Illinois State 'Cross Championships or Good Things Come in 3's!

FUN!!

Man, I feel gyped..
all the rest of 'cross season was hot, dry, and bland. :( Today was none of those things!

It was a tad warmer than yesterday.. about 33 degrees at race time. After an awesome pancake breakfast at Rachel's, I headed back home to get ready. I decided to ride to the race instead of bring the car. With the right timing, I should get there warmed up, ready to register and get on the course for a quick warmup.

I think I've said it before, but I think I'm really zeroing in on how to dress for the cold. I was a little chilly starting out for the race, but warmed up pretty quickly, without overheating or sweating too much. That is a huge load of my mind. But, once the race started, I can tell you that the cold was the last thing on my mind!

I got there and registered. I tried to get out on the course for a pre-lap, but it seems they were running behind. At 2pm they were calling for 2 more laps for the 1/2s.. So I planned on taking a lap when they called the 4's to line up. We're usually standing there for 10-15 minutes anyway. Well, that wasn't to be either. When they finally did call us up, they went right into the race intro. Looks like I'm doin this one cold (so to speak).

So they blow the whistle and we're off. I'm sitting near the back of the pack of about 40 riders again. With the snow, mud, and ice, I would like to have been out front, but figured where ever I was, I had to watch for other people stacking it up. It was messy for the first 1/4 mile. A short starting straight led to a series of tight turns. People where hitting the brakes all over the place. One guy behind my got the right idea and ran the whole section the first time through.

This led to "cricket hill" as I've heard it called. A 2 pack of barriers led to a long b***h of a run-up. We mounted back up to ride down the back side of the hill in about 5-6 inches of deep loose snow. At the bottom, the first sucker punch. A 180 turn with a barrier immediately after the turn into another nasty long run-up.


Again, back on the bike to a sweet long snowy downhill. Shortly we reached the most technical part of the course. Several tight, back and fourth esses climbing up and down the hills either side of one of the bridges in the park. A somewhat technical descent to a loose lefty under the bridge, then sucker-punch #2.. another quickly lefty RIGHT into a barricade.. damn, didn't see that coming. A quick run-up, more esses, then back down on the other side of the bridge and under again. From here, it was mostly flat, a chance to pick up some speed, with some not too terrible turns. Then I spot a cool little 20ft. down-up. This should be fun. I hammer the peddles to get up some speed, and BAM! Sucker-punch #3. Some sadistic so and so put a barrier RIGHT AT THE TOP OF THE HILL!! I could really have used some practice on this one.. It took a good two laps to figure it out since you had to pick up enough speed on the downhill to coast the last part of the uphill while dismounting. Not easy. The last bit into the start/finish was not too bad, save for several branches that seemed to want to reach out and slap you off the bike. There were lots of spectators in the start/finish, making it easy to drop several gears and hammer through, aided by the fact that this was the only solid, non-muddy footing on the whole course! Ultimately my strategy of keeping the rubber side down served me well. I heard several people bite it behind me, and saw at least two go down in front of me. I stayed up and picked up places.

Man, that was fun! I wish there were more like it. I kinda wish I had done the Masters race. But, alas. There's always next year.

Thanks to Thomas and Katie for coming out and being an AWESOME cheering section! And for taking pictures. You can see all of Tom's pics from the race at slackphotography.blogspot.com. He's an awesome photographer! More of his work is at www.slackphotography.com.

Good night!

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Now playing: Gotan Project - Track 04
via FoxyTunes

Lan Oaks

Chicago Cross Cup series race #5 took us to Lansing, IL and Lan Oaks park.

Brrrr... finally winter starts to settle in, and the weather is getting more 'cross-like. Temps in the low 40s, but still dry.

This was a roadies course if ever there was one. Flat, flat, and more flat. Wide turns require minimal cornering skill, and onle two sets of barriers. And a looooon, deep sand pit, but even it was ridable with enough speed.

Again I raced Masters and Cat4. I used the Masters race as a good warm up and familierization session. 10 minutes into this race and I was ready to drop out. I just didn't have it in the legs, and as this was an all out leg-fest, I feard I'd having noting at all for my second race. But I stuck with it, found a gear that worked, and just worked on smooth barriers, and even worked a little on working with other riders. This is a skill that i MUST foster if I want to have any success in cross. I finished near the back in 19th, but that's about the effort I gave.

The Cat4a race again saw 40+ racers at the start line. And as usual they lined up with 15 minutes to go, refusing to give up a front row position. And this time, I was one of the lucky ones on the front who wasn't gonna budge!

At the start we were bunched pretty good, and there was a lot of jostling for position. This is where I usually play it safe and passive, and lost lots of places right off the bat. But this time I stuck with it, and was sitting 5th going into the first turn. From this point on the goal was to grab a wheel and try and hold it as long as possible. Aggressive in the first lap at all costs. "You're not gonna blow up" I kept telling myself. I did get dropped by a number of riders up front, but then settled into a battle with about 3 riders for the second half of the race.

I was forced to run the sand pit each lap, as there was always too much traffic in front of me to reliably be able to blast through. This was ok, though, as I didn't lose any ground to the guys that were riding it. I put in a few good attachs in the straights after the pit, and even dropped a couple guys. In the end I finished up around 15th. Alas the folks who put on the race seem to have lost any record of me, as I don't appear in the final standings. I was too busy changing and getting warm to be able to get over to check the prelim results, and the final results were not posted when I left. I never worry about a place here or there b/c I'm never in contention, but I never expected to be left out of the results altogether. If any of the 4a's out there are reading, and you finished in front of or behind the guy with the black XXX jacket with Orange Sweep XC helmet and blue Raliegh, please let me know what place you were so I can figure out where I finished. I know it was around 15-17...

Anyway, I'm back in MI for Thanksgiving. Good times. Gonna hit the KissCross race at Richmond Park in Grand Rapids, MI on the way home. Looking forward for a different paced event from the ChiCross Cup races. I'll be sure to tell you all about it.

Gotta run, almost out of Juice!!

I should so be going to bed to prepare for the long drive to Traverse City tomorrow for the Iceman Cometh!! But I figure I better finish off my last race report to make room for the tails of drunken debauchery that is Iceman weekend!

When we left our hero he was recovering from his Masters 30+ race, awaiting the start of the Cat 4s several hours later. It was about now that I was beginning to curse my decision to not bring any real food. It would have to be Hammer Gel and Clif bars for lunch to sustain me through another 30 minutes of hell.. I mean super fun racing!!

There's not a whole lot to report from the Cat 4 race. I yet again failed to get myself a spot on the front row.. This is partly due to the fact that the guys insist on lining up with 20 minutes to go. I mean c'mon fellas... I got a good start, and gave a little more in the first part of this race, but soon found myself in no mans land again. The course had dried and traction was awesome. The off camber section was a non issue with the extra traction, AND they had lowered the middle stake, so you could take a pretty straight line all the way through. My nemisis straightaway also was tamed by the line burned into the grass.

I was riding more in the big ring this race as there was nothing to save my legs for, and there was little on the course requiring the small ring. I was still having trouble getting up the hill, but as the race went on I badgered the little girl in me to "dig damnit" and get up that hill faster.

