According to an article I remember reading in VeloNews, and available for free over at JBV Coaching, this workout is from Tim Johnson. I figure, if he likes it, then it's good enough for me. It goes: 3 sets of 8x45s hard, with 1 min rest between intervals, and 5 min rest between sets. These efforts are above LT and are intended to work my anaerobic capacity. It's the first workout of its kind I've done this season.
Well, I can say that I definitely recommend this one. It made me hurt as much as I've ever hurt in a non-racing, non-climbing situation. I can also see why having a Powermeter makes doing workouts like these so much more precise. Being a track runner, I always had distance and time to gauge effort from one interval to the next and from one workout to the next. But doing these efforts for time on unequal elevation profiles, the only real gauge I have is my "feel" for how hard I'm working. That makes it difficult to really hone in on how hard I should be going in the first set such that my final set is still quality. Today, I felt like the final four of my third set were a bit lacking and that's probably due to my inexperience with anaerobic workouts on the bike.
Right now, I just want to feel the hurt as much as possible. My embarrassing road "season" has left me feeling pretty inadequate as far as fitness is concerned. So until I'm racing consistently this season, I'll probably remain paranoid about getting dropped due to being out of shape. This being the third "Build" week in my season schedule, now is the time to suffer and suffer I will. Bring it on.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Sunday, October 07, 2007
There are no pictures from any of the Sunday races because of a camera failure that will require shipment back to Canon. Very bummed.
I had another good warmup on the roads today. My mind wasn't in the best of places for this one though. Winning yesterday gave me a positive boost, but it made me put a lot of pressure on myself that I hadn't really expected to have until the MAC starts up. My legs were understandably tired from the previous day's effort, but I felt good enough to be aiming for another win. I got on the front row again for this one, but the result was quite different. I had at least as good a start as yesterday, but this time I was third or fourth wheel rather than taking the holeshot. Since this course was much more technical than yesterday's, that was cause for immediate concern. I knew there was no way I could be a follower and place as high as I wanted.
One sandy section in the woods after the big hill was torn up from all the racing yesterday and so I elected to run that every time after the first lap. I stupidly tried to ride it even though I'd failed in warmups and I got gapped just a bit. I made up most of that gap back on the flat sections, but they were incredibly bumpy sections of grass that made it difficult to easily gain ground. Going into the other woods section, I took a horrible line, got passed by a few folks and found myself way overgeared. I fixed the problem relatively fast, but by that point, the front group had put significant time into me. I thought I might get it back when we hit the road, but the gap was too large, Lindstrom, Bradshaw, and another rider were up ahead.
Today's course, along with being much more technical, eliminated a huge power section and instead switched back and forth on itself to the point where I was forgetting which part of the course came next. I was riding myself into a daze and struggling to hold position. I believe that initially I was in no-mans land between the lead three and the rest of the field. I was working hard in attempting to crawl forwards in position, but I started to realize I was losing the battle when I became part of a group from behind me.
This group consisted of myself and three other riders and it was quickly understood, once we passed a guy falling off the lead pace, that we would be racing for third place. Four guys duking it out for a spot on the podium is a brutal affair. It's even more brutal when you feel as though you must lead every technical section to allow your lack of skills to slow the group. So for several laps, that's exactly what I did. I would go just fast enough that everytime we got to the horrible offcamber and 'S'-turn, I was in the lead. And everytime we had to make our way around a very tricky sandy turn, I was in the lead. And everytime we went into the final woods section, I forced myself to the front.
Well, that worked for a while. But at somewhere around two laps to go, my group mates got wiser. I think the realized my weakness and started fighting for position going into the technical sections. At least twice I was passed, as we hit the sand going into the final woods. It was so frustrating because I kept trying to find a line that would allow me to keep speed going and I couldn't. I was lucky enough that I had enough gas to get back with whoever had passed me then each time back on the road, but I knew in the back of my mind that eventually that wouldn't be the case. It also wasn't allowing me to put any time into them on power sections. Oh, how I was wishing we still had the lap around the field today!
With one lap to go, I was still in my place at the front of our pack, but I was hurting bad. I got no real gap up the mountain and I lost one spot before the off camber and 'S'-turn, but I held on and kept digging. I forced my way to the front one last time and led up the log run-up. But that's when two of the riders started to get very aggressive and in the sandy turn that had been giving me fits all day, they both went for the kill and passed me. I had no choice but to watch a little gap form and then attack like mad to pass them before we went into the woods the last time. Well, I attacked and passed them, but I must have let up a bit too soon, or they were expecting my frantic pace because they attacked back and all three riders passed me again! I was suddenly at the back of the four person pack I'd led for what had felt like an eternity. I knew that if I let any gap form I'd have to bury myself to get it back on the asphalt drag to the finish.
I watched in "horror" as Snoop, rode away from the other two in front of me and it was clear that the battle for third was over. It was going to be a three-way sprint for fourth. I lost time in the woods, but as soon as we hit pavement, I made up that ground and sat in the slipstream of the other two. I thought I had enough gas to win this sprint and I was very confident. I sat as patiently as I could and whe we saw the line, the race was on. The rider on second wheel (Cavanaugh) made his move and I made mine, but I had more ground to cover, and he had a surprisingly good finishing kick. We both stormed past the lead rider (Wolff) and towards the line with him winning by just a touch. I finished fifth.
Looking back over the course of the race, I have to say that I should have been at least third if I'd played my cards right. I worked too hard for too long and in the end I had burnt nearly all my matches. The competition was some of the best I've had in bike racing and I took up residence in the pain cave for most of the race. The technical sections of the course were my undoing and the mistake in the woods in the early going eliminated any hope of a repeat win. It's frustrating to "lose" a winnable race that early on, but sometimes that's how it goes. I didn't have the power I needed to make my strong sections hurt others and instead I had to use those sections to hang on for dear life. This was easily the most technical dry course I've ever raced and I did ok. Had I won that sprint into the woods the last time, I'm confident I could have improved at least one place. All in all, a great race for the early season--perfect to force me to work on my weaknesses.
I had another good warmup on the roads today. My mind wasn't in the best of places for this one though. Winning yesterday gave me a positive boost, but it made me put a lot of pressure on myself that I hadn't really expected to have until the MAC starts up. My legs were understandably tired from the previous day's effort, but I felt good enough to be aiming for another win. I got on the front row again for this one, but the result was quite different. I had at least as good a start as yesterday, but this time I was third or fourth wheel rather than taking the holeshot. Since this course was much more technical than yesterday's, that was cause for immediate concern. I knew there was no way I could be a follower and place as high as I wanted.
One sandy section in the woods after the big hill was torn up from all the racing yesterday and so I elected to run that every time after the first lap. I stupidly tried to ride it even though I'd failed in warmups and I got gapped just a bit. I made up most of that gap back on the flat sections, but they were incredibly bumpy sections of grass that made it difficult to easily gain ground. Going into the other woods section, I took a horrible line, got passed by a few folks and found myself way overgeared. I fixed the problem relatively fast, but by that point, the front group had put significant time into me. I thought I might get it back when we hit the road, but the gap was too large, Lindstrom, Bradshaw, and another rider were up ahead.
Today's course, along with being much more technical, eliminated a huge power section and instead switched back and forth on itself to the point where I was forgetting which part of the course came next. I was riding myself into a daze and struggling to hold position. I believe that initially I was in no-mans land between the lead three and the rest of the field. I was working hard in attempting to crawl forwards in position, but I started to realize I was losing the battle when I became part of a group from behind me.
This group consisted of myself and three other riders and it was quickly understood, once we passed a guy falling off the lead pace, that we would be racing for third place. Four guys duking it out for a spot on the podium is a brutal affair. It's even more brutal when you feel as though you must lead every technical section to allow your lack of skills to slow the group. So for several laps, that's exactly what I did. I would go just fast enough that everytime we got to the horrible offcamber and 'S'-turn, I was in the lead. And everytime we had to make our way around a very tricky sandy turn, I was in the lead. And everytime we went into the final woods section, I forced myself to the front.
Well, that worked for a while. But at somewhere around two laps to go, my group mates got wiser. I think the realized my weakness and started fighting for position going into the technical sections. At least twice I was passed, as we hit the sand going into the final woods. It was so frustrating because I kept trying to find a line that would allow me to keep speed going and I couldn't. I was lucky enough that I had enough gas to get back with whoever had passed me then each time back on the road, but I knew in the back of my mind that eventually that wouldn't be the case. It also wasn't allowing me to put any time into them on power sections. Oh, how I was wishing we still had the lap around the field today!
With one lap to go, I was still in my place at the front of our pack, but I was hurting bad. I got no real gap up the mountain and I lost one spot before the off camber and 'S'-turn, but I held on and kept digging. I forced my way to the front one last time and led up the log run-up. But that's when two of the riders started to get very aggressive and in the sandy turn that had been giving me fits all day, they both went for the kill and passed me. I had no choice but to watch a little gap form and then attack like mad to pass them before we went into the woods the last time. Well, I attacked and passed them, but I must have let up a bit too soon, or they were expecting my frantic pace because they attacked back and all three riders passed me again! I was suddenly at the back of the four person pack I'd led for what had felt like an eternity. I knew that if I let any gap form I'd have to bury myself to get it back on the asphalt drag to the finish.
I watched in "horror" as Snoop, rode away from the other two in front of me and it was clear that the battle for third was over. It was going to be a three-way sprint for fourth. I lost time in the woods, but as soon as we hit pavement, I made up that ground and sat in the slipstream of the other two. I thought I had enough gas to win this sprint and I was very confident. I sat as patiently as I could and whe we saw the line, the race was on. The rider on second wheel (Cavanaugh) made his move and I made mine, but I had more ground to cover, and he had a surprisingly good finishing kick. We both stormed past the lead rider (Wolff) and towards the line with him winning by just a touch. I finished fifth.
Looking back over the course of the race, I have to say that I should have been at least third if I'd played my cards right. I worked too hard for too long and in the end I had burnt nearly all my matches. The competition was some of the best I've had in bike racing and I took up residence in the pain cave for most of the race. The technical sections of the course were my undoing and the mistake in the woods in the early going eliminated any hope of a repeat win. It's frustrating to "lose" a winnable race that early on, but sometimes that's how it goes. I didn't have the power I needed to make my strong sections hurt others and instead I had to use those sections to hang on for dear life. This was easily the most technical dry course I've ever raced and I did ok. Had I won that sprint into the woods the last time, I'm confident I could have improved at least one place. All in all, a great race for the early season--perfect to force me to work on my weaknesses.
