After about 3 weeks from the end of my first training plan being complete, it is now time to move on and begin training for my real season... But lets reflect a little. The past 3-4 weeks have been very stressful for me at work. I wont bore you with the details, but it has affected my riding, my eating habits, an lifestyle in general. In fact since the Ruby race, I did not ride my bike for 10 days straight! Thankfully, most of my stress (for now) came to a halt as of Wednesday of this week. Lucky the first week off was by design to recover from my first block of training. But I was not expecting the extra couple of days.
I was extremely happy with the 1st half of my season! I nailed a few podiums in some of my favorite races. I stuck to my training plan which gave me the desired results I was looking for. I felt completely fresh and still ready to race even after my training block was complete. And I was consistent with lap times in all my races, and put up a few personal best times in several races.
Moving on. With July upon us, I have 2 weeks of vacation planned with my out of state bike trip for 1 of those weeks. My plan is to ride as much as possible for "fun", and I hope I can build upon my base miles as a result. Toward the end of July, I jump back into racing with the Stony Creek TT which will begin the official mark for CX focused training. During all this time I will be picking up some running and running stairs. I am even looking for a local 5k to jump in if the timing is right. As August approaches, I hope to have my CX race scheduled framed out so I can begin my race focused training using the TCTP again! On another note, I have to lean down! No more excuses. This has been the only black mark on my score card for a season and a 1/2. I have a cool calorie counter on my blackberry now. So it has been real helpful to monitor my food intake. If I want to compete in the Masters, I got to lose the sandbags! There is no other way... Weight to power ratio!
With any luck, I hope my results from the 1st half spill over into the 2nd half and let me have another respectable Cyclocross season. I will be jumping into the Masters 35+ class, so I know the competition will be fierce. I have some lofty goals ahead of me.... But until then, let me go ride my bike for "fun", and I will get back with you all later.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Shawn Schaffert!
What happens when your just not sure you can do something at a higher level, but you continue to work hard and stay focused almost blindly, only holding on to faith that it will all workout in your favor when the time is right?
Shawn Schaffert is the answer!
Shawn earned his first Expert podium at Ruby Campground XC race this past weekend, and it was well deserved. I know Shawn has worked very hard to get to this point, and to earn it a place like Ruby is a real treat. The only down side to Shawn stepping up on the box, is now I am sure the medals will keep on flowing, and that will make it harder for me to share with him. Great job Shawn! It's always awesome to see one of the good guys on top!
As for my effort at Ruby. Well Shawn beat me by 12 seconds, but I still came home with some hardware for 4th place. So far that makes me 3 for 3 in podium trips for USAC races this year! Something I honestly can't believe myself. So I hope I can squeeze out a few more.
Ruby was not my A race this year. In fact, it was a week past my training schedule. But it was the home course, and a race all the same. I was still feeling like my legs were strong and ready to go, but I figured game time would tell the truth.
The race started and we all went out hard. Adam off the front like a rocket, then Brad, Todd, Shawn, another guy and myself near the back from a poor start. We all stuck together for a large part of the twisty course. Then I was able to move up a few spots passing guys on the steep climb"Lance". We crossed the creek and then Brad lost his chain. I suddenly found myself in 2nd all alone, and pulling away from the field. This lasted until the beginning until Brad made a huge effort to rejoin me. I was still feeling good and settled into what I thought was a perfect pace. I was not even bothered that Brad had caught up and figured it would be to both of our advantage to work together to stay away. And then it happened. In the middle of the 3rd lap, I started cramping. Damn it. Why now? I was feeling strong, and thought I was hydrating well. I actually had to soft pedal for a few seconds to try and work the cramps out. I told Brad I was cashing in, and he pulled away. Now if I could somehow manage to keep 3rd and not have to DNF. I was able to push hard in the flats but trying to walk through the creek was murder and made my hammys want to cramp with ever step. By the time the 4th lap started I was still alone, but then seen Shawn slowly closing in. I knew at this point there was not much I could do, and I was nothing more than a huge carrot for him. He made contact with me on the "wall". And shortly after, crashed on a small down hill into the snow fence. I tried to attack and pull away again knowing the rest of the course was all flat and to my advantage -- except for one more creek crossing right before the finish. If I could just get to the creek ahead of him, get out and back on my bike I could probably out sprint him. As planned, I was the first to the creek, but he made it there right after me. My cramps would not allow me to run through the water, and Shawn pranced through it like Jesus walking on water. He got out, looked back and jumped on his bike as fast as he could and sprinted off. Once out of the water, I put in the largest effort I could hoping that he would flat, lose a chain, or something. When I got onto the finishing straight, I could see he was not too far ahead. I mashed as hard as I could completely cramping my legs. But I was closing in on him fast. Eventually I just ran out of room and had to settle for 4th. Thanks for making me proud of you Shawn.