With two laps to go I was passed by a xXx'er.. I'm not sure if I was lapped, or if he just got a second wind. Either way, he helped to pull me up to the racer in front of me. At first I assumed that this fellow had popped and was coming back to me. I kicked it up a little to assure that I would go by with athoritah! However, I made and ass out of u and me. There was life in this gent yet. As soon as he heard me breathing (well, weazing really) down his neck, he responded. We went back and fourth like this for the whole lap. At the beginning of the last lap I knew i would have a chance on the climb. I dug deep, and decide that I would pay whatever price at the top to try and pass him on the climb. I came up a littel short, but by the top I was on his rear wheel. Payback meant giving up a little ground on the ensuing flat, but I kept the pressure on. I recalled that he coasted the second half of the long down hills straight just before the woods, so I kept it in the big ring and gapped back up to him just as we entered the woods. He responded again getting a couple bike lengths. After the woods, just one barrier stood between us and the line. I knew if I could get even with him at the barrier I would have a good chance to make time and possibly out sprint him to the line. It was a downhill approach to the barrier and I'd been taking it increasingly faster each lap. But now I was all out sprinting! As we approached, I second guessed myself and backed off just a bit to make sure I cleaned the barrier. Indeed I was faster on the dismount/mount and got back a length. With just 20 yards to the finish I gave all I had, but just couldn't nip him at the line.. :( I regret not going all out into the barrier. Even a spectacular yard sale would have made a better ending to the story. But I did go for the win. I think even a better gear on the re-mount might have given me the edge I need. So good lessons learned.

This weekend it's Iceman. The weather is looking like it'll be cold, but no snow. Another shot at breaking 2 hours. As this might be my last Iceman for a while, that sure would be neat-o.

See ya on the other side.

Lessons Learned

These are some things I learned this weekend at Campton park:

1) Dew + Grass = Slippery
2) When you can see your rear wheel in front of you and you're still riding your bike, something's not right. Oh, and look out cuz here comes the ground!
3) If one race is fun, 2 is TWICE as fun!
4) OH MY GOD do I need some hill work.. :(

Chicago 'Cross Cup series race #4 took us to Campton park in St. Charles, IL. I chose to race both the Masters 30+ race and the Cat. 4a this week in an attempt to increase my learning curve.

I was also looking forward to racing in the morning, rather than sitting around all day until the Cat. 4 race at 2pm. I arrived just in time to change, register, and get in a slow preview lap of the course. This one was pretty rowdy.

A not too long starting straight leads to a 180 degree tight corner. Lotsa fun in a 40+ person starting field! Some nice S curves lead to the first double barrier. This is followed by another quick left/right and a ditch that was ridable, but just barely. Into a long straight and the biggest pain of the course, a barrier at the base of the longest climb of the course. Not particularly steep, but with all momentum sapped by the barrier, it was formidable.
The back half of the course was wonderful respite from the "technical" first half. Despite an off camber down-up-down-up, this section was fast. Long straights broken only by the afformentioned off camber and a short steep climb.
The final straight leads to a path through the woods that was a little greasy, and had rail road ties set in the ground perpendicular to the path for water run-off. These were easy to bunny hop and exit the path fast to a short grassy downhill into the final barrier which could be taken with good speed only about 20 yard from the finish line.


About 20 lined up for the Masters 30+ race. My plan for this race was to try to hang on to the back and just get a feel for the course and practie my dismount/mount. The start got off clean and I was sitting mid-pack. Into the climb I'm passed by a few on the way up. On the back half there's a long downhill straight to 90 degree left hand turn. I came in hot and tapped the brakes as I leaned into the turn. SEE LESSON #1. Suddenly I'm Brandon Inge slidding into 3rd! Luckily there was a spectator there to spur me on to get back on the bike and go go GO!! Lap 2 and I'm pretty much in no man's land. I press on working on my barrier technique, and using my gears to save my legs.
Now on the back half, this time entering the straight that took me out in the first lap, again coming in HOT! I tap the rear brake to scrub some speed... SEE LESSON #2. Luckily I went down on my right this time, balancing out the bumps and bruises. The rest of the race went without incident. Well, besides being 10 minutes longer than I had expected. Ugh...

I'll report my Cat. 4 race in a separte entry.. We'll just let this one set in.. :D

Carpentersville Cross

Today was the second race in the Chicago Cross Cup series at Carpenter Park in Carpentersville, IL. Incidentally, I ran into someone who also rides a Raleigh Rx1.0. He said it's made in Carpentersville, though I've yet to confirm it.

I'll try to be breif, as I know I can get a bit windy here.

It was yet another unseasonably dry and warm day for a 'cross race. The course was mostly flat though there were a number of false flats, and not much room to stretch the legs. Obstacles included a double barrier leading to a run-up, a barrier followed by a small dried culvert you had to jump (repeated again later in the course)
and about 30-40 feet of playground sandbox. In warmups I both ran and rode the sand, but opted to run it in the race. What made the sand partiularly tricky was a 6" drop into the sand, making it difficult to pedal strong into the sand. Rather, to prevent endoing, you had to lift the front and drop into the sand, losing precious momentumum.



Only about 45 on the line for the 4a's this week. Despite the reduced numbers, I still failed to get a spot on the front line. I lined up on the second row in the middle, making it very difficult to get free at the start. I settled into the pack about 30 back. The first two laps were uneventful, save for the searing pain in my legs. Beginnig lap three, before the first set of barriers is a paved straight with a sharp left turn at the end. I hear a racer come up on the inside of the turn fast. I'm thinking, how the hell is this guy gonna make the turn coming this fast and on the inside of the turn! Well, the answer is, he wasn't. I later learned he thought it was a RIGHT hand turn.. :( So, when I turned left into the turn, hoping he would hold his line, I ended up running smack into his rear wheel. I went down, and he made it through more or less ok... At least I was able to launch off the bike as I went down to land on the grass and not the pavement..



I remounted and tried to pedal away. My saddle was severly skewed to the right, so I stopped and corrected. However, upon remounting, something still wasn't right. I thought my bars had turned too, but luckily it was just a shifter turned a little out of wack. I tried to straighten in, but to no avail. It was so weird to me to be standing on the course of a cyclocross race. I've come to know CX as an all out sprint to the end, and even though you do get off the bike from time to time, you're NEVER standing still. And yet, here I was. It was not a good feeling.

Getting back into the rhythm was tough, and I don't think I ever quite got it back. I reeled back a couple of lost places, and managed to hold off a late attack by a couple of guys who had been working together most of the race. I ended up 17th of 45. A ways off of my top 10 a couple weeks ago, but considering the cirumstances, I guess I can't complain.



All in all, a good day. Got to hang with some new friends and make newer ones! And I manage to snap a few pics in the process. Good times all around.



Someday there'll be snow...

Soup

Jackson Park CX Vid

The above is a quick clip of me clearing the second barrier on my second lap. It is also my first ever youtube video.. yay me...

OK, Where was I??

Oh yeah...

So, as I pondered what might have been as I watched Erin disappear on the horizon, I reminded myself that this was going to be my longest ride of the year to date, and all I'd had for breakfast was a peanut butter and honey sandwich. I had to ride my own race or I was gonna die out there.

