'Tis the Season to Call it a Season

Saturday was the NBX Grand Prix in Warwick Rhode Island and I was beginning to think this might be the last race of the season for me. I've been a bit mentally and physically burned out, well, for far too long, and I kept trying to drag myself just a little bit longer through the season. I hadn't ridden since the day before Thanksgiving, so I was going into this race in no kind of form, since a week and a half without riding will do that to you.

The day started at 4:45am when I rolled out of bed and into some clothes then waited for Jake to arrive. We then picked up Taylor and headed East. I closed my eyes and gave my best effort towards sleep en route, especially since I'd attracted some kind of stomach bug about 36 hours prior.

We arrived in some significant cold. Jake and Taylor readied themselves for the 8:30am Cat 4 race while I readied my cameras. During their race I ran around, using the small camera for video on the Gorillapod (many thanks to my sister, I finally put it to good use Lori), and the recently acquired SLR for still images. It was a lot of fun grabbing all the images, I even caught Taylor crashing, you should watch it (look for it just after 3 minutes in).

After hanging around for a while I raced at 12:30pm. Based on registration, I started way at the back of the field. As soon as we hit the first sandpit and sandy run up I moved up some places. Then I found myself running directly into the back of another guy in a group that had come to a stop on a small up slope. I jumped off and ran, gaining a few more positions. Finally things cleared up and I settled into a pace I could hold. I knew not to make any extra efforts as I certainly wouldn't recover. I passed a few guys and a few passed me but I found myself in a general race with a few other guys.

The only consistent competitor around me was Vinnie from Keltic Construction. At one point his hand slipped picking up his bike over the barriers; the bike hit the barrier and stopped, he did not. And so I thought I dropped him for good while he ran back for his bike. However I found myself with another guy who would pull ahead of me but refused to pull me in his draft on the pavement. He would slow up and move so as to indicate for me to pull through. Good strategy would say to refuse pulling, which I did until he was pretty much just coasting. I realized that I couldn't loligag behing him for long as Vinnie would likely catch back on. This happened 3 times, and much to my dismay, Vinnie caught back on with a lap and a half to go. We had a great battle over that last bit and it made for quite a fun race. Our sprint at the finish made for an exciting way to finish the season even though I couldn't quite come around him at the line to win our little battle.

Taylor and Jake used my cameras while I raced, the photos and video from the day are at the links listed below.

Photos are here (or slideshow). A total of 542 pictures were taken, I've narrowed them down to the good ones.

Videos:
Early in the Cat 4 race
Cat 4 Men in the Barriers
Cat 4 Men running Sand trap #2 (Taylor's spill at 3:12)
Start of my race (Cat 2/3)
Ticking off another lap
The Sprint Finish


I wish I had stayed and raced at day 2 of the event. My friend Adam went solely to take photographs and he said the conditions were awesome. Snow with a little mud, conditions that would have made for a great race. He took a lot of photos, a number of them quite qood, they're worth a look. You can see them here.

Slowing, like molasses

I'm a little slow with a lot of things recently, including posts. There hasn't been much to write about as of late. The last race was Cheshire Cross and I haven't been on the bike since the day before Thanksgiving, though it was a ride that involved snow. I never planned an appropriate break in the season, now my mind and body are just burned out. Thus I'm just getting slow on the bike, I'm slow at building up motivation to ride, heck I'm just slow, like molasses in January. I'm going to go out this weekend though and have some fun drifting around the course at Warwick, Rhode Island. There's nothing quite like riding a fully taped off 'cross course, even if you are slow.

On the up shot, I'm currently sitting in the top 10 of CX Magazine's fantasy cyclocross league. That means my choices of pro riders are riding quite well, even if I am not. Though I'm down 1 spot from last week, I'm still hanging in there and hoping to hold out for a top 10 or better by the end of the international cyclocross season in February.

I also got a hold of some video that my friend Mike took at the Cheshire race. I posted two of them to vimeo, one is embedded below.

The final lap of the race, I thought I finally had the hill, as in, I was going to ride up the whole thing. Alas the second log foiled me. I'd been the only guy trying in my race, or so I was told, but another guy followed me, riding up the hill, that final lap.

THe Hill at Cheshire Cross 08 from Scott Frison on Vimeo.

Cheshire Cross Tailgate

Saturday morning was cold. So was the entire day for that matter. I'm not even sure that it ever made it above 30°F. The sun was bright, which added some sense of warmth at times, but the wind was blowing a lot, thus adding quite a chill. This would be the first really cold 'cross race of the season. The cold tends to be extra painful, since by the end races at these temperatures I usually can't feel my toes to well. Thank goodness they're only 45 minutes.

The Cheshire race is considered my 'home' race since it is only a short drive from my residence. Because it is so close and because my race as well as Taylor's and Jake's race were late enough in the day we decided to throw a tailgate party, hoping to snare some of friends into coming and cheering for us. With the added lure of food and booze a few were willing to brave the cold day and cheer. A BIGGEST THANK YOU to each of them!

I arrived at the park to see Matt from the Devil's Gear Bike Shop already there. We set up our little tailgate area and soon I was off taking some photos with my new camera. I got a look at a few sections of the course before heading back to the tent to greet the arriving friends. We ended up with quite a crowd around our tent.

Just before I raced, Taylor and Jake went out on course for their race. I was able to shout and watch them come around while warming up on the trainer. Both had a great race. Then I headed for the start. I was good and warm but I found myself in a second row starting position. The start didn't go too well either, somehow I was near the back of the pack after the first turn. Not only that everyone seemed to be pulling away. I had nothing, the legs couldn't turn the gear I needed to push over. (I had realized the night before why I'd felt so slow lately, I've only been putting a quarter of my regular time on the bike over the last month and a half; at best.)

Needless to say, I had no chance of keeping up. I watched most of the field just pull away from me and there was nothing I could do. At this point I was a bit disappointed in myself, all my friends had braved the cold and I was going to be doing my best not to be DFL, instead of doing my best for a top 5 or better. I figured I might as well try to please the crowd and have some fun. On what is probably the longest run up of the New England circuit, almost everyone was running. The log at the bottom and the log half way up made for a difficult ride. Plus there were numerous roots strewn about the lower half. I saw maybe 3 guys ride the hill earlier in the morning. For the first few laps I got over the first log and about half way to the second log, losing traction in some loose dirt on the right side or getting hung up in the roots on the left. The crowd of people that had gathered there loved my attempts though. They would scream like crazy as I made my attempt to ride up the hill.

Finally on the last two laps I made it to the second log of the hill. On my first attempt over it I just didn't have enough speed to get the whole bike over. On the final lap I managed to get the bike over the log, but didn't have enough momentum to keep the bike moving. The crowd seemed to love it though.

My friends were all over the course. There was hardly a spot where there weren't screaming at me. That alone made this race about the most fun I've ever had with a race. I was way off the back just trying not to be last, but I was having quite a bit of fun with all the screaming and shouting. At one point I rolled towards the edge of the course as Mike was running beside me yelling, I gave him I nice push in the shoulder just to play back a little. At another point, after I'd failed to ride 'the hill,' I pumped my fist in the air while running the rest of the way up through the crowd.

All in all, not a bad day. My results were far less than stellar, but introducing a new group of people to Cyclocross was great. Watch for next year, the tailgate is likely to be back.

Many thanks to Lee who shot some video for me. Some of the videos he got are posted on my Vimeo page. Some of the shots I got with the new camera and some of the shots Kevin took with it while I was racing can be found on my Picasa page.

My friend Adam was there taking photos as well. His shots can be seen at this page.

Cyclocross 101: class 10, review and wrap up

We've come through a lot of information on cyclocross, and there is really a lot more to be had. However, at this time it would likely be best to go out and experience a cyclocross race. The written word can only provide so much about the overall experience that can be had at a race.