Saturday, October 06, 2007
We drove around the bend from the North Fork to the South Fork and into Southampton for the first day of the Whitmore's Landscaping Super Cross Cup. Of course we made this trip Northward to watch rather than to race and it was immediately obvious that we'd made a good decision. George spotted former German cyclocross champion Malte Urban riding around in warm-ups. It wasn't long before we'd made friends with a group of three Belgians who'd come to the US for the first time. They were members of the Erwin Vervecken Fan Club and had flown across the pond just to watch him race--they were headed back to work on Monday morning. George, being more bold than I actually asked one of the guys for his hat. He happily obliged and after conferring with the other two in Flemish, Jess and I got their hats too! What a gift! Real Euro schwag.
After previewing the course, Jess lined up for her first cyclocross race ever. I've been pushing her to give it a try for a long while and I was pretty excited to see her finally give in and toe the line. This course was anything but easy for Jess. There was one very steep but short sandy hill that was unrideable and barely walkable for us mortals. And there was also a 20% grade hill that was large and quite daunting. Most of the women in this race ended up walking rather than running up the hill by the end.
Even though this course wasn't ideal for her, Jess put forth a great effort and placed fourth out of eight riders, 2:50 back from the winner. With one more lap, I'm confident she would have been on the podium. I'm equally as confident that if she were to keep racing, she would have some decent success. She's strong and more competitive that she gives herself credit for. She's also fairly skilled for her level on technical sections.
But I think this was probably Jess' first and last 'cross race. She truly seems to prefer watching me and being a part of the scene rather than actually racing. She said she's glad she did it since it gives her even more appreciation of what racing is like and what we all put ourselves through. But in the end, she didn't feel like she had the desire to race that have. It's also a good monetary decision considering how much I spend on entry fees. Doubling that would be an enormous cost.
After previewing the course, Jess lined up for her first cyclocross race ever. I've been pushing her to give it a try for a long while and I was pretty excited to see her finally give in and toe the line. This course was anything but easy for Jess. There was one very steep but short sandy hill that was unrideable and barely walkable for us mortals. And there was also a 20% grade hill that was large and quite daunting. Most of the women in this race ended up walking rather than running up the hill by the end.
Even though this course wasn't ideal for her, Jess put forth a great effort and placed fourth out of eight riders, 2:50 back from the winner. With one more lap, I'm confident she would have been on the podium. I'm equally as confident that if she were to keep racing, she would have some decent success. She's strong and more competitive that she gives herself credit for. She's also fairly skilled for her level on technical sections.
But I think this was probably Jess' first and last 'cross race. She truly seems to prefer watching me and being a part of the scene rather than actually racing. She said she's glad she did it since it gives her even more appreciation of what racing is like and what we all put ourselves through. But in the end, she didn't feel like she had the desire to race that have. It's also a good monetary decision considering how much I spend on entry fees. Doubling that would be an enormous cost.
My race was after the Master's and I got in a solid warmup riding on the roads outside the park grounds. I did fifteen minutes of aerobic riding followed by some stretching and then some LT efforts and a final lap of the course. I was ready to go and I was even able to scrum for a front row start, shoving my way between the few call-ups.
From the gun, this race was a total and complete surprise to me. I clipped in immediately and started the way I'd done on Friday doing openers with George. I hammered to the front and was a bit taken aback with how easily I took the holeshot. It was so easy that I had to look back and wonder if perhaps I was going a bit too hard. Before we hit the first turn at the end of the building, I decided that I'd better keep the lead and see what I could do with it. I figured if I led up the small hillock and up the mountain, I'd probably be all set to lead the entire first lap. I did just that, electing to run the mountain and riding the off-camber coming out of the hilltop fairly well. I had a crew of riders right behind me and I was defintitely feeling the effects of setting the early pace. Last year at IC Lite, I'd taken a similar start of setting the early tempo, but the difference here was that I don't yet have confidence in my fitness. I'm only a few weeks removed from being pulled from crits.
But there I was, leading the race. As soon as we hit the asphalt coming out of the woods by the start line and returning towards the finish, I elected to let one of the followers lead us into the wind. I wasn't brazen enough to push the pace for too long. I followed close behind the new leader and I realized that I was terrified of getting gapped. I didn't have the confidence to follow the lead and feel comfortable, so I went back to the front and led most of the lap again. I repeated the switch off on the asphalt with a different leader, but this time I dove into the corner coming off the asphalt and went back to the lead as soon as we hit the grass. From there, the race was truly on.
I ran the mountain the first two times, but on the third I decided to start riding it. I was followed in hot pursuit by Andrew Grabarek of Keltic Construction. He followed my every move and somehow we managed to commandeer the lead and create a large gap between ourselves and the rest of the riders. I remember hearing the announcer comment on us switching off the lead one time through the asphalt and also hearing Mel yell to me that, "You've got a gap, keep it going."
With just over two laps to go, disaster struck for Grabarek. Coming into the barriers, I led and as soon as I crossed them, I heard him go down. I glanced back only to see him lying on the ground with his bike. I wasted no time in attacking all out to put time into him. As I was heading into the singletrack woods section before the start line, I noticed that he wasn't getting up and that the race was mine to lose. When I came through the start line I had two laps to go and I had to focus on keeping the lead as best I could. I had Jess giving me the gap back to the next group of riders and it was 30 seconds. It dipped down to 25 at some point during the penultimate lap, but I wasn't worried. I kept riding my race and focusing on keeping a solid pace in the flats and staying alert through the technical terrain.
Jess said later that she didn't know when I was on my last lap and that she started to get worried when the gap began to drop some. But I had things under control by then and I was merely trying to avoid pinch flatting on some on the rocky gully and a few of the exposed roots and cut trees. I kept the pace under control and as soon as I hit the asphalt the final time, I gave it full gas to ensure the victory. The second place rider ended up thirteen seconds back according to the results. That was a bit closer than I'd intended to let him get, but comfortable enough.
It's odd to get a win like this so early into a season in which I entered with no real fitness to speak of. Winning at Charm City last season was a big surprise, but I knew I was on top form coming in to that. It's an even bigger surprise to take the win by such an easy margin. I've never won a 'cross race before the final sprint. I was definitely aided by the crash behind me and the field wasn't the best I'll see. But a win is a win and I beat some good riders. With myself considering this course to be fairly technical, I'm extremely pleased to come out on top. It's a nice gift to keep the motivation high as I enter a weekend off from racing before the MAC season begins.
From the gun, this race was a total and complete surprise to me. I clipped in immediately and started the way I'd done on Friday doing openers with George. I hammered to the front and was a bit taken aback with how easily I took the holeshot. It was so easy that I had to look back and wonder if perhaps I was going a bit too hard. Before we hit the first turn at the end of the building, I decided that I'd better keep the lead and see what I could do with it. I figured if I led up the small hillock and up the mountain, I'd probably be all set to lead the entire first lap. I did just that, electing to run the mountain and riding the off-camber coming out of the hilltop fairly well. I had a crew of riders right behind me and I was defintitely feeling the effects of setting the early pace. Last year at IC Lite, I'd taken a similar start of setting the early tempo, but the difference here was that I don't yet have confidence in my fitness. I'm only a few weeks removed from being pulled from crits.
But there I was, leading the race. As soon as we hit the asphalt coming out of the woods by the start line and returning towards the finish, I elected to let one of the followers lead us into the wind. I wasn't brazen enough to push the pace for too long. I followed close behind the new leader and I realized that I was terrified of getting gapped. I didn't have the confidence to follow the lead and feel comfortable, so I went back to the front and led most of the lap again. I repeated the switch off on the asphalt with a different leader, but this time I dove into the corner coming off the asphalt and went back to the lead as soon as we hit the grass. From there, the race was truly on.
I ran the mountain the first two times, but on the third I decided to start riding it. I was followed in hot pursuit by Andrew Grabarek of Keltic Construction. He followed my every move and somehow we managed to commandeer the lead and create a large gap between ourselves and the rest of the riders. I remember hearing the announcer comment on us switching off the lead one time through the asphalt and also hearing Mel yell to me that, "You've got a gap, keep it going."
With just over two laps to go, disaster struck for Grabarek. Coming into the barriers, I led and as soon as I crossed them, I heard him go down. I glanced back only to see him lying on the ground with his bike. I wasted no time in attacking all out to put time into him. As I was heading into the singletrack woods section before the start line, I noticed that he wasn't getting up and that the race was mine to lose. When I came through the start line I had two laps to go and I had to focus on keeping the lead as best I could. I had Jess giving me the gap back to the next group of riders and it was 30 seconds. It dipped down to 25 at some point during the penultimate lap, but I wasn't worried. I kept riding my race and focusing on keeping a solid pace in the flats and staying alert through the technical terrain.
Jess said later that she didn't know when I was on my last lap and that she started to get worried when the gap began to drop some. But I had things under control by then and I was merely trying to avoid pinch flatting on some on the rocky gully and a few of the exposed roots and cut trees. I kept the pace under control and as soon as I hit the asphalt the final time, I gave it full gas to ensure the victory. The second place rider ended up thirteen seconds back according to the results. That was a bit closer than I'd intended to let him get, but comfortable enough.
It's odd to get a win like this so early into a season in which I entered with no real fitness to speak of. Winning at Charm City last season was a big surprise, but I knew I was on top form coming in to that. It's an even bigger surprise to take the win by such an easy margin. I've never won a 'cross race before the final sprint. I was definitely aided by the crash behind me and the field wasn't the best I'll see. But a win is a win and I beat some good riders. With myself considering this course to be fairly technical, I'm extremely pleased to come out on top. It's a nice gift to keep the motivation high as I enter a weekend off from racing before the MAC season begins.
It was great to have showers on site and I took full advantage. My legs were filthy and I was exhausted from the effort. I cleaned up, donned my new Vervecken hat and headed back to the car. On the way out, I saw Mr. Rainbow Stripes for the first time. He was hanging with his supporters and his mechanic/Dad. I didn't want to bother him since it seemed like he was getting plenty of attention and was about to start warming up on the course. But he noticed me hat and called out, "Where'd you get the cap?" I pointed to his boys and he chuckled at that. I seized the opportunity to get a shot with the giant and he was more than happy to oblige. I'm glad Jess was hanging close with the camera and I couldn't be more happy with how it turned out. I'm now firmly in the Vervecken camp. The dude was shockingly approachable and good spirited.
