Single Speed World Champs 2011 - Entered yesterday

In this year I have couple of goals that I want to accomplish. Races that I never done before, even if they are more unusual for me. Some of them are already done but others yet to come. Here is the next one of them on my list: the Single Speed World Championship (SSWC).

This event is very unique indeed. Luckily this year Ireland will be hosting the event that is famous world wide so it will be very easy to travel to the race. The location is the country`s biggest and longest purpose built MTB trail centre, Ballyhoura. (for more info on the trail centre click here ). The event will be on the 27th of August (full details are here ).

After couple of weeks planning I signed up for this years race to compete and see how can I manage an XC race on a single speed mountain bike. I will be certainly very limited but not totally strange for me: I am big fan of the single speed set up! :) I use fixed gear bike for getting around town for many years now and I do love it. So it is time to try the same idea on mucky trails and see how it goes! :)

I have couple of XC races before the SSWC but after those races I will get my race bike coverted to single speed. Once it is done I will try to get use to it up in the mountains. At this point I still haven`t decided what gear ratio I will give it a go with, but possibly 2:1 (32T - 16T) will be the optimal set up. But I will get into the technical details some other time! :)

This event is something I really looking forward to, can`t wait to start the preparation and get to the start line in August. :)

Short XC film up on ThreeRock

I went up to ThreeRock this morning to have a short, fun spin. I didn't ride the XC bike for nearly 3 weeks time and 'cause the weather was nice I just wanted to enjoy the sun and the excitement of mountain biking. :)  I have decided to record some footage and create a short film that shows the "taste" of mountain biking on some of my favourite trails. :)

Chinese medicine - acupuncture and massage

The off-bike treatment (such as nutrition, massage) is very important all year long but even more during the racing season. Of course I try to pay attention for these things as much as I can. I am happy to try new things if they help my recovery or just make me feel better on the bike. 

This is why I've visited my good friend Dani yesterday. He is learning traditional chinese medicine that is based on massage, acupuncture and herbs. I have to admit it: I know very little about these things so for me it's very helpful to get advice based on his knowledge. 

Our first session started with a quiet long conversation to get a proper view of my medical history, injuries, life style, nutrition and all these things. After this he did focus on the recovery of my leg injury. I did get massaged many times but I never tried acupuncture treatment before. Instead of a massage he found couple of important acupuncture points in my leg and started to stimulate them. He is still learning the technique so he did not use any needels yet but pressed the point with fingers.

I will visit him once a week in the future to get massaged and acupuncture treatment. I am pretty sure it will be very useful for me. After couple of sessions I can tell more about my personal experience. :)

Team ThinkBike for the 12 hours XC race

After last year's event I did a lot of thinking and planning on this race. But finally the plan is getting shaped better and better day by day. My good friend and team mate Richie Felle and myself will join for The Bull Raid 12 Hours XC race and race together as a team.

This is going to be the first 12 hours race for both of us, so many of the details needs to be sorted out in the next couple of weeks. It's all the exciting planning! :) We are competing in different categories in the Irish NPS league for many years now but we did race against each other for 2 years before and did a lot of training spin together. So I can say we know each other well!

We'll have good few long spins together over the next few weeks and during that time period we will work out the best strategy for the race indeed.

We will enter the 2 man team category. The race course will be a ~10km long loop and we have to get as many laps as possible within the 12 hours race time. It sounds dead simple but if we want to put in a decent performance it's gonna be tricky enough. But both of us are very motivated XC racers so I know we not gonna hang around on the day! :)

For full details on the race click here.

But first things first: at this stage I have to get my pace build back up after my injury and make sure I will be in top shape for the event. It will be a smooth and hopefully quick progress. And then get prepared for another "Big Adventure" of the 2011 XC season! :) Can't wait! :) 

Feeling better after injury

I am glad to say: I am feeling better after the freakish injury I got a week ago. My leg moves perfectly without any sort of pain. Lucky! :) 

Tomorrow I am back on the bike as a commuter and I will give it a go on Tuesday morning on the road bike, of course just very gently and super carefully. I have a feeling it'll be just fine! Anyway,  I hope it will 'cause I have quiet big, new plans for the rest of the season that I don't want to skip for sure. But let's talk about them later!

Until then I am just feeling great and happy to get rid of the problems that I had to deal with this week! :) Finally I am back on the bike!!! :)

Have to skip the next NPS round

I gonna have to skip the next round of the 2011 XC NPS (which is the last one of the year) in Slade Valley. The decision has been made, not like I did have a choice though. This injury forcing me off the bike for a while... 

