Camp Eden Training Center

Sunday I rolled up to Karl and Shawn's house at like 9100ft or so. Basically, just sickly high up. I've dubbed it the Camp Eden Training/Wind Tunnel Center. We had a nice dinner outside on their deck then got down to business of working on my tt position and road position. My hips were no able to clear on the tt frame which was causing some serious gluteus maximus pain and just ugly bouncing. We got it diealed in and brought my arms in a little closer thus decreasing my frontal exposure. Rode it yesterday and felt much better as well as you can feel on a tt bike. Power is good and I'm riding smooth with a nice flat back and super quiet upper body. My road position on the new bike is much better than the Wilier. I've been pretty happy with it. The longer top tube definitely makes a big difference for me. I really believe it takes some time to find what type of bike fits you and allows you to perform your best. All the hard work in the off season through core strengthening and just better riding skills has definitely paid off. Karl did a test by putting an empty cup on my back while I spun on the trainer. The cup stayed completely still.

Riding around this weekend, I saw a lot of riders out just b/c it was such a nice weekend. I see a lot of different riding styles and its quite easy to spot the undertrained or ill-fitted riders. Bouncing all around and lots of upper body movement is a killer to the ride b/c all of that wasted energy. Its definitely not easy, but some specific training can definitely benefit all riders.

Sunday, I did a race type effort, 3hrs of all out on my Lee Hill/Lefthand/Old Stage circuit. I don't remember the last time my legs felt so good. Perhaps its standing up on one's feet for two days straight after getting frozen 3 days prior on a ride. Needless to say, it was good. Needed another bottle, surprisingly, I emptied 2 bottles in 3 hours which is pretty good for me. The arrid, high altitude riding really sucks the fluids out of you. I might have to start packing a 3rd bottle. On my way up Left Hand, I rolled by Jonny Clarke and Ivan Stevic both of Toyota-United. They were just on a chill pace, after killing it the last few weeks in the NRC. I gave the pro hand nod when I went by. Stevic looked like he was suffering a little in the heat. Rode by some High Road rider, female, Ausie champ of sorts going by the arm band. Just another day of riding in Boulder.

Hopefully the form will stay through this weekend at Hugo. I've got good Ju-Ju going so I'm thinking big for the weekend.

Ciao,
Roberto

Just Go Higher

On Thursday, I decided to go for a 3-4hr tempo ride. Legs came around after a while but still little tight from the tt the night before. Goal was to head up CO-7 from Lyons to CO-72(Peak to Peak) then cruise to Ward then back down. Weather forecasts were thunderstorms throughout the day. Having been in the Bay Area for the last 3 years, its been awhile since I've experienced a good thunderstorm. Climb started off nice. Its basically a 16mi climb from about 5300 to 8300 ft. Nothing too steep but its very exposed as opposed to the Left Hand Canyon climb which is tucked away between the pines. After about 8mi, I could see the darkening of the clouds as if it was the day of reckoning. I pressed on. Soon I got a little bit of frozen precip on my jersey. It stopped, and I decided to pursue my effort b/c this is a training and I need to get stronger. Well, about 2mi from the summit, it starts coming down quicker...roads are wet, but I'm feeling good and wanting to clear the summit. I hit the summit and the shit hits the fan so to speak. At this point, its hailing and the roads are super wet. I begin my descent, not wanting to press the limiters today. Hail picks up, now its whiteout. Fortunately, my long sleeve jersey is keeping some body temperature in house. Still can't escape the artillery fire of mother nature. Thoughts running through head,

"wow, this was stupid...Suck it up matthew...the road is covered with ice...damn this hurts...suck it up...Hampsten did it in the Giro...a hot shower will be awesome...focus matthew...should I stop?...no place to stop...need to get lower...damn its really coming down now...ohh theres that woman I passed earlier...no time to stop and chat...how much further?....ahhh, dry roads...why can't I feel my hands and why are there red marks all over my body?...come on legs you have to work a little more...wow, i'm freakin hungry and cold..."


So I ended up making it back safe. Legs were just about useless after i hit the dry stuff in Lyons. Eventually made it home and the shower was good but the hail left a lasting impression on my baby soft skin.

Lessons learned: when its getting dicey as you go higher, ummm don't get higher b/c the mountains will punish you.

