Lesson Learned

You can't fake fitness. We're at the point in the cross season with one month (8 races) to go where people are starting to go in opposite directions. Guys that started the season strong are starting to fall off their fitness, and others that had a more managed build are coming into form at just the right time. I wish I could say I fit into either one of those categories, but the fact is I didn't do the right things in the off season. I have enough base to ride a strong tempo, but not enough top end power to push through the explosive efforts, recover, and go again. At the same time, I thought I could make up my fitness by racing into shape. That works to an extent, but it results in a very narrow window to peak and you can miss it without knowing you hit it.

With a week off the bike I was hoping to find out which way my fitness was going on Sunday. When I got up and let the dogs out it was cold and windy. I was already tired and the thought of racing didn't sound too appealing. Of course, doing anything didn't sound appealing so I figured I'd snap out of it. It took until I was in the registration line and one of my racing friends reminded me that it's a perfect course for me with a lot of wind and hills. That was when I started thinking I could do well and started to get pumped up to race.

A good warm-up with JJ and it was go time. I lined up behind Travis who's been crushing it all year. Watching him race this year, I have no idea how I was in the same conversation with him last year, much less getting an occasional win. Anyway, he missed his pedal at first but it was such a loooonnnnggg uphill drag that it didn't matter. The bigger issue was the first section of tight turns. Lots of people coming in hot only to grab a fistful of brakes and have to get off their bike. It was annoying at first but I also knew the hills would eat people up later in the race so it wasn't a big deal. After the first set of hills I found myself mid-pack, which was where I expected to ride most of the race and find small opportunities to move up where/if I could. Since I have a cross-clash with my friend JJ (he was up 3-2), I locked on to his wheel and let him pull me around a bit. Knowing he'd do the same when I went by, I waited, maybe a little longer than I should have. There's a tricky, off camber corner that I debated being first (of our group) into but decided against it, sticking with my original plan. I don't know if the result would've been different, but I rode it too aggressively, trying not to let a small gap form. Good news is a small gap didn't form. Bad news was a huge gap formed because I crashed. I was up quickly but my brake got jammed into my wheel and I had to reset the wheel which was made more difficult because the skewer got jammed during the crash. Once I was going again I found myself on the back and after gaining back a few positions, I rode the rest of the race solo.

Part of crashing is being stupid, but I think there's also a part that's related to fitness. Everyone is going all out in a cross race, but the better you can manage that, the better you can make the right decisions when you have a split second to do so and can barely see, much less think. If you have the right fitness you'll make the right choices more often. Even though I'd like a mulligan on that course and the signs are pointing to having passed a peak I didn't realize I hit, there are still a couple good races left to be had if I do the right things.

Back At It

I'm not back at it quite yet, but will be again this weekend. On Sunday only. It's the course where I got my first podium last year but unfortunately, I'm pretty certain there won't be a repeat. Racing this year has been different in a lot of ways, but the most noticeable has been the weather. The grass/dirt crits we usually get have been replaced by sloppy mudfests. Everyone used to complain because the races were too fast and dusty. Now it's because it's too muddy. To be fair, they're both fun but they both also suck in their own, special way. And neither benefits me more than the other so as long as there are races, I'll just be happy to be on the line.

I raced a couple weeks ago on two pretty different courses. The first was in Brighton. I've never raced in Belgium, but I had a picture in my head that this is what it would look like. Basically a pasture that's bumpy as hell and thick with mud. I had a good start and then, after running over the first set of barriers in mid-pack, some guy ran into me. I'm still confused as to how he hit me, but he did and we both went down. Back on the bike I struggled to get going and after it didn't get better after half a lap, I realized it was because my brakes were rubbing since they got jacked up when I went down. Now securely bringing up the back of the pack, I pushed my way through the race while riding in no man's land and chalked it up to gaining some fitness. When I woke up the next morning I realized that I needed to also chalk it up to getting beat up by the course with all the bumps. My entire body was tired and fatigued, and when Whiskey and Tacoma wanted to go out at 7 in the morning, I debated going back to bed for the rest of the day. Instead, I went and raced.

