Bike Racing... and You Can Too

Effective October 2013 I'll be providing all my latest posts and updates on ShutUpLegs.org! Feel free to view this post and all my latest posts there!

Forward: This is actually a post I stole from my bike blog. But I figure it's a pretty introductory post to cycling so it'd be suited to the runners!

If you're anyone who has spent any time around me talking about cycling, triathlon, running, etc., you'll probably know that I really like to encourage people to give some sort of organized racing a shot.  I do this because I think that a little competition is a great way to meet new people, challenge yourself, and push yourself a little outside your comfort zone and have great fun in the process.

When it comes to cycling, there isn't a whole lot of info out there to show new entrants to the sport what the options are.  I've often had conversations with ladies and gentlmen who own road bikes but are wondering where the race scene is and how they can get involved in some organized, friendly competition.  So the purpose of this blog post is to provide a little direction as to what sort of organized competition is available for cycling in Calgary and Alberta, and how you can get involved.  Note, that the prerequisite for all these types of racing is in fact a road bike with drop bars (ie; no triathlon or time trial bikes, no mountain bikes or hybrids, and fixies/single speeds only if you're completely badass and have the engine of Fabian Cancellara).

Gran Fondo

Gran Fondo is literally Italian for "big ride".  Typically this non-competitive form of racing is where road cyclists can get together and celebrate their passion for the bicycle in a friendly but structured way.  Gran Fondos are large supported rides complete with aid stations similar to what you'd find at charity rides like the Ride to Conquer Cancer, or the MS Bike Tour.  The difference is that you don't have any fundraising goal to meet and the the reason the riders are there is to simply enjoy riding in the company of other cyclists.  

Gran Fondo is probably the best type of cycling for someone looking to bridge the gap between charity rides and actual cycling.  The distances are similar in that most Gran Fondo rides are between 80km and 160km, and its not as competitive an envionment as road races or crits.  If you're looking to measure up to the top riders, often Gran Fondos will have a small purse for the winning riders, but these really are "rides" more than "races".   These types of rides are a great place to introduce yourself to riding in a peloton, meet other cyclists, and find new routes.  In Alberta we're lucky enough to have three Gran Fondos across some truly extraordinary terrain;Gran Fondo Rockies, Gran Fondo Highwood Pass, and Gran Fondo Banff.

Road Racing

Traditional road racing is what's most commonly associated with big races like the Tour de France.  Alberta in fact has many multi-day road races throughout the season starting in late April/early May.  Often a multi-day "stage race" may include several types of racing which I'll talk about in seperate sections including; time trial, road race, crit, and hill climb time trial.  Some races like the Pigeon Lake Road Race are just a single day road race, while others like the Banff Bike Fest will take place over four days and include all of the previously mentioned races.  In a multi stage race there will be one or two types of racing on each day, each with its own winners, and an overall winner with the best total time or "General Classification" time awarded at the end.

Traditional road racing is draft legal complete with teams, tactics, and strategy.  The majority of the field races along in the "peloton" which is the large pack of riders you see flying through the countryside every July in the Tour de France.  Occasionally you'll have some try and break off from the group, or you'll have a team try and work together to make a break and give their top guy a chance at the win.  Depending on what level of race you compete in, these races may range from 60km on the short end to 150km or more at the top local levels.

For this type of racing it's important that you be confident riding among a pack of riders and have a solid base level of fitness.  I'd say for this type of riding, at the entry level you be able to ride for at least 2 hours and be familiar with concepts such as drafting, and communication with fellow riders.  Before you show up at a road race I'd encourage you to think about joining a local bicycling club.  More information on this type of racing and a schedule for the season is available from the Alberta Bicycling Association.

Crit Racing

Crit racing is Fast and Furious meets the cycling.  Crit races are short, fast races of multiple laps often on a 2-3km loop with several corners.  Races will usually last 20-30 minutes, after which a bell will be rung signalling how many laps remain.  Crit races are full of close quarter riding in the peloton, with sprints, attacks, and breakaways.

If I had to liken the intensity of this type of riding to anything I'd say it would be like 30 minute all out a spin class with the meanest spin instructor you'll ever meet.  Crit racing provides a fantastic high intensity workout and a great place to sharpen your group riding skills.  The great thing is that since they're so short, they're held quite often, Midweek Mayhem organizes them every Tuesday night through the summer in fact at the U of C Research Park.  For anyone looking to get involved in road racing, I'd strongly encourage they give crit a shot.  The nice thing with crit is that at the lower levels, if you get dropped out of the pack usually for the first little while they'll let you rejoin the group on the next level (you just won't be competing for the win), so in that sense its actually quite beginner friendly.

