Well, nothing too noteworthy happened at the 2012 Snake Alley Criterium or Melon City Criterium Master's events that I entered. I bit anti-climactic as I figured I could finally get an award envelope at one of these events. Nope.
At Snake Alley, a guy in a blood-orange jersey with goofy socks jumped from the gun and screwed up my game plan. We were strung out from the get-go. I didn't attack, or get attacked, just dealt with the course and ended up in 9th place. I can't tell if this is good, because the Memorial Day Weekend fields are full of regional riders I don't know. Probably it is good, but needed 7th to get an envelope. Dang.
At Melon City I was astonished by how fast the race went by. I think it only takes about 35 minutes. It is almost literally 'over before you know it'. I can't actually complain, because I could have entered the Pro/1/2 event if I was hell bent on racing for a bit longer. That event is a bit over my head, however... over 140 guys entered that thing, with half of them dropping out. A Cat 2 rider didn't even make the top 30... I am pretty certain a Cat 2 race division has got to be in the works one of these years... especially at Snake Alley.... if that happens, I will race my Category, if it doesn't I will race master's and be glad to double up once I turn 40, as I think I needed a do-over in Muscatine.
So, Zealous Racing had several guys and they took turns off of the front. At some point, a small split occurred that had some promise and really put me on the edge for a few minutes, but it didn't work out to shed many riders. I was mostly where I wanted to be during this race. By the time I had a chance to think about making a move, the race was winding down. It was going to come down to a field sprint. I got swarmed going down the hill for the last lap. As I unleashed a pretty nice sprint up the hill, all hell was breaking lose. It felt like I was storming the beach during a world war, as guys were blowing up/crashing left and right (again, literally left and right of me). I was ziz-zagging all over the place. I successfully navigated my way through the carnage to the 12th spot. Dang, no envelope on Sunday either.
Disappointing that the race came down to positioning, but things could have easily worked out for me, had I been just a little further up going over the speed bump. I guess I wasn't anticipating so much chaos up the hill. "Better luck next year".
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Saturday, May 26, 2012
2012 Burlington Road Race
I entered the Pro 1,2 Burlington Road Race on Friday. I enjoyed this race last year and was looking forward to racing on some of my local training routes, as the course makes is way from Burlington towards my hometown of Muscatine, Iowa. I also like the 'pro' feel of the event. The referees provide a rolling enclosure, for example, not to mention the fact that many of the guys that participate in the Memorial Day Weekend of bike racing are licenced as Pros. As an added touch, their was a ref standing through a sun-roof holding a red sign to lead us through the first neutral part of the course. I have seen this on TV and appreciated being in a race that offered this level of organization. There was so much energy, as well over 100 participants rolled out of downtown Burlington. After about a mile of nervous anticipation, the ref flipped his sign around, revealing the green 'go' side, and we were off.
Boom, the pace skyrocketed from 20 to well over 30. Just like in the pro events I watch on TV, someone was hitting it from the gun. As a team we had Jeff Bradley, JJ Bailey, Paul Deninger, Lou Waugaman, Matt Zimmer, Luke Guyton, and myself. We had determined not to cover anything until about 10 or 15 miles out, as well as deciding who would be our 'protected' riders.
It was tense at first, as I watched a huge pile-up form in front of me to the right. Cool, I had plenty of time to respond as I grabbed my brakes... Wait, I am still moving pretty fast and this pile-up is swelling right in front of my path... I ended up having to disengage my pedal, but no harm done... oops, I had jarred my right pedal cleat... crap, that was going to bug me, as I feared it was going to fall off. Turns out the crash did have a few casualties. Brian Eppen (ICCC) was reported to have went out with a suspected broken collar bone.
Well, after that I was a little tentative, but got back in the action. This race has a bit of a luck factor to it, you pick your break-away attempts and hope that the field lets it roll. I rolled off the front early in the race... why not? The group got a bit of a space cushion but this didn't turn out to be the 'lucky break'.
