Holy heat wave, Batman!

Worked from home yesterday, so I did my usual lunch time run. I planned a fiver and got in a struggling three. It felt like I was running through melted butter. And while this does rank in the top 10 dreams I've had over my lifetime, this experience truly sucked!

The first mile was fine, the first half of the second mile was okay, but the last half felt like someone tied a rope around my lungs and pulled...tightly. That was my cue to take a break. So I hopped under one of the pavilions and cranked out some ab work and push ups. Feeling like I had some life in me again, I went out for mile three. Blammo....Cameron meet Wall, Wall - Cameron. Eff that...I was done.

I got home and hopped on the 'net to check out accuweather.com...the index was up to 104 degrees...code red. Bad Cameron...Bad!

Same temps are expected today, so I am planning some weight work...that works for me!

In other news, mingle2 ranked my blog a rated G. Here's hoping Disney wants to buy my site!



Well isn't that some shit! Time to post some full frontal nudity.

Stay sexy Ridecam'rs!

Weak-end

Friday: Opted out of normal casual run, instead I went to see the AST Dew Tour Dirt Jump finals. I saw the worst accident that I've ever seen. A dirt jumper was attempting a double back flip and on his second rotation and at full height (30-40 feet), he launched off his bike in a pike position and landed on his head/back. He was escorted out on ambulance. Word on the web is that he broke three vertabrae and is in critical, but stable condition. Pray for him...

Then we (Hoppe, Keith, Toby and I) continued the debauchery in Fed Hill.

Saturday: Sleep, house work, quick two-miler, hit A-town to hang with the OV's (Original 'Villians - Newb, Zack, Wil), normal first dinner, beers, second dinner.

Sunday: Sleep, ran 8 miles at Gambrill. Wow, that is a difficult trail run. I need to get smaller shoes...pronto.

I will be posting a more formal recap of my runs/rides with info downloaded from my Garmin,

Late night runner

...so after the melee which was my day, I got a run in at 10:30. I ran for over an hour. My Garmin crapped out after 35 minutes (stupid battery...batteries and I are not on speaking terms). So I assume I ran for approximately an 1:15ish. It was a light run around the 'hood, meaning I could have a conversation (with myself). It was a nice evening and the random shuffle on my iPod kept me entertained - a sample snippet included "Bullet in the Head" by RatM, "Little Drummer Boy" unknown artist, "Tiny Bubbles" Don Ho and on...it was a very interesting mix.

Whipped up some eggs and toast and went to bed. Weeeee!

Rolling single...again

I guess on multiple levels...relationship, ridership and gearship. No women, no riding buddy and no gears. I hit up McKeldin on my singlespeed for a nice, punishing uphill ride. I cleaned a lot of sections that I haven't been able to before, but there appear to be more washed out sections in the park. These off camber sections were next to impossible to ride through...I cleaned some, but most of them I just ran out of juice.

I rode about 8 miles, but I forgot my Garmin in the car so I can't give you accurate mileage or any of the other fun stuff that is provided through the 305. The more I read about the more I learn and like about the various features. One is a training function where you can plot your favorite course (mountain bike trails or runs) and you can pit yourself against your previous results. You can make it more interesting by plotting points throughout the course and get more accurate split results, where improvements were made, etc.

Tonight I think I run for 50 minutes. That's all for now!

Two posts, one day?

Must've been a full moon. The list of participants for the Xterra Du has gone up by one more, Jimmie Jam is on the roster and ready to roll (and...er...run).

This pretty much sums it up

I found this picture on www.yourmtb.com. It offers a good insight into the feel of a 24 hour mountain bike race. At the risk of sounding cliche, a picture is worth a thousand words.


Trail run. New kicks. I blazed a 25 minute 3-miler on the rough side of Soldier's Delight. The Sundragons were phenomenal. They soaked up all the off camber roots and rocks. I may need to get a size smaller though.

I signed up for the Xterra Duathlon in Rocky Gap on July 15th. The kid needs something to do in July. Although, I believe the first annual 'Palooza Halfy is slated for the very next weekend. Well, I feel obligated to keep race promoters in business and the halfy is just to make me feel better for the gallons of beer I'll be drinking and Scotty dogs i'll be ingesting (okay...inhaling) the next day.

Bye,
Cycle

Ze weekend

I had a nice little weekend planned. Friday, after work, had me prepping my run clothes and then I took a little nap. This turned into the longest nap ever...opening my eyes around 11:30pm. Damn..there went Friday. I scarfed down a granola bar and called it a night.

