Yankee Springs TT!

I have waited over 4 months to finally get my tires dirty in some single track. And I finally did it, and did it in a race to boot. As I kicked off my mountain bike race season with the MMBA CPS Yankee Springs TT.

It was very cold and even snowed. But that did not impact the sandy single track that makes up the majority of Yankee Springs. I had the same plan as last year. Race the Expert/Elite Single speed class to get in some good hard miles under race pace, and see where I stack up with the training I had put forth so far. I will have to say it went very well. I took 9th out of 24 in the class with a very respectable finishing time of 1:47:40. This would have been a good enough time to place me 2nd if I raced Expert 30-39. So I was very happy with the result. In addition, the real test for the day was the fact that the Expert single speeders had to do 2 laps this year. So my goal was to try and be consistent as possible with my lap times, and to try to keep them within 2 mins. My first lap was 52 and some change and my 2nd lap was just over 54. So I was happy with that.

Overall I felt really strong, and feel real confident going into the Pontiac Lake TT this weekend. I just got to make sure I can get off of work...

Barry-Roubaix

Finally, a bike race. Kicked off the race season this weekend by taking part in the Barry-Roubaix "Killer Gravel Road Race". Wasn't expecting too much overall. Just wanted to get in a good long hard effort at race pace, collect some good powertap data, and try to beat my personal best time. This is a really tough race, but it's a type that suits me well. So with one week of training under my belt doing the Time Crunched Training Plan, this is how it went. It was very cold to say the least, but I layered perfect considering the temps barley got above 20 for most of the day. It was a mass start, with no neutral roll out this year. So nothing like 1000 bike racers trying to win the race in the 1st few miles. It was crazy, but manageable. I felt really good for the entire race. The hills killed me! between the extra flab I'm carrying and lack of Interval training thus far, made every hill a struggle. But I was able to Hammer all the flats, and descend like a rock. I stayed near the front for about half the race, but was consumed by a very large group which I could not hang on to. Later, in the last 5 miles, I rallied back and time trialed my way up the long paved road, and made up a lot of time and positions and actually caught the group that passed me earlier. By the time I made it back to the final straight to the finish, I was in the red. I ramped up my speed and pushed all the way to the end. I finished in 1:54:48. that was 4 mins better than last year. This earned me 18th out of 84. Good day overall. I got 18th last year also. The best thing about the day, is that I was able to keep my fingers out of the wheel! It was really great to see all my good cycling friends. And there were some awesome results. Congrats to Mike W. Don C. Pete T. Mike S. Patrick R. for your efforts. And thanks to Brad Lako for letting me get one more, before he moves on to glory in the Tailwind USAC XC series. My money is riding on you.... Now on to the After party. This event marks the Rouge Racing Project / TSB bi-yearly reunion and Mayhem! We did it right. Drank as much free Founder's Ale as we could after the race. Enjoyed Jon Coleman's life saving chili! And then unleashed our fury in downtown Kalamazoo! The Kentucky boys really know how to party, and its always a good time to hang out with all of you. A couple more months and we will do it all again at the USGP of Cyclocross in Louisville. I can't wait!!!

Feeling Lucky at the Leprechan Loop?

The un-official kick off to my 2011 season has started. For the 3rd year in a row, I did it with the Port Huron YMCA Leprechaun Loop 5K. My early goal set for this year was to break the 20 min barrier, but with winter conditions being miserable the past few months, it has been hard to do any type of Sprint or interval type running to nail my high end. So in the past few weeks, I decided to alter my goal and just focus on beating my personal best of 21:56 from 2 years ago. As race day approached, I was able to get in a few really good practice runs and new I would be in striking distance of my goal and hopes of a podium. It would be tougher this year as I have moved to the Men 35-39 age group, and this group usually has some really fast guys.

But as luck would have it, within 2 days before the event, heavy snow fell again in the Port Huron area making everything a mess including the race loop.