Race day 2 was much better for me. It was a boring course on the pre-ride, but one that I liked at race pace. Good, long straight sections where you could recover and get some speed, but were broken up by good technical sections that were loosened up with some mud. My race was solid where I went out a bit too fast and paid for it on the second lap before pulling back some ground later on. It was another bumpy course and I knew afterwards that I needed a little break. Perfect timing since I was going to get it in the way of New Orleans the following week!

Warming up on the trainer.

On the start line. Still clean.

Carrying a muddy, heavy bike.

Believe it or not, I actually do some things other than race my bike. Trips tend to interfere with my budding career as an amateur, mid to back of the pack bike racer, but I take them anyway. And knowing that the trip to New Orleans was for a friend's bachelor party, I knew it would be a long but fun weekend. The weirdness started early when the guy next to me on the plane pulled out his tarot cards. Of course,he did a reading and I'll say that it was surprisingly accurate. Once landed I began my personal assault on chocolate filled beignets. Unlike my bike racing, I won this battle with no competition. Once some other friends arrived we began the assault on Bourbon St and well, there are no winners there. I'm not sure how to explain the place but it's like a New Year's Eve party all day long. I get the 20 and 30-somethings partying, but the surprising parts were the 40, 50, 60, etc year olds that were partying full throttle. And it wasn't just at the later hours of the day. It was All. Day. Long. At 10:00 in the morning people were stumbling around like they'd been boozin for the last 6 hours. Maybe they were. At any rate, we were able to find some good bars and have some fun falling back into the same routine even though it's been a while since we've all been together. The weekend went by quickly but to be honest, one weekend is about all you really need to spend there. While I managed to make it out of town without downing a hurricane or a hand grenade, I was able to find my way to plenty of oysters (raw and grilled) and a catfish po' boy. Healthy? Uh, no. Tastey? Definitely. I went with tastey and so did the three guys that went through something like $60 worth of sliders for a little late night snack. Glad I wasn't sleeping in that room!

It wasn't all  debauchery though. We had a really good dinner at August, which is one of John Best's restaurant, John Best being a James Beard award winning chef. Despite the inverse relationship between portion size and price, the food was delicious and we still left completely full and satisfied.

Where To Start

I suppose I could start with something new....like cyclocross. It's officially a few weeks into the season and finally, my legs are starting to come around. You'd never know it by looking at the results but my legs feel a little better each week, and just as important, so do my lungs. Unfortunately my bike handling skills could still use a little tweaking. Every time I put myself in contention to move up a little more, I'll do something stupid and go down. Although it's only once a race, it usually happens in the late laps when I'm exhausted and can barely see straight so as the fitness keeps on comin, the mistakes should disappear. Good timing too since moving up to Cat 3 requires as fast and clean of racing as I can manage. And that's just for middle of the pack for me on a good day. Still, the lines are getting easier to ride, the pedals are getting easier to turn, and it's getting easier to fight to catch packs.

One of the things that always helps the most is just racing. This year Routine Leg Works hosted a Wednesday night series for the first 5 weeks. The races were a little shorter on time which was great for a mid-week race. Great chance to see a lot of guys I only see in the Fall, go head to head, and work on fitness and skills without blowing out your legs for the weekend races.

Not sure if the link will work for me, but on Saturday I was starting to move up in the race (to mid-pack) and went down just before a barrier. I re-bloodied up my knee and dropped back to end up battling it out with Neal who's a strong rider that also happened to have a bad lap in there somewhere. Here's a shot of the two of us right after I passed him on the last lap.

http://www.sportifimages.com/Cyclocross2011/Blue-Sky-Velo-Cup-CX/SM-35/19555419_ZT9LWs#1534101400_GGdrtn6-A-LB

Unfortunately, my lead was short-lived since Neal got me back and held on. At that point we were literally battlling it out for something like 3rd and 4th from last place but still racing like it was for first and that's what makes it fun.

Has It Been A Year?