There is no point to enter a race without training and most importantly I just want to be careful with my leg 'cause the last thing I want is to get back on the bike and push it too hard too early. I prefer to get rid of this thing on the proper way even if I have to sacrifice some of my planned races for it. 

I am taking the medicines and havin' a good rest. This has been the deal for me in the last couple of days. It seems like there is a slight improvement but it is still far away to be called good. So there is absolutelly no chance to be back on the bike this week indeed. 

I think if everything goes well I will give it a go early next week. The plan is to ride the road bike strictly on the flat. Spin the pedals easly and avoid the heavy gears. I just want to have my legs turning and see how it goes. The problem is: I know it will be difficult to control my effort and pace on the bike but I have to try though! :)

Tendon inflammation - First injury of the season...

I am honestly dissapointed now... After the Wicklow 200 on last Sunday I felt tired of course but there was something else that made me worry. I felt some sort of unusual pain in me upper leg (close to the hip) during the last 60-70 km of the event but it has gone more or less for the evening. After a lovely hot bath and a good night rest I thought everything is gonna be just fine. 

But the next morning I've experienced something like I never had before: I had serious difficulty just to get out of the bed. I couldn't stand up without deep pain and I couldn't lift my right foot off the floor more than just 1-2 cm. 

At this point I decided to visit my doctor and get the things checked out. My main concern was the very sharp pain and the extremely limited movement of my right leg. It was nothing like the regular muscle or joint tiredness I do know from the past.

After a proper check I got the diagnosis: I have Tendon Inflammation in my upper leg, that takes me off the bike and training for a week at least. Of course the legs were working hard during the 200km long event but that's not the real issue. There is a good possiblity the very cold, windy and wet weather conditions pushed my body's tolerance a bit over the limits.

So I am on medication for the next 7 days and have to have a proper rest as well. This is the only way to get rid of this issue. Taking the pills and sitting around for most of the day. Great... :(

Of course it very uncomfortable 'cause I feel fresh after the weekend and the weather is getting good as well. Yep, I am happy it's nothing more serious but it is still serious enough to cause pain and give me limitation. Also bad enough to keep me off the bike in the middle of the racing season...

Wicklow 200 - report

Rain, rain, rain, cold, wind, cold, wind, more rain...all day long... Needless to say: it was the toughest and longest day on the bike for a long time. This year's Wicklow 200 was absolutelly savage!

After all the preparation on the night before all the gear was ready so as I. The alarm went off at 4am, quick breakfast and my friend Jani and myself were ready to conquer the mountains. After a short drive we got to Greystones where the event start / finish area was. We met two more Hungarian friends there at the carpark. 

After a short prep and doublecheck on the bikes and all the food and gear we were ready. Dani even had a proper itiner fitted on the bike's top tube! Excellent work man! :)

The Hungarian squad for the day: Joci, Jani, Dani and myself (right to left)

We checked in and left Greystones at 6:43 am. Even before we left the town the rain started to fall and from that point it has virtually not stopped for the rest of the ride. As we agreed before we started together but got separated after a little while to be able to settle into our own comfort zone for the day. Dani and myself stayed together and started to push the pedals hard over tha Sally Gap. The peak was cold and very windy so we wanted to get over it as quick as possible. The descend was very wet and slippery but we still could manage to get as fast as 60,5 km/hour in the rain so we got to the Blessington Lakes quiet quickly. After the up and down bit in the savage headwind we pulled along pretty fast and got to the first checkpoint in Donard after 3 hours and 15 minutes. We got a quick bite and a hot tea indeed, refilled the bottles and we were on our way again.

After a little more flat enough section we have reached the bottom of the Slieve Mann, the second main climb of the day. This was the point where Dani left me behind and went ahead on the tough climb. The rain was heavy and the temperature was probably not higher than 3-4 °C up on the top. The fog was so thick, I could not see further than 40-50 meters.

But on the climb I was at least warm...one of the hardest bit was still ahead of me: the downhill from the Slieve Mann nearly killed me. I actually never felt that cold on the bike before...  At this stage everything was wet on me: hands, feet, legs, everything. My fingers got so numb I had difficulty to use the brakes and gears. It was a tough going indeed. 

The next on the list was the Shay Elliott climb which was difficult after all the freezing conditions for many hours already. I got up to the top quick enough and let the descent go fast as well just to get to the second checkpoint in Rathdrum as quick as possible. At this stage I was on the bike for 6 hours already. Quick hot tea again and couple of minutes rest in the heated room but after all this I had to keep going. 

The low point of the day was this time for me. I was extremely cold, tired and for some reason I started to feel some strange pain in my right leg. It wasn't the usual pain like I felt in my shoulders, wrists and fingers, it was something else. Every pedal turn gave me sharp pain... "Ah, well! This is all I need after all this..." I thought. 

After Avoca I really started to struggle and I admit it: I was waiting for the end like I never did before. But I got through the low point and I was cycling along pretty well as I got closer and closer to the finish. When I got back to Greystones and seen the building where we left from I felt fantastic!

It is done! :) I did the Wicklow 200 for the 3rd time! After all the suffering on the bike the achievement was huge! Totally worth it!

The reward

I got the certificate and the medal and got back to the car to get changed and warmed up. This certenly wasn't easy thing to do because my hands were completelly useless at this stage and my fingers were so numb I couldn't even use them. I was very tired and cold.

The wrecked and soaked hand...

But after I got changed and got into the warm car the world got better again! :) Got some drink and food in and shared the epic experience with my friend Jani on the way back home.

My Wicklow 200 in numbers:

Elevation graph

Clear riding time: 8 hours and 18 minutes  

Total elevation gain: 2733 m

Calories burned: 5341 calories

Max. speed: 60,5 km/hour

Avarage speed: 23,5 km/hour

Food and drink taken: PowerGel x 4 , PowerBar Performance bar x 2 ,PowerBar RideShots x 1, NutriGrain bar x 2 , Kellog's Rice Crispies bar x 1 , High5 Extreme drink x 1 litre , water x 0,2 litre , hot tea x 2 cups

So, another Wicklow 200 is done, looking forward to do the next one! :) The experience was outstanding and it feels great to know it's done. Escpecially in conditions like we've all seen yesterday. My time was not as good as I was hoping for but in fairness I can't complian. It was a hell of a long day on the bike. 

Congratulations for everyone who has done it! My friends: Jani and Joci, Adrian, Dave and Siobhan from ThinkBike.ie CC. Well done! :)

Special congrats to Dani who has set up his own personal record on the bike yesterday: cycled to Greystones, did the Wicklow 200 with a bit more than 7 and a half hours time and than cycled back home to Dublin. Excellent performance! 

I have suffered a lot yesterday but the moment when I finished can't be compared with anything! Great day! :)

W200 - within 24 hours

Rain forecast for tomorrow

We have less than 24 hours until the Wicklow 200 so it is time to get the gear ready and make sure everything is on order for tomorrow. I can be sure I need to dig out all my winter and waterproof gear from the closet. By the look of the rain forecast I will need them all indeed. :( 

It might seems like I worry about the bad weather a bit too much. When I am on the XC bike I don't really care about the rain or cold weather but I have to admit it: the nearly 8 hours time could be quiet savage in the forecasted conditions...

This afternoon I will check the bike to make sure it will be in 100% condition and later on the afternoon I prepare all my food, clothing and other gear for the early morning start tomorrow morning.

I will leave Dublin very early in the morning 'cause I prefer to get to Greystones at about 5 am to ensure I can get ready in time and leave at 6 am sharp. I know tomorrow is gonna be great, can't wait! :)

W200 - Only 3 days left

Only couple of days left until the longest road event of my season: the Wicklow 200. One of the most important thing at this stage is to figure out how is the weather gonna be... Well, I think this is nearly impossible in Ireland, but I can't stop thinking about it! :) 

The forecast looks all right for Sunday but it still can change. It seems like we will have sunny enough day and the temperature is ok also. Let's hope it will stay like they say now 'cause it would be a long and savage day in rain indeed. 

I am really looking forward to leave Greystones on Sunday, however I don't feel the same excitement that I normally feel. This might be 'cause I know I will compete against the clock rather than other riders.

The plans are getting ready, arrengements have been made, tactics been discussed. I will heading out with couple of friends, we try to stay together as long as possible. But because each of us have personal goals for the day possibly we will get separated after we hit the first climb of the day. 

So this is the deal! :) In the next day or two I will get my gear in order and start to get prepared for Sunday. I know Sunday day will be epic day on the bike and if I can finish the 200 km with a good time I will be very satisfied! :)

Preparation for the W200 - Sally Gap

This time I write about a bit different: little bit of a road cycling. :) Yesterday morning I got back on the road bike and had a great spin up to Sally Gap and back. This week I will ride only on the road `cause Ireland`s premiere road sportive is coming up this Sunday. I have done the Wicklow 200 two times before and I really looking forward to do it again this year. 

My start package for the day

This year`s Wicklow 200 is a bit more special because this will the 30th time since they started to run this event in 1982. It is gonna be great I think, will be excellent to ride with the more than 2000 cyclist accross the Wicklow mountains. 

This event is not a race so my personal goal is to beat my best time on the 200 km long ride. The best time that I`ve achieved in 2008 is 7 hours and 47 minutes. If I can get better this year I would be very happy in deed! :)

So, about my spin: The first mayor climb of the day is the Sally Gap so I decided to do this climb but on a different route. The weather was savage: cold enough with light rain and very thick fog at some places. 

It was cold and wet all morning but I still enjoyed the climb in these conditions! :) Especially up beside the Lough Tay! Excellent! :) On the top of Sally Gap the fog was so thick I couldn`t see further than 20 - 30m I guess. On the way down I decided to take it handy and make sure I don`t end up in a ditch. 

At the top

Elevation graph

The route was: 

Milltown - Dundrum - Stepaside - Enniskerry - Ballinastoe - Lought Tay - Sally Gap - Military Road - Powerscourt Waterfall - Enniskerry - Stepaside - Dundrum - Milltown

It was a nice road spin I think but was far behind compare to what I have to deal with on Sunday. I have cycled nearly 75km under 3 hours time. Because of the Sally Gap the total elevation gain was 1485m and burned 2225 kcal during the spin. 

I have done the W200 before and I know what to expect, but even so this spin was a perfect indicator: if I want to beat my own record I have to get prepared properly for Sunday. I`m looking forward to it for sure and after couple more road spin during the week I will be 100% ready for this year`s W200. Bring it on! :)

Wicklow Way preparation - Stage 2.2

Well, it seems like my Wicklow Way preparation has been put aside for a while due to racing and holiday. So it was time to keep going and ride the next stage today. Since the weather is brilliant today the whole spin was even more enjoyable.

Just as I allways do, I did ride from the Marlay Park and covered the stage 1.1 - 1.2 and 2.1 as well but since there is a well detailed post up about them I will write only about the stage 2.2 this time. 

I have started the stage 2.2 from the bottom of Djouce Mountain just after Dargle river and got as far as Lough Tay. Once I've crossed the stone wall I had to climb up towards the peak of Djouce. 

This climb is a big opened climb but it is not a surprise 'cause over a certain hight in the Wicklow everything is like this. The erosion is significant on this climb and the trail that leads up is quiet tricky also. Most of the climb is steep enough but more managable on the grass.

This climb reaches the highest point of this stage on 626m. But before you get up there the trail gets quiet rough and I felt really remote for the first time during the Wicklow Way bike ride. I think the real "I am in the middle of nowhere..." feeling hit me there! :)

Today this section was lovely to ride but I can tell it now: if the weather kicks in and strong wind sweeps accross there, this section could be one on the toughest one so far.

After the single track climb I hit the board walks just before I got up to the highest point (which isn't the peak of Djouce). I like to ride on them for sure, so I was pretty happy to see the lenght of it! :) It was so much fun to cycle up and down of the kilometers long thing. But they also could be a nightmare to deal with on a rainy day...

Longest board walk I ever seen :)

Cool place, isn't it? :)

But the best part was still ahead of me: after all the fun on the board walks I got to the Lough Tay, possibly the most beautyful place in the Wicklow. The view was amazing! Normally I don't stop for looking around for long but this time I just could leave! Amazing! :)

From the view point it is only couple of minutes before I have reached the tarmac road R795 that leads up to Sally Gap. But I was under a bit of a pressure to get home in time so I decided to head back home on the road through Enniskerry.

General information on the terrain:

• tarmac road
• singletrack with grass
• technical singletrack with rocks
• significant level of erosion at some places
• board walks

Difficulties:

• some of the climbs are technical enough because of the erosion
• the board walks are narrow and could be slippery
• there are many steps when you ride on the board walks

Graph of the Wicklow Way from Marlay Park to Lough Tay

Some interesting datas of the day: 

I have covered the first 30 km of the Wicklow Way under 2 hours and 30 minutes. The whole spin was 70 km long and it took me 4 hours. The total elevation was 1500m and I' ve burned over 2000 kcal today. 

Todays spin was fantastic, I really enjoy the fact the Wicklow Way just gets better and better every time I ride deeper into the mountains. The weather was sunny and warm, it is lovely to feel a bit of a summer! :)