So that is the end of my rambling and hopefully I can try and stay a little more current here so I don’t need to try and fit two months in to one post again.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Where Does The Time Go?
It has definitely been a crazy first half of 2012. Sitting here thinking about it I can’t believe
that it is already the end of June. Over
the course of the last few months I’ve spent a week in Ireland
Ireland US Ireland
Bike racing has definitely had its highs and lows so far
this year, although thankfully it has been more highs than lows. In my first couple Cat 3 road races (Cone
Azalia and Bristol
Mountain Mt. Pleasant
I also decided to head back up to Lumberjack 100 and managed to fare
much better than last year. 100 miles on a mountain bike is a long ways but I finished
in 8 hours to take 39th out of 261 in the men’s open category and
considering my only goal was finishing this year I was just fine with that. I also had a great weekend with dad and
grandpa so it was definitely a success.
The marathon was one of the most painful things I have ever
done and although I have a few less toenails than when I started I’m glad I
went through it. I’m also so incredibly
proud of my wife for completing her marathon after everything she went through
with her stress fracture interrupting her training. She had almost 8 weeks of forced time off
leading up to the marathon and she still finished strong and seemed to recover a lot quicker than I did.
Last, and most importantly, I have been lucky enough to
celebrate two years married to an incredible woman that I am so lucky to be
able to call my wife (even if she did make me run a marathon for our
anniversary). Every day I am thankful to
have her in my life.
So that is the end of my rambling and hopefully I can try and stay a little more current here so I don’t need to try and fit two months in to one post again.
So that is the end of my rambling and hopefully I can try and stay a little more current here so I don’t need to try and fit two months in to one post again.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Spring Fling & Paris to Ancaster
This past weekend was a tough weekend in the saddle. Things started off with the final Waterford Spring Series race of the year on Saturday. The expected rain (that never came) kept the field a little smaller than usual with maybe 40 people showing up. The race was pretty tough right from the gun and I didn’t exactly race my smartest race which I’m sure didn’t help. Less than ten minutes in a pair of Lathrup riders went up the road so I bridged up along with Simonson and after a couple of laps we were back in the field, and for some reason I was already feeling that effort. The field continued to split and come back together almost the entire race and the pace was really high. I also found myself at the front of whatever group I was in more than I probably should have been, but it was a training race and I certainly got my money’s worth in that regard. I ended up coming in alone after a split in my group happened that I missed getting on the back of but my efforts to chase broke me away from the others who missed out. I finished on the lead lap, but nowhere near Simonson who took the win. I rolled in for 16th on the day.
Sunday was my second trip to Paris to Ancaster and this version proved to be just about as wet and muddy as last year. I rode up with Mike right after Waterford and the trip went pretty smoothly, up until the sky decided to open up and start pouring just as we were about to warm up. Still we got a good warm up in and despite the hard effort on Saturday the legs were feeling pretty good. Courtesy of my top 100 placing in 2011 I managed to get a spot in the front corral for the start. I still got to the line later than I would’ve liked and was lined up at the back of the first 100 but still a better position than last year. Things started off pretty quick but then as soon as we bottlenecked on to the rail trail section the pace dropped but there was no where to go to move up. I was further back than I wanted to be and as soon as we hit the first loose climb somebody in front of me couldn’t ride it and the whole group was off and running. The leaders were already gone at this point so all you could do was get with the best group you could and chase. There were two groups up the road but no more than 20 guys ahead of my group so I knew I was still in pretty good position. From there it was ride as hard as possible through the crazy terrain that makes up the P2A course, dirt roads, two track, rail trails, single-track, farmers fields and mud chutes. I was riding well and we were picking off riders here and there until after a rough single track section I drop my chain. There goes that group. Another group passes me and as soon as I get the chain back on (which took longer than I’d like due to it getting wedged between my bash guard and chainring) I chased hard to get on the back of them. I’m not happy I lost my first group but I was still in pretty good position and feeling alright. As we started going through the final mud chutes that group started to split and I was off the front of it with one other rider. Then it happened, just under 3k from the finish, my race was over. I went in to the last trail section, dumped gears and my rear wheel locked up. The rear derailleur went in to my rear wheel and I knew there was no way the bike was rideable anymore. I shouldered the bike (since the back wheel couldn’t turn) and walked/jogged the last 3k. It was rather depressing watching all those people pass me, but that’s bike racing. I still managed to cross the line in 2:16:42 good enough for 127th out of 1,275 finishers overall and 25th out of 120 in men’s 20-29. Not the result I wanted, especially based on how the legs were feeling but all things considered a good finish.
