Drop 3 competition - 2014

Launching the Drop 3 Competition for 2014…
Well, it is that time of the year again.  Spring - and the time when the Dendy Riders need to come out from their winter hibernation and shed a few pounds to get ready for the beach in summer…..
So, for the third time running, we will be running the DR Drop 3 competition.

To recap:
most of DR are overweight
we could all to with a little extra motivation to get out on our bikes and watch what we eat
summer is coming

The competition:
Start: weigh-in will be 7am on Tuesday morning at Tuci-Brown - Oct 21st  (The weigh in will be after the Dendy Special - from 7am to 7:20am)
Finish: DR official kit presentation night, 28th November
So, it is 6 weeks and12 Dendy Specials between the start and the finish…. this is a great time period for the competition to run.

The rules:
it is a pairs competition - so pair up (can usually do this on the morning)
there are points for three things this year:
1. weigh your team loses.  1 kg of lost weight = 1 point
2. the number of Dendy Specials your team does.  1 Dendy Special = 1 point
3. there will be "bonus" elements this year.  at my discretion (and I can be influenced)

e.g. to launch the competition, riding on Tuesday morning is worth double points.
i.e. it is a 2 point morning.

I will ensure that any bonus points are declared in advance to ensure that everyone has a fair chance of winning.  Let me say that the best way to win the competition is to:
1. turn up to Dendy Specials
2. lose some weight
3. demonstrate the DR values of: fun, fitness and friendship….


Last year recap: There was some great weight loss shown by the teams:  see the graph below
TC and Laim dropped dropped more than 5kg in about a month, Fothers, Bruce and Kings also lost more than 3.

 Last year, the competition was won so narrowly - with just 0.1kg separating the winning team from second….
Greg and TC took it out last year, just beating Tim N and Sammy G.   As you can see from the graph below.  the ride points (in blue) make a massive difference - so get to the morning Dendy Specials...

And, a final word on the competition….
In the first year, it was Liam and Lethers who did so well - (but, in year one it was a weight-only competition).  Liam himself dropped almost 10kg!
This year, it is weight, # rides and some bonus elements (just to keep things interesting)
We know that Liam has gone out hard, with a dry month and the juice detox in full swing - no doubt there is more to go for Drop 3 and Liam is noted as a regular on the Special - especially during a competition.
Kings is already so lean - I'm not sure my traditional Drop 3 partner can lose any more weight - he might have to get a hair-cut…..
TC - already Mr Consistent on the pedals - can he keep it up in Spring?

And for those DR who have not been as regular as they could be on the Dendy Special…. now is the time…..

OK - see you Tuesday morning for the kickoff and weigh-in.  I will have my scales….

Danger.

Grand Fondo - 2014 Dendy rider analysis and results

This post is about the Grand Fondo - and specifically a bit of analysis and insights on the in-famous Dendy Rider Grand Fondo Handicap and Calcutta.
Those paying attention to their email would have already seen the overall results…… but behind every great result….. are a few more graphs (!!) and in the data, a few pearls of wisdom that may help you with next year….

So, we are going to start from the start…. how did we run the handicap this year?
Perfection for a handicapper is  close race.  In theory, if the handicapper has done his (or her) job well, all the runners in the race will approach the finish line all together….

We have a building set of data for the Dendy Riders.  And taking the old add adage, previous performance is a pretty good guide of future performance….

1 we start with each riders last years climb time up the Skenes Creek climb (almost 10k) as a starting point (2013 time)
2. and then we make small adjustments, based on new, recent information.  for example: we weighed all riders and for most, we were able to compare with last year
3. we also recorded the strava recorded km for the last 4 weeks ands if these were especially high (or low) we made a small adjustment
4. for a bit of fun, if you were riding on a beautiful new bike or had upgraded, then we docked you
5. and if in previous years, you had shown "variability" in performance (e.g. Liam smoked up the hill last year) - we docked you..
5. and finally, the handicapper's discretion "danger factor" was applied. and some people asked for special compensation (e.g. Marc White wanted extra time, given he is a smoker…. needless to say, this request fell on deaf ears…)
6. so, all this produced a handicap…..

now, for riders we don't have a lot of info on - it is just hard.  Like the smoky on the race track, this year, those riders were Mark B, Chris P and Ben F.

And then there is the Calcutta.
You buy a rider, and if they win or place in the handicap, then you take the $$$.
As you can see below, most riders were purchased for $100+
And, 25% of the pot goes to charity (The AGF), so for a good cause.
there was a lot of interest in Chris P and Leathers (they went for $200 and $175)

How about the changes in actual climb time from last year?
Big improvers are on the left of the slide below….
Improving by even a couple of minutes is massive…. and Greg, Kings, Tim C, Giles, and Tim N and Marc W did a great job in improving their time from last year.