The basics have been covered here. The start, the obstacles, the competition, the bell lap. Essentially the race is about going as fast as you can, while pacing yourself just enough to last the set time period without imploding. A little knowledge from various cycling disciplines is quite helpful. Bike handling skills from mountain biking and power and strategy from road cycling, cyclocross encompasses it all.

Before we completely wrap up this course there is one brief topic left. That is being a fan at a race. There are a couple of items essential to being a really good 'cross fan. First, a good beer and some frites with mayo (fries to Americans) will keep your belly happy and your soul warm. Second, warm up your voice and scream at your favorite racer each time they come around the course. At most races in America there aren't enough fans to fully line all parts of the course, so you can likely even run around a few places and catch the rider a few times per lap to scream at them even more. The final essential element is a cow bell. As the saying goes, more cowbell! An air horn would be a suitable substitute in most cases.

So this concludes Cyclocross 101. If you would like to go back and review each class just follow the links below. It's been fun!

Class 1, The Overview
Class 2, The Competition
Class 3, The Race Format
Class 4, The Barriers
Class 5, More On Barriers
Class 6, An in Depth Look at Barriers
Class 7, An in Depth Look at Run Ups
Class 8, An in Depth Look at Sand Pits
Class 9, The Start
Class 10, Review and Wrap Up

How Disappointing...

Well, it's official, I checked crossresults.com and my finish in Northampton was my worst result in a cyclocross race, ever. That is if you look at the percentage of the field that beat me. 77.5 % Of the field beat me. The closest result to that was the first 'cross race I ever competed in, Gloucester, day 1, 2007, where 72.1% of the field beat me. You can look at my race history and analysis if you like.

On the upside, my halloween costume was great this year. Of course it was at its best because of a group effort. Pacman!!


Pacman and Ghosts from Scott Frison on Vimeo.

Double race report

I have to jump back to October 26 and Beer Cross 1 to begin this race report. Jake and I headed for Dayville, CT early in the morning. Jake rode the early Cat 4 race while I jumped around the course taking videos and shouting updates to him. He finished a solid 2nd place with about a 25 second advantage over 3rd. A little later he joined me in the Cat 2/3/4 race. This race started well with all the prospects of a return to the form I enjoyed in Baltimore. I took the whole shot on the start and through the tight, technical course I actually built a small lead. With ¾ mile left in the lap I had a small gap over 2nd and we enjoyed a comfortable, though small gap over the rest of the field. Soon enough I was in 2nd place and 1 lap further I was fading hard, too hard for that early in the race. Slowly I drifted back in the ranks and then Jake caught me, and briefly dropped me. I managed to catch back when his legs started to cramp on him. I then found myself in a battle with another guy with one lap to go. I made a move with a half lap remaining and opened a gap, then dropped my chain. Despite a quick recovery by shifting it back into place my rival caught back up as we headed down the stretch for the run up. He tried to pass, but knowing that I could pull away coming down the single-track hill after run up I gave everything I had to be in front at the run up. Sure enough I opened a gap on him down the hill and easily rode in to hold 10th place of 20.

Then came Halloween weekend, November, and the Cycle-Smart International in Northampton, Mass. Two nights of less than adequate sleep, on top of waning fitness bit me good. Taylor and I left the Dunkin’ Donuts parking lot at 6:12 am to catch his 8:30 am race. I ran around the course and shouted at him cheering him on to a strong ride.

Starting at nearly the back of the field I had my work cut out. The Cat 2/3 field is so aggressive, picking my way through the field would be tough, but I figured technical course full of turns would play to my advantage. Following Taylor’s advice I shot up the right side on the start, as everyone drifted left to make the hard right turn a hole opened up for me and I shot a few spots before grabbing the brakes hard for the turn. Going through the turn my handle bars were pressed hard against another guys, neither of us had any room to give. Coming out and getting up to speed I had to lock up the brakes as two guys in front of me did the same to avoid a crash. I was trying to get spots through the next few turns and coming out of one 180 degree left turn I was very close to the outside tape when I felt a lot of pressure pushing my rear wheel to the left. I fought against the pressure, and after what seemed like a very long time the pressure was gone and I heard someone hit the deck behind me. The guy’s front wheel had been leaning into my rear wheel and he finally lost his balance, going down and taking some others with him I noticed when looking back. The next lap, at one of the railroad track crossing, there were two guys right in front of me, the first tried to jump over the tracks, only to crash on landing. The second guy grabbed his brakes hard and was headed of the handlebars last I noticed, as I grabbed the brakes hard myself. I managed to escape without crashing. The rest of the race went something like this; I battled for positions, but slowly fell back places as my legs just couldn’t turn the gear I wanted them to. At the end I was totally spent and exhausted. I finished a measly 62nd of 81 finishers and 91 starters.

I also managed to forget the memory card for my camera, so the large number of videos I’d planned to capture, well they don’t exist. I did, however, grab a few videos of Jake during Beer Cross. Head over to my Vimeo page to find them.

Cyclocross 101: class 9, the start

We've discussed the start a little before, but this session is dedicated the start. It’s been noted that the start of a ‘cross race may actually account for as much as 20% of the factors leading to finishing position. Yes, the start is rather critical in determining how one will place at the end of the race. Let’s take a close look at why this is so.

The start is a mass start, meaning racers are gathered at the line and as soon as the starting signal is given, the race is on. At smaller races, starting position is first come first serve on the line; at larger races it may be determined by registration order. The larger races may have as many as 100 or more competitors. The starting line-up usually has between 6 and 8 racers per row and as many rows as needed. After all racers are lined up, an official will give various instructions concerning the race. After these instructions are given, the racers will be given a warning about the approximate time until the start, as many as 2 minutes, but rarely much more than that. Countdown updates are given, the last being around 15, 20 or 30 seconds until the start. At some races the start signal is given right on time, at others once the final countdown warning is given the signal to start may be given at any time up until that time runs out, for a little more randomness.

From previous classes we’ve seen how the group can get bunched together, especially in the first hard corners and obstacles. It is rather difficult to pass in this situation since there is little room to move until later when the field spreads out. If there is an accident, there can be major traffic jams, just the way an accident on a busy highway backs up the highway. This may be a bit obvious, but those closer to the back of the field when there is an accident are going to get slowed down quite a bit, while those up front pull away at full speed. Therefore, starting well and getting position near the front drastically reduces the chances of being involved in an accident or being held up by one.

Even if there is no accident, by nature, it is slower going in a large group on a tight course. Those in the very front can break down into a single file line and take the fastest lines through the corners; however those in the middle of the group will be forced to take nonstandard, slower lines.

So a race is stuck in the pack, he’s faster; he’ll catch up once everyone thins out, right? Maybe, this depends on how much faster he is. Depending on how the start went down, a racer may have lost a large amount of time on the leaders right off the start. Now that racer must work much harder to catch up, spending precious energy. Since cyclocross is such an intense effort, pushing one’s self too hard too early may leave one with little energy to maintain speed at the end of the race. Let’s say our race managed to make up the time lost, they’ve spent a lot of energy doing so. The leaders who have managed their effort may now pour on the pressure and increase the effort output, which may leave our racer behind since is too spent to hold the faster pace any longer. Had he been up front with the leaders he may have held the same pace as the leaders, conserving energy, and made an attack near the end of the race to take the win.

So that's it, start wherever for a good race, start up front and take the whole shot for a great race.

Watch below to see the start of the Cat 4 men at the recent Beer Cross race in Dayville, CT.

Beer Cross 1 Cat 4 start from Scott Frison on Vimeo.



