Rundtour Duathlon... Rocking the Rhubarb

Yes, you read that right... a duathlon... I have been running about once a week for a few weeks trying to give myself a fighting chance of being competitive in a few duathlons to round out my road cycling season.  My State TT time might have suffered just a bit from this loss of focus, but I didn't want my season to end August 21st, so I sacrificed a few bike workouts for runs.  Ultimately, however I honored my commitment to the American Equity racing team by doing the bare minimum as far as running goes.

A duathlon is a different experience for a pure cyclist... It is sort of like a time trial, except the organizers make you run a 3 mile warm-up to your bike first, then don't count your finish time until after you have ran another 3 miles for the cool down.  Those runs really do mess up my average speed... :)

This duathlon occurred in the Amana Colonies and was fundraiser for the Fidelitas lodge.  It seemed to be well organized with a cool inflated finish line arc and well laid out transition area.  I eyeballed a few serious looking TT bikes, but also a lot of competitors who seemed to be new to the sport.

My strategy for this event was to try and hang on during the first 2.6 mile run, then create as big of a gap as possible on the bike... hoping to fend off the chasing runners during the second 2.6 mile run.



Photo of the Lily Lake, located within
 the Amana Colonies.

Things went according to plan during the run as I got to the transition area in about 10th place with an average clip of 5:59  per mile. 

The guys who were corner marshaling were all senior citizen type men from the lodge. They didn't quite grasp their responsibilities. About 3/4 miles into the race, some of the runners took a slight detour near Lily Lake... I elected to go straight  up the road to the corner marshall/sheriff car(as did many others), just to be on the safe side. We rejoined the runners who cut the course about 5 seconds behind, not a big deal but still a decision that I hoped wouldn't later come back to haunt me. This wasn't really their fault, it just wasn't clear where to turn. 

I was discouraged to see the leaders beginning their bike leg while I was still finishing the run, but I had sort of expected this.  I got on the bike and enjoyed the familiarity of competing on my TT set-up.  I didn't enjoy the burning sensation in my legs... it is a bit more pronounced coming off of a run.  I eventually settled in and then began passing people... quickly...  The disparity in my running compared to my cycling became obvious at this point...  my cycling speed was so much more pronounced then my running ability.


Speaking of not being clear, about 3 miles into the bike leg when I had passed all but one guy (who wasn't in my sights, unfortunately), I came to an intersection and made the wrong decision about which way the course went... I yelled an expletive, as did the guy behind me... Crap, I had to pass the same people all over again and lose some time and momentum.  I wondered why the corner marshall was sitting in his car, and not directing the cyclists and traffic.


The race information indicated that the top 2 male and female finishers received cash-payouts,so I didn't get too worked up, as I felt I had a great chance of at least a 2nd place finish.  I finally passed the leader just past the turn-around.  I knew if I extended my lead far enough I would have a great chance of winning this event.  This wasn't going to be an easy task, however, because he was wearing a Luther running tank... Yes, this guy was a pure runner with a collegiate running background... So, this was going to be a battle of the  CYCLIST vs. the  RUNNER...  exciting, I wonder who will win?  I also wondered if Andy Schleck was ever going to win the Tour De France (foreshadowing?).

I got off the bike and heard someone yell "No one in sight!"... This was very true, I would look back every once in awhile and seemed to have a great lead...  Running is sort of a dreadful experience for me, and I felt like a fish out of water...  I really only have one speed... Depending on my preparation, I can get this tempo up to a respectable pace, however this wasn't currently the situation.  I hopped around the Lily pond, hoping that no one would get within striking distance.

With less than a mile to go I saw someone way down the path... Dang.  I didn't really pick up the pace, rather reminded myself that the race paid back two places and that this could be a guy from one of the teams.  He passed me with about half of a mile to go... He didn't look like the guy I passed on the bike, so I figured this was a team competitor.  Yes!  I have won a duathlon...  I almost always come in second, but not this time.

I crossed the line well ahead of the next competitor... It is always rewarding to finish one of these things... Completely out of breath, yet a feeling of accomplishment having endured a maximal effort.  Everyone who competed has a different story, but I am sure they all enjoy the same thrill after they cross the line.
I later realized that the guy who finished ahead of me was actually an individual competitor. 