Paul Deninger did find the 'lucky break', however, as a group of around 18 guys eventually rolled off the front. So, we had a guy in the break, which took the pressure of of us to chase. There were a couple of times when I was on the verge of getting guttered. This was a stacked field, as I mentioned, so it wasn't too surprising that I would be stressed out from time to time trying to keep with the group.
I was happy to use my home court advantage as we neared the turn-off to Grandview. I knew there was a corner and subsequent cross wind section, followed by a steep climb. I launched up to the front, hitting the corner in the lead. I had a gap with a few guys and we began to rotate. I wasn't really trying to make a move, but it was looking like that could be the situation.
The field was in hot pursuit, however, strung out in a single file line, as the wind was allowing an opportunity to gutter the weak and/or the weary. So, my plan was sort of working... I was in the front which gave me the cushion I needed, as guys began to pass me on the right, giving me brief respites from the wind. By the time we got to the climb, however, the field was shattered from the effort. Last year we cruised up this climb, but this year it served to further split up the group. When the smoke cleared I was in a small chase group. Not the best situation.
We saw the lead group coming back from the turn-around in Grandview. They had about 6 minutes on us. Paul was still representing for the team. Eventually, I clawed my way back up to the field. It was reduced, but still a large group of over 60 guys.
I started to think about just making it home. I got one of those 'feelings', however that the group was getting a bit soft as I casually made my way to the front and then just kept on rolling. If I would have attacked, there would have been a response, but slipping off the front went without much notice.
Several guys eventually started rotating with me. I couldn't tell if we were just pulling the field or creating a break. Turns out we were creating a break! Sweet, I was in a chase group between the field and the break-away. This race paid back 25 spots, so we still had plenty of motivation to make this break stick. If nothing else, it was much more interesting then sitting in the pack.
Some of the noteworthy guys in the group were from Mellow Johnny's, United Healthcare, ISCORP, and Iowa's top ranked cyclist, Mathias Perret (Mercy-Specialized). This kind of riding suits me. Unfortunately, it suits me a little bit too well, as I was doing a disproportional amount of the work. I wanted the break to work, and was feeling good, so I kept rotating through, though it was frustrating to be giving some of the other guys who weren't pulling as much 'free rides'. I don't think they had a choice, however, as we were in a 95 mile race, and we were all getting tired, hungry, and starting to cramp a bit.
Regardless, this was a great place to be. I was representing the team in the second group on the road. Towards the last few miles of the race we let off the pace. It was obvious we weren't going to catch the leaders, nor be caught by the field. Oops, there was a third chase group that had been focused on catching us. Had I known this, I would have given it all I had, because once they caught us, our group swelled to about 15 guys. Crap, I had secured money spot within my original group of 8 riders, but now was going to have to battle it out on the finishing straight.
Luckily, Matt Zimmer was one of the guys who caught us, so our team effort was improved. I messed up the finish, however, jumping when Jerome Rewerts (Zealous) accelerated just before the last uphill past the Case plant. He was zig zagging all over the place. This finish requires extreme patience and timing... I timed it wrong. The guys eventually swarmed around us. My response was tempered by the accumulated fatigue of the event. I rolled in toward the back of this field, but still a satisfying result. This was definately a fun day in the saddle, and I appreciate the fact that I can be a factor in a race that featured so many talented guys from all over the U.S.
Burlington Road Race - Pro, 1,2 Results - 2012
Boom, the pace skyrocketed from 20 to well over 30. Just like in the pro events I watch on TV, someone was hitting it from the gun. As a team we had Jeff Bradley, JJ Bailey, Paul Deninger, Lou Waugaman, Matt Zimmer, Luke Guyton, and myself. We had determined not to cover anything until about 10 or 15 miles out, as well as deciding who would be our 'protected' riders.
It was tense at first, as I watched a huge pile-up form in front of me to the right. Cool, I had plenty of time to respond as I grabbed my brakes... Wait, I am still moving pretty fast and this pile-up is swelling right in front of my path... I ended up having to disengage my pedal, but no harm done... oops, I had jarred my right pedal cleat... crap, that was going to bug me, as I feared it was going to fall off. Turns out the crash did have a few casualties. Brian Eppen (ICCC) was reported to have went out with a suspected broken collar bone.
