Are You Living It?

What a weekend. The Elkhorn Classic in Baker City, Oregon was a blast. It was definitely the hardest race I have ridden. Beginning with the hot, dry 70 mile Oregon Trail Road Race in stage 1, we were treated with difficult races throughout our 3 days in Eastern Oregon. Each stage seemed to be designed to fulfill every bike racer’s constant need for suffering on the bike! :) 

Following the stage 2 morning time trial, the Downtown Criterium was to begin about 3:00 PM, and at 1:00 PM it started pouring rain. By the time I arrived downtown, the rain had just stopped and I was met with the sound of grinding metal on pavement and riders sliding across the wet street in turn number 1. The streets dried out by the time our masters race started and we enjoyed the only full and crash free race of the afternoon. I felt pretty good in the beginning, then as the pace quickened I slipped off the back, soon to be pulled and given a pro-rated finish time.

The women’s race was ended mid race due to a large crash on turn number 1, when the rain returned for a brief street soaking. Those involved in the crash suffered scrapes and bruises, with one rider ending her race in the hospital with a fractured pelvis. She was released that evening in stable condition, just won’t be able to ride for a few weeks.

This is a reminder to keep your cross training up in the off season with weight bearing exercise, such as running, skiing, or weight training to help maintain your bone density. The non weight bearing aspect of cycling, added to the prolonged increase in metabolic activity with endurance training, puts cyclists at an increased risk of developing poor bone density and osteoporosis. Unlike the general osteoporosis risk for women in the average population, the risk for cyclists increases in both men and women. The first indication of underlying decreased bone density in a cyclist is usually a fracture after a fall or other crash, that normally would have resulted in only a scrape or bruise. If you are training consistently at  moderate to high levels, it can be helpful to get a bone density screening from your local clinic or hospital. This baseline can let you know if you need to direct more time toward prevention, or if your current training schedule is effective in maintaining your bone density. It is also important to maintain an optimal intake of minerals, in your diet, or with supplements if needed.

The final stage of the Elkhorn Classic was the 105 mile Dooley Mountain Road Race. My team mate Bill Robberson held on to 3rd place in the general classification, marking his competition and maintaining his lead all the way up the last 6 mile climb to the finish. My hat is off to the race organizers for an outstanding event. Many thanks to Beverly Calder of Bella’s Main Street Market for putting in the energy and finances to support the Women’s Peleton. Beverly (many just call her Bella) was the energy behind getting matching funding to raise the women’s prizes to an equal amount as the men’s races! Thanks to you all for a great race.