As for the rest of the Day. Adam decided to make us look silly by winning with a broken bike. Brad is just on fire! And the TSB had the best turn out of the year! And the team walked away with a lot of medals in almost every class! Way to go folks.
Shawn Schaffert is the answer!
Shawn earned his first Expert podium at Ruby Campground XC race this past weekend, and it was well deserved. I know Shawn has worked very hard to get to this point, and to earn it a place like Ruby is a real treat. The only down side to Shawn stepping up on the box, is now I am sure the medals will keep on flowing, and that will make it harder for me to share with him. Great job Shawn! It's always awesome to see one of the good guys on top!
As for my effort at Ruby. Well Shawn beat me by 12 seconds, but I still came home with some hardware for 4th place. So far that makes me 3 for 3 in podium trips for USAC races this year! Something I honestly can't believe myself. So I hope I can squeeze out a few more.
Ruby was not my A race this year. In fact, it was a week past my training schedule. But it was the home course, and a race all the same. I was still feeling like my legs were strong and ready to go, but I figured game time would tell the truth.
The race started and we all went out hard. Adam off the front like a rocket, then Brad, Todd, Shawn, another guy and myself near the back from a poor start. We all stuck together for a large part of the twisty course. Then I was able to move up a few spots passing guys on the steep climb"Lance". We crossed the creek and then Brad lost his chain. I suddenly found myself in 2nd all alone, and pulling away from the field. This lasted until the beginning until Brad made a huge effort to rejoin me. I was still feeling good and settled into what I thought was a perfect pace. I was not even bothered that Brad had caught up and figured it would be to both of our advantage to work together to stay away. And then it happened. In the middle of the 3rd lap, I started cramping. Damn it. Why now? I was feeling strong, and thought I was hydrating well. I actually had to soft pedal for a few seconds to try and work the cramps out. I told Brad I was cashing in, and he pulled away. Now if I could somehow manage to keep 3rd and not have to DNF. I was able to push hard in the flats but trying to walk through the creek was murder and made my hammys want to cramp with ever step. By the time the 4th lap started I was still alone, but then seen Shawn slowly closing in. I knew at this point there was not much I could do, and I was nothing more than a huge carrot for him. He made contact with me on the "wall". And shortly after, crashed on a small down hill into the snow fence. I tried to attack and pull away again knowing the rest of the course was all flat and to my advantage -- except for one more creek crossing right before the finish. If I could just get to the creek ahead of him, get out and back on my bike I could probably out sprint him. As planned, I was the first to the creek, but he made it there right after me. My cramps would not allow me to run through the water, and Shawn pranced through it like Jesus walking on water. He got out, looked back and jumped on his bike as fast as he could and sprinted off. Once out of the water, I put in the largest effort I could hoping that he would flat, lose a chain, or something. When I got onto the finishing straight, I could see he was not too far ahead. I mashed as hard as I could completely cramping my legs. But I was closing in on him fast. Eventually I just ran out of room and had to settle for 4th. Thanks for making me proud of you Shawn.
As for the rest of the Day. Adam decided to make us look silly by winning with a broken bike. Brad is just on fire! And the TSB had the best turn out of the year! And the team walked away with a lot of medals in almost every class! Way to go folks.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Bloomer XC -- Single Speed Style!
Wasn't really sure what to expect today going into Bloomer. Thursday, I was riding like a rock star at Stony Creek, and then crashed and flipped around like a rag doll leaving me banged up, sore, broken helmet, and doubts about racing the Bloomer XC race. But I figured I would give it a try. This race really was nothing more than a power workout on my calendar, since I was planning on jumping into the Elite/Expert Single speed class. This years Bloomer race is part of the MMBA CPS put on by Robert at Tailwind. So if I could get in at least a few good laps and throw in the towel if needed, it still would have been a good day.
