AS# 8. I think we all felt pretty good at this point. Sun was out, but it was not hot, no humidity. I was still not eating well, except for the Accel Gels. I was downing one of those every 45 minutes along with lots of fluids.

The ride to AS#8 was almost our undoing. Sadly enough most of it was on paved roads. We went about 8 miles in just under 2 hours. It was terrible. Not the steepest road, but it was demoralizing. We got off our bikes on pavement and started walking. We made it to the AS at just a few minutes after 3PM, The awards ceremony was happening now. We were only 44 miles in. We thought we still had about 21 miles to go. We took about 6 ½ minutes to drink and reload supplies and rolled down a short hill and back onto Jay property. We rode up the access road we descended earlier and once we hit the top of that bunny slope we cruised down through the Base area where we were cheered on by NK and Gerry Hunt, the PR director for the event. A great guy. It was cool blowing through thinking you were closing in on AS #9 down in the Town of Jay. The lack of the granny gear was now taking its toll on me as I was having trouble hanging with A1 and DEA. There was a lot of climbing in this section that just didn’t have a gear for, so I walked and walked. Finally it started down and there was some nice riding to be had. I finally made it to AS#9 and saw that DEA was there but getting ready to head out. I took me an hour and 32 minutes to go 10 miles. He asked if I wanted him to wait and I thought about it as it would be nice to have someone to ride with again. I didn’t think it was fair to have him wait on me as I was getting pretty spent. It was ___PM, I made the cutoff, no automatic DNF. It took 10 minutes to get back on the road. We were told it was 13 miles to the finish. I could do that. I was all up hill I figured, but I could do it.

So I started riding to AS #10, this was now a point to point ride. Make it to the next Aid Station and reassess. It was up hill. First on pavement, then a dirt road, then the Catamount Ski trail. It was up and up, about 1,000 feet of climbing and I decided that it was getting somewhat difficult to continue. My stomach was not good, I was starting to play mind games with myself and I was doing an awful lot of walking. I was alone on the trail, no one was around. Was I the last one? Great I am DFL I thought!! My pace was slipping and the sun was getting lower in the sky. When I finally got to AS#10 I was happy to see a couple other racers. We chatted and one of them recognized my jersey and the blog. He actually enjoyed it. Hearing that helped me a lot. Sort of gave me some extra energy. We headed out at the same time together and basically rode together on most of this section. It was terrible. The volunteer at the AS said it was about 3 miles and didn’t really have any elevation gain. Silly me I thought that meant no climbing. 58.5 miles, figured I had 7 or so to go. Three to AS#11 and 4 to the line. I was thinking it was possible to finish at this point.

We started to AS#11 and all we did was climb, or should I say walk. It was steep, uneven, if there was a hill or ramp we went up it, if there was a ridge we went along it, if there was a peak we went over it. As we got to the top I was cursing the volunteer who told me it was 3 miles. No way I thought. At the top there was a pile of rocks and we went over that as well. I thought on the way down I could recover some and have something left for the finish. Wow was I wrong. It went down, but much of it was not rideable. I had to walk very carefully down quite a bit of it. I doubt it would be rideable even with fresh legs. Once I got off that mountain I was on a paved road and coasted into AS#11, the last aid station. 64 miles into the race that was billed to be 65 miles. I had already climbed 11,500 feet. I was no where near the finish. The volunteer at the Aid Station said I was past the DNF cutoff so all I had to do was make it to the line to finish and I would get my Finisher’s Medal. He said it was 3-5 miles. With about half climbing fire roads and half climbing in the woods. It was about 6:45 PM. The sun was starting to be hidden by the mountains. I started the climb and it wasn’t long before I was walking again. No granny gear. I was resigned to walking the last part of this. I was with the guy I had met at AS#10 and we climbed and walked. There was a downhill section that was sketchy and I decided I was tired of walking so I rode it, I made it but the guy I was with got off his bike as it was not a safe descent. We were going along and it was getting darker. I had put my sunglasses away a while before as they were too dark for the woods. We crossed the road the goes to Jay and the Sheriff said it was 2 miles tot he line. I had decided that meant 10 miles as no one had been accurate yet today.

We went across the road and I saw that I was about 100 yards from our condo. Hmm, I could coast down hill to my bed. Very tempting. We made it to the woods and it was muddy, wet and sloppy, 2 miles of this would take at least another hour or so. I dried up some but there was still very little riding and a lot of bike pushing. Finally we could see the golf course and thought we were close, but no the trail turned away from Jay. We followed the river bank and then crossed it next to a perfectly good bridge. After that crossing we hiked through some more woods until we got to the last dirt road that led to the Jay parking lot. You could hear the PA system and people and saw cars and live humans. I decided that I wanted to see if I had anything left in the tank at all and pushed as big a gear as I could and was able to finish a couple of seconds ahead of the guy I was riding with.

Not sure of the exact time as my GPS died at AS#11, but I was told it was 12 hours and 34 minutes. 72 miles or so. The last 3-5 miles was 8. A1 was first to arrive with DEA not far behind. I brought up the TWAF rear so to speak.

Gerry from Jay sent us an email this morning telling us that:

To put your performance in perspective, here are a couple of facts:

1) I believe the starting number was about 182 riders

2) As of the time you finished, there were about 30 DNF's (including 2 that were taken away in ambulances!)

3) As of the time I left (shortly after Dennis came in), there were still some 20+ bikers out on the course.

So it appears, no matter how you slice it, there were over 50 behind you....you guys finished in the top two thirds of all starters.

An accomplishment yes, fun, not sure.

Hopefully we'll have official results and some pics soon. Thanks to all for all the support. We needed it for sure.

JJ

Done

2006-07-31T11:55:00.000-05:00

It's over. JJ, A1, and I made it to the finish line. NK and PJ both had issues, on being mechanical and the other his back so they had to drop, but up to that point we pretty much road as a group.

I'm not sure what to say. It took a long time (over 12 hours), I walked a lot, I had to urge myself to just keep moving, and I was happy but not euphoric when I finished.

Will I do it again? Most likely not. This was an epic event, but it was epic in its adventure status- not in an epic ride way. If you want to do something that is an adventure and you don't care if you walk as much as you ride then this event is for you. If you want to do an epic mountan bike ride with mostly single track that has great flow then this isn't for you. I'm glad I did it, but not in a rush to do it again! NK and PJ of course have to go back next year to get their medals! Dare I say I would consider running the 1/2 marathon up there before I ride it again.

I'll write more once my head is working, but right now I'm gonna go chuck my nasty kit in the wash and take a nap. Thank you to everyone who has supported us along the way, it was cool to talk to and hear from people at the event who were down with TWAF.

Keep riding and smiling, next up 24 Hours of Great Glen!

cheers,

DEA

let's hear it for the boys

2006-07-30T14:32:00.000-05:00

hi. this is a very dejected, yet satisfied nK reporting on the saga of TWAF - we've reached the culmination of nine months of blood, sweat and tears, if anyone's man enough to admit shedding them.

i just about did. i say that because the race is still going on around me (A1, JJ and DEA are still on course; PJ didn't make it either), and i'm in the VIP tent, posting this.

so, just in case anyone wonders what happened to ol' korea slim, let me tell you the story: the climb up jay was, for racers kickass and amateur, mostly a hike-a-bike. it was just too damned steep and those steeps were too damned sustained to possibly kick any kind of gear up it, so there was a bataan death march of riders pushing their metal up to the peak. and you know what? all of us finished the march in the top quarter, so we felt pretty good. the ride down? faaaaaaaaaaaast. we saw the aftermath of one pretty gnarly wreck, and hit the bottom for aid station #2, where we saw DEA's lovely wife karen who wished us well and made back for north conway.

after leaving the jay base area, we hit pavement for a while, which lead to a nasty climb up to an amazing set of singletrack (where A1 went over the bars an impressive three, count 'em, three times), and the riding felt GOOD. i felt GREAT! this was what we'd trained for, and we were nailing it! ah, sweet payoff! so, out of the singletrack and onto some logging and residential dirt roads for some hurtful quick climbs and some brisk, brisk descents. from aid station 4 (the end of the singletrack) to station 5 (the end of the dirt roads) was a quick, quick 15 miles or so, putting us at roughly 30 miles, where all was going excellent (although we suspect this is where PJ left us, but we'll get back to you on that - nK's unofficial guess is the back from hell gave him some pressure).

so, we climbed a quick, steep hill and then rode through someone's pasture, where we ducked into some SWEET singletrack. this was where things went terrible. we hit a waterbar, and i heard a huge bang, and realized that i was no longer sitting on a seat. instead, my ass was introduced to the seatpost... not in that way, but it could have at least bought me a drink.

but, that's OK! i was sure i could get through that section and manage to get to the next aid station where i could fix the problem. so, i sent everyone else off, and i did some hike-a-bike once again, trying to get to a downhill section where i could actually ride. well, i found some, and as i went over a log pyramid, i heard another weird noise, and as i did that, came to a complete stop. that'll happen when your back wheel POPS OFF and you can't get it back on!!

the bike went on my back, my day over. three busted spokes on the wheel taco'ed it like a bad mexican nightmare, and i had to hike about three miles out of the woods, on course of course, to get to the aid station. AAAAAAARGH.

this kills me, because we were riding together, i felt great, and i knew i had it in me to finish, after i was convinced i'd be bagging it early on. 34 or so miles into it, i felt like a million bucks.

all i can say is, there's always next year. check in later for the finisher's reports, and wish them the best. dammit, dammit, dammit.

i gave it my all and got bit by the worst possible bug: gremlins in the equipment. total system failure makes it hard to use your tools. at least it wasn't my body giving out. that'll be tonight, as i drink myself into an absolute and horrific stupor.

with tears staining the keyboard,
north Korea slim

Less than 24 hours to go

2006-07-29T06:10:00.000-05:00

SO I'm all packed and waiting to head over to A1's place to load up the Official TWAF Race Trailer and hit the road. Only problem is he isn't ready. He had to make a run to the dump before we can leave to go to the race. Nothing like a little reality to remind us all we are just regular guys doing something a little bit irregular. I did not sleep great the last couple of days. Lots of thoughts running through my head. Almost like Christmas eve when you were a little kid. Legs are feeling good. Actually they feel like the need a good long ride. Hope they are ready for it, cause they are going to get it. We had some major rain here yesterday, an inch plus in a half hour. Wonder if they got it at Jay as well. Wonder if I have the right tires, do you think Wal-Mart is open yet? Well I guess I better double check my packing list to make sure I brought everything I own and some stuff I don't. Hopefully I'll be able to put some thoughts down about the race early next week. Thanks to my wife Susan, sons Dennis & Sean for their support, without it I would not have even thought about doing this. Thanks as well to my TWAF teammates, great friends; and thanks to the folks I work with who have watched me coming in to work all sweaty from riding to and from work and made fun of me in spandex, etc. the well wishes really mean something. Gee, I'm getting all misty now. Have a great weekend everyone, see ya next week, I hope.

JJ

gulp

2006-07-28T09:58:00.000-05:00

This is it. Just a couple days to go. Did our last race before Jay and I managed to hit the deck pretty hard- oh well.

Fortunately no major issues, a bit of bruising on my chest, hand, shin, and knee- but nothing that should bug me too much during the ride. Now comes the final recoup, refuel, and rest before the race. I plan on getting a half hour to hour easy spin on the road bike after work today- just to get all the junk out of the legs from yesterday, then clean the bike, clean the clothes, and pack the bags.

I know everyone on TWAF is feeling a bit itchy to get this thing started. It’s been a long road of training and getting ready for this event, and I know all of us are anxious to get rolling.

I wish I had something witty to add at this point, but I don’t. My head is spinning and I’m just ready to ride. Thanks to everyone for the support (and Sony your T and Christmas present are heading your way- FINALLY!).

Good luck to everyone this weekend. It’s time to ride.

DEA

penultimate words from nK

2006-07-26T08:29:00.000-05:00

before i spill my guts, here's some comforting words from the head sadist/zombie who put together the challenge:

"The good news is that we did add some new single track and lots of brutal climbing. This is technical, steep and be prepared to push hard. The course has been design with a Jay challenge trade mark in mind . EXPONENTIAL. Yes as the course is increasing in length so does the level of difficulty.

