Proctor

Proctor Il. State Championship, 6/29/08 Cat 4
Race #9

14th of 40ish

This was my first 4s race. Some short observations: it was far less twitchy than the 5s. Corners were smooth and fast, even in the back where I spent most of my time. I did use the breaks, but never more than to take a few mph off a turn to avoid overlapping wheels.

The course was an 8 turn, hourglass crit in the middle of downtown Peoria, Illinois. Not too much going on down there. Really.

I was nervous about the number of turns, but I felt way better after the first lap or two. There is a level of experience in the 4s that the 5/citizens just don’t have -- but I’m not a 5 anymore so, yippee!

This one was not faster than any others I have done. In fact, it was a bit slower. So, why did I do so much work just to hang on? Answer: 15 additional min or racing, but more importantly the accordion effect. I have heard people talk about it, but I have not felt it this dramatically and that was probably due to the additional time and my positioning. A sad data point from today’s race: my top speed was 33mph. I did reach it in the sprint; however, I also hit 32 mph in several separate efforts to stay with the group in laps oh, say 10-20.

Coming out of turn 6 was a great place to push the pace. The front took off here on almost every lap because it was into the wind and the longest stretch of the race save the finishing straight. I put my greatest effort into staying with the peloton here and not in securing a final position. I wasted tons of energy. Whatever. I was recovered enough by the final lap and so because of that, and a crash in turn 7, I placed well enough at 14th.

It was a revelation, this one. I mentally handcuffed myself: I walked into it planning on sitting in and keeping Nate and Alex in sight – that is not too hard when you’re 6’2” and sting on the very back of the field. I acted like I didn’t have any business racing with or against these guys (not just my teammates but everyone else). I do. I know I am faster and smarter than what I showed yesterday.

Alex finished right in front of me at 13th and Nate pulled 6th after doing work at the front. Not terrible grouping -- if we were playing darts.

What does it take to win? After the finish Chris probably was feeling something like cardiac arrest and seeing spots among other things—if he could see at all. Less than 100 m after the finish he fumbled off his bike and sat on the curb, spent. It was clear that he put 100% into his break and he had the guts to make it stick. His courage and heart/guts earned him the state champion jersey. Congrats!

upgrade...

Just put in for my upgrade to the 4s. No real reason not to. Superweek races are all straight 4s or 4/5 fields and the race director for the Chicago Crit said I can change my registration to the 4s race. I imagine/hope that Downers grove will have the same response.

Sherman Park Criterium

Sherman Park Criterium, 6/14/08
Race #8

4th place/50

xXx AthletiCo did a great job. I was (and still am) pissed about my result but my prize was by far the nicest trophy I have ever won for anything. Thanks, guys! Trophies like this make it easier to justify so much time and compulsive training on the bike to non-racers, people like my wife.

I really didn’t care about going for a result in this race until it started. These last two weeks I have been tired, bordering on exhausted or possible burn-out, and had been trying to focus on the end of school and being responsible there rather than preoccupied with my rather serious whims on the bike. Shirking my responsibilities for the bike must be mediated by some kind of maturity. So, I spent little time on the bike and it felt pretty damn good.

Report:
This was by far the sketchiest race I have entered. Iowa had crushing wind causing people to loose their line, today many riders just couldn’t hold their line. I was in midpack and in the back for most of the race so I saw nearly everything bad happen. I also got to quickly identify the nuts I should keep behind me and moved to the front half as the race progressed.

The course was a ~1 mile loop around Sherman Park at 55th and Racine. Nice park. Built in the same era as Humboldt park with separate changing rooms for men and women on either end of the park pool. Several Spartan cement pedestrian bridges linked the pool area with the playing fields banked by the park’s lagoon. The course was a closed park drive that circls the lagoon, with a slight downhill start and a slight uphill final 50m to the finish. There were no corners and just a few minor spots of rough pavement. The soft edge of the course caused a few close calls and the drenching rain we’ve had put a bit of mud in my eye. All in all a nice course, I’d rate it 8/10.

The race was not eventful. There were a few attacks, none stuck. From midpack I kept an eye on any breaks and they were all 1 or 2 riders and were eventually sucked back in. I felt pretty strong and with 10 min to go, I was confident I could earn a place. With two to go I was quite sure I could get a podium at least, on the bell lap I got caught out front and lost the sprint for 2nd and got toasted at the line for 3rd. I placed 4th and got a damn nice trophy for the effort.

Nice shot of Grant throwing the bike for 2nd and me about to finish 4th. After closely examining the photographic evidence, Grant must have been moving at light speed because he was pretty far behind me in the previous shot and then is more than a length in front in this one. I must have been more dead than I thought. (Thanks to Luke for taking a perfect finish line shot!)


So the last lap is all that really matters for me. As the bell rang, I was 3rd wheel crossing the line and before I knew it I was on the front. Fuck. I pulled off and grabbed 2nd wheel (perhaps I should have dropped back a few more, but I was concerned that everyone would have been too guarded). This guy was on the front for like 2 seconds, so I’m on the front again. Fuck.

Now my options were jump and go for it/try to hold ‘em off for 1k; not pull and hold for a bunch sprint; pull off and see what happens. I did the stupid thing: stayed on the front and didn’t do anything. I let the pace drop just a bit, but then nothing. The winning move came from a xXx rider who jumped at 200m and pulled away so damn strong and smooth that even as the race was happening I couldn’t help but admire it. It was so strong decisive that I knew it was the win. I tried to jump on his wheel but didn’t really "try" to jump it, I just accelerated a bit and held a higher pace but not enough to keep with him. Looking back, I think I had the strength; I didn’t have the -- I dunno, the blood lust, I guess. With 75m to go I jumped and thought I could hold for 2nd but at ~50m Grant (xXx) came around my outside. I was not holding my line too well because I was reaching my limit and we bumped shoulders while sprinting out of the saddle, but not badly enough to knock him off his momentum (congrats Grant!). I came into his lane and after the race joked that it was because I saw him coming around. That was not true, and not funny--though I didn't realized it until I was riding home later on. That shit is dangerous. I didn’t do it intentionally. Another xxx rider who was way on the inside took 3rd, we both threw the bike, he won the throw. (edit: he had me by a wheel, at least...damn. Two Half Acre guys (thanks for the beer!!) were watching the finish and one had me for 3rd, the other 4th. I guess it was pretty close.)