I felt real relaxed at the start, but sore all over. Other than that, the only thing on my mind was how I was going to push my 34x17 gearing on my 29er up the steep short climbs. The whistle blew, and we were off. Quickly 3 riders broke away, and I was left struggling up the sled hill gasping for air. I got a real crappy warm up in and was paying for it. I got through the first section on single track, recovered and made my way onto the double track. I then took a wrong turn and met the lead group again. So back down the hill to hop on the right path. This easily lost me 30 or more seconds. But I pushed. My left hip and right quad were sore as hell on every climb. But I pushed on. By the time I made it the falter part of the course, I was starting to feel better. And then near the end of my 2nd lap I realized that I caught 3rd place! He was still riding strong, so I sat on his wheel. In the beginning of the 3rd lap, he dropped me on the sled hill as I opted to run it vs. ride. He got a small gap, but I was able to shut it down in the technical parts of the single track. By the time we made it to the big switch backs, I was stuck on his wheel. This time when we made it to the flats on the bottom, I launched my attack. He could not match it. From here on out, the gap continued to grow to 2;00 mins until the end of the race. I came across the line in 3rd place, and not too far behind the leaders. I was very happy with the result, and how well I was feeling at the end.
The Time Crunched Training Program has paid off very well for me so far! And with Ruby just around the corner, I hope I will still have one good race left before a nice break, and the start of cyclocross training.
Now time to rest up, and heal my boo-boos...
I felt real relaxed at the start, but sore all over. Other than that, the only thing on my mind was how I was going to push my 34x17 gearing on my 29er up the steep short climbs. The whistle blew, and we were off. Quickly 3 riders broke away, and I was left struggling up the sled hill gasping for air. I got a real crappy warm up in and was paying for it. I got through the first section on single track, recovered and made my way onto the double track. I then took a wrong turn and met the lead group again. So back down the hill to hop on the right path. This easily lost me 30 or more seconds. But I pushed. My left hip and right quad were sore as hell on every climb. But I pushed on. By the time I made it the falter part of the course, I was starting to feel better. And then near the end of my 2nd lap I realized that I caught 3rd place! He was still riding strong, so I sat on his wheel. In the beginning of the 3rd lap, he dropped me on the sled hill as I opted to run it vs. ride. He got a small gap, but I was able to shut it down in the technical parts of the single track. By the time we made it to the big switch backs, I was stuck on his wheel. This time when we made it to the flats on the bottom, I launched my attack. He could not match it. From here on out, the gap continued to grow to 2;00 mins until the end of the race. I came across the line in 3rd place, and not too far behind the leaders. I was very happy with the result, and how well I was feeling at the end.
The Time Crunched Training Program has paid off very well for me so far! And with Ruby just around the corner, I hope I will still have one good race left before a nice break, and the start of cyclocross training.
Now time to rest up, and heal my boo-boos...
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Tour de Brighton -- MTB Stage race weekend!
My first important mountain bike race this year was the Brighton Stage race. This is race number 2 in the Tailwind USAC XC series and is one of the race that I love. Unlike the typical XC race on Sunday only. The Stage race has a mix of several different elements that make for 2 enjoyable days of racing, and a few styles of racing that suit my skills very well. The first day is a 6 mile time trial on the Torn Shirt Trail, and later in the day there is a 20 min short track race. Nothing like testing the CX legs out early in the season! Then on Sunday it's the crown jewel of the event, the 32 mile XC race on the Murray Lake loop. The racer with the lowest accumulated time over all 3 events is crowned the overall stage winner and earns double points in the series. But you can just race the XC race for single points and separate podium spots. This years event was treated with cool, dry, sunny weather both days. Trails that were in great shape. And deep fields of racers for all 3 events. Going into the race, my goals were to beat personal times on Torn Shirt, and the XC race. Take a top 5 in the XC. And if I had a shot, walk home with a top 3 in the overall stage race weekend. Here is how it went.
It all starts with torn shirt. I pegged my heart rate right from the start! it took a little bit of time to get it under control, and settle down the bike handling. About 3 miles in I was finally relaxed and making progress. I finished 5th, and put up a personal best time of 32:22. So I was very happy and was looking forward to the short track race to try and gain back some time over the field.
The short track was moved this year to smaller plot of land, but worked out to be perfect! The was a small steep hill that was used 3 times and a small section of pavement. I lined up in the front row, and put the gas on for 22 minutes! This helped avoid 2 crashes and keep me near the front. All 7 of my laps were consistent being within a few seconds. I ended up in 4th and was sitting in 4th overall going into Sunday.