Then it was attempt to cobble the bike back together so Mike and I could ride the 20 miles back to our car that was parked at the start. This didn't really work so well and after we were about half way back and stopping every mile or less because something else wasn't working Mike took the keys and went on without me. It wouldn't be a trip to a race with Mike without something going wrong, last year Naish's wheel fell off the roof on the 403 after this very same race. It's always an adventure.
Next up I'm thinking about crossing the border to race again, this time a little closer to home with the Ciociaro crit series over in Windsor on Thursday. Then it will be a little break from the bike as I spend next week in Ireland on vacation with the family. I don't know if a week of Guinness and Irish food will be great for my cycling form but I'm sure it will be worth it.
Sunday was my second trip to Paris to Ancaster and this version proved to be just about as wet and muddy as last year. I rode up with Mike right after Waterford and the trip went pretty smoothly, up until the sky decided to open up and start pouring just as we were about to warm up. Still we got a good warm up in and despite the hard effort on Saturday the legs were feeling pretty good. Courtesy of my top 100 placing in 2011 I managed to get a spot in the front corral for the start. I still got to the line later than I would’ve liked and was lined up at the back of the first 100 but still a better position than last year. Things started off pretty quick but then as soon as we bottlenecked on to the rail trail section the pace dropped but there was no where to go to move up. I was further back than I wanted to be and as soon as we hit the first loose climb somebody in front of me couldn’t ride it and the whole group was off and running. The leaders were already gone at this point so all you could do was get with the best group you could and chase. There were two groups up the road but no more than 20 guys ahead of my group so I knew I was still in pretty good position. From there it was ride as hard as possible through the crazy terrain that makes up the P2A course, dirt roads, two track, rail trails, single-track, farmers fields and mud chutes. I was riding well and we were picking off riders here and there until after a rough single track section I drop my chain. There goes that group. Another group passes me and as soon as I get the chain back on (which took longer than I’d like due to it getting wedged between my bash guard and chainring) I chased hard to get on the back of them. I’m not happy I lost my first group but I was still in pretty good position and feeling alright. As we started going through the final mud chutes that group started to split and I was off the front of it with one other rider. Then it happened, just under 3k from the finish, my race was over. I went in to the last trail section, dumped gears and my rear wheel locked up. The rear derailleur went in to my rear wheel and I knew there was no way the bike was rideable anymore. I shouldered the bike (since the back wheel couldn’t turn) and walked/jogged the last 3k. It was rather depressing watching all those people pass me, but that’s bike racing. I still managed to cross the line in 2:16:42 good enough for 127th out of 1,275 finishers overall and 25th out of 120 in men’s 20-29. Not the result I wanted, especially based on how the legs were feeling but all things considered a good finish.
Then it was attempt to cobble the bike back together so Mike and I could ride the 20 miles back to our car that was parked at the start. This didn't really work so well and after we were about half way back and stopping every mile or less because something else wasn't working Mike took the keys and went on without me. It wouldn't be a trip to a race with Mike without something going wrong, last year Naish's wheel fell off the roof on the 403 after this very same race. It's always an adventure.
Next up I'm thinking about crossing the border to race again, this time a little closer to home with the Ciociaro crit series over in Windsor on Thursday. Then it will be a little break from the bike as I spend next week in Ireland on vacation with the family. I don't know if a week of Guinness and Irish food will be great for my cycling form but I'm sure it will be worth it.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Cat 3, Here I Come
After spending 3 days last week sick in bed I wasn't really sure if I’d be up for the local Spring Series races this past weekend but when I woke up on Saturday feeling better and without a fever I decided I might as well have a go at it.