And if that wasn't enough, we'd parked next to Ryan Trebon, the US National Champion and his parter in crime, Barry Wicks. They were unloading their rental minivan and pulling out more carbon than a DC Velo Sunday ride. Dugasts, FSA Carbon wheels, sweet Kore brakes and the biggest freakin' orange frames around. George, conversationalist extraordinaire, struck up a conversation with them and we chatted for a bit. Very cool. Trebon showed me the new clearance for the chainrings on the 2008 Konas and remarked that he missed his Spooky brakes, but that the Kore ones were working great. He mentioned that he is leaving for Belgium on Monday and coming back for Natz, the USGP in Louisville and Portland. Wicks will be stepping it up to take that series in his absence.
The Elite Women's race was rather boring. We got to see Katie Compton absolutely destroy the field and any hope of real competition up front was dashed when Lyne Bessette had a chain failure.
The Elite Men's race, however, did NOT disappoint. The start was incredible. They were a true thundering herd coming towards us all and as soon as they touched grass, the dust was flying everywhere. Trebon had the holeshot and was closely followed by Erwin . . .
To be continued when I have some more free time. Plenty more pictures and race summaries to come.
Bikes:
And if that wasn't enough, we'd parked next to Ryan Trebon, the US National Champion and his parter in crime, Barry Wicks. They were unloading their rental minivan and pulling out more carbon than a DC Velo Sunday ride. Dugasts, FSA Carbon wheels, sweet Kore brakes and the biggest freakin' orange frames around. George, conversationalist extraordinaire, struck up a conversation with them and we chatted for a bit. Very cool. Trebon showed me the new clearance for the chainrings on the 2008 Konas and remarked that he missed his Spooky brakes, but that the Kore ones were working great. He mentioned that he is leaving for Belgium on Monday and coming back for Natz, the USGP in Louisville and Portland. Wicks will be stepping it up to take that series in his absence.
The Elite Women's race was rather boring. We got to see Katie Compton absolutely destroy the field and any hope of real competition up front was dashed when Lyne Bessette had a chain failure.
The Elite Men's race, however, did NOT disappoint. The start was incredible. They were a true thundering herd coming towards us all and as soon as they touched grass, the dust was flying everywhere. Trebon had the holeshot and was closely followed by Erwin . . .
To be continued when I have some more free time. Plenty more pictures and race summaries to come.
Bikes:
Friday, October 05, 2007
There's nothing like being on the road the day before a weekend race. It's pure heaven. There's so much hope for the racing ahead and joy that the work/school week is finally over. Being on the road with your team, talking shop, and going through the "meet"/race warmup on Friday is inspiring. I think the reason I enjoy it so much is that for a few days, you feel like someone who's life is dedicated to the sport. You're away from home with your focus as well as everyone else's on racing. It's been a while since I had this chance, but today, Jess, George, and I left town, heading North to Long Island.
The drive was surprisingly easy and we were there in around six hours. After unloading the car, George and I changed into our kits and hit the road on our 'cross bikes. We rode along Soundview Ave. and out to the Horton Point Lighthouse. We had to take a moment and enjoy the sun beginning to set below the clouds over Long Island Sound. Once we did, we turned for home and started doing starts to open up the legs for tomorrow. We alternated being the starter and experimented with different gears. This was my first time practicing starts this year, and I was encouraged at my ability to get off the line. George and I both came away feeling great about our legs and psyched to be racing on the same track as the World Champion.
Jess and I whipped up a simple pasta dish and we all chowed down. After that George set up some DVD's of the cyclocross world championships while I worked on getting Jess' bike race-ready. All that took was removing the rack and putting on my Grifo clincher tires. The weekend is already shaping up to be a cyclocross camp for the three of us.
The drive was surprisingly easy and we were there in around six hours. After unloading the car, George and I changed into our kits and hit the road on our 'cross bikes. We rode along Soundview Ave. and out to the Horton Point Lighthouse. We had to take a moment and enjoy the sun beginning to set below the clouds over Long Island Sound. Once we did, we turned for home and started doing starts to open up the legs for tomorrow. We alternated being the starter and experimented with different gears. This was my first time practicing starts this year, and I was encouraged at my ability to get off the line. George and I both came away feeling great about our legs and psyched to be racing on the same track as the World Champion.Jess and I whipped up a simple pasta dish and we all chowed down. After that George set up some DVD's of the cyclocross world championships while I worked on getting Jess' bike race-ready. All that took was removing the rack and putting on my Grifo clincher tires. The weekend is already shaping up to be a cyclocross camp for the three of us.
Monday, October 01, 2007
This week's mechanical segment has more to do with success than failure. I finished the race with absolutely no mechanical failures. The only thing I even had room to complain about was when I was riding up the hill where Joe Jefferson was announcing. A few times, when in the lowest gear (largest cog) I had the chain slip down one notch. At least that what I think happened. I haven't fully tested this out, but my guess is that the amount of crossover in the chainline is what's causing that. My hope is that it was more that I'd shifted under pressure and the slipping was the gear finally catching. In either case, it didn't affect my race--but it's something I should look into more.
On Wednesday night I went over to Pat's house and changed out the bearings in my Cane Creek S2 headset to see if that might aid in alleviating some brake chatter. It did get rid of an elusive rattle that I'd been hearing when dropping the front end (yes, the headset was checked for play). But I didn't really notice any change in chatter. The front end felt more solid and I had more confidence in it, but not the huge difference I was looking for.
On Friday night I played around with raising the yolk on my brakes. I found that raising the yolk did more to stop some of the brake chatter I've had than any other adjustment that I've made. Really. There's still a tiny bit at low speeds and I haven't spent a lot of time with the pads and rims wet, but I'm encouraged so far.
I also found out that regular brake cable (road nor MTB) will not work as a straddle cable for Empella Frogleg brakes. The ball end is too large for the opening. Regular cables work fine on Paul's, however. My question is whether there is any difference between what cyclocrossworld.com calls 'Empella/Spooky Straddle Cables' and dubs, "Hard to find," and just plain ol' derailleur cable? I can find no difference between the original straddle cables I got with the set and the derailleur cable that I replaced it with--other than the length. But I did talk to a mechanic finally and he said that the difference is in the thickness and derailleur cable is a bit too thin in some instances to bear the load of braking. So I picked up some of the fancy brake cable and now I'm all set.
The most interesting mechanical development this week was the arrival of the Spot Brand guards on Friday. Initially I swapped out both Carbon guards for the two new Spot guards and the setup was pretty sweet. Unfortunately it did add 4 oz, but it was quite robust. But one other difference between the Spot and the Carbon is the thickness. The Spot Brand is roughly twice the thickness and so the clearance between the inner guard and the frame was almost (but not quite) nil. Doing starts on Saturday I could hear it rub the frame when I stomped on the left side. With my frame being thin-walled Scandium Aluminum, I wasn't to keen on possibly scoring the metal.
Solution? I left the Spot on the outside and put a Carbon guard on the inside, using two 0.6 mm thick washers on each of the five chainring bolts. I think that will be my long term solution. If I have any trouble with the Carbon guard, I'll have to take the Spot Brand guard over to a belt sander and add a chamfer. It won't take much to get the necessary clearance. Looking at Peter Nicoll's bike on Saturday, I noticed that the Wetzikon guard has such a chamfer. The appeared to be made out of the same material, and with the Wetzikon having the holes drilled for weight I'd give it the edge (ha ha). In defense, my Spot guard was about $10 cheaper.
On Wednesday night I went over to Pat's house and changed out the bearings in my Cane Creek S2 headset to see if that might aid in alleviating some brake chatter. It did get rid of an elusive rattle that I'd been hearing when dropping the front end (yes, the headset was checked for play). But I didn't really notice any change in chatter. The front end felt more solid and I had more confidence in it, but not the huge difference I was looking for.
On Friday night I played around with raising the yolk on my brakes. I found that raising the yolk did more to stop some of the brake chatter I've had than any other adjustment that I've made. Really. There's still a tiny bit at low speeds and I haven't spent a lot of time with the pads and rims wet, but I'm encouraged so far.
I also found out that regular brake cable (road nor MTB) will not work as a straddle cable for Empella Frogleg brakes. The ball end is too large for the opening. Regular cables work fine on Paul's, however. My question is whether there is any difference between what cyclocrossworld.com calls 'Empella/Spooky Straddle Cables' and dubs, "Hard to find," and just plain ol' derailleur cable? I can find no difference between the original straddle cables I got with the set and the derailleur cable that I replaced it with--other than the length. But I did talk to a mechanic finally and he said that the difference is in the thickness and derailleur cable is a bit too thin in some instances to bear the load of braking. So I picked up some of the fancy brake cable and now I'm all set.
The most interesting mechanical development this week was the arrival of the Spot Brand guards on Friday. Initially I swapped out both Carbon guards for the two new Spot guards and the setup was pretty sweet. Unfortunately it did add 4 oz, but it was quite robust. But one other difference between the Spot and the Carbon is the thickness. The Spot Brand is roughly twice the thickness and so the clearance between the inner guard and the frame was almost (but not quite) nil. Doing starts on Saturday I could hear it rub the frame when I stomped on the left side. With my frame being thin-walled Scandium Aluminum, I wasn't to keen on possibly scoring the metal.
Solution? I left the Spot on the outside and put a Carbon guard on the inside, using two 0.6 mm thick washers on each of the five chainring bolts. I think that will be my long term solution. If I have any trouble with the Carbon guard, I'll have to take the Spot Brand guard over to a belt sander and add a chamfer. It won't take much to get the necessary clearance. Looking at Peter Nicoll's bike on Saturday, I noticed that the Wetzikon guard has such a chamfer. The appeared to be made out of the same material, and with the Wetzikon having the holes drilled for weight I'd give it the edge (ha ha). In defense, my Spot guard was about $10 cheaper.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Week two of the season was a good one. I was able to get in a workout and also solidify a training plan for the rest of the season. My schedule is set and I'm excited to put in the work. Even with just one week of full training, I could feel it pay real dividends.
After a nice tribute and moment of silence for Ed Sander, we started the race. I was lined up probably three quarters of the way back in the scrum for starting spots. That meant not so much of a sprint off the line but rather a follow the leader approach which continued through the first set of barriers and on the maze side of the lilypons. As soon as we hit the gravel power section the race was on and I started to get as aggressive as I could muster at that point.
I tried to slot in behind Chad Totaro and follow him through that section, but somehow I got he and his teammate confused. So when a gap opened up in front of him, I was surprised I had to go around only to realize that Totaro was up the road. I started looking for other riders in my "realm" and I tried to pass as many as I could before the U-turn hill and the mountain bike like section.
