Monday Morning Motivation

The following video has served as my inspiration the past week. 

A combination of the vision, determination, and independence of this project speaks volumes to me.

The story transcends cycling, and should function as an impetus for any person with aspiration to achieve their goals. 

Ascent Series #4 - The Winning Combination

On Saturday we convened at Cheyenne Mountain State Park for Number 4 of the five race Ascent Cycling Series. Frankly, I was not looking forward to this particular race, but in order to defend my overall points position, my participation was necessary. As of the third race, I was sitting in second place overall, 4 points behind Nick Thelen and 2 points ahead of Travis Ekenberg. That put Travis right in my crosshairs; I didn't care about how I finished, as long as it was in front of him. That sense of requirement made this race all the less appealing to me. Luckily I am surrounded by remarkable people that gave me a ton of assistance and encouragement. I wish I could compile a list, but that would be an entire post in itself. In particular, though, I received a major amount of support from AKT Combatives, a martial arts academy that goes far beyond the parameters of self defense and karate. They have developed a fully comprehensive system of self development that breeds confidence in every facet of your life. That psychological coaching played a significant role in my preparation for this race.

Photo cred: Michael Ciaglo/The Gazette

Fortunately for me, this was more of a cross country race, consisting of four 30-minute laps, totaling up to about 21 miles. This style of racing suits me much more than the short track format of the preceding races, but I still spent the week prior grumbling and griping about the course. The track was a combination of sun-baked desert soil and tight weaving singletrack through near-impossible to maneuver rock gardens, and after my initial preride I kept finding myself saying "It's fun to ride, but it will suck to race". When I woke up Saturday morning I was still feeling apprehensive as ever about the 2 hours of suffering I was committing to. Still, I found myself at registration, receiving my now-familiar 17 number plate. I never cared much for the number 17, but after racing with it all summer, it's beginning to grow on me. The sun was beating down on us and I could tell the heat was going to be brutal. In the first wave of riders there had already been reports of overheating, DNFs and a handful of crashes (two of which allegedly involved cracked helmets). I was further unnerved when Dan Durland arrived. If you are familiar with Colorado singlespeed racing, you will probably recognize his name. He is a powerhouse, and I was rather intimidated by the thought of racing with him.
I gently reassured myself that my finishing position didn't matter and that I was only racing for the experience. This little mental shift allowed me to formulate a basic tactic of following Dan's rhythm through the course. He's an endurance racer, so I knew following his steady pace would allow me to conserve my energy and finish strong.
I took the immediate lead off the start line, with Dan quickly taking his place in front of me, as I made room for Nick Thelen to take his usual spot at the lead. The three of us boogied over Talon and Turkey Trot trails, which are mostly hard packed, sun scorched, and covered with a thin layer of decomposed granite (thats a fancy word that we use on the front range to describe our gravel). I immediately enlisted my plan of staying on Dan's wheel and began letting him pace me. For the first lap everything was going just as I had hoped, we were putting a gap between us and Travis, which is all I cared about.
Soon we were on Zook Loop, where we were confronted with the first rock garden. There is a line that allows you to avoid a significant portion of the rock pile, but the catch is that this line goes directly over a sizable boulder. Its rideable, but I opted to save my energy by dismounting and climbing right over it. Luckily so did Dan, and we practiced our cyclocross skills as we ran to the next clean section of trail. As we neared the end of the first lap, my tactic was serving me well, Dan was riding at a comfortable rate, though I could tell he was starting to slow. I assumed he was just getting into his rhythm, but he soon motioned me around him as we began the second lap. I tried convincing him to get on my wheel and work with me on the ensuing climb but he declined, and suddenly I was riding on my own. I immediately switched gears mentally and began monitoring my efforts very closely as I entered the uphill section of the course, climbing about 500 vertical feet over two miles. That gives you an average grade of about 4.4% which doesn't sound daunting, until you consider the spikes of 10% grade peppered throughout the ascent.
As I commenced the third lap I was delighted at how fast the first hour of riding had passed by. I was feeling incredibly strong and, to my amazement, I was actually having fun. I savored that feeling, knowing that it would quickly dissipate as I entered Cougars Shadow- a section of very tight singletrack, twisting between trees and navigating over difficult rock gardens. The real difficulty of this section, though, is maneuvering through these technical portions while battling fatigue and attempting to recover from the 15 minute climb you just crested. I was catching occasional glimpses of Nick ahead of me, so I knew he was within my reach, but I remained calm and stayed in control. Over the final two laps that patience payed off. I was elated as I finished my third helping of the course, rolling down the wide open descent that took us over the start/finish line and onto the fourth lap.
I looked down at my wristband and remember the AKT student creed, Take Ground. I meditated on that as I began to climb our last uphill and bridge the gap to Nick. I was soon right behind him, and I sat patiently as he tried to create a gap and force me to chase him. We yoyoed like this a number of times until we hit the climb and I got right behind him. I used this as an opportunity to rest my legs, but I could feel his rhythm slowing as we engaged in some light conversation. I mentioned to him that I was strictly trying to finish ahead of Travis; and as though I had conjured him up with my words, Mr. Ekenberg came climbing around the switchback behind us, and Nick quickly moved aside to let us settle our score. Careful to not make the same mistakes I  had made in my last battle with Travis, I calmly got on his wheel and followed him up the remainder of the climb. Tactical plans were rolling around in my head, attempting to formulate a scheme for passing and attacking, but, knowing that I would take greater risks and higher speeds over the back side of the course, he cordially offered me an opportunity to pass. I expressed my gratitude and pushed forward, steadily putting a gap between us. Riding the final two miles of the course at a decidedly cautious pace, I wanted to move just smoothly and swiftly enough to maintain the distance I had put between myself and my mark. I rode across the line more satisfied than I have been all season.
This race was, for me, a perfect example of determination, premeditation, flexibility, and patience, the combination of which proved to be very powerful. I employed the principle of Work Smarter Not Harder, and it paid off superbly, not just with a first place finish and 5 more series points, but with the valuable experience I was racing for.