I did the B (Cat 3/4) Race on Saturday at Waterford and it was fairly uneventful. I think it was 50 minutes plus two laps and things stayed together for almost the whole time with a few little attacks but nobody getting much of a gap at all. Just inside 15 minutes to go as we were pulling back one of those attacks I countered and managed to get a little bit of a gap. I was hoping someone would bridge so I could have someone to share the work with but when I realized nobody was coming I dug down and did what I could. I was still feeling a little weak after being sick and what I had wasn't enough. As I was crossing the start/finish inside two to go I realized the gap was down to about 5 seconds and there was no way I was holding the field off for two more laps. I sat up and joined the field to try and salvage something for the finish. As things ramped up at the end I didn't have anything left after my solo time off the front and I rolled in with the field for 19th.
I did the B (Cat 3/4) Race on Saturday at Waterford and it was fairly uneventful. I think it was 50 minutes plus two laps and things stayed together for almost the whole time with a few little attacks but nobody getting much of a gap at all. Just inside 15 minutes to go as we were pulling back one of those attacks I countered and managed to get a little bit of a gap. I was hoping someone would bridge so I could have someone to share the work with but when I realized nobody was coming I dug down and did what I could. I was still feeling a little weak after being sick and what I had wasn't enough. As I was crossing the start/finish inside two to go I realized the gap was down to about 5 seconds and there was no way I was holding the field off for two more laps. I sat up and joined the field to try and salvage something for the finish. As things ramped up at the end I didn't have anything left after my solo time off the front and I rolled in with the field for 19th.
Sunday I doubled up and did the C (Cat 4/5) and B (Cat 3/4) Races for the Ann Arbor Spring Training Series. The course was a short 1km football shape with a 200m rise to the finish from the last corner. The C Race was first and you can hardly call it a race it was so short at 15 minutes plus 3 laps. I spent a lot of time at the front and felt pretty within myself. I managed to win the sprint for the prime and at the end I positioned myself pretty well going in to the final corner in 5th position but I didn't seem to have enough jump to contest the finish and came across in 3rd. Next up was the B Race, again pretty short at 25 minutes plus 3 laps. Attacks were coming from the gun and I got in a couple that had small gaps in the first few laps but nothing that stuck. Then about 5 minutes in a rider for AAVC jumped and I noticed he had 3 teammates at the front of the field slowing things up so this was my chance to get in something that might have a chance at staying away. It took me almost an entire lap to bridge and once I got up to him we really went to work. We got in to a great rhythm of each pulling half a lap and we grew our gap to over 30 seconds over the field. As things wound down a couple chasers left the field and got within twenty seconds of us as the field fell back to 40 seconds down. As I heard those gaps as we came around and saw 2 laps to go I knew we had things locked up. Again I couldn't sprint (I'm sure the uphill finish didn't help since I probably had 40+ lbs on my partner in the break), which seems to be a common theme for me lately, and took last in our two man race for the line, but good enough for 2nd place. Still a result that I'm really happy with and even happier with the way it came together. I've never been able to get in a break in a crit that worked before this result which makes it that much more satisfying.
Two races in one day with a 3rd place and a 2nd place finish was my first success of the year and it felt great to finally get some results. On top of that it was also enough to get me my upgrade, so Cat 3, here I come. Next up is another running of the Waterford Spring Training Series on Saturday.
Two races in one day with a 3rd place and a 2nd place finish was my first success of the year and it felt great to finally get some results. On top of that it was also enough to get me my upgrade, so Cat 3, here I come. Next up is another running of the Waterford Spring Training Series on Saturday.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
NY STS
First bicycle race of 2012 is in the books. However, unlike most Michigan racers, I wasn’t at Barry-Roubaix last weekend. I was in NYC for a bachelor party over the weekend and decided to try my hand at the NY Spring Training Series race in Central Park on Saturday morning. I’m not sure what made me think that it would be a good idea to do a bike race while on a bachelor party, but I did it anyways.
Needless to say my 5AM wake up came way too quick on Saturday (actually some of the guys weren’t even to bed yet) but I got suited up and was on my way to the park by 5:30. I was at the registration tent by 6 and after getting my number pinned on met up with Kate, Andrew & Andrew’s brother Chris. Andrew was there to race the Cat 5 race and Kate & Chris were there to cheer us on.