Saturday morn, I hit the trails in the morning. Unfortunately it wasn't with Hop, his bike was in the shop. I ran Soldier's Delight. Five miler. Used the new Garmin. It's a nice training tool. Afterwards, I headed to Fredrock to spend the weekend with the folks. Did some marathon shopping with my mom and aunt. Afterwards we headed to Brewer's Alley.

Next morn, I woke up at the break of dawn and hit the pavement for a run. It turned out to be a 4.25 miler. I was hoping for 5, but I'm testing the routes in Walkersville. I think I know where I can add mileage and still be safe and have fun on the roads. It was a scorcher, even in the early morning. The heat was already radiating up from the asphalt.

I also found a new nature park, which I've passed a thousand times during my youth but never ventured in. The Fountain Rock Nature Center houses a limestone quarry and kiln plant. It was a pretty interesting self-tour. Who knew this was in my backyard? This was a brief respite from the heat, although I think my curiousity would be a more accurate culprit for the "break".

Picked up some new trail runners, GoLite Sundragons. My old trail runners are on the verge of toastdom. Check out www.golite.com to check them out.

Ended the day with picking up CJ and having a Father's Day feast!

Ridiculous

Three days and counting. I'm running tonight at any cost...I'm thinking trail run. 10 miles. Time to self-punish for my neglectfulness. OK, so being in the woods and running isn't REALLY punishment. I'm thinking I'll hit a five and five, with the "and" being a small rest/refuel.

Tomorrow I will be ridin' dirty with Hop up at Merryman's.

Seriously...I haven't rested for this long...

...in months. Day number 2 down (Tuesday and Wednesday) without a stitch of athleticism. I did strap shoes on my feet for a quick 50 minuter last night, but the skies opened up in a big way. I don't mind running in the rain. In fact, I enjoy it. But this was the kind of rain the moves horizontally and hurts. I ran for about 10 minutes and headed back home.

I did get to go to my favorite store, REI, and pick up a few items. I picked up a Garmin 305 HRM and GPS unit...sweet! Now I can pinpoint where I'm at when my heart explodes...which is nice. I also picked up a Mountain Hardwear rain jacket. Thanks thief for robbing my truck. I got an upgrade! Which I'm sure my premiums will also reflect. I tend to be short-sighted so I'm psyched for now!

Hit up Ocean's 13 last night. Good flick...better than 12 (I think), but 11 still takes the cake. A lot of gags were pulled based on the previous two movies, so if you haven't seen 11 and 12, and plan to see 13, do yourself a favor and watch them both before you go. I had to explain a few things after the fact to my friend and the funny connection was lost on her. And big ups to REI for product placement!

On the wires: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/06/11/arizona.bicyclist.ap/index.html

This makes me feel good about my future and the sport I love. And 2,000 miles in 14-16 days is no joke. In fact, I'm cramping right now just thinking about it. That's around 140 miles a day...oi.

Throwback

This looks enticing. My pup, Cobi, is relaxing like a rock star. She can pretty much sleep on spot. This is one of my favorite snaps of her. She was unfortunately awakened by the owner of the mess bag, he needed it for his morning commute. She went back to sleep promptly. Those were the days.

Rest?

Yeah...so on Tuesday I didn't do anything. It felt nice. Although I did continue the clean up effort that was borne from the barage of Big Bear gear in my living room. While the warmth of a nice wood-burning fire during the chill of Big Bear's night air was devine, the lasting odor of smoke on every stich of clothing and various other fibered materials is devastating to the nostrils in my abode. Step one, air out...step two, wash...step three, usually repeat.

Come to think of it, I don't think I ate anything, but a hunk of cheese last night...hmm. Okay, and mustard. I better watch that. I'm sure I will binge at some point today, against my better sense of judgement.

On tap tonight, the beginning of MCM training. 50 minutes slow pace run. On and on!

Another 24 hours?

Yeah, time to write about a different 24 hour race, but this time it is mountain biking...ALL NIGHT LONG!

Up first though is the conclusion of:

The 24 Hour Wild and Wonderful AR

Mick, Charlie, Zack and Cameron finished the race...the end :) Okay, some details but quickly:

The bike ride was long and hilly. Zack thought he did terribly...Cameron thought he rocked. Yes, he walked his bike up some of God's longest hills...they may have been rideable...we kept moving while others suffered along the roadside like soldiers that needed a morphine drip. Our motto at this point..."Keep moving". It helped in two ways. One, simple, we kept moving forward which kept our spirits up. Two, physically it kept our muscles from resting and assisting in the lactic acid build-up. We were very strong in this leg, which may be against my other teammates thoughts.