I'll put a word of caution into this one though, in such close quarter racing, communication and bike handling skills are crucial.  Thats why its important to start this type of racing at the beginning of the season, when everyone is still coming out of hibernation.  There are always newcomers to the sport and its safest when everyone is on the same level.  If you take a beginner and start them with a bunch of other beginners doing crit in May, then by July they'll all be way up the learning curve and you won't want to join in the fray when they're all on another level and you're still trying to figure out how to clip into your pedals.

Track Cycling

My old high school teacher CP Walsh wouldn't be too happy with me if I left Track Racing off the list.  Taking place at the Calgary Velodrome, this type of racing is the bicycling equivalent of track and field.   Velodrome racing is among the most exciting bicycle racing around, for both riders and spectators. Riders start from a stand still, on fixed gear bikes, in a velodrome with banked turns.  Track racing can be very physical, with riders going shoulder to shoulder in full sprints to the finish! This makes for exciting and spectator-friendly racing, because everyone can see all of the action.

To many cyclists, track racing is still considered the purest form of cycling and has certainly been around for as long as road cycling. With the steep banked walls of the modern velodrome offering excellent close-ups of the action, it is a fantastic spectator sport and particularly popular in Europe and Australia, with a recent resurgence in the UK.Now, this type of riding sounds intimidating, but I've got to hand it to the Calgary Bicycle Track League, they do an amazing job of making it a beginner friendly sport.  Throughout the season they hold clinics for beginners getting into the sport, and to boot they also provide bicycle rentals.

I'm not going to lie here though, this is the one type of riding I actually haven't tried out yet.  So I can't speak a whole lot to it.  But there's a pretty wicked video that can do the talking for me available here on Vimeo talking about Aussie track cyclist Shane Perkins.

Women in cycling

I've talked to a lot of women who have been looking to get involved in cycling.  With the popularity of spin classes lately I really do encourage individuals interested in cycling, especially women, to give it a shot.  Spin classes provide excellent conditioning for cyclists and I'd love to see some of those huge aerobic engines crafted through the winter out at the races in the summer.  Several races in Alberta often provide free entry for women in an effort to get more of them involved in cycling and deepen the ranks of ladies in the sport from the local to professional level.

The success of the Specialized Lululemon team with speed skating legend Clara Hughes last year is just one example of how women are starting to make a name for themselves in cycling.  If you're a woman interested in cycling I'd strongly encourage you to contact your local bike shop and ask them about shop rides, or no drop rides that they may host through the summer or even contact me directly on Twitter or through Ridleys as I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

Conclusion

I'm passionate about cycling and I love to share this sport with others.  One of the best decisions I ever made was to take the leap and get involved in triathlon and racing at an organized level.  It certainly seems scary, and its intimidating to not know where you stack up against the field when you're just getting into a sport.  But nothing is worth trying out if it's not a little scary, and the only way to become a faster cyclist is to ride with faster cyclists.  So take the plunge now, find a local club, or sign of for a Gran Fondo, or even just go into your local bike shop and ask about shop rides, you won't regret it.

You can follow me on Twitter @raflopez or visit my other blog at Keep Calm and Ride On.

I get by with a little help from my friends

This past week I was fortunate enough to travel to Whister, BC to attend the 2013 Lululemon Ambassador Summit.  For those of you who may not know what that is, I'll briefly explain... Lululemon has several ambassadors for each store, and you've probably seen a few of them if you've been into a Lululemon, as their pictures are on the walls of each respective store.  Those ambassadors are a supporting member of their community through their respective practice, some of us are runners, some are cross fitters and personal trainers, and many are yoga teachers.  The summit is an opportunity for Lululemon to bring a hundred or so of those ambassadors from all over the world so that we can continue to develop ourselves by getting our learn on by day, and rocking out by night.

My intention for this blog post is to show some gratitude for the people who were a part of that journey this week.

