Post race report --> Robidoux Roundup, 2012

The day started out like most days.... but it was race day! Rolled out to do my first sanctioned Mountain Bike race, and it had to be the Robidoux Roundup! I was told to pre-pair for some climbing.... and climbing is what I got. The race started at the what they said bottom of the hill so it was a nice uphill start on pavement. Interesting that I sat in up the hill and should have tried to be the first into the trail instead of last. Hey I was there for the fun! At first the trail was nice, smooth a few twists and then came the up, the down, the up and up and twist up and up some more. Well kind of like that. After those first 4 or 5 good climbs the trail eased up a bit with nice flowing single track, very well groomed and rock free. Here is where my skills on the Mtb need some work. I was scrubbing all my speed off every-time I came into a sharp turn to go up hill or to just adjust to the terrain so I worked my self what seemed like to death. But I did live! The bridge crossings where a bit frighting at first. 8 bridges in all and on this steel grate I almost went off which would have made for an interesting time. It seemed like the bridges just came out of nowhere, at the bottom of a tight curve, just around a sharp bend or just as you climbed up a hill and there it is. I came close to going off several but kept the wheels rolling. Jason Douglas and several others said the climbs at the start are the hardest and then you are home free. Yep they forgot to mention the climbs at the end of the 6 or so mile loop that tested your skills just differently than the start. It was a hot day so I knew I would need to drink plenty of water, I did and was pleasantly surprised I did not have any cramping issues that have plagued me in the heat. I used a different combination of Hammer supplements and drink pre-race I think helped me. OK I finished the race. I officially took 5th but I think I was fourth. The forth place person had a slower first lap than I did and the only person who passed me on the second loop was wicked strong man Mark Horn. Oh well it was for fun right! Yes it was and it was fun. A few shots of the those on both teams PTC represents. 

Single speed 1st -Blake Hoppe GO! Racing
2nd - Mark Horn KCBC Racing

CAT 1 2nd Micah Gordon GO! Racing

CAT 1 XC 40-49 3rd  Craig Hoppe GO! Racing

Marathon 3rd Place Roger Williams GO! Racing


Next Mtb event for me will be the Missouri State Championship June 10th Down and Dirty in Warsaw, MO.
Catch you on the trails or in the peloton.
Coach Ruder

Ironman Texas - - JP and family are Ironmen!

Brian Sharp, Jon-Paul Shores and Scott Sharp, completed the 2012 Ironman Texas event on May 19th 2012. It was an exhausting long day for them and me! Track these guys, between waking up by 5:00am to send last moment inspiration to JP to getting to work by the early morning to graduation party and guests in the house, twitter updates, FB posts Oh what fun!

I can not say enough how Honored I am to have had the opportunity to be so involved in this event in a different light. To be a coach, mentor and friend is tough when you want to be there along the way. I do know the work and dedication it takes to juggle or struggle to get the work in for an endurance event is astronomical. Many sacrifices had been made by all but I know these men could not have come close to completing this event if not for the support group around them. It is a very fine line we as endurance athletes take on to ask our families to also sacrifice with us. Congratulations to all on a fine Ironman Event. What is next? 

More than a REWARD! Life Changing!

I had a wonderful talk with JP today May 25th 2012 to go over the day in a short amount of time. It is refreshing to here great athletes say, NEXT TIME I WILL/WOULD DO...... for training and the event day. This means a great deal to a coach because you know they really have analyzed the day and will continue to draw on those experiences for a life time. What is next for JP? A bit more multisport action and a few things that make sense. SPIN! Pizza Rides, CRIT/Road Races, Cyclocross season are of those things that makes sense and a bit of Trail running. I hope you get the chance to talk with JP about his day.

Coach Ruder!

See you in the peloton or the transition area!

It's National BIKE WEEK Next WEEK!

Come join KCMBC as we celebrate National Bike Month.  We have the following events planned:

KCMBC  Celebrates Bike Week

Come out and celebrate with KCMBC

                                                           

in partnership with 

The City of KCMO, the American Diabetes Association

and

the Black Health Care Coalition of KC 

May 12, 2012 - 10:00 am

Join us for a short children friendly 5 mile ride on the newly opened Brush Creek trail. The ride will begin at the Spirit of Freedom Fountain, Brush Creek and Cleveland Ave, Kansas City MO.  