Class 1, The Overview
Class 2, The Competition
Class 3, The Race Format
Class 4, The Barriers
Class 5, More On Barriers
Class 6, An in Depth Look at Barriers
Class 7, An in Depth Look at Run Ups
Class 8, An in Depth Look at Sand Pits
Class 9, The Start
Class 10, Review and Wrap Up

Just a little tid bit

I don't know that I ever mentioned how the finish actually went down on day 1 of Gloucester in my original recap. Well, I could feel something going on that was kind of strange coming from my crank in the last lap. With a quarter mile to go I realized the left crank arm was coming loose, meanwhile I had to fend off one guy surging towards while doing my best with a seated sprint. I didn't dare stand for fear that the extra torque would pop the crank off right when I had my weight on it sending me to the tramac in an unforgiving way.

The crank popped off while cooling down in the parking lot.

I have problems with cranks at that race. Last year I realized it was loose just minutes before the start, with just enough time to get it fixed. Later in that race I was battling a guy on the last lap whose left crank arm came off mid lap.

On to another tidbit. One of the heads of state over at crossresults.com slapped a little camera under his seat and took some video of what was going on behind him. He has 4 videos, each of a separate lap, 1 through 4. By the way, this was taken during the same race I competed in though I never see myself in here, probably because he has a far better starting position and rides the whole race faster than me.


Gloucester Cyclocross Seat Cam from colin reuter on Vimeo.

See the other laps.
Lap 2
Lap 3
Lap 4

Quick Update

The latest batch of videos is up and ready for your viewing pleasure, just click here.

We've got just a little bit left to cover in Cyclocross 101, the next class will be coming along soon, don't fret.

Mansfield Hollow 'Cross Race

One of the best races of the season, that's what I call Mansfield Hollow. The course is a great course, one needs to be good at all facets of 'cross to excel here. It's truly a fun course to ride. Unfortunately, restraining my left quad earlier in the week, then riding single speed in the woods another day left me with little spark on the day. Usually I can accelerate well out of the barriers or runs ups or steep banks, but I had no such accelerations. I was even struggling to get the bike up some banks that shouldn't have given me too much trouble.

I could tell off the start that there was little available for any bursts so I decided to find my pace immediately and hold it. After pulling an initial lead on Jake he slowly worked his way up to me. Finally he passed and opened a lead. With two laps to go I almost lost another position but fought back and continued my surge to nearly catch back onto Jake. But the effort cost me and while he was going at it a little easier for a little bit, he had a better kick for the final lap. I had however dropped the other guy that had passed me briefly. I finished 1 spot behind Jake, Taylor came in a few spots later.

After our finish, we headed for some free hot cider and other goodies. We also took the chance to heckle some other the other races taking place.

Photos from the day, click here.

Videos to come soon.

Cyclocross 101: class 8, an in depth look at sand pits

In this session we will review the sandpit. In this case there are a few corners in the sandpit. Many, including myself, were able to ride through it. For me, it was a little faster, only because I could accelerate faster out of the pit and avoid the heart rate spike associated with running at a full sprint, thus there is no needed recovery period. For the elite men’s race, with their speed and fitness it was faster to run. The risk of a slow, drifting ride, and possible forced dismount was not worth the attempt to ride. In this video we watch the leaders of the elite men’s race run through the sand on day 1 of the Gran Prix of Gloucester, 2008.

GP of Gloucester Day 1, Elite/Pro Men through the Sand Pit from Scott Frison on Vimeo.



Class 1, The Overview
Class 2, The Competition
Class 3, The Race Format
Class 4, The Barriers
Class 5, More On Barriers
Class 6, An in Depth Look at Barriers
Class 7, An in Depth Look at Run Ups
Class 8, An in Depth Look at Sand Pits
Class 9, The Start
Class 10, Review and Wrap Up

Cyclocross 101: class 7, an in depth look at run ups

In this session of special material we will look at the run up. The videos in this session are from the 2nd day at the Gran Prix of Gloucester, 2008. This run up is a prime example of the said obstacle. First we will see the Cat 4 men hit the run up on the first lap of their race.


GP of Gloucester Day 2 Run Up, Cat 4 Men from Scott Frison on Vimeo.

In this next video we will watch the Elite women attack the same run up on the first lap of their race.



GP of Gloucester 2008, Day 2, Elite Women on the Run Up from Scott Frison on Vimeo.



Class 1, The Overview
Class 2, The Competition
Class 3, The Race Format
Class 4, The Barriers
Class 5, More On Barriers
Class 6, An in Depth Look at Barriers
Class 7, An in Depth Look at Run Ups
Class 8, An in Depth Look at Sand Pits
Class 9, The Start
Class 10, Review and Wrap Up

Cyclocross 101: class 6, an in depth look at barriers

In the next few sessions of Cyclocross 101 we will enjoy some special material concerning various aspects of the race. In this first portion of bonus material we will look at the subject of recent discussion, the barriers.

In the first video we see the Cat 4 men approaching the barriers on lap 1 of their race at the first day of the Gran Prix of Gloucester, 2008. The barriers will be visible about halfway through the video. However, since it is the first lap you will notice how bunched together the racers are. These barriers are 40cm tall and are placed on an incline providing some difficult hurdling.


GP of Gloucester Day 1 Barriers Run Up, Cat 4 Men from Scott Frison on Vimeo.

In this next video we see more barrier action. The uphill incline and general fatigue causes Jake to nearly trip on the second barrier.



GP of Gloucester Day 1, Jake hits the barriers from Scott Frison on Vimeo.

Finally, we see Taylor finishing the barriers and returning to the bike to accelerate away.


GP of Gloucester Day 1, Taylor through the barriers from Scott Frison on Vimeo.



Class 1, The Overview
Class 2, The Competition
Class 3, The Race Format
Class 4, The Barriers
Class 5, More On Barriers
Class 6, An in Depth Look at Barriers
Class 7, An in Depth Look at Run Ups
Class 8, An in Depth Look at Sand Pits
Class 9, The Start
Class 10, Review and Wrap Up

GP of Gloucester, 2008

A brief review of the weekend’s races in Gloucester, MA. Oh yeah, it’s pronounced Glastah. Throw in some heavy Massachusetts-New England accent and it sounds really great. Saturday morning the races started at 9 am with Taylor and Jake partaking in the category 4 race. A recent acquaintance, John, from the Wednesday night training series we’d been riding was also there, but I didn’t notice him right away. As soon as the race got going I was already wishing I was in their field, frankly because I figured I could roll out a top 30 placing of over 100 guys pre-registered. However, I gladly took on my role as 5% pit guy, 5% strategy coordinator, and 90% heckler/cheerer. Jake apparently punched some holes through the pack in the first half lap. Taylor witnessed this and claimed there was no hole to pass with but somehow Jake made up a lot of places from the back of the pack. Both of them fell into place, Taylor in quite a battle with a half dozen guys through out the race, Jake slowly but surely moving through the field. I counted position and shouted it out, then shouted some other words, and ran around the course to yell at them multiple times per lap. Oh, and I rang a lot of cow bell at them. Jake finished 14th of 98 and Taylor 41st.

After a morning of conjuring myself around I raced at 1pm. I was already feeling a bit intimidated. I was racing in the Cat 2/3 field which was bound to be fast. Then the announcers were saying Cat 1/2/3. “WHAT!? I’m racing Cat 1’s as well, oh geeze.” (As it turns out, I don’t think there really were any Cat 1’s.) So now I’m really feeling like a small fish amongst sharks and wondering if I should have just stayed Cat 4 for a little longer. Then the top 20 starting spot I thought I’d get, drifted into an 8th row starting spot after numerous call ups for guys with certain standing. To top it all off, barely riding your bike for 2 weeks doesn’t leave one with much for legs. So the race started, and let me tell you, this was the most aggressive field I’d ever been in. It was a fight, tooth and nail for every little inch in the field. In the first half lap I narrowly avoided becoming part of three different giant pileups. One pile up actually formulated, but I managed to stay upright and moving. From there, it was pure lemons. My legs didn’t have much and I slowly drift back in the pack. Once I took a corner too hot, and without warning my rear wheel slipped out from under me and I hit the deck. Later, as I entered the corner just before the barriers my left foot failed to unclip from my pedal and I hit the deck again. The 2nd encounter with the ground was slightly more embarrassing since there were many more spectators hanging around the barriers. I rolled across the finish in 65th of 98. Far from stellar, but acceptable, considering this is Gloucester, a.k.a New England World’s. Yes it has the nickname of New England World Championships, the competition is that hot.

