Last Weekend Was Cold!

I was up in Asheville for 4 days last week. Adam and I headed up Wed. after work to attend a bicycle fit class on Thursday and Friday. It was a good class and we learned alot. It was very cold however and we nearly froze to death Thursday night at Bent Creek. When Robert, Adam, and I made it to the top of Green's Lick trail my computer read 10 degrees and both my waterbottles were frozen. After a slow, freezing descent resulted in frozen tears and eyelashes we called it a night.

More class on friday, then riding after work. As it was 1 degree on the bank sign when we woke up we decided to ride indoors that night. Robert made some phone calls and got us in to use the computrainers at Asheville Velo Sports. That was fun and quickly got out of hand. We were suppose to have a nice easy spin. However, when all 3 of us got rolling, we could see each others power, speed, and position on the screen. Within 1 minute of starting it was on. I looked up and I was already at over 400 watts for the first few minutes. I tried to chill out but it was hard as everyone was trying to ride the others into the ground. What a room of idiots. Anyways, after 1/2 hr I was averaging 265 watts and decided that I had to knock it down to under 200 ASAP. That was the general consensus of everyone as we declared an uneasy truce for the rest of the ride. After dinner at Marco's Pizza we hit the sack.

Sat- got in a great 4 1/2 hr. road ride. Warmer weather and a good group with some sense made the time fly by. Legs were light and cadence high. Could have probably ridden 2 more hrs.

Sun- Another good ride at Bent Creek. Got in about 3 hrs. and rode every trail there. Saw some cool stuff-literally. Lake Powhatan was frozen solid. After some strategic rock throwing and probing we inched out on it hanging from a bridge (just in case). After we had proven that it was indeed frozen solid we walked around some and Adam even rode out on the ice on his bike. Crazy.

After that we were exhausted and headed home to warmer weather. The cold weather followed us here and it was freezing by morning. Rode home in snow flurries Tues. night. Snow at the beach. Nice. Hope it returns to the normal 60 degree winter weather soon!

DH

5 days

It's been five days now. No caffeine, carbonation, or refined sugar. I think I'm starting to get over the hump. The headaches and body pain have started to subside. I still feel as if my head is in a fog but that should clear up soon. I keep telling myself that this is a good thing. I also tell myself that this is stupid and I'll crack soon and be back to 5-6 diet cokes a day and 4-5 cookies. But right now I'm holding strong- cold turkey style. Actually, I'm working on mental toughness right now. Someone ( who will be savagely beaten ) has placed a tupperware container of Bananna nut Chocolate chip muffins on the counter near me and has been taunting me. Reminds me of the old days of Cane Creek with Wes taunting me with Oatmeal Cream pies. I could really eat one of those right now. Last time some of those were involved, it turned into a bet over me being able to eat a dozen of them. The large ones, not the 25 cent gas station variety but the costco variety. I ate em' all but had one of the worst sugar high/crashes of my life within 3 minutes of completing the challenge. Looking back- I think I almost died. Look how far off subject I am now. I should probably get a diet coke so I can focus. Oh wait. I don't drink those anymore. The plan is to dump the caffeine so that when I am racing and I drink a coke I get a bigger boost. I have become so use to caffeine now that I can no longer tell that I have had some unless I have a triple esspresso or something. I have lost five lbs. this week after cutting the sugar. That is not too bad to be without.
Anyways- I'll keep everyone updated on this struggle as I progress.
DH

75 degrees and sunny!

Beautiful day out today. It was a nice change from the fog and wet conditions this past weekend gave us. Got out for 80 miles on the road bike today- nice loop, low traffic, and good legs. Got in an hour of tempo that felt like only 30 mins. When I got home and downloaded my ride I had set 3 new peak power marks. That's 4 in the last 3 days! So yeah- fitness is coming along nicely with 6 weeks left until racing starts. Gonna kick it off as usual in FL with the 12 Hrs. of Santos. Last 3 races there ( 12 Hrs. of Razorback included ) have netted me a 3rd, 4th, and 6th in the solo race. I really want to improve on that. I'm a month ahead of my usual fitness level this time of year so everything should go well. This year's race should be tough, hopefully with a deeper field than 2008. Doesn't really matter though- those races are tough enough if no one shows up- it's still 12 hrs! Can't wait. Good trails, great weather, and great people always make that weekend one of the best of the year.
Before that trip however, I have a trip to Asheville to make on the 15th-20th of Jan. I'm going to a bicycle fitting seminar to learn more about that. Should be good- I'm really starting to get into the subtleties of that. Then I'll ride the latest and greatest bikes from Fisher and Trek for 3 more days in the area before returning home to the land of zero elevation and bad pavement.
Yeah, FL. Santos. Bring it on.
Later-
DH

Mandatory end of the year post

Here's the mandatory end of the year post about my 2009 race schedule, team, and thanks to 2008 sponsors.