Well, after that I was a little tentative, but got back in the action. This race has a bit of a luck factor to it, you pick your break-away attempts and hope that the field lets it roll. I rolled off the front early in the race... why not? The group got a bit of a space cushion but this didn't turn out to be the 'lucky break'.
Paul Deninger did find the 'lucky break', however, as a group of around 18 guys eventually rolled off the front. So, we had a guy in the break, which took the pressure of of us to chase. There were a couple of times when I was on the verge of getting guttered. This was a stacked field, as I mentioned, so it wasn't too surprising that I would be stressed out from time to time trying to keep with the group.
I was happy to use my home court advantage as we neared the turn-off to Grandview. I knew there was a corner and subsequent cross wind section, followed by a steep climb. I launched up to the front, hitting the corner in the lead. I had a gap with a few guys and we began to rotate. I wasn't really trying to make a move, but it was looking like that could be the situation.
The field was in hot pursuit, however, strung out in a single file line, as the wind was allowing an opportunity to gutter the weak and/or the weary. So, my plan was sort of working... I was in the front which gave me the cushion I needed, as guys began to pass me on the right, giving me brief respites from the wind. By the time we got to the climb, however, the field was shattered from the effort. Last year we cruised up this climb, but this year it served to further split up the group. When the smoke cleared I was in a small chase group. Not the best situation.
We saw the lead group coming back from the turn-around in Grandview. They had about 6 minutes on us. Paul was still representing for the team. Eventually, I clawed my way back up to the field. It was reduced, but still a large group of over 60 guys.
I started to think about just making it home. I got one of those 'feelings', however that the group was getting a bit soft as I casually made my way to the front and then just kept on rolling. If I would have attacked, there would have been a response, but slipping off the front went without much notice.
Several guys eventually started rotating with me. I couldn't tell if we were just pulling the field or creating a break. Turns out we were creating a break! Sweet, I was in a chase group between the field and the break-away. This race paid back 25 spots, so we still had plenty of motivation to make this break stick. If nothing else, it was much more interesting then sitting in the pack.
Some of the noteworthy guys in the group were from Mellow Johnny's, United Healthcare, ISCORP, and Iowa's top ranked cyclist, Mathias Perret (Mercy-Specialized). This kind of riding suits me. Unfortunately, it suits me a little bit too well, as I was doing a disproportional amount of the work. I wanted the break to work, and was feeling good, so I kept rotating through, though it was frustrating to be giving some of the other guys who weren't pulling as much 'free rides'. I don't think they had a choice, however, as we were in a 95 mile race, and we were all getting tired, hungry, and starting to cramp a bit.
Regardless, this was a great place to be. I was representing the team in the second group on the road. Towards the last few miles of the race we let off the pace. It was obvious we weren't going to catch the leaders, nor be caught by the field. Oops, there was a third chase group that had been focused on catching us. Had I known this, I would have given it all I had, because once they caught us, our group swelled to about 15 guys. Crap, I had secured money spot within my original group of 8 riders, but now was going to have to battle it out on the finishing straight.
Luckily, Matt Zimmer was one of the guys who caught us, so our team effort was improved. I messed up the finish, however, jumping when Jerome Rewerts (Zealous) accelerated just before the last uphill past the Case plant. He was zig zagging all over the place. This finish requires extreme patience and timing... I timed it wrong. The guys eventually swarmed around us. My response was tempered by the accumulated fatigue of the event. I rolled in toward the back of this field, but still a satisfying result. This was definately a fun day in the saddle, and I appreciate the fact that I can be a factor in a race that featured so many talented guys from all over the U.S.
Burlington Road Race - Pro, 1,2 Results - 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Breeder's Hill Criterium
I traveled up to the Iowa State Fair Grounds in Des Moines, Iowa Sunday to compete in the 2012 Breeder's Hill Criterium. I have entered this race the last couple of years (formerly called the Iowa State Fair Crit) and always had success. I won the Cat 3 event in 2010, and managed to get 4th in the Cat 1,2,3 event in 2012. I wasn't as optimistic this year, but I really wanted to enter this race as a way to stay in contact with the sport, while helping me to get back on track.
