TDD - Turkey Mountain Festival - 29th September 2019

Turkey Mountain Festival wrapped up the TDD 2019 series. The race was originally scheduled for earlier in the year but due to the weather not playing ball it was rescheduled for the 28th and 29th September, the event is a fundraiser for burn camp to help burn victims, they raised over $5,000 which is great. 

The festival had an omnium race series consisting of a TT and short track race which were held on the Saturday. Due to other commitments the Blades family was unable to make these events. However we did make the Sunday for the final race in the XC series.

Kid's Kup 

First race on Sunday was the kids kup races. Fiona and I got out and prerode the course and she seemed to really like it, vs the last course which she hated.
The race started and Fiona was off the back again during lap one but working hard to try and catch the riders in front of her.
As she started her second and final lap she was in 5th place but managed to pass another two riders to finish in a strong 3rd and on the podium. 

Lap two and putting in some effort

Full gas to the finish

Hi fives :) - thanks for the photo Jennifer Black

I am really proud of her racing this season, we don't get to bike as much as I would like but she has shown some real strength in her riding and finished well whenever we have had time to get a good preride of the course before the race.

Podium and looking for mum :)

The Cat1/2 course

Turkey Mountain actually has a little elevation compared to some of the courses we have been riding, it also has a technical aspect too. The course starts with a climb which by the time we rode had a pretty obvious line all the way up. Then we had a flatter section with a little bit of flow which dropped into a slightly technical descent and then a technical climb. Following this it was more flow sections then a technical descent into a short climb and a longer technical section. The final descent had a small rock drop then flat out flat section to the finish or repeat the lap. It was a 5mile lap. 

I pre rode the course after the kids kup awards, during the cat 2 race. I found the technical sections not to bad and managed to clean all but one of them and saw where I went wrong on that one first time.

The race

Before going into the race I had been doing some number crunching on my season points. I was sitting in 3rd place overall, this is a little strange to me since my best placing has been 4th.  

The only guy who was racing at Turkey Mountain Festival and could catch and take 3rd away from me was Cody Pollard. Cody had a race in hand over me as we do a best of 6 races and was 45points behind me, this meant that if he got top 4 he would be 3rd overall. 

We lined up on the start line and at the whistle we were off. As per usual I took up my role as "sweep" for the cat1 pro/19-39 age group. The guys I race against really do start way faster than I am capable of at the moment. I started the first climb and had the guys ahead of me in sight. I was feeling good, although felt my legs were once again lacking some of their usual power. I am thinking that all the running I am doing is currently having a detrimental effect on my riding but alas I do currently need to do it. 

As I continued and was passed by the various guys from the categories who started behind me I was still feeling ok, just a little under powered. I got into the first technical section and a guy who I had just let past me stumbelled. I jumped off and ran that section. When I got to the next technical section I picked a really poor line so ended up walking a significant chunk of that section too. Then I caught up with Cody, he had a flat, I asked if he needed anything and he said he didn't have a C02 so I stopped and gave him mine, hopefully this act of karma would mean that I wouldn't need it for my race. 

I set off again and finished lap 1, grabbed my bottle and continued into lap two of four. This lap was a disaster for me, my heart rate monitor decided to stop working, I didn't make it through any of the technical sections without walking and hit a tree with my right shoulder. 

I did make it around the course though and started into lap number three. This lap went way better than lap 2, I didn't make the first technical section but I did clean the first part of the second one and felt much better all the way through it. before I knew it I was starting into lap four and I hadn't been lapped. 

As I started up the first climb I heard that the race winner was coming across the line, I assumed also by this point that Cody had dropped out since he hadn't passed me. The first climb seemed to go well and although I didn't make it through the first technical section unscathed, yet again I had to dab. I did feel good on the rest of the top part of the course. At the top I stopped to give a pickle juice to a fellow competitor who was suffering with cramps. I enjoyed the downhill and almost made it through the 2nd technical climb but failed at the last moment. Oh well much better than lap 2.
Lap times
Lap One - 31:58
Lap Two - 33:57
Lap Three - 34:18
Lap Four - 35:59
So whilst I was slowing down at least my last lap wasn't 10min slower than my first lap as has happened in the past.

I crossed the line at 2:16:14 which puts me way off the pace of the winner at 1:41:23, i'm also down proportionally to where I usually am at 34% back. I did however, more by luck than anything else manage to seal up 3rd place overall in the series. 

6th Place again. 

3rd place in the series, super stoked. 

The other great thing about the series here is, they do a team points award. The top four racers from each team at each event put points towards this award. It's been a three way battle all season but I am happy to say that Bike Lab came out on top in the final race, for the third year in a row.

