Ultraman '06 Finish Line Interview

Spokes man

Long-distance cycling champion Jeff Landauer keeps mettle on the pedal.

By Blair Anthony Robertson -- Bee Staff Writer
Thursday, October 27, 2005

Remember that friendly face, because if you ever go bike riding with Jeff Landauer it'll be the last time you see it for hours on end.

More likely, you'll become acquainted with the Landauer so many of his fellow long-distance road racing competitors have come to know: the view from behind, eventually growing smaller before disappearing on the horizon.

Riding with Landauer means getting acquainted with his backside. He has broad shoulders that fan out when he leans over his handlebars, a narrow waist, slim hips and calves that are deeply etched.

His feet never seem to stop moving, or even to change speed, a pedaling cadence almost perfectly paced at 90 to 100 revolutions per minute no matter how fast his bike is going.

Pistonlike and powerful, his legs have propelled his carbon-fiber bicycle along countless country roads and over practically every mountain pass in California as his success in races of 200 miles or more continues to grow.

In recent years, Landauer has become a rising star in the peculiar world of long-distance cycling. In 2003, he enjoyed a breakout season, capturing the torturous California Triple Crown stage race (the cumulative time for three 200-mile races) and placing second in his first try at the prestigious Furnace Creek 508 - as in 508 miles and 35,000 feet of total elevation gain from Santa Clarita through Death Valley to the finish near Joshua Tree.

How does he do it? How does he keep going? It's part physical excellence and part mental toughness.

"Quitting is not an option for me," he says. "On just about every ride, you're going to have a bad moment. You just have to ride through it." He recalled a particularly grueling spell in the recent 508 when he was beset by nausea as he approached a long climb. He washed down some Tums with a Coke and pressed on.

"You have to be sick and twisted to do our sport," he says with a laugh.

A 'tiddlywink moment'

He fell in love with all of it: the training, the long, lonely miles, the suffering, the exhilaration of beating back the pain.

"I call it the tiddlywink theory," Landauer said. "You could be the world champion tiddlywinks player, but if you never played tiddlywinks, you'd never know. When I did the Davis Double, it was my tiddlywink moment."

Those who rode with him noticed the potential right away. He was smooth and strong and never seemed to strain.

But the 165-pound Landauer did not seem destined to be an endurance-sport phenom. A decade ago, he was 198 pounds, with a visible tummy bulge. A ski instructor and college drop-out, he smoked a pack-and-a-half a day, was a regular drinker and never seemed to miss a good party.

"I had a little bit of a pudge," he said with a laugh as he patted his flat belly. "I was never fat, but there was a little something sitting there."

One day in 1995, "I looked at myself and said, 'If I keep going like this, I'm going to die.' "

Landauer made a dramatic U-turn. He started running trails with a friend in the Sierra until the friend couldn't keep up. He tried mountain biking and liked it. Then he found his calling on the road, riding as far and as fast as he could every time out.

But his crude training methods eventually caught up to him. Going fast every day was slowing down his progress.

Landauer had to take stock of what he wanted to accomplish and start training more system-atically. By the time he got it right, he was giving a major thumping to most of his competitors and gaining a reputation as a new cyclist to watch.

"Jeff is an amazing talent and he's got amazing potential," said Chuck Bramwell, 54, a long-distance cycling guru from Irvine who has completed 71 double centuries. "He's very smooth and the bike just glides along like a pro rider."

Landauer never had the chance to go pro. Until recently, he worked a full-time office job. He's taking a breather from the work world to do some traveling and to launch his Web site, www.landsharkonline.com, which he says should be operable by today.

In his 20s, he never touched a bike, though he says he has no regrets that his "tiddlywink moment" came to him relatively late.

Peddling past his mistakes

Just two weeks before, Landauer had shaved more than two hours from his personal best at the Furnace Creek 508 while placing sixth in 29 hours, 28 minutes, 27 seconds against a field peppered with professional endurance athletes. Supported by a three-person crew driving behind him, Landauer did not let his feet touch the ground for the first 350 miles.

Nicknamed the "Landshark," Landauer mimics the great creature of the sea in several ways: On the bike, he is always moving and forever smooth.

"He's very powerful and he looks effortless when he climbs," says Brian Bowling, owner of Planet Ultra, the company that organizes scores of endurance bike rides and races in California. "Jeff probably trains more than anybody else. He trains as much as a professional rider and he's very strong."

These days, Landauer is thousands of miles removed from the vices of his past. He is the picture of hard-core fitness.

Those who know the punishing cyclist are startled to hear of Landauer's former ways.

"I did not know that. You wouldn't ever know he was a smoker," said Bramwell, who oversees the California Triple Crown stage race. "That really surprises me because Jeff is so healthy."

"That's certainly not the Jeff I know," said Bowling.

Because Landauer made the transformation from weekend rider to long-distance champion so quickly, he can still remember all the mistakes he made. Cycling enthusiasts can profit from his trial-and-error exploits.

"The biggest mistake I see people make is that they start out going superhard," he said of long rides. "People have to learn to pace themselves. You want to stay at a place where you can keep your breathing under control."

Landauer also emphasizes eating and drinking plenty during rides. He uses mostly liquid food such as gels and energy drinks. The night before a race, he has the same meal every time: salami pizza with extra sauce.

"You have to find out what works for you," he said.

Landauer can afford the calories. During a typical double century, he figures he burns 10,000 to 15,000 calories. During the 508, he said, he burns close to 25,000.

Longer rides to conquer

"As freakish as I am about being competitive, I want more and I think I can do more," he said.

He recently hired a coach, former triathlon pro Jack Powless of Roseville.

Powless says he will design weekly training plans that will bring a more scientific approach to Landauer's riding. He will start with long, slow rides through the fall and winter and then work on speed and power as the events approach come spring.

"I think Jeff can be a lot better than he is right how, and he's already darned good," said Powless. "He's got a great work ethic. I can't wait to see what he does next year."

Says Landauer, "One thing about having a coach is it gives me one less thing to worry about. I'm going to do whatever he tells me. If he tells me to jump off a bridge, that's what I'm going to do."

If all goes according to plan, competitors in long-distance events in 2006 will be seeing plenty more of Landauer's now-familiar backside.

Tips on training to go the distance

Jeff Landauer supplied these tips for those considering taking the ultra-ride path.

* Increase your mileage methodically. Try to add 10 to 25 miles per week overall. Before you know it, he said, you'll be doing 100-milers, or century rides.

* Pace yourself. Conserve your energy out there. Don't expend any unnecessary energy.

* Try a century ride and see if you like it. Now would be a perfect time to begin training for any of a series of ultra-ride opportunities beginning in February. Check out the Western States Bicycle Ride Calendar at www.bbcnet.com.

* What to ride? Nothing special, Landauer says. Any entry-level road bike, or even a mountain bike, will get you to the next level.

* Because piling up those miles means burning up those calories, Landauer says ultra riders have to stay "topped off" foodwise and waterwise. You can burn 250 to 400 calories an hour, and, unless you're trying to lose weight, you'll need to replace them. To keep hydrated, consider using one of those personal hydration systems such as a CamelBak. Water, Gatorade or a bit of both will do the job.

- Bee staff