Photo cred: Tim Bergsten/pikespeaksports.us

I want to express significant gratitude to AKT Combatives Academy for their incredible support.
And of course, thanks to Ascent Cycling and Sand Creek Sports for organizing this event.

Recovery, Not Ramen: Black Beans and Rice

Today is Sunday. The sabbath. And I am not talking about attending mass. I'm referring to dirt church. It's Race Day, the religious observance of cycling. On our sabbath we do not abstain from work, on the contrary, actually. We dole out the upwards of 600 calories an hour to pre-meditatively flagellate ourselves; bowing our heads and coming to prayer at our handlebars, seeking to strip away our temporal routines and purify ourselves in the meditation of contest. Masochistically demonstrating our reverence like devotees of Santa Muerte crawling on hands and knees.

Now, as far as I'm concerned, that is about as spiritual as you can get.

Now all that pious effort will surely create quite an appetite. For that appetite I present to you a highly confidential recipe for my favorite recovery food. Black Beans and Rice - incredibly easy, incredibly delicious black beans and rice. Not to mention it is likely one of the very few vegan recipes you will find me sharing.

I once heard that blacks beans and brown rice contain all nine essential amino acids. Is this true? I have no idea. Yes, I am sitting at a computer and Yes, Google is a click away. But I don't care that much, and I'd rather continue believing it's true than to be disappointed for the sake of accuracy. Whether this meal contains amino acids or not doesn't really matter anyway, because its frickin' tasty and will make you feel good after busting your ass in the saddle all day. Not to mention, it's simple enough to prepare when you are knee deep in a caloric deficit and battling post-race delirium. And it will make you feel like damn gifted chef.

Now that I have your attention, I know what you're asking. You're saying "Ian Backpack, what do I need in order to make this delectably nutritious fodder for myself and my loved ones?" And to that I say, you need the following:

- One 15 oz can of Frijoles Negros (that's Black Beans, dummy)
- One 14.5 oz can of Stewed Tomatoes
- 1.5 cups of instant brown rice
- 1/2 yellow onion, sliced thin
- Garlic, to taste
- Oregano
- Crushed red pepper
- Black pepper
- Salt
- Olive oil

Optional Ingredients that I like to use are Lime, Apple cider vinegar, and, of course, my trusty Sriracha sauce. This dish is extremely adaptable, and you will quickly devise your own list of secret ingredients.

Go ahead and heat a little bit of that olive oil in a large pot (when I say large, I mean 2qt or so, I don't actually know if that counts as a large pot). When your oil is good and hot, throw in your sliced onion and sauté til it's translucent. At this point I add my garlic and let that cook with the onions for a minute. Mix in your beans and tomatoes and give it all a good stir. Drop in your dry spices and give a squirt of lime, a blast of Sriracha and a splash of vinegar, if you're into that kind of thing.*

This is when I like to use a knife and the back of a wooden spoon to cut those outrageously large stewed tomatoes down to size. Cut 'em into bite size pieces, or don't, whatever. Bring this amalgamation to a boil and stir in your instant rice. Reduce your heat to a simmer, put a lid on that shit and let it percolate for 5 minutes. Pull it from your heat source and let it sit covered for another 5. Now you're ready to unveil and indulge.

I generally split this into two portions, but for those with an average appetite or not using this as a one-course meal, you can probably get 4 servings. I precook and pre-portion this feast for literally every race, epic ride, or out of town trip I engage in. It is not uncommon to find me post-ride, clad in dirty bike shorts, half-consciously spooning cold black beans into my face and chasing it with a glass bottle of Coca de Mexico. Actually, that is how I recommend this meal to be served...