I like this race because it is essentially a series of hill repeats. You have to carve out a nice line during the corners, but the race basically comes down to hanging on up Breeder's Hill, then recovering quickly. Those with optimum power-to-weight ratios and cardio-respiratory fitness will have a definite advantage.
The race started and finished on top of the hill this year. I liked the idea of the way this would shape the finish, but had to first determine what this meant for the start. I lined up with 35 other guys, deciding to really hit it hard down the hill right from the gun. There is a sort of awkward 120 degree corner on this course that has caused some riders troubles in the past. It would be nice to get to it ahead of any potential carnage.
Hilarious... I was in the front row but way on the side... this angle put me about 3/4 of the way back within seconds of the start. It is frustrating to practically be out of contention before you even have completed a lap. Luckily, there are some races on my calendar that don't emphasize the importance of a good start. I have achieved many good finishes, but good starts aren't my speciality.
Keep reading this blog, however, as I am sure there will be some races that work out for me. My fitness is advancing... my motivation is steady... and I look forward to the hot/humid conditions that suit my particular form of fitness. I think that a lot of guys are peaking right now and will hopefully be a bit burn-out in June and July. At this point, I am definitely the under dog in the Cat 1,2 racing scene. The less you expect from me, the more motivated I will be to prove you wrong. The stage is set for a great story with a happy ending.
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| The field was strung out during the descending portions of the course... trying to brace for Breeder's Hill. |
I like this race because it is essentially a series of hill repeats. You have to carve out a nice line during the corners, but the race basically comes down to hanging on up Breeder's Hill, then recovering quickly. Those with optimum power-to-weight ratios and cardio-respiratory fitness will have a definite advantage.
The race started and finished on top of the hill this year. I liked the idea of the way this would shape the finish, but had to first determine what this meant for the start. I lined up with 35 other guys, deciding to really hit it hard down the hill right from the gun. There is a sort of awkward 120 degree corner on this course that has caused some riders troubles in the past. It would be nice to get to it ahead of any potential carnage.
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| Sweeping around the 120 degree turn at the bottom of the hill. |
Anyway, we all made it through the corner unscathed, so now it was time to see what kind of damage the hill was going to do. OUCH! The front guys were really setting an intense tempo. The first lap was discouraging, but there wasn't time to reflect... there wasn't any strategizing... this race was just about survival.
I began to edge up on a few guys during the second time up the hill, hoping that the race would eventually slow down. The third time up the hill was starting to get a bit out of hand. The momentum of the group wasn't slowing down. There wasn't anyone attacking, just a very quick pace that caused a stinging sensation in my legs that is hard to describe. Unfortunately, I didn't see anyone breeding on the hill, as it's namesake suggested. This would have been a nice diversion from the pain. There was a couple embraced under a shade tree, but I didn't see them making out, so quite certain they weren't breeding, at least not in the traditional sense of the word.
Everything was happening so fast, but I could tell that I was losing ground. A split of some sort occurred as the hill repeats began to take their toll. I ended up in a group with Nate Kullbornm (Atlas) and a couple of other guys from out-of-state. We kept a nice pace around the course, and were encouraged that we were passing riders occasionally. At some point, we were being told that the lead group wasn't that far up the road.
Well, I wasn't planning on pulling out regardless of what place I was in. I had driven about two and a half hours to get here and really needed to train at race pace. Having said that, it seemed like we really did have a shot at getting back into one of the top ten paying spots. I was beginning to catch glimpses of riders who were up the road but had now pulled out of the race along the side of the course. I wondered how many people could possibly still be up the road?
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| Great shot of the field coming over the start/finish area atop the hill. The pain associated with crossing that line will forever be etched into my memories, due to the emotional connection of the effort. |
Great, I got to find out first hand as Jeff Barnes came around us with about 2 laps to go. Nate jumped on his wheel and I dangled just a bit behind, not quite able to match that tempo. Apparently, Jeff had attacked the group and was trying to hang on for the victory. He got caught, however, and the group passed me during their sprint. I counted back and realized I wasn't in the top ten... dang. Breeder's Hill Results.