The last 8 to 10 miles will mentally be the hardest. It is up and un protected. You will be in the wide open. The last aid station will be aid station 11 in the town of Westfield. Bring money with you because the Westfield General store( aid station .. 11) is the only pleasure you will have between there and the finish line I promisse (sic) you."

"You will need a brand new pair of brake pad for your standard brake or your disk brake. This is not a joke. You disk will get RED HOT. If you do not have a brand new pair, you might have to DNF since I assure you that those brake will be completely finish by the end of the race."

"ONLY 5 Aid station will be open to the public. You can only be in contact with the support crew at those designated location."

"Each Aid station will also have 5 gallon water bottle with a pump on top in order facilitate the re filling of Camel back. This should help you to be more efficient on the course."

"Each Aid Station will have a full color Map of the course with information such the mileage at each aid station to help you figure out how much more pain (my bold, not his) there is ahead."

"Aid station will provide Water, Gatorade, M&M, , Bananas, Salty cooked potatoes and Oranges." - so you can die with a full stomach! - nK

"The fastest bike is expected to come in approximately in 7 hours. Do not get discourage if you take 8 ,9 or even 10 hours to complete the course this year."

"Finally expect a fairly wet course" - soaked with the fresh tears of babies i'm sure, the sick bastard - nK

so this is it. i'm scared, excited, had my first night of full dreaming about the challenge all night long (no breaks in the pain)... and it's really time to stop talking. so, many thanks to anti-monkey butt powder for making kickass temporary tattoos (and stuff to keep your butt comfy), to accelerade for their generosity and their stuff - i'll fill out the form, i promise!

most of all, thanks to TWAF for keeping it together. all the buildup is done - it's all over but the crying...

korea slim

Useless

2006-07-26T08:06:00.000-05:00

I can't think about anything other then Jay right now. Last night I was putting up clapboard around our new slider- all the while thinking about Jay and going through lists of what I need to bring/remember/do etc. Can't forget lip balm, put on sunscreen, should bring bug dope, start loading up on pasta Thursday night, bring a couple sets of tires, put on new rotors and swap pads, blah, blah, blah.

This is nuts, it's just a bike ride- kinds like two feet of fresh and light is just another day of skiing (hmmm, need to return to Jay this winter for that). It's a bike ride with a huge group of people, most of whom I don't know but already feel a connection to. I wonder if I'll connect with anyone at the race that I'll say in touch with? We've met people at WCAX because of the race. I've never met Gerry Hunt, the PR guy for Jay, but have emailed back and forth and I'm anxious to put a face to the name (and get him his official TWAF t-shirt). I've talked with the guys at Wingnut and Anti Monkey Butt Powder because of this race, and they both seem like great guys. I guess what I'm saying is this race has opened up a few doors and introduced us to really cool people. At the same time it has opened us up to ourselves, at least I feel that way. Assuming we survive Jay, what will we look at that we previously deemed undoable and now will say- that's nothing? Hmmmm.

Enough babble from me for the moment. A big shout out to all the competitors, volunteers, sponsors, land owners, Jay, and especially Dan. I've never met Dan, but I will this weekend, and I look forward to it. Dan if you're reading this- you're a sick puppy- and I like it! By the way- what size t-shirt do you wear?

Good vibes to everyone!

cheers

DEA

4 days and counting

2006-07-25T08:19:00.000-05:00

Who'd a thunk we'd only be 4 days away back in the winter months when we has 150+ days to get ready for Jay. Are we ready? Did we train enough? Will we finish? My guess is the answers to those questions are as individualized as the riders on the team. No one has trained the exact same way or put in as much time as the other. Everyone has to a certain extent done what they felt was right, what their schedule(wife/family) allowed, or what the weather or conditions permitted. I have already been thinking that I should have ridden this day or that one, or maybe gone out a little longer or a little harder. Did I bank enough suffering? Am I prepared? Hard to say since none of us have ever tried to tackle Jay. Regardless, there is no more time to train or prepare, only time to get ready to ride. I hope Jay knows what its in for this weekend.

JJ

How many days?

2006-07-24T08:44:00.000-05:00

In a weeks time we'll all be licking our wounds and sitting uncomfortably in the car as we drive back from Jay, likely with a hang-over from the post race celebration.

Sombody asked me how I feel- hmm, nervous, sore, stiff, worried, flat, weak, and most importantly feeble. Of course that is often a good sign. I'd almost be worried if I felt great right now as it would lead me to believe I'm in a spot of trouble. But who knows.

I didn't ride my bike for three days straight- not entirely intentional, but the weekends weather and other projects sort of got in the way. At the same time I had intended to take it real easy- so hopefully this will all work out. I did ride in this morning and intend of riding for close to an hour real easy after work today. Hopefully that will shake out any left over junk from last Thursday's efforts.

Nervous- yup. And now that the tour is over (way to go Floyd!) I don't even have that to take my mind off the race.

It's coming boys, rest and eat well.

DEA

Rounding into form...

2006-07-22T16:59:00.000-05:00

TWAF had a very nice showing last Thursday night at the Dakine Race Series at Great Glen. The conditions were fast and so were the riders.

DEA posted second place finish in his division and had the fastest time of the night for TWAF. Another podium for the good Dr., congrats.

I had a personal best and finally took the top spot in my division knocking almost a minute and a half off my best time. Regardless it was nice to be in first place. I did not feel at my best but pushed as hard as I felt was OK. Thanks go out to the fine wrenches at the Red Jersey for the tune up my Yeti got last week. The new drivetrain worked flawlessly.

NK also rode well and posted his fastes time of the season.

Team Weak and Feeble also took the team division by almost 6 minutes. Nice work boys.

Amazingly, DEA doubled up on the evening so that he could race in the Red Jersey/Importech Summer Series at Cranmore. So much for rest and recovery. Well most of us have been off the bike since Thursday and taking it easy over the weekend in preparation for Jay. Here's to a good week to get ready and one more race before the big weekend.

Thanks to Accelerade for the Endurox and Accellerade. It will be much needed next weekend. Also a bit of thanks to the folks from Anti-Monkey Butt Powder for their generous contribution to TWAF. All the support is greatly appreciated.

JJ

Trail work on Sticks & Stones

2006-07-21T08:33:00.000-05:00

From mtbr.com:

Sticks & Stones trailbuilding, N. Conway 7/23

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We'll be extending the very popular Sticks & Stones trail in North Conway this Sunday. Meeting at 9 am at the Thompson Road trailhead, working until around noon.

Bring the usual food & water, ride afterward for those who have the energy, then a swim in the Saco River.
__________________
It's all about two legs, turning two cranks, turning two wheels. Its just too simple for most people to comprehend. - DR-1

RADAIR

Landis has the answer, but we already knew that...

2006-07-21T08:02:00.000-05:00

"Son, when you participate in sporting events, it's not whether you win or lose: It's how drunk you get."
-Homer Simpson

LANDIS IS THE MAN!!!!!

2006-07-20T10:31:00.000-05:00

I bow down to Floyd, holy sh*t- that was the most amazing ride I've ever witnessed. Floyd is the man. I'm speechless.

DEA

Floyd

2006-07-20T09:18:00.000-05:00

I have no idea if Floyd will win or take back any time today but that guy is tough as nails. Down and out yesterday and then going on a crazy attack today. Go Floyd, Go!!!

Active Rest?!?

2006-07-18T21:13:00.000-05:00

So what exactly is active rest my brother asked me. Well, I tried to explain it and have it sort of make sense since it is somewhat oxymoronic. Whatever it is or is supposed to be I should be doing it. I have good intentions of doing it, but can't sem to really do it. After racing last Thursday I toasted the bottom bracket bearings on my Yeti 575 so it needed work. That took it off the road for the weekend and so I took Friday and Saturday off. Sunday I went out with the good Dr. Evil and I rode my KHS Pro ST and was reminded exactly why I bought the new bike last year. Oh well, a couple hours in the saddle in the heat & humidity was all I needed. I took Monday off as well and my legs felt pretty crappy. I decided to ride to work today and the felt much better. I was planning on riding home with Dr. Evil but ended up going out for a ride towards the end of the day with some co-workers and I ended up towing them around for 25 miles or so. My legs still felt prett snappy at the end of the ride and I even ran into Dr. Evil on the return trip home. PLanning on riding in to work and home on the road tomorrow as well and then Week 3 of the Dakine series at Geat Glen is Thursday. So much for active rest. I always have next week I guess.

JJ

The Future of TWAF

2006-07-18T19:51:00.000-05:00

Ok a couple shots of the girls sporting the new TWAF t's, they's watching the Alp d'Huez stage while riding their trainers- watch out world here they come!

We're not the only ones climbing

2006-07-18T14:04:00.000-05:00

Today was the big Alp d'Huez stage at the tour, a stage that while not in the race every year, is one that always ends up being a defining moment in the race. This year Landis proved to be the one to beat, and Frank Schleck from CSC helped keep CSC in the headlines for stage wins instead of disgraced team leaders.

I find myself often pretending to be the ADH during a tough climb, I wonder how often I'll think that during Jay?

I've posted a photo of todays winner, Frank Schleck- take a look and it makes a whole lot of sense how these guys go uphill so damn fast- there's nothing to the guy!

Anyway that's all I've got running through my brain at the moment.

DEA

my priorities, my fears, my future

2006-07-18T09:02:00.000-05:00

so, as DEA said, it's now hurry up and wait for jay to arrive - the culmination of eight months (more?) of training.

and somehow i feel like i'm limping to the finish instead of kicking hard and pushing. however, i did have a bit of an adventure this weekend. my family has a cottage on sebago lake in maine, and i decided to pedal there saturday afternoon. i figured a nice 40-mile jaunt on the road would be a good head-clearer, as well as a nice muscle push. this, however, all changed when i got a bit too deep into my drink friday night, got about four hours of drunken sleep, and left an hour and a half later than i'd intended to.

and i got turned around and went off course, tacking 12 miles onto my trip. i was pedaling through hiram into denmark, maine, feeling really happy that i was riding on the road in the direction i was, because pedaling the other way just looked evil, when i got the distinct impression that something was amiss. luckily, i spotted a guy working on his tractor, and asked him the easiest way to get to route 114, my final destination. his answer? "right back the way you came, buddy!"

shit!

so, i sad and demoralized, i pointed the jake in the opposite direction and fought against gravity some more. all in all, it was a good ride, and considering my lack of sleep, energy and motivation, i did well.

but does this help going into jay? i don't know. i'm trying to be confident and aggressive, but i have moments of terror, and moments of elation about the whole thing. i think i've decided to go into this looking forward: have the most fun that i can squeeze out of it, learn a bit about myself and everybody else on TWAF, push the hell out of my legs and attempt to prove to myself that all the training was worth it.

maybe the fact that my attention's been turned to an amazing girl, and my priorities are shifting... i don't know. it's like mickey said in "rocky": "women weaken legs, rock."

who knows... all i do know is jay is 12 days away, and we're going up whether we're ready or not.

...and we'd better be ready as we can be.
nK

My RickyBobby nickname

2006-07-17T16:17:00.000-05:00

Time to Rest

2006-07-17T09:35:00.000-05:00

Friday I had a massage, and maybe I should qualify that- a Sports Massage, as when I think of a massage I think of relaxation not wincing in pain as she works knots the size of grapefuit of of my back and hamstrings. Needless to say I did feel much better afterwords, I enjoyed that loose feeling for a good hour or two before I fell through my a hole in my deck (a hole I created on purpose) landing with all my weight on my left thigh as it caught one of the joists, twisting my back in the process. But hey it was a great two hours!

Took Friday and Saturday off from the bike, the legs needed the rest and life was busy. Sunday JJ and I went for a couple of hours on dirt (I overslept again so JJ had to wait a half hour- at least I'm consistant). It was a good ride, we had a couple good sprints to get away from horse flies. Both JJ and I realized about about two hours in that it's time to start resting and we took it back to the ranch nice and easy. For all intents and purposes the training is over and the "active rest" until race day has begun. I'll commute and we have two races on Thursday this week and one next week that I'll go hard in, but other then that it'll be easy rides to keep the legs spinning- watching the food intake (no sense putting on extra weight now!) and just trying to relax (which will be tough with the deck falling off my house).

