KAWOR: NRAKAWOR

Not-really-a-kick-ass-weekend-of-racing.

So, listen people, its the 21st century. Some things have remained the same: cubs still suck, sox suck even worse. But it's a new day and men are now supposed to go to baby showers.

And that is what I did on Saturday. So, lads shoulder your responsibilities and quit laughing at me.

...they had good food, and good beer. And that one-thingy was really cute.

Fox River Grove
Race #44
DFL, but not DNF

Nothing like a tough course to humble even ones modest ambitions. My race was over before it started. I learned a lot. In particular, I learned that I have work to do.

I've never felt my lungs hurt like they did on Sunday. Actually, they hurt more than my legs.

I also should NOT have done that race in a 12-23 cassette; even though this was a "C" priority race it was still my first race as a cat 3 and I think could have put in a better showing-in particular by being able to spin a bit more and thus getting dropped with two or three laps to go rather than two or three into the race. But I don't have the legs for that kind of hill. Yet.

Lessons learned; next time.

Elk Grove

Tour of Elk Grove (cat 4), 8/1/09
Race #32

4/75

(my dad took this photo of the finish with a bit less than 150m to go. Nice work, Dad!)

Man, I really liked this course. It was challenging with the fairly tight turns and the loooooong finish—right up my alley. The guys who finished 1st and 2nd in our race were definitely strongest today. That does not happen too often.

Type 1 report: not perfect, but not bad either. The worst part was forgetting my bag with my bottles of water…I had one bottle all morning. Not smart, but not a disaster for a 35 min race.

My RPE for this race was way higher than others. The accelerations hurt every time. With the rain and after the first crash no one wanted to take those corners too fast so instead we took them too slow. Or it was my piss poor short warm up that left the legs burning.

Teammate Jordan Ross led me out to finish 2nd in the field sprint, 4th overall, and Jordan was able to hang on for 10th. It was very tight in those final 200m. At the line I was ½ wheel off 3rd and ½ wheel in front of 5th. It was nice to have a good wheel in that finish because of all the jockeying and the length—I didn’t need to fight for one, I just needed to decide when to go. When I went I had to change lanes from the right side, up through the middle, then on the left side—ah! finally I had an open lane! So I went. My chain slipped and I wound up slightly over geared but never mind that, in just a few seconds I was gasping past the finish.

The overall race was tough. Once again, I started in the back of the field; someday I hope to lean how to get a good starting spot on the line (I better just follow Jordan, he seems to know how to do it.). Anyway, we get started and sprint out of every turn, even up front. It was really taxing. Once the rain started the course became very slick and there were a bunch of crashes. I was almost involved in one that had nothing to do with rain or turns. In chasing the break that got away ½ way through the race, I rotated through the front and another rider (I don’t remember anything about him) had trouble coming around me and when he did he hit my bars with his hips and I had to brake, then he just died or purposely killed the pace and I was suddenly overlapped and leaning the wrong way. When I came free of his wheel he was moving left and I was leaning to my right and--I thought, for sure, that my time had come…race over. But I slammed the brakes and escaped with just loosing my balance and, luckily, not taking out anyone else. In retrospect, this was a perfect case of “my wheel; my responsibility.” I was too close to him, though if he didn’t have the mustard to pull through good sense says that he should not have rotated through. After the brief shouting (not by me-I was still in shock) I jumped back in, mid pack. This whole thing sucked because it happened right in front of my entire family too (they were 50m past the finish). As my wife has been reminding me all day, I was much closer to a DNF than 3rd place, by a long shot. She’s right. Anyway, it was a short race and difficult and I’m happy with my result.

I got to hear some good news for our team. Right now we have 1 cat 3. Next season we hope to have 4. That is very good news because Spidermonkeys have been great this year as a development race team for new riders, we’ve got a few kinks to work out but we’re doing a decent job growing the racer population in Chicago. Now we will have several more mid cat racers to challenge and lead the new cats. And as Bryan Merrill said, teamwork and race plans only work well when you have a few riders at the same fitness level. Well, now we will and that will be fun.

Soldier Field Series, 7/29/09
Race #31

8-9/50

What a race. I know the threes will admit that it isn't much better but...I can't wait to upgrade.

Chicago Criterium

Chicago Crit, 7/27/08
Race #14

12th/70ish (125 spots were sold, I don’t know how many people showed up to race)

Pre race BG: 167 (30 min after eating a granola bar, 18g)
Post race: 133

My blood sugar was way more stable and I felt pretty good. Nothing unusual or different, but I was able to ride to the course and that bit of activity helped calm me and stabilize my BG. Too bad not every race can be this close to home. I was fortunate to meet Bob Schrank of Team Type 1 and we got to have a really nice chat before his race. I was surprised to learn that there are FIVE Type 1 diabetic racers in the Chicago area. I know two, the other two I'd like to meet.

Gaining position. Check. Holding position. Fail.

I liked the course. It was long enough and somewhat technical enough to make it interesting. The turns and the bend at Congress forced me to plan my advances up the field.

One goal was to stay up front. I didn’t. Another was to work on positioning in the pack. On this I was able to do something. After two or three laps I was able to read the pack and determine how to move up and when; I did this rather easily on the outside. Once I got near the front I quickly lost ground and was midpack again. I must be a bit more aggressive in holding position.

I’m walking away from this knowing that I can finish 12th. If I learn to position myself better I can win another race before the season ends. I’m getting that same feeling I got after the second Great Dane, that I’m underperforming. I’m happy about that because I am regaining some race confidence and this will lead to progress.

SuperWeek madness.

There has been so much racing in July I don’t know how to manage my training during this thing. Well, I know what I need to do to prepare for next season, and I’m kinda excited about it. I mean, if I can do this well this unstructured, with a little more focus I can make some serious gains. A coach, however, would be really nice…so would a SRM or Powertap.

Results.

Dean, Can and Jonathan raced the 5s and had a great time. Vanessa (8th) raced the women’s 4s; Brian did the masters 1-3; Nate won (again) the Masters 4/5 and also won a prime in the 4s race; Alex (7th), Ernie (8th) and myself (12th) did well in the 4s.

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.)

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.