Ring of Fire, Weather and Goals

The weather forecast for my race this Saturday looks ideal for cycling:

Weatherbug

Maupin: Partly cloudy. Highs 64 to 74. Lows 44 to 51.
Government Camp: Partly sunny. High 55. Low 45.

The Weather Channel

Maupin: Partly cloudy. Highs in the upper 60s and lows in the upper 40s.
Government Camp: Mix of sun and clouds. Highs in the mid 50s and lows in the mid 40s.

AccuWeather

Maupin: Partly sunny. High 76. Low 46.
Government Camp: Partly sunny. High 63. Low 44.

So it looks like it will be a chilly morning, which means warming up will be important. Last year I hardly warmed up at all as I was concerned about being on the bike for 12 hours and didn't want to add more time-on-the-bike before the clock even started. This year is different. I want to be able to hit the first hill (which is right out of Maupin at the very beginning of the race) while fully warmed up so I can climb at full speed. Warming up on a climb is a bad idea. It is hard on the body (joints, muscles, everything) and overdoing it too early can throw you off for the rest of the ride. So I will definitely get in a solid 20 or 30 minutes of riding before I start racing.

The high temperature for the day is quite cool, basically the complete opposite from last year, which for me, is very, very good news. Of course it is good news for all the racers, but I'm sure some deal with the heat much better than I do, so all the better for me.

No real forecast yet as far as how windy it will be. I figure I can deal with wind as well as anyone else so I'm not concerned about it from a tactical standpoint.

Goals from last year edited for this year:

1. Have Fun!

2. Finish Kick serious tail on the big loop of 114 miles and over 9,500 feet of elevation gain.

3. Ride as many of the 12 hours as possible strong the entire 12 hours, including up until the clock stops.

3A. Minimize time-off-the-bike. My goal is less than 30 minutes for the entire 12 hours.

4. Finish as many small laps (26 miles, 2000 feet elevation gain) as possible. One lap is reasonable pathetic. Two laps is possible a must to be competitive. More than two? That would be awesome! I am shooting for as much over 3 small laps as I can get.

5. Don't be last!!! WIN!!!

Maps showing all rides: 2010 Rides • 2009 Rides • All Rides