The rest of the afternoon was spent watching the elite fields race.

Day two started well enough, I was feeling better and more mentally stable. Jake did not stay to race, so I found myself shouting at Taylor and our friend John. John finished rather well, 22nd of 102. Taylor’s legs faded on him a bit from day 1 and he came in 51st after some further battles during the race. The best part was the addition of a large, steep run-up that had not been part of the course the first day, a prime spot for yelling at people during their height of suffering. After the race I found John to congratulate him, and he thanked me for all the shouting noting how much it helped and motivated him.

On to my race a 1pm; I tried to be a bit more aggressive during the start. I was, to some extent, but the whole field was fast and aggressive. I also had to avoid yet another crash, two guys were on the ground, dazed and confused. The run up was chaos, but I seemed to be a little faster running than those around me so I shoved my way through a few guys. This run up would be a good place for me all race, I tended to be faster through it than those near me. This race I stayed upright and my legs felt a little better. I managed 54th of 90. Thus ended another weekend of cyclocross excitement.

I've posted a lot of selected pictures.

Just before posting I had a little pick me up from Jake. He called and told me to check out the finishing times. Despite my mid-grade finish in Cat 2/3, I would have been top 10 in Cat 4. Thanks Jake.

Class to resume soon

Like any good teacher that goes to a good conference, I've returned with a plethora of information to share and use in the classroom. As soon as I figure out exactly how to share it with you, my students we will resume class. Until then, review the classes we've had thus far and get ready for some great supporting material.

Cyclocross 101: class 5, more on barriers

Now that we're familiar with the obstacles most commonly seen in 'cross we'll examine how some promoters use them to make the course really painful. One of the most common ways of creating such extra pain is to combine the run-up with barriers. Place a set of barriers at the bottom of a bank in which the riders will be going straight up and suddenly that rideable bank isn't so rideable. The rider coming in, dismounts to run over the barriers but then the bank has too much grade to get back on the bike and get it going. Thus the rider must run to the top. And as many people may have noticed, sprinting up a hill puts you into the red zone of anaerobic ability, no less while carrying something like a bike.

A slight variation on this is to throw the barriers in the middle of the uphill. This causes riders to carry less speed into the barriers as the bike slows quickly when it is not being pedaled up the hill. In actuality it tends to make the riders nearly stop forward motion. This makes for difficult traversing of the barriers.

To and another slight variation, throw a tight corner that exits uphill, with barriers part way up. This causes a situation where the rider must begin running up the hill from virtually a standing start, and without much running speed barriers are might tough to get over.

Below we see a picture from the GP of Gloucester in 2007. These barriers we placed in the middle uphill bank. It was very difficult to carry much speed into these barriers. There was a tight left hand turn, from which riders entered going down hill but exited going uphill. In the middle of this 20 meter bank was a set of 40cm barriers. The fastest way through was to dismount entering the corner, run up the hill until the ground leveled off then remount. Many racers attempted to mount their bikes to early and lost too much speed.




More to come after the weekend. It's off to the Gran Prix of Gloucester 2008.


Class 1, The Overview
Class 2, The Competition
Class 3, The Race Format
Class 4, The Barriers
Class 5, More On Barriers
Class 6, An in Depth Look at Barriers
Class 7, An in Depth Look at Run Ups
Class 8, An in Depth Look at Sand Pits
Class 9, The Start
Class 10, Review and Wrap Up

Cyclocross 101: class 4, the barriers

As mentioned in an earlier session there are various obstacles that can be found in 'cross courses. Such obstacles are meant to 'oblige' the rider to dismount their bicycles. In most cases some skilled riders can get by without dismounting, in other instances it would take a super human feat. Of course, just because you can ride the obstacle doesn't mean it is the fastest way through, and since we're talking about racing, well you get the idea.

The three main obstacles we usually see in cyclocross are run-ups, sand traps, and barriers. Run-ups are usually a relatively short hill or bank that are too steep to ride one's bike up. Sometimes they can be ridden by some but not others. In most cases, if you can ride up it, you'll be faster. There are also some run-ups that include stairs, pretty hard to ride up, especially on a 'cross bike.

Sand traps, consist of beaches or volleyball courts. The sand is rarely packed, rather very loose. If you've ever ridden a bike, or tried to ride a bike through sand, you know it is rather difficult. The bike wants to follow its own course and moves all over on you. Sometimes it is a straight shot through the sand, so most people can ride. Then other times the course designer throws in a turn or two, or three. Turns tend to force most people off their bikes, as they cannot get the bike to turn without the front wheel washing out.

The final obstacle is the barrier. According to UCI rules, there is a limited number of barriers per course and the size of them and distance apart the pair can be are regulated as well. They can only come in pairs as well. The rules on barriers are, 40cm high constructed of wood boards and 4 metes apart. This is all good and well, however some of the best courses, in my opinion, are not UCI legal. First of all, sometimes the barriers aren't 40cm high. Sometimes they are lower, other times, higher. I've seen small logs, to large logs that one needs to step on top of to get over, to small fences, or sets of four barriers, or a single barrier. Now the riders don't have to dismount their bikes for the barriers, but lets face it, most of us can't hop a bike 40cm into the air. Nor can we do it clean enough and fast enough to be efficient in a race. There are a few guys out there that can get over the barriers with relative efficiency though, and when they do make an attempt it is a real crowd pleaser.

That's all we'll cover for now on the obstacles but I'll leave you with more video footage to watch.

In our first video we have JPOW explaining how to hop the barriers. In our second video we see Matt White cleaning them nicely without a dismount.



Class 1, The Overview
Class 2, The Competition
Class 3, The Race Format
Class 4, The Barriers
Class 5, More On Barriers
Class 6, An in Depth Look at Barriers
Class 7, An in Depth Look at Run Ups
Class 8, An in Depth Look at Sand Pits
Class 9, The Start
Class 10, Review and Wrap Up

Cyclocross 101: class 3, the race format

Sorry for the delay in our next class, we'll get right into the next lesson.

In class 1 we learned that races were based on time, and as the race developed more, based on laps. We'll begin our discussion of race format by reviewing the time based situation. Most people familiar with racing are used to a race where the number of laps to be raced is set at the start, like the Indianapolis 500. Mario Andretti knew he had to do 200 laps before beginning the race. In cyclocross you neve quite know how many laps of a course you will complete.

When the racers gather at the start line, some selected person goes over some general information about the course and basic rules, and they indicate the time length of the race. In Cat 4, 40 minutes is pretty standard, Cat 2/3, 45 minutes, and in Cat 1, 50 minutes. The professional fields run 60 minutes. This applies to the men's fields, the women usually run a few minutes less.

Now the race starts, and everyone knows they are racing for approximately 40 minutes if they are cat 4. Granted not everyone can finish their lap exactly at the 40 minutes mark. So after 2 or 3 laps, the officials have the average lap time. With this they can figure out approximately how many laps can be completed in the given time. If it looks like the leaders should complete a lap around 39 minutes the officials will post that as the last lap. If they look to be completing some laps around 35 minutes and 41 minutes, the lap closer to 41 minutes will be designated as final. When the officials make their decision based on the average lap time calculation, they display the number of laps left at the start/finish line. Most racers know after two or three laps to look at the lap cards to gauge their effort and strategy for the rest of the race.