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the Ride of Silence

Wednesday May 16, 2012

Wednesday May 16, 2012 at 7:00 pm the Ride of Silence will begin in   North America and roll across the globe. Cyclists will take to the road in a silent procession to honor cyclists that have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways. 

This ride also helps to raise the awareness of motorists, police, and city officials that cyclists have a legal right to the public roadways.

We will gather at the entrance of the Trolley Track trail, 62^nd and Brookside, Kansas City at 6 PM. The procession will leave promptly at 7 pm. This will be a slow ride to gather attention.

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Breakfast on the Trolley Track Trail51st and Brookside
May 18th  6 am to 9 am
A partnership with the American Diabetes Association and the City of Kansas City Mo.  Come out a grab a bagel, some coffee and juice.

For more information please contact  Mitchell Williams- Mitchell.Williams@kcmbc.org.  

Come ride with us

PTC attending MTB events! Heck Yes!

As time goes by I see that I am gaining more interest in a full life with cycling whether on the Paved Road, Gravel, single track or just having fun on any bike. I am having a great time training and the once in a while spring race. The race season for me will be in full swing come June time through August, and then it is CX time. Yep already looking to the CX Calendar!
Next Road event will be the June 2nd. So here is what PTC has on tap for the next few months.
The 2012 season of racing will find PTC hitting a few MTB events with teammates from GO! Racing and KCBC Racing.

The first event will be held on May 27th in St. Joe, MO. Roubidoux Roundup Come on out race or just enjoy the festivities. I hear the ST. Joe peeps put on a Great event.

June 2nd will be a Road Race The Kansas State Category Road Race Championships, out in Olsburg, Kansas. A 25 mile two loop race with some KOM point so be had. KS ST RR Champ, Olsburg

The next MTB event will the Down and Dirty June 10th what looks like the Missouri State Championship. I am not sure if I can get another MTB race in this year but this will be a good start.

Tour of Missouri Criterium races June 23rd and 24th.

Tour of Lawrence Circuit and Criterium races June 30th and July 1st.

Ok enough for now.

See you in the Peloton!

Coach Ruder

Joseph Sheehan Road Race 2012

Since I was writing an opening to the KCMBC newsletter I figured I should try and write about PTC's first Road Race of 2012.
First it was Raining. Second it was 54*. Third Believe it this was going to be my third ride this season over 40 mile! yes you read that correctly.
No worries that is what training is all about. In my last post I had stated I had experimented with some new training sessions based on my schedule and my lack of time to get those longer rides in. For the most part the race for me gets a B-. Oh I could handle the miles but stupid rookie like mistakes can take all the perfect training and dump it right out the window. I'll come back to this.

Rolled out to Leavenworth with the KCBC Racing team, Dan, Mark, Kyle and Brett. We meet Glenn at the event. Thunder and lightning all the way out with bursts of heavy rain really was inspiring, NOT.
Arrive venue and pick up race number. Lots of humming on what the heck the promoters and Official where going to do. The Weather map showed this window of open space and that was the ticket to have the race go as planned. It was raining when we started but all where in good spirits and wanting good spirits of any kind mostly the warm kind.

This is the start! I look good!