Last year, this course was quite muddy and so these sections absolutely killed me. They were so technical and I lost ground each time through. This year, after practicing some in the warm-up, I wasn't nearly as worried. The ground was dry as a bone and I made a good remount at the top of the hill. I wasn't gaining ground, but I don't think I was losing any either.
The biggest difference this week was that I felt like I had lots more power and I could actually race rather than just look to survive and finish. The corners weren't as slippery in this one either so my cornering improved dramatically. Basically I did just about everything better this time. My mounts and dismounts were more polished and I had a lot more fun out there.
One thing that I notice is the difference in what I remember when I'm in a B race near the front versus an A race towards the back. Blogging a race report last year, I felt like I remembered every pass and misstep since it literally meant the difference between winning and finishing somewhere in the top 5 or so. But now that I'm nowhere near the front, all I remember is slugging it out for an hour with a few competitors that I end up trading places with.
This week it was Brian Fouche for a bit, then Adam Fung for less than a lap, then I spent the remainder of the race attempting to catch Greg Lindstrom. Fung passed me somewhere around the mid point of the race after I'd led him through the lilypons maze and I tried to stick on him through the gravel, but failed miserably. If I'd stayed on him, I could have made up several places and I would have caught Lindstrom who I was very close to catching going into the U-turn hill on the final lap. He distanced me somewhere before we started heading downhill towards the store and I never had a real chance to beat him.
I have no idea how many laps we did, or when exactly I started each of these battles during the race. But I remember those riders and struggling like heck to beat them. Never before can I remember suffering so much for so little reward in the results. Finishing 24th sounds terrible for a 'cross race, but I keep looking above my name at who I have to start beating and at least the top end is pretty much untouchable. I've got to focus my efforts on the guys just ahead of me and see if I can't start making some progress. Already this week it was nice to make up some ground. Unfortunately, I won't be racing MABRA for a while and when I do return, the fields are likely to be smaller and less top heavy. So my real focus will be on those who decide to race the MAC B's. I have no idea who those will be and some will come from the MABRA B ranks too. So until Granogue, I won't know who my real competition is this year. I guess I'll just have to put in the miles and the time at LT and race my race so to speak.
Pictures by Dennis Smith and Michael Kirk:
Early in the race, riding next to Totaro.
The first time through the lilypons.
A bit later, still finding my groove.
Strung out on the gravel road.
First time through the unrideable gravel pit.
My favorite shot, not sure who's in my draft.
Here's Fung dropping me, and Fouche still hanging tough behind.
After a nice tribute and moment of silence for Ed Sander, we started the race. I was lined up probably three quarters of the way back in the scrum for starting spots. That meant not so much of a sprint off the line but rather a follow the leader approach which continued through the first set of barriers and on the maze side of the lilypons. As soon as we hit the gravel power section the race was on and I started to get as aggressive as I could muster at that point.
I tried to slot in behind Chad Totaro and follow him through that section, but somehow I got he and his teammate confused. So when a gap opened up in front of him, I was surprised I had to go around only to realize that Totaro was up the road. I started looking for other riders in my "realm" and I tried to pass as many as I could before the U-turn hill and the mountain bike like section.
Last year, this course was quite muddy and so these sections absolutely killed me. They were so technical and I lost ground each time through. This year, after practicing some in the warm-up, I wasn't nearly as worried. The ground was dry as a bone and I made a good remount at the top of the hill. I wasn't gaining ground, but I don't think I was losing any either.
The biggest difference this week was that I felt like I had lots more power and I could actually race rather than just look to survive and finish. The corners weren't as slippery in this one either so my cornering improved dramatically. Basically I did just about everything better this time. My mounts and dismounts were more polished and I had a lot more fun out there.
One thing that I notice is the difference in what I remember when I'm in a B race near the front versus an A race towards the back. Blogging a race report last year, I felt like I remembered every pass and misstep since it literally meant the difference between winning and finishing somewhere in the top 5 or so. But now that I'm nowhere near the front, all I remember is slugging it out for an hour with a few competitors that I end up trading places with.
This week it was Brian Fouche for a bit, then Adam Fung for less than a lap, then I spent the remainder of the race attempting to catch Greg Lindstrom. Fung passed me somewhere around the mid point of the race after I'd led him through the lilypons maze and I tried to stick on him through the gravel, but failed miserably. If I'd stayed on him, I could have made up several places and I would have caught Lindstrom who I was very close to catching going into the U-turn hill on the final lap. He distanced me somewhere before we started heading downhill towards the store and I never had a real chance to beat him.
I have no idea how many laps we did, or when exactly I started each of these battles during the race. But I remember those riders and struggling like heck to beat them. Never before can I remember suffering so much for so little reward in the results. Finishing 24th sounds terrible for a 'cross race, but I keep looking above my name at who I have to start beating and at least the top end is pretty much untouchable. I've got to focus my efforts on the guys just ahead of me and see if I can't start making some progress. Already this week it was nice to make up some ground. Unfortunately, I won't be racing MABRA for a while and when I do return, the fields are likely to be smaller and less top heavy. So my real focus will be on those who decide to race the MAC B's. I have no idea who those will be and some will come from the MABRA B ranks too. So until Granogue, I won't know who my real competition is this year. I guess I'll just have to put in the miles and the time at LT and race my race so to speak.
Pictures by Dennis Smith and Michael Kirk:
Early in the race, riding next to Totaro.
The first time through the lilypons.
A bit later, still finding my groove.
Strung out on the gravel road.
First time through the unrideable gravel pit.
My favorite shot, not sure who's in my draft.
Here's Fung dropping me, and Fouche still hanging tough behind.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Since it's almost time for race #2 of the cyclocross season, I figured I'd better at least take a stab at a race report for #1. It was last Sunday at Druid Hill Park in Baltimore and it was the third annual and third time I've raced at Charm City Cross. As always, the event was one of the finest around and the course is usually one that suits me well--fast and dry. I knew that this time would be a lot different than the previous two, however.
The first time I raced at Charm City, it was my first time ever racing a bike. That's right, I lined up on my Specialized Sirrus with knobby tires and clipless pedals literally purchased a day before and gave it my all. It was a rude awakening. Last season, my second go at the race, was equally exciting and I was lucky enough to come away with the Men's B victory--easily the highlight of my brief cyclocross career. I followed that up with a solid season and a second place in the B series, which brings me to this year . . .
Somehow, early registration I guess, I ended up with #7 in the race, which put me on the front row--of the A race. Insane. I lined up on the far left, next to Andrew Wulfkuhle of C3. But more scary was that a few riders over from him were Davide Frattini and Luca Damiani. They're both Italian pros. Needless to say I was a bit intimidated, especially since I knew I was out of shape and hadn't been expecting to do much other than get my feet wet with 'cross again.
Anyhow, the officials gave us the whistle and we were off. I clipped in quickly and smoothly and started sprinting for the first turn. I didn't sprint all out because I was worried about taking the first turn at full speed, but I made it there soon enough and the race was on. Dust was flying everywhere and it was the epic chaos that cyclocross brings.
I don't remember much about the first lap other than I was getting passed a lot. Considering my fitness level, I knew this was going to be a theme of the day, but even so, it's depressing to feel like you're going backwards so early in the race. Halfway through that lap, when we hit the barriers out in the field, I found myself somewhere in the mid-twenties. The bleeding continued through the remainder of the lap, but after that I tried to settle in to my pace and race against the guys around me.
The rest of the race was a blur. I did battle with Erik Leaver, Chad Totaro, and Adam Szczepanski, which put me in fine company, but certainly I don't think any of them were in top form. I thought I'd finished ahead of all three, but the results are a bit funky and so is my memory, so who knows? What I do remember was the incredible encouragement I got from the Coppis on the course and how that sustained me each lap as I started to wonder how in the world I was going to finish. I was reminded that racing an hour is a lot longer than racing 45 minutes. It hurts so much in that final quarter of racing and my pace was pretty slow. My dismounts and remounts were surprisingly good for having done more during this race than I did total in preparation. Mainly it felt good to suffer again and to be a part of another 'cross season. My passions were renewed.
Things to note from the results? Wes Schempf is going to be awesome this year it appears. Props go to Todd Hesel (last year's B champ, hence the sweet skinsuit) and Jared Nieters (another B) for finishing a lot higher than I did.
The more interesting thing (at least for mechanic wannabes) were the problems I had pre-race. It had to do with my single ring setup and I have no idea as to the real cause of the problem. Last season, I raced on the Javelin Primitivo and this year I switched to the Kona Major Major. On both rigs I was running a single ring setup which consists of a 42t chain ring surrounded by double guards and chained to a 12-27 cassette in the rear.
All of last season, there was rattling from the chain guards. They were slightly too thin and so when I tightened down the long chainring bolts, they bottomed out rather on themselves rather than flush against the guards. Well, this season, I bought some small washers to add that missing thickness. Putting them on was a challenge because of all the Loctite I'd used to keep the bolts tight. But eventually, with Jess' help, I got the bolts off. I soaked them overnight in Acetone and then installed the washers on the crank along with the chainring, guards, and bolts. By all accounts, it was an immediate success. The rattling was gone and it looked quite sturdy.
That was until last Wednesday morning when I met the guys at Bluemont for morning 'cross practice. As I was descending a hill and applying full gas (42x12) to my horror the chain became lodged on the outside of the chainring to the inside of the guard. Basically the chain wedged itself and bent the Carbon guards enough to get in there. It was a catastrophic problem that I was very worried about.
Luckily, when I took time to check it out once I got home, I found that the chainring bolts had all loosened up a lot. I figured that I hadn't used enough Loctite this time or that I hadn't let it dry and so because the bolts loosened up that's why the chain had lodged in the now-bigger gap. I tightened the bolts back down and liberally applied Loctite.
That theory lasted until I was warming up in Baltimore and it happened again. At this point, I trying to get some time on on the actual course and I started freaking out. How could this happen? I'd have to forgo the race if I couldn't find a solution. So I coasted back to the car and started talking it over as calmly as I could with Jess. Neither one of us could figure out why it was happening since none of the bolts seemed all that loose. Worse yet, Jess noticed that the Carbon guards had hairline fractures now from being bent.
My only solution was to make my 10 speed 12-27 into a 9 speed 13-27 and hope that the chain wouldn't find its way off the chainring. So I tightened down the H limit screw and said a quick prayer. I rode it around once and it seemed like it might work, so I hopped on the trainer and spent the rest of the time warming up.