Thank you Lululemon 4th Street

First and foremost I'd like to thank the amazing ladies and gents of the Lululemon 4th Street Store in
Calgary.   It's been almost two years since we've had a relationship and I'm incredibly grateful that I can genuinely call all of you my friends.  Some of you I'm actually so close to that when one of us is having a tough time on the hills reps or stairs, all we need to say to each other is #HTFU, and we know the other says it with love and affection.  But genuinely, without your amazing support I wouldn't have had the opportunity like I did this week.  For anyone who hasn't been by the 4th St store, be sure to go that way sometime or come to our Run Club Tuesdays at 6 or Saturdays at 9.

The Manifesto

Secondly, I'd like to thank the good folks of Lululemon.  As ambassadors, we get to see a little bit more of the inside of the brand and organization than most and I can wholeheartedly say that it's an organization that lives up to all the good things it stands for.  The brand stands on being the best through four core pillars; Technical Product, Stores, People, and Community.  As ambassadors, Lululemon provides us with support in our vision and goal setting, they give us support in our sports and practices, and they provide us with great opportunities like the Summit that allows us to connect with one another and hopefully create something greater than the sum of its parts... and of course we get a couple pairs of stretchy pants along the way.  All they ask in return is that we go out into our respective communities and try to do what we set out to do anyways, make the world a bit of a better place.  Big shout out to their Summit team who busted their asses out there this week to make sure we had a great time and everything went perfectly.

Stopping by the Whistler Lulu after our run this week

Next I'd like to say thanks to all of my fellow ambassadors.  This week was a great experience for me
and I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to meet so many of you.  I'm truly inspired and in awe of what some of you have accomplished.  Your stories are amazing; successfully owning and operating your own studios, running your one hundred thousandth mile at the Boston Marathon last week, going into state penitentiaries and juvenile homes to teach yoga to individuals trying to improve their lives, and many stories more.  I felt humbled and grateful to be in your company this week and hope that we can stay in touch for years to come.  And if any of you are ever in Calgary in the summer, I'll take you for a run, ride, or Stampeding, and if you're here in the winter, we're going skiing!  The title of this blog post is "I get by with a little help from my friends", and I'm happy to say I definitely made a few more this past week.

This is actually me during last year's "Dad Raf" photoshoot

I'd also like to thank my readers.  Over the past couple of years I've seen the readership on this blog slowly climb and its given me the confidence to continue writing and even consider writing my own book.  It's also thanks to the support I've received from my readers that I began mentoring athletes and athletes to be who have decided to take up running or triathlon.  When I wrote my first blog post I wondered what the heck I'd write my next post on, and the post after that, and after that.  That was about 80 posts ago now and somehow I'm still conjuring up things to write and if there was no one reading my posts, I would have given up on it by now.  So thank you.

Of course I also have to thank all of my friends and family that have helped me out along the way over the past few years.  I know that a few of you have had to put up with me falling asleep when we go for drinks, but it's only because I did something ridiculous like go for a run 14 hours earlier, or rode 160km just before.  I'm so happy to see that a few of you are even taking up the challenge yourselves and have started running, cycling, and racing triathlon.  This year I'll be coaching a couple of you yelling at you guys from the sidelines at your races, and for that... I'm stoked.

My business partner, my drinking buddy, my best friend, my wife.

Lastly but certainly not least I'd like to thank my wonderful wife Shirley.  Who has supported my passion bordering on obsession with triathlon, cycling, and running.  We live in a 640 sq foot condo where approximately 1/5 of the square footage at any given time has a bike, bike part, or bike or run related piece of clothing laying around.  One need only follow me on Strava to see how much time and money has been syphoned off to run and bike.  She also gets to see me come home with more than my fair share of snazzy new items from Lululemon... I get that that can be difficult. Thank you and I love you.

The last day of the summit was pretty sad as many of us were going our separate ways, but this week has been one that I am incredibly grateful for.  I'm fortunate enough to say that I've had so many great experiences over the past couple years, that if I was sad every time they ended, I'd be sad pretty much all the time.  So I leave with that great Dr. Seuss quote, "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened".

#PrayForBoston

Whenever someone asks me why I run, or why I race, every time I seem to have a little bit of a different answer.  In truth, there are lots of reasons why I lace up a few times a week and go for a run.  But one that keeps coming back to me, is I run because I can.  I truly believe that the ability to stand up and run down the block, or run across the city, is a blessing that must be taken advantage of because there are people out there who may not be so fortunate.