Ok, another second place in a duathlon... I have only entered about 5 duathlons over the last several years with 4 second place finishes and one first...  Not bad, but sort of an Andy Schleck Syndrome.  I gained about 5 minutes on the winner during the bike leg, but he gained about 5 and half minutes on me over the 5.2 miles of running...  A very evenly balanced duathlon... with the runner winning this time... I did have to regret making the wrong turn during the bike leg however... I think this race would have came down to the last 100 yards...

I really don't like rhubarb (almost as much as I dislike sour grapes)... I don't like the name, the way it looks,  nor the way it tastes...  So, when I later found out that they were awarding a rhubarb pie and no cash to the second place finisher I was a bit disappointed.  I looked to Karma to see where I had failed the universe...  I need to start doing some good apparently, because Karma was trying to tell me and Earl to become better humans.

Overall a great race and good times... I might try to battle the multi-sporters later in the month, or not... this time of the year I take things one week at a time.  I did end up eating half of that pie when I got home... it wasn't actually all that bad.

Mad Max Dropped His Nuts

I was able to get a gold medal in the Cat 2 Iowa State Time Trial Championships on Sunday...  The good news is that I have entered 4 USAC Iowa State Championship events this year and recieved 3 Gold medals... the bad news is that my TT time was slower than in years past so I am re-evaluating some of my current training agendas.  Teammate Paul Deninger came through, however and edged out Jeff Barnes of Iowa City to earn American Equity the State TT Championship... RESULTS... I should be able to post a photo or two and maybe some quick thoughts once they become available...

But in the meantime, I wanted to share a story about dropping one's nuts...

On a group ride the other day we came across a squirrel making its way across the highway.  The warm sun was casting a slight shadow across our path, yet we could still see him scampering toward the side of the road... He was carrying two nuts... most likely food for his eagerly awaiting family. When he saw us coming he had to make a split decision... to drop his nuts and save his life, or continue carrying them across the road....This was quite the risk due to the increased time it would take to dodge our wheels... yet he had a family to feed, and probably hoped to store these nuts before winter set in.

I thought about what I would do in a similiar situation...  One the one-hand a man's nuts are an important part of his livelihood... my family would be depending on me to come home with my nuts intact... yet, sometimes you have to swallow your pride for the sake of the 'big picture'... was it better to come home nutless or not come home at all?

Well the squirrel decided to drop his nuts and make a run for the side of the road...  Unfortunately, this caused us to have to dodge around the nuts... nearly causing some collisions... I wonder if the squirrel thought about the consequences of his actions... Perhaps he has advanced intelligence and was actually waiting at the side of the road... purposefully sabotaging our ride... 

This reminded me of the movie Mad Max (Mel Gibson)...  His family was killed by a bunch of renegades, and he sought to avenge the tragedy by killing those responsible...  I decided to name this squirrel 'Max'... most likely one of his relatives was run over by a vehicle of some sort and he was taking it out on us...

I road back the same way we went out and inspected the area for Max's nut droppings...  nope, he had gathered his belongings... good call Max...sometimes you can have your nuts(cake) and eat them too...

Racing for Gas Money - East Village Crit

So about half the way over to Des Moines to race the 2011 East Village Crit on Saturday, I realize that I forgot my wallet... too far to turn around... I decided they wouldn't need to see my USAC license, and since I was pre-registered I didn't technically need to panic much... then I looked at my gas gauge... crap, I wouldn't have enough gas to make it home... I really didn't want to think about having to borrow money from someone at the race...  Wait... then I began to think about the history of the race... It is a strong-man's course that usually results in plenty of DNF's... Considering the fact that it very generously pays back 15 spots, all I needed to do was finish the race and I would get gas money for the ride home... what a great added bit of incentive to race well...I felt great and planned on doing much more than merely finishing, so no worries.

NO WHERE TO HIDE
This race has been described as a race that has No where to hide... the two block up hill section is just steep enough to sort out the pack through attrition and negate the benefits of drafting... Unfortunately, there was a bit more wind than usual, coming right down the uphill portion of the course... staying hidden in the pack, and/or attacking within your limits was way more important than I initially realized.  Practically every lap, someone would attack at the base of the hill... If I sat in, the attacks were easy to hang on to, but the times I was near or at the front, they shot around me, and I had to really struggle to get hithched back on.