I'm a little hazy on what followed immediately after the road climb, but shortly I was riding a fairly rocky, loose two track that quickly turned downhill. This is going to be fun. The signs on the side of the trail warned of washouts, all the better. Since my Super D experience in VT I've gained a lot of confidence in my downhilling, especially back here in the midwest. And to top things off, who do I run into again but Erin. Again, we exchanged encouragement for a moment. Now if you know Erin, you know that she needs to be staked down in a stiff breeze. This was not helping to keep her in front of me as the trail turned downward, so I picked my way by and let go of the brakes! What a ride! There was nothing technical or tricky about this section, but it was fast and loose. At the end was a sign that I couldn't really make out, but I imagine it was to warn me of the washout at the bottom of this hill I had just come screaming down. Now, there's a somewhat sharp right hand turn at the bottom, and lo and behold, the trail is washed out with only a rather narrow spot to cross through the rut smoothly. As long as you stay to the inside you're ok. I wasn't to the inside. Just as I was marveling at the idea that the organizers had put a gap jump into the trail, I noticed the narrow crossing. I locked up the breaks, but managed to hit the opening and get across unscathed. That could have been ugly (right Cary?? ;) )

Ok, so here's where waiting this long to post this race report becomes a problem. I'm a little hazy on the details of the trail from this point on. With less than 10 miles to go I was passed by Lyle from the BKB. At this point I had no idea where I was in the standings, but I tried to imagine he had just put me out of the top 10 as motivation to ride back into him. It was no use, he was g-o-n-e... So I continued to ride my race, hoping to limit the damage to the end. AT this point a woman passes me on my right. DAMN. And, of course, not long after that, Erin again. This girl is insane. A couple years ago she wrapped herself around a tree at Yankee while we were out pre-riding. I helped her up and waited for her to recover a little before getting on my bike and hammering out the rest of my lap thinking she would be quite a bit behind. She was less than a minute behind in the end (over about 4-5 miles). This girl can ride through some pain!!

Only this time, as E goes by, she's complaining that she's got no legs left, she's hurtin', and the woman that just passed was 5th place. So I yelled at her that she's got no legs, just a massive Detroit Diesel pushin' her over the course, and to get her ass up there and catch that chick!! And dammit if she didn't take off like a bat out of hell!! Respect!

Feeling I had done my job, I pushed on, hoping to not have to follow my own orders if another SSer should pass. a couple miles later, a rider does go by, and he's sportin' the unmistakable locks of Kevin LaRoe.. He's an SSer I've seen around the last couple of years, though I think he's been SSing much longer than I. I'm pretty sure that I've always gotten the better of him, but today seems to be a different story. He just went flying past on one of the rare hard packed dirt roads. He was 20 yards up the road before I even knew what was going on. Again, I lacked the power to gap up to him, but it did give me a kick in the butt to make sure I kept my cadence up!

Shortly after that we came to what I would find out was the last climb of the day. A soft, sandy straight climb that they had to use wood chips to FIRM UP!! As I began my climb, wondering if I'd be best to walk, I hear screams of pain coming from the top of the hill.. It's ERIN! She'd been brought to her knees by leg cramps, and was trying to get back up and onto her bike. With every step Her legs wobbled and then seized up again in pain. By now I am off the bike and walking up the climb, just watching in empathetic agony. I finally reach the top and Erin still hasn't been able to mount her bike. I helplessly asked if there was any way I could help, but she declined and said she'd just try to get through it. Man, what a bummer. She was riding so hard and having a pretty good race from where I sat. What a way to end the day.. :(

But my day wasn't over. I'm inside 5 miles to go now, and just trying to muster everying I have left to make sure I leave nothing in the tank at the end. I ramp the cadence up again, and curse the fact that there's no-one out here for me to chase. So I have to turn to those chasing me for motivation. Soon there's a sign indicating single track again. Finally!! Just before the single track I can hear voices behind me. There's a lone rider and a Tandem. I'm guessing that it's friends Cris and Craig. Midway through the single track there's a tricky quick climb through a few trees over some rocks and roots. The loose sand has been giving my Maxxis semi-slick rear tire trouble all day, so I opted to hop off and cyclocross it. I hopped back on feeling confident that I hadn't lost much ground, when I hear sounds of a crash behind me. I think Cris and Craig had trouble navigating the climb and got hung up. Great, more space.

Shortly after We're into the last 1.5 mils to go. I pop out onto some pavement and my heart sinks. There's no way I'm going to out run a tandem on the pavement in my 36x17!! But a quick check over my shoulder and they're still a ways off, so I start to work up the cadence. Slowly at first b/c there's still over a mile to go. There's a short stint back on the dirt and some extremely unpleasantly bumpy grass, and back onto pavement that must be near the finish as I can see the complex of buildings where the finish is located. By now I've worked up to a pretty high cadence.. 90-100 rpm? But still not going nearly fast enough to hold off a charging tandem I think. I glanced back and they were still a ways off.. As I round the corner there's people lined up on on either side. I must be in the finish straight!! They're yelling for me, but then I can hear them immediately cheering for the tandem as well. I turned my little legs over as fast as they would go, tunnel vision on the finish. I came in just yard ahead of Cris and Craig who were charging up fast!! Relief!! I hit the end of the finish chute and was greeted by a nice old lady who took my timing chip. I could barely stand my quads were screaming in misery!!! I nod to some of my friends who were there still milling about, and then turn around, and what do I see.. There's ERIN, less than a minute behind me!!! Even after being brought to her knees by leg cramps, she gets back up on the bike and almost runs me down. This girl is F.A.S.T.!!!

Well, I'll spare you any more boring details. That was it. My race. I had one of the best ride of my life. Probably due largely to the fact that I was in no shape to really race, so I basically rode against myself and learned how to manage a long race and portion my energy and effort to get me to the finish. Hopefully next year I'll be able to pair that with better training, and improve my place and time. Final result: 19th of 35 in SS and 165th of 518 overall.

That's the one with the sand, right??

Yeah, that's Ore to Shore.. the one with the sand. Lots of sand.. And where there isn't sand, there's more sand.

Have I ever mentioned that I hate sand?

And yet, somehow, this was probably one of the most fun races I've ever competed in. I guess it doesn't hurt that my training this year has been nearly non-existant, and so my expectations weren't terribly high, though I was shooting for a 3:15 finish time which would have put me in the top 10. As it is, I eeked in the top 20 with a 3:28 finish. But the most amazing thing was how good I felt through the whole race!

The morning started too early. I was hardly able to sleep the night before as a combination of nerves and Adams inhuman snoring kept me very alert. My nutrition plans were woefully lacking (surprise, surprise..) so my breakfast consisted of a peanut butter and honey sandwich, and the free Amino Vital water they handed out at registration. I tried to eat a little bit of a poppyseed muffin, but by this time it was close to start time, and my stomach was not very happy with me.