Ciao,
Roberto

Legs are Coming Around

One thing that I have noticed about the weeks after Gila, you have a much higher level of pain tolerance. As amatuers, you often read about the pros talking about riding into form and gaining form from racing. For riders looking do well in the Olympics, many are hoping for a ride in Le Tour, 20 days of leg breaking racing. I only got5 days of high caliber, altitude racing but is has definitely lead to some fitness growth. I didn't get to experience the full effect of the post race form b/c I was sick, but I'm definitely seeing the improvement made. Racing is picking up full steam here in CO. Every Tues night there is a 1/2/3 criterium and Wed evenings is a 10.6mi time trial. Its like back in Belgium where the summer months bring racing and recovery. I will still be training but will be spending less time but keeping intensity high in my effort to keep recovery high. Next weekend, May 31/June 1, I'm doing the Hugo RR and the City Park Criterium. It could be a 4 race week.

As far as the riding is going, CO couldn't be more spectacular.Its been quite warm here the last week, 70s-80s. I did a super nice mountain loop on Sunday following a tempo day on Saturday. I rode north to Lyons then went up 36 to Estes Park. From Estes, I took CO-7 to Allenspark, where I got a soda(ie the perfect on the bike drink). From Allenspark, i hit the Peak-to-Peak Hwy(CO-72) and rode to Nederland before dropping down Boulder Canyon to Boulder and back home. Lots of climbing, not any fast descents unfortunately b/c of the head/cross winds. I did get a nice tail wind as I was cruising next to Mt. Meeker(13,400ft) and Longs Peak(14k?) I was probably in the 8000 foot range. Its pretty sick going 60-65km/h in your top gear on the flats. I gave a few cars a run for their money.

All in all, 164km, 4200kjs, 5hr40min. not too bad for an "endurance" pace ride by myself in the rockies. I think my 164km ride back during Cranksgiving with much less altitude gain was Just under 5hr50min. still had a nice bit at the end so things are good. I followed it up yesterday with a 2hr recovery ride showing my roommate Kelly's friend some of the great riding in boulder. I think the altitude sucked him dry. Its definitely the equalizer out here. Which is why, in my opinion, the racing is so much harder out here as compared to other areas of the country.

On the employment side, I wasn't cutting it as a bicycle salesperson. so I got moved to the service area. Which was my entire goal in the beginning anyways. Now I get to work on bicycles and learn a trade. My rant about bicycle sales is that through my experience, there are some pretty bold statements made about certain bicycles. I think there is a perfect bike for everyone out there, and I'm not into pushing a bike onto someone only to have them garage the bike b/c they don't like it thus creating a waste of resources and an upset person. Also, while I'm on my soapbox, if you are going to sell something, you better "know" the product from use and form your own opinion not the opinion that bike or product makers tell you. They will always say their bikes are superior, to do anything less would be business suicide. Me on the other hand, I have no allegience, and I will gladly tell you when a certain bike sucks or if it rocks.

Ciao,
Roberto

Who wants to race their bike?

This is probably what I looked at when those jags crashed into each other and consequently took me out and my ride.

Tofu and Peanut Curry Salad

I have been craving some curry so I got my curry on tonight. Wanting to keep it different, I made it into a salad to catch some of those extra anti-oxidants and vitamin c to help battle el congestion. It had a nice sweet, yet spicy flavor to it. A great option for those carb-neutral people.

Peanut sauce:
2tbs of peanut butter(I prefer the crunchy variety)
1.5tbs of coconut milk
1tsp of soy sauce
1tsp of oyster sauce
1/2 tsp of garlic chili sauce(more if you like the heat)
1/2 of a lime juice
1/2tsp of lime zest
1tsp of rice wine vinegar
1tbs of minced ginger
1tbs of minced garlic
1 tsp of honey
1 tsp of sesame oil
chopped cilantro
1tbs of water

Mix together and let sit for awhile(10-15min or longer)
Heat peanut oil and cook tofu over high heat. You want a firm crusty outer coating to the tofu. Next add chopped carrots, zuchinni, 1tsp of minced garlic, 1 tsp of minced ginger. Cook over high heat and tossing regularly. Once vegetables are cooked, add sauce. Toss together and cook for another 5-7minutes. Toss extra cilantro and mix together. Spoon over bowl of fresh spinach.
Enjoy!
Roberto

Another Day of Sweet Boulder County Open Space Trail Riding

Despite being all congested I went out for a 2.5 hr spin on the Titus. I did my the loop I have been doing recently but found some new routes. Finding new places is one of the things that draws me to the bike so often. Today was one of those days. Unfortunately the places I wanted to head up were for hikers only. Me being the conscious trail guy I decided not to go illegal. Tomorrow I am going to head up to Heil Ranch which has some nice singletrack loops for the novice rider. Weather is suppose to be gorgeous so i might head down to Golden Gate Canyon as it looks like they have some nice trails to ride. Once again, its an OIB moment. So many outdoor options just minutes from the door.