So, a break of about 6 riders eventually formed and stayed out front for quite some time.   I had decided I could enjoy the benefits of riding solo, and let the other teams bring it back, as they weren't all represented.  Steve Tilford (link to his report) was up the road, however, so the break seemed to have potential to stay clear.  Then I made the fatal mistake... I over estimated my strength and launched to the front on the down hill, hoping to help bring back the break a bit.  This usually wouldn't have been the end of my race, but, as my bad luck would have it, one of the more prominent attacks up the hill occurred while I was still recovering from my pull...  that's all she wrote... I got popped off the back... I struggled for a few laps to catch back on, but eventually ended up in no-man's land...

SHAME PARADE
I noticed guys were pulling out of the race, and remembered that I needed gas money, so I continued to roll around the course... this is just sort of embarassing because I was riding around by myself, with no one cheering... can't blame them... what are they supposed to say?  They know I am never going to catch back on... sort of an awkward silence each time I passed by a crowd...

I began to think about how long I drove to get to this race, and about my upcoming race schedule.  I decided to overcome my embarrassment and elected to get some training in while I waited for the race to conclude.  I hit a nice tempo up the hill, and alternated standing with seated efforts...

I was eventually caught by the two-man break.  It consisted of Jeff Barnes (Iowa City), and a guy from RideClean named Clay Murfet... Apparently he is from Tazmania, and trains/lives in Tucson.  He does Mount Lemmon three times in a row for training... hmmm, this was a good course to capitalize on his strengths. In fact, he would pull on the uphill portions of each lap, then Jeff would pull on the downhill sections.

I sat on their wheel, hoping to get the race over with faster... I figured they might ride me off their wheel... It was a few laps later that I began to get sick to my stomach... not physically, but psychologically... Their pace was so easy to follow... there truly was somewhere to hide...  I couldn't believe how big of a factor the wind was this year... Following those two guys didn't require near the effort that I had been using launching around with with field earlier in the race... they were so smooth. 

So, it became clear that if I would have raced more sensibly, I wouldn't have had to endure the one-man shame parade.   I know I would have been in contention for a great finish, as this course actually suits me well.

I rolled over the last lap having a front row seat to the finish... Clay let Jeff make the first move at the bottom of the hill then came around him at the top to take the win.  I gave them their space and then casually pulled off to the side...  I counted the finishers to verify whether or not I would be getting gas money for the ride home...

Yes! 13th place...  Gas money, plus a little extra for some M&M's and chocolate milk...

This is a great race that is very well put together by the organizers, I am sure I will be back next year.

My next post will probably also include my plans for the rest of the season... Yes, the road season ends in the middle of August for most Iowa riders,  but I have found plenty of creative ways to race my TT bike over the next couple of months...  I know there is some glory out there for me somewhere this season and I am determined to claim some of it...

Accepting Denial - State Road Race Recap pt 2.

Ok, I feel a bit conflicted making it seem like American Equity didn't get 'routed' at the 2011 state road race.  There were plenty of things to be proud of, but when teammate Paul Deninger described the result as "getting routed", I realized it was in my best interest to chalk the whole effort in the loss column.  That way I can derive some motivation from the set-back. To quote a Cypress Hill song... "I ain't going out like that"

This also gives me a chance to give credit where credit is due...
IOWA CITY CYCLING really did have a great race.  They had a guy in the break, were able to play a major role in chasing down the break after their guy was dropped, and then had the strength to counter and even win the race.  Not done yet, they damn near won the field sprint as well... all with just four guys, each one contributing to the outcome.  A perfectly executed race for them... congrats!

WORLD OF BIKES/BIKES TO YOU showed up in force with 7 guys... it took them awhile to get their season rolling, but once they did, they vaulted to near the top of the elite team competition for the Iowa Cup.  They put a man in a break that lasted to the very end, allowing his team to sit in for 96 miles of the race.  They were so deep with talent/strength... giving them lots of cards to play.  Their final hand resulted in 4 guys in the top ten and a bronze medal.

ZEALOUS RACING did what needed to be done to get a silver medal.  They assumed command of the peloton when their guy was the first to get dropped from the break... Their team seems to be set-up around a a team captain, and he called the shots accordingly and then came through at the end with a silver medal.