Race is off about 10 min. late. Mistake #1, I was in the front for way too long, but when people just want to stroll that is what we did. Roger Williams rolled up to me so we could chat and that was nice. I'd say that was the slowest I have ever rolled the first 10k of this race and again I was in the front.
Pace then picks up with two Santa Fe Bicycle Club guys leading the charge. A nice group of strong young riders come flying by and I grab a wheel and set on hard. I sat in about 10th wheel  and then over a roller and found myself setting 2nd wheel to the Santa Fe guy and this continued for several miles. We make a Right hand turn north and the same Santa Fe guys are back in front pushing the pace. OK Mistake #2, not setting in the group but keeping in-touch with those two guys. I should have let them go and allowed the peloton to help me pick them up.
Really all is good though. The pace was not hard but, Mistake #3, DO NOT FORGET YOUR NUTRITION!
I could feel a small cramp coming on about mile 22 just prior to the feed zone. Sat back in the peloton, got my breath back, relaxed and readied my self for more. I was feeling really good non-the less. I knew going into Atchison I did not want to be in front but in the peloton. The wind was coming out of the East sort of and I knew I would need some gas for the hill coming out of Atchison. Made the nice right hand turn up the hill to find Roger on the side of the road with a flat, bummer. Actually the hill this year was easier than in the past. I was not with the group but soon found them half way up the hill and sat in nicely. I do not want it to sound easy but I rolled up the hill well. Stayed with the group for 4 miles and allowed them to slowly roll away from me. At this time I knew I did not have the legs to fight up the hills. I kept the pace strong and slowly caught up to teammate Kyle. We though he had a broken spoke so we helped each other stay well out in front of the the guys in the rear. The Hwy out of Atchison is a nice flowing road that seemed to have big rollers and swooping turns. Kyle and I get well past the 10k marker and with 3 or less miles to go I hear this pisssss sound coming from his rear. I said you are flatting. Just then Roger comes rolling past. I told Kyle sorry but I got to go with Roger. Rolled hard to catch Roger again just to make sure no other riders had latched on to him, needed to keep my place. Inside the 2k to go I let him go and I rolled in on my own. The last 1k is mostly up hill to the finish. Overall this was a good race. My hands where frozen, my elbows hurt from the cold. My hand were so cold and so wet it was hard to shift. If I can just remember the Three mistakes I made early on and remember not  to do them I know races to come will have different outcomes.

Results of KCBC Racing was like this;

CAT 5

Brett Burgess- 20^th out of 41 starters

CAT 4

Dan Schaeffer- 6^th out of 30 starters

Michael Ruder- 17

Mark Horn- 18

Kyle Guinn flatted with 3 miles to go so a DNF. Kyle was rolling with me at the time and I felt bad leaving him on the side of the road.

Masters 50+

Glenn Eyler- 4^th out of 7 starters I understand it was a cluster at the finish line!!!


See you in the Peloton soon
Coach Ruder 

Getting Race READY! Training! How?

Crazy how thing seem to get out of hand. Training can be one of those things. I like to experiment, so when I ask an athlete who is working with me to do a specific type or style of work out I have tested in the PTC Laboratory. YEP my own guinea pig! I have been experimenting with PERIODIZATION! Wow big word for big results. I have been overloading certain workout sessions in an attempt to see if I can get better gains in a smaller time frame or workout time frame.

I know you are thinking OLD SCHOOL intervals, well somewhat but not the same. Mixing different types of Intervals with very specific duration, intensity, terrain and time of day. As we all know intervals hurt but we do find great gains if done properly. So this past week was my last week of a four week session. Today 4-21-2012 I am COOKED. Now for a few days of rest and then a nice group ride to see if my experiment has paid off.

This next weekend 4/29/2012 I will be racing Joseph Sheehan so this will be the final TEST. Not looking for a win, but would be nice, just looking at it from a fitness standpoint.

I hope to see you in the Laboratory soon!

Results will be posted by May 1st.

Coach Ruder

Race Weekend Bone Bender and Bazaar Road Race

What do I say? I was attending Bone Bender this past weekend. I helped Chris Locke and company day of event and then Helped Officiate the event. I was asked by Jason Douglas, " tough to be here and not race"? If you only knew! Coaching is a passion I have and yes I want to race but I do gain great joy watching Athletes perform and perform well. Knowing I have been coaching them is the bonus!!!
I will not bore you will details you can read on JDougs Blog, Racer, Friend, Athlete Jason Douglas

Also had a GO! Racing team mate at the Bazaar Road Race. PTC also had three form KCBC Racing at Bazaar. Please Read the race report from KCBC Racing page KCBC Racing Results Page
Bazaar Road Race Results

Yep maybe lame but what can I say. I have not raced a real race yet this year. My day is coming so look out. Training for a few key events this year. You will see PTC at a few MTB races, Crits and Road Races. Oh I forgot CX season will be a blast in 2012. So all my competitors look out I am on my way, for you.!
PTC will be racing The Joseph Sheehan Road Race April 29th. Dirty Little Secret MTB Race May 22nd, The Roubidoux Roundup MTB Race Roubidoux Roundup.
Olsburg Road Race June 2nd Kansas State Category Championship/ Olsburg.


READY GO!