6:45 rolled around and things actually got going on time. The sun wasn’t even fully up yet and I was already racing. Things were pretty much business as usual in a Cat 3/4 race, except a bigger field than I’m accustomed to (107 racers lined up for my race alone). There were constant attacks and breaks but none really strong enough to get more than a 5-10 second gap and none staying away for all that long. I was part of a brief one on the start of the third lap but it was just like any of the others really. Things went by fairly quickly and uneventfully and next thing I know we are inside 2 miles from the finish and then crash number one happens. Not sure what caused it but I watched the guy go down and I’m sure he didn’t get up quick. I get by and am sitting in alright position, but I need to work my way further up if I’m going to have any chance at the sprint. As I’m working my way up another crash happens just to my left and this one ends up as a pile up. I get by but not without seriously checking my speed and losing the small group that was in front of the crash. I chase back on just in time to pass a couple guys at the line, but not in time to have any real go at a podium spot. Oh well, that’s bike racing. Results still haven’t been posted but I’m guessing I rolled in somewhere just inside the top 20. Not a bad result for the field size but a little tough to take when I crossed the line with so much left in the tank.
After the race we all enjoyed breakfast at a café a block from the park sitting at a table outside and enjoying the great weather. Then it was back to the nonsense of the bachelor party, none of which will get mentioned here at all.
First race is out of the way and now it’s time to get some wins so I can hopefully get my upgrade sometime soon. Next up is a couple more Spring Series races this weekend, Waterford Saturday and Ann Arbor Sunday.
Needless to say my 5AM wake up came way too quick on Saturday (actually some of the guys weren’t even to bed yet) but I got suited up and was on my way to the park by 5:30. I was at the registration tent by 6 and after getting my number pinned on met up with Kate, Andrew & Andrew’s brother Chris. Andrew was there to race the Cat 5 race and Kate & Chris were there to cheer us on.
6:45 rolled around and things actually got going on time. The sun wasn’t even fully up yet and I was already racing. Things were pretty much business as usual in a Cat 3/4 race, except a bigger field than I’m accustomed to (107 racers lined up for my race alone). There were constant attacks and breaks but none really strong enough to get more than a 5-10 second gap and none staying away for all that long. I was part of a brief one on the start of the third lap but it was just like any of the others really. Things went by fairly quickly and uneventfully and next thing I know we are inside 2 miles from the finish and then crash number one happens. Not sure what caused it but I watched the guy go down and I’m sure he didn’t get up quick. I get by and am sitting in alright position, but I need to work my way further up if I’m going to have any chance at the sprint. As I’m working my way up another crash happens just to my left and this one ends up as a pile up. I get by but not without seriously checking my speed and losing the small group that was in front of the crash. I chase back on just in time to pass a couple guys at the line, but not in time to have any real go at a podium spot. Oh well, that’s bike racing. Results still haven’t been posted but I’m guessing I rolled in somewhere just inside the top 20. Not a bad result for the field size but a little tough to take when I crossed the line with so much left in the tank.
After the race we all enjoyed breakfast at a café a block from the park sitting at a table outside and enjoying the great weather. Then it was back to the nonsense of the bachelor party, none of which will get mentioned here at all.
First race is out of the way and now it’s time to get some wins so I can hopefully get my upgrade sometime soon. Next up is a couple more Spring Series races this weekend, Waterford Saturday and Ann Arbor Sunday.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
A Different Kind of Racing
The past two weekends I’ve competed in two races, and neither of them were bike races. Anything I can do to get the motivation going I guess.
Last weekend was a stair climb race at the RenCen in Detroit. 70 stories in 6:36 and 2nd fastest time overall. The certificate I got at the race said 3rd overall but they found an error in the timing and changed the results. Not too shabby considering I didn’t climb a single stair to train for it (I didn’t specifically train for it at all, but I do train a lot for other things). I have to say that was quite possibly the toughest 7 minutes of physical activity I have ever done. If cyclocross is “an hour in hell” I’m really not sure what to classify stair climbs as.
Then Sunday we had some amazing weather here for the Corktown 5k also down in Detroit. I lined up with 7,000 other people to give my first ever competitive 5k a try, again without any specific training. I run a couple days a week but that is just to make sure I’m ready for the marathon so this speed thing was something totally different for me. I ended up finishing in 20:05, good enough for 144th overall and 18th in my age group. Again a pretty good result all things considered.
