The date has been set for the 2017 DHC, July 15. Registration is now open at
https://raceroster.com/events/2017/11862/don-harris-century-ride
https://raceroster.com/events/2017/11862/don-harris-century-ride
Don Harris Century |
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The date has been set for the 2017 DHC, July 15. Registration is now open at
https://raceroster.com/events/2017/11862/don-harris-century-ride
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Thanks to everyone who made the Don Harris Century a great success this year. John Rossignol went above and beyond by being an excellent host. Danny MacQueen of MacQueen’s Bike Shop provided top notch support. Crystal Cobb of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of PEI supplied the volunteers for the rest stations, and Jane Harris did the coordination. Cycling PEI looked after the registration and sanctioned the ride, making it possible. The Great Enlightened Buddhist Society Monks provided snacks for the post ride reception. Colin Hawes of RBC Wealth Management Dominion Securities provided water bottles. Great job everyone! But mostly I want to thank the participants. What a great bunch! I hope to see everyone again next year, and bring a friend!
Ira Birt, Organizer Please note there has been a last minute change to the 60K route. We are sorry for any inconvenience. You can download the map here.
Monday July 4, 2016 40K
24 degrees, sunny, 20-30K W winds. Well this is it, the final week before the Century. More intervals. Thanks Clara, because of you I am now used to riding my bike gasping for air and cross eyed. I’m starting to believe intervals make a difference, but man they hurt. Some kind of pain-gain correlation? Maybe, maybe... Wednesday July 6, 2016 45K 17 degrees, cloudy, 30K N winds. My last interval session before the Century, so I made it count. A different route with a few hills in the middle and a headwind to boot. Kind of cool today, where the heck did summer go? Saturday July 9, 2016 60K 16 degrees, cloudy, 10-15K NE winds. Today I started to taper, that is rest up after a long block of training. All the fitness I’m going to gather by next week is in the bank, so now it’s all about rest and recovery. Eat well, sleep well, and ride just enough to keep the legs fresh. If you’re going to err on one side, it’s better to be over rested than over trained. I have a couple of short, easy rides scheduled for next week, and that’s it. See you in Little Sands! Monday June 27, 2016 40K
24 degrees, sunny, 20K S winds. This week is all about intervals. Usually associated with training for racing, they’re a good way for anyone to get faster and stronger. There are an incredible amount of different types of intervals, Google “Cycling Intervals” and you’ll get hundreds of hits. I did a drill mentioned in Clara Hughes’ book, “Open Heart, Open Mind”. Three minutes all out, two minutes recovery, two minutes all out, one minute recovery, one minute all out, thirty seconds recovery, and finally thirty seconds all out. Take a breather for five minutes and do it again. As far as intervals go, these are pretty basic. You can get into some pretty intense clock watching with some of the more complicated drills, but I’m a firm believer of the KISS principle. And who can argue with six Olympic medals? Wednesday June 29, 2016 40K 24 degrees, sunny, 30-40K S winds. “I got a fever, and the only prescription is more intervals!” https://vimeo.com/55624839 Back doing Clara’s intervals. They don’t last very long, but if done correctly, leave you totally drained. Another good session. I’ve got some hills scheduled for the weekend, we’ll see if all this effort will pay off. Friday July 1, 2016 100K 27 degrees, sunny, 10-15K S winds. If there was ever a perfect day for a bike ride, this was it. Hills, hills and more hills. Keeping hydrated and fueled was my main concern. I’m starting to think the intervals are making a difference. The hills seemed easier to manage. The real test will come during the Century, riding in a large group. I felt great up until the last five kilometres, at which point my hydration was lacking. I mixed my sports drink too strong, and with not enough water in my system the lower half of my body turned into a big cramp. I was close enough to home by that point that it wasn’t all that bad. I just soft pedaled the rest of the way. Nice day, hardly a breeze, what was the rush? Tuesday June 21, 2016 50K