Here are a few picks from today...

Sickness Sets In

A Big thanks to Eric K. for passing onto me this glorious nasal infection =)
Eric was sick after the race on Sunday and it was inevitable that two days together with 10hrs of car driving, I was bound to inherit his germs. Now, I'm 3 days into it. On Tuesday I went for a easy trail ride with Shawn around Boulder Res. I'm no trail junkie but its pretty sweet to have some dirt trails to ride on just outside the door. Its another one of those OIB(Only In Boulder) moments. Wed I took out the tt rig. Definitely need to spend some more time on her as this was only my 3rd ride on her. One to work, 2nd to race, and 3rd to train. Thats a total out of order way of riding a new bike. The prescription for the day was 2x20min max efforts with some short bursts every 3-5minutes. Then finish up with 5x1min max intervals. Felt fatigued during the ride. Thought it was more of the bike not feeling plush. The last 1min effort totally blew me up. Actually fell asleep in the afternoon only to wake up to that ohh not so good feeling in the throat. I think the workout just put me over the edge. Yesterday was worse. I basically just sat around the house all day. Today I went for an easy trail ride again on the Titus Racer-X around the Res. It was fun. Definitely missing a gear in the legs but to be expected. Tonight I'm feeling super congested. Hopefully it won't last too much longer....On a hopefully positive note, I contacted Calfee in CA. Calfee is an uber carbon fiber bike maker and does carbon repair. Their response to my pictures of estimate were, "Ouch." It looks like they will be able to fix my steed up. After disassembling her today I noticed some issues in the head tube so it might be a little more work.

Roberto

Palak and Chana Masala

So I didn't have a chance to make my own paneer(cheese) or stoop so low to buy some. So I just made a simple palak which is an indian spinach dish. I think it was my best one yet. Quite delicious and healthy too. In addition, for some protein, I made a chana masala which is a chickpea and masala sauce. Masala sauce is a blend of spices with a little tomato and yogurt.

Roberto

Hiking with my Bro...and Me Racing

Gila Recap

Well, I'm back at kitchen table downing some koffee and blogging away. Gila was everything I imagined and didn't imagine. One the way home, Eric and I were talking about how you just don't go and do Gila. The destroys everyone that isn't 100% in the head and in the legs. I ended up 24th overall. I was expecting a better result but sometimes things just go awry and don't work out. Fortunately, I learned a lot and gained some great fitness.

After half-recovering from my little pavement interview on Saturday I was able to secure a Orbea Orca from Chad at SRAM Neutral Support. Chad wasn't suppose to give me the ride b/c the bikes were to be used only for the Pro/1 category. Race leader, Tom Zirbel would have needed it had he broken his bike(coincidently he did but also his collarbone and rib) thuse removing him from the stage midway on Sunday. I was told to be careful and not wreck it. Its quite a unique thing, this neutral support. Here I am, an amatuer rider and they give me a $6k bike to race. No other sport would do such a thing. It was outfitted with SRAM Rival. I must admit, I wasn't took keen on the SRAM shifting. Lost some positions b/c I couldn't shift properly but otherwise the bike was super light and stiff. But I really didn't push it except on the descents which were a little dicey but my tubulars held me nicely.

The last stage is arguably the hardest as they refer to it as the Gila Monster. I struggled early on in the day feeling short of breath. I said a few quick prayers before the final climb. Although I couldn't match the pace of the lead group I rode much better than I expected. Ended up picking my way through the death march on the climb and settling in a group of 5 riders. Eventually, the guatamalan climber dudes and I pulled away and had a 3 man chase to the lead group. They weren't the best descenders. We worked alright together, I was suprised they didn't work me over more since they were both on the same team. We rotated nicely but I had to keep going to the front when the pace dropped on the downhill. About 2.5miles from the finish we picked up another spanish speaking rider, so its me, 2 guatamalans, and a mexican. Fitting, that I was always referred to as Roberto in the results
At about 2miles to go, the 5 riders behind us caught us which surprised me. As my two guatamalans rested and drank and the group settled in, I immediately attacked. Why? I didn't like the situation and I thought that it would be a good time to go since everyone let their guard down. I ended up getting about 15s but was caught with about 1.5k to go. It was sad. I probably would have had a better finish(30th on the day) had I not attacked and waited for the final uphill sprint. But I needed to feel that I could be aggressive. I have always doubted my sprinting, but lately I have been doing better on my finishing sprint, so maybe i should learn to play that card rather than doubting myself.