Two weeks from today I wonder how I will feel- will I be feeling good, recovered ready to go ride or will I still be dehydrated from the promised tears of the Jay Challenge mountain bike race? Who knows.

Time to rest boys, time to rest.

DEA

GGTOC Dakine Race Series Week 2

2006-07-15T20:08:00.000-05:00

So week 2 of the Dakine series at Great Glen is in the books. I was hoping to better last weeks results but unfortunately I seem to have a hold on the second spot on the podium. The weather leading up to the race was wet and that left the trails very slick, with some open water in places and lots of mud. The ground was not near as firm which caused some additional rolling resistance which I think contributed to generally slower times overall. When I saw the results I was sort of pleased in that I was only 7 seconds slower that the first week considering the conditions and that I was able to better the rider that beat me last week by 5 seconds. Unfortunately someone new that I had not been aware of put up a pretty good time and got me by 20 seconds. From what I hear he is a former Cat 1 road racer so I wasn't completely crushed, just wonder if I can get those 20 seconds next week. Congtrats to DEA for his top spot overall. Unfortunately we were one rider short for the Team category this week but hope to be back at full strength for week 3 and take hold of that division. See ya all up at Great Glen Thursday night.

JJ

Finally the photo of DEA comes through

2006-07-14T11:30:00.000-05:00

Congrats

2006-07-14T10:57:00.000-05:00

DEA had a photo taken at the finish but blogger couldn't resize it due to the size of his head. Mr. Potato Head on a bike. No really, congrats.

A1

First win in a long time

2006-07-14T07:35:00.000-05:00

It's been a long, long time (15 years) since I outright won a race, not just my catagory but posted the top time overall. So excuse me if I'm fired up about last night. Granted there weren't many real fast folks there, but still a win is a win and I'm pretty happy with that.

The course up at Great Glen was a bit greasy in spots but the little bit of moisture in the ground made the gravel roll pretty quick and some of the squirley corners seemed to offer a touch more traction.

My warm up was a 40+ minute lap with Elizabeth as she rode the short course, I have to laugh as she wasn't a fan of getting muddy. I put in a couple 10 to 15 second efforts while I rode with her to wake up the legs, but I never really got the body "hot". In all it was a pretty good warm up, except for the fact that I didn't pre-ride the technical singletrack section.

In the actual run I felt pretty good, not super fast, but good. I was able to tick over a fairly big gear and on the first sections of single track I felt pretty good, I slid out on one section but it didn't really slow me down at all, and then on first short tech climb I lost traction and almost fell over backwards- I used a couple choice words. The adrenaline was pumping at that point and I was able to push a big gear straight through to Sven's Chase (it's kind of cool to have a trail named after you, but when that trail almost puts you on the ground every time you start to wonder if it's more a curse then a blessing). I then crushed myself getting up to Whiplash thinking I could recover a bit out there, that sort of worked until I slid out on the big rock and had to run up to the top of that short section. I then felt great riding the bottom section clearing several root sections that looked to be slick, just as I was getting cocky a bit of pilot error put me on line to hook my bars on a tree and sure enough down I went. So a bit more running (never good for the recovery)and then jumping on just before the climb, needless to say I exited Whiplash breathing hard- really hard. Onto the big ring and into the downhill. I went as hard as I could and found myself airborne a couple times. On the big sweeping right hand turn I was talking myself saying "trust it, trust it" as I really didn't want to touch the breaks and it just felt like the tires were going to slide out. I used every piece of real estate on the turn but exited with good speed and carried much of the next hill. From that point on it was all out back and many times I felt like I just couldn't go faster and in fact it felt like I was going to end up keeled over and in the ditch but I was able to keep it rolling. A few minutes later I was in and finished.

I knew I was a bit slower then last week but I was anxious to see how I did against Mike, who I've been battling with for a few years- and I got him by 20 seconds.

So there you go, my first winning moment in a long, long time. Of course this could all be premature and Eli could crush me by letting me know of a timing error- but in the meantime I'll enjoy the moment.

By the way Nk didn't race last night, impacting out TWAF team standings up at GGTOC, and I'm pretty sure JJ won his division- so everyone had a good night (I say that cuz' Nk got to catch up on his beauty sleep).

One more thing- T-shirts are here- let me know if you want one! sven@glengroup.com

DEA

Floyd in Yellow!

2006-07-13T11:47:00.000-05:00

Floyd, Floyd he's our man if he can't do it maybe Levi can. Well Levi might have a struggle since he rode my pace in the TT the other day (actually what I would give to ride his "terribly slow" TT pace.

So our fifth American in Yellow (Lemond, Armstrong, Zabriskie, Hincappie, Landis)- and this guy has a fantastic shot at winning the whole thing. And he's doing it all on a bum hip that's getting replaced after the tour- damn.

Tonight is week two of the GGTOC series. My oldest daughter will race tonight- so that will be fun- pink Trek power coming your way! I'm hoping to knock a few seconds off my time from last week- but with all the rain we got last night I'm expecting the course to be a touch slick and soupy in a few spots. Whiplash should be entertaining- off camber wet roots- gotta love'm!

Team Weak and Feeble T-shirts are being picked up tonight- $15 for one or 2 for $25- get'm while they're hot! Interested drop me a line at sven@glengroup.com. I'll get a photo of the shirts being modeled up on the site soon.

That's it from me- ride fast and smile big.

DEA

Another wet one

2006-07-12T20:14:00.000-05:00

Went out for a wet one in the woods. I was asked to give a tour around the local trails this evening so I obliged. There was 5 of us that took a spin around the woods. I rode from home so I got a little extra time and mileage on the others but we had a good time. It rained the entire ride, quite hard at times as well. Used some more of the Accel gel this evening, strawberry-Kiwi is the best.

Did a little over 12 miles in an hour and a half with about 1,200 feet of climbing. Think I'm still in recovery mode from Sunday's epic. Hope the legs are fresh for tomorrow's race at GGTOC. Looking to better last weeks time and hopefully take a better spot on the podium. Guess we'll see what happens.

JJ

R&R

2006-07-12T08:36:00.000-05:00

Rest & reocovery. At least that's what I'm calling it. I took onday off after DEA and I did our double metric century. I decided to ride to work yesterday and I could still feel it in my legs on the way in. Kepy the heart rate as low as possible and just eased my way in. On the way home I decided to push it some more and see how I was recovering. I felt pretty descent but could definately tell that I was not nearly 100%. It was at that point that I recalled DEA telling me he was going to ride home via Hurricane Mtn. and I had to laugh as I was very glad I had decided not to join him. I think I would have made it over but not in very good form that is for sure. Needless to say I am probably better off having taken the easier way home and gotten more of a recovery ride in as oppsed to suffering again so soon. Not sure how those Tour guys do it day in and day out. Doing a dirt ride on Davis this evening at 6pm if anyone's around.

JJ

Pine tree and pine cones

2006-07-12T08:04:00.000-05:00

Last night after dinner I got motivated to go for a spin. Out to Pine Tree for some laps there. Somebody has been back there doing a little trail maintenance, trails were in good shape. I did confirm the need for new tires though, I get great traction but they throw way to much up, like sticks, rocks and pine cones. Yup, pine cones. On my third lap with mouth open sucking in air, a pine cone came off the front tire and right down my throat. As I ride along dry heaving until said pine cone becomes unlarged and comes out. Good times.

Anywho, about an hour on dirt. Got to play around with seat height and air pressure in my fork and shock so well worth the near death pine cone experience.

A1

Hurricane

2006-07-12T07:48:00.000-05:00

There are times when my eyes are bigger then my legs, yesterday was one of them. I took Monday very easy after JJ and my epic ride on Sunday, but yesterday I figured I'd spin over to my folks house in North Bridgton after work. Being that work is situated where it is and the route that I wanted to take (rt 93 through Sweeden) is located where it is I thought it would be smart to take a "shortcut" and ride up and over Hurricane.

I'm not sure why I didn't listen to my body when it was screaming at me riding up to the top of Kearsarge Rd, or why I didn't listen when it was screaming as I rode the lower "flat" pitch of Hurricane. But I was listening when I was on the main pitch but at the point I felt committed to my route- so up and over (slowly) I went.

The rest of the ride was pretty good. Total time was 1:53:52- that's all I know. I don't have the data bank that Dr. Data has. I should point out I enjoy all of Dr. Data's data, and yes I ask him for updates on a regular basis.

That's it from here. Hopefully the Thursday night series will go well- can we cut any time? I hope so!

DEA

Solo on Sunday

2006-07-11T08:34:00.000-05:00

So I decided that Sunday's death march would be best not attempted. Long work week starting at 4:00am and usually ending around 1:00am coupled with the mysterious muscle pull in my chest that feels like I broke a rib. So I was out. NK and I spoke and were going to hook up Sunday morning for a dirt ride. He called promptly 7:00am, I'm half asleep, not going. Back to bed and Nikki says you should just go. OK, call NK and left a message. So I'm going solo.

Got out for 2 1/2 hours on dirt found some good new trails around the lake. Up to Peaked for 2 laps and back through to home. Felt real good and liking the Perpetuum a lot. Got out on the road for an hour later, Mill St. to Brownfield and back. Road the hill from Brownfield to the state line twice. Nikki went and keeps a super pace.

We're getting close and honestly there is'nt a moment that goes by where I don't think about it. Excited to say the least.

A1

Monday morning, damn I'm old

2006-07-10T08:20:00.000-05:00

Well yesterday was a long day on the bike. Once I got home and cleaned up I didn't feel too bad. A little tired, I could feel my legs going up staris, but not a complete wreck. I slept hard and woke up about 7:30 this morning. I am now more tired that I was before and my legs, lower back, upper back, shoulders, neck are all pretty sore. Looks like I'll be eating plenty of Advil today.

JJ

How could I forget PJ!

2006-07-10T07:55:00.000-05:00

A quick shout out to PJ for his ride up Mount Washington on Saturday. K and I played host to PJ and Jenny on Friday night and then they were out the house prior to me getting up at 5:30am. I did talk to him later after he rode and heard he put up a pretty good time- around 1:50 (we'll have to get an official result later).

Either way props to PJ!

DEA

on the truly weaker side of things

2006-07-09T23:30:00.000-05:00

well, here's to hoping that A1 got out today - here's what went down:

saturday night i was on the horn with DEA, and i hear that steak sauce is planning on doing a dirt ride instead of the epic madness that JJ and the good dr. had planned. me, thinking that discretion is the better part of valor, said that maybe i should cop out and go with him. i mean, i need the practice on dirt, right? right.

well, following that conversation i got the freak on the phone and we made tentative plans to get at it bright and early sunday morning. i'm liking this. maybe a cruise down the power lines to meet up near wal-mart, then a trip across peaked, over cranmore and down red tail. i'm liking it.

we hit sunday, 7am, bright and early, i get on the horn to call mr. steak sauce, and found that riding might not be on his agenda. fair enough, says i, it gives me more time to sleep! little did i know that not more than five minutes after i'd hung up the phone and gone back to sleepytown, A1 called back, having changed his mind. i was blissfully unaware of this situation, and continued on sleeping until around 9:30 when i bolted out of bed a full FIVE HOURS after DEA and JJ took off.

no, i'm not a slacker.

but, i did deviate from my plan a bit, going up red tail (my nemisis), down cranmore, and then around whitaker woods like a top for a bit. total saddle time, about 2 1/2 hours. not epic. but good! and despite a bit of hike-a-bike up red tail (that damned thing is just too technical for a schlub like me), it was a very brisk pace (about 45 minutes not counting passing a couple of downhillers i chatted with), which was very much worth the effort - i felt pretty good! and were i not such a hard guy to self-motivate, i definitely could and should have turned right around and gone up cranmore again. instead, whitaker woods served as a pretty decent cooldown.

unfortunately, i didn't get the massive saddle time that our two meatheads managed to put in (although i can safely say that i didn't get the sunburn they did either - i did, however, get shredded by some berry and thorn bushes, yeah!!). however, i also learned that on a hot day i go through 72 ounces of water really effing fast. something to think of as we near jay...

korea slim off to bed.