I arrived early to pick up my stuff and meet my team mates and friends. Todd, Brad D, Brad H, Masher and family, and my work pal Curt were all ready to have fun and kick some butt. We took our spots on the line, and then we were off.

I went out rather hard, trying to keep pace with my pal Curt, but he was turning it on. So then I trailed my team mate Brad H for most of the race, as he was setting about the same pace I could hold. A little later, Todd came by and started to put in a good sized gap. Half way through the loop, the surface turned to a sheet of off camber ice along the board walk!!! This really hurt the pace as it was wise to be cautious. Several folks took spills all around me, including Brad as we rounded the old YMCA building. On the 2nd half of the loop, more ice and Brad and I pulled back Todd. As we rounded the corner on Quay Street, I was already at my max effort. Todd pulled a few feet ahead and Brad came around both of us. Down the final stretch, we all tried to kick it up a notch for the final push. Todd was able to pull ahead the farthest, then Brad, and then me just off his heels. I could not go any harder without puking! We crossed the line

Todd - 22:19
Brad H - 22:27
Me - 22:30

This was enough for us to also do the podium sweep for 1st through 3rd in Men 35-39!!!!! Way to go boys.

As for my pal Curt, he blew the doors off with an under 20:59 and took First in his age group!

Brad D also had a smoking performance with a 23 min effort, taking home 3rd in Men 30-34!

And Avery in her first ever 5K took home 3rd in the 11 and under class with a 42 min effort! WOW!

Overall this was a fantastic day for all. Great event, and I plan on doing it every year. I did not hit my time I was shooting for, but considering the conditions, I think I would have been there. So this is a good sign that my winter training has been going well overall. Now its time to hang the running shoes up until the fall, and focus completely on the bike! Barry-Roubaix will be in just a few short weeks, and with that my actual focused training plan with kick off too.

I can not wait to finally get my tires dirty!!! see you all soon...

BURR!!!

This Winter has been brutal! I wanted to use the winter time this year to build some good long and slow endurance miles outside, and it just hasn't panned out like I wanted. Well I managed to get in some Sunday rides outside, but only 2 have been the quality I was hoping for. Overall, training has went "OK". I have been sticking with the plan of running more days per week outside (which has been low quality and a pain in the ass with all the snow) and running stairs.

I went through a bout of "training depression" or just lack of motivation which was triggered by a location and schedule change at work. That seems to be back on track, and I just finished my best solid week of training. As my training shifts back to bike specific workouts as the month goes on, I hope the weather continues to improve with it.

It all may just be a case of cabin fever or winter blues. But I am slowly getting back on track, and soon will be going at it with a laser beam focus. With the first few events just over the horizon, I am already getting geeked for the Port Huron YMCA Leprechaun Loop 5K, Barry-Roubiax, Yankee Springs TT, and the kick off to my actual Mountain Bike season the Pontiac Lake TT!

See you all on the trail soon!!!

Ready, Set, 2011! Here we go!

New year and new look. Decided to freshen up the ol' blog. So hope it is easier on the eyes.

So after a quick break from racing, and getting through the holidays with some motivation issues to start training again, I am back in full swing! I did not gain the stupid amounts of weight I have in previous years, so I am happy for that. I seem to still be carrying a lot of fitness from CX, and since the MTB calendar was finally released I finished up the final touches to the 2011 training plan. This years Tailwind USAC XC series looks awesome! Many of my favorite races are jam packed in the early season. So this appears to not only suit my training plan but also a lot of my strengths. Time will tell. I will kick my race season off again with the soon to be classic, Barry-Roubaix. And have not decided if I am going to try out Paris-Ancaster or stick to the Yankee Spring TT. Then it will be game on for the USAC XC Series.

My training plan is simple and to the point. Lots of Early Endurance miles (if I have the time) mixed in with some strength/cross training. The tools are all the same as last year. My bike, Powertap, Trainer, and the Time Crunched Training Program. The wife is finally done with school, so I am hoping this means a few more minutes on the bike this year. I would really like to hit the upper limits of the TCTP of 8 hrs instead of the 6 or sometimes lower that I did last year. But this plan works, so I am sticking to my guns.

