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.

It's Been A While...

2011 Mileage: 3,403

The past month has been a bit of a blur. I've had a lot going on with my CFA exam, catching up at the shop and trying to get in my last block of training before Lumberjack 100. All of this led to a serious lack of sleep and me getting sicker than I've been in a long time. Attempting a 100 mile mountain bike race while sick is not a good idea. I don't really feel like going in to too many race details but lets just say that lap 1 (out of 3) I managed to stay feeling alright and was right on track and then it was downhill from there. On lap 2 it was about 80 degrees out and I could tell that my fever was back but I still couldn't stop shivering. I rolled through with a lap time about 20 minutes off my pace and called it quits from there. It was a disappointing day. I brought Dad and Grandpa up with me for Father's Day Weekend and to help support for the race. I had an amazing time with them and was grateful for them being there and the amazing support they gave me, but at the same time it makes the DNF that much worse.

Car packed and the bike ready to go for LJ101, it worked great, too bad I couldn't do the same.
We did have a beautiful view from the condo we rented in Cadillac for Lumberjack.
I still am not sure whether I should be embarrassed about my Lumberjack performance or just let it go. Either way as soon as I got home on Sunday I signed up for Wilderness 101 in PA on July 30th in hopes of redeeming myself. The LJ100 experience is still weighing a little heavy on me and I definitely need to get another race under my belt so I can push that one out of mind. I'll be heading over to another Waterford Wednesday Night Crit tomorrow so hopefully that can happen pretty quickly here.

I've been running in to a lot of obstacles on the morning commute lately. The tree was easier than the geese since it doesn't attack you if you get too close.
Linz got me one of these for my birthday earlier this month along with an ipod nano. A funny combination: when I crash because I'm listening to the ipod and can't hear what's going on around me the ambulance will be able to figure out who I am. Obviously I'm just kidding I only wear one earbud so I can still hear just fine and I love them both, thank you sweetheart.

Another Waterford Wednesday

Rode to third in an interesting 4/5 crit tonight. The pace was pretty high right off the bat with a lot of attacks going. About 30 minutes in to the 90 minute race I saw an Essex Bass rider who looked strong go pretty hard and I jumped up to his wheel with one in tow. I assumed there would be more but somehow it was just the three of us with a reasonable gap. We went for it and rotated until we had a gap of over half a lap on what was left of a blown apart field. With 30 minutes to go I cramped on the short climb and the two guys I was with gapped me and I was never able to get back on. I was able to push through the cramps and get some water in me to keep on riding. Solo with the wind that was out there today was pretty tough. One of the guys I was in the break with ended up pulling out of the race so I was sitting solo in second with what seemed like a really good gap on the next 4/5 group. As I was getting passed by the 1/2/3 group it turns out that a Team Giant rider in my group was at the front of them and so I rolled for third on the day, even though I thought I was going across the line in second. Definitely a little shady how he passed me with another field but oh well there's nothing I can do about it. The officials told me that since he was at the front of them it was alright. I guess I should have stayed with the break I was in and it wouldn't have mattered. I think I still got enough points to get my upgrade (at least I hope) and walked away with enough money to cover our trip to the grocery store.

Now its back to the pile of books until Saturday. I've been living on coffee and lucky if I get two hours of sleep a night, so I wonder if that had anything to do with me cramping today.

TdF

2011 Mileage: 2,867

Yesterday was Tour de Frankenmuth. It was way too early of a morning with a 4:30am wake up to meet with Chris out at the shop to drive to the race together. We still got there with barely enough time to get registered, ready and warmed up. An 8:15am start is really early.

I lined up with the biggest field I've ever raced with in a road race, a full field of 71 Cat 4 racers. The course was three laps for 47 miles, all relatively flat but with a really strong headwind at a few points. I spent most of the first two laps sitting up near the front in the top ten riders. I wasn't sure how the race was going to go and with no other teammates in the race I didn't want to get left out if a break actually looked like it might succeed. This caused me to put myself in the wind at the front bringing back attacks a fair amount. I realized by the start of the third lap that it didn't seem like any breaks were really going to succeed so I went to the middle of the field to sit in for a bit and try to recover. Then with 5 miles to go I worked my way back up to the front to make sure I was up there for the finish and to go with any last ditch effort attacks that might try to go. There were a few attempts but again with the size of the field nothing could get far. The end of the course was a downhill followed by a quick climb and then a left turn to a long gradually downhill finishing stretch through town. The field had been a bit sloppy all day and I was willing to put my money on a crash and I didn't want to be a part of that. As we hit the downhill I went to the front and then was second wheel going up the climb. Not sure exactly where I was going through the left hand turn but it was definitely top 5. We came around the corner and everything opened up. The finishing stretch was actually a lot longer than I realized and a bit confusing with no banner going over the line, nobody actually knew where the line really was. I just went as hard as I could towards the crowd and actually heard the inevitable crash occur right behind me. I'm not sure how bad the crash was but it definitely didn't sound good. I ended up rolling across the finish in 4th.
Not the result I was really hoping for but I guess I really need to get accustomed to the fact that I can't win every race I enter, especially as I continue to upgrade. I managed to stay upright, get some more points towards my upgrade, and walk away with a little money so I guess I should call that a success. It was a well run event and the venue is awesome with a finish in downtown with a pretty big crowd gathered for it. I can definitely see how it drew such a big field to race.