AMERICAN EQUITY did what we could with what we had... ok, that is more denial... I did sort of choke.  With about 6 miles to go the winning break of three formed and I had no response.  I was isolated without help, but by my own fault...  I relive that moment over and over... If I would have had more patience, maybe I could have latched on to the back of the final move, securing a top 4 finish... It is very hard to achieve the level of fitness necessary to successfuly compete against Cat 1,2's, especially over 108 miles... I am a strong rider, but just not quite strong enough... at least I wasn't at that exact moment. 

EAST VILLAGE CRITERIUM
Ok, if "I ain't going out like that" than how am I going out?  Maybe the East Village Criterium in Des Moines will provide me with some redemption... maybe not... I have until October 2nd to  go out on top of my game.  My form isn't faultering as I have lots of energy and motivation.   I stagnated in the middle of the summer, knowing that I had plenty to look forward to if I could accomplish a late season peak...

I love being on American Equity and feel that we are a very strong/talented compilation of Iowa riders.  We have had tons of success... however, the State Road Race was NOT one of the events we will be raising our glasses to at our end of the year dinner.  Just saying...

Iowa State Road Race - 2011

This race ended up being a great time... the weather was moderately hot, but nothing too severe... Twenty two Cat 1,2 racers lined up to take on 108 miles of the expansive Iowa country side near West Branch... Basically the Iowa Big Four and then three solo riders... Bikes2You had 7 guys, Mercy-Specialized had 4, Zealous had 5, and American Equity ended up with 3 (me, Paul Deninger, and Carson Christen).  We were out numbered a bit, but I still had two more guys to work with then I did last year, so I was stoked about our chances to get one or two of us in the top ten paying places...

So,  we decided to put Paul in the 'Suicide Break'...  A Suicide Break is a group of riders that launch off the front early in a long race... either they are going to end up winning, or die trying...  the odds are usually stacked against them, so it is sort of like 'suicide' for those involved... the ultimate sacrifice for the greater good of the team tactic... Basically, each of the four teams were represented (Paul-American Equity, Adam Price-Mercy-Specialized, Kurt Hantleman-Zealous Racing, and Will Greenwood-Bikes2You/World of Bikes)...

It was looking really good for us, because, in my opinion, Paul was the most likely to pull off the win if this break stuck...  They were out there for many, many miles... as there were only three guys not on a team left in the break so no real chasing... From time to time, one of the solo riders would set tempo, or even attack...  There were a few attempts to bridge up as well, so I had to stay attentive and got caught out a couple of times...  This kept the break on a fairly short leash, but they got out to about 8 minutes at one point.  The field was mostly 'sitting up' waiting to see if the break would work together and hold on for the win, or if it would get caught. Unfortunately for the breakaway, the Zealous Racing rider (Kurt Hantleman) got dropped at some point, and that changed everything, as now there was a motivation for the field to chase...   Still, Zealous were now obligated to do the work to bring back the break, as they were the only one's not represented... so Paul was still delivering a great effort for me and Carson.

Zealous dutifully rotated their  guys through, as Paul, Will and Adam Price stayed up the road... Their move still looked promising, as we were within the last lap.  I was glad to have Paul on my team, as me and Carson were still in a favorable position... when Adam popped, however, that put his teammate Jeff Barnes on a mission to reel the remaining two break-away riders in... Paul and Will were still up the road a couple of minutes, but I think Will wasn't completely able to cooperate.  Zealous was sort of gassed, and Iowa City was letting Jeff give it a go at the front... I was stuck to Jeff's wheel, as I decided to mark him.... he was very animated throughout the race, trying to bridge up solo a couple of times.  I was mostly comfortable, and hoping that some of the field was popping off the back, though I never looked to check, as Jeff was setting a pretty spirited tempo. 

Alas, the field caught Paul and Will with only about 9 miles left to race... Huge props to Paul for nearly pulling this off, and relieving me and Carson from the need to do any work for most of the race...

Ok, now it was up to me and Carson... things were still looking promising.   With about 6 miles to go, I tried a soft attack up one of the steepest hills getting a small gap... I made it about half way when I saw Jared Osterloh, Mattias P, and Brian West (basically the 'heads of state' for the other three teams) countering near the crest.... crap, I was at the limit, and began cramping a bit...  I made it over the hill and heard Carson screaming in agony... crampage... 