Then I got home and put in a couple hours in the saddle because Sunday was just too nice not to be outside. First ride of the year in shorts is officially in the books (and I haven't even shaved my legs yet).
First (bicycle) race of the year is now less than two weeks away. The season will be upon us before we know it, and the weather seems to be agreeing with that.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Changes
It’s been a long time since I last posted on the blog and a lot has changed in the last 5 months. The biggest change is probably my departure from the bike shop to go in a whole new career direction as a program manager at an automotive supplier. It has been a huge change but at the end of the day a very good one. I’m still having a hard time adjusting to driving to work every day and I really hate traffic, but that’s just the cyclist in me seeing time in the car as time that could be spent training.
Also, the 2011 race season came to a close with some highs (3rd in my age group at Iceman) and lows (all of CX season). 2011 was my first full season as a competitive cyclist and I have to say that it was a great year and definitely the first of many.
Also, the 2011 race season came to a close with some highs (3rd in my age group at Iceman) and lows (all of CX season). 2011 was my first full season as a competitive cyclist and I have to say that it was a great year and definitely the first of many.
Now I’m looking towards improving in 2012 and hopefully working my way up another category. Training preparations have been under way since before the New Year and I’m getting a tentative race schedule for 2012 together. I’ve also decided to make a move to race with the Wolverine Sports Club this year and I’m really excited about that. The Wolverines are pretty dominant at most of the local road races and I’m looking forward to being a part of that and learning from it as much as I can. They are also a good group of guys so that is a huge plus. Things are falling in to place and with how mellow this winter has been it feels like race season is right around the corner.
I’m going to try to make a better effort to update a little more regularly and as the race season starts I’m sure I’ll have more to write about. For now, thanks for reading.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Wilderness 101
2011 Mileage: 4,215
This post is long over due but I'm kind of glad I took some time to really let the experience of W101 sink in. It was by far the longest I've ever raced and with all that time in the saddle, most of it alone, I had a lot of time to go through some serious ups and downs.
The race started off pretty quick and almost immediately on to the first climb of the day. I knew that the climbing here would be something completely new to me, as in the longest climbs I had ever ridden, so my plan was just to stay within myself and spin up them. As the pavement turned to gravel and I continued to feel good just spinning my way up I was starting to gain a little confidence. Then shortly after that I felt my rear wheel start washing out and I knew I was losing air. I quickly hopped off and shot some air in with my CO2 inflator hoping that it would just seal itself back up with the sealant in the tire. No luck and within a couple miles it was doing the same thing again. Off the bike again and this time to throw a tube in. Too bad I wasted my CO2 on a failed attempt so this time it was using the hand pump to get the tire inflated. Good thing I decided to bring it as a back up. So about twenty minutes wasted and I wasn't even to aid 1 yet. Got to aid 1 and borrowed a floor pump to finish pumping up my rear tire and was back on my way. From this point on it was just riding past people and feeling good, trying to make up ground. I got to aid 2 before I knew it and my sister was there to greet me. While I restocked with a new tube, CO2 and took in some calories really quickly she refilled my bottles and I was back on the bike. Then it was back on the bike and I was still feeling great and I continued to pass people as I headed on to the long climb after aid 2. Feeling great turned to feeling good, and then feeling good turned in to "is this climb ever going to end." After I finally reached the top I couldn't wait for the trip back down. Then I headed down the single track descent and felt like the rocky terrain was going to knock my teeth out I was bouncing around so hard. It was basically more of this, long gravel climbs and long rocky descents, for the next 50 miles. Cramping hit me a little bit at around mile 65 but I just took in some more fluids and managed to push through it just fine. I started feeling good again and saw Kate again shortly after at aid #4. Right after my brief break there I immediately got punished by a long unmaintained road climb and simply dragged myself to the finish from there. But at least I finished. I had a time of 9:49 putting me 107th/234 in the Men's Open category. Definitely not a great result but I went in to this race with pretty much no expectations and just wanting to finish and I did just that. Only one crash, and two flat tires.
