World’s Toughest Half-Iron Triathlon

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‘Don’t drown. Don’t drown. Breathe. Breathe.’ x100

And so is how the 1.2 mile swim started for me at the ‘World’s Toughest Half-Iron Triathlon’ in Auburn, California. They say that you should always focus on the task at hand and not your finish time, average speed, etc. My focus was on not sinking. For whatever reason the swim started out poorly for me and I could not catch my breath. All the technique that I had worked so hard on went out the window. Possibly related to me not doing any open-water swimming or wearing my wetsuit since this race last year.

The last 500 meters were probably the best I felt. Out of the water at 7:47am; I thought the swim took 47 minutes, which seemed accurate, considering how poor I was feeling. Ends up it started late and my swim was 39 minutes, only 4 minutes off of last year. In this picture I look like it took 3 years.

On the bike and stoked. What else can I say?
My plan: go as hard as I could and not think about the run. This is my third triathlon and I think I can diagnose what I get on the bike as ‘Poor Swimmer’s Syndrome’. I am more amped, aggressive, and competitive on the bike part of tri’s than in bike races. I’d pass someone with Aerobars and Zipp wheels, they’d step on it and try to over take me again. I’d hear them breathing heavy so I’d push down a little harder. Slowly their breathing would become inaudible and it would feed my aggression. Odd, right?
Wanted to sub-3 hour the 56 miles (600o ft elevation gain), but ended up around 3.14. This includes both transitions, which I am slow at (note that I am sitting in the picture!). Only 5 people did sub-3 and my ‘bike split’ was ranked 31st out of 200 (Overall results). The course was more up and down then any long or steep climbs. So beautiful. Little traffic.

Run! The route is almost 100% off-road with technical sections of roots, rocks, streams, etc. Also two STEEP, long climbs. The first part of the figure-8 was tighter. Some rocky downhills. No coasting when running! A couple of people passed me, but I eventually got into a groove and picked it up. You run past the finish before heading out for the last 10k (6.2 miles). I noticed the clock for the first time: 5 hrs 02min. I’d have to run a 58 minute 10k to sub-6 overall. This motivated me and I managed to not struggle nearly as much as last year on the last long downhill. It’s brutal. My arms hurt from the swim and the impact was exasperating it, but overall, really, I was stoked and having a great time. Ran the whole way back up as fast as I could.


Finished in 5 hr 58 min. Despite the longer swim beat last year’s time by 7 minutes. Also got 5th in my age group this time, but got better awards (olive oil and cytomax!) than 3rd. This race is so fun and run super well. Apparently it is ‘much different’ from other triathlons, which reinforces the stereotype of others. This one is super DIY and ‘grassroots’.

The real endurance test was driving back to LA after the race and then getting up at 630am for work the next day.

So the question is: Will I be ready for the World’s Hardest Full-Iron in Norway? I’ve got two months of training.

Thanks to my father for the x-mas gift (covering the registration) and to Uncle Bob for putting us up. Also my great (unofficial) support crew and photographer.

Ride of Silence article

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I wrote the following article for Cal State-LA’s student paper and wanted to share it with a larger audience.

Ride of Silence Remembers Cyclists Killed or Injured by Motor Vehicles

One common misconception of bicycle riding is that it is a dangerous way to spend your time and by simply being on a bicycle, in traffic, you are risking your life. Fortunately this is not the case and simple steps exist to significantly reduce our risk of injury or death while bicycling. California, and most other states, give bicyclists the right to be on the street, taking a full lane when necessary, and with this right comes our responsibility to ride with traffic as vehicles. This means that bicycles do not belong on the sidewalk nor are they regulated to recreational trails or paths. The majority of bicycle and automobile collisions occur when bicycle riders are traveling on a sidewalk or against traffic. Unfortunately many automobile drivers do not recognize cyclists as having a legitimate right to be in the road and they create an environment that can be unfavorable or dangerous to cyclists. Like being a pedestrian or living in a major city, bicycling does carry some risk and every year we hear about the tragedies.

The Ride of Silence was created in Texas because of one such tragedy. A local rider was struck and killed by an automobile and on the one-year anniversary a close friend held a memorial ride with one condition: Everyone would ride in silence. One thousand cyclists participated. This delivered a powerful message that his death will not be forgotten and that future fatalities can be prevented. The ride is now an international event that takes place during Bike Week in May.

