Lipbuster 2014

The elite race

I was up early on Sunday, riding my bike in the rain in order to run repeats on a muddy hill. I mean, can you think of a better way to kick off Father's day? The Lipbuster Challenge is simple: run up and down the trail that parallels Elwood Ave. as many times as you can in one hour. Its around of 140 feet of climb and descent in a half-mile lap. The weather did not cooperate this year; it rained enough in the early hours to make a muddy mess of things. The rain finished just before 8:15 elite race, but at that point the damage had been done; the clay dirt trails were as slick as a greased sumo wrestler. 

I ran the 9:30 heat, hoping to best my ten lap PR from last year. It turns out there is a huge difference between ten and eleven laps in a race like this. 

I finished the tenth lap with about five minutes left on the clock. There was a good chance I could pull it off, but it would be close. Sure enough, reaching the bottom of the hill for the eleventh time, I see that there are twenty five seconds left to run several hundred more feet. Pretty soon the race director is shouting in the megaphone and people at the finish line are cheering me on and I'm sprinting for the finish. Alas, it was not meant to be. Five seconds short!

While the first ten laps were mostly a blur, I can still remember details from the last climb and descent. Details that could have made the difference of five seconds... maybe. Its funny how you second guess yourself when you come up just short of meeting a race goal. 

Don't get me wrong though; it was thrilling to be that close. And I did improve my time from last year and got some conditioning in for our upcoming trip to Colorado.

Hike-a-bike

This morning I was defeated by the trails I've been running for years. Turkey Mountain is a different world on a mountain bike.

I recently found a 2008 Marin East Peak on Craig's List for a price well below the blue book value. Overall, its in very good condition, although I think the derailleurs and breaks need some adjusting. The original plan was to find a hardtail 29er, but this deal was too good to pass up. As it turns out, I really need the dual suspension on the trails around here.

It turns out that mountain biking is harder than trail running. I spent most of my time on Turkey this morning walking this heavy bike through the steeper sections. My legs are strong, but I have absolutely no control on these rock infested trails. And where did all these rocks and roots come from, anyway? I sure haven't noticed them on my runs. Anything remotely technical on a downhill is as scary as my first ride on the big kids roller coaster. There's a steep learning curve here, which is both frustrating and exciting.

Tumultuous skies

It's that time of year. Hopefully we'll continue to get more rain to make up for the huge deficit. The national weather service says we are still in severe drought, despite recent rains.

Day 7

West Tulsa.  The route home from Turkey.

40 days, 40 photos (Day 2)

A little night riding

Cheers!

Running the 12 days of Christmas

While my knee healed faster than expected after Pumpkin Holler, motivation has dropped of the charts.  I hate to admit it but...to lace up and head out the door is a bit of a chore these days. I've become adept at generating compelling reasons to stay inside in the morning. Not doing much of the epic riding that I envisioned either. I get out to Turkey for a trail run now and then, and ride an occasional loop around the Arkansas on lunch breaks. Yup.

But that's about to change, because I have a plan. The idea is simple: twelve days, start on Christmas with one mile and add one for each following day. You know, like the song. That's 78 miles total. Since we're traveling, I tweaked the rules a bit (cause I'm the boss) and can do the daily mileage out of order. For example I can run twelve miles on day three and one mile on day four...you get the idea.

Ridiculous, I know, but maybe its exactly what I need to get out of this funk. And 78 miles should make up for all the extra liquid bread I'll be consuming over the Holidays.

Speaking of brews, Boulevard's Long Strange Tripel is a trip indeed! Sweet upfront, bitter and dry on the finish, with lots of complexity coming out as it warms.

Cheers!

My 12 favorite pics of 2012

Well its that time of year to look back and give thanks for an epic year, lest I forget. I limited myself to twelve pics (brb related) that seemed to best encapsulate the awesomeness that was 2012.