Once again, I was the lead out man for 2nd. I’m starting to feel like the horse that xXx rides in on. (I’ve got to upgrade so I can do this for Nate and Alex.)

fatigue...

I'm still tired. I'm have spent 30 min on the bike all week and I know I will pay for it.

I'm gonna ride to work tomorrow so I am not dead wood Saturday and Sunday. The semester will end next week and I plan to ramp up the time in the saddle then. Until then, I am going to forget that I want to race.

A glimmer of hope...

Here is a write up for the incident involving a drunk driver (villain), some young cyclists, a genius (Dean) and a hero (Matt).

Well done guys!

Winfield Twilight & ABR Championships

Winfield Twilight, 5/31/08 Cat 5
Race #6

10 of 33

The course was a bit less than a mile, evenly divided between ascent and descent. I thought it was really tough course. The hill is about 300 m and, according to a reliable source, about 3-5%. It was technical and despite the difficulty, really fun. It ran through a subdivision near a park and so it had a nice cozy feeling. Also, there were fans all over the place -- I needed all the support I could get.

Report:

I held on to the lead group of 9 riders until the last lap, where I was again gapped on the climb but this time I couldn’t get back on. I rolled in a very distant 10th place.

The focus of the longer version of the report is an answer to one simple question: how important is a warm up? Very important.

So, the race was to go off at 3:00. Cat. 5s were first, so we were on time. I pulled up at 2:35, changed, got the bike ready, ran to the bathroom (no time for a shit), registered, pinned my number on – now its like 2:55 and my HR is already in Z3. I rode the course for 5 min, two laps -- I had 5 min to warm up! Ok, not a good start. We lined up and waited for a guy to move his truck, and yet another guy to find the keys to his car so he can move it. The official blew the whistle, and we took off – well, not me, I was still trying to get clipped in. Shit. Not a good start…

We turn the corner and head up the hill. This hill really would come to be my enemy, far more than the other racers. I never found the proper gear (warm-up!!!) until 20 min into the race, by then my legs were wood and the race had been set for me. On each of the last 4 laps I was gapped on the climb and bridged back on the descent, meaning I never recovered as well as I should have. I cracked on the last lap.

Lots should have been done differently today, mostly a warm up. A disappointing result because I know I could have done better. I’m not going to cry over it, I still had a good but painful time.

Grant (xXx) and another racer took off on an attack at the second lap and was away for 2 or 3 laps, I thought he would have held it off for the win (he placed 5th), he and the other guy (the eventual winner, got reeled in at about the 18th min. Another xXx rider touched my rear wheel on the climb and went down (It happened after I got out of the saddle but I don’t think I induced it; sorry man.)

ABD gets an A+ for this event.

ABR National Championships, 6/1/08 Cat 5s (39 and under)
Race #7

3rd/18

I stayed up front and though about going with the attack with two laps to go, I followed the attack too late but broke away from the field and was 2nd on the crest of the hill, I lost the legs for 2nd in the final 100m and finished ahead of 4th by about 1.5 bike lengths.

Report:
This course had a steep hill, but it was not as long as the Twilight course. Overall I felt better today primarily because I had a proper warm-up. Amazing physiological effect a warm-up has: yesterday my ave HR was 171, today it was 161, and speeds were 22and 23mph respectively.

I was able to select a good gear for the climb and stuck to the point on the course where I should shift. God, that last 10 meters around turn three hurt, the grade feels a bit steeper there than the rest of the hill. I should have attacked there on the second to last lap.

An ABD rider attacked with two to go and made it stick. I watched him attack after turn 1 and thought he’d get reeled back in on the climb, so I didn’t go (mistake). I began to chase the two man break on the bell lap. I was up front of the field at the start of the climb and was able to ride a bunch off my wheel except for one xXx rider. I was strictly focused on catching the ABD rider who was now solo – I thought I could do it. I reached the top of the climb in 2nd place, and after a few kicks to clear my legs I shifted and began to pick up speed on the descent to the final turn. I took turn 4 hot and then began to kill it to the finish. What I did was provide a top notch lead-out for the xXx rider. Why would I do such a thing? Because I didn’t really know or care that he was there until the last 100 meters when he started to come around me. I should have looked back immediately after turn 4 and I could have been smarter about 2nd place, but I wanted to catch the leader – I wanted to win. So rather than looking after the turn to see who was with me I turned on the juice and pulled him toward the line at 28-32mph. With 100m to go he jumped, I shifted and feebly attempted to stay ahead of him. I held him for a few kicks, then realized I couldn’t hold him off and threw in the towel. I sat up feeling a bit defeated. A teammate who was watching the finish though I misjudged where the line was, I was simply done racing at that point. I coasted in 3rd.

I am happy to say that I did close a big chunk of the gap. And it hurt. Overall, I’m pleased with my result and performance. I earned my result by tactical decisions and not by physical limitations, this is kinda new. It was also nice to stand on the podium and be photographed. That was pretty damn cool as you can clearly tell by my big goofy smile.


Next race: Sherman Park. Flat and fast, so I’m told.