With one lap to go for the leaders, a bell is rung to signify the last lap. Fittingly, this is known as the bell lap. The rules on lapped riders can vary from race to race. At some races, as soon as a rider becomes lapped, they are pulled from course. At other races, they continue to race but finish on the same lap as the leaders even though they've completed fewer laps.

The start of a 'cross race is critical, especially at larger races. Getting as close to the front row is critical, especially at larger races. Racers line up in rows, up to 8 or 10 riders across and as many rows deep as needed. The start is from a standstill and can be very predictable, or they may simply say 30 seconds and the whistle may blow anytime in the next 30 seconds. Once the whistle goes off, it is an all out sprint into the first few corners. Getting ahead is critical, maybe even 20% of producing a good finish. If one can make it through the turns with a good line and through the obstacles and technical stuff ahead of the traffic they stand to pull a large gap while others get slowed down by the high traffic effect. Because the start is so important, it is not uncommon to see racers fighting tooth and nail for position during the first lap or two. Leaning against each other and rubbing handlebars is not all that uncommon. At Charm City Cross I brushed one guy's handlebar as I dove into the inside of a corner on him. At the Wednesday night training series my bike got a little squirrely in some sand I hadn't noticed as I tried to make a pass and I ended up leaning fully into the guy I was trying to pass for at least 10 or 15 meters.

During the race, some road tactics can come into play such as drafting, depending on the course. A very fast course would allow for drafting, while a slower technical one would not. When things settle out it really becomes a matter of holding pace with the competition and figuring out where you're stronger on course. Once you pick out the spots of advantage you know where you can make a move near the end of the race and drop your compatriots.

During the final lap the fight for position gets aggressive again. The bell has rung and everyone knows this is it. As they come towards the finish line, if anybody is still together it breaks into a complete sprint for the finish line.

This pretty much sums up the race format. We have a video for you this time, which sort of shows the importance of the lap cards [and that the officials keep them accurate]. It comes by way of cyclofile.com. It is a recap of the Starcrossed and Rad Racing GP races a few weeks ago. The cards got messed up, and you'll see Ryan Trebon get a bit unhappy and Jeremy Powers (aka JPOW) gives his description of what happened at Starcrossed.

2008 Star Crossed/Rad Racing GP Cyclo-Cross from sam smith on Vimeo.



Class 1, The Overview
Class 2, The Competition
Class 3, The Race Format
Class 4, The Barriers
Class 5, More On Barriers
Class 6, An in Depth Look at Barriers
Class 7, An in Depth Look at Run Ups
Class 8, An in Depth Look at Sand Pits
Class 9, The Start
Class 10, Review and Wrap Up

Cyclocross 101: class 2, the competition

Before we delve too much into the ideas about the course, its make up, and the obstacles I'd like to cover the competitors that ride on the course. Many races are held under the rules and backing of the governing organization, USA Cycling. USAC provides categories based upon experience and results. In 'cross there are currently four categories, though only a few years ago there was simply an A race, B race, and C race. A was the fastest and C the entry level. Then the classes were designated in a fashion similar to road racing using a numerical system. Now Category 1, or Cat 1 for short is the upper echelon and Cat 4 the entry level. However, organizers have not necessarily change the number of races to meet the categories, and still hold a bit to the tradition of A, B, and C races. That is there is usually a race for Cat 1 racers, then one for Cat 2/3, and one for Cat 4. Sometimes the promoters change the grouping a little, but this is generally the grouping.

Moving up a category requires a racer to post certain results. One exception is moving from Cat 4 to Cat 3. Racers looking to upgrade are allowed to do so after participating in a set number of races, however most tend to try and meet the finish results aspect of the requirement. After all, most people like to be at least semi-competitive within their category and moving up based on results may mean the new class will be significantly faster. There are also rules that state a rider must upgrade their category if post a certain number of high place finishes.

Manditory upgrades keep the fast guys from dominating in lower classes, and give others a chance to accomplish good results and upgrade themselves. The manditory upgrades also keep the classes more competitive.

I hope you enjoyed today's session, next time we'll cover the race format a little more in depth.
Since the link on usacycling.org isn't quite correct, you've been saved from homework and the suggested readings this time.



Class 1, The Overview
Class 2, The Competition
Class 3, The Race Format
Class 4, The Barriers
Class 5, More On Barriers
Class 6, An in Depth Look at Barriers
Class 7, An in Depth Look at Run Ups
Class 8, An in Depth Look at Sand Pits
Class 9, The Start
Class 10, Review and Wrap Up

Cyclocross 101: class 1, the overview.

I've had a request to explain all of the cyclocross nonsense of which I write. As such, many of you reading this may be familiar with various forms of cycling, or even a complete novice on cycling, but no matter the cycling Jedi status, many seem to have one look upon their face at the mention of 'cross.

??????????????

And with that I welcome you to Cyclocross 101. In this session we will cover cyclocross, or 'cross, basics.

'Cross developed in the early 1900s in Europe as a way for road racers to stay in shape through the winter months. Granted, there were no mountain bikes at the time so all that really existed was a 'road' style bike that was raced on either roads or on a track, called a velodrome. As it was, road races didn't extend through the winter months so many a racer took to riding their bike in the less than desirable conditions and to mix it up a little they started wandering from the roads.

Before long there were officiated races and 'cross took hold. 'Cross courses can vary significantly, but generally they have a particular theme; they are generally held in parks or other public local. There is usually minimal elevation gain compared to what one may find during a road race or mountain bike race, but this is not to say the races are pancake flat. In fact, many course feature a short steep hill or bank that obliges riders to dismount their bikes and run to the top before mounting the bike again. Clever enough, such an feature is called a run-up. There are also generally barriers on course as well. Again, they are designed to oblige riders to dismount their cycles, run over the obstacle, then return to riding. Barriers come in many shapes and forms; low fences, logs, or planks of wood. Some locations are lucky enough to provide a large area of sand, and since we are talking parks, this usually means a large volleyball court. Again, loose sand is difficult to ride through, especially if a corner or two are thrown in, so riders tend to dismount and run through the obstacle.

At this point we understand that there are obstacles on course, but we must investigate the course as a whole. Course usually range from 1 to 2.5 miles and even slightly longer, though an attempt is usually made by the organizer to produce a lap that will take between 5 and 8 minutes to ride for most competitors. Depending upon the level of event and funding various items mark the course. At large events the entire course will be marked on both sides by caution style tape. At small events, tape will be used minimally to block off significant turns and small flags, and paint may be used.

'Cross races are also based mostly on time, i.e. 30 minutes, 40 minutes, 60 minutes. Officials take a reading during the first few laps and factor and average lap time for the leaders. At this point they can figure approximately how many laps can be completed in the set time, or finished as close to the time as possible. Once this is figured they begin to place lap cards on display. Once the cards are out, that is simply the tool used by racers to determine how much racing is left. As the last lap starts, as with many other sports such as track & field, a bell is rung to indicate the last lap, otherwise known as the bell lap.

At this point I think we've covered a general outline of the sport and I'll allow you to digest this fascinating information while you complete your homework. Over the course of our next few sessions we will dive further into various details of the race and the course.

For your homework I have some suggested reading. There is a pretty good article written in wikipedia on cyclocross here.
the Gran Prix of Gloucester race website also has a decent, if brief explanation here.


Class 1, The Overview
Class 2, The Competition
Class 3, The Race Format
Class 4, The Barriers
Class 5, More On Barriers
Class 6, An in Depth Look at Barriers
Class 7, An in Depth Look at Run Ups
Class 8, An in Depth Look at Sand Pits
Class 9, The Start
Class 10, Review and Wrap Up

On the road again

Another weekend and another road trip. This time was purely for the pleasure of getting away and visiting friends and family in the greater area surrounding our nation's capital. And while there was no racing to be had, despite the temptation of a 'cross race in Buckeystown, MD, there was some riding.