 

Castle Rock, Golden



Golden Gate Canyon Park, CO

 

Westport Harbor

 

Pumpkin Holler 50k, Tahlequah

 

Can't leave out the Brridge

 

Midsummer on Turkey; TATUR run



Sunset, downtown Tulsa.

 

Sunrise, Cocoa Beach

 

Running water on Turkey Mountain; a miracle!

 

Early Fall on Turkey Mountain

 

Oatmeal Stout in Nederland

 

My new running partner

 

 

Heroes on wheels

 

Not this guy.

 

 

We'll have to go back a bit; to direct drive, suit jackets and dirt roads.

 

Let's take a closer look at what these pioneers were doing on their Penny-farthings. 

 

 

 

 



From David Herlihy's Bicycle: The History, Yale University Press.

Autumn color

 

 

Fire in the Osage Hills

When it comes to Fall foliage, you can't beat New England with its climatic peaks of fiery color.  And yet Eastern Oklahoma offers a certain charm in a unpredictable and haphazard way. You will be surprised by little pockets of bright color in a sea of lingering green and dead brown. Take two Cottonwoods by the Arkansas: one will be deep summer green while her sister turns to gold. From Tulsa, the oak covered Osage hills to the North appear to be a drab maroon, but ride up into them and you will find many of the hidden hollows covered in blood red, yellow and orange.

 

Looking ahead

They say an idle mind is a dangerous thing. An idle runner's mind is even more dangerous. Between bottle feeding, changing diapers and attempts to be a helpful around the house, I've been scheming over the coming running season. I have never actually completed a season without an injury wrecking my plans, but there is good reason to think that regular strength training has improved my chances of having a good year. Here's hoping.


Running

July 4th - Firecracker 5k
Since my training for the next few weeks will be limited to 5 - 8k runs, I thought I'd work a bit on my 5k PR. I haven't run an official 5k in well over a year, when I PR'd at just above 23 minutes. I know I'm faster than that now and woud like to get under 21 minutes on this fairly flat course through downtown Tulsa.

July 15th - Christa Vos Duathalon
5km run, 30 km bike, 5 km run right in my backyard along the river. Not sure what to expect with this one since I am pretty slow on a bike, and refuse to buy triathlon pants, but it should be a fun day all the same.

September 29th - Flatrock 25k
I've always wanted to run this race along the North shore of the beautiful and rugged (for Kansas) Elk City Lake. I won't be ready for the 50k at that point and will focus on running the 25k well.

October 20th - Pumpkin Holler 50k
This is the Trail Zombie's race out near Tahlequah. I feel like I've run the course just from reading descriptions on his blog. In many respects, this race seems to be the ideal entry 50k for me. The course is non- technical, on mostly dirt and gravel roads through the scenic JT Nickel Preserve, with just enough hills to keep it interesting.

Nov. 4th - Turkey and Taturs 25k
Last year I finished at 2:43, despite some major bonking in the second half of the run. I would like to improve on that time, but I'm not sure if I'll be fully recovered from Pumpkin Holler at that point.

Biking

I would eventually like to do my own century ride, maybe from Tulsa to McCallister, probably after Turkey and Taturs.


Overly ambitious? Probably. Expect revisions once my body begins to give some feedback.

Bike Friendly?

Tulsa made 50th on Bicycling.com's top 50 bike friendly cities. Yes, there's Turkey Mountain and the River Trails and a fairly robust cycling culture. There's even an ambitious 2030 metro trail connector plan. But the fact is, its just plain risky to take your bike out on the streets around here. Even streets designated as official "bikeways" are not designed, even in the most rudimentary ways, to accommodate cyclists. A case in point: the overpass on S. Waco that crosses I- 244. Up there you're literally stuck between Waco traffic and cars coming off the 244 ramp well above the posted speed limits.  But if you paint a bike logo on the ground, it's a bikeway!

What purpose does this list serve, other than give city promoters and planners a chance to pat themselves on the back?