With the XC race looming, I felt confident that I was going to have a good day, but the thought of racing 32 miles full tilt, didn't leave me with to many thoughts of finishing in the top 3, especially with time to make up on the overall leaders. So I went into with the goal of a personal best time and to scrape up a 4th or 5th place if I could. We went out hard... Adam Naish, Andy Brown, Jason Bowne, Brad lako, and myself all bunched up and pushed as hard as we could. Soon after, Adam, Andy, and Jason were off the front and gone. This left Brad, myself and soon to be Tom Payn to fight it out the rest of the race. Brad lost his chain 3 times and had catch back up with us each time. By the 3rd time he was not messing around and road tight past us. So it was Tom and I working together for the last 2 and 1/2 laps. By the beginning of the 4th and final lap. We saw and caught Andy! He said he popped and could not keep the pace anymore. So now It looking like a sure top 5. I felt strong for the entire race. And felt I could keep the same pace in the last lap as I could the 1st. The only down fall for me was I was starting to fade on the climbs. This allowed Tom to get away from me and eventually finish in 2nd place (Stupid 15 lbs!) But I kept pushing to make sure I would walk away with a prize! Then about half through the last lap. I suddenly came up on Jason Bowne! He bonked also. Now I realized that I had a good shot at top 3 overall!!! I time trialed my butt as hard as I could go and try to put as much time into Jason as possible. I crossed the finish line and waited for Jason. I knew it would be close, but not sure how close. When I results were posted it was not enough. I missed 3rd overall for the weekend by only 7 seconds!!! But I still snagged a 4th place in the XC race. My personal best position in an Expert level race. And I beat my personal best time at Murray Lake with a 2:21:29. In fact my laps were all very consistent, 35/34/35/35! I still had a great weekend!
Congrats to JB Hancock, Adam Naish,Tom Payn, Brad Lako, and Shawn Schaffert. You all had awesome results over the weekend! Keep it up. You all inspire me!!!
It all starts with torn shirt. I pegged my heart rate right from the start! it took a little bit of time to get it under control, and settle down the bike handling. About 3 miles in I was finally relaxed and making progress. I finished 5th, and put up a personal best time of 32:22. So I was very happy and was looking forward to the short track race to try and gain back some time over the field.
The short track was moved this year to smaller plot of land, but worked out to be perfect! The was a small steep hill that was used 3 times and a small section of pavement. I lined up in the front row, and put the gas on for 22 minutes! This helped avoid 2 crashes and keep me near the front. All 7 of my laps were consistent being within a few seconds. I ended up in 4th and was sitting in 4th overall going into Sunday.
With the XC race looming, I felt confident that I was going to have a good day, but the thought of racing 32 miles full tilt, didn't leave me with to many thoughts of finishing in the top 3, especially with time to make up on the overall leaders. So I went into with the goal of a personal best time and to scrape up a 4th or 5th place if I could. We went out hard... Adam Naish, Andy Brown, Jason Bowne, Brad lako, and myself all bunched up and pushed as hard as we could. Soon after, Adam, Andy, and Jason were off the front and gone. This left Brad, myself and soon to be Tom Payn to fight it out the rest of the race. Brad lost his chain 3 times and had catch back up with us each time. By the 3rd time he was not messing around and road tight past us. So it was Tom and I working together for the last 2 and 1/2 laps. By the beginning of the 4th and final lap. We saw and caught Andy! He said he popped and could not keep the pace anymore. So now It looking like a sure top 5. I felt strong for the entire race. And felt I could keep the same pace in the last lap as I could the 1st. The only down fall for me was I was starting to fade on the climbs. This allowed Tom to get away from me and eventually finish in 2nd place (Stupid 15 lbs!) But I kept pushing to make sure I would walk away with a prize! Then about half through the last lap. I suddenly came up on Jason Bowne! He bonked also. Now I realized that I had a good shot at top 3 overall!!! I time trialed my butt as hard as I could go and try to put as much time into Jason as possible. I crossed the finish line and waited for Jason. I knew it would be close, but not sure how close. When I results were posted it was not enough. I missed 3rd overall for the weekend by only 7 seconds!!! But I still snagged a 4th place in the XC race. My personal best position in an Expert level race. And I beat my personal best time at Murray Lake with a 2:21:29. In fact my laps were all very consistent, 35/34/35/35! I still had a great weekend!
Congrats to JB Hancock, Adam Naish,Tom Payn, Brad Lako, and Shawn Schaffert. You all had awesome results over the weekend! Keep it up. You all inspire me!!!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Pontiac lake TT! It's On!