I saw my dad off as he started the 28 mile Soft Rock. His first race ever. Way to go Pop!! Still feeling pretty bad, I got over to the Hard Rock start and got a spot in the 3:30 to 3:10 seeded starting grid. I noticed Little Mike was several riders ahead of me in the 3:00 finish spot. Cheater.. >:( (j/k)

The start was fast and furious. Well, for the single speeders anyway. About 2 miles of rollout on pavement in 36x17 makes for one hell of a spinfest. I was grabbing every wheel I could to try to draft my way out of town. The combination of no warmup and then the furious spinning and tucking lead to some bodaciously stiff legs by the time we hit the dirt!! I just tried to keep spinning at a resonable pace, passing as many as I could as easily as I could so I didn't have to hammer too much until my legs could get some decent blood flow going.

Adam caught up to me just prior to the Power Line climb, and we both caught Little Mike. By now my legs had settled in, so I pressed on and made it over the Power Line with little problem. I was managing my heart rate really well through this whole race. I knew my lack of training and poor eating set me up for a spectacular Bonk!, so it was going to be crucial to manage my energy well.

Some time after the Power Line came Misery Hill. I remember seeing it off in the distance. One crazy, rocky, sandy climb, and a string of bikers, bikes shouldered, winding there way up like so many ants. I'm not sure if the leaders rode this bastard or not, but if so, my hat's off to them. I hopped off at the base and started the trek up.. I thought I might pass a couple on the climb, but my legs had other ideas. So I just patiently climbed to the top and away we went.

It was some time soon after that I caught up to Erin. I'd pretty much resigned myself to the fact that Erin was going to crush me in this race, so I was pretty psyched to see her on the trail. It was also great to see a friendly face out there. She was great, we're both suffering out there, and she had nothing but great, encouraging words for me!! I was feeling pretty strong, so I pressed on along with another single speeder, Lyle, from the Bare Knuckle Brigade.

We chatted a bit on one of the flat sections after Misery Hill. The BKB have a pretty bad ass kit. Check'em out here. By the time we hit the all out speed fest on Route 510, I latched onto some gearies in a pace line and dropped Lyle (for the time being... )

Following the glorious downhill was a three tiered road climb. I powered past most of the folks I'd descended with on the first climb. Some of them rode back into me on the second, and by the third I was just saving my legs. Just as I was hoping to make it to the top of the hill with my lungs still firm planted INSIDE my chest, I hear a cheerful "C'mon Soup!!".. Erin had drafted her way back up to me. I made a half hearted attempt to catch her wheel, but she sped by so fast, and I knew that over exertion now could spell disaster later on, so I let her go. Oh well, at least I glimpsed greatness.. ;)

TO BE CONTINUED.... (I'm getting carpal tunnel!!)

All that cryin' for nothin'

I just returned from the 1st annual Climb Detroit. 70 flights up the Detroit Marriott (center tower of the Renaissance Center).

Let me just first say I almost didn't make it. Man were the roads bad on I-75. Snow, slush, and ice. A couple times I almost put my little fwd GTi into the wall. At least it got my HR up prior to the race!!

My start time was 9:15am.. Things were pretty chaotic at the RenCen, with people seemingly going off whenever they chose. I ran a few laps around the tower and headed back toward the stairwell starting area to stretch.. It turned out there really was someone coordinating starts, and my teammate Ed and I started right about at our 9:15 time.

There were folks there from all over the athletic map. Lots of runners, some cyclists, generally fit folks, and then the not so fit. Most were wearing some workout gear and were generally fit, but there were a number of folks in jeans an t-shirts, and some sportin' some healthy guts...

My plan was to start running one step at a time and see how it goes from there. I had no time goals at all, but figured it might take about 20 minutes if I had to restort to walking any length of time. So I started and immediately was running past folks who were walking from the start. I was utterly amazed, however, when I passed the first aid station on the 10th floor in just a little over a MINUTE! I had no idea the floors were so short. In fact, only one 11 step flight of stairs between floors! Shortly after the 10th floor, still running, I was passing folks stopped on various floors in the doorways huffing and puffing. At one point, I passed a father and son (jeans and tees) and the son says "man, this is a lot harder than I thought it would be." At least he was there! Far too many kids opting for the gameboy over real life.. Anyway, at about the 20th floor I looked down at my HR monitor.. It was pegged at 200bpm! I could just about feel my heart jumping out of my chest. My legs felt great but I was starting to get a little light headed, so I decided to start walking 1 step at a time until my HR came down a little. And I waited. and waited... My HR continued to hover around 197bpm... So I guess I know what I need to work on for this season... ;)

It was about this time I started to notice how dry it was in the stairwell. It could have been the burning in my throat or the two dry husks of lungs I was coughing up. I stopped around the 40th floor for water. They had water stations (and EMS) every 10 floors. I had heard earlier that you had to leave the stairwell for water, and didn't plan on needing any anyway. Thankfully there was a guy there on the landing with a few cups. Only catch was that you had to drink it there, understandable as spilled water on the stairs would have been very bad. So I downed the water and noticed my HR had dropped to the mid 180's. I took off running again, but after a couple flights had to go back to walking as my HR was pegged again.

It was about this time that I had the concurrent thoughts "Gee, this isn't so bad, it's almost over" and "Hey, that second handrail looks really good. Bet I could use it to haul my sorry carcass up these stairs for a few more flights as I seem to have lost all motor control over my legs." These are the kinds of crazy juxtaposed thoughts you begin to have when your brain becomes dangerously deprived of oxygen in a dry, dusty stair well. So I kinda blanked on the next ten flights, and then with 5 flights to go decided to kick it in running 2 at a time. Cuz, you know, it doesn't matter what corner you go off to die in as long as you look good crossing the finish line... ;)

Ok, so it wasn't that bad. But it wasn't that easy. My goal was kinda to run the whole thing. To me, walking is not a race. So next year I might actually train for this thing and try to do well. Either way, I had a blast, and will definitely do it again.

Ran into DJ before his race. He looked confident and ready to take on the stairs. Looked good after too. Turned in a good 10:19. My final time was 9:46. Max HR was 201 and Avg. was 193.

2007 Race Schedule

April 15th, 2007 - Pontiac Lake Time Trial
The Western Chapter of the MMBA decided to save money this year by not having Robert and Tailwinds time the event. So, to keep his hold on the first major race of the season, he's moved the PLRA TT Waaaaay up to the 15th... hope the ground's thawed and dry by then!

April 22nd, 2007 - Yankee Springs Time Trial
I'll probably do this race just because of the relative spectacle it is. And I really like Yankee, and enjoy the TT format!

May 12th, 2007 - 12 Hours of Addison Oaks
Only if it's dry for a week beforehand and the day of. I will not race another 12 Hours of Mud!

June 10th, 2007 - Bloomer XC
This will be a new one for me... I'm trying to stay close to home this year.

June 16th, 2007 - Founder's Lumberjack 100
Gonna try my first 100 miler! I supported friends last year, and saw the agony. Why do I wanna do this again?

June 30th, 2007 - Stoney Marathon
I will not take this race as lightly this year. But with the Lumberjack under my belt this time, and with appropriate recovery and training in between, I should do ok.

July 26th-29th, 2007 - NORBA Nationals at Sugar Mountain
This is still a question mark. I'd really like to try a Super D race out at one of the big mountains this year.

August 11th, 2007 - Ore 2 Shore
I still really want to do this race. But, unless I can swing some awesome deal on accomodations and travel, I might skip it again this year.