When things settled, those three guys had a gap, and I was left to chase... dang.  There were still two solo riders with us, but they were not working at this point...  the field had whittled down to 7...  I chased for a bit, as they were just a bit up the road...  As I began to think things through,  I relented to save something for the end... I figured those three were rotating through, and I would have to dig too deep to bring them back, if that was even possible.   After over 100 miles, I really wasn't too sure what demands my body was able to accommodate... sort of uncharted territory, as I only race/ride over 100 miles during this annual event...

Well, this wasn't an ideal situation for me, as I don't fancy myself much of a sprinter,  but you never know, maybe the guys remaining were hurting...  I was glad to still be in the field, and that 4th place was still available for the 7 guys in this group...  Bikes 2 You still had 3 guys, Mercy had one...  the two solo riders (Kevin S.-Colorbiotics and a Proctor Cycling guy from Illinois) had hung on as well.

Luckily, there were two attacks towards the end, which meant maybe it wouldn't come down to a sprint...  Nope,  it came down to a sprint to the line, which came up way too soon for my wind-up... I ended up 9th... Carson recovered  well and rolled across in  11th I believe... and Paul still ended up 13th despite going 'all-in' for well over 90 miles.  

Paul should feel great about his effort, so thanks to him, and I thank my Mom for doing hand-ups.  I had a blast working with Carson and Paul, and I know the other guys on the  American Equity team were wishing us the best.  Yeah, it could have gone better... but, trust me, things could have gone a lot worse, so I will just enjoy the accomplishment of making the top 10 and the rewarding feeling of racing along some of Iowa's finest athletes. 

Men Pro, 1,2 - Iowa State Road Championship - August 6th, 2011

1. #14 – Matias Perret, ICCC (Gold)

2. #12 – Jared Osterloh, Zealous Racing (Silver)

3. #2 – Brian West, World of Bikes – Bikes To You (Bronze)

4. #3 – Kevin Severs, Colorbiotics

5. #15 – Mariusz Czarnomski, ICCC

6. #4 – Greg Springhouse, Peoria Bicycle Team

7. #18 – Kevin Tempel, World of Bikes – Bikes To You

8. #9 – Austin Turner, World of Bikes – Bikes To You

9. #20 – Chad Bishop, American Equity

10. #17 – Chris Moore, World of Bikes – Bikes To You

11. #5 – Carson Christen, American Equity

12. #13 – Jeff Barnes, ICCC

13. #19 – Paul Deninger, American Equity

14. #8 – David Lippold, Zealous Racing

15. #7 – Steven Robinson, Zealous Racing

DNF. #1 – Kurt Hantelmann, Zealous Racing

DNF. #22 – Finn Kolsrud, Unattached

DNF. #6 – Andrew Buntz, World of Bikes – Bikes To You

DNF. #10 – Ryan French, Zealous Racing

DNF. #11 – William Greenwood, World of Bikes – Bikes To You

DNF. #16 – Adam Price, ICCC

DNF. #21 – Lee Venteicher, World of Bikes – Bikes To You

August Action

Three races that I really enjoy are coming up, so I am definately still deep within the summer cycling zone.  I have done a few time trials over the last few weeks.  My times were off from past efforts, but steadily improving...  regardless, I am enjoying riding my TT bike as a way to keep my workouts diverse.  I haven't ridden with a group much at all lately... not on purpose, just the way things worked out.

2011 Iowa State Road Race Champs

This year's 108 mile edition of the Iowa RR champs should be another epic event.  The organizers have wisely given the Cat 3's their own 81 mile version of the race, so that leaves just the Cat 1,2's to tackle 4 laps around West Branch. This will make the field a bit smaller, but more intense.   Everyone will have similar levels of fitness and experience...

Iowa's four largest Elite teams will be battling it out this year, which are listed below along with their current Iowa Cup point total:
1) World of Bikes/Bikes2You - 74
2) American Equity - 73
2) ICCC/Mercy-Specialized - 73
3) Zealous Racing - 62

Not only do participants in this race enjoy an opportunity to advance their Iowa Cup ranking, there are three State Championship medals available for Iowa residents, and even some money for the first 10 finishers. 

As for American Equity, we will have a strong representation.... enough  to give us an opportunity to make some things happen and/or prevent some things from happening. 

I can't wait to see how this race plays out.  Those who enter will be ripping their guts out for a little taste of glory... If you are a fan of Iowa road racing, it doesn't get much better than this, so check back for a report on how the 2011 championship unfolded.