A DNF, a DNS and Feeling Strong

2011 Mileage: 3,929

Last weekend was supposed to be a two race weekend for me with Maillot Jaune Road Race in Fenton on Saturday and Le Champion Pave Crit in Flint on Sunday.

Saturday I felt good, and got feeling better as the race went on. It was a course that suited me with some climbing, but all big ring climbs and some fast rougher sections. A break went early on the first lap and I spent a lot of time on the front for a little over a lap reeling them back in. We brought them back half way through the second lap and then little attacks would go here and there but nothing that could stay away. For how much I had my head in the wind my legs felt really good and I never felt red lined the entire race, and like I said, actually felt better on the third (last) lap than I did on the first. Too bad none of this mattered as I tore the sidewall on my rear tubular with less than two miles to go. I hopped off and quickly tried to shoot some sealant/air into it but the gash was too big and sealant just spewed out the side of the tire and it never held any air. First time all year that I didn't throw my spare wheelset in the wheel truck, and they were even sitting in my car. Oh well, live and learn. My bike got tossed in the back of the wheel truck and I hopped in for a ride to the finish line. Not how I wanted to cross the line, especially feeling that good but its bike racing and things happen.

Saturday night we had a couples shower for our friends Ryan and Kelli and it was a good time but things definitely went on much later than I expected and 5am came way too early after not getting to bed until after 2am. I got out of bed and my throat felt scratchy and I could tell that I didn't get enough sleep. It was a repeat of how I felt the week before Lumberjack 100, but that day I got out of bed and went and rode hard. I decided a 30 minute crit wasn't worth getting sick and went right back to bed. I think that's a first ever DNS (did not start) for me since I pre-registered and didn't go but I still think it was the right decision.

Yesterday was another Waterford Wednesday and I decided to race the A (1/2/3) race. I actually wasn't going to race at all with Wilderness 101 this Saturday but my buddy Scott is back in town from Europe were he spends most of the season racing and training and he convinced me to come out and sit in since he was going to be there. So much for sitting in. I got in on early break about 20 minutes in to the two hour race and we stayed away for 10 minutes or so before getting pulled back. Then another break went with a chase group and I attacked the field to try and bridge. I sat solo in no-man's land for 5 or 10 minutes, getting within 10 seconds of the chase group but never quite catching on. I sat up and waited for the field to catch up and I realized as I saw them coming that they had really ramped up their speed and the group had blown apart and it was about half the size it was when I attacked. I jumped back in and we pulled the chase group back. There were still 3 guys up the road but they were long gone. I waited until two to go and I saw two guys go, Clint Verran and a Team Giant guy, and I decided to try to jump to them. It took me an entire lap and I caught them with a small gap on the field and as I bridged up Clint attacked and got a little gap that the two of us couldn't close. I cramped the second half of that last lap but managed to hold off the field even though I could hear them breathing down my neck as I crossed the line in 6th. My best ever result in the A race there by far and I felt stronger than I ever have in that race before. Again like at Fenton I seemed to feel better as the race went on. Not exactly sure what it is but I seem to be riding pretty well right now on the road.

I'm sure that won't translate this weekend though as I drag myself through Wilderness 101 over in PA. 12,000 feet of climbing over 101 miles. This could be interesting.

Block O Crit

Saturday I made the solo trek down to Columbus to take part in my first ever crit racing. I headed down because there were two races that I could do since they were offering both a 3/4 and a 4/5 crit and I was planning on doing both of them. It was about a 4 hour drive but it went smoothly and I got down there right on time. Thanks to some coaching from my teammate Rob I had a good idea of what I was up against and how I needed to warm up and fuel for the race, as well as what to expect in the races.

The 55 minute Cat 3/4 race came first and Rob was right on with what he told me to expect. I was warmed up and ready and I stayed near the front the almost the entire race, sitting within the top 10 (usually 5) spots and taking the occasional turn at the front. I thought I was lined up pretty well sitting third wheel with 3 laps to go and then all of a sudden with 2 to go "the swarm" as Rob described it came and everyone wanted to be where I was. Another problem was that a lot of these guys where all on the same team as it seemed like a bunch of guys in K.O.M. style polka dot jerseys seemed to make up 1/4 of the field and they got to the front together, clogged things up and made it virtually impossible to move up at that point. I didn't even contest the sprint at the end and rolled in for a disappointing 21st right in the middle of the field. We averaged about 27 mph and I had an average heart rate of 183 for the hour.

Then it was off to hydrate, try and bring my heart rate down, find a nice mother hanging around to pin my other race number on me, and then warm up again for race number 2.