I need to give a huge thanks to my wonderful little sister for all of her help. She brought new life to me at the aid stations and it would have been a lot tougher of a day without her. She also nursed me back to life (well as much as possible) right after I crossed the finish line. I really miss having her as a next door neighbor.
Also congrats to my traveling companion Mike on his third place finish and a time that was 3 hours faster than mine. So he beat me by three hours and then drove the entire way back to Michigan right after the podium because I was too beat up to contribute. Talk about humbling for me.
If I would've been asked right after I finished if I'd ever do another hundred mile mountain bike race I would've said no way. After a week to think about it I've come to realize that I'll just never do W101 again, on a hardtail at least. I've already committed to do Cohutta 100 with Kate next year.
This weekend I've got two races on the schedule. Ore to Shore, a 48 mile point to point mountain bike race in Marquette, Saturday and Cherry Roubaix, the state championship road race in Traverse City, Sunday. It should be a great weekend, especially since Linz is making the trip with me.
This post is long over due but I'm kind of glad I took some time to really let the experience of W101 sink in. It was by far the longest I've ever raced and with all that time in the saddle, most of it alone, I had a lot of time to go through some serious ups and downs.
The race started off pretty quick and almost immediately on to the first climb of the day. I knew that the climbing here would be something completely new to me, as in the longest climbs I had ever ridden, so my plan was just to stay within myself and spin up them. As the pavement turned to gravel and I continued to feel good just spinning my way up I was starting to gain a little confidence. Then shortly after that I felt my rear wheel start washing out and I knew I was losing air. I quickly hopped off and shot some air in with my CO2 inflator hoping that it would just seal itself back up with the sealant in the tire. No luck and within a couple miles it was doing the same thing again. Off the bike again and this time to throw a tube in. Too bad I wasted my CO2 on a failed attempt so this time it was using the hand pump to get the tire inflated. Good thing I decided to bring it as a back up. So about twenty minutes wasted and I wasn't even to aid 1 yet. Got to aid 1 and borrowed a floor pump to finish pumping up my rear tire and was back on my way. From this point on it was just riding past people and feeling good, trying to make up ground. I got to aid 2 before I knew it and my sister was there to greet me. While I restocked with a new tube, CO2 and took in some calories really quickly she refilled my bottles and I was back on the bike. Then it was back on the bike and I was still feeling great and I continued to pass people as I headed on to the long climb after aid 2. Feeling great turned to feeling good, and then feeling good turned in to "is this climb ever going to end." After I finally reached the top I couldn't wait for the trip back down. Then I headed down the single track descent and felt like the rocky terrain was going to knock my teeth out I was bouncing around so hard. It was basically more of this, long gravel climbs and long rocky descents, for the next 50 miles. Cramping hit me a little bit at around mile 65 but I just took in some more fluids and managed to push through it just fine. I started feeling good again and saw Kate again shortly after at aid #4. Right after my brief break there I immediately got punished by a long unmaintained road climb and simply dragged myself to the finish from there. But at least I finished. I had a time of 9:49 putting me 107th/234 in the Men's Open category. Definitely not a great result but I went in to this race with pretty much no expectations and just wanting to finish and I did just that. Only one crash, and two flat tires.
I need to give a huge thanks to my wonderful little sister for all of her help. She brought new life to me at the aid stations and it would have been a lot tougher of a day without her. She also nursed me back to life (well as much as possible) right after I crossed the finish line. I really miss having her as a next door neighbor.
Also congrats to my traveling companion Mike on his third place finish and a time that was 3 hours faster than mine. So he beat me by three hours and then drove the entire way back to Michigan right after the podium because I was too beat up to contribute. Talk about humbling for me.
If I would've been asked right after I finished if I'd ever do another hundred mile mountain bike race I would've said no way. After a week to think about it I've come to realize that I'll just never do W101 again, on a hardtail at least. I've already committed to do Cohutta 100 with Kate next year.
This weekend I've got two races on the schedule. Ore to Shore, a 48 mile point to point mountain bike race in Marquette, Saturday and Cherry Roubaix, the state championship road race in Traverse City, Sunday. It should be a great weekend, especially since Linz is making the trip with me.
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