Training at Hains Point

[TwoWheelsDC]

@jrenaut 23432 wrote:

What if we commission a new sculpture specifically for Hains Point – perhaps a superbiker shaking a fist at a tour bus?

It shall be called “The Fred”.

[Bilsko]

@jrenaut 23432 wrote:

What if we commission a new sculpture specifically for Hains Point – perhaps a superbiker shaking a fist at a tour bus?

Or maybe something in honor of all the fence/barriers around the Mall…but, you know, bike-related:

[KS1G]

The OP said he was preparing for the CWC. About 7,000 ft of climbing over 105.6 miles (at least that is what my Garmin 500 says it was last year). I would go ride some hills. Haines Point may be fine for training raw FTP, pacelining (and dealing with squirrley pace line mates – a useful skill!), and toughness in the face of boredom, and may well help for the relatively flatter last 20 miles “CWC sprint to the finish“, but it’s not going to help as much for the starting climb, Gapland, Ritche Rd, or Jacks Mtn Rd to name a few. I’d find a long hill and do repeats. I’m not as familiar with the climbs close in to DC, but have seen MacArthur Blvd and the Great Falls Park entrance road mentioned, and North Arlington has lots of shorter hills. Further afield, there are some short climbs in Reston, to/from Belmont Ridge Rd in Ashburn, Woodburn (w or w/o Harmony Chapel) & Thomas Mill (out & back unless you like descending on gravel!), Dry Mill Rd, and a few more off the W&OD, and of course, Taylorstown & Stumptown Rd north of Waterford. Plus Mount Weather and Skyline Drive and the roads going up to Skyline. Likely many good climbs nearby in Maryland, I just don’t know them.

[americancyclo]

There are some great hills in Anacostia that should not be overlooked. You can easily get in 1300 ft of climbing in just over an hour‘s ride starting and ending at the National Mall. If you have time for Hains Point, you have time for the Hills of Anacostia. You could even alternate through the week during lunch!

[creadinger]

@KS1G 23487 wrote:

I would go ride some hills.

I agree! No better way to train for hills than to ride hills.

@KS1G 23487 wrote:

Likely many good climbs nearby in Maryland, I just don’t know them.

There are indeed. Sugarloaf is decent, although I think going down is more painful than going up (forearms). As well as all the roads between Sugarloaf and Poolesville. Also, Mt. Airy has some ridiculous hills in the surrounding countryside that are a good test of lactic acid threshold and lung capacity.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@KS1G 23487 wrote:

The OP said he was preparing for the CWC. About 7,000 ft of climbing over 105.6 miles (at least that is what my Garmin 500 says it was last year). I would go ride some hills. Haines Point may be fine for training raw FTP, pacelining (and dealing with squirrley pace line mates – a useful skill!), and toughness in the face of boredom, and may well help for the relatively flatter last 20 miles “CWC sprint to the finish“, but it’s not going to help as much for the starting climb, Gapland, Ritche Rd, or Jacks Mtn Rd to name a few. I’d find a long hill and do repeats. I’m not as familiar with the climbs close in to DC, but have seen MacArthur Blvd and the Great Falls Park entrance road mentioned, and North Arlington has lots of shorter hills. Further afield, there are some short climbs in Reston, to/from Belmont Ridge Rd in Ashburn, Woodburn (w or w/o Harmony Chapel) & Thomas Mill (out & back unless you like descending on gravel!), Dry Mill Rd, and a few more off the W&OD, and of course, Taylorstown & Stumptown Rd north of Waterford. Plus Mount Weather and Skyline Drive and the roads going up to Skyline. Likely many good climbs nearby in Maryland, I just don’t know them.

Very true, and I do a lot of hilly rides in the area, whether it’s in North Arlington, or Lake Barcroft, or Poolesville. I’m also planning to head out to Skyline Drive once I’m back from my wedding/honeymoon in a couple weeks. My concern is that focusing on hills may be taking away from other workouts that also will benefit me on a ride like the CWC…thus my question. For instance, would doing some structured laps at HP increase my hill-climbing endurance beyond what hill practice will get me? That sorta thing….

[consularrider]

No suggestions, just a note of congratulations on the upcoming nuptials.

[SteveTheTech]

@consularrider 23498 wrote:

No suggestions, just a note of congratulations on the upcoming nuptials.

+1, have fun and congrats.

I have nothing HP related to add, I took a lot from this though, thanks.
I know the Oxon Hill bike club does AA training rides out there weekly. I’m always a little reluctant to join a new fast moving group of strangers.