In Los Angeles, this will be the third year we have taken part. Last year, in an unfortunate coincidence, a close friend of the organizers was struck by an automobile in Hollywood just days before the ride. Morgan Beeby, a UCLA biochemistry doctoral student, had ridden Aids Life Cycle in 2004 and in 2005 raced the Furnace Creek 508, a 508-mile non-stop race through Death Valley. He was still recuperating in the hospital at the time of the ride. Fortunately he is fully recovered, back on his bicycle and finishing up his PhD.

Los Angeles, in my opinion, is one of the safer cities to ride in and tragic accidents are few and far between. What is problematic though, is a police and court system that is unfamiliar with the rights of cyclists. Often police take car-centric views on collisions and assume the cyclist is at fault. Accident reports are not readily available and in some cases drivers have been released without sharing their insurance information with an injured cyclist.

The Ride of Silence this year, while remembering local cyclists who were injured or killed, will also focus on education related to the rights of cyclists to be in the road and the rights we have when involved in a collision. Whether you drive, ride or walk, safer streets are our responsibility. We invite you to join our ride this year, starting at Hollywood Blvd. & Western Ave. at 630pm on May 16th. There are many other rides being coordinated simultaneously throughout southern California. Please see www.rideofsilence.org for locations. Also, for more a more in-depth analysis of the risks of bicycling, see www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/health/risks.htm.

Boredom is counterrevolutionary

Posted on by Matt Ruscigno 3 Comments

Brian, Jack and I were in Jen’s car on our way to Redlands by 530am for Breathless Agony, King of the Mountains Stage 2. Last year this ride was miserable, one of the worst days on the bike I’ve ever had. This year only slightly better. That time on the Great Divide, when Steevo and I were riding along the exposed ridge of the actual Continental Divide, in the rain with temperatures in the mid-30’s was miserable, but at least we knew why. Something about this ride makes my stomach unhappy. Is it because they have such poor food choices at the checkpoints? I probably did not eat enough.

This ride is 4 passes, the last one up to Onyx Summit at 8443 feet, at mile 74, where the clock stops. The last 30 miles are almost completely uphill (It’s 114 miles total after you ride back down). The ride started like this:
Brian (at mile two): Wow Jack, you don’t have a lot of stuff.
Jack: Oh shit I forget all my stuff!
(Jack turns around towards the start)

Brian was on it and we rode together till we caught a racer guy’s wheel. About 5 miles later I fell off. The route is beautiful, lots of pine trees and canyons. Trying to keep pace with them I could only stare at the wheel in front of me, riding alone I could actually look around. Kept thinking Jack was going to catch me. Apparently he got caught behind a train (??). The results are surprising. I took 45 minutes off last year’s time.

40 miles of descent in less than two hours. Fantastic. Like riding BMX trails (almost). After complaining about the beans having lard in them (again) and not being able to eat burritos at the finish, we were off to LA so I could get to the Earth Crisis show. Yeah, that’s right, reunion show! Call them cliche, call the music simple, but they are the reason I am vegan (that and a cute girl).
Sasha said, ‘I’ll wait for you if you are in LA by 4pm, not 5pm, cause that is too late.’ At 515pm we were on our way to Ventura. My bad. I decided to wear camo cut-offs cause I figured no one else would think of that. We only had to sit through four bands, which was four too many. I read every zine in the place. Apparently vegan-sxe is still a thing. 500 kids? Who knew? Lots of old kids like me, but lots of new ones too. Lots more females than I remember ever being at shows.

They played ‘Stand By’ second song in. Kids moshed. They did circle pits. Everyone sang along. Just like 1996. No bouncers, low stage. It’s not often for me to be so completely focused on the enjoyment or action of one thing that it transcends all other thoughts. To have it happen twice in one day is exceptional. Having my politics expressed through song and taking it in with 500 other kids is something I miss. On encore they played ‘The Order That Shall Be’ and “Firestorm’. Fuck yeah.
Home at 1am, dehydrated and starving. I missed the second round of the Wolfpack sprints, this time they were on the 6th street bridge. Jack took 3rd.

