Just a note that I'll be firing up the old climbing legs tomorrow for Mary's Peak Hillclimb, a 12-mile TT near Corvallis, Oregon.

I've scrambled to shuttle off some weight and have arrived at my traditional early summer poundage of ~167. That's 8lbs off in 2 weeks. I did this using a mostly Paleo diet, some intermittent fasting, and lots of hours on the bike. Given my little solo show-off win at PIR earlier this week, I think my power has remained fine and good --however, this is uphill and 167lbs is a bit heavy to place well, but I'll churn the cranks best I can.

It's supposed to be a beautiful area, so it should be a fun day. 

I'll report back tomorrow!

Description of the climb:

MPHC features one of the Pacific Northwest’s premier climbing environments. The first section of the course winds uphill through twisty smooth pavement (2 miles @ 5.2%) followed by a gradual and open climb to the Mary’s Peak turnoff (.6 miles @ 6.5%).  A right hand turn onto Mary’s Peak Rd offers unparalleled solitude – a true climber’s climb.  It begins with a steeper section (1.7 miles @ 8.3%) before easing up just a bit until the “first peak” (2 miles @7%).  After a short, one-mile descent to rest the legs, it is on to the second half of the climb.  Another 3 miles at 7% takes you through the trees where you can glimpse the Pacific Ocean nearly 40 miles distant.  After a very short descent to catch your breath, it is a final slog (~1 mile @5%) to the parking lot and the finish line which provides you with views of Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Bachelor, The Three Sisters, and the Willamette Valley. Bike participants will climb 12 miles with 3478 feet of elevation gain (average grade of 5.2%). 

The Hillclimb --Beautiful, clear, warm day down in Corvallis. I got about 35 mins of warm-up in, but that included a bathroom break. Legs felt fine. The warm-up took me to the start line with 5 mins before I was to set off on the 12-mile voyage. I went fairly hard at the beginning, but watch the heart rate and settled into what I thought I could manage for 60 minutes (that my goal for the day). Part of this was looking at the number, part of it was feeling. That first section was really beautiful with a road that must have been design by a video game designer --wonderful undulations and banked curves... climbing at about 5-7%.

I was climbing well, but after a few minutes I realized that I forgot to reset my computer at the start line. It was still running from my warm-up session, so I just noted the time at that moment and guessed I'd been racing for about 2 or 3 minutes. Still climbing well and feeling good.

Then a section of 10-12% ramps came along. I felt fine for a while, but these lasted longer than I expected and I think I went too hard through them. When the 6-7% grade resumed, I noticed my HR was down and was just feeling like I need to ease-up a bit --my sensors telling me that I'd fall apart before the hour was up and thus, that it would take more than an hour to finish. 

Then the descending portion of the TT arrived and it was a ripping fast one. Unfortunately, just after getting up to around 40mph, I sailed up behind an old Honda cruising at 30mph, the speed limit. Ugh, but I just stayed relaxed and after 30 seconds, he pulled over and let me pass. I had to regain speed and I did regret the reduced momentum coming into the roller climb right about then. 

Over a couple of rollers and I was onto the second portion of the climb. My pace was still the reduced pace, turning the pedal nicely, but not as nicely as earlier. I had slowed a bit on the latter section of the first long climb in order to put more effort into the second climb. For some reason, I kept waiting to turn-up the speed. I was thinking that the terrain would change significantly early in that second climb and for some stupid reason I was waiting on some visual queue based on landscape. Also at this point, I started getting into a sit-down / out-of-the-saddle alternating rhythm to handle the sheer length, duration, monotony...

I had passed a few riders at this point, but it seemed many in my group were going on a similar pace --it was quite desolate. And gorgeous. So many short vistas up to turn, then another view of a hill, another curve, on and up, on and up... I got lulled into pumping out the same rhythm and forgot to ignite those soft-afterburners that add that little touch of speed and agony.

Then I see bigger views... of plateaus above, the landscape change is finally changing... but I'm not sure. I just stay on the energy burn I had been doing so long. I was out of water, parched and thought I might still have a ways to go... ah, I thought my time must be sucking miserably! I started pedaling a little faster, but I didn't start that burn soon enough (by about 15 minutes I think!)... I came around a blind corner and tally ho , jesus and, there's the Mary's Peak finish line! 

That's the first time I've done a TT and not been on the verge of falling over and/or puking.

It was fun, but badly done on planning/researching, in race logistics mgmt, and simply not reaming my pain centers properly! 

I missed my one-hour goal by 42 seconds. I rated 4th place out of 16 or 18 racers in the 4/5 group. 

More snot and vomit next time-trial, I promise!

Ciao,

Norm

 

no one but freaks and the lucky win a TT course on their first ride

Jules --I like the mauled boar visual. I might, however, envision chasing the little bastard (making sure that I have a few morsels of pull pork wrapped in banana leaf as my finish line reward/snack).