As far as century training within the Beltway go the options are kind of limited, although there are many ways to make due with what we have available.
My tri club has a group ride through the hills of the Bellhaven/Fort Hunt area (cannot currently supply link due to restrictive internet policy @ work) but it leaves from the Bellehaven Marina (on the MVT) at 5:45 on Tuesday, covers 20-25 miles in ~1:30 and have three pace groups with a fair amount of repeating hills. All are welcome to drop in. The ride leader and a few of the top riders there did the Garrett County Gran Fondo last weekend using that as their primary training and got it done. (the Fondo they did had 16k’ of climbing over 125mi).
Ive been riding with them about every other week and going to two or three spin classes (which I have slightly modified for cycling) and got my first century done in 5:40 in Southern MD. IMO an hour of zone 3.5/4 intervals on a spin bike have done more for my overall cardio and climbing ability than anything I can realistically do on a bike during the week outside.

I’m thinking of doing the CWC this year, it looks like a great way to about round out the season. What could be better than history and cycling.
I was also looking at doing the Lakes and Grapes century out in Spotsy (http://www.neosyscorp.webspaceforme.net/lakesandgrapescentury.org/index.htm). I’m partial to wine themed rides though.

[PotomacCyclist]

@jrenaut 23349 wrote:

That’s how the ducks get you. They lull you into a false sense of security, and then when your back is turned . . .

I came across this story on Yahoo News: http://gma.yahoo.com/rogue-dolphin-alone-katrina-menaces-lake-area-132602544–abc-news-pets.html

Although the article is about an aggressive dolphin, I found this section surprising:

“This is not the first time animals synonymous with being cute and lovely have gone rogue. In April, 37-year-old Anthony Hensley drowned after being attacked by a swan. The father of two worked for a company that used the natural beauties to keep geese from a local neighborhood. While patrolling a local lake on his kayak, police believe Hensley got too close to the swan’s nesting area and was attacked. He rolled off his kayak and drowned while the feathery bird continued to attack him.”

That’s the first time I’ve ever heard of a deadly swan attack. I’ve been hissed at by several Canadian geese but I steer clear of them before they get too close.

[KLizotte]

I hadn’t ridden a bike in ten days due to vacation so I finished up my ride yesterday at Hain’s Pt. Inspired by this thread I decided to do my last lap as fast as I could and got drafted for the first time!! (I was on my road bike, not my big heavy hybrid). He was so close to me and quiet that I wouldn’t have noticed him there if I hadn’t caught his helmet a few times in my mirror. I was very proud of myself till a co-worker pointed out that the drafter was helping with my speed since he was pushing the air in front of him. This effect is evidently seen much in Nascar races. At least I won’t feel quite so guilty the next time I’m drafting off someone for the few blocks I can keep up.

[KelOnWheels]

Swans can be quite vicious, and they’re pretty strong. Poor guy

[rcannon100]

Swans: A tale, filled with sound and fury, of my labrador being attacked by a swan, told earlier on this forum.

[PotomacCyclist]

I haven’t seen many swans around here, but plenty of Canadian geese. I find that they are like the Borg in Star Trek in that they do not bother you unless they perceive you to be a threat. (Usually when they have goslings with them.) I’ve gotten hissed at on the MVT by angry geese. But one time I ran down the path along the Reflecting Pool near the Lincoln Memorial and there was an entire colony of Canadian geese milling about. Must have been close to a hundred of them. They were huge too. But since they didn’t have any baby geese with them, they completely ignored me. I ran right through the large colony, with massive geese all around me, less than a foot away on either side. I have to admit that I picked up the pace quite a bit through that section of the trail.

I’ve never experienced anything like that at Hains Point.

[off2ride]

It’s especially nice when the person in front pulling is super huge. I’m not a big guy but every now and then on the trail, some big dude will pass me (just because he’s feeling frisky) and decide that he’ll try to drop me. That feeling of “no swooshy air” around me is addictive but it doesn’t last long. For the most part, we end up taking turns at the front pulling to save energy. Sometimes they want to be up front and pull all the way….so I just let them.

@KLizotte 23674 wrote:

I hadn’t ridden a bike in ten days due to vacation so I finished up my ride yesterday at Hain’s Pt. Inspired by this thread I decided to do my last lap as fast as I could and got drafted for the first time!! (I was on my road bike, not my big heavy hybrid). He was so close to me and quiet that I wouldn’t have noticed him there if I hadn’t caught his helmet a few times in my mirror. I was very proud of myself till a co-worker pointed out that the drafter was helping with my speed since he was pushing the air in front of him. This effect is evidently seen much in Nascar races. At least I won’t feel quite so guilty the next time I’m drafting off someone for the few blocks I can keep up.

[Tim Kelley]

Pete is great to draft off of!

[Author]

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