I departed Friday morning, in the rain. By the time I arrived in the Allentown, PA area, I'd moved out of the showers. I grabbed a sub from a local store and made my way to stop #1, the velodrome in Trexlertown. After discovering the weekend before that the track was open for public use it became a definite stop on this trip, provided the weather would hold out. The threat of rain remained but it seemed as though it might hold off for a while. Initially I thought the gates were closed and almost left in complete disappointment, but thankfully my curiosity got the better of me. I back up the car and went looking around the gates. Low and behold the lock was not secured on the main gate despite the appearance from afar, and the athlete entrance was wide open. I scurried back to my car in the parking lot, grabbed my bike and clothes, changed in the locker room and headed out to the track. After riding 100 laps (+/-1 lap count error) in an hour of the 333 meter track, I showered and got back on the road.

The next stop was Gettysburg. South of town, in the monument laden battlefield I pulled over and got out for a much needed stretch. I walked around and investigated some of the information plaques and monuments. After the brief respite and gaining further interest in spending a day or two in Gettysburg to really take in the history, it was back on the road to Germantown, Maryland.

Here I arrived at the lovely home of my good friends Derek and Jess. We spent the evening dining and catching up. Saturday Derek and I met with my sister for brunch and then after returning for Jess we all went to an Octoberfest in Frederick. The celebration of German culture was small and entertaining, but a bit less exciting than any of us had anticipated. Certainly, the best part was the food and beer. Saturday evening began with some neighbors joining us for dinner with plans to watch the Penn State vs. Illinois football game. Dinner was great (thanks Jess), but ABC decided our region should be watching the Virginia Tech vs. Nebraska game. Thus the party thinned to Derek, Jess and myself staying awake enough to catch score updates.

Sunday came too soon and it was time to head for Connecticut. I planned to follow a similar path back through Amish country, but with a small detour into Philadelphia for a brief dinner visit with my friend Sarah and her boyfriend, Matt. I can say that I now have a baseline from which to compare all other "Philly" cheese steaks. It is quite a standard to live up to. The stop was far too short, but I had to get back on the road if I hoped to return to Connecticut before the wee hours of the morning, so I exited the Philly area amidst more rain to finish out my trip, just as I'd started it.

Maybe it was the Doughnut?

The doughnut was my form of doping at Charm City, lots of sugary glazed goodness. Common sense might say something like that would sit like a brick in your stomach, but I've found that I can eat a lot of strange foods before a race, especially two hours before. With that much time, my stomach has a chance to settle. So I will contribute my superb finish on Sunday to the doughnut. Taylor, if you're reading this, you should try one next time.

Okay so it probably wasn't the doughnut...

I did however come across some images from Nittany Lion Cross. Just follow the links to enhance your viewing pleasure.

Scott 1
Scott 2
Scott 3
Scott 4
Scott 5

Taylor 1
Taylor 2
Taylor 3

Perhaps the headlining news from the weekend was the 15 year old that absolutely stomped the men's B field (Cat 2/3/4 race). He could still be racing in the junior category but he walked away with wins on both days in the regular men's cat 2/3/4 race. Future Pro?

Follow this link to see a video of the elite men's race. Or you can follow this link to watch a little bit of the sand pit run of doom.

'Cross Road Trip part 2: Charm City Cross

So the official result from Nittany Lion was 27th of 47 finishers. Not as good as I'd initially thought, 10 more guys in the field would have put me in the top half. All in all not bad though. My legs weren't all there, and the strain injury I'd incurred to my left quad a week earlier was bothering my pretty bad at the barriers.

So it was on to Baltimore. We arrived at the park with plenty of time to eat the breakfast we'd picked up along the way. No bagel sandwiches at the 7-Eleven, so I settled for a croissant. That and a giant twisted glazed doughnut. Much to Taylor's disbelief I did eat it before the race. Not pre-race food in his mind I guess.

We signed in, got ready and as soon as the 9am race finished we took our chance to preview the course prior to the next race. After more warming up it was off to the start area for the 11am B race.

Cyclocross used to be split up as A, B, and C fields. The categories were re-designated to Cat 1, Cat 2, Cat 3, and Cat 4. A and 1 being the fastest. With the new categories most events split the fields into races for Cat 1, Cat 2/3 and Cat 4. Sometimes they have the Cat 4 race but also allow Cat 4's into the Cat 2/3. This was the case at Charm City Cross. Thus I convinced Taylor to race the Cat 2/3/4 race some time ago just to get an idea of how racing with the "B's" would be.

So we lined up, about half way back in the field according to our registration date. The start was average for me, not fantastic but not bad. Then we hit the first tight corner that was causing some serious traffic back-ups. I dove in hard, brushing one guys handlebar and forcing another further outside on the off camber corner. I had to take a few steps straddling my top tube as we turned up the bank but was quickly pedaling again. A little later we hit some more tight 180° type turns. Other guys eased off and started coasting into the corners, I simply dove in really hard, forcing them off their line. I made up a number of spots in these corners. Finally after a lap and a half things settled in. Positions traded a little here and there, but I finally found myself with 3 other guys. We rode a lap together, then two of us began to pull away. My legs were feeling better today and the strain injury was not bothering me. I thought we might just pull off this attack. Then my partner slid out in a corner and I braked hard to avoid running him over. I asked if he was okay as I got going and cheered to him get up quickly and catch back on to me.

We'd had 2 or 3 other guys chasing our former group of 4 down, and we both expressed interest in working together to not get caught. His crash threw a snarl in the plan. I was now off the front of about 6 guys chasing hard, chasing me. I'd initially eased up just slightly hoping my partner would catch back onto me before the ensuing group got him, but now I was having trouble holding them off. Mentally I sort of resigned myself to the fact that I would get caught, which truly was the deciding factor. The mental game is a huge part of it all. I figured if I reserved enough until they caught me I could make a move on them and pull away one last time. But in my reservations I got sloppy in the corners, the places I'd been faster than most.

They caught me, and I really didn't have anything to attack and pull away. Instead, one by one the slipped by. I held onto the back of them but I couldn't pull back through the group. So in the last lap I lost 5 places.

Despite the dreadful finish within the small group I still managed another 27th place, out of 81 finishers shown in the results. This, I'm very happy with. Especially since I was racing against Cat 2's as well as my class of Cat 3's. Now if I'd only dug deep and found the strength to hold off my pursuers, I might have had 22nd!

My sister was cool enough to come experience the nonsense of 'cross racing, since her residence near D.C. is only an hour away. She got some photos which are posted here. I will have some from Nittany Lion Cross soon. Within a week I may have some video as well.

'Cross Road Trip part 1: Nittany Lion Cross

True 'cross season has arrived. Summer has ended and it was like as if someone hit a switch and cooled the temperatures. Today started out a bit brisk, close to 40° I think but gradually warmed to a beautiful and sunny 70°. While still a 'little warm' for 'cross I felt the temperatures to be just right for my 11 am race. We Are... at Penn State Lehigh for Nittany Lion Cross and the first race of the Verge Mid-Atlantic Series.

Taylor started the day off in the Cat 4 race at 9am. The course was essentially a grass carpet, generally smooth with some undulations and a few short steep banks to ride up. With the dew still lying heavy, his race started with some slick corners. I watched more than one person slide out in one sharp corner. His cornering prowess played out well, and what seemed to be a power course was not as much so. Cornering skills were good to have. Despite getting caught up by the competition on three occasions in the sand pit he still showed good form for the first race and placed an excellent 15th of 39.