I felt a lot more in control and comfortable in race number 2. I spent the entire race near the front again and if I slid back I didn't have any trouble moving up in this field compared to the previous race. The race went by without much incident for me, even though I found out later there were a couple wrecks but being toward the front I didn't even know they happened. Again the swarm showed up, but this time it was just before the last lap and I didn't fall quite as far back. With half a lap to go I went to jump back up near the front but couldn't find a wheel to get on so I went to the front and just went for it. I buried myself for the next half lap and managed to pull away from most of the field, but I didn't have any kick when it came down to the very end so a few guys got me right at the line and I came across in 4th. We averaged about 26 mph for this 40 minute race.

Not the results I wanted but all in all a great experience for my first ever true crit racing. I got to spend a beautiful Saturday outside racing my bike and I stayed crash free so there really isn't anything I can complain about.

Next weekend I have The Maillot Jaune Road Race in Fenton and Le Champion Pave Crit in Flint, along with hopefully a long mileage week in preparation for Wilderness 101 less than two weeks away. Although at this point I don't think anything can prepare me for 10.000 ft of climbing over the course of 101 miles.

A Wedding Weekend

2011 Mileage: 3,637

A little over two weeks ago I did my first race on the road in a while and my first race after my DNF at Lumberjack and being sick for a couple of weeks. It was a fast race with a lot of guys riding in top form and the showing of a local cycling man of the hour, Alexey Vermeulen, who had just won the U-23 National Road Race. It seemed as though a lot of guys where watching his every move and weren't going to let him go anywhere.I sat in the field for the most part, trying to bridge to an attack here and there but never going on the offensive. At an average pace of over 28 mph it was way too fast for me to ever be on the attack. My average heart rate for the 2 hours was in the low 180's (really high) but at the same time I never really felt red lined and when I was in the field I had no problem recovering. I finished somewhere in the middle of the field not contesting the sprint since I was too far back to have a real go at it, probably around 20th.

Then it was over a week out of the saddle for Kate's Wedding and two days ago I did another Waterford Wednesday. Heart Rate was a little lower (high 170's) and the speed was a little slower (about 27.5 mph) but I could tell I lost some form in my time off (and put on some weight with all the wedding festivities). I was trying to mark some wheels early and put in way too hard of an effort in the first twenty minutes trying to bridge to an attack that I couldn't quite reach. I was red lined and then went back in to the field to try and recover. Recovery wasn't really happening as the pace was ramping way up and I was forced to continue chasing, but this time just to hold on to the pack. I hung in and recovered and by the time I was feeling like I had legs again there was a break with about a 30 second gap on the field. I went with a group that was trying to bridge and once again we got close but couldn't quite close it and I put myself in the red once again. After that I kept finding myself at the very back of the field just struggling to hold on. With about 30 minutes left my teammate Rob sat up and told me he was done. That put that thought in my head and after struggling to hold on to the back for another 15 minutes I did the same. There was no way I was going to do anything but finish and with two crits on Saturday I decided to save the legs from any further destruction.

I think the look on my face here says a lot, and this was only about 30 minutes in to the action.At least I've got a great reason for being a bit out of shape right now, my little sister got married! It was basically four days of parties over the Fourth of July weekend with rehearsal dinner Friday, golf outing and barbecue Saturday, wedding Sunday, and Barbecue at our house Sunday. It was great to see all the family and friends who came in to town (and the ones who are from here and I don't see very often). I'm so happy for Kate and Andrew and it was a beautiful wedding on a perfect summer day. I also got to walk the aisle with my two favorite ladies, my Mom because my Dad was obviously walking Kate and Linz since we were matched up in the wedding party.I was also honored that Kate and Andrew asked me to do a reading at the ceremony. I read an excerpt from Captain Correlli’s Mandolin and I had a few people ask me about it so I thought I'd just post it here.

Love is a temporary madness, it erupts like volcanoes and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your root was so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being in love, which any fool can do. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Those that truly love have roots that grow towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossoms have fallen from their branches, they find that they are one tree and not two.

Now that the party is over and I showed myself just how much fitness I lost on Wednesday it's time to get back to work here and put in some hard days in the saddle and shed the 9 pounds I somehow put on in 4 days. I'm about half way there on the weight but that still doesn't put me anywhere close to the final goal of 180 lbs. Next on the schedule is Block O Crit down in Columbus, OH tomorrow. It is going to be a two race day with at 3/4 crit and then a 4/5 crit an hour later. Never raced this way before so we'll see how it goes.