I will be racing for Wake Racing out of Athens, GA. I'm not sure yet what the sponsors are 100% but here are the ones I know:
I'll be riding Niner frames, XO drivetrain, I-9 wheels, Hayes brakes, WTB tires and saddles, Thompson posts and stems, ergon grips and packs, Cane Creek 110 headsets, Manitou forks, Crank Brothers pedals, and Louis Garneau clothing and helmets. I'll post more on that when I know everything.
Should be a real solid group of racers- don't know all of them yet but looking forward to racing with Chris Janizewski, Shey Linder and the others.

My 2009 schedule will be 10-11 XC races ( mainly SERC series ), XC National Championships in CO, 4-5 12 Hr races, 24 Hr National Championships in AZ, and a couple of 100 milers ( prob. Fool's Gold in Dahlonega,GA and Shenendoah 100 in VA ). I'll fill in w/ road races whenever else I can. I'd like to take care of unfinished business at Master's Nationals in KY if time off permits.

Thanks to my 2008 Sponsors- been with these guys a long time- Cane Creek and Maxxis. These companies have provided me with some of the best equipment out there and I am very thankfull for that. I will fortunately be riding Cane Creek again but due to WTB sponsoring the team, I will have to say farewell to Maxxis tires. Gonna miss em'

Everyone have a great 2009!
DH

12/31/08

Tenderized

Man I'm sore. It's been awhile since I've ridden moto that hard. Usually out there with Alex and waiting from time to time. Rode pretty hard for 3 hrs. Feels like I've been doing lunges for that long. Pecs are sore too from pulling up on the bars. Wambaw is nothing but 3-4 foot woops in tight trees- hard to let it rip. You have to muscle the bike around alot. Doesn't help that I shoulder checked a tree @ 35mph. Anyways- hope to feel more mobile tomorrow so I can get a good ride in.
Later-
DH

Wambaw

I wanted to get in a good ride today. Didn't feel like riding the road bike. Tired of Marrington so the MTB is out. Oh yeah- I've got the Kawasaki. Almost forgot about that. Loaded up the trailer and moto and was soon off for Francis Marion National Forest. Pulled up at the Wambaw Swamp ORV area and was pleased to see that the normal deep, powdery sand was soaking wet. That means good traction instead of slippery mess that is tough to ride. I wasn't dissapointed- the trail conditions were great- moist sand with some mud puddles every now and then. Got caught in a torrential downpour about 9 miles in. That didn't last too long and soon everything dried up. Got in a couple of laps on the 20 mile North Loop, packed up and rolled on home for a shower and some food.

Later-

DH

No White Christmas Here!

The temp. hit 80 degrees yesterday- or so I heard. Had a nice Christmas day, still get awakened at 6 AM the two children in my house. Opened presents by the time the sun was up. Had Alex's new DRUM SET assembled shortly and we were jammin' out. Liza had a late lunch planned so Alex and I went to the skate park. He skates and I brought the bike. It got so hot while we were there that the shirts came off. Christmas and I am riding shirtless. Pretty rediculous. Pulled an unintentional 360 on the quarter pipe but managed to land it. I'm not sure, but I think I ran over my leg too. It was a pretty close call and we were both getting tired so we headed back home for a terrific Christmas dinner.
After gaining 10 pounds we loaded up and went to the beach for awhile to work off lunch. Home by 3pm then a movie-thon till bedtime closed out the day.

Got out for 55 miles this morning early, then just hanging out today. Getting packed up to head off to Dahlonega, GA to visit w/ my family this weekend. Takin' the mountain bike- hoping to get by Bull Mtn. for some good trails- I'm about to lose my mind riding the same old stuff here. I'll get some good pictures and let you know how the trip turns out.
Later-
DH

Busted

I just thought the cat was dehydrated all the time. He has a water dish the size of a pool. Now I know what's up. I saw him head for the bathroom and stalked up on him Discovery Channel style and here's the evidence. No wonder his breath smells so bad!