So, solution? Well, I don't know yet, but I've placed an order for the Spot Brand 42t guards in the hopes that a metal guard won't flex and allow the chain in. I'm not 100% sure that will save the day, but at this point it's my only hope. We'll see, the order should be in from Bikeman on Friday--just in time to hopefully get things right for Sunday's race. If all goes well, I'll need to do another 'My Ride' post to document all the changes to this years race rig.
The first time I raced at Charm City, it was my first time ever racing a bike. That's right, I lined up on my Specialized Sirrus with knobby tires and clipless pedals literally purchased a day before and gave it my all. It was a rude awakening. Last season, my second go at the race, was equally exciting and I was lucky enough to come away with the Men's B victory--easily the highlight of my brief cyclocross career. I followed that up with a solid season and a second place in the B series, which brings me to this year . . .
Somehow, early registration I guess, I ended up with #7 in the race, which put me on the front row--of the A race. Insane. I lined up on the far left, next to Andrew Wulfkuhle of C3. But more scary was that a few riders over from him were Davide Frattini and Luca Damiani. They're both Italian pros. Needless to say I was a bit intimidated, especially since I knew I was out of shape and hadn't been expecting to do much other than get my feet wet with 'cross again.
Anyhow, the officials gave us the whistle and we were off. I clipped in quickly and smoothly and started sprinting for the first turn. I didn't sprint all out because I was worried about taking the first turn at full speed, but I made it there soon enough and the race was on. Dust was flying everywhere and it was the epic chaos that cyclocross brings.
I don't remember much about the first lap other than I was getting passed a lot. Considering my fitness level, I knew this was going to be a theme of the day, but even so, it's depressing to feel like you're going backwards so early in the race. Halfway through that lap, when we hit the barriers out in the field, I found myself somewhere in the mid-twenties. The bleeding continued through the remainder of the lap, but after that I tried to settle in to my pace and race against the guys around me.
The rest of the race was a blur. I did battle with Erik Leaver, Chad Totaro, and Adam Szczepanski, which put me in fine company, but certainly I don't think any of them were in top form. I thought I'd finished ahead of all three, but the results are a bit funky and so is my memory, so who knows? What I do remember was the incredible encouragement I got from the Coppis on the course and how that sustained me each lap as I started to wonder how in the world I was going to finish. I was reminded that racing an hour is a lot longer than racing 45 minutes. It hurts so much in that final quarter of racing and my pace was pretty slow. My dismounts and remounts were surprisingly good for having done more during this race than I did total in preparation. Mainly it felt good to suffer again and to be a part of another 'cross season. My passions were renewed.
Things to note from the results? Wes Schempf is going to be awesome this year it appears. Props go to Todd Hesel (last year's B champ, hence the sweet skinsuit) and Jared Nieters (another B) for finishing a lot higher than I did.
The more interesting thing (at least for mechanic wannabes) were the problems I had pre-race. It had to do with my single ring setup and I have no idea as to the real cause of the problem. Last season, I raced on the Javelin Primitivo and this year I switched to the Kona Major Major. On both rigs I was running a single ring setup which consists of a 42t chain ring surrounded by double guards and chained to a 12-27 cassette in the rear.
All of last season, there was rattling from the chain guards. They were slightly too thin and so when I tightened down the long chainring bolts, they bottomed out rather on themselves rather than flush against the guards. Well, this season, I bought some small washers to add that missing thickness. Putting them on was a challenge because of all the Loctite I'd used to keep the bolts tight. But eventually, with Jess' help, I got the bolts off. I soaked them overnight in Acetone and then installed the washers on the crank along with the chainring, guards, and bolts. By all accounts, it was an immediate success. The rattling was gone and it looked quite sturdy.
That was until last Wednesday morning when I met the guys at Bluemont for morning 'cross practice. As I was descending a hill and applying full gas (42x12) to my horror the chain became lodged on the outside of the chainring to the inside of the guard. Basically the chain wedged itself and bent the Carbon guards enough to get in there. It was a catastrophic problem that I was very worried about.
Luckily, when I took time to check it out once I got home, I found that the chainring bolts had all loosened up a lot. I figured that I hadn't used enough Loctite this time or that I hadn't let it dry and so because the bolts loosened up that's why the chain had lodged in the now-bigger gap. I tightened the bolts back down and liberally applied Loctite.
That theory lasted until I was warming up in Baltimore and it happened again. At this point, I trying to get some time on on the actual course and I started freaking out. How could this happen? I'd have to forgo the race if I couldn't find a solution. So I coasted back to the car and started talking it over as calmly as I could with Jess. Neither one of us could figure out why it was happening since none of the bolts seemed all that loose. Worse yet, Jess noticed that the Carbon guards had hairline fractures now from being bent.
My only solution was to make my 10 speed 12-27 into a 9 speed 13-27 and hope that the chain wouldn't find its way off the chainring. So I tightened down the H limit screw and said a quick prayer. I rode it around once and it seemed like it might work, so I hopped on the trainer and spent the rest of the time warming up.
So, solution? Well, I don't know yet, but I've placed an order for the Spot Brand 42t guards in the hopes that a metal guard won't flex and allow the chain in. I'm not 100% sure that will save the day, but at this point it's my only hope. We'll see, the order should be in from Bikeman on Friday--just in time to hopefully get things right for Sunday's race. If all goes well, I'll need to do another 'My Ride' post to document all the changes to this years race rig.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Well, I once again haven't posted in a while. And with it being only 2 days until cyclocross gets started, you might wonder why? Well, after racing in the MIT Alumni Meet (that's running) and riding in the Wilmington Grand Prix (another DNF), a funny thing happened. I'm not sure when or exactly why, but I developed a nasty case of rash/saddle sore. I've been battling that for a little more than two weeks now and I finally had to give up and stay off the bike cold turkey this week. You can imagine what that does to my preparation for Sunday.
I had planned to spend this week getting fully reacquainted with my 'cross bike, but the only time I got was maybe thirty minutes of riding with the boys Wednesday morning at Bluemont. I had trouble with the bike, and remounting on my sore crotch did not make me feel good about riding. I gave up on that and headed for the house.
Writing this post also has me feeling closer than ever to the Bush administration. I feel like I've got to dampen expectations for the start of the season and really move all the benchmarks I'd hope to meet--if not change them entirely. In short, Sunday may be quite embarrassing (not Gonzo-like, I hope). Looking at the start list I can't help but feel out of my element. A few guys from the B's have moved up--so if I was in shape I could take solace in that. But otherwise the start list reads like a Who's Who of elite 'cross racing in our area. It's motivating to be sure, but I can't work miracles. To further complicate matters, I'll be spending Friday evening and Saturday helping with the youth on a church retreat. No biking there either.
So what's the plan? I need to practice dismounts and remounts a lot on raceday and also make sure I get ample rounds on the course. Not only that but I've got to pray that nothing goes wrong with the bike. I've done all the maintenance I know to do, so now we'll have to wait for things to settle out. The bike does look sweet though. I'm also extremely happy with the change in geometry. This bike fits me perfectly.
I had planned to spend this week getting fully reacquainted with my 'cross bike, but the only time I got was maybe thirty minutes of riding with the boys Wednesday morning at Bluemont. I had trouble with the bike, and remounting on my sore crotch did not make me feel good about riding. I gave up on that and headed for the house.
Writing this post also has me feeling closer than ever to the Bush administration. I feel like I've got to dampen expectations for the start of the season and really move all the benchmarks I'd hope to meet--if not change them entirely. In short, Sunday may be quite embarrassing (not Gonzo-like, I hope). Looking at the start list I can't help but feel out of my element. A few guys from the B's have moved up--so if I was in shape I could take solace in that. But otherwise the start list reads like a Who's Who of elite 'cross racing in our area. It's motivating to be sure, but I can't work miracles. To further complicate matters, I'll be spending Friday evening and Saturday helping with the youth on a church retreat. No biking there either.
So what's the plan? I need to practice dismounts and remounts a lot on raceday and also make sure I get ample rounds on the course. Not only that but I've got to pray that nothing goes wrong with the bike. I've done all the maintenance I know to do, so now we'll have to wait for things to settle out. The bike does look sweet though. I'm also extremely happy with the change in geometry. This bike fits me perfectly.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Whadya know? I can finish a race on the road. I was down in NC visiting family this weekend and stopped over in Salisbury, NC to race the High Rock Lake Road Race. This time out I managed to do a lot better.
The course was a 13 mile nearly-pancake flat loop on immaculate tarmac. Apparently it had just been paved and boy could you tell. It was silky smooth and clean. Chances of getting a flat today were way down. The field in my Cat. 3 only race was rather small with no team really having more than about five guys. Franklin Street Cycles, Salisbury's team, and Pfeiffer University were the main groups. The rest of us were on our own.
We did five laps plus a finishing section of about a mile--the total listed was 68 miles. I can say that I raced this one tactically very smart but just got a bit unlucky in my final decisions. I spent the entire race sitting in the back and avoiding taking a pull at all costs. It was really amazing to me how many times people tried breakaways when it was obvious they weren't going to work without happening very close to the finish line. So there I sat. Many times I would look back and find myself completely in the rear. That doesn't work so well in a crit, but in a RR like this one, it's not such an issue.
It was without question the most boring race I've ever done. Each time we came through the feed zone I could casually chat with Jess while exchanging a bottle and wave at my parents. The pace wasn't all that slow, but when you never find yourself on the front, it isn't that hard. My biggest concern most of the time was that I really needed to pee. Not being confident enough to do that on the bike, I had to try and focus on other things.
Heading into the final lap, I was poised to see what I could do. My bet was that it was all going to end in a bunch sprint so I continued to ignore the breakaways. But somewhere in the last four miles or so a group of 7 or 8 made it off the front and there wasn't the usual push to bring them back. Either everyone was thinking like me and not wanting to waste energy or they were tired already. I'm not totally sure. I tried to surf between a few of the guys that were trying to bridge across and they didn't like that at all! Shocking ;-) I was still thinking that the break would come back so I didn't want to work at all--just cover my bases if it didn't.
Well, we never bridged up far enough and that group never came back, so I retreated to the peloton just before the entered the finishing mile and tried to get ready for the sprint. I was able to bully my way into a line of riders once the finish line came into sight and once the sprint started I gave it all I had. I finished 3rd in the field sprint and somewhere around 10th or 11th on the race I think. Not bad for 'cross training. Good base miles. Considering that I got 3rd in the sprint, I think the field may have been more tired than I anticipated. Had I tried to take off and bridge on my own, it may have worked. Who knows? That's road racing I guess.