Griffith park is not an ashtray

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I am in Griffith Park at least three times a week; it is an amazing spot with great roads for cycling (some closed to cars) and seemingly endless trails for running. It’s only four miles from my house. I had heard that the fire was contained on Tuesday afternoon after burning only 20 acres. We came out of a Greek restaurant on Pico/Normandie Tuesday around dusk and as soon as we turned north to walk back to the house, we could see the line of flames outlining the ridge. I guess the report I read was slightly optimistic. According to this article, over 800 acres have burned. Often I see animals, including coyotes and snakes when I am out running. Fuck. I want to get up there and see how bad the damage is, then again I don’t. What would be nice is if the golf courses burned down and they didn’t bother to fix them.

DNF + DNS = Clip from Contested Streets on Copenhagen

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Had planned on racing Punchbowl today, but I did not get my stripped cranks replaced in time. First DNS, Did Not Start, ever. I got my first DNF, Did Not Finish, this year out of the way in February, so hopefully no more of either. Here’s to a surprise day off:

http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-9067416427722807670&hl=en

More info from http://www.contestedstreets.com

Conquer the Canyons stage 3 and results

Posted on by Matt Ruscigno 1 Comment

Bike racing lesson 1: At the top of a big climb, if there is a 15 foot gap between you and the lead pack, close it. No matter what.
I watched ten riders turn those 15 feet into a half mile and then never saw them again.
lesson 2: Getting the people you are racing ‘against’ to work with you to chase the front group is nearly impossible.
lesson 3: When riding as fast as you can everything you ever knew about anything is useless. For me anyway. My only thoughts were: ‘Keep pedaling!’ and ‘Don’t let that sketchy guy near your front wheel!’

The course is three loops, each one 7.3 miles with a one mile climb, a 45 MPH descent and some rollers. Barely a flat section. The Cat-IV’s started 3 minutes before our group of 50. Jack and Brian held on to the main pack on the first climb; Brian finished 5th and Jack fell off just before the finish and was 18 seconds off. Our ‘chase’ group was about 12 riders after one lap, then 6 on the last. I felt pretty strong and broke away both times on the big climb, but with no one to ride with they easily caught me on the descent. Both times I caught some Cat-IV’s, but since they are in a different race, you can’t ride with them. Sucks. To non-riders it is difficult to explain just how important being in a group is.
Anyway, our pack finished the road race 3 minutes off of the front group. The General Classification after all 3 stages was Brian 6th, Jack 7th and myself 15th. Not bad. I want to say that this Cat-V was more competitive than most because of the separate ‘beginner’ Cat-V races, but what do I know? The rain held off for the ride home; almost the whole day was overcast and chilly. I ended up with 93 miles for the day. If you count my ride to the unnamed corporate coffee chain for my ‘free if you bring your own mug on Earth Day’ coffee later in the day I did a century.
One more thing. Before the circuit race on Saturday, when I was warming up I rolled past the kids chillin near the BMX demo and one kid had an East Coast Destruction cap on. WTF? ECD are the BMX kids I grew up around and it was obscure back then…to see it now, out here, is crazy. We chatted a bit, knew some of the same people, etc and I told him I grew up riding Posh trails in Bethlehem, PA. I showed him my DIG tattoo so that he’d know, despite the spandex, I’m still down. ha ha. Makes me miss those days of riding BMX trails.

Race, what? Conquer the Canyons Stages 1 & 2

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Even after all this time, I am still amazed at how seemingly similar situations on a bicycle can stimulate so many unique feelings. Racing road bikes. A whole other world. Out of my comfort zone. I am 114 miles in for the day and have been up since 5am, so here’s the quick summary:

Riding out and time trial
The randonuer crew, Dan and Michael, were at our place at 515am ready to escort us (how lucky are we?) the 40 miles to Leo Carillo Park on PCH at Mulholland. If riding cross town could always be like it is at 530am…Anyway, after meeting up with Brian and Alec at the world famous Ocean/San Vicente cycling meet-up point we rolled up six deep. First oddity: In between every other parked vehicle was a cyclist on rollers warming up. What a strange sight. The first stage was a four-mile uphill time trial. Individual starts 30 seconds apart, no drafting. I was out of breath 100 yards up. The climb wasn’t all up, so there was time to recover. Fucking hell this was hard! Passed two people, finished tied for 17th out of 50. Jack got 6th and Brian had some confusion regarding his time, so we don’t know.

