Tomorrow morning we're headed out to Oden, AR for the Ouachita Challenge. This will be my 5th time at this event since 2006, I have done the tour once and the race 3 times. (The tour is a non-competitive option on Saturday on a slightly easier course, the race is on Sunday) This is my big race every year, I really love the event. It's a ~60 mile course on the Ouachita and Womble trails in the Ouachita and Ozark mountain ranges. A fast 10 miles on dirt roads leads you to the Ouachita Trail, where you hit some nice sized climbs and rocky sections including Blowout Mountain. Next you transit a bit via another road section to the Womble trail. There are some nice climbs here too, but overall the trail is a bit more tame, flowy and fun. After finishing the Womble trail, there is a bit more road before the final climb that is a real kicker at over 7%. Once you pass this it's 5 miles to the finish, gravel/pavement and mostly downhill. The Ouachita Cycling Club does an awesome job putting it on, with dinners and breakfasts for the racers, nice shirts and great aid stations. I'm feeling ready, I've been training pretty well and consistently and I've got a great bike. I've been trying to break the 6hr mark for the last few years and have never been able to get it for various reasons, but I'm hoping this will be my year.
Last weekend I went out for one last big training ride. This was a great chance to check out my comfort on the bike, my nutrition strategy and my fitness. I'd done 3 hard days of intervals in the week leading up to it, but the ride went pretty well. I went to Huntsville State Park and did a 5hr ride, covering 57 miles. The ride was all trail. I felt ok most of the day, had a little downer at about the 3 hr mark but was able to keep a good pace and get back on top of it for the last hour or so. My body held up pretty well with the BMC keeping me comfortable and not getting too sore. The OC has a good bit of road mixed in, so this was a good test ride being all trail to really push myself where it's a bit flatter, since there will be bigger climbs at OC but the road sections will roll easier and be a chance for the body to recover a bit. The last time I did a ride this long was at the Miles of DisComfort marathon earlier this year, the duration was very similar. I fell apart a bit then, but last weekend I held together pretty well.
This week I've been getting the bike cleaned and tuned up well to be sure everything is ready for the race. I've only put 230 miles on it so far, but I feel pretty confident in the equipment. I've been using Stan's NoTubes rims for the last several years, and feel very confident in them, so much so that I broke the beads on both tires last night to check and add sealant. Previously I've been pretty hesitant on doing that within a week of a big race, but they seal so well and I've never had any trouble with tires blowing off so I don't really worry about it anymore. The drivetrain is all SRAM X.0, the 10 speed is new to me but it's been good so far. I've been using the 9 speed kit for 3 years and it's been perfect. I think I'm still getting used to the bike from a riding and handling perspective, though. I felt pretty good on it during the big ride last weekend, no fit issues came up so I feel like that will be fine.
Last night I went out for a little spin to keep the legs moving and make sure the bike was good to go. I played around a bit, doing jumps and wheelies and stuff just for fun. I felt good and fresh, with a few efforts just to test the legs. I'm excited about the weekend and the weather is looking great. I can't wait to line up Sunday morning with 250 others for a great day on the bike. I may get a post in this weekend, but look for the race report early next week. Wish me luck!
No comments:
Post a Comment