The course was a 13 mile nearly-pancake flat loop on immaculate tarmac. Apparently it had just been paved and boy could you tell. It was silky smooth and clean. Chances of getting a flat today were way down. The field in my Cat. 3 only race was rather small with no team really having more than about five guys. Franklin Street Cycles, Salisbury's team, and Pfeiffer University were the main groups. The rest of us were on our own.
We did five laps plus a finishing section of about a mile--the total listed was 68 miles. I can say that I raced this one tactically very smart but just got a bit unlucky in my final decisions. I spent the entire race sitting in the back and avoiding taking a pull at all costs. It was really amazing to me how many times people tried breakaways when it was obvious they weren't going to work without happening very close to the finish line. So there I sat. Many times I would look back and find myself completely in the rear. That doesn't work so well in a crit, but in a RR like this one, it's not such an issue.
It was without question the most boring race I've ever done. Each time we came through the feed zone I could casually chat with Jess while exchanging a bottle and wave at my parents. The pace wasn't all that slow, but when you never find yourself on the front, it isn't that hard. My biggest concern most of the time was that I really needed to pee. Not being confident enough to do that on the bike, I had to try and focus on other things.
Heading into the final lap, I was poised to see what I could do. My bet was that it was all going to end in a bunch sprint so I continued to ignore the breakaways. But somewhere in the last four miles or so a group of 7 or 8 made it off the front and there wasn't the usual push to bring them back. Either everyone was thinking like me and not wanting to waste energy or they were tired already. I'm not totally sure. I tried to surf between a few of the guys that were trying to bridge across and they didn't like that at all! Shocking ;-) I was still thinking that the break would come back so I didn't want to work at all--just cover my bases if it didn't.
Well, we never bridged up far enough and that group never came back, so I retreated to the peloton just before the entered the finishing mile and tried to get ready for the sprint. I was able to bully my way into a line of riders once the finish line came into sight and once the sprint started I gave it all I had. I finished 3rd in the field sprint and somewhere around 10th or 11th on the race I think. Not bad for 'cross training. Good base miles. Considering that I got 3rd in the sprint, I think the field may have been more tired than I anticipated. Had I tried to take off and bridge on my own, it may have worked. Who knows? That's road racing I guess.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
I finally got some pain in my legs today. It came via basically derny pacing on the trail home from work. Pat rode his electric hub motor powered bike in front of me and gave it full gas. I sat in his slipstream and held on for dear life. The stops to cross roads and slow down to pass folks on the trail served to make this a blend of tempo and intervals. In short, I think it was a perfect workout for a crit or for 'cross. I'm thinking if Pat's willing that I'll make it a fixture of my workout routine.
The legs felt good, but I'm glad I'm finding the holes in my fitness real quick. I don't have much of a sustained top end power push. The few accelerations I did were solid and overall I'm in good shape--meaning I'm not dying right now writing this. So more work this weekend in the High Rock Lake Road Race at home in NC and then we'll see what I've got after another week of training.
The legs felt good, but I'm glad I'm finding the holes in my fitness real quick. I don't have much of a sustained top end power push. The few accelerations I did were solid and overall I'm in good shape--meaning I'm not dying right now writing this. So more work this weekend in the High Rock Lake Road Race at home in NC and then we'll see what I've got after another week of training.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
2007 Cyclocross Schedule
Looking back at last season, I raced only eight times. I raced every MABRA race (Charm City, Ed Sander, AVC, IC Lite, Coppi, Race Pace, and the Championships). I only raced once in the MAC, my home turf of Lake Fairfax Park for the Captial Cross Classic. Most of that season schedule was determined by splitting time between Arlington and Jefferson Hills, PA where Jess was living.
This year, there shouldn't be any restrictions on travel, so I'm set to race a full slate. The plan now is to race sixteen times. I'll race all but two of the MABRA (AVC and the Championships), all but one of the MAC (Highland Park), as well as Whitmore's early in the season, the new DC race, the NJ stops of the USGP, and the late season Rockburn 'Cross. IC Lite was dropped from MABRA and is now part of the PA series.
It's possible, depending on how I fare during the early MAC races that I could end up going to Highland Park. But the drive is awfully daunting when there's a race so close in Sykesville, MD. It's also possible that I could end up racing the MABRA Championships if we don't travel for Thanksgiving. With a schedule so full (10 out of 12 weeks racing) I think I'll be challenged to keep races rather than to add more.
Highlights of the season:
1. Charm City. This is one of the most enjoyable racing experiences around. It's the first week of the season here in the Mid Atlantic and everyone is jazzed up for 'cross. The course is well designed and fast. Not to mention that I pulled off a B-series win last year.
2. Whitmore's. I've heard great things about the course design here and with family on Long Island this trip should be fun. I figure a weekend experiencing the big time racing scene will get me better prepared for . . .
3. Granogue. The MAC opener. I've raced it only once, back in 2005 and I loved it. Hopefully it hasn't changed much because the course was epic and seeing the Kona boys roll was the highlight of my first year in 'cross. Reviews from last year were more than enough to make me feel bad about missing this one. I won't make the same mistake again this year.
4. DCCX. To have a real cyclocross race inside the district will be a unique experience. In its first year, there's very little info out there about this one, so it's anyone's guess at to the venue and course layout. But knowing a few of the CityBikes crew, they'll pull off a great race.
5. Tacchino. This is Squadra Coppi's race and the one course that I get to play a hand in setup. Last year the course was a good blend of technique and power. The hill in the middle helped me shed some of the competition and I do more than hope that this year's course will again play to my strengths.
6. Beacon. I've never been to this one, but every picture I see of the sand and the stairs reminds me of the action across the pond. I'm very much looking forward to a race that requires a good bit of running. Hopefully by this point in the season I'll be battle hardened.
7. USGP. I don't always hear good things about the USGP series, but there's no denying that it always draws out the big boys. It's too bad we lose 2 races out of the MAC series because of it. I can't wait to see the action after I'm done racing. It'll be my first time in attendance at a USGP race. I'm not sure what to expect from the racing at my level at an even like this. My guess is MAC+, so a very high level.
8. Cap Cross. I can't say that I truly enjoy this course because every time I've raced here I've performed below my expectations. But this year, if I can stay focused on racing for the entire season, this race will be a grand way to finish things off. It's my home course, so I think it's about time that I did something here that I was proud of.
One topic that's been very interesting to me this year has been budgeting. Jess and I are detailed about our budget and so I figured I'd come up with an estimate of exactly what it will cost to race this season of 'cross. I figure the cost of just racing comes in three ways: fuel, hotels, and entry fees. With the cost of the races being $25 plus a $2.80 BikeReg.com service charge, the grand total for waging war on two wheels comes in at $27.80 per race. My estimate of fuel is based on the roundtrip mileage in the car listed above. Conservatively (at least right now) I'm estimating gas to be $3.00/gallon and the Honda CR-V to get 26 mpg. That works out to $0.12/mile. Planning ahead, it looks like I'll only need 3 night in hotels. Staying in a HoJo and a Days Inn keeps the costs low there. Grand total: $976.45 for a season of 'cross.
Of course, this calculation doesn't include things like some of the inevitable eating out on the road rather than cooking at home. Nor does it include equipment costs in the case that something breaks. But I think $1K for the season isn't a bad estimate of what this hobby truly costs.
This year, there shouldn't be any restrictions on travel, so I'm set to race a full slate. The plan now is to race sixteen times. I'll race all but two of the MABRA (AVC and the Championships), all but one of the MAC (Highland Park), as well as Whitmore's early in the season, the new DC race, the NJ stops of the USGP, and the late season Rockburn 'Cross. IC Lite was dropped from MABRA and is now part of the PA series.
It's possible, depending on how I fare during the early MAC races that I could end up going to Highland Park. But the drive is awfully daunting when there's a race so close in Sykesville, MD. It's also possible that I could end up racing the MABRA Championships if we don't travel for Thanksgiving. With a schedule so full (10 out of 12 weeks racing) I think I'll be challenged to keep races rather than to add more.
Highlights of the season:
1. Charm City. This is one of the most enjoyable racing experiences around. It's the first week of the season here in the Mid Atlantic and everyone is jazzed up for 'cross. The course is well designed and fast. Not to mention that I pulled off a B-series win last year.
2. Whitmore's. I've heard great things about the course design here and with family on Long Island this trip should be fun. I figure a weekend experiencing the big time racing scene will get me better prepared for . . .
3. Granogue. The MAC opener. I've raced it only once, back in 2005 and I loved it. Hopefully it hasn't changed much because the course was epic and seeing the Kona boys roll was the highlight of my first year in 'cross. Reviews from last year were more than enough to make me feel bad about missing this one. I won't make the same mistake again this year.
4. DCCX. To have a real cyclocross race inside the district will be a unique experience. In its first year, there's very little info out there about this one, so it's anyone's guess at to the venue and course layout. But knowing a few of the CityBikes crew, they'll pull off a great race.
5. Tacchino. This is Squadra Coppi's race and the one course that I get to play a hand in setup. Last year the course was a good blend of technique and power. The hill in the middle helped me shed some of the competition and I do more than hope that this year's course will again play to my strengths.
6. Beacon. I've never been to this one, but every picture I see of the sand and the stairs reminds me of the action across the pond. I'm very much looking forward to a race that requires a good bit of running. Hopefully by this point in the season I'll be battle hardened.
7. USGP. I don't always hear good things about the USGP series, but there's no denying that it always draws out the big boys. It's too bad we lose 2 races out of the MAC series because of it. I can't wait to see the action after I'm done racing. It'll be my first time in attendance at a USGP race. I'm not sure what to expect from the racing at my level at an even like this. My guess is MAC+, so a very high level.
8. Cap Cross. I can't say that I truly enjoy this course because every time I've raced here I've performed below my expectations. But this year, if I can stay focused on racing for the entire season, this race will be a grand way to finish things off. It's my home course, so I think it's about time that I did something here that I was proud of.
One topic that's been very interesting to me this year has been budgeting. Jess and I are detailed about our budget and so I figured I'd come up with an estimate of exactly what it will cost to race this season of 'cross. I figure the cost of just racing comes in three ways: fuel, hotels, and entry fees. With the cost of the races being $25 plus a $2.80 BikeReg.com service charge, the grand total for waging war on two wheels comes in at $27.80 per race. My estimate of fuel is based on the roundtrip mileage in the car listed above. Conservatively (at least right now) I'm estimating gas to be $3.00/gallon and the Honda CR-V to get 26 mpg. That works out to $0.12/mile. Planning ahead, it looks like I'll only need 3 night in hotels. Staying in a HoJo and a Days Inn keeps the costs low there. Grand total: $976.45 for a season of 'cross.