After the ride we hit the last long stretch of hiking. I stress hiking, because my feet and legs were not going to run, even if gravity suggested it could done. My mind was focused, my body was battered...mind said "finish", body said "finish soon". Fortunately we got to hike the sketchiest decents and the steepest accents. Woo-hoo. A couple names I don't want to hear for a while: Rocky Trail and Manns Gorge Overlook. With the two foot wide trails with a killer fall to the left during some of the hike (about a 100-200 foot cliff) I was quite pleased to get passed CP 9. Although the view from the overlook was spectacular...it was time to head home. After a 2 mile easy hike, we finally made it back to Camp Washington Carver.

We checked in and they gave us the orienteering map. This leg of the race was optional. The basis of this leg was to orienteer the given coordinates to collect different time bonuses. Each CP had a different time value from 15 minutes to 90 minutes. We plotted the course and finally decided after 15 minutes that the time differential would most likely be a 15-30 minute gain...best case scenario. Our worn and defeated bodies and tired minds hung up the towel. Ronnie Angel, owner of Odyssey, concurred that we probably made the right decision.

BIG BEAR

The team came strong this year. I know some of the guys were upset at their showing but we can't control everything that's thrown our way. EtD deals with what we're given and always has a great time...why? Because, dammit, it's mountain biking...and that's just plain ol' fun. Even the parts that suck, like the unbearable leg cramps, sleeping too long, knee problems, bikes that break in half, saddle sores, and $200 lights that like to burn out prematurely. It's all part of the experience. The good, the bad...we deal, we move forward, we improve ourselves. I feel privileged to have ridden with these fellas for three (Hoppe), four (Toby) and five (Jimmie) years at a Granny Gear event. Each year we came and improved ourselves. I can't wait to see what next year brings. Okay, my body can wait until next year, but I'm excited already! Someone, please take my soap box now.

Here is a RideCam-specific lap report.

Lap 1

I rode the first lap for the team. Starting at noon on Saturday, in the beautiful West Virginian weather, I started the traditional Lemans-style start. It started with every racer (120 teams) at the starting line, running a parade lap (approximately a quarter-mile) and then a parade ride lap (approximately a half-mile). The idea is to space out the riders. Umm, it didn't work. It was a mess the first 3-5 miles before any real riding could be done and I couldn't get warmed up. I was hanging strong and ready to post a 1:20 lap, but I couldn't make my way around slower riders. I'll have to learn to be more aggressive, but truly there were few opportunities to pass. I ended up with a 1:42...which is great.

First lap for team Enter the Draggin' (photo courtesy of Ron Chesnik)

Finishing lap one (photo courtesy of Ron Chesnik)

Lap 2

My second lap started at 6:15pm. I felt strong. I went out quickly and didn't really let up. I did dismount on one hill that I probably should have ridden, but I thought it was the mammoth hill which most walk. Ahh, oh well. I logged a 1:34. My best Big Bear time to date.

After the second lap, sitting at the Etd/R U Kid'N compound (photo courtesy of Ron Chesnik)

Lap 3

My third lap was at 1:00 am. Energized from a nap I was ready to rock and roll. I headed on the trail and was making up some ground by passing some teams in our category. And then it happened...for the third consecutive year...my NiteRider went out around mile 9. Um...damn. It was only an hour in. I should've had at least an hour of burn time left, what the... Well, enough time thinking about what just happened. I strapped on my Petzl and chugged ahead. BLAMMO! Into a rock I went and my tube popped. Great, now a tire repair? I sat on the side of the trail watching people pass asking me if I need help. I asked for their head lamps. Lots of laughs, no head lamps. I got my tire repair and on the bike I went. The Petzl, while great for hiking, stinks for riding in technical terrain. I finally caught up to a rider who had a head lamp as bright as the sun. Seriously, it probably could've lit Camden Yards. I opted to stay put behind her. She wasn't breaking any records, but it was a safe option to get me back home. Once I felt it was safe to ride in by myself, I told her to hit the gas if she had it. I was able to pull off a 2 hour lap, which again, without the issues, probably would've been a 1:30-1:40 lap time. I finished the lap and there was my partner in light, Miriam. She actually thanked me for pushing her. I came to find out that she made a friendly wager with her teammate (also her father) that she would beat his time. She was given a 30 minute buffer, and her time on that lap put her over the top at 1:57. Way to go Miriam!