2019 TDD Team Champions 3rd year in a row!

The Strava

What did I learn throughout the season

As many people know I like to track data about all my exercise to see what I can learn from it. I also track where I sit in relation to other racers. This season has been tough for me in Cat 1, although the equivalent to what I raced in Alaska, it has found me racing solo a lot. 

In Alaska, although I was in a similar position time wise from the winners, I was mostly racing with people. Here that is not the case, the fields are much smaller and although the racers are fast, albeit not significantly faster than Alaska, I don't feel I am racing them as I rarely see them after the race starts. 

In the early part of the season I feel I was starting to catch the guys ahead of me however, I had a slip in performance for the second part of the season which is totally my fault. I didn't train or even really ride over the summer due to family commitments, and I would probably do the same again, ok maybe I would try and ride a little more.  

I am very happy to have finished off the season in 3rd place, do I deserve that? I sure worked harder than the other racers, ok I rode for a longer time :) But what really got me that position was riding for 6 races. Only five riders in my category did that which, makes me wonder where are the other racers in this 19-39 age group?

Here is a spreadsheet of my finish data from the races I did. I will link up the points when they are updated too. 

They even gave an award to Mort

Yes my dog is a state champion, 3rd place for being awesome.... I think they got the wrong dog as he is vocal but I would honestly class him as being a pain in the butt. He couldn't even stay quiet at the last award ceremony he was at.

See Dad, I am awesome they
even gave me a medal.

G3 Race 1 - Guthrie to Cashion and back

What a race!

A little background

The G3 race series (3 races) was set up to allow people to train in preparation for entering the Landrun 100. The initial thought was that you would do the races which get progressively harder course wise than decide if you feel you are up to the Landrun 100 in March. 

Landrun 100 then moved their signup date to coincide with the first G3 race. Oh well, the start was pushed 15min so that we would have time to register. I am not sure how quickly LR100 filled up but I am guessing it was within minutes again.

So about that Landrun 100

I was fortunate that I had Amanda signing me up again for LR100. This year I was on the start line, (last year I was out riding) and it took the pressure off me knowing that she was doing it.

On LR100 this year I have decided to do the double.

What is the double I hear you ask?

It's a 50km run on Friday followed by the 100mile ride on the Saturday with the masses. It is I am sure going to be brutal but, on the plus side I will have some friends joining me to do it. Amy Sebby who suggested I should do it and Oscar Lage who joined me for LR100 last year. We have lots of time to train so if any of my friends would like to join the three of us, sign up and start training now, Brant I'm talking to you.

Back to the G3

After the delayed start so we could attempt to register, at 08:15 we set off and the pace was hot!

Ray I think giving the announcements 

Front row looking back

My legs felt good though, so I pushed the pace and soon I  was in a pretty solid group and absolutely flying! We were working well together through the field section and for the next 15 or so miles. 

pace was quick

One of the few cars we saw

At around mile 25 I was dropped out of that group which was unfortunate as the next two miles were into a headwind.... 

Spot the group they are way way up there

Sad face 

Next thing I know I am being passed.

Oh shit I need to get that wheel!

I stashed my phone and jumped onto a wheel. We worked well and rode significantly faster than I would have gotten into the aid station at mile 32. As we arrived at the aid station we had caught the group I had been with who were just leaving the aid station. Unfortunately I needed to fill my bottles and they didn't so lost that group. Oh well I waited for the next group to share some of the load into the wind. The husband of the couple (John I think) had aero bars and was a great draft, the wife (Rhonda I think) was a strong rider too. So strong that they both dropped me after the beer station. 

Husband and wife couple

We now had around 18 miles to go but I was feeling the onset of crampy legs, I ate some more food and drank some more fluids but knew they would get me eventually. 

As I started riding down to Liberty lake, I hear my name being called. It was my friend Simon Lynn.  He and his friend were riding well and promptly dropped me on the hill before we turned into the singletrack. 

By Simon and group

Fortunately for me, they missed a turn and I ended up leading through the singletrack section. That was the best bit of the whole course! It felt just like a cross course back in Alaska with Simon chasing me down :) We rejoined the road and I got dropped again by this group. 

Getting dropped by Simon... again :) 

Then I had my left leg cramp up.  So much so, I had to get off the bike and stretch it out. I drank my pickle juice and managed to get going again. I got a little more relief as we did the pirate section of the course and walked the plank. 

Plank walked

Then I hear a train, I checked my map, I need not have bothered, I knew I had to cross the tracks. Oh well a little break won't hurt me. 

Yup that is a train 

I set off again soft pedalling so as not to cramp up, this is especially hard when you are trying to balance through sand pits along the road. Then I hear a voice, it was Kris my teammate who has caught back up to me. 

He very kindly soft pedalled with me all the way to the finish. 