At 11 am I ventured into my first race as a Cat 3 rider. I felt a bit intimidated at the starting line since the race was a combination of Cat 2 and Cat 3, Category 2 essentially supposed to be faster than us threes. However, I had a fair start from the middle of the pack and after a bit of an effort I settled into a groove, or at least as much as one can settle in a 'cross race. At only 45 minutes the intensity is high and the chance of rest is next to nothing. I found myself battling with the same 4 or so riders in the last half of the race. In the last lap it came down to 4 of us, and then essentially 3 of us. After we rounded the final hard right I though it was a sprint between 3 of us, but two other riders had charged hard and caught us, a complete surprise to me. The two I'd been battling chased the first guy in the sprint, but I wound up to slow and only contested with the last of them, taking him as we crested the final grass bank for the finish. I finished in 27th of around 50 or 60. I'm rather happy with the result as I'd though I might be in well over my head at the start.

After the race was a short stop at the Trexlertown velodrome. The temptation to grab the 'cross bike and do a lap was great, especially since the track was open for public use. But alas, I did not.
A couple hours later, and we're in Baltimore. With tired legs and a very full stomach, food coma is taking over.

Charm City Cross tomorrow.

The Dancing Chain

My Uncle Jim is off to France to ride up Alpe D'Huez. He's written some interesting stuff so far on his blog. He will be writing an account of his travel as he has WiFi access available at dancingchain.blogspot.com.

So far I've found the traveler accounts of the area in which he will be staying particularly entertaining.

Movin' On Up

It is now official, I've upgraded. I am no longer part of the Sport class in the Cross Country mountain bike racing discipline, nor am I a Category 4 racer in Cyclocross. After posting respectable results for two seasons and meeting the mandatory rule of a top five at the National Mountain Bike Championships I submitted my resume of race results to upgrade from sport to expert. The request was accepted and I will race next season as an expert, actually a Cat 1 XC mountain biker since they are changing the category system for 2009 in mountain biking.

USA Cycling also has a chart listing equivalent categories and since I am now an 'expert' I was also able to upgrade my Cyclocross category in parallel. I'd also met the minimum number of races needed to upgrade as the alternative reason. I will immediately begin racing in Cat 3 races in 'cross, beginning this coming weekend at Nittany Lion 'Cross and Charm City Cross. We will see how this pans out or if I'm in over my head.

One Season Ends and Another Begins

The riding has been on the light side lately, though suplemented with cross training. Running has entered the program on a regular basis, including bleachers and wind sprints. The change has been good, both mentally and physically.

The exercises have left my legs a little sore and tired, but I still managed to pull off a good ride on Saturday. The series final of the root 66 race series was held in Ware, MA. A few guys showed up in my class, 5 I believe. I pulled out a 2nd place finish on the rugged course. One 10.5 mile loop had a lot, especially after some wet times recently. High speed sections, tough and rough technical areas, killer uphills, mud pits and large puddles. It was a fantastic course to ride, and a fitting end to the mountain bike XC season.

On with Cyclocross now. I've and a few early season races and training races thus far, but the bigger races begin the coming weekend. On the list are Nittany Lion 'Cross and Charm City 'Cross, road trip anyone?

Not Laboring on Labor Day

The extended weekend for Labor day took me to Florida for a few days. It had been far too long since I'd seen my brother and his family as well as my aunt, uncle and cousins. Okay, confessions of a bad sibling, I hadn't been to their town to visit in 6 years. I've since made a pact with myself to return every year. I was supposed to Kayak out to the ocean with my aunt, but the weather and timing didn't work for us, otherwise I think that would have been a lot of fun.

While fishing that Saturday evening a far reaching band from Hurrican Gustav came through. We had made it back to the car and packed most everything up before it hit us. I avoided looking like I'd jumped in the river but still got a bit wet. I was a bit entertained, though I don't think the others were as it served a reminder of what may be looming in the near future. Except for that little bit I managed to dodge any tropical storms or hurricanes, bonus points on that one.

In the limited travel I have done by air I've made a few observations about the different airlines. I've come to feel that Delta is the best, or at least I've had the best flights with them. They held a flight for myself and a couple others when our first flight was delayed once, they still give out free crackers, the first checked bag is still free, and I think they have just a little bit more knee room. (as of 9/8/2008)

Returning to the bike after 4 days off was painful, especially when the first ride was a pseudo road race. Chewed up and spit off the back after struggling to hang on for the first half. I was left with nothing for the cyclocross training series the next night. Bricks i tell ya, bricks. Only on Sunday, 5 days later did my legs even think about coming back while on a leg numbing hill ride.

CX Lives Again!!

The 'cross bike was put back together and has had only two rides on it, but the first race of the season was Sunday! Actually I should say races, as in plural. It was great to be back out and feeding the addiction, especially on such a tough course. It was really flat, but 6 dismounts made for a tiring experience. In the first race, the cat 4 category, I had a slow pickup off the start having selected a very bad gear to get going. However I finally got up to speed and shot towards the front then dove hard into the first turn, a U-turn with room for only one rider on the exit. I came out of the turn in first place and held position for about half a lap. From there I lost a few positions slowly over the next 40 minutes. I ended up in a relatively close battle for a few laps, but managed to attack and pull away with 1/3 lap remaining to take 7th of 36.

I then cheered Chris on during his race, shouting and ringing a lot of cowbell. After stressing out a little too much then suffering from two hard crashes he was slightly down in spirits, but I convinced him to get back out for the noon race, the Cat 3/4 race. We both rode in this race, though we were quite tuckered. We decided to start at the back and use the race as training and try to pick off who we could. After a brief separation on the start we rejoined and rode the rest of the race together keeping each other posted on gaps over 4 or 5 other guys near us and general course notes. My legs felt like they could barely turn the cranks but I managed to finish the 45 minute race. I'd saved enough energy through that race that I managed to have a little kick for the last lap. I'd been opening gaps in technical parts of the course all race, so the final lap I pushed as hard as I could through those sections and kept my pace up throughout. I managed to drop the rest of the guys that had been just behind us. I managed a 24th place finish of 39. Not too bad really.

Overall a great start to the season. The results are posted here.

Bagels, Travel, Then Bikes, and some Karma

Realizing that my writings have been lacking in the areas of bagels I deemed it necessary to include a picture of my brunch from Saturday morning. A fantastic egg, cheese, and bacon sandwich on a bagel. In fact, touching upon the themes for which this blog is named in reverse order, I had traveled to New York City early Saturday morning with Pat and Sam to check out the Summer Streets event. Essentially, the city has closed Park Ave., 4^th Ave., and Lafayette St. to all motorized vehicular traffic in a route from 72^nd St. to the Brooklyn Bridge. The event allows people to wander down the street, run, bike, or do other things without being worried about getting hit by some maniac driver doing mach 2. The streets were absolutely filled with people, a lot of them running or cycling. There were some organized events going on as well, some performers, some exercise classes, and some people drawing on the street with chalk. The event was really good to see, I hope they decide to run such an event more often. All tolled, we walked over 7 miles that morning without worrying about traffic, but for a few cross streets, and even then we followed the light pattern. I took a few pictures too, view them here.

Oh, and in case you're wondering where to get such a sandwich, I got it at place on the corner of Lafayette and Duane.

Sunday included some more regional travel, to Keene, NH. The Root 66 race series is winding down and I was in the mood for a good bike ride in the woods someplace different so I headed north. You may recall a post some time ago about karma working its way around. Well I pretty sure I had some coming my way after deceiving my fellow competitor at the 24 hours of Great Glen, and it found me.

The race started off well, no one shot off the front too incredibly fast so I managed to keep my competition in check relatively easily. About a half mile into the race while cruising on some paved road heading for what would be a monstrous dirt road and atv trail climb my pedal decided to separate itself from my crank arm. I'm a bit baffled as to how it happened and there is really no excuse for such a failure but it happened. Darn Karma.