And then what about absolute times up the climb?
Well, Kings took this out with a great ride, and the only DR to dip below 28 min for the climb….

And now, to the handicap times….
It was Ben F, Tim N and Adrian G who were the handicap winners up the climb in 2014.

And who won the $$$?
Well, the Amy Gillet Foundation were a big winner, with $950 going to them
And Liam bought the first and third placed riders - so he really took the rest of the pot….
(no wonder he is organising the collection)

so, if you made it this far, a few observations for next year and a few reminders for the handicapper.
- good punters know this, but the best value is in the "roughies".  It is hard to handicap the higher variability riders and they can probably improve by 1min more easily that the faster riders
- but these riders are also just as likely to blow out their times as well…. so, beware.

Handicapper notes:
- I made too much of the Strava km.  It is interesting to know the km.  But, given I had no history of riders, was maybe a bit of a stretch to penalise people who did high km until we learn more
- Weight changes are worth checking and are an indication of current form.  Notables were Kings (down) and Tim C (down)
- For faster riders - maybe need to think about smaller increments of time penalties.  e.g. 1 min is massive for some of them….
-

Conversation opened. 2 messages. All messages read.

K

Skip to content
Using Gmail with screen reader

September 2014: Preparation for the Grand Fondo
Well, dear Blog - it has been a while…… but now it is Spring, the Grand Fondo is in 2 weeks - so, I've put together a quick guide to get you to the start line and the finish line in good shape.
Here we go:

1. Check your bike and get it serviced if needed
Your bike has either had a tough winter getting punished in the wet and rain, or has been lying in the back of the shed - either way, it is time to give it the once over.  For example, my cyclo-cross bike just went in for a yearly service and here was the repair list: new chain, cluster, gear cables, brake pads, bidon cage (it snapped).  No point having a mechanical on ride day.  A new set of tyres are also a good thing.  Often some specials on the usual web-sites…

2. Do some training - especially this weekend
The weekend weather forecast is looking good.  So, this is a great opportunity to get out for a longer ride.  And, realistically, it is your last opportunity before the GF to do a longer ride.  Given Father's Day is Sunday, get out there on Saturday.   Riding some hills would be an additional advantage - but just get out there.  Aim for 3 hours + in the saddle.  You will thank me.

3. Practise your ride-day nutrition
So, if you are heading out for the 3+ hour ride, then do the same nutritional things you will do on the GF ride morning.  Try to have the same before-ride snack / breakfast.  Carry the bars / gels / snacks you would usually.  And try to aim for about 60-80 grams of carbohydrates per hour.  1 energy bar and half a bison of sports drink, or 2 gels… you do the maths.  Unless you are planning on stopping at the Forrest Brewery for poached eggs, then stay out of the cafes until post ride this weekend!

4.  Wear your DR kit.  Make sure it all fits comfortably and you will look good as well as ride well.  It is all taking the same approach in training as on the GF day

5.  This weekend, try to ride with the guys you will be riding with on the GF day.
As per previous years, it is hard to keep the whole DR crew together on the ride.  But, we can usually form up into a couple of groups.  So, if possible, find your similar paced mates and have a conversation about riding together on the day.

6.  Check your wet weather gear:
We have had two cracking years of near perfect weather at the GF.  I just have this feeling that this year it will be wet and windy.  So, pack your best thermals, gloves, booty covers etc…. I last rode the course on Jan 10th and got very wet and cold.

7. Buy a domestique!
Like most things in life, you can always (as one of my mates used to say) "throw a few sheets at the problem".  As per previous years, my domestique services will be for sale to the highest bidder on the evening before the GF.  Last year, I gave up my front wheel, so you can rest assured that my services have been fully tested.  Note: I will not push you, but I'll do everything else that you see on the TdF coverage.

8.  For the speedier lads:
If you are going for a fast overall time, and you have done the training, read on…..
The GF is hard because the climb is in the first half of the race and there is a long way to go after that.  So, it is a balance of pushing hard on the climb to stay in contact and get in a good group and having enough in the tank for the final 50k - where there are also some pretty solid hills.
So, this weekend, practise pushing up a climb and then still riding strong home.  Make sure you really concentrate on good pack riding and drafting.  Be safe.  Practise eating and drinking while on the bike and riding hard.  The fast bunches don't stop for anything.

9. Riding the Climb
OK -Just reviewed my heart rate trace from last year.  The things to note.  (i) I pushed really hard on the climb (ii) I was able to keep a high, steady HR for the whole climb between 161 and 167 (iii) I was able to push out the last 5 min at a higher rate.  So, that is what you are looking for.  Steady, high heart rate and a push out on the last 5 min.  Good luck!

OK - train safe, have fun this weekend and see you in Lorne,

Danger