My official race season began today with the Tailwind USAC Michigan State Championship XC MTB Series with the Pontiac Lake Time Trail. This race is one of my top 3 with the Pontiac Lake XC race being in that mix also. So for me, I wanted to do very well especially with the Brighton Stage race right around the corner. Today would be a big test. Would my fitness be on track? Could I crack the top 5 in one of my favorite races? Well Mother Nature let us all know that it was still spring. And that it would not be an early season mountain bike race if there wasn't a bit of mud to go around. But she decided to play nice and give us a few hour break and get in some racing. The course drained well, and was still technical and fast. The rain did not keep a lot of folks at home as I expected. The parking lot was full. And almost ever class was huge. This is great news for the State's economy, Tailwind, and the sport of mountain bike racing in Michigan. Hopefully we can start growing the sport again....
As for the racing, I was feeling good. My training has been right on schedule and the first few "tester" races I did early on were pointing to a good day for me at Pontiac. So I lined up and was off. The entire time I was going as hard as I could, but still felt comfortable on all the climbs. The course was still wet and muddy in the corners, but my big 29er Crossmax wheels with Karma rubber hooked up well and gave me the confidence to take some risk and push harder. After my first lap, I was curious as to how I would feel for the rest of the race, but my legs were right on. I kept up a high pace for as long as I could, and did not hold back. About 4 miles from the finish, my seat post decide to reposition my seat for me. So I was force to sit on the point of my saddle for the rest of the race. This was very uncomfortable, but I did not panic. And then shortly after that, a large vine hanging across the trail decided to clothesline me and almost took me off my bike. Again, I gathered my composure and pushed on. The trail was in great shape by now and I was almost done. I big ringed it all the way to the end until my legs filled with lactic acid. I was done. My laps were 43 and 45 mins. Wow! Those were some on my best lap times ever, I thought to myself. This was also good enough for me to hold on to 5th place out of 17 racers. I hit one of my goals!
But my day was not over. As the course improved, I was getting geeked to do some single speed racing. I was not sure how well I would do since I just spent myself in the first race. So I lined up and was off. And within a few mins, the switch went off in my head and I was racing again! I could not believe how well I was feeling. So again, I pushed as hard as I could and felt strong all the way to the end. When I crossed the line I was surprised to see that I knocked out a 44 min lap! This time I did not step onto the podium, but I did get a respectable 7th out of 10.
So my fitness appears to be on. And with a podium finish my confidence is high too. So my next focus is the Brighton Stage race. Next to the Iceman, this will probably be my big mountain bike race of the year... We will see.
Congrats to Brad and Shawn. You guys put in a fine effort today and will be hard to beat as the season goes on.
As for the racing, I was feeling good. My training has been right on schedule and the first few "tester" races I did early on were pointing to a good day for me at Pontiac. So I lined up and was off. The entire time I was going as hard as I could, but still felt comfortable on all the climbs. The course was still wet and muddy in the corners, but my big 29er Crossmax wheels with Karma rubber hooked up well and gave me the confidence to take some risk and push harder. After my first lap, I was curious as to how I would feel for the rest of the race, but my legs were right on. I kept up a high pace for as long as I could, and did not hold back. About 4 miles from the finish, my seat post decide to reposition my seat for me. So I was force to sit on the point of my saddle for the rest of the race. This was very uncomfortable, but I did not panic. And then shortly after that, a large vine hanging across the trail decided to clothesline me and almost took me off my bike. Again, I gathered my composure and pushed on. The trail was in great shape by now and I was almost done. I big ringed it all the way to the end until my legs filled with lactic acid. I was done. My laps were 43 and 45 mins. Wow! Those were some on my best lap times ever, I thought to myself. This was also good enough for me to hold on to 5th place out of 17 racers. I hit one of my goals!
But my day was not over. As the course improved, I was getting geeked to do some single speed racing. I was not sure how well I would do since I just spent myself in the first race. So I lined up and was off. And within a few mins, the switch went off in my head and I was racing again! I could not believe how well I was feeling. So again, I pushed as hard as I could and felt strong all the way to the end. When I crossed the line I was surprised to see that I knocked out a 44 min lap! This time I did not step onto the podium, but I did get a respectable 7th out of 10.
So my fitness appears to be on. And with a podium finish my confidence is high too. So my next focus is the Brighton Stage race. Next to the Iceman, this will probably be my big mountain bike race of the year... We will see.