Epic Sunday Ride

2006-07-09T19:13:00.000-05:00

The final long ride in preparation for Jay was this morning. Aside from some monor start delays (DEA overslept) we got on the road about 5:30 ish and headed out for a long one. Longest ever for me anyhow. Well DEA is busting my chops as I will give you the numbers for the ride. He doesn't mind asking about them as we are rolling along. So here they are: we rode for 8 hours; 125.25 miles were covered; 8,930 feet were climbed and quite a few Red Bulls were drunk.

I agree with DEA on his lessons learned. I am fried tonight, my arms and face that is. Way too much sun for me. Nasty cyclist tan lines. Oh well. One good thing about starting a bit later was we got to ride in some pretty good heat and sun should we see that in a few weeks. It was hot and I sweat a lot, to the point it was burning my eyes.

Best thing about the ride was putting it all together and seeing stuff I have never seen before here in our backyard. I also must give due thanks to Susan and the boys for putting up with me and the long hours on the road this Spring and Summer. Hopefully it pays off.

JJ

TWAF in the top Spot

2006-07-09T19:07:00.000-05:00

The GGTOC Dakine Summer Series Week 1 results have been posted. TWAF is in first place with a nice margin over the other teams. On the individual front, TWAF team members posted nice results as well. DEA took second in his division. JJ also placed second in his division, only 14 secs out of first. NK finished just off the podium in 4th place. Nice riding fellas.

JJ

Final Prep

2006-07-09T18:23:00.000-05:00

I can't say this morning started the way I had intended. JJ and I had inteneded to meet at 5am, a half hour past our original starting time. Let's just say that when I opened my eyes I was a bit confused by how bright it was. Imagine that- it's fairly bright out at 5:30am! I jumped out of bed and ran downstairs to start frantically getting dressed just as JJ called to figure out where the hell I was. So a piece of bread with peanut butter and a red bull and I was out of the house and we started our little epic adventure (and JJ had a nice half hour warm up and an extra seven miles in his legs by the time we got started).

I won't go into great detail as I'm sure JJ will have a comprehensive report with a map and stats (maybe we need to re-name him Dr. Data?) But I will say it was a great ride, and I learned a few things- 1) wake up on time to ensure you go through your normal pre-ride routine (no further explanation on why that is so important!), 2) when you're going to be out for close to 8 hours remember sunscreen!, 3) while sprinting for town lines is fun, know what you're going to feel like post sprint after seven hours in the saddle, 4) over time all these energy foods start to taste like crap.

I'm pleased, the final big ride before Jay (for me at least- next weekend I'm planning on ONLY a four hour dirt ride)- 120 miles, 7500 feet of climbing, and close to 8 total hours out on course. If I'm not ready for Jay by now there isn't much more I can do!

Now starts the fine tuning and active rest. We have the GGTOC summer series (TWAF is in first!), we have a race at Cranmore on the 20th that is a part of the RJC summer series, and we have Jay. A couple weeks later it's the 24 Hours of Great Glen- so we are here world- Team Weak and Feeble!

I'm gonna say right here that last December I think if someone told me I'd be doing the kind of riding we've been doing I would have thought they were nuts! And I've got to say this as well- a huge thanks to K and the girls for putting up with my training and tired legs. At least there is less of me to love now!

Time for a beer.

Dr. Evil

ulcer?

2006-07-07T15:41:00.000-05:00

for some of us, it could be cirrhosis.

nK

good view of Jay

2006-07-07T15:18:00.000-05:00

found this while searching race reports about the Jay Challenge- cool shot of the mountain!

DEA

Butterflies?

2006-07-07T09:31:00.000-05:00

DEA, those are not butterflies in your stomach, that's what is called an ulcer forming.

JJ

last night

2006-07-07T08:21:00.000-05:00

Race one is out of the way at the Great Glen summer series, and I’ll agree with JJ- 25 minutes of super effort is not something we’ve been training for! With that being said it felt good to go super hard, of course after looking at Mike Saras’s time I don’t feel like I went nearly hard enough!

It was good to get a majority showing from TWAF, as JJ, NK and I all made the start. PJ will be up in the Notch on Saturday as he tackles Newton’s Revenge- so good luck to him. The remaining TWAF members will embark on a 120 mile road adventure on Sunday- leaving at 4:30am- anyone want to join us?

The only major wrinkle in yesterday was my back went out on me at about 10:30 pm (amazing how you remember the time!) I was trying to do a stretch to loosen up my hip and my lower back on my right side just did something bad. K had to help me to the bad and I was a bit nervous and I’ll admit that I was also in a fair amount of pain. It took me a few minutes to get into a position where I was flat on my back and K grabbed an ice pack and after about an hour of frostbiting my back it seemed to let go and I was able to fall asleep. Amazingly enough I felt fine in the AM and was even able to pedal in- although I took it easy as I didn’t want to be curled up in the fetal position on the North South Road.

We’re getting closer boys, the butterflies are starting to form!

DEA

Summer Series at GGTOC Week #1

2006-07-06T20:22:00.000-05:00

First week of the GGTOC Summer Series and Team Weak and Feeble makes a nice showing. One thing for sure is I have not been training to ride 25-30 minute XC races this season. My heart rate maxed out right from the start and never came back down. Definately not race pace for Jay.

JJ in the start house getting the Garmin Edge set. Nothing like plenty of data to confirm how slow you feel.

Looks like I'm off and forgot to lock out the fork. What a start.

DEA after his ride looking for some of that Oxygen stuff. He was our top rider of the evening posting a respectible time. We'll see how TWAF did in the team catagory once final results are posted.

Thanks to Eli and his crew for putting together a nice course. See ya all next Thursday for week 2.

JJ

how do i feel?

2006-07-06T08:20:00.000-05:00

i feel like i've plateaued, and even though i haven't ridden quite as much as i did earlier in may and june, that i'm keeping my strength pretty well.

however, i'm still very, very intimidated right now. i want to finish this thing, but not at the risk of serious injury.

good times! how's the rest of y'all getting along? we've been a bit fractured and haven't had a full team ride lately. i think it's time to get back on the horse for some team-wide training!

nK

July

2006-07-05T09:57:00.000-05:00

The month of July is already flying by, with today being the 5th- holy cow!

Monday I felt dead, yesterday I did the Bridgton Four on the 4th running race- felt ok but I still can’t run for beans (a 33 something for 4 miles- about a 8.5 mpm pace). Then this morning I rode into work- felt ok but I need to work on my stretching in a big time way as my whole body is really feeling tight these days.

The Tour is shaping up to be a good race. The dopers are gone (at least some of them) and the riders that are left are going to put on a heck of a show. At first I was pretty frustrated but at this point I just want to watch those still in it racing hard.

Only a few weeks left, times getting tight! A couple big training rides left then some quality rest and easy riding to get up to the big day.

How’s everyone feeling?

DEA

Riding while on the road

2006-07-03T19:23:00.000-05:00

So We are spending our 4th of July Holiday weekend on the road visiting the family in Western NY. Took both the C-dale (road bike) and the Yeti for some riding. On Friday I got out for about an hour and a half on the road with some good climbing. With a mile left I flatted and walked in. Oh well. Time for some new rubber I think. 3 flats in the last 500 miles is too many for me. Saturday I got out for 2 hours of singletrack at the Harriet Hollister Rec. Area and it was a blast. I had a limited map and found a lot of other trails cut by folks who know how to build trails that were not on my map. Lots of climbing and some really cool features. Thanks to the folks on MTBR review for the recommendation. Didn't make it out Sunday or today as we were tied up with family activities and tomorrow we are back in the car heading home. Looking for some miles on Wed and then the race series at Great Glen on Thursday. We're in the home stretch boys....

JJ

The weekend

2006-07-03T10:27:00.000-05:00

July is here. Gulp. I’m getting a bit twitchy as we begin the final countdown. Have we done enough? Have we done the right kind of work? Are we dialed in on nutrition? Are we dialed in on gear? Argh the list goes on.

Didn’t ride to much this weekend, not sure why just didn’t. A1 and I got out on road bikes for a couple spins. Saturday morning we did a 5am rip up Mill Street and then to the top of Old County Road, where we then spun around and ripped back. A1 had a need to ride fast so I just tried to hold on as he was pushing the big ring up every hill he could find. Not I, I would just watch that gap grow as he pulled away. When we got back to his place he hooked me up with some coffee pods (I was out- what a neighbor) and we planned to ride dirt later in the day. I went for another short little spin just to get the total ride time up to 1.5 hours and then headed home to enjoy homeowner fun.

Needless to say we never connected for an afternoon ride. Sunday A1 and I yet again connected early- although this time it was a more reasonable 6am ish time frame. I was riding down to my in-laws and A1 was going to tag along for a bit and then loop back. It was a typical TWAF ride- in the rain. We battled for a few town lines with A1 getting me on a good one, and I think I snagged the rest. He was still hell bent for metal on the climbs pushing his big ring while I sat back and spun away. He peeled off in Tamworth and I continued on down 25, a road I’d never ridden before but based on JJ’s recon a couple weeks ago when he pedaled down to Concord I figured I’d give it a go. It wasn’t too bad but I wouldn’t have minded a lack of rain! I was trying out the Perpetum from Hammer for the first time and it seemed to do the trick. Can’t say I was digging the taste, but I liked the way it was working.

I eventually got to where I was going but after a quick call to my support team (Karen and the kids) I realized they had gotten a slow start and would be an hour behind- and they had my clothes! With that in mind I checked in with my in-laws and realized my brother in-law was out riding. That was what I needed to hear, filled my water bottle and headed back out to try and track him down. The only issue was the roads sucked and after a few miles I gave up and did a tour around Governors Island and headed back- I snagged another 45 minutes or so of riding, taking my total for the day to 3.5 hours of saddle time. For the weekend I got 5 hours but that was about four hours short of what I had hoped to ride.

Then this morning commuting in I felt dead, so I’m not sure what that is all about. Tomorrow is the Four on the 4th running race, so that will be fun and Thursday is race one of the Summer Series up at Great Glen. Busy week.

By the way TWAF t-shirts will be here this week. One for $15 or two for $25, interested shoot me an email sven@glengroup.com. We’ll post a few photos of TWAF member sporting the new duds once they get her.

That’s it from me.

DEA

ps- as a side note this is the 300th post to the blog, is that a milestone?

TWAF ready for Le Tour

2006-06-30T15:47:00.000-05:00

So the news from France just keeps getting worse, now Vino won't be starting either as his entire team (Wurth) has pulled out. This sucks. So the top five last year: Lance, Basso, Jan, Mancebo, Vino- all out. The only one who didn't get booted- Lance. But you know what the top finisher to start- Levi! Add to that that Beloki aslo got booted then Kloden and Bobby are the only two podium finishers to start (I think).

You gotta lover the USA's chance at staying on the podium, even if it's just do to attrition. Hell at this point we could see an American sweep- it's not that crazy of a thought! You've got Cadel Evans and Simioni that might have a shot at the podium- but with Floyd, Levi, George, Bobby, Dave, and Chris all toeing the line there is a somewhat realistic shot they could do it. Discovery also has a real good shot at keeping a spot on the podium with George and Popo- so who knows what's going to go on.

Either way Team Weak and Feeble is just waiting for the call to head to France and get this party started. We'll be the riders who look like real people and will be asking for a beer at the finish at each stage- that and we'll be asking for early start times so we can finish before it gets dark.

How long until all the excess EPO shows up on E-Bay?

Get out and ride.

DEA

I'm in shock

2006-06-30T06:37:00.000-05:00

No Ullrich, no Basso- who the hell is going to be racing in this years tour? This Spanish investigation is going to shake cycling to it's core. If this keeps up Team Weak and Feeble will be asked to go race in the Tour!

more at

Cycling News

I'm totally bummed and not really sure what to think of this whole thing. I guess I can wish best of luck to the remaining Tour riders, and hope this serves as a major shot across the bow to those dopers out there that the sport is sick of it.

DEA

Looking Forward

2006-06-29T09:06:00.000-05:00

It’s an odd thought when you realize that you are at the age when a lot of pro athletes start thinking about retirement. Does that mean my best athletic years are behind me? I’m hoping not and I look to people like Tinker, Ned Overend, John Boyer, and even my Dad who are all still fit and fast well past their “prime”. The truth is I’m in the best shape I’ve been in for the last 10 years, and I know that I’m still improving and not ready to say that I feel “fit”.