Watching the events unfold yesterday at the Boston Marathon was like a kick to the stomach.  The finish line of any race is a place of elation and joy, not terror and sorrow.  The overwhelming emotion you're supposed to feel at the finish line is one of gratitude, relief, and thanks.  So to see the pride of mother's and father's, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, watching their loved one crossing the finish line be replaced by the unrelenting horror of yesterday afternoon is simply heartbreaking.

Boston is the crown jewel of the global running community's events.  It's a race that people train years for, just for the chance to be a part of a tradition that's lasted over a century.  I choose to believe that races like Boston, and any other race that anyone aspires towards, are the embodiment of something inherently good.  They're the focal point of hopes, dreams, aspiration and courage, and they represent the belief that we can make ourselves into something better through sport.  Through sport we choose to make ourselves, faster, stronger, and healthier, and hopefully through sport we encourage others to do the same.

27,000 people were registered to run Boston this year.  And one fool thought that he could erase the passion and drive of every one of those runners, their families, their friends, and the global community.  They were wrong, they simply served to strengthen our resolve, affirm our compassion towards our fellow man, and remind us that in the wake of terror we can still find acts that will restore out faith in humanity.

Reflecting on the events of yesterday afternoon, comedian Patton Oswalt probably put it best,

"... When you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance or fear or just garden-variety misogyny, hatred or ignorance, just look it in the eye and think, "The good outnumber you, and we always will."

Tips for your first Triathlon

This dude will be racing IMMT this August, way to go Jon!

So it's been a while since I got on here and put a post up.  Too long as a matter of fact.  But it's now high
time that I get back in the saddle and start writing again.

I have a few friends who will be racing their first triathlons in about two weeks.  It being that time of year, I can only imagine that there are many other people out there getting set for their first triathlon.  So I've got a few pointers for the first timer's out there that will hopefully help you when you get to the start line.

• Practice your transitions- Being organized and efficient in your transitions can net you valuable minutes that you would spend hours chasing in training.  In a field of one or two thousand at an Ironman, wasting a just 5 or 10 minutes in the transition area can cost you dozens of places.  Likewise, in a sprint triathlon with a field of one or two hundred, 10 minutes can easily add up to 10% of your entire race and again cost you valuable spots that you've worked hard to chase.  A few days before the race, dress how you would getting out of the water and practice setting up your transition area and go through your swim-bike, and bike-run for just half an hour and you'll give yourself that small edge over the competition.
• Show up early- Between finding parking, hauling your bike out of the trunk, checking in and getting body marked, setting up your transition area, getting changed into your swimsuit, saying hello to your friends, and getting warmed up, its easy to realize that showing up an hour early might not quite cut it.  Give yourself at least an hour and a half at the race start to get settled in.  There's nothing worse than starting a race that you've prepared for weeks (or months) feeling rushed.
• Mind what you eat before the race- Generally a few days before the race I'll start cutting out things like bran muffins and Thai Express.  You probably don't need last night's butter chicken in your stomach before your go swim, followed by a bike, followed by a run.  At the spring distance there isn't a whole lot of need to be too regimented about your diet.  Instead make sure you keep hydrated and keep a water bottle with you the few days before the race.  If you want to carb load, I'd actually advise having that big pasta dinner two nights before the race so you're not feeling heavy the morning of.  Otherwise, simply eat what you're comfortable with and what you know sits well.
• Mind what you eat during the race- Again, stick with what you're comfortable with.  Pre race I typically don't have a whole lot for breakfast, usually just an Ensure and a banana right when I wake up.  During a sprint triathlon there isn't a whole lot of need for refuelling, but if you've got a gel or energy gum that you take on runs, go ahead and use it here.  In a sprint, about midway through the bike is generally the best time to refuel and hydrate.  Have a sip of drink every 10 minutes or so on the bike, and take your gel midway through the ride, not too close to the swim, and not too close to the run.
• Confidence- If you're properly prepared, you've swam the distance, biked the distance, and ran the distance.  There is no doubt that you can do it, you might have to do it a little slower, or maybe you'll be able to do it even faster, but you can finish the race.  In the days leading up to the race close your eyes and simply visualize going through each specific part of the race, the swim, T1, the bike, T2, the run, and most importantly the finish.  You've got this.
• Have fun-  The cool thing about triathlon is that to finish is to win.  In the minutes before the race you'll probably be pissing yourself nervous (it's okay though because you're in a pool or a lake), but just take that moment to be grateful for being blessed and able to go out and rock at not just one but three sports.  Thank the volunteers with big smiles and waves, and share some words of encouragement for your fellow racers.  And remember to smile and do something stupid for the camera as your cross the finish line :)

If you have any questions or any blog posts you'd like to see up, feel free to leave a comment or tweet me at @raflopez.

