Unoffically Official 2017 VQ and CC Thread

So much good advice.
CC on SS is such a great experience.
Enjoy all!

But seriously *try* not to race to Beeks...Which of course as others said is nearly impossible.

And don't needlessly blow your legs on the steeps on MD get off and quick HAB it's actually feels good.

BTW one year pretty sure Jason literally escorted a female friend of mine over the top and down, she was the last CC finished that year I believe.

 

thanks all for the advice.. I keep forgetting this is a race! Now back to riding!

 

Are you riding SS?

If you are not justs spin! No mashing.
Keep your cadence up. When it feel like you are in between gear, choose the lower one.

Break down the course into shorter segments. My segments: Start - ball, ball to the top of MW, MW, Maple to 4c, 4c to Santiago Peak, Peak to HJ parking lot etc. Set a conservative time goal for each one of segments, and "pat yourself on the back" when accomplishing your goals.

Don't forget to drink. My Hydration plan is Two bottles before each feed zone. If you don't drink enough before the first FZ you will pay for it later.
Don't over drink. There is no need for a pack with 3L of liquid. That extra weight will slow you down.

Have a nutrition plan, and test it before the event. In my first CC (2014) I used Hammer products, and I didn't like to complexity of it (liquid, gel, pills). In 2016 I used Tailwind as my main source of hydration/nutrition and it was much simpler (simple is good).

If things are not going as well as you hoped......... Just relax. Don't harp on what happened. Just adjust to the situation, and keep on moving along. Try forcing yourself to smile when you see other people during the day. Nobody wants to hear your complaints. everybody is there to have "fun".

Keep the rubber side down.

 

I break it up into 3rds: B* to Motorway, Motorway to HJ, and then WHT and Trabuco. This is easiest for me since those are basically 3 different rides that I will do from time to time. Its more manageable from that perspective.

And there's a good chance you'll get in with the group and all the excitement and go to another level. A few years back a buddy of mine was planning on VQ but was barely making the cut off time at the bottom of Motorway a few weeks before. His plan was to give it a shot and hang in as long as possible. If he got pulled and didn't make a cut off? No biggie.

Race day I was heading down Trabuco and here he was coming up the trail! He ended up making the cut off on WHT by a few minutes and finished his VQ. He said it wasn't pretty, but he made it!

 

^ Thats exactly how I break it down as well. I used to break it down into 4 segments, giving UHJ it's own deal...

 

Here is a good post below from Tailwind Nutrition on their Facebook page. Also, if you have a heart rate monitor try to stay out of the Z5 anaerobic thresholds and in your Z3/Z4 zones for most of the day.

Proper hydration is the key to many of the problems we get asked about…

All too often in endurance sports, athletes get so focused on their calorie and electrolyte intake that they forget about the most essential component, water. Water plays a critical role in delivering oxygen, hormones and nutrients to our cells. Why? Because water makes up about 50% of our blood which acts like a highway in our bodies.

Dehydration can impact your performance before any calorie deficit will. During exercise, water helps with thermal regulation (sweating) and a lot of water is lost - as high as 48oz per hour in hot weather! When you sweat, this water loss causes your blood to thicken which puts stress on your cardiovascular system. And, if you are taking in calories during this time and do not have adequate fluid balance, your GI system will start pulling water from your blood and the rest of your body to process those calories. These create an extremely low blood volume that reduces the capacity of your blood cells to deliver oxygen and nutrients to your muscles. The result? Increased heart rate, increased body temperature, decreased cardiac output, compromised mental concentration and delayed stomach emptying and GI upset. Yikes!

While it may be difficult to know exactly how much water you are losing during exercise and to properly replace all that fluid, many researchers suggest aiming for 20-24oz water per hour, to minimize the effects of dehydration and gastric distress. That is why Tailwind recommends drinking between 20-24oz of water per hour mixed with our endurance fuel to ensure that the risks of dehydration are minimized and you can have the best chance at finishing your race feeling strong and energized! #GoTailwind

 

If I drank that much I'd slosh.

I did the B* - Motorway Loop last Sunday on 3/4 of a bottle...and drank one pint back at the truck.

 

Well, Soma Juice it is. Thanks for all the recommendations guys. Would have loved to check out a Jabberwocky, but they're just hard to come by up here. After talk with my local shop it seemed like the warranty claim might take some time, so we figured the safe bet was to go ahead and buy a frame and the let the warranty claim play out later. Everything will transfer straight over to the new frame, and my local shop can have it for me by next week.