Jay is looming on the horizon, yet if feel more and more like a stepping stone then it does the final stop. My hope is that Jay goes well and that (assuming I finish) I come away from the event with a better understanding of what I’m capable of physically. The sick part is I know on July 31st they’ll be a discussion among TWAF about “what’s next”- that conversation sort of scares me.

We’ll have the 24 Hours of Great Glen coming up a couple weeks after Jay, and we’ll have a few Red Jersey Summer Series races left, as well as the entire cyclocross season- but I’ve got this gut feel that TWAF will be looking for something bigger for 2007. I’d guess we’ll race Jay again and add a 100 milers in there somewhere (although I’d love to do a 100 miler with LESS climbing then Jay). Only time will tell.

That’s it at the moment, time to do some work. See you out on the trail.

DEA

Thanks for the call, Team...

2006-06-28T11:01:00.000-05:00

Well I did not get the call or memo about the morning ride up the access road to Redtail. I was on my own, I'm sensing a theme here, maybe I should check into this, are they trying to tell me something? So I swapped out some brake pads and have not gotten rid of the drag yet. In fact the wheel does not spin, will not roll on its own and in fact pretty much stays put. Under power it moves and stops great. Just not so efficient to ride until I get it burned in or adjusted better.

Anyhoo I decided the best way to work in the brakes was to ride in to work, since I wasn't privy to the other TEAM ride. I took the usual rout, except as I was riding near the beaver damn I went under a tree that the beavers had chewed through and it was leaning and my pack hit the tree as I went under it. Just as I cleared the tree there was a loud crash as the tree let go and came crashing down. That was close, I coulda been beaver food, or smushed or something. Well I made it the rest of the way in and the drag has lessened some. Maybe its a good thing I didn't try to ride up Cranmore today.

JJ

Hurt so good...

2006-06-28T09:52:00.000-05:00

So DEA bails on NK and I this morning, probably to catch an early glimpse of himself on TV. Probably hit refresh on their site until it appeared. So NK and I hit the Cranmore access road for a grind to the top. Not sure on time, NK has that info., ask him. Ride the connector to Red Tail then down. Almost to the bottom when I slide on a root fold the front under and go ass over teapot over the bars. Minor but mildly entertaining.

As for the climb. Goes something like this: No Legs, Insane Bugs and mind was not in it. Felt dizzy and light headed for some of the climb and the descent as well. had a burst to get through the nasty sections but it was short and hurt. I guess you need days like these to get through. Hopefully this isn't what I'll feel like at Jay, that wouldn't be good.

So with just over a month to go Nikki is telling me to get out and ride as much as possible. Apparently she may be "concerned", not for my safety but so I finish. Who's up for a ride?

A1

WCAX TV spot

2006-06-28T07:27:00.000-05:00

Our TV debut is up and on-line. It aired last night in Vermont and can now be seen at

WCAX TV

you can read the transcript and if you want to check otu the video it's there as well.

enjoy.

DEA

Long solo ride

2006-06-25T18:50:00.000-05:00

We had a previous engagement so I was not around to participate in a TWAF training ride this weekend. As a result I was left to my own devices. We were to attend a party in Concord Saturday evening so I figured I would leave a little early and ride my bike there while the Boss drove down with the kids. The weather, as usual was wet. In fact it started raining during the night and when I woke up to get ready there was a consistent drizzle. I saddled up and got moving about 7:30 with a goal of riding there in about 5 1/2 hours. I figured it was about 80 miles, but I was solo. No one to draft behind, pull me along or keep me motivated. It left me to the music on my MP3 and the screen on my Garmin Edge 305.

I made it to my first pit stop in Moultonboro (32 miles) in good time and I was happy with how I felt. My next planned stop was supposed to be at the Irving in New Hampton. Instead at about the 47 mile mark I ran across a scene of an accident and they did not do a good job with the clean up. What I initially thought was small bit of fresh black top was actually a bunch of little pieces of tinted auto glass. I thought I made it through and then I felt that familiar wobble in the back end and knew I was flat. It was still pouring out and I was loving life. I pulled off the side of the road and stared to change the tube and reinflate the new one. After about 10 minutes I was back rolling along. As an aside I have now had 2 flats with the Continental GP2000 tires and while I like the way they handle they appear to be prone to flats.

I was only a few miles form pit stop #2 in New Hampton at the 50 mile mark. I hit the bathroom and spent a few minutes trying to clean up from the tire change and clean a little road grime off me. I got another Red Bull, topped off the water bottles with some more Gatorade, had a power gel and I was rolling again. This put me about 30 miles from the destination. I rode over to Rt 132 and headed South and the rain subsided. It was nice and as I moved south the roads began to dry off as well. The terrain was nice and hilly and the road was just redone.

I was still feeling pretty solid as the miles ticked off. AS I hit the 70 mile mark and figured I was in the home stretch I came upon a sign I did not like. DETOUR ahead. What did that mean? I wanted to ride up to the construction site and see if I could sneak through as I was afraid I would end up with a lengthy additional stretch I was not really excited about. I called the support team and asked them for some help and they checked the map and told me that the road I was looking at for the detour was not on it. GREAT!!! Well I figured I might as well start riding and hope for the best. I was pleasantly surprised after about 3 miles when I connected with a familiar road that took me back to the planned rout. Probably only an extra 2 miles out of the way. At this point I was only 4 miles til the end. I was looking at the GPS and starting to run numbers in my head. How far was this and how fast was I averaging, etc...so as I pulled into the driveway in Concord I was pleasantly surprised with the ride and the results.

For 81.57 miles, I had a total time from door to door of 5:15 with a rolling time of 4:32. I averaged 18 mph and climbed 5,363 feet. Not bad as I did a little better speed wise than the century we did a few weeks ago and I was alone this time.

Another long one in the bank and only about a month to go.

JJ

Another weekend behind us

2006-06-25T18:12:00.000-05:00

Well TWAF didn't really connect at all this weekend, seemed like a good time to rest and maybe do some individual prep. Rumor has it JJ rode to Concord, NK played in a rugby tournament, A1 put up about 700 tents, and I took a spin up at GGTOC on Sunday.

Next weekend we'll be looking at a big one- what should it be? 100+ pm the road or see how far we can get with eight to nine hours on dirt?

We'll just have to see how the week plays out.

So Skid Mark has his latest design ready for all to see- he was playing with the designs on both a yellow t-shirt as well as blue- check it out.

That's it on my end. time to get some sleep.

over and out

DEA

TV and Leg Speed

2006-06-23T06:06:00.000-05:00

The past couple of days have been interesting for TWAF. On Wednesday the TV crew from Burlington came over and shot their story on TWAF. It'll be interesting to see how that comes out. It sounded like it'll be airing next week, we'll keep you posted.

Then yesterday was race one of the Importech and Red Jersey summer series up at Bear Notch. Depite loving the course up there I've had my share of issues racing there in the past and yesterday wasn't any different. On my warmup lap I came into one of two water crossings on the course and my front wheel went out from under me and down I went- completely underwater. So my "warmup" started with a nice ice bath. Needless to say my confidence was shaken on that water crossing and I ran them for the duration of the race. I think that turned out to be a good idea as everyone I saw trying to ride them would end up falling about halfway across, or at least they'd loose traction and you'd watch them fight with their bikes and expend a lot of energy.

The fields weren't huge and TWAF was only represented by myself and NK, but we took 2nd and 3rd in our division. During the race I pretty much stayed well within myself only putting in big efforts when I was trying to pass, my first big effort came on the first lap and I was quite proud of myself as I blasted by three people on one of the logging roads. With good speed going into a piece of single track and began to set my sights on the next group ahead and putting a bit of distance on those I had just passed. A momentary lapse in concentration and I blew a corner and slammed into a tree. As I was pulling myself out of the weeds the three I had passed a couple more that must have been just behind me when I made the past sailed by me. One of them was NK himself. I got myself put back together and chased back to that group and sat at the back until we got to another passing zone. I was able to move up the group slowly, finally reaching the rear wheel of A1's old hard tail (Dr. Laracy)- that SOB is strong and that was effort #2 staying on his wheel. I rode behind him for the rest of the first lap and part of the second before he began to fade a bit on the climb. It was then off in pursuit of Mike Geldermann. He took a while to catch up to but soon he and I were trading off on who would take a pull. Some of the roots were getting a bit slick and Mike was having a tough time keeping the bike upright, but every time I'd get in front of him he'd crush himself to pass me on the logging roads. On the final lap I put in big effort #3 and passed him for good and tried to get enough of a gap that he wouldn't come back. It was then off to see if I could catch Jean. I was slowly pulling her back and knew that I should be able to get her on the final climb but that I'd have to catch and drop or else I'd risk towing her in and we'd have to duke it out in the finish sprint (did I mention Jean is damn strong and I'm pretty sure all she does is ride and workout in the gym- sign me up for that deal!) Effort #4 hurt the most as it was a good 400 meter all out uphill sprint, but it worked and I rode the remainder of the lap easily and came in 2nd in my catagory. We then hung out for the good wraps from Grind'n'Gears and the awards. In the raffle I won $25 to Shannon Door and a new pair of shades- it was worth the quart of blood I lost to the mosquitos (remember to not only look to see if you have bug dope- but check to see if there's anything left in the bottle!) NK won some goods as well, and once our numbers had been drawn we bailed to the safety of the car.

Next up will be the first race of the GGTOC series on July 6th. The season is here, and Jay is just over a month away- yahoo.

DEA

Course question

2006-06-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

So we asked Dan the race director a few questions about the new course, this is what he had to say and he asked we share so here you go:

"Yup, your little adventure is now turning you in a famous group. Well, let me try to answer as much as I can.

Fell Free to post my answer on your blog.

Contrarily to common belief, I am normal and a good guy.Well.. kind of.

Northern Vermont is Very Rugged and requires knobby tire. If you try to go semi slick you will bike the equivalent of over 100 miles: NOT a good idea.

All our course is on Private land and I therefore cannot afford posting the course on the Net in respect to the land owner. What I can tell you is that the last 24 miles are all New. The course has been measured on map only so far at 65 miles with approximately 12,500 feet of Climbing.

The last climb is 2000 feet on a loging road with no shade what so ever. If it's a hot day, you will cry for your mother,If it's a rainy day you will cry for your father. I am not joking. YOU WILL CRY.Litterally either way. You can quote me on that one.

I have been following your blog, You seem to be riding 6, 7 hour ride with 4 to 5,000 feet of gain. I think you are doing good. Just keep in mind that this is going to be an great adventure with lots of Mud, water climb and awsome scenery.

Once trained properly, a good sense of humour would be your best asset. Our race has gained a reputation to be a killer only because most do not like to believe the warning on the web site. You seems to have done your homework, congratulation. You will not regret all the hours that you have put on that saddle.

You will love the race and I promisse you that it will leave you with lifetime memories.

Keep up the good work, ride safe and keep in mind that no matter how hard you train,it will hurt.Just get use to the idea

Dan"

SO TWAF will try to stay hydrated so we ensure enough water in out system so that we still have tears to cry on the last climb!

DEA

TWAF on the rise

2006-06-21T09:07:00.000-05:00

How did this thing get so out of control- in a good way. We've had coverage on about 20 endurance/adventure racing websites, we've got WCAX out of Burlington coming over to do a story, our local press is doing stories on us, RSN tv asks us to do trail condition call ins on our morning rides (thus far it hasn't worked- cell coverage in the back country can be spotty). Plus we know have some cool t-shirts and jerseys on the way- (you can buy your own TWAF t-shirt for $15 or two for $25)

So as all of this goes to our heads (Bell or Giro- are you reading- we can use 5 XXL helmets now)- I just hope we remember to train!

We'll give you a post on how the TV deal goes today, it should be fun.

On an equipment front my bike is undergoing a slow overhaul as I work on a piece (or try to- grrrrr) then put it back together so I can ride it the next day. This has been and I'd guess will be an ongoing process through the season. It's amazing how much you can beat up your bike on 6 to 7 hour off road rides. Any disk brake pad companies want to sponsor us? We are all running hayes and are blasting through pads!

So that's where the world stands at the moment. Now I've got to go grab some water and try to choke down these vitamins from Animal Pak- I hope WADA isn't doing any testing cuz anything called Animal Pak has gotta have something questionable in it!

ttfn

DEA

Nice chart

2006-06-21T07:56:00.000-05:00

Looks like my donut consumption between the hours of 7:00-10:00 am.