The answer is no. But it has been about 9 months or so since this blog has been updated. And the reason it's being re-visited is none other than cyclocross season started again today. It was hot, dusty, painful, and my first race as a Cat 3. Not surprisingly, I got my butt kicked. I went from the front of the pack as a Cat 4 to the back of the pack as a 3. Literally, the back of the pack. I wasn't last but I wasn't far from it. While it will probably be that way for most of the season, I'm hoping to find some form, re-learn how to ride some of the lines, and move my way into the middle of the pack. Either way, it should be another fun season.

I realize I should still provide some kind of race report about States, so maybe I'll do that in the next day or two. After that race I hung up my 'cross bike and my blog with it. Who knows, maybe I'll actually have an occasional post about things other than racing......like going to Hawaii in October and watching Rick rip it up at Kona!

They Gave Me 1st & 2nd

Technically, this is a long overdue post and it's only going to consist of pictures really. And the pics are from the race in Golden where I did so well they gave me first and second......together. I suppose that really means I got 12th but who's counting?

L to R is I don't know, Frank, Samer, Me, Brad, Adam, Eric, I Don't Know.

Adam over the lone-standing speedkiller.

Samer charging to 3rd.

Praying to be done after 3 crashes.

One of these things is not like the other. Tim (blue) - 1st, Adam - 2d, Samer - 3d. Me...

Lenora Grace (Adam & Yvonne's daughter). We like to start 'em early!

Lookout Mountain in the back (Buffalo Bill's grave at the top). Also home of the Lookout Mountain Hill Climb every May. It hurts.

I got the wheels, now I need (another) bike to put them on.

That DID Hurt. A Little.

After a mixed but mostly good return from my one-week cycling hiatus last week, I was anxious to see what kind of legs I'd have at Green Mountain Cross and Boulder CycleSport Series #4. I think we're on 4. After last Sunday I feel like I have pretty good form and am hopeful I can hang on to it for just a little longer. With that in mind, it was off to the races.

Green Mountain was apparently opposite day since we rode the course in reverse from last year. It was also opposite day since I spent more time riding the ground with my bike on top of me. Turns out you don't go as fast that way. From the start I was at the front with Adam and after the second turn, was in the lead. And then? Crash #1. Front wheel slipped out right before the stair run-up and a few guys went by me. I was fortunate in that I was able to get back on quickly and keep fighting. Somehow I got into second position and the guy that I was following forgot to turn. Anyone know what happened to him? He was last seen heading for Lookout Mtn. Maybe he's hangin with Buffalo Bill. Anyway, the rest of the lap was uneventful except Eric passed me and in what I'm sure was an effort to help me feel better about myself, he slid out of the first corner after the start/finish. Back near the front I wanted to show everyone who didn't see it the first time exactly how to fall while going through a corner and dumped it into a right hand turn. This time a bunch of guys got by me and I was a little slower to get back on my bike. I tried fighting for a lap or two to see if I could make up any ground but it quickly became clear that the good legs I had were only going to be wasted. I hung out somewhere around 14th for a little bit and was able to move up to 12th but not before seeing what the dirt felt like one more time. Three times down, all three on my right side. Once I got home and cleaned up my leg looked like I got into a fight with a cat and the cat won. Lots of scratches that drew blood and a couple cherries on the knee. Same with my right elbow. The problem, though, is that there's a lot of bruising underneath that and the combination was pretty sore for the rest of the night. I literally spent the rest of the night on the couch since any movement hurt my leg, even if it was just my pants brushing against it when I walked. Oh yeah, I finished in 12th which I was happy with considering I forgot how to ride a bike.

Race day 2. As painful as it can be, I really love racing both days of the weekend. Even though I was sore when I got out of bed, I got to the race with enough time to chat with a lot of the guys I end up racing shoulder to shoulder with. And even if I curse their names as they're passing me, it's still a good bunch of guys that makes the racing fun. After a few warm-up laps I knew this wasn't a great course for me and I'd end up hurting from the effort. Uphill start to a grass section that led to a staircase with about 30 steps (seriously) to more grass that slowly goes uphill to, yes, another staircase with 30 more steps. Fortunately there was a huge downhill from there and the lower part of the course was fast and a little more technical. I got the hole shot I wanted, only because I didn't want to be caught up with anyone going through the first two 180s before the steps. It wasn't too long after that that people started going by me. Eric first, then Tony. The passes were happening in the same place - the grass section. I just didn't have the power to keep up despite the encouragement as they passed. With a couple more laps to go, Frank came by me, again with encouragement. I hung on to his wheel until the final sprint and then watched as the black and red blur that was Brad sped by me and I hung on for 7th. An improvement from the day before with the added bonus of not crashing.