Best thing was my wife surprised me and bought me the Soma as an early birthday present! Kinda tough to beat that; I'm one lucky guy.

3 weeks and counting! Everyone else getting stoked? I always love the anticipation leading up to these big race days.

 

Nice looking frame! That shouldn't take much getting used to after an el Mar... I'll be curious to hear your impression of the differences, though. I will own steel again at some point.

As far as VQ... I'm a little nervous, as it's my first one. I have a few big rides under my belt already this year, so I know I can do it. It's just a matter of having the right legs, lungs and bike on race day. I hope...

 

So, since I have barely even ridden the amount of miles in the CC itself in 2017 I am obviously not ready for nor will I be showing up for the event. Do I still pick up my pack or is that kinda lame since I won't even be attempting it? I could pin my number plate up above my workbench with "FAIL" written through it as a reminder to myself that I did not follow through with my plans. I definitely will not wear a shirt from an event that I failed to do so that will get donated or used as a shop rag.

 

Show up. Even if you only get to Beeks, do it.

 

DNF > DNS

 

I agree with the others..:.pick up your packet, show up, join in on the festive atmosphere, do the mass start and ride til you can't ride anymore. Use it as an excuse to ride Blackstar to Motorway. You might surprise yourself.

If you don't make the cutoff at the bottom of Motorway....don't take it personally, you wouldn't be the first.

Starting the mass ride in the dark with 400 other riders is a site to be seen....especially the conga line of lights going up B* is pretty cool.

 

Yep... I'm going to parrot the others. Get the packet, show up, and consider it a good day on the bike no matter how far you get. The atmosphere might push you past what you think you can do. Heck... Even if you just ride Black Star to Beeks or the Ball, that's more than a lot of guys can do.

 

Alright, you all twisted my arm. Still not gonna wear the shirt though!

 

You read my mind ;-)

 

Cool.....you already had the day scheduled to ride, so why not ride.

The shirts are not typical cotton t-shirts....more of a wicking/jersey material. I have a pile of them I never wear. Actually I stopped taking one a few years ago.

 

You'll both be fine.

 

I'll wear it. (XL)

 

Yeah, the light parade up Blackstar is pretty darn cool and almost worth the price of admission. Show up, do your best and remember there are a handful of folks that can win it, everyone else is competing against themselves.

For first timers, there is no need to bring heavy lights for the event. You only need a tiny light, there are so many riders that Blackstar is lit up pretty good by other competitors. I ended up buying two Blackburn Flea 2.0 USB rechargeable mini LED lights. They literally weigh nothing and provided just enough light to get up to B*. If you have a heavy light, consider something compact and lightweight because you only need it for maybe an hour and there is no sense lugging it with you all day if you don't have anyone at the bottom of Motorway to give it to.

Sharone, YOU GOT THIS! You're going to do GREAT!

 

Actually....Blackstar is to pool table flat right now, lights are not needed....just poach off the guy next to you.

 

Yeah, I almost said that too but it's more for others not to side swipe you because they don't see you. The main point was to leave the heavy stuff at home!

 

If I DNF then it's yours!

 

I just looked at the route again. Holy F@ck you guys are tough. If my legs and lungs had the juice my ass could never handle the saddle time. How is this much pain enjoyable???? seriously!!!!!

 

Ride a SS....then you don't sit as much.

The saddle time comes with getting the legs and lungs prepped for rides like this.

 

I have owned two single speeds.
1. an azonic steelhead that I ran two rear sprockets on and was a manual hand change 2 speed. I used to ride it on 10 mile out and backs from my house and aliso stuff also.
2. a 2002 specialized hardrock converted to SS with a ridged steel fork. I rode that all over till I got a Giant Reign in 2006, after that it never had a purpose again.

Single speed hardtails are about the most fun you could have, until it's not.
And now I don't.

 

I am in the fitness level where I will finish but not a PR by any shot. I will be at the start line but plan to just make it an enjoyable day in the mountains.

 

DO IT!!!DO IT!!!DO IT!!!DO IT!!!DO IT!!!DO IT!!!DO IT!!!DO IT!!!

 

This thread has way too much humor. Needs more fire, brimstone, and predictions of agony and misery.

And I think I'm going to drop the 2.35 Ralph in the front for a 2.25 and save a 100 grams. Ralph front and back...

 

Just don't Ralph on the climb.