Riding out to and riding stage two
Due to some confusion with our shit (was cold to start so we had tights, gloves, etc), we rode back down to the start, got our stuff, then road back up and over the Santa Monica mountains on Mulholland the 20 miles to the Circuit race. This is a closed, two mile loop with tight turns. The time, not the distance is set. When time is almost up they tell you, ‘two laps left’. Anything can happen. Category-V, known as public or newbie, is what we are racing in. This particular race had multiple Cat-V groups (over 40, first-timer, etc), we raced in the ‘experienced’ one, though it was still filled with some sketchy riders. It would speed up, slow down, get wide, completely switch up, all at 20-30 MPH. We were trying to work as a team, but would get blocked out. Jack went for the lap-2 time bonus (10 seconds off), but went out solo super early and was caught at the line. It was a dope attempt. The whole last lap we tried to get lined up, but it wasn’t happening. Brian kept pulling the entire group. I tried anyway to get him and Jack set up for the final sprint. From about 8 or 9 deep I popped out to the left and hammered, just before a slight incline. They couldn’t get on my wheel and I ended up pulling out some other people. I held on best I could, but by the time it all unfolded, about 100 yards from the finish, I was spent. Finished 9th or something, but in the pack. Everyone in the pack, except 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, gets the same time.

General Classification
Jack is sitting about 40 seconds off the leader, myself about 1:22. Tomorrow is the 22-mile road race, which includes a big climb. We are stoked.
Rode home 35 miles, real slow like. Stopped and ate burritos. Talked tactics the whole way. Dope.

Mulholland Challenge 112 miles, 12,000 ft elevation

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Holy shit, just got the results for this. Two years ago we rode the double century and it was the maiden voyage of the Seven. Last year we rode the entire King of the Mountains series of centuries and had done pretty well. We were amped for this.
Friday night Jack raced the downtown alley-cat criterium and won $187, but it cost him his legs for this. We rode as a group for a bit, then this kid John dropped us and ended up second overall. Brian (Davidson) and I split up after Decker Canyon and I rode the rest of the course alone. Two weeks ago I went out and rode it alone from home, 125 miles in 9 hours, so I knew what I was in for. The start is staggered, and they ask the sub-8 riders to start last, which means you spend the day passing people. It makes you feel faster than you really are. Did my best to stay focused, which is difficult with so much climbing. When I got to the top of Stunt Road, I was not coherent enough to talk to the people at the checkpoint. Brutal. It’s a tough love. This course is so beautiful; it’s why I love southern California. I don’t have any pics from the ride, but since it is the two-year anniversary of the Seven, here’s a pic my friend Kelly took for an upcoming book.
This weekend is my first real road race, a 3-stage, 2-day race called Conquer the Canyons.

40 MPH at 4am in 40 degrees

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That’s a first. Another 4am start at the San Luis Obispo Brevet Series and this time we left with the main group. For some reason I thought I would hang on to the guy with Zipp wheels (read $$$) up the first climb. Luckily he knew the descent and told me what to expect, so I held on tight and bombed down in the dark and cold. Eventually Brian would bridge up and we rode the whole day together. The whole day being 18 hours and 251 miles.
Everything is everything. There were only a handful of stores or towns for the first 225 miles of the ride, the organizers had to have water at the control points and even some of these were 70 miles apart. We’d have heat midday on the out-and-back to the Pinnacles National Monument and on the last big climb, up highway 46 out of Paso Robles over to the coast, we watched the clouds and fog roll in, obscure the last minutes of sun and drop the temperature 15 degrees. Brian and I had been riding hard all day, but on the coast, with the fog and darkness and low temperatures, we took it easy. When we finally rolled back to the Main’s house (at 10pm) they had vegan barley soup for us and we sat around and talked for a bit before we went to the van to sleep (luckily I had left the window open, because Dan and Michael got done at 130am and we didnt have a key).
Easter morning (see picture of Brian) we packed up at 630am to drive back to Los Angeles. I was stoked that my favorite coffee shop, Home of the Velvet Foam, was open in SLO.
Now only the 600k is left to qualify for Paris-Brest-Paris.