Lap 4

Last lap. Where's Hoppe? We came to find out that his bike broke in half! He had to walk it back from mile 6. He is the epitome of giving it all...a Herculean effort. I was a little sore at this point and the tension from worrying about Hoppe was set in. Finally Hoppe rode in on a bike that our mechanic rode out to him (Jon, that was the best gesture of the day...hands down...and this is at the center of why I like the mountain biking community). After we exchanged the baton, I grabbed Toby's beer from his hand, chugged it, and hit the trail. I was in two different states at this point. This was going to be the most laps I've ever recorded at Big Bear - and the one state was to put it all on the table. The other state was to enjoy the ride and just finish. I found myself gracefully in between. I managed a 1:54. Under an hour, I'll take it.

Approaching the final bridge on my last lap (photo courtesy of Ron Chesnik)

Some more pics from Poppa C. Results can be found here.

Conclusion of last lap. Jimmie Jam assisting a tire RideCam to the burrito stand...umm, burrito. (photo and burrito courtesy of Ron Chesnik)

The finale. R U Kid'N with Enter the Draggin', lounging with some beers and burritos. 28 laps between the two crews. We're looking to push 30 next year!! (photo courtesy of Big C).

The Kona in all its broken ass glory. I'm thinking this is about to get some press throughout the bike community. I've seen a lot of frames break, but 99% of the time at a weld. At first I thought Hoppe said it snapped at the headset, which made sense. To snap in half like this is probably a once in lifetime sighting(Photo borrowed from Jeff Kerkove's website).

So you're looking for something to read at 2 am on a Saturday night

Head on over to www.grannygear.com and look for the live results link. Search high and low...it's in there somewhere! My guess, if you're reading this right now, is that you are a RideCam faithful or this guy sent ya:

Dutch angles, violently colorful jersey and striking a pose....he's ready for the West Virginny backwoods. Strike up the banjo music and squeal like a pig!!

Train, work, train, work...

...feeble attempt to give the loyal something to read. Here are the Shout-Outs from the Wild and Wonderful 24 Hour Adventure Race from our hardcore followers:

SHOUT OUTS

Nite guys.... wish you all the best. See you in the AM..posted Sun May 27 @ 12:37 AM by Chuck Carson

Keep on rollin'posted Sun May 27 @ 12:37 AM by Nicole

Drive hard til sunrise!! Let it charge your batteries!posted Sat May 26 @ 11:13 PM by Mr. Finky

DON'T SLOW DOWN!! Stay strong!posted Sat May 26 @ 11:11 PM by Mr. Finky

Are you sick of orange dreamsicle yet?posted Sat May 26 @ 9:06 PM by co'

Charlie, I'm doing good. 3 beers down, several more to go!posted Sat May 26 @ 8:42 PM by Greg

I hope you guys are having a blast!posted Sat May 26 @ 7:19 PM by Love, Nicole

I hope you guys are having a blast!posted Sat May 26 @ 7:18 PM by Love, Nicole

it goes quick!posted Sat May 26 @ 6:10 PM by Greg, Lib, Cole and Luca

Hey boys! Hope it's going well. Keep up the good work.posted Sat May 26 @ 2:57 PM by Colleen & the kids

Drink, grease the crease and drink more.posted Sat May 26 @ 2:55 PM by Chuck Carson

Be strong and safe, and have fun.posted Sat May 26 @ 2:53 PM by Ma & Pa Carson

Go get em guys!! We will see ya tommorrow!!posted Sat May 26 @ 11:50 AM by Keith and Becca

Cam - it's in the genes - do it for Ashley and Chadposted Sat May 26 @ 11:34 AM by Big C

Hope the white water rafting is going well! posted Sat May 26 @ 10:20 AM by Nicole

Cam and Zach --Do it for da 'villeposted Sat May 26 @ 8:30 AM by Big C

24 HOURS OF BIG BEAR THIS WEEKEND

Team Enter the Draggin' is at it again in our 1,000th year at racing the wild and wonderful WV terrain. We are anticipating a fast year. Looks like hot weather and hot pants are on tap for the festivities this year. Check www.grannygear.com and look for live coverage of the race. GG does a good job with real time posting. The antithesis to OAR's coverage.

Although we haven't trained as a team as we have in the past, I think our individual training has been stronger than ever. We've tackled an adventure race together and have rode some local trails in B-more together sans Jimmie (he was tackling much tougher terrain in the great West (Maryland)).

EtD pushes out Friday morning for Hazelton, WV to set up camp and get in a training loop in.

Sorry for the delay, but here's some fodder...

...work and weekends have been busy, so I haven't been able to dedicate too much time to the ol' AR report. I'll get back on track, promise! Here's some pics from the race to satisfy your stalking hunger:

CP2 to CP3 - Givin' you the guns, baby!

The final - Someone looks a little sweepy!