Without panic I pulled over to the side of the road and twisted the pedal off the bottom of my shoe then began to thread it back into the crank. I pulled out my multi tool and the emergency pedal wrench on it, tightening the pedal as best I could. I hopped back on the bike, conceding that I was simply out for a bike ride at this point. The course had a lot of climbing though, favoring me a lot, and as such I started to reel people in on the climb. I was truly only in competition with the 4 other guys in my age category, but it was nice to catch back up to people. Before long though I had caught and passed to guys in my class. Then I saw another one, and before long I'd passed him and was riding with first place. We rode together, one two, for a little while. At one point he got sent off on the wrong path due to a near crash by me. Feeling like I'd had enough karma circling back to me I slowed up and waited for him to get back on course and we continued together for a little while. The course pitched up again though and I pulled away. The last 2 miles were on a hard pack gravel rail trail, very fast. I'd caught a guy from an older age group at the start of it and we began trading back and forth allowing the other to draft. We were really cruising into the finish, I managed a 1^st place. The ride was a lot of fun, and it was really good to ride with a few different guys for extended lengths.

Data crunching the 24 hour effect.

For all you antsy pantsy folks looking for more information I'll provide you with some further data and goodies to look through. I know, I led you on with great anticipation and suspense over the 3 post story and since you've read the final installment of the account so quickly I'll provide the data quickly. I suggest heading on over to the 24 hours of great glen website and clicking on one of the options in bold, results, videos, or photos. They're all worth checking out.

To check on some lap splits head to this page. Trust me, use the link, getting there other wise takes super secret ninja skills. Type 142 in the left box and click "show laps." If you check or uncheck one of the boxes click "show laps" again for the action to take effect.

According to the Scott computer the following were the times for my outings. They differ slightly as I had to run out of the timing tent following each exchange and get to my bike prior to riding. The overall lap of our team is in parenthesis, T is time, D is distance.

Turn 1, Lap 1 (3)
T - 45:55
D - 7.93

Turn 2, Lap 2 (7)
T - 46:58
D - 7.94

Turn 3, Laps 3 & 4 (13, 14) [Dark]
T - 1:49:14
D - 15.93

Turn 4, Laps 5 & 6 (21, 22)
T - 1:47:47
D - 15.94

Turn 5, Lap 7 (27)
T - 49:22
D - 7.94

If you really like data and analyzing information, I've created a spreadsheet breaking things down into more ways than you'd care to look at. If you want a copy, leave a comment and I'll email it to you.

2008 24 Hours of Great Glen - part 3

I sat there waiting, fidgeting. I looked at the lap times as riders came through, checking their class to see if they belonged to the 4-man sport class. I saw one pop up as our class; I looked and memorized the jersey of the next guy going out on that team. I wasn’t sure if they were close in the standings or not, as I missed what their number plate was. I wasn’t taking any risks; I knew I needed to catch him. Now the wait was really killing me, every second that passed gave that guy a bigger head start over me. I saw the class results come up again. As we’d been all race, we were close to team 162. We were about 8 minutes behind at the last check, when Jake had started the current lap.

“Okay Jake, where are you?” I thought. I knew he’d have to put down a lap nearly as fast as when he was fresh to get in this soon, but precious seconds were ticking by. It’s amazing that after nearly 24 hours of racing I was worrying about tiny little seconds.

Suddenly there he was, coming through the field around the pond. This had been a really fast lap! I was going out again, at a quarter to 12:00pm.

I started out and immediately started to pass other riders. Less than I mile in I saw the jersey I’d marked for target. Despite a fair head start I’d caught him quickly. Knowing I was moving much faster he made space and let me pass easily.

“Now, who else can I catch?”

As I neared the top of a small steep climb near the cottage I saw a rider making the turn to descend back down the hill. I looked at his number. 162!! I immediately marked him for target and memorized the gray fox jersey and neutral colored camelback. A few seconds later I turned down the hill, one of the fastest sections on course for me.

I caught two slower guys who braked hard for a narrow turn that I’d been barreling through with minimal brakes all race. The first crashed over his handlebars blocking me. It seemed like days before the second guy moved through, I was in a race for position and stopping was not an option. I immediately pressed as hard as I could on the open section that followed. Another mile in and I saw my target again. Then he disappeared in the winding course. Then I caught him again, and again he escaped. Desperation was now flooding my system, I needed to catch this guy but my legs were awfully tired.

I decided to ease up just a bit. There was a substantial hill yet to come that most people were walking significant portions of. I knew I could clean all or most of it with strong enough legs, and riding it clean would be faster than walking. I reached the hill and began my ascent. For one small section the slippery mud forced me off the bike, but I ran up it and jumped back on the bike. Continuing up the hill I saw the rider again, I was catching him quickly as I rode up the hill.

Much to my dismay I wasn’t quite fast enough. He crested the hill just seconds before me and opened the gap as he dropped down the other side. I pushed down the hill, through the rocks and mud as fast as possible. Then the ground leveled off as I entered the mud pit of doom. There he was again.

“Get him here,” I thought, “you’ve got to get him here.”

I was catching him as we struggled through the mud running for an extended section. Then we both jumped back on, only he immediately had to jump back off while I railed through a great line I’d found earlier. I’d finally passed him. Then I heard the question I feared he might ask, the answer to which I’d been debating with myself while chasing him the whole lap.

“Hey, what class are you?”

I knew if I answered sport, he’d chase me hard right then and there, knowing he was in a battle for position. However if I answered another class he’d likely not chase as hard. Clearly he hadn’t paid attention to the results screen like I had, or he would have been familiar with my number and known he needed to fight for this position. I needed to take advantage of the knowledge I had over him and knew what I had to answer.

“Expert,” I replied.

“What place are you in?”

“I have no idea.” I replied.

“Well I hope you win anyways.”

I thanked him as I thought, “If he only knew what I just did to him.” Surely I had some bad karma coming my way sometime. I hit a dirt road with a small lead and pedaled as hard as I could. Checking back before entering the single track up the final hill it appeared I’d dropped him.

“Thank goodness, I pulled it off and we pulled back another position.”

Then I heard someone behind me as I’d been forced to walk the bike up the hill. There he was; he’d caught back up. I franticly began to scramble through the mud and over the roots, pushing the bike up the hill. I had to get further ahead. I dropped off the hill, running as fast as I could, knowing I’d likely wrecked in the ruts and mud only losing time. Finally, I was pedaling again as the trail leveled off. I checked back again, nothing.

Then some how, he was there again, just a few seconds back. What happened next was the last thing I needed, the front wheel slipped out on a root and I hit the ground. I got up quickly, but he was immediately on my tail like a missile locked on target.

We came out of the trail and onto the final piece of dirt road, 500 yards to go. It was all power and speed now, no finesse. I let him pass me, knowing he’d pedal as hard as he could. As he passed, I pulled into his draft, allowing me to work a fraction as hard to maintain the same speed. A hard right, then an easy left into the field, 200 yards to go. Matt was there, yelling at me. I pulled out and sprinted as hard as I could past the guy. Rounding a hard left I checked back, he was still there but I’d opened up a gap on him. Jake was standing just after the corner.

“Dude, he’s right behind you!” he exclaimed just loud enough for me to hear without alerting the other rider.

“I know,” I snapped back.

I pressed on the pedals with everything I had into the last hard right turn. I braked and rolled through the turn somewhat conservatively so not to crash again. Exiting the turn I sprinted back up to speed. As I hit the mandatory dismount area, I stepped off the bike at full speed and ran the final 20 yards across the finish line. I dropped the bike, exhausted, my legs were like jell-o. The rider came in 10 seconds later. We gave each other a high five/handshake over the race we’d just had, though I decided to let him figure out what really happened on his own.

So after 24 hours and 35 minutes two teams were separated by a mere 10 seconds. Team Dirtnuts 3.0 finished 4^th of 24 teams in the 4-man Sport category, just ahead of 5^th, and only 10 and a half minutes behind 3^rd. We were 11^th overall. We completed 27 laps of an 8 mile course during the race, 216 miles of dirt roads and muddy trails.

Click the picture below for a visual walk through of the final sprint.