Anywho, beat the rain/thunder/lightning home last night. Mike joined me and sat on my tail for the ride home. Good sprint, minus stopping for the two red lights we caught. Little afternoon delight with the fellas today, all the groupies are waiting outside to catch a glimpse of TWAF in lycra.

A1

Lunch time alone...

2006-06-20T19:16:00.000-05:00

Well our date with the TV folks got postponed so I had my bike and was ready to ride so I decided to see if I could round up some folks for a little lunch time adventure. I tried at my office and had no takers, then I send an email over to the other TWAF fellas and get 2 no's and one yes, well maybe, make it a no. So about 1pm I head out and up 16 to Hurricane Mt Rd with the intention of riding to the top then hittin the Black Cap trail over to Redtail and down. About half way up I stopped and realized I had no phone with me. So as I continued my climb I decided it might not be wise to be doing the DH on Redtail without a riding buddy or at least a phone. I made it to the top, not in record time, but not that bad either. Stayed on the middle ring and it was steamy. My legs are still not 100% from last Saturday's ride. THey definately are short on snap. I hit the top and circled around and I came back down Hurricane. About 2/3 the way down I headed across a bridge into a clear cut and onto the lower singletrack. I hit the bridge and cleaned the rock garden and hill side. Much better than Saturday when I was flailing like a fish on the dock. Trail was a little slick but in descent shape. All in all it was a good ride in the heat which I figure I need to get used to. I think I am going to need to adjust my fluid intake as I have been used to the cooler temps. So I got 1350 or so feet of climbing in about an hour and a little singletrack to boot. A good trainign ride but it woulda been nice to have some company. Maybe next time.

Ride on...

JJ

It was nice out

2006-06-20T14:14:00.000-05:00

Woke up this morning to beautiful sunshine and a nice little breeze. After last nights storms I'll take it. So Nikki says you should ride to work. OK, being that I always listen to my wife off I went. 23 minutes into the office which included stopping traffic so Mama Duck and baby ducks could cross the street safely. And also included carrying the 30ish lb. backpack. So the ride home tonight is looking like an "electrifying" one. Clouds rolling in and thunder in the background. Maybe I'll get home in under 20 then, probably not.

Morning ride around Peaked anyone?

A1

cross-training

2006-06-19T09:52:00.000-05:00

well, unfortunately Korea the Slim couldn't join the rest of the boys at the crack of dawn for the sidewall-busting jaunt saturday morning, because i had some prior arrangements - like playing four rugby matches in two days and beating the crap out of some good friends. there's nothing that brings people like controlled violence on the rugby field, i say, and we did a damned good job of it over the weekend.

but i was hot - so hot i saw guys in orange suits burst into flame! well, adrian cronaeur i'm not. two days in over-eighty degree temps running your ass off will make you quote old movies, however, so sue me.

i just wanted to concur with A1 that i can't go 30 minutes or more without thinking about jay, but i found my one source of peace from the madness of jay is playing rugby. violence is cathartic, apparently!

well, rugby's over until late summer. bring on the heavy training!

korea-sunburned-slim

Holy Hot Batman

2006-06-18T19:37:00.000-05:00

So yup, great ride Saturday. Nothing like getting up at 4:15, heading out the door at 4:45 then riding for about 2+ hours and blowing the rear tire. No tube would've helped, it was blown out on the side wall. So long ride over...

Today, got out for about 4 hours. Of tent work that is. Then headed to the river with the kids this afternoon. Did a little kayaking and swimming against the current, doesn't count as a workout but since I had a few Coronas I'm calling it one. Anywho, early am ride planned for myself. Few hours before work. Funny how I caught myself realizing today that not 30 minutes goes by without thinking about the Jay. Is that good or bad?

A sun crisped A1.

Happy Father's Day

2006-06-18T08:01:00.000-05:00

Ah a beautiful Sunday morning, I can relax in bed and rest sore knees before getting up and eating a good recovery breakfast. Oh wait, it's Father's Day which means my two girls will be up with first light to come in and wake up my wife and I with cards and lots of ear piercing shreiks of excitement. Ok maybe it wasn't quite like that but I wanted to stay in bed so any noise and attempt to wake me up was met with lukewarm appreciation. But they are my kids so we got up, and down to the training table we go. Emma wants to have pancakes (of course she does) so I say I'll mix up the batter and Elizabeth can cook them- out of whole wheat floor, ok well so much for any nutritional value. White flour it is, half way through mixing the batter Emma then descided donuts are a much better choice- so off she and Karen go to Levitts for donuts while Elizabeth and I continue on with our white flour cakes of death. Needless to say I've eaten a good deal of white flour and sugar this morning and not much else- yeah my legs will feel great this afternoon! I wonder what Lance did on Father's Day mornings for breakfast?

Hope to get out for a spin this afternoon on the road bike, nice and easy. Hopefully I can get A1 and JJ to join me.

Later- DEA

A dry ride?? How could that be...

2006-06-17T14:12:00.000-05:00

Well we got lucky, we finally got to ride and see the sun. I have been getting used to riding 6+ hours in driving rain so I was not sure how I would react to warmer/dryer temps. So we all met up at 5AM and had a good ride and did some exploring around Crt Conway and Conway Lake areas. We headed over to Redstone and I wasn't able to remeber how to get to the top of Redstone Ledge so after a riding around there a bit A1 needed to make a pit stop for some lube as he was getting bad chain suck. He didn't have a lot of luck but they did have some 3 in 1 oil and he proceeded to squirt it everywhere. I think the EPA was there this afternoon doing the cleanup. Well from Redstone we headed to the powerlines and up and across Peaked Mtn. at the bottom A1 blew up literally, well his tire did. Turned out none of us rocket scientists had a spare tube with us so he was walkin. DEA and I continued our trek over to Cranmore and the Access Road to the top. That climb was different as we usually do it first. I was definately feeling it after riding for 2+ hours before hitting it. We made it to the top a little off our usual pace but as we headed across the connector trial to Redtail I was feeling very poor. Maybe I was bonking or just had not eaten enough. I started eating some and once I made it to Redtail we began our descent. The trail was in nice shape considering the rain we'd had on the top 3/4 of the trail but the bottom section has seen better days. The trip down gave my legs a chance to recover but my hands and arms were screaming by the time we were done. We heard from A1 that he was not going to meet up so we headed over to Whitaker Woods and then to refuel in N. Conway. After snapping into a couple slim jims, a red bull, some gatorade, a power bar, some peanut-butter crackers and some H2O I was feeling a lot better. We made our way to Echo Lake and then worked our way over to Cedar Creek for some fast single track. After a spin there we started climbing the forst road to the Mineral Site and that was a pretty good climb considering we had been riding for quite a while. We then took the Mineral Site trail across to the High School trail. SOme more climbing and a fun downhill. At the bottom we dd another loop around the single track before we stared back to N. Conway and our trip home. We did sticks & stones at a not so fast pace missing all the stunts and elements. Odd way to ride it as I'm usually trying to ride over something to hurt myself. Once back on the power lines we cruised back to 302 and the hammered back home. THe number on th day from the GPS are: about 7 hours on the bike, 48.86 miles, 5,174 feet of climbing, averaging 8.3mph. So we had a productive training ride, the weather was perfect, the views from Redtail were supreme, someday I'll remember a camera, and we learned a little more about our crew.

JJ

A long one

2006-06-17T12:14:00.000-05:00

The morning started out with A1, JJ and I meeting up at 5am for a spin. We had a bit of fun getting lost out near Conway Lake, eventually ending up on Stark Road. From there we hit 302 and jumped on the Rec path and came out by the new school. We then hit the trails that wind around in Redstone for a bit before heading down the power line to climb the Peaked loop. On the descent we heard a loud sharp bang, JJ thought someone was shooting at us, I thought JJ had flatted, the only one who knew what had happend was A1 as he had a flat rear tire. It was more then just a pinched tube, he had a blown sidewall, his ride came to a close.

JJ and I continued on with the idea being we'd ride the access road and connector to Red Tail and the hook back up with A1 after he got all squared away. But it wasn't to be and we got a call from A1 letting us know his bike was out of commission for the day. JJ and I ripped around in Whitaker for a bit before hitting the big apple for a reload. After about four trips into the store (that last one for a staple to fix my glasses) we headed out for Echo Lake where we rode those trails as a way to get over to Cedar Creek. JJ lead the charge and we climbed for quite awhile before dropping down a long switch back filled rip of a trail that I don't think I'd ever ridden before. At the bottem JJ and I had a discussion about the remaining portion of the ride- we did another loop in CC, bumping into the Red Jersey group (looked like they had great turnout!), we then hustled back into town to ride Sticks and Stones and the powerlines back to Redstone. From there it was a road ride in the big ring until we got back to Center Conway. There the pace became a bit more humane and we did the trek up Davis Hill. There waved Dennis goodbye and cruised home.

All told- 50ish miles and 7 hours of saddle time. Two big Gatorades, 3/4 of a gallon of water, 1 red bull, three cliff bars, two powerbars, and a bag of salted peanuts. Good times. Can't wait to see the garmin report from JJ!

DEA

So we ride...

2006-06-16T10:21:00.000-05:00

Looks like the long ride for the weekend is on dirt leaving promptly at 5, AM that is. We'll be rolling out from Center Conway near the town beach and then begin to work our way towards North Conway for some more climbing perhaps and a refueling. Then we plan to head over to Cedar Creek and the Mineral Site trail area. Plan is for a nice long ride, maybe til 11:30 or so, get in 40+ miles and some good climbing. Any care to join us, get to bed early.

JJ

time

2006-06-15T20:46:00.000-05:00

do any of you people work?!

a challenge!

2006-06-15T11:28:00.000-05:00

you wound my credibility, sir.

nK

NK off the Deep End

2006-06-15T10:48:00.000-05:00

NK's post script about WCAX needs both an explanation and abuse. First the explanation, a sportscaster from WCAX contacted us to do a story about TWAF. WCAX is the Burlington VT, CBS affiliate. Since NK and I both spent a number of years in Burlington we are familiar with the station, however I have to challenge NK's statement about "I turned to WCAX news each and every night for my news. It was comfort food for my current-events-starved brain", cuz I've heard stories about NK's days at SMC and I find the image of him sitting with baited breath watching the evening news to be a bit fanciful and nauseating. This isn't a rip on WCAX, instead it rip on NK and his questionable ethics when it comes to portraying the past.

With that being said TWAF looks forward to a bit of media coverage, we hope to represent the slackers and weekend warriors everywhere. Fifteen minutes here we come!

DEA

backing the doctor

2006-06-15T10:12:00.000-05:00

since saccharine, sappy sweet posts aren't my trademark - and since the dr. so eloquently spilled his sentimental guts all over the blog, i'm going to have to give DEA his props here.

he's right - whether we admit it or not, since we've began training, i've at least noticed a change in not only my body, but my mind. there's been some steeling, there's been - dare i dream - some discipline gained? let's not get crazy, but i can say that fear of not only failure but of razzing by one's teammates is a tremendous motivator. stuff's better than smack!

this event has changed my outlook on things - i've never had a singular goal like this before, and i've never had people who share that goal with me - and i've never enjoyed my time on a bike more. things are all going to look a whole lot different on july 31st... and i'm not sure i'm willing to give up the way the world looks right now, because i've got a pretty good view from here.

so, to the dr. you big sissy, i salute you.

n-to the-K

p.s.
WCAX in Burlington, VT is a fine source of unbiased, hard-hitting, insightful news. I salute their brand of journalism and wish that all media outlets would strive to reach their level - for the four years that I spent as an undergraduate at St. Michael's College I turned to WCAX news each and every night for my news. It was comfort food for my current-events-starved brain.

I'm getting all misty

2006-06-15T09:01:00.000-05:00

Dr Evil is getting awful sappy on us this morning. Maybe he's hormonal or something. Either way he needs to work on his math a little. I hope he was just looking ahead when he said there was only 38 days to go. I count 45, but I ani't no math major either.

Ride on...
JJ

Good point

2006-06-15T08:05:00.000-05:00

I just read JJ's post and he made a good point, that tomorrows are becoming rare. That's an interesting way to look at the fact that the Jay Challenge is coming right up, in fact July 30th is only 38 days away. Wow, that's not very many days my friends.

