Kicking My Own Ass

I faced up to my fears Tuesday night by entering a 10 mile Time Trial near Lone Tree... Monika's Time Trial Series #3....  I was pretty certain I wasn't riding quite as strong as I was last year, especially with respect to time trialling, so it took much deliberation to ultimately decide to grin and bear it.

I don't use power meters, heart rate monitors, etc.  but I do record any time trials that I race or train, which gave me an indication that I wasn't quite up to speed this year...  So, what do I do?  I decided to check my ego at the door and possibly subject myself to a less than stellar result by entering the race.  I figured I needed to verify my suspicions, and more importantly, get things back on track.  Time trialing isn't about prize money, big crowds, etc... it is really about setting fitness goals and then maximizing my physical potential.  Preparing for and then racing in timed events really helps bring me to a peak condition, while providing me with more workout options to break up the monotony.

This course has quite a few 90 degree turns, so it isn't really suited to busting out impressive average speeds, however it doesn't have any major inclines and is relatively short.  I hit the first 1 mile hard... blew up a bit, but was still on pace for my goal as I approached the turn around point.  In this race against myself, I still had ME in my sights.  I wanted to finish just under 22 minutes, like I did last year on this course.   I looked down at my average speed after I straightened up from the turn around to see that my goal time had slipped away... crap.

I sort of 'got dropped' at this point, as I was hoping to finish stronger than I started... Chad Bishop2010 was pulling away from Chad Bishop2011...Once I saw the gap form between my goal and the reality,  I got discouraged and briefly let up on my effort. Why was Chad Bishop2010 stronger than me?  His 2010 time of 21:54 didn't seem within my reach today.
Luckily, I mentally recovered, reminding myself that I was putting 'fitness in the bank' for the rest of the season.  I ramped it up the last mile and felt rewarded by the realization that I hadn't pushed myself that hard all year during solo efforts.  My time wasn't what I hoped for, but enough to win the event... 22:31.

So, now I have some data I can use to make some decisions about my racing/training.  I am seriously contemplating doing some duathlons once the road race season starts to draw to a close, as I really don't have much road racing left on my calendar. Regardless of how things pan out, I am determined to avenge my loss to Chad Bishop2010.  That cocky bastard needs to be taken down a peg... who the hell does he think he is?  I can't wait to nip him at the line.

Rose Festival Road Race... the Partridge Family Prevails

I lined up for a 60 mile cat 1,2 road race on Saturday.  There were 5 guys from Zealous, 4 guys from Bikes2You/, 3 guys from American Equity, 2 guys from Mercy, and a Partridge in a Pear Tree (Kevin Severs - Colorbiotics). 

I was ready to roll along with teammates Paul and Carson.  This is my kind of race, for many reasons, so I didn't have any of those nagging mental issues that I experience in some other race situations.  I shot up to the front from the start and participated in the early race tempo setting.  Fairly early into the race I found myself in a nice break of six guys.  All of the teams were represented, with B2U having two guys and Kevin (aka, 'the partridge'). 



The partridge is a cunning bird known for it's ground attacks
and the hit single "I Think I Love You".

 Partridges are members from the pheasant family known for their ground-nesting/seed-eating capabilities.  Kevin represented this trait well, as he firmly nested himself in every break, gobbling up seeds of strength as he fluttered his wings across the gaps.  He is a newly minted cat 2, so his presense is a fairly new phenomenon in the Iowa racing flock.

I thought this break had promise, but we hadn't even finished the first of three 20 mile laps, so that would have made for a long day for the rest of the field.  Because of this, several guys bridged up creating the final 'selection' of ten riders (Zealous/3, AE/2, B2U/2, Mercy/2, & Kevin).

It became apparent that no one was going to be able to break free from this group.  Every break needed to have one representative from each of the four teams to work, but, more importantly, the others not in the move needed to selflessly defend the move, which wasn't initially happening, causing everyone to chase down every move.  Lee suggested that one guy from each team volunteer to drop back, so that we would have a 6 man break (the race paid back 6 spots).  It sounded funny, but ironically, this was basically what needed to happen, so I pondered the situation for several miles.

