Okay, I’d like to write something about something pertinent in the sport, like something to do with the Tour, that starts on the 4th, or the new Garmin 520 that does live Strava segments (Ned needs one of these), like the iWatch, or dozens of other things. But, I’m too beat to think.
This 100 mile MTB racing kind of tweaks you. I felt pretty great the day after, on Sunday, pretty okay on Monday, then yesterday I was worse and today I woke up beat.
I think it has something to do with not being able to ride after the race because my knee was hurting and I decided it needed rest and ice instead of continued rotation. In the long run, it is probably a good decision, but I think the best recovery is active recovery, which is riding my bike.
I think it is really strange that I can ride 7200 miles this year, 421 hours, and my knee hurts the last two hours doing the exact same thing that I’d been doing the previous 420 hours. What is that all about? I must of done something just a little different. I didn’t hit it, which can be a cause of this prepatellar bursitis.
Yesterday riding, it felt like it was actually patella tendonitis, which I’ve had before. None of this is really a big deal, I hope. I’ve went through all of this before. Just as I age, some of these things can become chronic, and I’m not big on having chronic injuries. One thing great about cycling is that it is hard to have repetitive use injuries because it is so easy on your body. Cycling is what the tell you to do when you have an injury.
I’m planning on trying again today, riding my road bike. I rode singletrack yesterday and that was a little too much. Maybe not too much for my knee, but I was sort of out of juice, so it got kind of long. Riding MTB bikes is a lot more energy intensive that cruising around on my road bike.
I don’t have any plans on racing this weekend. July 4th up in Cable is fun. They do a little downtown parade, which a lot of my friends up here participate in, plus everyone is up here, so it is a good time to reconnect with friends that are drawn to the Northwoods.
I’m planning on going out to Colorado after this and do some altitude training. I’m sort of kicking around doing Leadville, which is not a good race for me, but something I’m feeling I need to do. Brian is doing it again, after finishing 7th last year. He is going to be out in Colorado for most of July. I’m sure Vincent has some fun stuff to do there, probably local MTB races.
Okay, maybe I’ll wander down to the lake and swim some this morning. I know, what a hard life.
If I do Leadville, this is what I’d anticipate my view would be for much of the event.
It would be nice to just be able to decide to do Leadville and then magically get in. I have been denied for the past 7 years after getting a buckle in 2007. You should do it, its a great event. Some folks don’t get in that easy.
My fit is different on the MTB compared to the Road Bike. I’ve had nearly a dozen fits, but if I ride the MTB too hard for too long, I end up with both knee and back pain. I also think the more bumps I go over, cause more issues for me. This is especially true as I age. When I was young, I’d have to crash before I had any pain.
I never have issues on the road bike.
No offense, but it’s kind of BS if you get to go to Leadville just for wanting to. Like Mark said, most people get shut out because they don’t get chosen in the lottery, and may not have access to a qualifier. As far as I know, Lutsen isn’t a Leadville Qualifier (yet — since it’s owned by Lifetime, maybe in the future?) Leadville is big enough now where they don’t need to allow any pro who expresses an interest access. There are enough people who want to do it to fill it up either way. And since racing in this country is more hobby than vocation, pushing aside an amateur for a pro sends a bad message to the real target audience. I don’t think anyone would doubt that you would get a spot if you entered one of the qualifier races, but you should have to do that to get a spot. It’s only fair. And besides, if all of them are like the one I did this year, I’d say it’d be worth it just for the fun of the race. LIfetime knows how to put on a race. Everything was top notch. It’d be great just for your story of the race if you did do Leadville, but part of that story should be qualifying (or being picked in the lottery — too late for that in ’15!) just like everyone else.
FYI, the promoter is in love with Armstrong and his doper pals that have ridden and “won” there. Apparently the promoter refuses to remove Armstrong’s “win” there as well.
If one decides to spend money there, know you are supporting the people who fully and unconditionally support dopers and doping.
The delightful irony of vacating Armstrong’s win would be Dave Wiens becomes the 7x champion of Leadville.
Actually, I was wrong! Turns out Lutsen WAS a qualifier this year! So obviously, you DID qualify. My apologies! Good on you, Steve, and here’s hoping you decide to do it just so we can read your take on it afterward!
Lots of people get to do Leadville and avoid the lottery. They wouldn’t kick someone out to give Steve a spot. Bahram Akradi said as long as I am working for Lifetime he would get me into Leadville. I’m no longer working there, so I can’t take advantage of this anymore but I’m sure I’m not the only one he got in.
Source? When the website says there are spots for Leadville, that is a random drawing of those who completed the 99er AND put there name in the jar at registration. Either way, I don’t mind pro’s getting in. Here’s how it would work out. Steve applies via the lottery and gets in for sure and takes up an amateurs spot. Or, Steve signs up last minute and the amateur still gets in.
The way the qualifiers work is that they offer a certain number of spots to each class based on finish and since many people will turn them down, they keep going down the line. At the one I did this year, the 51st place rider got an automatic bid because his class had 15 spots up for grabs and that many people either turned them down or didn’t stick around for the awards ceremony. Any remaining spots are then randomly drawn. But the up for grabs spots are based on finish times.
I get your point, and I guess it depends on the race itself. Some races will have a field limit for which pros don’t count, the idea being that the limitations on those races are based on finishing times and the possibility for bottlenecks, which pros wouldn’t contribute to. But other races have limits based on land usage permits, so a pro is the same as any other — they are a body on the course. I don’t know which type Leadville is, but if it’s the latter then anyone who gets in necessarily takes the place of someone else. In that case, I say everyone should be treated the same and have to jump through the same hoops no matter what their palmares.
Steve is a mountain bike hall of famer. IMO, he deserves the right to some perks such as a couple of you are whining about. Go put on your own race and exclude Steve if that makes you happy.
God, what a kiss ass!
Don’t worry, he’ll wear his walter mitty class rainbow stripes
Steve I bet your knee hurts because of a slightly different fit on that MTB compared to your other bikes, then pushing all that power for that long. You had better let that one heal up as an anterior knee pain syndrome can be a chronic problem once they get going.