Of course, this calculation doesn't include things like some of the inevitable eating out on the road rather than cooking at home. Nor does it include equipment costs in the case that something breaks. But I think $1K for the season isn't a bad estimate of what this hobby truly costs.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Raceday! Wake Up Call! I traveled up North to Williamsport, MD for the River City Classic. It was again this year, the Age Graded Criterium Championships, but they also held a 3/4 race. Last year I led this race solo for quite a while before being reeled in to setup for the sprint. This year, well, things didn't exactly go the same way.
I've made it no secret that I haven't raced much this road season and that any racing I do at this point is with the intention of getting ready for cyclocross. It's a good thing that I did get out to race today, because I got the wake up call and additional motivation to train that I have needed for months. This was quite a quality field on a moderately technical course and I was no match.
I lined up near the back, intent on being passive the entire race. Once the gun went off I found a spot 3/4ths back from the front in the peloton and settled in. The first several rounds, the turns were pretty slow as folks figured things out, but after that we got crankin'. I never really found my way up towards the front as I should have, and instead I started losing ground.
The final turn before the finish was just slightly more than a 90 degree turn, and I really never figured out how to make this one at any speed. It's been my MO in crits that I can't corner well enough to be a factor, but I've never had it cost me the way it did today. Each time we came to that critical juncture on course, I lost maybe five yards. And every time I did that, I had to get out of the saddle and sprint up the slight incline to catch back on. It was a classic case of the criterium accordion--except that I didn't do the contracting part for too long. I'm not sure exactly when it happened, but at some point, a group of three of us lost contact with the peloton and that was all she wrote.
We were toast. But silly me, never having been dropped before, I got more and more frustrated at myself for sucking in the turn and not having enough power to catch back on. I didn't start working with the other two until after a few laps and by that point it was painfully obvious we weren't going to finish the race. The peloton eventually was out of sight on the straightaways, then out of sight through the alleys and then, with ten laps to go, the official blew the whistle. I sat up, unzipped my skinsuit and coasted uphill to the car.
Probably the most embarrassing thing was that I had enough time to change into my street clothes and jog back to the finish in time to see the winners sprint to victory. Ouch.
So why did I suck so much today? Well, I've got three reasons er excuses. The first is that I think the quality of the Category 3 group this year is a lot better than it was last year in my first season on the road. Back then, I was continually frustrated with the lack of aggressive pace and that's why I was out solo. This year, there were some major players in the race and they made this one the hammerfest that I've always been looking for. Congrats to all the racers who finished in the main field. You guys raced hard and should be proud. Especially the three juniors who were in there battling right up to the finish.
The second is one that's already been discussed: I can't corner worth a crap. I did improve some as the race wore on, but I never mastered that final turn. I think I could have masked the third reason a lot more if I had been good at riding the corners fast.
The final reason is of course the reason that I'm glad I showed up today: I'm out of shape--or I'm at least I'm out of top end speed and raw power. I have a decent amount of fitness. My legs are used to lots of aerobic mileage, so I've got some base to work with. They have not, however turned a stroke in oxygen debt in quite a while and today showed that. The speed of the race was a shock to the system and my legs were screaming.
Between now and September 23, when cyclocross kicks into gear, I've got to get some speed back. It's going to take some tempo workouts and some racing. I need to spend some time in agony, some time remembering what it's like to pedal in anger, and some time riding with the motivation of not embarrassing myself. In short, I've got a lot of work to do and not a lot of time to do it in. But I've got motivation now, and this year, that's been half the battle.
I've made it no secret that I haven't raced much this road season and that any racing I do at this point is with the intention of getting ready for cyclocross. It's a good thing that I did get out to race today, because I got the wake up call and additional motivation to train that I have needed for months. This was quite a quality field on a moderately technical course and I was no match.
I lined up near the back, intent on being passive the entire race. Once the gun went off I found a spot 3/4ths back from the front in the peloton and settled in. The first several rounds, the turns were pretty slow as folks figured things out, but after that we got crankin'. I never really found my way up towards the front as I should have, and instead I started losing ground.
The final turn before the finish was just slightly more than a 90 degree turn, and I really never figured out how to make this one at any speed. It's been my MO in crits that I can't corner well enough to be a factor, but I've never had it cost me the way it did today. Each time we came to that critical juncture on course, I lost maybe five yards. And every time I did that, I had to get out of the saddle and sprint up the slight incline to catch back on. It was a classic case of the criterium accordion--except that I didn't do the contracting part for too long. I'm not sure exactly when it happened, but at some point, a group of three of us lost contact with the peloton and that was all she wrote.
We were toast. But silly me, never having been dropped before, I got more and more frustrated at myself for sucking in the turn and not having enough power to catch back on. I didn't start working with the other two until after a few laps and by that point it was painfully obvious we weren't going to finish the race. The peloton eventually was out of sight on the straightaways, then out of sight through the alleys and then, with ten laps to go, the official blew the whistle. I sat up, unzipped my skinsuit and coasted uphill to the car.
Probably the most embarrassing thing was that I had enough time to change into my street clothes and jog back to the finish in time to see the winners sprint to victory. Ouch.
So why did I suck so much today? Well, I've got three reasons er excuses. The first is that I think the quality of the Category 3 group this year is a lot better than it was last year in my first season on the road. Back then, I was continually frustrated with the lack of aggressive pace and that's why I was out solo. This year, there were some major players in the race and they made this one the hammerfest that I've always been looking for. Congrats to all the racers who finished in the main field. You guys raced hard and should be proud. Especially the three juniors who were in there battling right up to the finish.
The second is one that's already been discussed: I can't corner worth a crap. I did improve some as the race wore on, but I never mastered that final turn. I think I could have masked the third reason a lot more if I had been good at riding the corners fast.
The final reason is of course the reason that I'm glad I showed up today: I'm out of shape--or I'm at least I'm out of top end speed and raw power. I have a decent amount of fitness. My legs are used to lots of aerobic mileage, so I've got some base to work with. They have not, however turned a stroke in oxygen debt in quite a while and today showed that. The speed of the race was a shock to the system and my legs were screaming.
Between now and September 23, when cyclocross kicks into gear, I've got to get some speed back. It's going to take some tempo workouts and some racing. I need to spend some time in agony, some time remembering what it's like to pedal in anger, and some time riding with the motivation of not embarrassing myself. In short, I've got a lot of work to do and not a lot of time to do it in. But I've got motivation now, and this year, that's been half the battle.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
It's time for me to start blogging again. Charm City is only 39 days away and 'cross season will soon be upon us. Let's see if I can make some regular posts as a sign of the cyclocross season.
I've dropped off the racing map since the Poolesville Road Race back in May. My motivation for racing on the road completely deserted me and so I deserted the racing scene. Since then I've only raced once--a lap at the Pleasant Valley Road Race--and I flatted. But there's something about 'cross season that I knew would stoke my competitive fires again.
I'm now riding every weekday and trying to regain my form. I think I'm nearly back to having a reasonable base and since 'cross isn't as reliant on lots of mileage, I'm hopeful that this season can be a full success. I'll start throwing in some tempo eventually and next week I should have my 'cross bike setup to start skills work. "Racing" at MIT's alumni meet should be a shock to the running system. Maybe by then I can get enough miles on my new shoes to make the purchase worthwhile.
If nothing else, I'm motivated by the fact that I'll be a step above the MABRA B's this year. Since I finished second in the MABRA B series last year to Todd Hesel and won two races (bookends), I think several of us are due to take a step up. I'm planning on racing the MAC B's and MABRA A's. MAC B's are a lot more competitive than the MABRA B races, so that will be halfway between where I came from and fully making an A leap.
I raced last year's MABRA Championship with the A's and that's what I've remembered all off-season. It was Thanksgiving weekend, I wasn't training well, the course was awesome--though muddy, and I sucked bigtime. I remember that racing for an hour was a long time and I remember the lonely feeling of knowing only one man was behind me in the race. I had no speed and no control and I felt like I had no business being in the race. So this year, I'm hoping to erase some of those memories and find some success at a level above MABRA B's.
Since my first exposure to the MAC scene at Granogue two years ago, I've been hooked on 'cross. I can't wait to finally get in a full season of MAC racing--though I'm not especially looking forward to all the cash I'll have to spend on gas and hotels. It will be intense and a little less laid back than the MABRA races, but I think it will be a lot of fun and I can't help but get better.
I've dropped off the racing map since the Poolesville Road Race back in May. My motivation for racing on the road completely deserted me and so I deserted the racing scene. Since then I've only raced once--a lap at the Pleasant Valley Road Race--and I flatted. But there's something about 'cross season that I knew would stoke my competitive fires again.
I'm now riding every weekday and trying to regain my form. I think I'm nearly back to having a reasonable base and since 'cross isn't as reliant on lots of mileage, I'm hopeful that this season can be a full success. I'll start throwing in some tempo eventually and next week I should have my 'cross bike setup to start skills work. "Racing" at MIT's alumni meet should be a shock to the running system. Maybe by then I can get enough miles on my new shoes to make the purchase worthwhile.
If nothing else, I'm motivated by the fact that I'll be a step above the MABRA B's this year. Since I finished second in the MABRA B series last year to Todd Hesel and won two races (bookends), I think several of us are due to take a step up. I'm planning on racing the MAC B's and MABRA A's. MAC B's are a lot more competitive than the MABRA B races, so that will be halfway between where I came from and fully making an A leap.
I raced last year's MABRA Championship with the A's and that's what I've remembered all off-season. It was Thanksgiving weekend, I wasn't training well, the course was awesome--though muddy, and I sucked bigtime. I remember that racing for an hour was a long time and I remember the lonely feeling of knowing only one man was behind me in the race. I had no speed and no control and I felt like I had no business being in the race. So this year, I'm hoping to erase some of those memories and find some success at a level above MABRA B's.
Since my first exposure to the MAC scene at Granogue two years ago, I've been hooked on 'cross. I can't wait to finally get in a full season of MAC racing--though I'm not especially looking forward to all the cash I'll have to spend on gas and hotels. It will be intense and a little less laid back than the MABRA races, but I think it will be a lot of fun and I can't help but get better.
Friday, January 05, 2007
One of the toughest parts about getting up at 6a to ride in to work is dealing with my stomach. A lot of times I wake up with an upset stomach and I have to spend time just hanging around until it calms down. It's usually worse when I haven't slept all that well, but the good news is that if I have a little bit to eat and maybe a trip to the toilet, things settle down.