At the start of the last lap, I bridged up to Brian West (B2U) who had attacked the field over the start/finish area.  This is exactly where he and Dewey made their winning move last year.  I poured everything I had into this move, hoping that the field would let us go.  Zealous and Mercy, however worked together to bring us back.  Ideally, one guy from each team would have bridged up (and Kevin), but not to be on this particular day.

Well, that took a lot out of me, so I knew I was going to have to take it easy for a few miles and just follow moves.  A rather 'soft' move formed that did, indeed include all of the teams (and Kevin).  Just as Mike Sencenbaugh(Zealous) started to bridge the gap, Jarod Osterloh(Zealous) called him off... that was that, the decision had finally been made...  I wasn't going to chase the move down because Paul was in it, Jeff Barnes relented to play defense for his teammate Mario, and Brian West didn't chase because Lee Venteicher was up the road as well.  We had to basically 'take one for the team', as it would have been extremely easy to bridge up to the group, but not without taking everyone else along for the ride. 

We slowed down to a crawl until the group was far enough up the road that we didn't have to think about them.  Before they got out of sight however, I had time to ponder what things might be like for that family of riders that was slowly flying off into the sunset, fueled by the strength of the mighty Partridge...



The Partridge family enjoyed success on ABC during the
early 70's and during the 2011 Rose Festival Road Race.

Random thoughts began to surface... I was glad that I had mowed the lawn Friday because that would give me more time Sunday for Dad's Day....  I wondered what we were going to talk about in my 'Sexuality in Counseling' class this week...  I sort of wished I didn't have such a long drive home...why was Danny Bonaduce so angry? etc. etc.

 Jarod and Brian didn't pull through, I guess they decided they were going to attest the sprint amongst the five of us (there was still money for 6th place).   I remembered that the 7th place would get an Iowa Cup point, so I stopped pulling through eventually as well.  Jarod began his sprint at about 300 meters out.  I was surprised to have my legs completely cramp up as I attempted to follow the move.  I came across the line a bit behind Brian in the 8th place... but more importantly, how did Paul do?

Paul got third, so we were basically happy with our day.  I really enjoyed this race and the team tactics.  I did wonder, however, what my day would have been like had I been flying solo, like Kevin, who ended up winning the race...  All in all, it was a good race for American Equity.  Paul did a great job beating Lee and Dave to the line, and giving Mario and Kevin a good run for their money.

STATE TTT - Just as I was about to dust off my TT bike for the year, to prepare for the state Team Time Trial on July 3rd, I learn that it has been cancelled.  Time Trialing is just not in the cards for me this year, but I am enjoying my road training/racing so all is well.

Tour Of Galena 2011

I enjoyed some great regional bike racing over the weekend as I participated in the Tour of Galena Omnium Stage Race.  I keyed on this race the moment I learned about it, looking forward to a chance to race an omnium over a challenging course. 

We had 5 guys from American Equity; Paul, Lou, JJ, Carson, & myself. The time trial was a short 4.4 mile prologue of sorts... definately not my speciality, but seemed like a great way to organize the event.  Everyone lays out their best effort, and then the top 10 guys get points to begin to shape the general classification (which paid back 15 spots).  The big question for this event was what equipment to use.  The organizers seemed to be suggesting that there was a dangerous descent and many climbs that would nullify the advantages of aero gear... This confused me, and I ended up using my road bike with some slight TT modifications... I was hoping I could even out my time during the climbing, which I am better at with my Madone.

In retrospect, a full TT set-up would have yielded the best time.  Regardless, I was happy to come in 10th out of a field of 30 Cat 1,2's... Right at the points cut-off... Even better we got 4 guys in the top 10!  Things were looking really good for our team.

The road race was an 85 mile affair that included 4 undulating laps.  Really, this was the event I was most interested in, and feeling pretty good, since I stacked up respectably in the TT that morning.  Galena is a very scenic town, and I enjoyed a little downtime with an old friend named Dean Wellman who was bartending at one of the many eclectic establishments.    Then it was off to the parking lot to sleep in my car...

