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LoToJa 2015

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  • LoToJa 2015

    So my doc is thinking of holding off on surgery for the leg and frankly it's been feeling better....better enough that I decided to sign up for LoToJa. I have no idea what my chances are to get in, but I've heard it's tougher to get in as a new entrant. I did sign up with a team that has a guy that's done it 5-6 times and a couple others that have done it, so hopefully that see my application, have pity, and decide to let me ride with them.

    I've got a 150 miler next weekend and then I'm hoping my leg continues to get better, or at least not get worse, and hte NSAIDs and stretching keep thing loose enough to pound out 206 miles.
    "Discipleship is not a spectator sport. We cannot expect to experience the blessing of faith by standing inactive on the sidelines any more than we can experience the benefits of health by sitting on a sofa watching sporting events on television and giving advice to the athletes. And yet for some, “spectator discipleship” is a preferred if not primary way of worshipping." -Pres. Uchtdorf

  • #2
    Originally posted by Moliere View Post
    So my doc is thinking of holding off on surgery for the leg and frankly it's been feeling better....better enough that I decided to sign up for LoToJa. I have no idea what my chances are to get in, but I've heard it's tougher to get in as a new entrant. I did sign up with a team that has a guy that's done it 5-6 times and a couple others that have done it, so hopefully that see my application, have pity, and decide to let me ride with them.

    I've got a 150 miler next weekend and then I'm hoping my leg continues to get better, or at least not get worse, and hte NSAIDs and stretching keep thing loose enough to pound out 206 miles.
    That's great; hopefully you get in. I believe signing up with veterans improve your odds. I've also been told that donating to some of those causes at the end of the registration process can improve your odds.

    I was talking with a neighbor the other day about not doing Lotoja this year. After thinking about it a little, I'm a bit sad I didn't go for it again this year. It's probably a good thing, though, as I am in horrible shape and have some other things going on that would be a pretty big hindrance to training.
    When things are at their darkest, it's a brave man that can kick back and party. --Tuck Pendleton

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    • #3
      I got in
      "Discipleship is not a spectator sport. We cannot expect to experience the blessing of faith by standing inactive on the sidelines any more than we can experience the benefits of health by sitting on a sofa watching sporting events on television and giving advice to the athletes. And yet for some, “spectator discipleship” is a preferred if not primary way of worshipping." -Pres. Uchtdorf

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Moliere View Post
        I got in
        I'll tell you the same thing I told my friend that got in. Dummy.
        I told him he was a goddamn Nazi Stormtrooper.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Moliere View Post
          I got in
          Congratulations. It'll be a big weight around your neck for the next few months, but it's a beautiful ride and you'll be glad you did it.
          When things are at their darkest, it's a brave man that can kick back and party. --Tuck Pendleton

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Moliere View Post
            I got in
            Congratulations. It's a big day and one that feels so good to finish. I'm glad I'm taking a break from it this year so I'll just look forward to your write up.

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            • #7
              Congrats
              "Guitar groups are on their way out, Mr Epstein."

              Upon rejecting the Beatles, Dick Rowe told Brian Epstein of the January 1, 1962 audition for Decca, which signed Brian Poole and the Tremeloes instead.

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              • #8
                108 miles down last Saturday: https://connect.garmin.com/activity/844100440

                Felt really good. My riding partner did pretty well, although I pulled him the last 10 or so miles, dropping him twice and having to wait a bit, but it was crazy hot and humid for the last hour or two. This was my 3rd century in the last 1.5 months. Now I've got 80 milers for the next couple Saturdays and a final, big 150 miler on August 15 before tapering. I've gone from thinking this ride was way out of the realm of possibility to actually thinking I can complete it.

                The thing that is the most encouraging is my heart rate data. An average HR of 139 over that distance and a decent speed is great for me. I'm hoping that it's even better in the cooler September weather of LOTOJA since I'll need to stay in a lower zone for much longer if I'm going to complete 206 miles.
                "Discipleship is not a spectator sport. We cannot expect to experience the blessing of faith by standing inactive on the sidelines any more than we can experience the benefits of health by sitting on a sofa watching sporting events on television and giving advice to the athletes. And yet for some, “spectator discipleship” is a preferred if not primary way of worshipping." -Pres. Uchtdorf

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Moliere View Post

                  The thing that is the most encouraging is my heart rate data. An average HR of 139 over that distance and a decent speed is great for me. I'm hoping that it's even better in the cooler September weather of LOTOJA since I'll need to stay in a lower zone for much longer if I'm going to complete 206 miles.
                  Considering that you'll be riding +5,000 feet in elevation above your normal, good luck with that.

                  PS. Congrats on the training. That's impressive.
                  I told him he was a goddamn Nazi Stormtrooper.

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Dwight Schr-ute View Post
                    Considering that you'll be riding +5,000 feet in elevation above your normal, good luck with that.