Congrats to Brad and Shawn. You guys put in a fine effort today and will be hard to beat as the season goes on.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Yankee Doodle Dandee!
In 2006 I did my first mountain bike race. I was over 230 lbs, I crashed 3 times, and suffered a slow leaking flat tire with no tools. I finished something like 11th with a time of 1:20 or so in a 12 mile TT. That was it, I was hooked. And the place it all happened was Yankee Springs. A lot has happened over the 4 years since I raced at Yankee springs. My kids have grown. I lost 50 lbs. I have moved from a beginner Clydesdale to an Expert racer. Heck, I have even been through a few new bikes! So with the beginning of the new bike season upon me, I wanted to go back and race Yankee...
I have not been to Yankee since my very first race, so I was excited. It almost felt like riding single track for the first time. Not only was I jonesing for some dirt, I was looking for a real good result. Training has been going extremely well, and I have been feeling strong, fit, and ready to compete! So The Yankee TT was the perfect place for me to test the legs on a short technical course, go up against a deep and strong filed, get in some awesome training time, and test out the new Dillinger Single Speed under race conditions.
So in my typical fashion, I got a quick warm up in and strolled over to the start line to see what was happening. I still had 10 mins before the start of my race, but then noticed that hey I should be the next one on the line! They moved up the start times!?!? I threw my bike over the tape and lined up. I clipped one foot in my pedal and the guy said in 15 seconds! OMG! GO... I was shot out of a cannon, and I never looked back. Instantly in the trail I was picking off people left and right. And then I noticed that about 8-9 of these people were in the single speed class???? How can this be when I was in the 3rd wave, which meant I was the 5th rider off in the Elite/Expert Single Speed Class. After that, I ran into a lot of traffic. Especially on the climbs at the worst possible times. On your Left, on your Right. It seemed like I was calling this out all the time. Oh well, enough of my bitching, but I was not the only one.... Back to racing!!
So I railed the Dillinger as hard as I could, and it respond well. My legs felt like jack hammers on the climbs and I was able to power through all the flats with ease. When I thought I may have been slacking, I was able to call down to the engine room for full speed ahead! I came across the line in 51:23. This was good enough to hold 6th place out of 20 in the Elite/Expert Single Speed class. Not bad for the first real mountain bike race of the year.
I was very happy with how the day went, other than the way the start waves were handled. But I know my training is on track. My bike handling was crisp. And I had a lot of fun!
Congrats to Tom Payn for his 4th place in the Expert 30-39! Your off to a great year...
The start of my real season starts next week with the opener of the USAC XC series at Pontiac Lake. This is one of my favorite races and venues to race at. It is also another TT which is right up my alley. So It is not a peak week for me, but I am looking for another good result. And if I'm lucky, I would love to see a top 5...
I have not been to Yankee since my very first race, so I was excited. It almost felt like riding single track for the first time. Not only was I jonesing for some dirt, I was looking for a real good result. Training has been going extremely well, and I have been feeling strong, fit, and ready to compete! So The Yankee TT was the perfect place for me to test the legs on a short technical course, go up against a deep and strong filed, get in some awesome training time, and test out the new Dillinger Single Speed under race conditions.
So in my typical fashion, I got a quick warm up in and strolled over to the start line to see what was happening. I still had 10 mins before the start of my race, but then noticed that hey I should be the next one on the line! They moved up the start times!?!? I threw my bike over the tape and lined up. I clipped one foot in my pedal and the guy said in 15 seconds! OMG! GO... I was shot out of a cannon, and I never looked back. Instantly in the trail I was picking off people left and right. And then I noticed that about 8-9 of these people were in the single speed class???? How can this be when I was in the 3rd wave, which meant I was the 5th rider off in the Elite/Expert Single Speed Class. After that, I ran into a lot of traffic. Especially on the climbs at the worst possible times. On your Left, on your Right. It seemed like I was calling this out all the time. Oh well, enough of my bitching, but I was not the only one.... Back to racing!!
So I railed the Dillinger as hard as I could, and it respond well. My legs felt like jack hammers on the climbs and I was able to power through all the flats with ease. When I thought I may have been slacking, I was able to call down to the engine room for full speed ahead! I came across the line in 51:23. This was good enough to hold 6th place out of 20 in the Elite/Expert Single Speed class. Not bad for the first real mountain bike race of the year.