I feel in many ways this event has become all consuming, but in a good way. What started as a conversation about "this sick race up in Vermont" turned to a conversation about registration being open, and before we knew it we were all signed up and calling ourselves Team Weak and Feeble.

But now we're marching towards the real thing. Each mile pedaled, each foot of vertical climbed is being done to reach a goal, and a lofty one at that. I'm curious how the other competitors look at the event. I wonder if they are as intimidated as we are by the amount of climbing as well as the distance. I wonder if any have read the story about us and think we don't stand a chance at finishing, or do they think that we've busted our asses and have a great shot at finishing. I just don't know. I do know that I'm in the best shape I've been in for a real long time. In fact I'm looking forward to continuing in building upon this base. I know I've had a chance to log many hours in the saddle with what started as good friends and now I consider great friends. I know that I've gotten very used to seeing the world at 4am, and it no longer feels strange to be out on my bike at 5am knowing that I won't be back until sometime between 11 and noon. I've got more usernames and passwords at various online bike shops, nutrition stores, blogs, and who knows what else. I've had more conversations with our local LBS's about tire choice, trails, and how crazy this whole thing is (along the way talking Ron from Bob and Terry's into doing the race as well- he'll finish a couple of hours ahead of us!)

Is it to early to say this is a life changing experience? I don't know. I do know that all the people who have said that we are crazy and that they never could do something like this are very wrong. They can. The five of us are just regular guys, we have families, full time jobs, second jobs, maybe even a third job, we drink beer, we aren't afraid of donuts on Sunday's or McD's on a road trip. What we do have is a collective drive that has pushed all of us to rider faster and farther then we thought we could.

Team Weak and Feeble isn't just about us- it's about all of you who dare to dream.

DEA

Morning interrupted....

2006-06-14T19:21:00.000-05:00

So I decided to ride home yesterday from work and headed down the powerlines to find mud. Lots and lots of mud. It was fun but I got sorta dirty. I think I left some sediment in the tub after the shower. It rained all night pretty hard so I decided my ride to work in the morning was going to be on the road. I headed out trying to go fast, well fast for me anyhow and about 5 miles into the trek I'm rolling along at about 20 and all the sudden I'm ona jelly real wheel. I look down and I have flatted. Doesn't it figure that I didn't bring a pump. SO here I am, half way to work and half way from home and a flat rear tire an no way to inflate. I grabbed my phone and called my support crew (wife and 2 kids in a minivan) and I was rescued. Well so much for my morning commute. Time to head to the Red Jersy to buy a couple of tubes, some lube and a bucket of chamois butter. I never did get in the mileage I was hoping today. I guess there is always tomorrow. Unfortunately there are not as many tomorrows as there was yestserday. In fact they becoming more rare by the day.

Ride on...
JJ

Press

2006-06-14T10:24:00.000-05:00

From L 2 R- Abe Wrobleski, Nick Lebel, Sven Cole, Dennis Morgan, (Josh Mac is missing from the photo)

Jay Challenge Becomes a Mission

New Hampshire’s Team Weak & Feeble Prepares for Months

Jay, Vermont – It began as a challenge among friends, to prepare for and race in the Jay Challenge 2006. And since January, the self-named “Team Weak and Feeble” has spent thousands of hours getting ready. What began as a challenge: “First one who complains buys beer for the team after the race” has become much more serious.
Team Weak and Feeble has documented their preparation on the Internet. The daily diary with postings by the team members shows the intensity of their mission, and the ups and downs they have faced in getting ready.
Their autobiography speaks to the stereotype of extreme sports enthusiasts: “We are a group of morons who hang together, ride together, ski together, and share tips on marriage and being parents - well except for Nick on the marriage and parenting and Josh on just the parenting. We live in the White Mountains (except for Josh). Abe Wrobleski, Nick Lebel, and Sven Cole work in the advertising world in North Conway, Dennis Morgan is a lawyer, and Josh Mac owns a steel yard in Rutland, Vt.”
The blog (jaychallenge.blogspot.com) is entertaining and revealing. Team member, Nick Lebel writes, “Honestly and truly, I like nothing about what we're setting us up for. I see this becoming one big Lord of the Flies situation, where someone's chain tool becomes the conch that we all vie for in order to communicate, we all revert back to primal instincts, and instead of the first person who whines having to buy beer, we simply devour them and continue on our way...”
During January and February, the team reported its initial steps, and mis-steps at training for the Jay Challenge. Between watching the Olympics, skiing in the White Mountains, and chiding each other, training was not always serious. On February 22nd, team-member Sven Cole reported his daily training log: “Woke up and slammed my elbow in the doorway as I stumbled out of the bedroom, spilled hot coffee on my lap, slipped on a pair of shoes at the top of the basement stairs and I'm quite sure I broke my big toe (or at least it feels that way!)- but I did ride into work so I can feel like I've done something.”
In March the tone started to shift. With warmer weather, training became easier, but the calendar is closing in on Team Weak and Feeble. Sven wrote: “With only 120 days until Jay, I wouldn't call it serious. Maybe, or maybe it's reality or insanity. I really would like to make it through Jay and not just finish.”
Nick reacted: “Do more than just finish?!! You're nuts. NUTS. loco. however, the big problem with me is, I'm competitive. so if you want to all the sudden up the ante and ‘do more than finish’, I'm game. which means I'm going to have to get SERIOUSLY serious.”
April and May took on a whole different level of preparation for the team. The ribbing between members was replaced with lengthy reports on rides and debates about whether 15-18 hours of weekly training was enough. By the end of May, with the time to race drawing ever closer, Nick wrote: “The closer we get to Jay, the farther 70 miles and the higher 12,000 feet seems. I'm bound and determined to make it through, and really have no doubts that it's going to be the hospital or a dirt nap for me, but this is going to be the most difficult thing most of us have ever done.”
As the race draws closer, the mission is clearer. It is more than a physical challenge. It is mental. “I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared of this course,” reported Sven on June 2nd. “I am scared, or very respectful or both. The good news is that knowing I'm scared makes it easier to get up at 4 am tomorrow morning to drag my sorry self around on my road bike for 100 miles - likely in the rain.”
Sven reflects on the experience. “I've got to say it's been a long time since I've had ‘teammates’ like this, where we really were out there pushing each other. Good things happened then, I think it will again. If nothing else we'll learn a great deal about ourselves at the Jay Challenge.”
On July 30, Team Weak and Feeble will prove to themselves, their families and their fans what they have been able to accomplish. They have no illusions about winning the grueling mountain bike event. But they have leaned upon each other, goaded each other, and built on their inner personalities to prepare themselves for a memorable event. And if no one whines, then perhaps it will be the appreciative fans who will step up and buy the first round.
In all, over 1000 racers will participate in the 2006 Jay Challenge (July 28-30, 2006) consisting of a 26-mile open craft water race from Magog, Quebec to Newport, Vermont, a 30-mile bush-wack marathon on wooded trails and streams, and a 70-mile mountain bike race that starts with a climb to the top of Jay Peak.

Contact: Gerry Hunt gerry.hunt@verizon.net

Reservations are made

2006-06-14T10:05:00.000-05:00

So I finally received the confirmation for our rooms for Jay, I'll get the address out there as to where we're staying so all our adoring fans can send beer and cheese curls to us.

Had the kids off to school duty this morning (Nikki had to go to work early, someone has to make money to pay for a new bike) so I missed DEA and NK's ride. Was able to get out last night for an hour and a half or so. Did some laps on the Pine Tree loop, moved some trees that were down and most importantly tried out the new ride which I may just be sporting in Jay. Thanks to the lovely Misses for suggesting I need a new ride for the race, I wonder what she's setting me up for?

Sounds like a few painful long rides are taking shape for the next few weeks. So if anyone reads the press release and checks us out here and plans on buying us beer, I like PBR. My wife likes Blue Moon she deserves one for the support and hall passes too.

One and a half months away, I think I'm going to be sick.

A1.

Ramblings

2006-06-14T09:20:00.000-05:00

NK and I had a good ride this morning before work, up the Cranmore access road and down Red Tail. We stopped at one of the clearings and NK said, "yeah, time to move to the city." We both laughed and rode on, I was thinking about how beautiful it was and how lucky we are to be able to do things like this before work.

To back up a bit, last night I tore the blur apart to do some spring cleaning, in the process I tweaked the BB, found a bad bushing in the rear shock mount, a spent middle chainring, junked cartrige bearings in the front wheel and an odd tightness in the rear freewheel. Normal wear and tear but now that I'm not tied in with a shop I'll looking at FFR on parts- ouch. Oh well, maybe it's time to get a PT job working in a shop! Then after the ride while my bike was sitting in the office the sidewall on my rear tire let go and sent people diving for cover- now that was pretty funny.

A1 has a theory that my bike is pissed that I've been lookng at the Cannondale Rush- he may be on to something. However, I'm not the only TWAF member to have a flat today, JJ got a flat on his road bike this morning- it happens. Speaking of bikes anyone out there looking to hook up TWAF with new rides? It's worth a shot!

TWAF is getting a touch of media play right now as Gerry Hunt, the media coordinator for the Jay Challenge did a release about our band of merry men. It's kinda cool to think people might read about us and maybe get fired up to go do the event or at least get out and ride. That's all we do, we get out and ride- a lot. I hope nobody has the impression that we are "athletes"- far from it. We're going to get smoked by 95% of the riders at Jay, but we're fired up to go and participate and have fun and hang with the other 5% that are like us.

That's all I've got this morning- sorry no photos of myself this morning ;)

Get out and ride.

Dr. Evil

Racin' Pics

2006-06-13T09:03:00.000-05:00

So the shot of JJ under the Dakine tent (thanks Mike) at the GGTOC Summer Series got me thinking about the summer racing that is coming up. The GGTOC summer series starts on July 6th and runs Thursdays- go check it out

GGTOC

Then the Red Jersey/Importech Summer Series gets started next week on Thursday (June 22)- first venue is Bear Notch- go check it out

Red Jesey

Wanna go uphill? Newtons Revenge on July 8th- climb 4000+ feet in under 8 miles- ouch! Go to Bike Reg and search Newtons-

Bike Reg

Wanna do a stage race? In November the 2nd Annual Porky Gulch Classic is taking place- I've posted a couple race shots- one from the cross race and the other from the Story Land Crit- soooo much fun!

Porky Gulch Classic

So there you go- a bunch of racing to enjoy! Hey there may even be slots left in the Jay Challenge!

over and out

Dr. Evil

More pics

2006-06-12T19:26:00.000-05:00

At least this is sort of a bike racing pic.

photos

2006-06-12T15:33:00.000-05:00

Skid Mark wants more photos. So a photo of Skid Mark.