                    PS. Congrats on the training. That's impressive.
                    Ha, good point. I've been assured that the lack of climbing and altitude training is made up for by riding centuries in the Houston heat/humidity of July/August. I guess we'll see.
                    "Discipleship is not a spectator sport. We cannot expect to experience the blessing of faith by standing inactive on the sidelines any more than we can experience the benefits of health by sitting on a sofa watching sporting events on television and giving advice to the athletes. And yet for some, “spectator discipleship” is a preferred if not primary way of worshipping." -Pres. Uchtdorf

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                    • #11
                      I think you'll be fine with that training plan. Piece of cake. I live just above sea level and have done some big rides that climb up to 9,000 feet and I've not had a huge problem. I also rarely go beyond 70% of race distance during training rides. After a certain level of fitness it is mostly about your nutrition and calorie intake on the big day.

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                      • #12
                        I should add a caveat that I do plenty of plenty of climbing, even if most of it does take place below 1,500-2,000 feet or so. So it's not exactly the same scenario that you are dealing with.

                        I've heard of other flat landers using the wind as their resistance on training rides to simulate climbs. The main thing is getting plenty of time pushing a heavier gear on those flat rides to get the quads used to mashing on the pedals a bit more than usual.

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by bluegoose View Post
                          I should add a caveat that I do plenty of plenty of climbing, even if most of it does take place below 1,500-2,000 feet or so. So it's not exactly the same scenario that you are dealing with.

                          I've heard of other flat landers using the wind as their resistance on training rides to simulate climbs. The main thing is getting plenty of time pushing a heavier gear on those flat rides to get the quads used to mashing on the pedals a bit more than usual.
                          Climbing is one thing I lack. I got under 2,000 feet of elevation on my long ride last weekend, and that's including the fact we consciously took the hilliest course possible. I do 1-2 cycle classes a week and one of them focuses more on strength, which means we do a lot of higher resistance pedaling both in and out of the saddle. But that's all I got. Maybe I'll start doing a couple longer sessions in the trainer at a higher resistance.

                          I have had one idea, which is just logistically troublesome, but it entails climbing parking garages downtown. I have access to one that is 12 stories.
                          "Discipleship is not a spectator sport. We cannot expect to experience the blessing of faith by standing inactive on the sidelines any more than we can experience the benefits of health by sitting on a sofa watching sporting events on television and giving advice to the athletes. And yet for some, “spectator discipleship” is a preferred if not primary way of worshipping." -Pres. Uchtdorf

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                          • #14
                            My last long ride before the race last year really freaked me out. We started super late (11am) because that was when the rest of the group could go (all 2 of them...ha!), which meant we were riding in some pretty hot weather. I ended up walking probably a mile of our last climb to the top, feeling sick for the final 30 miles or so, and puking my guts out. It was a long, long day and had me very worried about actual race day. Ultimately, I felt much better on race day that I did on that shorter training ride in the heat. (Though I still puked my guts out about an hour after finishing the race...)

                            You'll be fine with what you've been riding. Don't push it too hard early, at least not for extended periods of time. Stay with a group - even if the group is going a little slower than you'd like, you'll have another group come by eventually to pass that you can jump into. I decided I wasn't going to do any pulling (if I could help it) for the first half of the race. There were enough horses who wanted to take the lead, that it was never an issue.

                            One of the things that caught me off guard - so I'll share - is how much corners would break up the peleton during that first leg. The group would slow for a moment going around the corner, but then would take off. If you weren't ready for it, you'd get dropped. That was about the only time I really worked on that first leg - catching back up after each corner to stay with the group. I thought it was worth it at the time to stay with the biggest group - but 2 of the guys I was with couldn't bridge the gaps. One was able to stay with a small group and ended up only about 3-4 minutes behind us. The other ended up riding solo for most of that leg. He's also the one who didn't finish. I was probably about 2/3 of the way back when the race started. Next time I think I'd prefer to be in the first third.

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                            • #15
                              Good advice. Unfortunately I have little practical experience riding in a larger group. I can handle 3-4 people just fine but more than that I haven't ever really done. Fortunately I registered with a group of 5 people, 3 of which have completed it before with one of them completing it 6 or 7 times.

                              Last year when this group rode, they started out too fast. The peloton was cruising at around 25 mph all the way to the first stop. They've said they would have preferred to slow down a bit and maybe lee some stragglers together for drafting in a second peloton behind the first. I think that is the plan. However, regardless we will have 5 people to rotate through leading. On my recent centuries I'm probably pulling 55-60% of the time, which gives me confidence since I'm not doing centuries with 10 people and only pulling for 10 miles. But again, the climbs do scare me, but I have climbed the Alpine loop, Butterfield and Emigration canyons before so I have a small amount of experience there.

                              My own goal is to make it to the KOM point without feeling totally destroyed. Then I figure I have 30-40 miles of descent/downhill to get my legs back and then just suffer through the remaining 60-70 miles. It sounds odd, but I'm really looking forward to the sufferfest.
                              "Discipleship is not a spectator sport. We cannot expect to experience the blessing of faith by standing inactive on the sidelines any more than we can experience the benefits of health by sitting on a sofa watching sporting events on television and giving advice to the athletes. And yet for some, “spectator discipleship” is a preferred if not primary way of worshipping." -Pres. Uchtdorf

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