DH

Just Another Mega Monday

Got out for another long one today. Pretty much the same route as last mon. but with an extra out and back to check out Lake Moultrie. The "trail" heads NW from there another 27 miles- gonna have to save that for another trip. Changed the route slightly to get around some very wet sections too. Beautiful day out- sunny, 55 deg., and low wind ( a tailwind the last 30 miles this week!) Got in a tad more mileage than last week but knocked 45 mins. off to get back home under 7 hrs. Felt pretty strong today after taking 2 1/2 hrs. to finally get rolling!

Later-DH

More ride pictures

More ride pictures. The picture that looks like nothing but woods and leaves is actually the trail. I swear some parts of that trail have not been used in years. You really have to watch the blazes.

Stickers

Guess what? The election is over. Personal accountability has been done away with. Everybody is going to get bailed out of debt.

Take the Obama or McCain stickers off your cars!!!

We all know who you support- we know who won.

The election has been over for a month.
Guess I'm gonna have to start removing stickers from vehicles ninja style.
That's all I have to say about that.
Later-
DH

117.48

Long ride today. Did a loop that has always been in my head- decided yesterday that I would give it a go. Left my house in James Island @ 8:00 AM and headed west to Monks Corner. Then up to Bonneau where the Swamp Fox passage of the Palmetto trail starts. 45 miles later, I was in Awendaw on Hwy 17. Back to the house from there. Crosswinds for the 45 miles to Monks Corner, tailwinds on the trail where it didn't matter, and 26-29 mph dead on headwind the last 40 miles. Felt fine for 90 miles or so. By mile 95 I had had it with the headwind- I'd been in it for almost 20 miles and was getting tired and hungry. Finally got back to civilization and made a stop for some cookies and a coke. With the exception of averaging 3 mph over the Ravanel bridge, the rest of the ride was fine. Ended up with 7 1/2 hrs. and 117ish miles. Not bad, legs were great for the most part, neck and back are fine, and I never really hurt at all physically. ( The mental beating I took in the wind was another story! ) Time for a shower and some rest- I'm sure I'll be hungry soon too ( a double quarter lb. cheeseburger is going through my head right now). Hopefully Liza will be home soon and make us something good to eat so I can avoid the Golden Arches!

Later-

DH

Triple Option

Wow. 409 rushing yards against UGA. Ya knew the triple option was coming. Giving up multiple 60 yd. touchdowns. Stings doesn't it?
Go Jackets!

Bike improvements

Got out to the trails again today for 45ish miles. Nice, sunny day with 50 deg. temps and no wind. My rig is running great now since I made a few crucial upgrades. Gone is the aluminum switchblade fork- in it's place is the carbon version. Waayy smoother ride now and I think it is a tad lighter if that means anything. Ditched the Thompson seatpost too ( not because it is a bad post- still the best out there for most bikes!) and replaced it with a Bontrager XXX carbon variety- again, much smoother although prob. heavier- see how things even out! Last on the list was to can the BMX grips and replace them with a pair of green Ergon GX-1 grips. Those grips are great! I've been trying to get a pair for the last year but none of my distributors have had 'em in stock. Worth the wait. I've had problems with my two outside fingers and 1/2 my hand going numb about an hour into a ride since 12 hrs. of Santos this year. Once I got the angle right (critical) the grips worked great- I've got in two four hr. rides in the last 3 days with no hand problems! Anyways- the bike is riding great now- almost can't tell it is rigid until I get on the gas and it moves! Now- have to find some good wheels for it- the stockers came off a tractor trailer I think.
Anybody have any suggestions for hydration packs- let me know- My hydrapack is getting on my last nerve. It would be great to have something that keeps the water in until I need to use it instead of resembling a cropduster spraying down the trail (and me). Something with straps that one could adjust while riding would be great too!
Later-
DH

Today's ride

Got in 50+ solid miles today on the mountain bike. 60-63 deg. and sunny made for a good day! Here's some pictures-

The camera is back in action!

Lost my download cable for my camera so I haven't been able to get any new pictures up. I have also lost my belt and my leg warmers somewhere in the move. I found the cable this morning so I'm up and running there. Now- if I can just find the belt everything will be fine.

Anyways- here are some pictures from the Savannah Cyclocross race and one I took while road riding up in Asheville a couple of weeks ago.

Headed out now for 4-5 hrs on the mountain bike for some tempo effort. I'll get some pics up of that as well.