Thirty one guys rolled out later that afternoon.  I was anxious to get the first lap completed, because I had no idea what to expect as the course kept twisting, turning, rising, descending, etc.  It was a great course; never a dull moment.  Ok, there was a little downtime early in the race... downtime creates nervous bladders.  A couple guys kept trying to urinate while on the bike, but never could get a full evacuation.  Frustrated, they convinced the field to pull off to the side of the road.  What a hilarious situation, with about 15 guys peeing on the side of the road in the middle of a 85 mile road race.  After that brief declaration of pee-ce, we were free to restart the battle.

There were two potentially dangerous spots (railroad tracks, hot corner, etc.), but we were warned ahead of time and only one guy ended up crashing.  Due to the hills along this course you really didn't need to do much tactically; the course was keeping everyone fairly pre-occupied.  At one point, a break got up the road that didn't include any American Equity guys, so we opted to rotate through to bring it back.  This wasn't a great situation, because we were using energy that would be needed later in the race, but necessary all the same. Half way through the race, we were riding strong.  Unfortunately Lou was having knee troubles, so it was down to four of us.

After this effort, one of the more intense climbs began, and the field really got shook up.  The climbing was slowly starting to fatigue riders.  I can't really say exactly how everything transpired, but ultimately two groups of two riders were able to escape over one of the climbs and a peloton of 9 guys remained.  Fortunately, I was able to claw my way up into this field, despite getting unhitched at one point.  I was the only one from the team in the group, so the situation was less than ideal, but I was glad to be representing at the front end of the race.  The points went back 20 places, so Paul, JJ, and Carson were still riding strong hoping to pick off some guys that may get dropped from the field.  (Every point can make a huge difference in a stage race).

For a variety of reasons, I sort of got worked over by the group... not to their fault, they were racing tactfully.  I felt as strong as the guys I was with, but never really sure what each climb would bring in terms of fatigue.  I finished with the group in 12th place overall... I was also in 12th for the omnium at this point as well, Paul and JJ were in 10th and 15th respectively. 

Sunday was the criterium.  This was sort of the 'necessary evil' part of the stages for me.  It was a flat crit which isn't my preference, but I can say that it really only had one corner, as it was sort of a 'hot dog' crit.  Paul mentioned it was shaped like a turd, and I hoped I didn't race the same way this course looked.

Not much to say about the way this race went down.  If we were racing for time, I would have finished with the same time as the group, but since we were racing for position, I ended up outside of the points that spanned 15 places, so not technically a successful result.  Paul ended up being the team's most consistent rider gettting points all three days.  He ended up 10th in the omnium, while I ended up 13th...  Not too bad, still in the money. 

So, I had a rewarding weekend, and will plan on racing in Galena next year.

Gunfight in Galena

Accepting the 2011 State Gravel Championship medals from Landon Beachy.

Well, me and four other American Equity teammates (Paul, Lou, Carson & JJ) are heading to Galena for the inaugural Tour of Galena.  It starts with a short Time Trial prologue followed by a hilly 89 mile road race on Saturday...  The event concludes on Sunday with a Criterium in downtown Galena. This is an omnium event, so prizes will be awarded for the best results overall, as well as within the individual disciplines.

The time trial is not suited specifically toward aero gear, so my TT bike will continue to gather dust.  My fitness seems to be a bit off right now... I got dropped on a group ride the other day, and haven't been able to put in a solid field test all year... I know I am healthy and fit, however, so I am not really 'worried' just keeping my expectations in check until further notice.  I am sure that I will have a rewarding experience regardless, as this event is geared towards team tactics.  Specifically, it looks like the 'gunfight' will include ABD Cycling, Bianchi/Grand Performance, Synergy and XXX racing... all of which will have a team representation.

Gravel State Champ Race Review

The combined fields rolling down the gravel early in the race.

John Sulzberger flatted midway.

I decided to tackle some Iowa gravel Saturday at the 2011 Gravel Championships near Kalona Iowa.  I really don't ride on gravel, but needed a break from solo training rides; this event seemed like it would be a great workout, not to mention an opportunity to earn a state USA cycling medal.

 No payouts in this event, but always good support, organization, and a chance to do some inter-squad training, depending on who showed up.  The Twisted Spokes guys always do a good job with their events.  So, I put my old road bike and cyclocross in my vehicle and headed to the Iowa backroads.