I will have 2 seasons again. With Cyclocross being the main focus. So as with 2 seasons, I will have 2 sets of goals this year. Goals are few, simple, and to the point. I know what I want to accomplish, so here they are...

MTB Goals --

1. Take top 3 at Brighton Stage Race Overall
2. Break top 3 in at least 1 USAC XC race
3. Finish in top 5 for at least 4 Expert/Cat 1 level MTB races (All series)

Cyclocross Goals --

1. Top 3 overall in Masters 35+ points series
2. Top 3 at CX State Championship
3. Win a CX Race

See you all at the races!!!!

2010 Year in Review and "Bling-Bling!"

I can't believe 2010 is almost over. And what a year it has been. looking back I very satisfied with my results, plan, and progress as I have advanced through the Expert mountain bike racing and Masters 35+ Cyclocross ranks.

I improved my mountain bike racing performance by nailing my goal of reaching the podium at least 3 times in the USAC XC series. In fact between the gear class and single speed class in the MMBA CPS, and USAC I reached the podium 5 times. The year before I only reached it once. And to top the mountain bike season off, I turned out my best Iceman ever by taking 3rd place in All men 35!

As for Cyclocross. This was my main focus. And it would be my first year stepping up into the Masters 35+ ranks. I have to say I was very pleased as I quickly adapted to the faster pace, of the Masters class, and started to become a legitimate podium threat week after week. I finished with 5 podium spots. Topping 4th place 2 times as my highest finishes. I missed my goal of finishing 5th overall by 3 points. And if I did not have a mechanical which ended up as a DNF at the State Championships, I feel I would have accomplished this goal.

So this is one of my toughest and best racing years to date. And I did it with a Powertap, and 6 hours a week following the Chris Carmichael "Time Crunched Training Plan". I stuck to my plan and it worked.

Looking forward to 2011. I am hoping for more improvement. I will probably stick with a similar plan but with some alterations to address some weaknesses. I am also getting really hungry for "W"! I could start to taste it again at the end of the CX season, so it is just adding fuel to the fire. As the season approaches, I am sure this will push me even harder during my training and racing to try and make it happen. So hang on tight. Were going for another ride!

Not what I had in mind

The Season came to an end today for cyclocross. The MI State CX State Championship held at Springfield Oaks was the place it would all happen. I was feeling good, and the legs were still strong for one more chance. But I guess it was not meant to be. On the pre-ride, right before the start, my rear shifter would not click down into my harder gears? I checked and checked this stuff time and time again leading up to the race, and never had an issue. It would catch some of the time but not every time. So lining up I started to get this mechanical issue in my head. I told my buddy Lee to go to the pits and make sure my bike was ready because I was not sure what was going on. I had a good strong start, sitting around 5th into the crazy section of the course, but once we hit the pavement, I tried to shift down and nothing. I instantly went back to about last place. I was finally about to get a few gears to go. I made it to the pit and had a super clean and fast bike change, but I also had a set of Grifos on the pit bike instead of the Rhinos I was using for more traction on my race bike. I was pissed and mentally out of it. I made it up to a few guys, but then started making stupid mistakes. After I blew through the course tape a 2nd time because I missed my turn, I decided it was not meant to be. I took my first ever CX DNF.

But boy did I have an awesome year for Cyclocross... My first year as a Masters racer, I stepped up onto the podium 5 out of 9 times! I learned a lot about racing, training, and myself. To think in 2006 I finished the series overall in the C-class with 9 points total, to racing in one of the faster cyclocross classes in the state, and to be a podium threat on top of it makes me proud of what I have done this year and over the past few years.

Now it is time for a little rest. And focus on the plan for next year. Stay tuned for a 2010 recap in the coming days.