Riding with teammates is awesome!

I finished in around 3hrs 56min. Aside from the cramps this race was a total blast. Great course, terrible headwind, great tailwind, smiles all around. 

I am also happy that my friend Phillip Banta rode the race and had a blast too. Hopefully I can get my self organised and get out on some training rides with him. 

The Strava else it didn't happen. 

Nick's guide to adding a course to a Garmin Edge 530

These are two different ways to get a course/route onto a Garmin Edge cycling computer. I'm sure there are other ways to do this but this is what is currently working for me. I normally use method one as I like having the file in my garmin account. The second method avoids using the garmin account.

Method one having the course in your garmin account

Open up your Connect Garmin account.
On the side bar open up training and courses

Left side bar option

You then should have this screen.

Create or import

From there you can either create or import a course. Create allows you to draw a course where you want to go. Import lets you import a file which has been created in other programs Strava, or ride with GPS etc.

Create course

Once the course is in your garmin account you can then load it to your device either by connecting your device to a computer or via the garmin connect app. 

Using the connect app

In the Garmin connect app, you click on the three dots (more) bottom right

More

Then go to training

Training

Then courses

Courses

Select the course you want

Select course

Select the three dots at the top right to bring up this screen

Three dots brings you here

Then select send to device and select your device from the list. 

Method two bypassing the garmin account

Connect garmin device to the computer, open up the folder courses on the device. 

Its under Garmin/Courses.  drag and drop your downloaded route file into the folder. Ride with GPS lets you download a *.fit file for Garmins which should have all the course directions in.

To load and follow course on Garmin. 

Turn on the device, go down into menu

Menu

Then select navigation

Navigation

Then Courses

Courses

Then select the course you want

Select the course you want

Wait for it to load

Select ride

Then choose if you want to navigate to the start.

Ooooh choices :)

Let it think for a while 

Finally don't forget to start your garmin to record the ride.

Important don't forget this. 

Finally enjoy the ride and hopefully you won't get lost. My Garmin is set up to beep at me when I'm off course. 

TDD - Blackwell Beatdown - 15th September 2019

Another week another race and boy was it a hot one! Sure it wasn't as hot as last weeks and we were fooled into thinking it may be cooler with the shade however there was very little breeze in the trees and I definitely over heated.

Lake Carl Blackwell

Lake Carl Blackwell is near Stillwater and has a 5mile ish singletrack loop which has a little bit of everything. There are a couple of rock drops, a flow section, a little climbing, loose turns on the pine needles and even a dual slalom course. I really enjoy riding there as it ticks a lot of boxes. The newly opened section is a great addition too.

Looking back at the new wooden feature
- photo from preride

My Race

As usual we set off at 1 million miles/hour, I maintained pace down the dual slalom but as we turned the corner and headed up to the finish line I was spit out of the back. Oh well time to individual time trial again and see what I could salvage from the race. I did manage to pass a guy on lap one and we rode similar pace through to the end of the lap where he blasted away from me on the climb up to the finish. I saw him briefly on the remaining laps through the trees, it was nice to have someone to and chase. 

The course was a fun one and I thought I was doing ok on laps one, two and even the first half of lap three then I started to get some twinges in the legs which went on to full cramps on lap four.  

The great news is I finished. Although I definitely didn't finish strong with some good old leg cramps on lap four. I did use bottles with EFS which has been previously working great. I also took a shot of pickle juice during my last lap which although helped i'm sure. Even so I still had to walk a couple of sections on the last lap. Oh well keep working on that whole nutrition and hydration strategy until I get a perfect solution. 

Oooophs crampy lap four

We only have two races left in the season and I have no idea where I am points wise. Today I finished last again which was 6th place I think. I am unsure if I will race next weekend as I have a gravel race on Saturday and the course is another technical one, though I do really like that. The last race of the season is at Turkey Mountain in Tulsa which I am sure will be tough.  

The Strava

TDD - Western Okie - 8th September 2019

After a summer off from mountain biking and well any real biking for me I knew that the remainder of the TDD series was going to be a tough call, four races in four weekends, I really shouldn't have taken the whole summer off. But I did and life goes on. 

Kids Cup

As with previous events Fiona is the first in our family to race, her warmup/sighting lap didn't go well. There was a kid in front of her who kept crashing and it pretty much wiped out any confidence she had. Oh well live and learn, next time I will ride that lap with her.

The course consisted of a grass climb, a dirt/rock singletrack section with a tough push up then a little more singletrack before a grass descent to the finish. Her age group did two laps.

Top of the first climb

Although she wasn't wanting to race after the practice, she did line up and race and ended up taking home 6th place. Her second lap was a significant improvement over her first one as she gained confidence on the course, more practice next time I hope.

