Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Doing the Dirty

Immediately after signing up for this: http://www.dirtykanza200.com/, I threw up in my mouth. What the hell was i thinking? Can I finish this? Why does 200 miles of gravel appeal to me? Am I crazy? Just to name a few. I do not sign up for races I dont think I can complete. Why did I sign up for this? Since then, I have been very busy dissecting this one and figuring out how to get to the finish line.

I started by gaining some knowledge by reading this http://www.amazon.com/Core-Performance-Endurance-Nutrition-Revolutionizes/dp/B00381B82C/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_c. I figure the more I know the better off I will be. Mr. Verstegen has written others, but I highly recommend this one if you go LONG. I also read Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes by Monique Ryan. There was a lot of info here, but nothing earth shattering .

I reached out to several members of the cycling community for advice and received a lot of useful info on training and nutrition. Would you believe that one elite cyclist drew up a 12 week plan specifically for me. It was perfect. Thanks Jeff. So, I have a plan. I feel somewhat prepared , yet nervous about all the other stuff I need to figure out. Such as tire choice, race day fuel and finding the perfect pack. I like this one http://www.golite.com/carry-gear/mens/hydration-and-day-use , the Slipstream, yellow one. I am left wondering if it will be big enough. The new Osprey I bought is overkill and larger than I will need. Plus last year it reached 103 and I would like less on my back.

My weapon of choice will be my 2011 Jake The Snake, unless something ' crazy' happens. Kona sure knew what they were doing when they made this one. I have just over 1300 miles on this , since Nov, so you can tell how much I love it. I know it will not let me down and is quite comfortable for a cross bike. Besides , its only 200 miles right?

I am pumped to start my first official day of training on March 14th. Last year I just rode my bike, A lot. No certain distance or intensity , just A LOT. This year I feel comfortable with the more structured plan. It looks good on paper. I dont know what is more exciting for me though. The journey to get to the race or the race itself?

Make sure you check back and see how it goes. I plan on weekly reports of what did or did not work and how many hours / miles I have endured. Your comments and advice are welcome. I know there are others who may benefit from them too.

2 comments:

  1. Knowing how long it takes me to ride 100 miles of (mostly) decent roads, I'd hate to see how long 200 would take. I'm looking forward to seeing where your more structured training takes you. Good luck!

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  2. Thanks Kate. I am also interested to see where it takes me. I added a Training Widget so you can see everything. Yay for Monday

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