Also, you can visit my other blog on the Ridleys homepage at Keep Calm and Ride On.

LET'S GO JEN AND MARJ!

Race Photos People

A few weeks ago I did a general callout on Twitter and Facebook asking people for what I should blog about.  It was a pretty shameless ploy to come up with new material, sort of like CNN when they decided to layoff a bunch of their reporting staff and push their whole iReport initiative.  Basically offloading the work of actually coming up with story ideas, and delegating it off to the people who actually pay to watch the network in the first place.

Anyways, one of the ideas came from @BobHatcher2 and he actually asked what was my favourite race photo I'd ever had taken of me.  It was actually a really great question.  And while I can't really say I have a single favourite, I thought I'd bring up the topic for you all to think about this race season.

When you're in a well organized race, there's going to be photographers there to take your picture.  You'll have action shots, finish line shots, maybe some blooper shots, etc.  But right now, its important you ask yourself, what kind of race photo am I?  Here are your options;

Pippa Middleton, the Happy Racer

The Happy Racer- You're happy just to be finishing and racing today.  You've come a long way and you've Facebook'd, Tweet'd, Instagram'd, Blogged, and Tumblr'd every moment leading up to today's race.  When you see the camera you smile with a grin that would make Jack Nicholson's Joker jealous, you give the camera a hang loose with your pinky and thumb out even though you're not actually Hawaiian, and you do your best to click your heals or reach for the sky as you cross the finish line even if it means ruining someone else's photo.  Happy racer, your fellow racers both revile you and admire you because you look so happy doing something we're trying to make look so hard.

Inopportune- aka Me

The Angry Racer- You, the angry racer, you don't even look at the camera.  You're way too badass for that.  As a matter of fact, even a fleeting glance at the camera would be a brand destroying lapse in judgement because it would indicate that 100% of your focus wasn't on passing the next guy.  As you pass every other person on the road, you give them "the stare" and do your best to make them feel like Jan Ullrich being dropped.  Even before and after the race, when others are taking pictures, you still avoid looking directly at the camera because you know that the perfect profile shot has you looking 20 degrees to the right of the photographer, just like in the movies.  Angry racer, unless you're racing Ironman, try to look happy when you finish the race. (As an Ironman and Ironman finish line catcher, I can say fairly that Ironman triathletes are so exhausted by the end that they get a free pass on this one).

The Bomber- We all know you're out there photobomber.  You're the guy who for some reason needs that extra 5 seconds once you hit the finish chute, so you break into a sprint and then throw your arms out to ruin someone else's finish line photo.  I was even there that time you plowed over that kid who was running across to put the finish line back up.  Dude, you've got to back off, no one likes you.  Earn that extra 5 seconds at the beginning of the race, not the end, or better yet, realize that the 5 seconds don't matter because you're not in the Olympics.  You've ruined thousands of Happy Racer's photo's, and you've pissed off thousands more Angry Racers.  Next time you're coming down the chute, back off 5 seconds so the photographer can actually get a shot of you and the other person in the chute separately.

Ridiculously Photogenic Guy

The Inopportune- You tripped over the finish line as you crossed the line and the camera captured a picture of you flying forward into the pavement while the finish line catchers look on in shock and dismay.  Or perhaps your best race face was obstructed by someone dropping the hammer in a Carl Sagan out of the saddle effort.  Maybe every one of your finish photos is of you looking down and pushing "Stop" or "Lap" on your Garmin 910xt.  My friend, you have to be more careful and mindful of the camera.  When you see a photographer 100m away, zip up your jersey, wipe off your brow, fix your run stride, and smile for the camera.

Ridiculously Photogenic Guy- *Slow clap* You're kind of a happy racer, but your anonymity gives you a little more cache.  Your combination of good run form and a cheerful but not obnoxious in a Glee way makes you the runner we all want to be.  Ridiculously photogenic guy, we salute you.

What about you? What kind of racer photo person are you? Vote on the poll to the right!