Well, it was a hard 5 days but enjoyable. Today, Shawn and I are going to go on the mtn bikes. It will be a good change of pace.

Yesterday Shawn sent me this great quote. After reading it several times, I know that eventually things will start to roll my way. Hard work and sacrafice eventually will pay off but you have to believe there is a pearl in that shell.

Ciao,
Roberto

I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.
~Michael Jordan

The Fall of Rome

The underbelly of my ride =(

This is the downtube at the watercage. From my own scene re-creation, I am guessing that my Tacx water cage didn't break soon enough. It was secured to the watercage boss but either the impact or some other rider running over my frame ripped the watercage off which consequently took a lot of carbon with it.

The crash took place on the last lap of the Gila downtown criterium. I was moving up along the ride side about 10th wheel or so. Two riders up ahead ran into each other and went down. I saw it happen then I see the Giant TCR Advanced sliding across the pavement. In my head I was calculating my speed, the speed and direction of the frame and hoping that my collision calculations were incorrect. But nope, I was spot on in my geometric calculations, a skilled that escaped me in 9th grade as I sat bored out of my mind in math class. I can't remember exactly what happened other than the pain of flying over the bars and landing on my head and back. Rudy Project saved my head, cracking on the back side of the helmet. Jersey was torn in two spots with some nice war-like blood stains on my new gloves and undershirt(a result of the puncture in my back). After landing, the first thing I did after praying that no one would run over me was make sure I had feeling and movement in all my limbs. Fortune was on my side as I escaped with only road rash and most likely a slight concussion. I say that b/c I felt nauseated all day on Saturday and into Sunday morning.

The humor in the situation, which is how I need to look at it b/c there was nothing I could do and there is nothing I can do about my poor Wilier was the woman who helped me at the scene. Here I am all beat up, frustrated, and bleeding with my poor broken velo. She is picking up the water cage and the bar end caps. She kept forcing me to take the bar caps and my broken water cage. Her thoughts and intentions were good but look, I just lost my beautiful bike and this woman won't feel rested until she knows that I have my bar end caps regardless of how crappy I look. I finally took them which pleased her. Unfortunately the bar caps weren't mine. So I left with a broken bike and a few bar caps that weren't mine. So glad I got those bar caps b/c my weekend would have been ruined had I not =) lol

chow,
Roberto

Call me Roberto...

So the Gila results after Day-1 refer to me as Roberto Barrowclough. Nice...

Tough ride today. I thought everything was set on the bike then as it is a mechanical device things are bound to go disarray. As soon as I jumped out of the starting gate, I had a problem with my wheel. Immediately had to stop and fix it. Needless to say, it cost me about 30s. I think I did a good job of not worrying about it the rest of the ride but its still frustrating to lose so much in just 10ft. I was running a 55/11 as my top-end with 38mm carbon tubulars but I was still not fast enough on the descent. There was a guy running a disc in front of me with just a 53 and I was killing it and he didn't seem to be going as hard. Eventually I passed him although he started 1.5min behind me. He had a Cervelo so its gotta be a fast bike or I just have awful aerodynamics.

I finished up 36th, conceding a few more minutes. I'm 22nd overall. Hopefully the legs will turn my way on Sunday and I can put in a hella good ride. I definitely need to spend more time on the tt bike. this is just a damn hard race and so much can happen. Tomorrow morning is the criterium. Don't want to burn to many matches but if the option presents itself, I'm going to go for it. Boost my motivation some. Sunday wil just be hella hard though. I cracked last year, don't want to let that happen again.

Chow,
Matthew aka Roberto

Gila Update

Good ride today. Made the lead group and finished in that group. Still 18th on GC but only 3min out of 1st and 2min out of 2nd. tomorrow is the TT. I'm going to lay it all out. legs are feeling better after each day. Course today was tough, over 3000kjs. Wind was sick. The last 8mi it was in the face at 30-45mph according to the news data. How it felt to me: well, it was insane and tough. Positioning was key, otherwise you were shut out.

My host housing has been incredible. I'm in the beautiful adobo home on the hillside. The owners, Chloe and Lee have been super good to me. Eating awesomely and they get their coffee from their coffee-roasting son. Its super tasty. Can't beat fresh roasted coffee.

Stay updated at http://www.tourofthegila.com

Chow,
Matthew