August 26th, 2007 - Pontiac Lake XC
Gotta defend my win! (Even though I'll be in a different class and up against MUCH faster riders). Hey, it's my home course!

September 9th - Stoney XC
The final race in the NORBA MI State Championship. Hopefully by this point I'll be battling for a top 3 spot!

November 10th, 2007
Perhaps plagued by good weather in recent years, the annual End of the Season Bash that the Iceman has become has been moved back a week. Pray for snow!

The Iceman Wenteth

OK, so I really want to post more pics with my posts, but I only seem to think about posting while at work, and don't always have access to the pictures that I want to post. So the result is I don't post. Hence my recent absence... But here goes..

What a GREAT freakin' ride. I swear I'm the only person I know that actually had fun DURING my ride this weekend. Everyone I've talked to had all sorts of miserable race stories of regurgitation, crashes, and cramping. While I managed to keep the food (and the rubber) down, I did do battle with some pretty bad quad cramps. But even that was not able to prevent me from thoroughly enjoying my first Iceman on the Single Speed. Not even the fact that I was riding a borrowed bike, on new tires, with a gear combination that I was completely unfamiliar with (changed the night before, also borrowed) was enough to sour my day (though the night before was a different story ;) ).

Would I say I kicked ass? No. I was REALLY hoping for a sub 2 hour time. However, that time would have put me in the top 15 in the class, and none of my very fast SS friends went sub 2:00 either, so I guess I shouldn't complain. I did meet my goal of a top 30 finish by finishing 24th, just behind Jay Jones and Todd Scott, two very fast SSer's who I respect very much. I was also hoping for a top 25% finish over the whole field, and I beat that as well finishing in the top 17% (296th/1920).

Honestly, most of the race is a blur right now, but I'll try to recount.

I was late to the finish as I ran back to the car to strip off some layers (easy ladies.. :P ) as I approached the line, I heard them call my group. I had to raise the P.U.S.S. over my head and wade through 3 waves to get up to the middle of my wave. Bummer, I really wanted a spot nearer the front and outside. The gun went off, I was able to stay to the outside and move up a little, and as we hit the trail, I was able to pass pretty easily, making me glad I went with the lower gear (40x18 vs 40x17) I settled into a good spin, not too worried about traffic, knowing that opportunities to pass would abound. I wasn't stuck in too slow of traffic for the initial "single track" sections, so I was able to be patient.

At about 3 or so miles in, I was trading spots with some dude who couldn't climb the ant hills we were in to save his life. On a flat he goes by, not calling his pass. Just up a head was Danielle Musto, eventual Women's SS winner. He attempts to squeeze by on her left (again, no audible warning that I could hear). They end up rubbing elbows, throwing Danielle's balance, and eventually causing her to crash. I know she would have given plenty of room had he announced his intention to pass. Please, call your passes! Luckily, she was un-injured and went on to perform well!

Later excitement included being caught up by my buddy D, a long time racer, but who's taken some time off. I was very happy to be riding at his pace at this point. This was also his first time back on a SS in a while, and a 29er at that, so I'm sure there's some adjustment going on. I latched on to his wheel, and planned to ride there as long as I could manage. Not long after, however, D picked up a huge tree branch (limb?!) that wreaked a little havoc with his rear end (of the bike you sickos!) I continued on expecting that D would soon rejoin me. He never did. Turns out other issues with chain and seat height slowed him down even further.. :(

Williamsburg road was AWESOME. I was just starting to feel a bonk coming on just prior to Williamsburg. I did another espresso Hammer Gel, and then came upon the awesome folks at what is commonly the largest spectator spot on the course. The PA announcer called out my name, and people cheered my on by my number, or by my noticeably pink bike, or at the fact that I was on a single speed. What a boost! Better than the caffeine in that gel :D!

I was quickly back into a good rhythm. At one point I picked up a couple geared riders hanging on to MY wheel. I told them I was going to tell all their friends that they were drafting a single speeder.. On the FLATS even. For shame ;)

With about 5 miles to go it started. First my left quad started giving me that playful tensing at the bottom of the pedal stroke as I climbed on of the many hills in the last few miles. Then the right joined in the fun. Soon, both legs were cramping just shy of full lock-up on each pedal stroke. It was NOT fun. But my legs were still moving, and I told myself that I have as long as I need to recover, so I was just going to keep pushing. The only thing getting me off this bike was going to be a complete leg seize up. Then came "Oh Shit" Hill. So the only thing getting me off the bike was going to be a complete muscle lock up or "Oh Shit" hill. And that's all. Really. And there's that loooonnngg climb after "Oh Shit". But that was it. (seriously :D ).

No matter how well you prepare yourself for it, the finishing "maze" is always a mental blow. You think you're so much closer to the finish than you are. D called out my name as we passed each other as we negotiated the Iceman's small intestines. That was all I needed. The motivation to ride hard to the end. No matter how long they strung us out, turn after turn, single track or chute, I wasn't going to let ANYONE pass me. Finally. The Finish. Success!

I felt like all those Tour stage winners I see on TV. Pumping both fists in the air. Yeah, it seems a little anti-climactic, or perhaps a little presumptuous, but it was what felt right at the time. What a great race.

Lets just say that the partying that followed the race was perfect as a celebration to the end of the season. And the hangover that followed the next day was certainly the hangover to end all hangovers... :P Can't wait to do it again. ;)

2006 Results

3rd Place Sport SS Yankee Springs TT
My first time trial. This was a great race. It was a little wet, and lot of folks were crashing. My goal, keep the rubber side down.

3rd Place 12 hr Solo SS 12 Hours of Addison Oaks
What a mudfest. I'll never do that again!

2nd Place 4 person mixed 24 Hours of Boyne
3 single speeders (on of them a woman) and a geary not only finished 2nd in the 4 person mixed, but second over all 4 person teams. Period.

2nd Place Sport SS Pontiac Lake TT (NORBA)
My first chance to race on my home course. Of course the skies opened up right before our class start. Missed my first win by seconds! Still a great race.

2nd Place Sport SS Stoney Marathon (NORBA)
Wow. Hot! Long... It was all I could do to hang on.

3rd Place Sport SS Big M (NORBA)
Ugh... Utter disappointment. I thought I was leading the whole race. With less than a few miles to go I'm caught by a teammate, and I'm totally gassed. We were both beatin' by someone I never saw!

1st Place Sport SS Pontiac Lake XC - (NORBA)
My fist WIN! Easily the best race of my life. Ever. Rowing, Running, Biking... Guess that only make sense, but I was really on from start to finish.

2nd Place Sport SS Stoney XC (NORBA)
I only needed to finish 4th or better. I kept attacking the leader, but I eventually let him go. Felt a little weak for that, but I raced a good strategic race none-the-less.

NORBA Sport SS Series Champion
I managed enough high finishes in the NORBA series to take the Series Championship. I'm proud of it, even if it is sport class. I wanted to achieve some modicum of success before I get thrown to the wolves in the expert class next year.

24th Place Single speed Iceman Cometh
My second Iceman. Much better than the first. And, oh, the hangover... ;)

Stoney XC and NORBA Series Finale

I can't believe the season is almost over.

Nothing left but Iceman for me. But I can use the break.