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| Here is the group that remained intact towards the end of the race. Matias Perret (ICCC) went on to win. |
Once again, I am a bit confused by the race situation this year. Am I slower than last year or is the field faster? I really do think the field is faster. Ok, my fitness may be off just a bit, but my theory is that the mild winter has given guys more of a head start on me than in year's past. This combined with the larger, more stacked fields is attributing to my mediocre results. I am starting to get used to it, however, and enjoying the fact that I am now able to achieve "success" in ways that don't focus on comparing myself to others. The only time I plan on comparing myself to others from here on out, is when I do better than them. giggle.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Iowa City RR - The Pissing Contest
One reason for this void was that many of the upper-tier pro/cat 1 teams weren't here this year. The total starters for the race was 37, down from last year's roster of around 53. Missing were team's like Texas Roadhouse, Geargrinder, Trek/Tradewinds, etc. This left a mostly Iowan field with five Iowa teams notably represented; Mercy-Specialized, Bikes2You/WOB, Thrive, Zealous, and, of course, American Equity.
This suited me just fine... sure some guys attempted to see who could pee the farthest, as we entered brief cross-winds sections or climbed up a hill, but ultimately, it became apparent that we were all basically equally capable of projecting urine. So, this changed the dynamic to feature the concept of trying to waste as little energy as possible (keeping it in your pants?). Launching off the front wasn't going to do much but lower your potential for success when the inevitable field sprint transpired. Of course, depending on your team's situation, this didn't mean that it wasn't occasionally justified.
The day was actually rather warm, and the wind was at an angle that made it a non-factor. American Equity lined up with Lucas Guyton, Jeff Bradley, Lou Waugaman, Paul Deninger, and Myself. Lucas, Jeff, and Lou are very competent in their ability to finish well in a field sprint, so, even though we didn't officially have a 'plan', we are beginning to gel as a team, to know what situations would justify certain tactics. The 'plan' became apparent after a couple of laps.
The first lap was pretty quick. I was feeling good until we got to the main climbing section that heads back toward the start/finish. I couldn't believe how fast we were pushing it up that section. I came into the corner hot, and was reminded that I am definitely not any stronger than these guys... Fortunately, I am not necessarily any weaker either. I am sure everyone had switched their ambitions of winning the pissing contest to their ambitions of not losing their shit (sorry, I am stuck on this metaphor, and it may get worse).
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| The Pro/1/2 Iowa City Road Race Start... |
As a metaphor, a pissing contest is used figuratively to characterise ego-driven battling in a pejorative or facetious manner that is often considered vulgar. This becomes specifically interesting with what happened during our last lap. We were so content with not trying to one-up each other in our race, we exposed ourselves to one of the most tragic assaults that the male ego can endure... being beaten by women. Women are in many, many ways the superior species, but I would like to think that men are somewhat more capable in competitions that favor higher testosterone concentrations. Well, what an awkward moment when the entire women's field passed us. Really? the men's elite Cat 1,2 field was getting passed by the women's field. Yep. We didn't have any idea what to do. We decided to neutralize the field and let them roll by. I guess it was sort of a nice break, but weird to just have to sit their and let them roll by, knowing that we were going to have to pass them again once things started to pick up.
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| Brian Eppen attempted a breakaway late in the race that nearly split up the group. |
So, just when I thought their wouldn't be a pissing contest, the women pulled their chamois down and entered the game. Maybe this was payback for all those times we left the toilet seat up. I wonder if girls are jealous that we can aim our urine. I think this would be especially hard for women during the winter months when men are able to spell out our names in the snow.
A couple miles later we passed them again. I was tempted to try and get some phone numbers, but then realized these girls probably weren't that impressed with us at that moment. (They caught us with our pants UP... embarrasing). A couple guys had girlfriends/wives in the field, and you could hear them greeting their mates... maybe they were setting the stage so they could earn their manhood back later in the evening.