Ah well, time to stop complaining and crack one open. 8 Bit Pale Ale comes from Tallgrass Brewing in Manhattan, Kansas. Every thing I've tried of theirs is good and their Halcyon Unfiltered Wheat is probably the only wheat beer I've sought out twice. With its galaxy hops, the 8- Bit has a retro game theme going on. I'm always a bit wary of flashy packaging, but in this case they aren't compensating for anything. This is a great beer. Citrus, fruit, and grassy notes followed by a slight bite, finishing dry. Balanced and refreshing, what I look for in a Pale Ale. My only complaint is that it is so expensive, at nearly nine bucks for four 16oz cans.

Ride a bike

Happy National Bike Month! Now get out and ride.

The Tulsa Townies

And there's good news on the national front. Two weeks ago, the U.S. House voted to extend a modified version of the current transportation authorization law. While the legislation included add- ons that have angered many environmentalists, cycling advocates were surprised to find that funding for biking and walking programs remains safe. This is a victory, but a small one. The House and Senate are now set to work out the many differences between their two bills and the issue of federal funding is not likely to go away in this election year. See The League of American Bicyclists blog for more info.

The discipline of procrastination

I have this goal to ride a century this year, but, to be honest, have been taking my sweet time getting there. With the baby coming, it probably won't be possible until the Fall anyway, but I also don't want to feel like a complete wreck at the end. Actually, since I ran my first half marathon a few years back on a whim with no training, I vowed to be over prepared for any race or major physical challenge I take on. I'm no medieval flagellant. There's just no fun in beating up my body for its own sake.With trail running, holding back sometimes requires discipline, but with biking I have no trouble at all being an under- achiever.

On Monday I returned to the Osage Hills North of Sand Springs, this time following Shell Creek Road out to Shell Lake. That added an extra five miles or so to the route, bringing it up to 50 miles more or less. It'll be a while until I even think about 75.

One of the many panoramas on the road up to Osage Casino. The hills are such a vivid green this time of year.





Shell Lake is a quiet and tranquil place, and like many bodies of water around here, is much larger than it appears from the shoreline.



Politics!

I listened to The Spokesman Podcast today. Super cool, super nerdy. At the beginning they were talking... politics. Yes, bikes and politics can and do mix. Under the direction of Oklahoma's own Jim Inhofe, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee had put together a transportation bill that, in its original form, would have eliminated alot of Federal funding for the construction of biking and walking paths. After weeks of lobbying from bicycle advocates around the country, the Cardin-Cochran Amendment was introduced and accepted as part of the bill, ensuring again that biking and walking projects could still be candidates for funding.

The House, however, is working on its own version of the bill. House infrastructure and Transportation committee chairman John Mica has proposed a bill that largely eliminates dedicated funding for bike and pedestrian infrastructure. Federal funding for bike and pedestrian safety has helped build many of the bike paths in the Tulsa area. Contact your local representative and tell them about the importance of cycling as a mode of transportation and the need for safer means of getting about our modern cities with alternative modes of transportation.

For more information on local and national bicycle issues, check out The League of American Bicyclists.

Room with a view

On Monday afternoon I rode out to Turkey for several hike/run hill repeats, grew bored, and started running North on the Ho Chi trail in search of the famed "petroglyph" cave. I’ve been visiting Turkey for several years now and have yet to find the famous cavern with the curious markings. According to some, the signs and runes are evidence of pre-Columbian European travelers. Add it the hundreds of other places scattered throughout this land where local devotees make similar claims. Much more credible, in my view, was its use as a hobo shelter in more recent times.

It turns out that I wasted a lot of time navigating the various ledges off the trail. As I found out later, the cave is off the Lo Chi trail at the base of the ridge, closer to the rail tracks. Oh well, another day, another post. I did find this overhang, however. It would make a decent shelter and has a view to die for.

A few more curiosities along the way...

I ran a decent amount of trail and the knee felt fine. Trying not to read too much into it through.

Recovered with Anchor Brewing's Liberty Ale. Refreshing is the word. Flavorful, but not trying to be anything fancy. Dry finish. A great ending for a hot day on the trails.

Cheers!