2010 Year in Review

Before I unveil my plans for 2011, I thought I would take one last look at some of the highlights of 2010. 

-ROLLER RACES-

Actually, 2010 didn't get off to that great of a start.  I had set the record for the fastest 2 mile Roller TT the previous season, but ultimately had to surrender this accomplishment as several guys actually surpasssed my mark, beating the 5 minute barrier (Loomis, Rewerts, Cassady) .  I had good results for the most part.

-SPRING RACING-

I'm not much of a cold weather racer, and it showed in 2010. I was a husky 172 lbs as I entered the racing season. I felt impotent as I trolled around during the first race of the year at Scott County Park.  Things began to improve a bit as I had a strong race at the 2010 edition of Kent Park...

I enjoyed a renewed sense of determination, as I rode near or at the front of the group most of the race.



Finally, for the Cody Race Series #2, the arm-warmers came off and I was able to actually bring it all together as I rode off in the winning break with Bryan Moritz and Dan Galles.

 -IOWA CITY RACE WEEKEND-


After winning the Cat 3 Time Trial on Friday, and finishing mid-pack at the RR, I was hoping to tear it up at Sunday's Criterium in downtown Iowa City.  Unfortunately, I got involved in an accident on the downhill section, and hit a wall so hard that it broke my helmet...


-STATE FAIR CRIT-

I was deligthed to have had a great day of racing at the 2010 State Fair Crit.  I won the Cat 3 race with a solo victory and later went on to finish in the 6th paying spot in the Cat 1,2,3 race.  The course had a punishing hill that suited me well.  Below is a clip from the Cat 3 race that shows the gap that I created, successfully holding off the entire field despite their best efforts to catch me.

-MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND 2010-

I had good results Memorial Day Weekend.  I finished in the leading chase pack of three guys at the Cat 3 Snake Alley Criterium for a fourth place result.  I also won the Cat 3 Melon City Criterium.  This was an awesome accomplishment for me.

 -IOWA STATE CAT 1,2 CRIT CHAMPIONSHIPS -


I upgraded to Category 2 during the middle of the season, and was pleased to be a competitive presense in the State Criterium Championships.

 - SQUAW CREEK PARK CRITERIUM-

This course had a significant uphill section, so I was right at home racing competitively against some of the best Cat 1,2 racers in the state.  (NOTE: Please don't confuse 'competitively' with 'intelligently')

-BBQ BLUES WEEKEND-

I had a great time at the Clear Lake Race Weekend.  The Master's Crit was brutal as Team Zealous ended up sweeping the podium and I finished 5th.   I finished within the payouts of the Cat 1,2,3 Crit and the RR later in the weekend.

-IOWA STATE CAT 1,2 ROAD RACE CHAMPIONSHIP-
I was thoroughly prepared for this race, hoping for a hot and brutal race of attrition.  Unfortunately, it ended up being wet, cool and lethargic due to the weather.  Oh, well, I used that fitness the following week and was still able to finish with the field in 8th place ...

-IOWA STATE TIME TRIAL CHAMPIONSHIP-

I was thrilled to have accomplished one of my main goals for 2010... winning the Iowa State TT Championship with a time of 51:47.

-BIG CREEK ROAD RACE-



You gotta love being in the winning break!

 -EAST VILLAGE CRIT-


My road season ended on a high note, as I raced aggressively at the Cat 1,2 East Village Criterium, finishing 6th overall.

-2010 CYCLOCROSS-
Oops, missed out on that...  I signed up for a Tuesday class, and that really did have a big impact on my ability to focus on racing at that point.  I will try again next year... maybe.

Other highlights include wininng the 2010 ABR Illinois State Road Championship as well as the 2010 QCBC 20k TT Championships. Additionaly for 2010, I went up to Wisconsin for Superweek and the Tour of the Dairyland and got some great experience, though I wasn't specifically successful.


I archived a lot of results from the races I entered, on the RESULTS ARCHIVE page at http://www.muscatinecycling.com/. 
 
2011 is going to be huge for me (at least in theory)... but I can say that I was very satisfied with how 2010 went, and rewarded by my decision to include bike racing as a major part of my liesure time.