I wrapped up the "serious" racing season at the Stoney Creek XC race this weekend. Going into the race I was sitting 3rd in series points, needing a top four finish at Stoney to win the Series. This seemed like an attainable task, but leading up to the race, my bike seemed determined to mutiny!! 2 flat tires (none previous this season), 1 broken brake cable housing, 1 broken pedal.. I just kept reminding myself that it's better all this happend BEFORE the race.. ;)

I was not feeling all that hot Sunday morning. I was lethargic, and probably a little dehydrated, but anxious to get the racing over with. We lined up at 1pm. In the field was the current points leader who I would need to finish in front of, and Jeff Weaver, my stiffest competition for the race win.

Robert from Tailwind blew the wistle and we were off. After a brief issue with spandex caught on saddle and mooning the field (oops... ) I got situated, and jumped on Weaver's wheel. We went into the rollercoaster that way, caught behind a slower rider. I began probing on corners and climbs to find possible passing opportunities, letting Jeff stay in front, hoping to tire him a little. When we got out to the two trace (of which there was plenty) we were able to clear the slower traffic. It became apparent that Weaver was a bit faster on the flats.. He took off sprinting, and it was all I could do to keep him in view. I pulled him back in when we hit the hills, and was able to put on a slingshot pass going up the last hill on our way back out toward Mt. Sheldon. I stayed ahead in the second half of the roller coaster, and maybe even opened a little space on him. Coming back out to the flats, though, turned the favor back to Weaver, and he passed me just prior to the sled hill and the start finish area.

I started to feel like I'd given too much on the first lap in the back and fourth with Weaver. I took part of lap 2 to recover. Coming to the second section of the rollercoaster again, I was a littel surprised to see that Weaver had come back to me. It was at this point that I had a decision to make. Fight it out for the win (risking REALLY blowing up) or protect my current position as I was where I needed to be for the series. I decided to try to just use him to pull me to the end. Not my proudest moment, as I would have rather duked it out for a hard fought win, but I was pooped. My legs were starting to feel like cement on the climbs. So, again, I tried to keep him in view and pace myself to the end.

I ended up in second place, and took over the series lead in the final race! I plan on savouring this, as I expect racing Expert next year to not be so kind =( But, on a positive note, I don't expect to be in serious contention for any series, so I'll be able to give it my all each and every race.... (yaaayy... I think.. :? )

So goes my 2006 racing season. Now the long pause until Iceman. I'll still post (there's always stuff to complain about when training in the cold and dark.. ;) ) And will certainly want to recount the Iceman shenanigans for posterity.. So stay tuned!

soup

The Good with the Bad

I've been layin' low these days.

On saturday, August 19th at about 6pm, I said goodbye to my Grandma. It was sudden, but not whole unexpected. She had been in and out of the hospital for the past couple months and, even though she walked into the hospital that monday under her own power, we knew it was just a matter of time before she would not leave.

Grandma didn't have a DNR on file, but she made it well know to her family that "when I'm gone, I want to stay gone.." That morning she had a heart attack, and was revived with CPR and the hooked up to a ventilator, which is how we saw her when we went early saturday morning to the cardiac ICU. Once she had stabilized, we requested that she be removed from the vent and allowed to breath (or not) under her own power. Grandma was a strong, independent, sharp woman, and she did not wish to be kept alive on a machine, nor be religated to living in a "home" or in the care of someone else. She was ready, and she made sure we knew it.

That didn't make it any easier letting her go.

Fortunately, though, rather than her passing in the early morning with no one around, she was surrounded by family, and we were able to say our good byes. We love you, Grandma!

Sunday was the PLRA XC race. I debated whether to race or not, but decided that Grandma would want me to keep on keepin' on, and would be REALLY pissed if I used her as an excuse to not race. :)

I dedicated my race to her, and could hear her in my ear every time I started to slack off, or succomb to the pain or fatigue. With grandma's help I got my first win of the year!! (ever, really..) It felt really good to win at Pontiac, the course I regard as my home course. In the starting grid there were two guys that had beaten me previously, and it was nice to beat them as well.

My thoughts continue to go out to those injured in Sunday's race. It was a brutal on, and I hope everyone mend's quickly!

Keep on keepin' on!

Big M

What a great name for a trail system...

Norba race number three for me has come and gone. Big M was about what I expected, hard riding, good racing, and big fun.

Pre-riding the course on Saturday showed that it was definitely going to be a climber's course. I used to count myself in that category, but I'm not sure now!

2 miles into the ~6.5 course, you get a long .75 mile climb. Man is it a burner. Toward the end it turns up a few more degrees to get a little more lactic acid into you muscles before you get a chance to recover. There were a few screaming downhills, no brakes required, that were fun enough to make you forget the previous pain, but for the most part you seemed to steadily climb from the start till the last bombing hill into the start finish area.

As usual, with the SSer's going off late in the day, the rain came just in time for our race. It was more than welcome this time. A light rain, just enough to cool us off, keep the bugs down, and help with the sand. Thanks Ma Nature!

Now as for the race... I jumped off the line, trying to hold the wheels of the Experts ahead of me. Most of them disappeared into the distance, but I managed to hold one until that first climb. Not sure what gear he had, but he was going too slow for me on the climb, so I passed him up and went it alone. Another expert rider from RBS sat on me for the rest of that lap. He was just behind as we completed the first lap, and he went by 2 miles later at the beginning of that first long climb. I could see in his cadence that he was running a lower gear, maybe 2:1. He walked away from me on that climb. A mile or two later, though, I noticed he was still just ahead and, knowing he had lower gear and would be slower on the flats, I took that opportunity to get his wheel again.


We went on like that throughout lap two. At the end of that lap, we were slowed by some lapped traffic, and two gear heads caught on at the very top of the final, fast and sandy descent. We kept that order, RBS Guy, me, Geary 1 and Geary 2 down the hill.. I'm glad the gearies didn't try to pass on that hill.. 'twould have been baaaad.. Just as we entered the "chute" area before the start finish line, geary 1 calls out to pass, so I let him go on the inside as we're about to hit some flats for a couple miles.. RBS guy is goin' a little slow through the start/finish and geary 1 is rubbin' tires with him and gettin' in
my way, so I jumped out to the outside and with the added rush of the cheering from the throngs of my adoring fans, blew by them both! Geary 2 sucked my wheel and then slipped around me just as we got back into the singletrack. This is fine with me b/c I don't want him tryin' to pass at a less opportune moment down the road. Geary 1 would pass me later in the lap, but I never saw RBS guy again!