One more week and I'll probably hang up the bikes (literally - they hang in my garage) for the season. If I do race after that it will be purely for fun. First, though, we have to get through States this weekend. No idea what the course will be like but I'm already looking forward to it!

Needing A Break

My plan for the season was to not race the Ft. Collins New Belgium Cup races despite the fanfare and fun atmosphere that accompanied it. Lucky for me, I stayed true to form and was able to see what normal people do on weekends. That obviously assumes that racing your bike almost every Saturday and Sunday throughout the Fall isn't normal. Personally, I still think that's up for debate. Anyway, that was the plan going in and I knew it had to happen since I was starting to feel a bit crispy and annoyed. During both days of warm-ups the week before I seriously considered dropping out of the race before it started. I didn't, but it was contemplated and feeling like that was all the confirmation I needed. So what did I do instead? I stayed away from my bike for all but one evening, went to a Broncos game, and slept in. It was nice.

My little hiatus may have been too nice since Saturday came and I was having a hard time getting going at AlphaCross during warm-ups. The course wasn't overly tricky with the exception of a few off camber sections, but it was almost all grass and required a lot of power. Let's just say that if this were a two, maybe three lap race, I would have been great! I was near the front and feeling........empty. I was pushing hard but couldn't do anything to sustain the effort and sure enough, nobody felt sorry for me (other than me) and I watched guys go right by unable to hang on to them. When the race mercifully ended I got 7th and Adam had a great race with a duel for 1st that he won in a sprint. We celebrated at Park Burger with one of the tastiest damn burgers I've had in a while - beef, ham, and fried egg (over easy to the snottiness gets on everything).

Fast forward to Sunday and everything felt better. Except the weather. The weather sucked. It was 45* in Denver when I was at Einstein's at 7:30 and 28* and windy in Longmont when we got there. Everything about the warm-up (and related rituals) was planned around staying in the car as long as possible. Registration, back to the car. Bathrooms, back to the car. Change....in the car. If I could have set up a trainer in the car and pre-rode the course from my front seat, you can bet I would have done that too. The warm-up was a quick 2 laps of what was a relatively shorter and fast course. The tricks were the loooong starting sprint to the hole shot, a looooong sandy section that we were running since it wasn't packed down enough to ride yet, and the bmx bike section. Once the whistle blew I somehow managed to come into the hole shot in second and held the wheel of first place. That lasted until the down/up section when first place......well, I have no idea what happened, but the guy in first didn't make it up the hill and I think he crashed. It pushed me to the side and into the course tape. I rode through and was lucky enough to not have it wrap around any part of my bike. Crisis averted, I went from 2d to 5th, and from 5th to 4th/3d. There were three of us in 2d - 4th and we worked to pull back the lead that 1st had. And then took the lead ourselves. Adam and I rode together and opened up a small gap. I was riding the back side better, he was riding the front better. As we got down to the last two laps, we were side by side when it was Adam's turn to pull and when he went, I didn't have the legs to go with. It was a small enough gap that I lost the draft and had to re-assess. Realizing that two guys were right behind me, and knowing who they were, I also knew that if I wanted 2d I had to keep pushing. Hard. While that worked, it didn't work well enough and I got passed in the last section but was able to roll in for 3d. It was a great feeling after how terrible I felt the day before. And even if I would have been passed by more people, it was as much fun as I can remember having in a race in a long time. Good tactics and charging hard the whole time changing roles from being the hunter to the hunted. There are definitely no gifts out there which made 3d all the better for me.

Apparently that's what the podium looks like. I can't say for sure since I'm not all that familiar with it, but it's nice up there. And the prizes were good too. Aside from being warm, the two things you generally need after a cross race are beer and a massage and we received a 6-pack of beer, gift certificates for massage, granola and a coffee mug. Nice way to wrap up another weekend!