The other tough thing is when it's either bitterly cold or rainy. Lately, it hasn't been much of either, but today it was rainy. I left the house in my Coppi windbreaker (ie not waterproof) and just after crossing 7, the rain got worse. So I pulled over and put on my raincoat and booties--along with my new neoprene gloves. From there on, I was feeling pretty good. Since it was so warm out, I didn't put on my rain pants. My legs didn't mind the dampness one bit. Coming over the rise just after the stretch in Vienna, I was all alone and hearing The Bruch in my ears what just what I needed. It doesn't get much more beautiful than that.
Today was only a half day since I use Fridays to catch up on work hours. Jess drops by and picks me up on her way home from Pittsburgh, so it's nice to have at least half a day off once in a while. Overall, my legs feel terrific. If I could just sleep a little better, I'd be perfect.
The other tough thing is when it's either bitterly cold or rainy. Lately, it hasn't been much of either, but today it was rainy. I left the house in my Coppi windbreaker (ie not waterproof) and just after crossing 7, the rain got worse. So I pulled over and put on my raincoat and booties--along with my new neoprene gloves. From there on, I was feeling pretty good. Since it was so warm out, I didn't put on my rain pants. My legs didn't mind the dampness one bit. Coming over the rise just after the stretch in Vienna, I was all alone and hearing The Bruch in my ears what just what I needed. It doesn't get much more beautiful than that.
Today was only a half day since I use Fridays to catch up on work hours. Jess drops by and picks me up on her way home from Pittsburgh, so it's nice to have at least half a day off once in a while. Overall, my legs feel terrific. If I could just sleep a little better, I'd be perfect.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Well, it's that time of year again . . . the time after all the seasons are over and I'm building up a base that I become completely enamored with the sport all over again. I'm happy to report that my enthusiasm for the bike is at it's annual winter peak. Seeing as I'm now at week 18 of living without a car during the week, that's good timing. Right now I'm spending my time building up a base as big as I can handle. I'm back home after spending the holidays with Jess in Pittsburgh, so I'm seeing 2.5 hours of riding each weekday, split up of course into 1.25 hour segments in the AM and PM. That's the 40 mile roundtrip to work everyday. I'm hoping to make it out the DC Velo 7am ride or a Coppi jaunt this weekend, which should add at least 50 miles and 3-4 hours to the total--not to mention some climbing, a bump up of the pace, and some friendly competition. My goal, I think, is to settle at 300 mi/week, which should be about 18 hours in the saddle. Because the volume is so high for me, I'm not really hammering much these days. Waking up at 6a every morning is tough, but I'm getting in the miles and so far I'm not sick or really feeling all that tired. Of course, I haven't done much on the weekends up to this point, so it's possible that once I start doing rides on Saturday and Sunday, I could feel it a bit.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
With all of my hunger and desire to be racing a week ago, the Thanksgiving holiday kind of took some of that away--as did finishing off the MABRA series with a win. So it was no surprise that I wasn't as up as I should have been for my first go at an 'A' race. That's really a shame, because the course for this one was probably the best I've seen all year. It was set up in Taneytown, MD by Tracy Lea. This course really had everything: mud, run ups, off cambers, gravel, pavement, and lots of turns. It didn't really suit my style, but I had to admire how well laid out it was. It reminded me a lot of courses I've seen on cycling.tv.
So, since I wasn't planning for this one as well as I should have been, Jess and I went to church at our normal hour and didn't make it to the racecourse until thirty minutes before the gun. I did almost no warmup--consisting only of a few minutes on the trainer and then riding around nervously near the start line. When it was time to go, I found myself on the line with oldies but goodies, Gunnar Shogren and Kris Auer as well as junior phenom Nick Bax and Evan Ellicott, also making the upgrade from the B's. Since there were only about 10-12 racers, we all had a front row position. I got a good start and found myself in third place behind Shogren and Auer at the first turn. But that's where the positives would end for the day.
Having not preridden the course, I immediately found myself in trouble. I had absolutely no clue what was coming and I messed up nearly every feature on the first lap. I took turns too fast, too slow, and even had to dab my foot a few times where I shouldn't have. By the end of the first lap, I'd dropped every single spot except for a couple. I was really frustrated, but not so much as I might have been had I known what was on the course.
Judd, another Coppi in the race, eventually came up to me and passed. I tried to go with him, but my horrendous technical skills gave him a gap and I never could make it up. I tried really hard for a few laps, but his lead got bigger and bigger. I soon realized that I was only one spot out of dead last. I started looking for the guy behind me as well as trying to make sure I wouldn't get lapped. When I realized that neither was likely to happen, I got my head back to riding the course and started trying to learn from what I was doing.
To be sure, I was exhausted. Racing for an hour was difficult, especially when I had no one to race with and nothing to strive for in the last few laps. Most of all, I realized that pre-riding isn't just a good idea, it's a necessity. I had not forseen how impossible it was to ride a muddied and technical course like this without knowing what was coming. I found myself taking the wrong lines with all the wrong gearing and it cost me bigtime.
I guess one positive is that Ellicott did pretty darn well and I've beaten him and Bax in the past. Though I know they are superiot to me in technical skills and endurance respectively, I can reasonably expect that with more focus, desire, and a preride, I would have done much better. Next time, I'll have a chance to test that theory. I'll race once more, this time the final MAC race of the season this Sunday in Reston, VA. Hopefully I can go out on a little bit of a high note.
So, since I wasn't planning for this one as well as I should have been, Jess and I went to church at our normal hour and didn't make it to the racecourse until thirty minutes before the gun. I did almost no warmup--consisting only of a few minutes on the trainer and then riding around nervously near the start line. When it was time to go, I found myself on the line with oldies but goodies, Gunnar Shogren and Kris Auer as well as junior phenom Nick Bax and Evan Ellicott, also making the upgrade from the B's. Since there were only about 10-12 racers, we all had a front row position. I got a good start and found myself in third place behind Shogren and Auer at the first turn. But that's where the positives would end for the day.
Having not preridden the course, I immediately found myself in trouble. I had absolutely no clue what was coming and I messed up nearly every feature on the first lap. I took turns too fast, too slow, and even had to dab my foot a few times where I shouldn't have. By the end of the first lap, I'd dropped every single spot except for a couple. I was really frustrated, but not so much as I might have been had I known what was on the course.
Judd, another Coppi in the race, eventually came up to me and passed. I tried to go with him, but my horrendous technical skills gave him a gap and I never could make it up. I tried really hard for a few laps, but his lead got bigger and bigger. I soon realized that I was only one spot out of dead last. I started looking for the guy behind me as well as trying to make sure I wouldn't get lapped. When I realized that neither was likely to happen, I got my head back to riding the course and started trying to learn from what I was doing.
To be sure, I was exhausted. Racing for an hour was difficult, especially when I had no one to race with and nothing to strive for in the last few laps. Most of all, I realized that pre-riding isn't just a good idea, it's a necessity. I had not forseen how impossible it was to ride a muddied and technical course like this without knowing what was coming. I found myself taking the wrong lines with all the wrong gearing and it cost me bigtime.
I guess one positive is that Ellicott did pretty darn well and I've beaten him and Bax in the past. Though I know they are superiot to me in technical skills and endurance respectively, I can reasonably expect that with more focus, desire, and a preride, I would have done much better. Next time, I'll have a chance to test that theory. I'll race once more, this time the final MAC race of the season this Sunday in Reston, VA. Hopefully I can go out on a little bit of a high note.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
I finally decided to do something other than just put the miles in. I warmed up for a couple miles, then hit it hard, doing six minute intervals with three minutes rest. I did five sets and managed to avoid any long stops at intersections. My legs felt pretty strong and I was able to use one rider as bait. We'll see how I respond in the next few days. I hope I'm strong enough now to keep the mileage up and add just a tad bit of quality.
Monday, October 30, 2006
I haven't updated in two weeks and I never finished a race summary for IC Lite, but rest assured that I haven't been nearly as lazy with riding. Today marks my sixth consecutive day of total bike commuting (i.e. 40 miles/day no car). I even used my new rain gear to navigate through the storm this past Friday. I took the weekend off and this morning, my legs felt amazing. I'm building a massive base and in doing so I'm as hungry as ever to get out and race this weekend when the MABRA series resumes.
Hunger really doesn't do my feelings justice. I'm flat out anxious to get back on the 'cross bike and race. It's unbearable to read and look and photos of the MAC series and the World Cup races over in Europe. This is going to be a long week, I'm sure of that. I'm planning on at least riding some barriers soon and probably throwing in a tempo ride before this weekend of racing on Saturday and Sunday. Logging upwards of thirteen hours on the bike a week is starting to feel more natural. We'll see how I do as the weather gets colder, but so far, I'm holding up.
As for my training as a whole, since I don't have a car (nine weeks now) I haven't been able to really do much planning of workouts. In the past few weeks, I've been tired from commuting everyday and didn't feel like I could handle any extra load. The only real hard efforts I've done have been the random times I've felt up to catching folks on the trail. But I'm hoping that I'm now handling things better and can add some quality to the quantity in time to get some benefit this 'cross season.
I'm thinking right now that I'd like to keep riding this much through the winter. That means, I doubt I'll be taking the break I took last season to train for the Alumni track meet. Should make for an interesting mile time come January, but hopefully it'll pay dividends when road season starts up.
Hunger really doesn't do my feelings justice. I'm flat out anxious to get back on the 'cross bike and race. It's unbearable to read and look and photos of the MAC series and the World Cup races over in Europe. This is going to be a long week, I'm sure of that. I'm planning on at least riding some barriers soon and probably throwing in a tempo ride before this weekend of racing on Saturday and Sunday. Logging upwards of thirteen hours on the bike a week is starting to feel more natural. We'll see how I do as the weather gets colder, but so far, I'm holding up.
As for my training as a whole, since I don't have a car (nine weeks now) I haven't been able to really do much planning of workouts. In the past few weeks, I've been tired from commuting everyday and didn't feel like I could handle any extra load. The only real hard efforts I've done have been the random times I've felt up to catching folks on the trail. But I'm hoping that I'm now handling things better and can add some quality to the quantity in time to get some benefit this 'cross season.
I'm thinking right now that I'd like to keep riding this much through the winter. That means, I doubt I'll be taking the break I took last season to train for the Alumni track meet. Should make for an interesting mile time come January, but hopefully it'll pay dividends when road season starts up.
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