Equipment Review - Reynolds Stratus DV Clincher

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Saturday Kings Valley, Sunday Cherry Pie

Going into this weekend, I had thought that Saturday was going to be the big training day and that Sunday was going to be at best a wash. To maximize my Saturday workout with the Beavers, I showed up to our weekly weekend ride on the bike with the power cranks. Riding the power cranks indoors is one thing, riding them on the rollers takes it up a notch, but showing up to a OSU team ride on them is something completely different all together.. Saturdays plan was Kings Valley, the short loop. King's Valley isn't anything to crazy, but slapping dose of power cranks on top of it was all I could take.

Sunday, Today, I had expected to spend most of the day volunteering at the Cherry Pie. However, just after a brief trip through flagger school, I ran into a fellow OSU Beaver cyclist who was racing in the morning and willing to fill my flagger duties in the afternoon, freeing me to race the Cat-3 afternoon race. Woohoo. I ended up finishing just off the back of the main field, after working very hard for all but the first quarter of the race to keep one of the teams climbers in the ideal position for the final climb of the day..

Here are a few post race pictures:

Video Gear Review: Time Trial Helmets

Weekend Training..

Saturday - Road the Cherry Pie Course with Some Beavers, Cat-2 Friends, and a bunch from Pacific Power - Blue Skies.  The plan for the day was to link up at the Bean.. Spin down to the course, ride a lap or two and then head back in to Corvallis.  The first half of the ride was fairly social... Half way through the first lap we did a few sprints.. Nothing major.  Then about half way into the whole fun that is the cherry pie course we split into a few groups.  Up front there was group of cat-2's, Cat-3's and me.  The pace was upped again, breathing increased in tempo.  Finishing the loop we turned to head back up and over the saddle to return to C-Town.  Climbing the Saddle, Dan, and Sean (Who's signed to a pro development team) attacked.  Moving into draft position it was all I could do to just hang on.  Then at the base of climb, the world tilted up.. I slid off the back.. 

Sunday - Helped a friend with her bike fit.  Then put an 2 hours in a little later in the evening on the rollers.. Nothing to fancy.  

Only an hour, but it was hard

Some days its not about the length.. It's all about the pain.. Today was one of those days.. Cool for the morning ride into the University.. Then wow did it pour all the way home. Back at the hacienda it was taco dinner and then an hour on the power cranks.. Before it was back to the oh-my-god-its -hard-chemistry.. Today the plan was to turn on the gas, tempo time...

Power Cranks and Rollers..

Work at the university is breathing down my neck like fire from a dragon. Its hard to find time to train right now. But thats the great thing about power-cranks. An hour-plus on the power cranks can easily feel like much more..

Todays Game: A hour plus power cranking on the rollers,
Movie: Tour of Cali on DVD
Recovery: Dinner (Chicken, Squash, Brussel Sprouts (Tasty!), Role, and Salad)

Going All the Way: Race Across Oregon

All right I'm Excited! So far training this winter has been mixed. But I just can't shake the vision from my mind. Flying up bake-oven, cresting Ochoco, and bombing down through the Indian reservation with a pack of wild dogs chasing from behind. The holidays saw some classic roller miles and a interspersed with a few cool days outside. Winter quarter hit. Between classes, research, exams, teaching, and eating.. There is not too much time for anything else.. But thinking back to last year.. I'm ahead of where I was then, and last year come July I was in the best form ever. For 2008 the team is coming back and were going solo.

Since 2005 things have changed. In 2005 we were rookies, to be honest, in Ultra each race is its own beast and confidence can be a curse. However, with a solos at RAO and The 508, two man teams at RAO twice, and Fireweed once, and three Ring of Fires. The team has been around the block a few times and consumed a our fair share of liquid nutrition shakes..

Its official, Friday the entry went in the mail. The crew is fired up. Solo-Team Pacific Power aka "Team Tartan" will be returning to the race where legends are made... Solo - Race Across Oregon...

Today's training, foundation, rebuilt the road bikes bottom bracket: Re-fitted the power cranks and cruised with Levi at the 2007 Tour of Cali for a little over an hour on the rollers.. Recovery: Why Recovery Hammer Whey of course..