*A few notes about the list of ingredients...
-I like to add vinegar for a little tang, but it also helps make spicy food spicier, so you gringos might want to avoid this addition.
-To cheat a little bit I use seasoned recipe beans, and mexican style stewed tomatoes. They add a little more flavor and make things that much more fool proof.
-I know next to nothing about the process of making rice into instant rice, but I sincerely doubt that 100% of the initial nutrition remains intact. That being said...
-If you are opposed to the idea of cooking with canned Beans & Tomatoes and instant rice, then, first of all, this blog probably isn't your cup of tea. And secondly, you can totally rework this recipe for fresh ingredients, but at that point you have defeated the spirit of this instruction and may as well look for your bean and rice recipe elsewhere. Probably somewhere on the internet NOT called Ramen Hacks.

If you have any recommendations, proof that instant rice is not vegan, or just arrogant criticism, go ahead and leave a comment so I can publicly praise and/or chastise you. 

Ascent Series #3 - Hitting the wall

I promise I have more in store than just race updates, but in the meantime, here's another race update.

Photo Cred: Tim Bergsten/PikePeakSports.us

The third installment of the Ascent Series was another showdown in Palmer Park. Yes, that's three Palmer Park races in a row. This course loosely followed the KMC Classic loop, with the omission of the Grandview descent / Cheyenne tech section. I was super stoked for this track, it's fast and flowy, with minimal climbing (which ultimately worked to my detriment), and I had already ridden some hot laps over these trails 2 week prior, so I could take this as an opportunity to try some new lines I had learned and developed last month.
I had spent the preceding week or so basically ignoring any training schedule for the sake of just having fun on my bike. That consisted of mostly road miles and commuting, and also forgoing proper maintenance of my legs. I say this to preface my raceday backstory...
I woke up Wednesday morning with aching limbs, and instantly I knew I had fumbled my recovery time. At this point all I could do was eat right, hydrate, and hope for the best. I relaxed as much as I could before having to pretend to be a responsible adult, performing my functions in society. Around 3 o'clock we received our afternoon thunderstorm while I was commuting about, taking care of my to-do list. If wisdom was a quality I possessed, I would have sought out shelter and grabbed a coffee, but I do not possess wisdom, and I got caught smack dab in the middle of a downpour. So now its 4:00, and I'm soaking wet with a set of empty legs. Still, at this point I wasn't too concerned about my ability to race, and I rolled up to the Start/Finish line early enough to watch the Cat 2/3 races and grab a bite to eat. So now it's five o'clock and time for me to change into a dry kit and get in a warmup and a pre-ride. Using the primitive bathroom at Council Grounds as my dressing room, I lay out my things and shut the door behind me, immediately remembering why the door should remain open. The padlock on the doorframe has a knack for becoming entangled behind the vandal-resistant lock guard on the door. So now its 10 after 5 and I'm stuck in the creepy dungeon bathroom. After ten minutes of my calls for help going unrequited, I was finally able to coerce the assistance of a beer-drinking spectator after threatening bodily harm if he did otherwise.
In retrospect, it seems as though the chips had been stacked against me all day, but oddly enough I still felt optimistic and excited to ride.
I was able to get in two quick and easy laps on the track, finishing my warmup just in time to roll into my spot at the start line. I pounced when the whistle blew, going just hard enough to sprint off with Nick Thelen and take a spot behind him as we entered the singletrack. During our first lap I was mentally ready to race as I kept Nick in my sights and rode defensively, which is pretty much all you can do when you're up against that guy. We were all moving at a good clip, the rain had left the dusty course nice and tacky, allowing us to really rail through the turns and keep a good pace. All the elements of the course at this point were making for some fast racing, perhaps too fast for me... My second lap was uneventful, as I began to settle into a pace. On my third lap I could feel that pace deteriorating, I was fading fast. Travis Ekenberg was catching up to me after the first climb of the lap and, ignoring what my body had been telling me all day, I dug deep to pull away and put another gap between us. Coming into our fourth and final lap it was evident I should have employed tactics and let Travis pull me, because I had burned valuable energy in an attempt to defend my position. The lack of rest made itself apparent; I wasn't bonking, I was hitting the wall. Crashing straight into it. I was feeling fatigued and depleted, my vision was blurring, and combined with the fog and sweat inside my sunglasses, I started making costly mistakes. Eventually my front tire washed out in a turn and I took a bellyslide through the gravel, wasting more valuable time. Shortly thereafter, Travis bridged the gap and took his position in front of me. Even with his words of encouragement I still couldn't derive the power from my legs to hold his wheel. He slipped away and out of sight as we reentered the singletrack. Determined to not slip any further back in the results, I took our final descent at full speed, offering up prayers of appreciation that the course ended with a downhill section. I released my brakes and let the flow of the course carry me to the finish, 16 long seconds behind Travis, and a whopping 1:28 behind Nick.
At the finish line I felt nothing but gratitude. First and foremost I was thankful to be done, but ultimately I was grateful for the lessons I learned and the experience I gained at this race. Every race under your belt is that much more practical knowledge you can build on for future events, and this race contained a heap of education. Obviously the point of racing is to win, but sometimes it's much more valuable to race and learn.