24 degrees, sunny, 40K SW winds. Today was all about headwind and hills. I went with a younger fellow who liked to climb, and he darn near killed me. Great way to add to my aerobic base. There are only two weeks left, so every ride counts. Thursday June 23, 2016 45K 24 degrees, sunny, 10-15K S winds. Nice ride with just a couple of hills thrown in. Will I be ready to tackle the hills in Caledonia? I sure hope so. Saturday June 25, 2016 90K 24 degrees, sunny, 30K SW winds. The calendar said 80K, but it’s easy to get carried away when the weather’s this nice. I did a group ride with six other guys. It’s a treat to have company when you’re riding into a 30K headwind. Mostly flat with a couple of bumps, a great day to spin the legs. I’m pretty confident I have my nutrition dialed, I had energy the whole ride. Monday June 13, 2016 45K
17 degrees, sun/cloud with 20-30K SW winds. The forecast for the rest of the week is not looking very good, so I’m not going to wait until Tuesday. Back doing some hill intervals, this time trying to increase my cadence. It’s easier to recover from being winded than from muscle fatigue, at least that’s what I’ve been told. I’m not thoroughly convinced just yet, but I’ll give it a try. Thursday June 16, 2016 40K 10 degrees, cloudy with 50K N winds. I must say the weather has not been doing me any favours, but the worst part about riding in the wind and cold is getting your butt out the door. After a half hour warm up, it really isn’t too bad. Or at least that’s what the angel on my right shoulder says. The devil on my left shoulder usually tells me to go back home and have a nap. The angel won out this time, and I got my ride in. You want a good workout? Try going steady for 20K into a 50K wind. Saturday June 18, 2016 75K 22 degrees, sunny, 20K SSW winds. What a great day for a bike ride! Even the devil on my shoulder agreed it was a perfect day for a ride. I did a route that was mostly flat to rolling hills, enjoying the sunshine and the relatively light breeze. I’m still working on improving my cadence, but it’s a lot more fun when I don’t have to dress in multiple layers and the wind isn’t beating the crap out of me. I’m also dialing in my nutrition. I find a combination of energy bars and sports drink works the best. According to my schedule I only have two long rides left before the Century, so I better make them count. Week 6
Tuesday June 7, 2016 45K 12 degrees, sunny with 15K S winds. Another mostly flat route. I’m working on increasing my cadence. After that I’ll go back to doing some hills. Saturday, June 11, 2016 65K 22 degrees, sunny with 15-20K W winds. The weather’s been crappy all week, so I haven’t been able to get a ride in since Tuesday. The road portion of the Spokes for Stroke was cancelled at the last minute, so I opted for a ride with some friends. Supposedly an easy ride, we did manage to find a few hills, including the steep climb up Green Road in Bonshaw. If you’ve never done it, you should give it a try. Just make sure you have a granny gear to fall back on. I've been informed the road portion of the Spokes for Stroke has been cancelled. In the spirit of cooperation, we're offering free entry to the Don Harris Century for anyone who has raised the minimum donation required for the Spokes for Stroke and prefers to not ride the trail route. Reply to the email you received from Heart and Stroke about the road route cancellation and let them know you want to ride the Don Harris Century on July 16th.
Tuesday May 31, 2016 45K
25 Degrees, sunny with 20K SW winds. Finally some heat! I did some more hills, but took it easy to help recover from the hard ride over the weekend. As the rides get longer, it’s time to put some thought into nutrition, both on and off the bike. Here are a couple of articles worth reading: http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/cycling-nutrition-are-you-eating-enough-30327/ http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/fitness/nutrition/nutrition-cycling-back-basics-141664 It’s important to find food that agrees with you while riding. The digestive system doesn’t act the same while exercising as it does at rest. Eating the wrong thing while riding could lead to an upset stomach, preventing digestion of the necessary calories. Find something that agrees with you, don’t depend on rest stops at organized rides for nutrition. That’s not the time to experiment with different foods. Thursday June 2, 2016 50K 17 degrees, sunny with 20-30K SE winds. I hooked up with a group ride to do some hills. It’s a great way to gauge progress, and also push your limits much further than a solo ride. Chasing some skinny SOB’s uphill can be a humbling experience. I am definitely seeing some results from all the hill work, but I still have a ways to go. Sunday June 5, 2016 75K I took a break from the hills to do a flat, fast group ride. A steady diet of climbing can really put a damper on leg speed, so I took advantage of a group ride to spin like crazy for a couple of hours. It’s my version of motorpacing. I’ll do a couple of moderately paced rides this week and then participate in Spokes for Stroke on Sunday http://www.spokesforstroke.ca/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1152145 . Hope to see you there! |