Much of the rest of the last lap passed without excitement. I glanced over my shoulder on occasion just to make sure that RBS guy was gone for good, but never saw a soul. Then, just as I was trying to will myself over the last two climbs of the day, content with the fact that we'd finish as we were... SMACK!!! I get a slap on the ass from teammate Tony! I was deflated! I was so sure that I was alone and that I would get away with blowing up on these final climbs. I feel bad, b/c Tony likes to think that my response "oh, what the F**K!" was some how a commentary on my opinion of his abilities as a rider.. :D In fact, it was just the release of frustration at the realization of what I already knew.. that I was kidding myself that I could get away with sitting up the way I did for that last 1/2 of a lap. Not to take anything away from Tbone. He worked his but off to pass me, and was fresh as a daisy as he did. I believe his lap times got faster with each lap.. now THAT's racin'!! Plus, I have to give big Kudos to Tony for trying to help will me up that hill. In the end, though, I was slowing him too much, so he took off. Once at the top of the hill, with Tony still in sight, I felt that if I could just keep his lead from opening, I might have a chance to sneak by him in the chute as I did RBS guy on lap 2. Alas, I was slowed by some more lapped traffic that I just didn't have the legs to sprint around, and by that point I knew that my only hope was for Tony to lose it in the many sand pits that remained. But Tony, clean rider that he is, cleared the sand with no issue, only to nearly lose it all as he missed the turn off for the finish line, nearly heading out for lap 4!! :D But he corrected himself well before I even entered the chute. Not the result I'd hoped, but it certainly made for an exciting race over all.. Cheers, Tony!

In the end, Tony took 2nd, and I 3rd, 7 seconds behind. An unknown took 1st about 1-2 minutes ahead of us.

So, PLRA XC is next. I'm really looking forward to a battle at this race. Lots of my team will be there (no doubt to beat up on me.. ;) ) and there'll be a lot of good competition! Hope to see ya there!

Soup

Back in the saddle

Whew. What a holiday weekend.

I've not been getting out on the bike as I would like lately. I changed that this weekend.

Saturday was the Stoney Creek Marathon. As I said before I was really looking forward to this race. The course seemed like a lot of fun, and I was anxious to get my first XC race in on the year!

Well, the course was brutal, as was the heat. I still had a lot of fun, but, whew.. I got my butt kicked. For the record, saving 2 lbs by taking the suspension fork off..... NOT a good idea.. .=] My upper body was so beat up after the first couple laps. The susp. fork would have made those last coupld laps sooooo much more pleasant.

I executed my race plan to a T... for the first lap, anyway. I went out hard, and soon found myself in line with Andy B, Jay Jones, and a couple other expert SSer's. We kept a good pace through the pines, after which I decided to let them go, knowing that I couldn't maintain that pace for another 5, let alone 35 miles.

I never did see another single speeder. I passed a few expert riders, got passed by a few sport riders, but held my place throughout the rest of the race to hold on to 2nd in sport SS. A finish I'm pretty happy with, but I would like to have been a little more competative.

On Sunday I attended the Moss' excellent 4th of July bash. Much fun was had by all. I'm pretty sure I broke my big toe playing volley ball. Whatever, as long as it still fits in my bike shoe I'm good.. ;)

Tuesday brought the 3rd annual Brighton Brushbuster, led by CycloDan. What a ride this is every year. The pace is billed as being "spirited at times", and boy is it. Gearing for this ride was tough, knowing that the Torn Shirt loop waited at the end of theday. Too high a gear and I would be hating life when we got back to Brighton rec area, but too low I I'd be hating life the rest of the day on the roads. I stuck with my 36x17. I spun out a lot on the roads, but when I could I'd tuck into the paceline and let the draft pull me along. I think next year I will go with a higher gear, though, and just suck it up and walk a few climbs on Torn Shirt.

21 riders started the BB, and 9 finished. Many ran out of time, and some ran out of gas. Those who stayed got over the 100km goal for the day. We were rewarded with a refreshing dip in the lake. As far as I know, family holiday obligations superceded any post ride margaritas this time =[ I'm already looking forward to the 4th Annual Brushbuster. Start planning, Dan!

Supporting Lumberjack

This weekend was another first.

I went to the Lumberjack 100 mt bike race in Manistee Nat'l Forest. I didn't got to race.

I was there in support of 4 of my friends. You know, hand them water bottles, food, tools, and give them a little encouragment when needed.

These guys are my Hero's! It was crazy hot, no wind on the course, and bumpy as hell. Sure, I've done those before, but not FOR 100 MILES!! How bad was it? over 60% failed to finish. At one point there was a line at the scorer's table of people withdrawing from the race.

Unfortunately my friends were not spared. There was a back injury due to the rough trail, and combination back and stomach pains, and a whole lot of heat exhaustion! One of the 4 finished the entire race, but I'm super proud of them all!!

I had no idea what I signed up for. Comparing the stress of racing to the stress of race support, I'll take racing anyday! There was the Recoverite fiasco, which lead to me running the 40 yard hurdles in 15 seconds! And then the inevitable "i've got two racers at opposite pit areas at the same time and someone's getting screwed" botch. I really learned alot about running support for multiple people. Unfortunately I'll probably never get to use that knowledge, cuz I don't think I'll do THAT again.. =] And I'm definitely racing the Lumberjack next year!

What I was also impressed with was my fellow race supporters. These are some really great folks. Giving up an entire weekend to help their friends do ungodly things to their bodies and well beings. Even though most of them were supporting a close friend or SO, they're were all more than earger to help ANY racer on the course at a moments notice. Of course we're all racers and know what we'd like, but how many other places do you see the Golden rule practiced with such enthusiasm?!?

Whew, what a weekend!!

soup

4 for 4

Once again, I race, it rains!

It was a beautiful, though hot day at Pontiac lake State Rec area for the Time Trial this past saturday. I got there early to setup the team tent even though I didn't race till well after noon.

Despite the sticky day, there was lots of good racing on a fast, mostly dry course.. There were a couple puddles from a previous rain, but the times were pretty fast.

But, as fate would have it, my race was yet to come, and so was the rain. The forecast was for chance of rain at about 1pm.. my race was to start at 1:19.. It figures the weatherman would be spot on today.. >=[

After a short delay, the race got underway. The first section of trail is pretty high and dry, so it soaks up the rain pretty good, and was still pretty fast. The rain helped traction on the typically sandy and loose "two mile" climb. But man, the second half of the trail had me going through Addison flashbacks something fierce. Most of the second half, though not nearly as deep, was just as sticky and slick as Addison, with the same "velcro" sounds as the tires churned through the mud.

I decided once again to set my priorety to keeping the bike upright, and hope that would put me in contention in the end. I was still able to push pretty hard. The practice I put in lately on the flats and corners came in very handy, allowing me to eek out every bit of speed I could.

At one point there's a looooong sweeping right hander with sand at the entrance and sand at the exit. In between it was very geasy. I hugged the inside as best I could, but when I hit the middle the front started to push out, I turned a little too sharply into the turn to correct, and thought forsure I was going to be eating mud pie. At the last second my Specialized Fasttrack hooked back up and I shot through the exit. Talk about inspiring confidence. I was pretty surprised that such a low knob tire would hook up like that. I'm liking those things more and more every day. Thanks Dustin!! =]

The rest of the race was fairly uneventful. With the exception of the steep climb after the whooping switchback downhill. I don't even know what happened. I stalled halfway up the hill, and with the slick mudslide to the left side of the trail, I figured it best to dab and get going than to risk a tumble down the hill. Then, seemingly from nowhere I hear tires zooming up behind, and just notice a familier orange streek out of the corner of my eye. Jay Jones, a fellow Cycletherapy teammate had run me down! Unfortunately, my troubles on the hill delyed him a bit as well, but I let him by, and off he went.