Now it is time to bury myself in books for the next week with my CFA exam next Saturday and a lot of reading left to do between now and then.

ToW and another Waterford Wednesday

2011 mileage: 2,630
Last week started off on Monday with a challenge that Simonson and I have both been trying to accomplish for a while now, the weekday workday century. Started off with about 30 miles before work and then skipped out a couple hours early to put in the rest, mostly dirt roads and a lap at Pontiac Lake for my first singletrack of the year 85 miles in to the day. It was great to accomplish something I've been trying to do for a while, and 100 miles on the mountain bike combined with an 8 hour work day actually went by easier than I expected. The dirt roads out North of the shop seem to go on forever. It seemed to take the legs all week to recover but they did just in time for Tour of Washtenaw on Saturday.
Tour of Washtenaw:
Tour of Washtenaw was a 55 mile road race with about 28 miles of dirt roads. The fields were combined earlier in the week to be a 3/4 race so I knew that I was going to have my work cut out for me racing with the 3's. The race started off slow with everyone just jockeying for position to get ready for the first dirt section. When we hit the dirt the pace surged and every little attack seemed to get brought back in really quickly simply because of the pace of field. Also a couple teams had pretty big turnouts and there were enough teams represented that no one really managed to get away for long. The roads for the most part were a lot like Cone-Azalia, except more rolling hills. Riding those kind of roads in a pack also brought the pot holes a lot more in to play. Hitting one of those pot holes knocked one of my water bottles out of the cage which proved to be a bit of a factor later in the race. As the pace surged on these early dirt sections the group of about 50 starters was brought down to about 40. Then we hit a section of dirt roads that felt like riding through peanut butter an inch deep. At this point our group grew a bit smaller and the cramps began to set in. I'm not sure what exactly it is but I seem to cramp at just about every race, and being short a bottle I'm sure wasn't helping the situation. A few people attacked but the pace remained pretty high even though you could tell everyone was putting out a lot of effort to ride through the mud. I had to tell myself to fight through the cramps and stay on, knowing that if I fell off the back my race was over. As we rolled back on to the pavement the entire field that was still with us seemed to breath a collective sigh of relief and I think our pace actually slowed for a few minutes. We went through another wet dirt road section after that you could tell that the final group of about thirty was going to stay together until the finish. The pace ramped up as we hit the final stretch of pavement with about 3k to go and I sat in the middle of the group. The sprint finish at the end was uphill which really didn't suit my 200 pound frame but I still made a go of it and finished midpack in the remaining group. Considering I was cramping for the last twenty miles of the race I'll be happy with that. My teammate Ron saved me by sparing some water in the last ten miles. I finished in 2:29:12.4 covered from head to toe in mud, my legs were cramping like crazy, and I had a huge smile on my face.
My time put me in 14th in the 3/4 field and 5th in Cat 4. Good enough to win $25, not enough to cover my entry fee but my first ever cash winnings in a bike race. I think this is the last of the dirt road races until the fall but they were fun and this was definitely a good one to go out with. I hope that with all the ups and downs the promoters had with this one they still decide to come back next year.Waterford Wednesday:

Then after a busy couple days with Kate & Andrew's wedding shower and a going away party for Kate my next race was upon me before I knew it. It was barely drizzling when I left my house to ride to the race (it's less than 10 miles away) but by the time the race started it was really coming down and I was already soaked. I chose to do the B race (4/5) to try and earn some points toward my upgrade to Cat 3, so that would put me racing an hour and a half plus two laps. I think they shortened the race a bit but nobody was really complaining about that. I mostly sat in near the front, front five taking just a couple turns at the front, until they rang the bell for the first prime (for those of you that don't know, a prime is like a mid race sprint for a prize). I took off and went hard for the entire lap and ended up easily winning the first prime with a large gap. There was still about 70 minutes of racing left though so I had no desire to stay out so I sat up and coasted for a lap until the field caught back up to me. There were always a couple attacks here and there but never anything that couldn't get reeled back in. When the bell was rung for the second prime I went to the front and pulled back the break that was just ahead and then controlled the pace until half way through the lap when I jumped from off the front. One guy managed to stay with me for a bit but I still had a solid gap to win prime number 2. Again the group stayed together with little attacks here and there but nothing that couldn't be handled, unfortunately mostly by me at this point. Then came the bell for the last lap. I was once again at the front when we hit this point and I hit the small hill (if you can call it that) about 1/4 way in to the lap a little hard but nothing crazy and as I was pedaling down the other side I realized the only guy still with me was the same guy with me at the last prime. I told him if he wanted to go with me then he had to do some work. He didn't pull through so I went side to side across the course attacking him until once again it was me rolling my way across the finish alone. First time I really won anything of any significance at a bike race so it was really nice. $61, a $25 gas card, a growler of Kuhnhenn's beer, a cycling cap and a water bottle. The 8 upgrade points are great too. I'm sure the wins won't come like this when I get that upgrade (which will hopefully be soon) so I need to savor them while I can. That's why I have such a big smile on my face.Sorry for the long rambling entry since I was way behind on posting so thanks if you actually managed to read all of that. Now I need to knock out a couple long mileage days and then next on the agenda is Tour de Frankenmuth in just over a week.