Powder Jew Melts Down

2006-06-12T08:29:00.000-05:00

can you beliveve it?! he's finally figured it out. i've now offically blogged. somebody get me a cigarette! i'm spent! sooooo..... for those of you who don't really know me that well let me start by saying that since a very young age i found myself trying to impress not just my friends but also myself. that could include feats of athleticism as well as feats of shear stupidity. looking back it appears that rarely have i backed down from much. (short of eating entire blotters of primium acid followed by heavy drinking during a rather long college career!) so here i am a little bit older maybe a little less stupid possibly a little more wise but still looking to impress. after an very very long heart to heart with my brain and my body i have made the difficult decison to back out of the jay race. suddenly i feel like kenny in south park about to be ridiculed from every angle. i can almost feel the razzing travelling through the computer from you guys to me. the harsh but true reality is that i have a super hard physical job which includes long periods of time spent with not just my father but my very jewish mother so not only do i get to beat the shit out of myself for 12 hours a day but my mom gets to help! over the years my back has just gotten worse and after the physical therapists, doctors, chiropractors, etc. im no better. my back just wont take that much time in the saddle. all that coupled with some really shit weather and i have the perfect recipe for failure. im just not physically able to do what i want which mostly is not just finnishing but finnishing with some style. not dragging myself across the line by my lips! like i said before maybe a few years of growth and maturity have given me some inner knowledge. its time to let go of my pride and ego a litte and accept some reality. i cant really party or ski or ride like i used to but i can still go out and have a really good fuckin time with my friends. even if they are faster! i feel like a real shit for letting you guys down like this and i really cant belive what an effort you all have shown in terms of trainning for the race. my shoulders are broad so let the insults fly! i am ready mo fo's! good luck to all of you. you are better men than i
the weakest and most feeblest powder jew

one thing real quick

2006-06-10T22:00:00.000-05:00

after reading the previous post made by the honorable Judge, something hit me. we'd finished my leg of the ride (which at that point was a limp for me).

when the good doctor and JJ decided to keep riding (not just riding, but CLIMBING), i had two serious issues. ISSUE NUMBER ONE: there's no way i could keep climbing and keep any kind of pace with them (unless it was a push-the-bike contest, in that case i'd win, hands down). ISSUE NUMBER TWO: the shocking realization that i'm completely out of my league when it comes to the impetus of this entire blog and experience - the aforementioned (ad nauseam)Jay Challenge. would that i could keep up with them - it would help me sleep better at night.

it'll be great to see them show up at our Jay crash pad once they've successfully completed the challenge and i've had four hours or so to make burgers for them after i've had time to recover from bowing out early.

the Jay Challenge: It's Failure-iffic!!
korea not-so-slim

Saturday's Ride

2006-06-10T15:16:00.000-05:00

Well NK, DEA & I got in a pretty descent Mt ride. Climbed Cranmore via the access road and went over the connector trail and down the Hurricane. We then dropped over the back side of Hurricane for a fun and fast ride down. I love disk brakes. We rode the road for a bit til we found part of the snowmobile network. My drivetrain was clean til then. We encountered a little bit o mud to say the least. Looking forward to testing out the trail bootey I found, how could someone leave "The Best of Snoop Dog" laying on the trail?

Well we didn't make it all the way back to Redstone via the snowmobile netowrk but eventually found our way and took the power lines over to Sticks n Stones where NK headed home for some needed rest & recovery. DEA and I headed up Peaked a ways and ended up coming down near Artist Falls and eventually by the access road. We wanted to get in some more mileage so we went over to Whitaker Woods and cruised around there til we were done. Overall we got in about 6 hours on the bike, 36+ miles of riding, and 4,368 feet of climbing.

My knees are a little sore but the legs still had a little bit of life left. Hopefully we are on track for Jay. I would like to try a long ride on a day where it didn't rain the entire 6+ hours. Guess that's just fantasy though. Well fellas, where we going next weekend?

JJ

version Three

2006-06-09T14:53:00.000-05:00

i dig the second one...

2006-06-09T13:01:00.000-05:00

however, i'm crushed that my gorgeous visage was immortilized in such a way.

...although, in real life i'm still that hairy.

nK

Jersey Designs

2006-06-09T12:50:00.000-05:00

Ok folks, the day is coming near where Team Weak and Feeble needs to make a call on our jersey design. A world renowed designer who goes my the nickname "Skid Mark" came up with the design, and is now an honorary member of Team Weak and Feeble.

Let me know what you think!

Dr. Evil

Race day- hope for rain or sun?

2006-06-08T08:09:00.000-05:00

I haven't been keeping a training journal this year, I wish that I had cuz I'm curious about how many rides have been in the rain. It's gotten to the point that I just assume that I'm going to be riding in the rain and when it's in the dry I get very confussed. Here is my question- do I hope for rain or sun during the Jay Race? I just don't know, of course it doesn't matter what I hope for, mother nature is going to do her own thing- but with just a few weeks left till the race this is one of the issues I'm wrestling with.

Rain will make the course slick, my clothes will weigh a ton, my shoes will feel squishy, my drivetrain will make noises that keep companies like SRAM and Shimano in business, and I'll constantly have visibility issues. However I know that I can best regulate my body temp in the wet. If it's sunny it'll be hot, have to deal with sun burn, heat stroke, dehydration, and energy sap- the trail will be in much better condition and the sun in general keeps me in a better mood. So what to do? I guess I'm hoping for a mostly cloudy day, temps in the lower 70's, low humidity, and only a light breeze. Can anyone out there order that up for July 30th?

Ok time for coffee, as I'm not sure anything I just wrote made any sense!

good morning-

Dr. Evil

i'm back! (and i'm soggy)

2006-06-05T09:46:00.000-05:00

i've been a real slacker on the pedaling front lately. still been active, still been running and playing rugby like a fiend, but very lazy when it comes to getting in the saddle.

however that all changed sunday when i went on a solo tour of red tail, down to cranmore. could've done more, certainly had the legs, but it just wasn't that much fun of a day alone... but that was my own fault.

anyway, started the ride from home, down to sid's for some power bars, and then over the power lines (see how that ties together?!) and then up hurricane mountain road to the trailhead. by the water tower i passed by a gentlemen who'd been hiking with his dogs, and as he emerged from the woods, i passed his two dogs and said, 'how's it looking?' he said, 'good! considering...'

the 'considering' part was since we'd been deluged and soaked to the bone saturday, sunday brought forth running water down the trail, wet, slick rock and some slight washout action. not a big deal. what WAS a big deal was the fact that the super-technical sections that always existed became flat-out not rideable, and other sections that were typically tricky became serious challenges.

it was one hell of a ride in that respect. that, and i FOUGHT with my derailleur the entire time, although i managed to not chuck anything (least of all the iron horse). not that it was all bad, though! since i was having 'issues' with my derailleur, i rode 90% of the trail in the middle ring, since granny gear just wasn't working. it was an advantageous equipment issue, but it's going to have to be fixed by jay. and by fixed i mean replaced. and by replaced i mean not by me, because i'd break it.

from trailhead to the top took just over an hour, and i was really happy with that - all alone, with only my own meager motivation to keep me going, and it felt good! the cruise over to cranmore was a bit sloppy, with the trees being so weighed down with rainwater the branches leaned deep into the trail, and basically bitch-slapped you as you passed by. oh well, it cleaned me off.

then, once i hit cranmore, it was a break-busting downhill (you could hear the brakes steaming - i love disc brakes!) back to the parking lot, and although i seriously considered turning right back around and doing it again, i went home and watched mythbusters instead.

here's to being in over our heads!!

north Korea

I need a towel

2006-06-04T16:28:00.000-05:00

So training comes before smarts. DEA and I did 100 in the rain. He set it out pretty good in his retelling of the ride. I have to say the idea of bagging it was running through my head most of the way to his folks house. I was wondering what would be a good excuse that didn't sound like me just wimping out. Unfortunately I never came up with one and before I knew it we were in Bethel. By then it didn't matter as it was half way. Evans' was a good climb, neither one of us wanting to let the other get the better of us. Fortunately with only a little left in the climb we wised up. After a controlled descent it was time to watch the miles tick off and hope we could get the 100 without adding too much. Well it worked out perfectly and I am quite happy to say I have my first century in the books.

JJ

Wet Century

2006-06-04T08:32:00.000-05:00

JJ and I met at 5am on Saturday for a 6.5 hr tour in the rain. At 4:58am it wasn't raining, at 5am it was- oh well. I've got to be honest, I wasn't sure that we would actually go the distance as early mornings, no coffee, rain, and cool temps, don't actually come across as a high point on my wanna ride radar. I was hoping JJ would start the whining and wanna bag the ride, but no he was fired up to ride his first century- so off we went.

We rode out through Fryeburg and then to Lovell and then to North Bridgton where we stopped in at my folks house for our first reload on water and food. Mom was surprised to see us at 6:30am soaking wet, but then again maybe she wasn't surprised. Then it was off towards Bethel. Taking advantage of each others draft was tough as there was a lot of water on the road, so often we were riding either side by side or had about a ten foot gap between us, this didn't help our recovery but it did keep us from drowning. We eventutually got to Bethel where the woman at the Mobil station said that she hoped we didn't have far to go, when I said that we had to ride back to North Conway she looked at us like we were nuts, when I told her we started in North Conway (or close enough- I think Center Conway would have thrown her off!)I think she just plain stopped believing me. The trip on Rt. 2 back to Evans was a touch dicy, not much road, poor visibility and big trucks- not may favorite combination. Once we were on Evans I think we both felt better and the pace got ridiculus, with the first 3/4 of the climb done at about 18mph. We just flew up the Notch, I'm not sure why but we did and I have to say it was fun. The trip down wasn't as fun. It was cold and the road was dodgy so we took it pretty easy.

From there home things were pretty mellow. I started feeling my mental approach to the ride break down once we hit 90 miles, I just wanted to be done- but we had to add a bit of a loop to hit our 100 so we headed down East Conway road and then came back up 302 riding right past my driveway, then it was up Davis Hill here Dennis finally shouted out the magic number (which I didn't hit until I rode back to my house). I think both of us felt pretty good considering it was a sub 6 hour ride time, 6.5 hr total time, and all done in the pooring rain.

I felt good the rest of the day, much spent on a stool installing ceiling fans- fun.

It's sunday morning now, just got done at RSN and now thinking about a ride- anybody up for a ride?

Dr. Evil

If he looks bad...

2006-06-02T18:38:00.000-05:00

Sad truth is, if Dr. Evil looks that bad after 2000 feet of climbing, think of how bad A1 and I looked. Good thing there were no cameras around to capture that. I'm sure we'll have smiles on our faces the whole time at Jay.

JJ

If I look this bad

2006-06-02T15:26:00.000-05:00

after only 2000 feet of climbing what the hell am I going to look like after 12,000 feet of climbing?

Dr. Evil

Course details

2006-06-02T08:32:00.000-05:00

I'm looking forward to meeting this Dan character. He obviously has a sick sense of humor, which I like. So when the race director tells you you're going to want to quit after only a short portion of the course you have to admit the glove has been thrown down and now you want to prove the bastard wrong!

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared of this course. I am scared, or very respectful or both. The good news is that knowing I'm scared makes it easier to get up at 4am tomorrow morning to drag my sorry self around on my road bike for 100 miles- likely in the rain. JJ's going with me so we'll have plenty of time to chat about the race, cycling, and why we love this sport so much.

I've got to say it's been a long time since I've had "teammates" like this, where we really were out there pushing each other. Good things happend then, I think it will again. If nothing else we'll learn a great deal about ourselves at the Jay Challenge and be in good shape to put in a good showing at the 24 Hours of Great Glen. So who's up for a trip to North Carolina in Sept? I'll led A1 fill you all in.

Dr. Evil

Good test

2006-06-02T07:53:00.000-05:00

So this morning I got up 4:45 and headed out to get some tent things. Finished up a little after six, headed to the office geared up and was on the trail by 6:30. Decided to test the stamina and legs. Starting from the sign on the north end of Sticks and Stones, headed up Peaked Mtn. over the traverse and then down to the beaver dam over sticks and stones to the sign. First lap, 27 minutes. Repeated, second lap, 26 minutes. Still had plenty of time before heading to the office, third lap, 23 minutes. It's certainly doable in 20 minutes. I wasn't hammering the entire ride. On my third lap I cleaned the loop which made a difference and made it from sign to river crossing at the top of the climb in 7:01, fastest climb of the three laps.

It was a good test, now I have a gauge of legs and stamina for a sustained 1:16 of close to race pace. Felt good...didn't even come close to distance and climbing of Jay. Ouch.

A1

MTB course final touches

2006-06-01T20:26:00.000-05:00

The course is on paper 5 miles longer than last year with much more interesting features.

Post from Dan, course designer:

I have eliminated the two way traffic on the Single track section in Montgomery

Their is a completely new 21 miles on the course ;Yes 21, this is 1/3 of the course completely re design.

I have also added a swearing section. This is the only word that I could come up for this type of section. You will be on it at mile 16, it will last about 1 hour and it will give you good sense of adventure.

The race is only starting and you will already wanted to quit.

See you next July and please no baby bitching how hard the race is.
_________________
Dan
The Jay Challenge, Race Director

reality check

2006-05-31T15:06:00.000-05:00

the closer we get to jay, the farther 70 miles and the higher 12,000 feet seems. i'm bound and determined to make it through, and really have no doubts that it's going to be the hospital or a dirt nap for me, but this is going to be the most difficult thing most of us have ever done.

if there's ever a time to listen to your own body and realize when to push and when to hold back, this is the time to do it. so, like the dr. says: the team is alive and well, but, come july 30, each member needs to pay attention to his own pace - five begin the challenge, five complete the challenge!

korea slim