I pushed the rest of the race as hard as I dared. The final straights leading to the final two downhills were like running a guantlet. Branches weighted down with water slapping me in the face and shoulders, and HUGH puddles of water soaking my feet and bike, it almost got to be funny.. Almost.. =[

After pushing the last hill hard, knowing I was very nearly done, I started down the final downhill, one that I'm always a little leary of as the sweeping turns are very loose to the outside. This was not a pleasent time to discover I had no rear break. I mean the lever pulled to my handlebar with no effect. Gulp..... Well, better no rear break than no front. With the damp conditions, I figured there was no better time that to just let it run. And run it did. Man, what a great way to finish that trail. I was just on the edge of control, but I got down and on to the two track in one piece, and spun my little legs as fast as they'd go to the finish.

In the end, Cycletherapy racing took the top 3 spots in the Sport Singlespeed class. My time was just good for 2nd place, just 12 seconds off the lead! My goal was to win this race, and then spend the rest of the season racing Expert SS when there's a choice. So, I guess I'll just have to give it another try.

Not sure what my next race is going to be. Possibly the 8 hours of Pando. I'm really enjoying the endurance race format. I'm not sure I was built for the shorter races. We'll see.

Happy riding!

soup

Long overdue

Ok, the week is almost over, but here goes... My in depth Boyne Race Report! (better put a pot of coffee on.. ;) )

I thought I had an idea of what I was in for. I was a little right, and a little wrong.

Somehow, my SE Michigan brain couldn't wrap its head around running a gear easier than 2:1. I shoulda listened to Andy. I started in 2:1, and let's just say, it wasn't that much fun.. =[

Combined with the part that I wasn't warmed up, the going was slow. On the first of the long climbs, Erin passed me with words of encouragemetn as I hoofed it up the hill. I soon caught back up to her and hoped to use her has a rabbit to get me through the rest of the 1st lap. The second hill had other plans. I was off the bike again, and Erin's blue Darkhorse jersey disappeared into the distance. Back on the bike after the climb i started to close the gap again, but then ran into traffic. 3 slow guys in front of me taking their sweet time. We were in the tight single track now, and being a 24 hour race, I didn't want to be "that guy" and try to blow by all three in a bad spot, so I waited. I eventually got by, and Erin was no where to be found.

The rest of the lap was uneventfull. More walking, and some fun downhill. It took that lap to get the feel again for the downhill leading back to the start/finish area. Let me just say I love my disc brakes!! I really got a feel for being able to stop when I needed, and as a result was able to let it run when I wanted. I hit some crazy speeds in the sandpit downhill. My Fast Tracks just floated over the sand, I got my weight back, and let it go!!

Coming back to the start I tagged Junior for his lap, and started to work on changing the gear on my steed.

That first break was spent entirely working on the bike and getting ready for the next lap.. no resting.. that sucked. Becuase I didn't have a 32t chainring, I had to change my freewheel. I was faced with the dilemma of replacing my nice new White Industries 17t freewheel with a cheep $8 BMX 18t to get the desired 1.9:1. Andy to the rescue, AGAIN. He had a spare wheel with an ACS freewheel (a little better than the BMX freehwheel I had). All I had to due was center the axle, and tighten'er down and I was good to go.. there was even a tire mounted. It was a sight. Black bike, piss yellow fork (thanks again to Andy), one red rim and one white rim. Kevin supplied some neon zip ties to complete the ensemble...

I rode my second lap on Andy's rear wheel. From the start the freewheel was clicking and making all sorts of odd noises. This was not going to do. To add to my discomfort, I forgot my water bottle!! I had my perpetuem/hammer gel/gatorade mix in one bottle, but no water to wash it down.. ugh... This was going to be a long lap in the 85 degree heat!

So, after my second lap I was off to the Latitude 45 guys to see if they could remove my freewheel so i could install my cheap 18t. With a little elbow grease it was done, and I had a full set of red rims again, and a cheap, but healthy sounding 18t free wheel.

1.9:1 was the way to go. Much less walking. On my third lap I made almost the entire grinder climb without walking. Acutally, the whole lap was awesome. I was hitting lines, having fun, and enjoying myself. When I did hit the top of the grinder, and came out to the paved part of the cart path for the last 200+ yards of climbing, I found myself behind two other riders. Now this section, though paved, is no walk in the park. I started with a slow cadance, and slowly built up momentum, even as the path turned upward. I ran down both riders, making up a gap of around 100 feet. Man that felt great!

Over the first three laps I dropped my time from 60 min to 55, then to 54 minutes. Not times I'm particularly proud of, but considering I hadn't really ridden my bike since Addison, I'll take it.

I was WIRED after that 3rd lap. High on life and biking. I wish I could've bottled that feeling and kept if for later in the season. I'm sure it'd come in handy.. =]

I began my night laps at 11:30 pm. The night was a welcome relief from the heat of the day. And the solitude was awesome. In my two night laps I think I saw maybe 4 people. My next lap was at about 3am. I grabbed my iPod, and listened to Massive Attack's Protection throughout the first portion up to the rode crossing. Then I put on Tool's Undertow to help power me up that grinder one more time.

You have not lived until you've flown downhill at 30 mph on a bike at 3am with Tool blasting in your ears!!

Safe at home base once again, I settled in to rest before my next and hopefully last lap. I'd done some math, and the chances were that I'd have the chance to ride a 7th lap. We'd been in a dog fight all day with another 4 person mixed team, though they'd steadily pulled away from us all day long, and it didn't look like they were letting up. I figured if we couldn't take 1st, and wouldn't lose 2nd, then I'd just see how I felt when the time came.

Waiting for my 6th lap I was spent. There was no energy to eat, sleep, shower, nothing... I wrapped up in a jacket and sleeping bag in my chair under the tent and just was.

The rain started about 5:50 in the morning. Storms had been spoted on radar before that, and the lightening could be seen on the horizon for hours before dawn. Paula was apprehensive about starting her lap with the threat of lightening, but she was a trooper, and off she went. The rain continued, and seemed to get a little worse. I wasn't keen on riding in the rain either. I started having Addison flashbacks.

As it was, the rain wasn't sooooo bad. I still had a good lap. It was my slowest lap, but I imagine being my 6th had something to do with that too. It was uneventful other than the mud. The rain beat down the sand nicely, and I had a blast on the downhill once again.

When I got back, I was chatting with one of the Darkhorse ladies and we heard a rumour that the race might be called at 10am. That would mean no 7th lap decision for me!! And Paula would be spared a second rain lap. Rumour turned to reality, and Andy was our last rider out on the course just after 9am. The coolers were opened, and the beer came out to play. I'm not sure I've ever had such a well earned beer. I'm sure I've never had one kick me in th head so hard. Funny what happens when you drink alcohol on no sleep and nothing but a liquid diet in your stomache... =]

Well, that's it for the race portion of the report.. Long, and not very exciting, I know. One of these days I'll figure out how to pack more exciting info into less space.

Next up, Pontiac Lake Time Trial!!

Keep riding!

Coming soon

Hey there..

Boyne was this weekend. It was a blast! I'm pooped.

I'm working on a proper race report, but I've bot a little case of writer's block, so please check back soon!

pooped soup...