I was very happy with how the day went, other than the way the start waves were handled. But I know my training is on track. My bike handling was crisp. And I had a lot of fun!
Congrats to Tom Payn for his 4th place in the Expert 30-39! Your off to a great year...
The start of my real season starts next week with the opener of the USAC XC series at Pontiac Lake. This is one of my favorite races and venues to race at. It is also another TT which is right up my alley. So It is not a peak week for me, but I am looking for another good result. And if I'm lucky, I would love to see a top 5...
Friday, April 2, 2010
Barry-Roubaix
I kicked the bike racing season off early this year with the soon to be classic, Barry-Roubaix. Let's just say this race is awesome. The fast dirt roads, the almost unrideable sand, and the quad and lung burning climbs make this one incredible race! In addition, this is a great race to test your early season fitness and see how competition is looking for the year. I went into the race with realistic expectations, but was looking to find some good form and have a good result. In the end I was happy, but it was not without issues. So without writing my life story, here is the cliff notes version on my race.
With the 1-2 mile neutral roll out. I was able to get the legs loose. Then it was on! I stayed near the front group and the climbs started right away. Legs felt good and I was able to gain several most positions. By about mile 8, we had a fast strong group putting out a good pace. I was killing it on the flats. Every time I had a chance to dance in my big ring, I took full advantage. And then it all started to fall apart...
It all started with my chain falling off to the outside of my big ring. I tried to flip it up with my crank arm, but with no luck. I had to stop and fix it. As I stopped, the group I was with rode out of sight! I got back on and started sprinting to try and catch up. Shortly after, my chain fell off again but I was not going to stop. So I tried to reach down and pick it up with my hand. As I was riding down a hill and trying to grab my chain, some how my hand touched my front wheel and it got sucked into the top of my fork and on top of my tire! OUCH! I was moving about 15-20 mph down the hill with my hand stuck in my fork and there was nothing I could do. The rear of my bike kept bucking up. I tried to pump my brakes to slow down. I finally got it out at the bottom, but the damage was done. I had 2 huge holes in my glove with what looked like 3rd degree burns to my fingers from sitting on top of the tire. I stopped to make sure I did not break my hand and figure out how I actually kept my bike up avoiding a more serious accident. From hear on I fought through the pain and finished the race strong even without being able to use my big ring for the rest of the race. I finished 18th out of 49 with a time of 1:58. Not bad considering all that happened.
The highlight of the weekend was letting Loose my my buds from Rouge Racing Project out of Louisville KY! These are the former TSB boys. And we had a great time sipping beers and talking shit. We figured this race will be an annually meac for both teams to meet up in the spring to let loose. And then we will do it again in the fall at the USGP in KY! So look out for this to really start to get out of control....
With the 1-2 mile neutral roll out. I was able to get the legs loose. Then it was on! I stayed near the front group and the climbs started right away. Legs felt good and I was able to gain several most positions. By about mile 8, we had a fast strong group putting out a good pace. I was killing it on the flats. Every time I had a chance to dance in my big ring, I took full advantage. And then it all started to fall apart...
It all started with my chain falling off to the outside of my big ring. I tried to flip it up with my crank arm, but with no luck. I had to stop and fix it. As I stopped, the group I was with rode out of sight! I got back on and started sprinting to try and catch up. Shortly after, my chain fell off again but I was not going to stop. So I tried to reach down and pick it up with my hand. As I was riding down a hill and trying to grab my chain, some how my hand touched my front wheel and it got sucked into the top of my fork and on top of my tire! OUCH! I was moving about 15-20 mph down the hill with my hand stuck in my fork and there was nothing I could do. The rear of my bike kept bucking up. I tried to pump my brakes to slow down. I finally got it out at the bottom, but the damage was done. I had 2 huge holes in my glove with what looked like 3rd degree burns to my fingers from sitting on top of the tire. I stopped to make sure I did not break my hand and figure out how I actually kept my bike up avoiding a more serious accident. From hear on I fought through the pain and finished the race strong even without being able to use my big ring for the rest of the race. I finished 18th out of 49 with a time of 1:58. Not bad considering all that happened.
The highlight of the weekend was letting Loose my my buds from Rouge Racing Project out of Louisville KY! These are the former TSB boys. And we had a great time sipping beers and talking shit. We figured this race will be an annually meac for both teams to meet up in the spring to let loose. And then we will do it again in the fall at the USGP in KY! So look out for this to really start to get out of control....
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