There didn't end up being a lot of competition within each category of racing, so earning a medal really came down to showing up and then finishing for most competitors... easier said than done.  There were a lot of flats during the races, due to the erratic terrain, and it was hot and hilly.

I opted to ride my road bike, which made sense for most of the course.  However, there was a section that had fresh gravel that would have been nice to have a different set-up.  My bike was rattling quite a bit, and dodging potholes was necessary.  Gravel racing really is a unique experience.

The field slowly getting smaller.  Eventually, it
became a group of four guys.

I eventually went to the front and started driving the pace, off and on, to hopefully whittle things down a bit.  Riding on the gravel was nerve-wracking enough without having other people around.

We ended up with a group of four guys that included Kevin Temple (BikeWorld/Bikes2You) and teammate Paul Deninger.  It was fun to have a chance to use some tactical racing against Kevin, and I knew Paul was thinking the strategy through.  Just as things were about to start getting ugly, Kevin flatted.  Yeah, this would have been a welcomed twist of fate, however I was looking forward to the training effect and opportunity to earn a victory on my own merits.

We slowed down for him, but eventually realized he had actually flatted both tires, so he was out.  The fourth rider ended up not being able to race at our pace, so me and Paul had the Gold and Silver Medals wrapped up, with two laps of the race to go.  We talked about what we would have done and also some past races, keeping the pace brisk, to offer a good workout.

Paul suggested I could take the Gold, since he got it last time we raced in the Gravel Champs... and, thus, I am the 2011 Cat 1,2 Iowa State Gravel Champ...  Yee Ha!

Nice shot of the competitors rolling across the gravel roads of Richmond, Iowa.

Referee Brett Griggs enjoying a nice Iowa afternoon.

When Life Gives You Lemons...

Teetering up Snake Alley at the 2011 Master's 30+ Criterium.

MAKE CAT 1 LEMONADE?

Ok, I guess I am still  sour  about my experience at the Melon City Criterium Pro, 1,2 race, and having trouble making lemonade out of the situation.  Going from a 18 lap Cat 3 event last year to a 40 lap Cat 1,2 event this year was quite simply too big of a jump for me.  Basically, Cat 2 racers in the midwest rarely get a chance to race against competitors at their skill/experience level, rather have to line up against well accomplished Cat 1's.  They added a Women's Cat 2/3 category this year... ok, what about adding a Cat 2 event.  It would match the size of the Men's Cat 3 field. 

I raced against Cat 2's in Arizona, and I felt very comfortable.  Sort out all the Cat 2's from the results at the Melon City Crit, and I bet I would have placed fairly well.  About 60% of the field are Cat 1's, however. Only 64 racers ended up on the results... it is almost as if the race never happened for about half the field.  Of the 119 that started, about 46 finished... come on, that should raise an eyebrow or two. The Cat 1,2 event at Snake Alley is also troubling to me... Only about 30 people usually end up finishing.


Why is this still bothering me?  Because I feel that I am in good shape for a Cat 2, but if I have to compare myself to the Cat 1's that traveled to Muscatine Sunday, then I am left feeling a bit lacking.

Someone asked me why American Equity didn't place the Memorial Day Weekend events as one of their biggest racing goals of the year.  I can't speak for the others, but for me, it just seems like the races are really Cat 1 events, that merely allow Cat 2's to tag along for the ride.  Guys don't travel from all over the country that don't feel they are in contention, so I would suggest that these Cat 1's are some of the "best of the best". Hardly a situation that I would want to go into with high expectations.  I think the sport has grown enough that there are enough Cat 2's to support seperate races like they do in the Southwest...

ALL I AM SAYING... IS GIVE CAT TWO'S A CHANCE.

I had a great weekend, and proud that I lined up on Sunday.  It was cool to be at the start line with 119 accomplished racers, including some really noteworthy call-ups.  At this point, I am going to have to quite simply race/train at the Cat 1 level if I want to avoid becoming dissappointed with my results. I am not sure this is a realistic or practical ambition given my other obligations/responsibilities but, I suppose the lemonade is that I will hope to push myself harder, knowing that racing against Cat 1's is the current reality.