Kush's semi-training thread

Id put in for your upgrade. There is a good chance you may get it without having to fry yourself the rest of the summer to get a point. Great work dude!

I want to do it right before cross! Still 1-2 stage races to go which I'm not any longer in shape for 🙂
 
Goals for 2013.

What should Kush do?

I've achieved what I wanted in road racing last year, I've done the local MTB scene, I've done the local triathlons.

Now I need to do something EPIC because yolo.

Option #1 - I'd like to qualify for Kona. I would do half IM in 2013 (70.3), and a branded full Ironman in 2014. I already qualified for Nationals this year based on performance last year.

Option #2 - La Ruta de los Conquistadores on Oct 24-27 in Costa Rica, the world's toughest MTB race.

If I do triathlons, that would pre-empt everything else. It's very specific training. If I go the other route, I would not do triathlons except for shts and giggles. Can't do both, can't do everything.

Kona is Epic, Ruta is Epic.

:hmmm:
 
La Ruta all they way, start practicing by riding through the great swamp. Guaranteed rain everyday! I think some of Marty's guys have done this.
 
SS Palooza! My 2nd favorite bike race of all time.

I came in 3rd out of 100+ in Open. I got a cool plaque and $100.

It went something like this

Cody, Dan and I are 1-2-3 into Major Mike. Gap the rest of the field. Cody drops Dan and me. Dan drops me. I cruise the rest of the race all by myself. Well, cruise is probably not right, but I felt great and rode hard. Didn't get off my bike once, not even one dab. Really enjoyed the day. Got bunch of KOMs. Because those two aren't on strava.

I have my "ted" set up as a single. J at halters pioneered this, and it works unbelievably great. Bike is 21 lbs. Full sus is so enjoyable.

Dumbass moment - on the prologue, I'm trying to drink from my new Camelbak. Nothing comes through. I'm thinking I'm f'd. Rode the race without water, until when Christine Gozick gave me a super-pro hand-up before the turn to the finishing 2 miles. It didn't really make any difference, which is good. Turns out the hose kinks at the little plastic hose holder on the strap. Duh.

EPIC deliberations
A few people at the race gave great opinions, though surprising the mix is 50/50, I would've thought my peeps would be more geared to MTB!

Anyways, I want to do RUTA. The key reason- Tri training is all-consuming. I'd need to give up MTBing, most non-essential road racing, and cyclocross. I would train a LOT, do time trials, swim, and run. And there's no guarantee I would make Kona next year. Definitely won't qualify this year. Too much sacrifice.

Maybe next year I'll go back to Tri's. Or maybe I'll look into the ideas above. I want to do some different EPIC every year. Because yolo.
 
Awesome work on Sunday! Only bummer was that I didnt get to ride with you again.

I heard cody mention that there is a "qualifier" race for leadville, but no idea what the details are. Otherwise its a lottery.
 
Awesome work on Sunday! Only bummer was that I didnt get to ride with you again.

I heard cody mention that there is a "qualifier" race for leadville, but no idea what the details are. Otherwise its a lottery.

See here: http://www.leadvilleraceseries.com/page/show/309886-register

I did the Whiteface qualifier last year. It ended up being 70 miles. It's a fast race on mostly dirt roads and some blacktop. I think about 4 miles of single-track total, and then a climb half way up Whiteface mountain to end the race (well, you also descend to the bottom before finishing).

You could do this with a bag tied over your head. It would be the same as doing the Leadville 100 miler.
 
Wildcat 100

This was my first 100 mile mtb race. On my way to Ruta, I figured I need to do some ultras

Fun race. I finished 23rd out of 110 starters in the Open field in just under 9 hours. Only 40 people finished before 6pm cutoff, or finished at all.

I should say that I was late to the start. I forgot to put on my timing chip, and jammed back to the car, and by the time I got back, the field was gone. I chased for 10-15 mins, catching up and working my way through 250 of about 300 riders. I recovered on the ST, so it was ok.

Scenery at times was strange and beautiful. The lakes, the caverns, the 20 degree temperature drop in some valley, the waterfall, the fog, it was all really cool.

I felt good. I powered up the climbs, spin spin spin 100+ rpm, and time trialed through the flats where I really gained some time. The technical and undulating ST was tough, but not unfair. There was the land of 1000 wood bridges, then land with 100 rock bridges. The gravel road descent from the big climb was awesome! Dangerous too.

At mile 60 I started to get a second wind, and was really feeling good.

I was riding with John Kuhn for much of the 2nd half. We were perfectly matched, he had a bit of hard time with ST, but was great in the orchards and on climbs. On mile 80, I got a flat, and lost John and 7-10 spots, Foco and Jeff GratefulRider passed me then as well. John finished 16th.

Then into the time trial straight path I was able to bridge up to Foco, who I rode with intermittently. He was awesome smooth on the ST, but I had him on the flat sections. He pulled away as I was kind of cooked after the path effort, and I did not see anyone since, assuming that I would finish behind him. Strangely, the scoresheet put 3 people between me and him. Whatever

It wasn’t all fun and gummy bears. The last 6 mile loop was a kick in the gut, as they make you pass right through the finish linek, with the smell of burgers wafting over. That section was 50% hike a bike, with unrideable mud making bike weigh 10 lbs more. Also, the course was extremely poorly marked. Eveyrone went off course. I did 2x, luckily with others, finding our way back. These guys definitely should take better care of this.

Otherwise, fun race, I’ll need to pick the next one. I didn’t die, and I didn’t bonk. I learned a lot actually about what I can do on this distance and in these conditions.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom