Adventure Race training brick!

Jean-Paul · 08-13-2005, 12:07 PM

Had a great training brick with ODB and his girl last week...

We started with a 12 mile road ride with mild rolling hills. A good warm-up. Then we jumped on to the Oachita Trail, which is NOT a mt bike trail but a very rocky, steep hiking trail. It took three times as long to ride 9 miles on that trail than it did to approach it on the road.

I was most impressed with ODB's girl because she was riding a hardtail and she hung with me and ODB the entire time! I expected as much from ODB. He's really experienced and he's riding a sweet new full-suspension ride. But everytime we were worried that we were too far ahead he would call out to ODBG and she would call right back, "I'm right on your tail!" That's a keeper, Joe!

Joe took a couple of pretty exciting endos, but he just got up, brushed off, denied that he's over 40, and jumped right back on his bike. Thankfully this time I did not crash. my bruises were still a bit sore from my crash a couple of weeks before so I really didn't want to beat myself up any worse. I did conquer one helluva hill that I didn't remember being on this trail from the last time, which made me proud, but I blew my legs out so bad that I had to stop for a couple of minutes and stretch before I could go on.

Some of that trail was just plain ridiculous. I'm not in the habit of riding up or down trails that have the Yosemite decimal ranking system! (I guess you have to be a rock climber to get that joke).

We finished our gruelling ride with a smooth mile of road, then we jumped in canoes where we were joined by my team-mate in upcoming races, Scott. He intended to canoe a seven mile route down the "Little Maumelle," but we took a wrong turn and got lost in a swamp (a stanky swamp at that), and had to back track, winding up doing a 10 mile paddle.

I feel like that was a pretty good idea of what kind of fatigue we will face in future races. Granted a race is usually longer, and there's usually a pretty intense trek on foot as well. The good thing is that I am just now starting to get my legs back. I still have a long way to go to get into the condition I was in a couple of years ago, but when I do I think I will be a lot more effective racer since I am toting around about 25 pounds LESS than I was.

Thanks ODB, ODBG, and Scott for pushing me through an excellent training session!

ODB · 08-13-2005, 04:54 PM

Yeah that was a good brick. Today Lisa and I did the 37 mile Lake Maumelle loop on road bikes and then finished with a three lap run/walk of the kingfisher trail at Pinnacle. We are trying to do a brick of some sort every weekend. Next week -- back on the mountain bikes!

Jean-Paul · 08-13-2005, 05:01 PM

So where are we going?

ODB · 08-13-2005, 05:18 PM

We are thinking about Cedar Glades in Hot Springs. It is sweet.

Jean-Paul · 08-14-2005, 12:01 AM

You doing anything tomorrow? I am up for a ride in the morning. Nothing big. I may go out and ride Burns for a couple of hours. Call me in the morning if you are up for something.

ODB · 08-14-2005, 12:14 AM

We're heading to Wild River Country with the little one tomorrow and then I've got work to do. Maybe next time.

Jean-Paul · 08-14-2005, 11:53 AM

ODBSGIRL · 08-15-2005, 10:04 AM

My behind needs time off the seat and I need to feed my sun-needs. Who says climbing up and down the stairs to ride slides isn't a workout? Next weekend...Cedar Glades and a trip to that really yummy Cajun restaurant/seafood shop. Last time we had lunch there, bought some yummy scallops and cooked them up in citrus/chardonnay grapeseed oil and they were so good. It's all about the food, right? Cedar Glades is a great ride!
Thanks for the props on my hard tail riding skills, I wish I had been able to ride more this summer, I'd be better. Looking forward to riding more now that softball doesn't fill every weekend. I'll catch up on those hills yet!