Ok, time to get down to business. Paul Deninger had done a good job of conserving his energy, and our three 'sprinter types' were still in good form to go for some glory as the race came to a close. Bryan Moritz of Bikes2You, had been patiently waiting for his moment to pounce, and did so as the race came to a close. Paul (with some help from Jeff Barnes, and a couple others) eventually closed this down and used the momentum to from a lead-out for Lou, Lucas, and Jeff. Unfortunately, Brandon Krawczyk saw this and climbed aboard the train.
Lou timed his launch to near perfection, blazing around Paul with a powerful burst of adrenaline. Brandon and Matias Perret (Mercy/Specialized) pounced just a split second afterwards. From the back it was hard to tell who won, it was close... Ultimately, Lou got on the podium with a third place finish, while Brandon claimed another victory in Iowa. A nice result for American Equity.
This was a great race. I liked everything about it, except for the fact that I wasn't able to be a factor at the end. I have to think that I am on the upswing, however. And, really, the guys I race against are the at the top end of the game, so it is all good.
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| Lou Waugaman as he sprints to an impressive third place finish. |
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
T-TIME
I re-read that previous post... maybe a bit dramatized... but keep in mind that blogs are basically journals that document thoughts and feelings at a particular point in time. I feel much better today.
"T-Time"
1) Team - Somehow I want to get more involved with the team aspects of the sport. I tend to isolate myself, even though I am wearing the same jersey as some other guys, I still don't quite 'get it'... This will come over the course of the season as I get to know the other guys a bit more. However, I will need to make a conscious effort to not be so self-centered
2) Training - I really got off track with these last few races. I work best with a solid training routine. The races were supposed to be a part of my training mesocycle, however things didn't go according to plan... If I follow the plan I have created using my knowledge and experience I will be able to reach peak fitness in six to eight weeks...
3) Thinking - My head is messed up. If you hopped inside my brain during a race you would probably experience an involuntary bowel movement, as it would be frightening at first. I am used to it, but it still severly limiting my potential. Thankfully, there are some cognitive-behavioral tools that I can utilize to get this back under control.
4) Tactics - I have to promise myself to start really executing tactical racing strategies. I often ignore the tactics of a race because my head is so pre-occupied worrying about other things. If I can calm my brain down, I can let my intelligence surface. I am good at chess, I can be good at bike racing.
5) Technique - I really don't feel connected to my new bike, nor my new wheels. I will have to start riding it more.
6) Too Legit To Quit - I need to keep my s*^t together and not take things so seriously... it is just bike racing... I do it for fun and to stay healthy... also, I think MC Hammer is due for a come back.
"T-Time"
1) Team - Somehow I want to get more involved with the team aspects of the sport. I tend to isolate myself, even though I am wearing the same jersey as some other guys, I still don't quite 'get it'... This will come over the course of the season as I get to know the other guys a bit more. However, I will need to make a conscious effort to not be so self-centered
2) Training - I really got off track with these last few races. I work best with a solid training routine. The races were supposed to be a part of my training mesocycle, however things didn't go according to plan... If I follow the plan I have created using my knowledge and experience I will be able to reach peak fitness in six to eight weeks...
3) Thinking - My head is messed up. If you hopped inside my brain during a race you would probably experience an involuntary bowel movement, as it would be frightening at first. I am used to it, but it still severly limiting my potential. Thankfully, there are some cognitive-behavioral tools that I can utilize to get this back under control.
4) Tactics - I have to promise myself to start really executing tactical racing strategies. I often ignore the tactics of a race because my head is so pre-occupied worrying about other things. If I can calm my brain down, I can let my intelligence surface. I am good at chess, I can be good at bike racing.
5) Technique - I really don't feel connected to my new bike, nor my new wheels. I will have to start riding it more.
6) Too Legit To Quit - I need to keep my s*^t together and not take things so seriously... it is just bike racing... I do it for fun and to stay healthy... also, I think MC Hammer is due for a come back.
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