Later-

DH

Tuesday

Winter is finally starting to show up here. 42 deg. today and awfully windy. Tomorrow morning it is suppose to be 28 degrees (gasp!) People are gonna freak out here. They will probably run out and buy up all the bread, water, and fire logs that they can find. They can't handle any kind of weather change down here. Hurricanes, cold snaps, and heaven forbid snow. I remember in 2002 a flurry was reported and everything shut down. People got into wrecks on I-26 and 526 out of principle I guess. Bizzare.

Anyways-
Got in a good 3 hr. tempo MTB ride at Marrington today, despite the conditions. It was still sunny out so it couldn't be that bad! The legs felt good and wasn't very hard to knock out some mileage. Have a new carbon fork on order for the rig. Can't wait to get that as my hands were done in again today by the roots. Man that place is rough. Got to ride some new trails too- once finished and worn in , they will be the best by far in Charleston. The new trails have a surprising ammount of elevation change, some rocks, a couple of creek crossings, and something new to the area that I have identified as a "bench cut singletrack".
Anyways- figure I should go ride em' as much as I can to help wear them in.

Got to see a crew of guys turning a swamp into a lake out there too. 3 huge boats destroying everything in the water. They had huge blades spinning at the bow that were chopping everything to oblivion. Muddy water , mud, logs, and bushes were flying 20 feet into the air. Never seen anything like it. There were other boats as well, they had conveyor belts and paddle wheels. Those guys were picking up the destroyed gunk and loading it into dump trucks up on a dike. Never noticed how big that swamp was until it turned into a muddy lake. Guess they will dredge it some too then that will be that!
I need a nap-
Later-
DH

Long overdue update

I guess I've got alot of catching up to do. Here's what I've been up to in Oct. and Nov.:
1. Cyclocross race in Savannah Oct 19th- Raced the singlespeed race first on my Gary Fisher Rig w/ 700c disc wheels. Was way undergeared and had a hard time on the flats- there were alot, but managed to get 3rd. Geared up a couple of teeth for the Pro race next and rode much better. Finished mid pack @ 15th.

2. Bought a house on Oct 24th and moved in that weekend. We had a good group and moved the whole house in 3 hours flat. Pretty impressive. The new house rocks! I think- all I pay attention to is the garage. The garage rocks! Tons of room for many bikes and motorcycles.

3. Work

4. Riding about 16 hrs a week now, gym work for the last 7 weeks. Feeling pretty strong.

5. Trip to NC to "race" the Swank 65 Mtb race in Brevard. 40 ish miles of technical terrain. Took the singlespeed rigid rig instead of suspension and gears. Didn't regret it. ( regreted it for about 5 min climbing up to Farlow Gap ) Race went well. I had decided that I would keep my HR under 175 since it is winter and I should be doing base training. Raced in cutt-off Dickie's to remind me to not get too serious. Managed to stay under 170 hr and have fun for the most part. The best part was passing all the full suspension walkers down Farlow. Rode that section better than ever, only dismounting for a couple of creeks at the bottom of the steep stuff and one 10-15 foot drop into a creek. Thanks to the 29" wheels rolling over everything! Anyways- Never red lined it, had fun, and rode well to finish 18th out of 150. I'll take it for now.

Later-
DH

Fall is starting to show up.

The weather is finally starting to get nice. 60's in the mornings and mid to high 70's by the afternoon. I am so ready for summer to be gone. Should be nice out until Dec. now. I hope so, I've got alot of miles to ride from now until January! Speaking of that, I'm feeling much better now. The soreness has all gone away and the legs are starting to feel good- getting alot of power out of them at low levels of intensity. Added more weight to my gym workouts yesterday and ran a much longer loop last night than normal. I think I'm gonna push it longer on tomorrow's run as well. Got one of my new bikes up and running this weekend. Brad and I got up to Marrington Plantation for a couple of hours of trail riding. I have to bump up the gearing on my bike- already ditched the stock setup and still need a taller gear. The race bike will need an even taller one when it comes in. So goes the fun of singlespeeds- looking forward to a different setup every race. Anyways- the bike rode well- 29'er w/ a rigid fork feels nearly as comfy as a 26 w/ a suspension fork. I spent all last year on the Yeti w/ a rigid fork and enjoyed it so these new bikes will be cake to ride. I'll end up with 2 Fox 29 suspension forks to sell if anyone is interested!
I need to go to work now-
Later-
DH