6th Place and a bag of swag! 

The Course

People think that its flat out west and in most of Oklahoma to be honest however, my legs were destroyed after the race. There wasn't a lot of elevation change on the course however there was a lot of power sapping grass, rocks and a few ups that I couldn't ride up. I even had to walk one small drop as I completely had a mental block on riding it lap one and didn't improve that on lap two. 

The first part of the course took us across the dam, then we were into a section called the pits which had all the steep ups and downs. After that is was mostly a double track around the lake with some soft sandy corners. We then crossed a metal bridge after which followed a sandy singletrack section which was my favourite part on the course. We then had around 1.5miles to the finish on some more singletrack with a couple of steep downs. 

My race

To reiterate I really hadn't been riding over the summer with travelling and camping so my expectations were low for the race. It was also warmer than I like it to be when racing, however I have at least been riding some evenings in the heat so that I was less worried about. Due to the heat, our race was shortened and I was thankful for this. At the previous race I actually started to feel like my racing was coming together, sure I didn't get close the the podium but at least I was racing with people..

The race on Sunday didn't feel like that at all. Almost as soon as we started I was way off the back.  Oh well, I pushed the pace for my solo ride around the lake two times. At the end of the first lap, a Single Speeder caught and passed me, they started 10 min behind me, next one of my teammates Jeremy Black and a guy he was racing caught me along the dam. I pushed on as hard as my legs would take me and set a new Heart Rate Threshold rate according to training peaks, I haven't updated it. :)

Errrmmm yey?

The best thing from the race, finishing my second lap to the cheers of Amanda and Fiona.

The last technical section.

It was a tough one for me and they stuck it out in the heat to cheer me on which I really appreciate.

Where did I finish? 4th place which is my best TDD result ever though there were only four people in my category.

Yep it was a tough one for me.

Great racing by Eric, Victor and Chad.

Due to the four races in four weeks I can foresee a similar couple of races coming up. Oh well pedal on and keep trying.

The Strava

Upgradeitis - Garmin Edge 530

I have been using Garmin GPS devices since 2007. I have had a number of them from hand held devices, watches and cycling specific computers. 

When I saw the release of the Garmin Edge 530 it ticked a lot of boxes for me. Finally after a summer of working and justifying (to myself) replacing my Garmin 510 I ordered one through The Bike Lab. 

Why did I change?

Mostly because I wanted better navigation/maps and I liked the look of the integration with Trailforks. 

First impressions 

The unit looked fantastic although I wasn't sure on the start/stop and lap button placement (I need not have worried). 

The unit startup is significantly faster than all of my previous units. 

Setup was simple as was connection with my phone. 

The screen is clear and now not a touch screen like my Edge 510 so I can wipe the dirt off when riding. 

The unit now has a sensor pool so that when I switch bikes it doesn't matter about what sensors I have on the bike or selecting the right bike to pick up the correct sensor. 

After using the unit for a couple of weeks what are my thoughts. 

The Garmin Edge 530 provides a lot of data, significantly more than my previous Edge 510. 

When connected with a heartrate monitor I can get a respiration rate. It tells me what my workout was doing for me. Aerobic or Anaerobic. It also suggests hydration and feed rates during the ride based on temperature and exertion. 

more data than I will ever need

Post workout it also suggests a recovery time. I will say I mostly ignore these :) 

After two laps of Bluff, I think not Garmin

Navigation - I have only used this once so far but I was impressed. It was a significant improvement over the course following on my 510. It warns of junctions as you approach them and puts up a map with the road name (although some of the road names are different when in the middle of nowhere Oklahoma). I believe It will also navigate to places but I haven't tried that yet. 

To add a route/course you use the Garmin Connect website to create it or import the route if you have a file. The route can then be added via a cable connection to the computer or through the Garmin Connect app and a phone. I think if I paid for a Strava account I would be able to add routes through that via my phone directly but since I don't have that sort of account I haven't looked into it. 

I have yet to fully utilise the Trailfork function but when you stop at a junction it switches screens to show you the trails that are around you which is fantastic, or will be when I get to new trail areas. 

Ahhh so that is where I am :)

Battery life seems pretty good but I have yet to test it like I did with my computers in Alaska. I can confirm my previous computers Edge 705, 500 and 510 all worked down to around -20F although the screens did get a little sluggish. This computer can also be charged via any power brick on the go unlike my Edge 500. 

Overall for me this is a fantastic addition to my bike and riding information gathering. I am sure if I follow the information that it gives me I will become a stronger rider.  Will I do that? That is yet to be seen but I will try to keep ontop of my hydration and nutrition at least. 

Should you buy one, absolutely it is quite simply, brilliant!